“That’s My Blanc!”

Each year many well-meaning short term mission participants eagerly travel to a foreign country. They normally come back and report to their churches about the people they helped or perhaps even an opportunity to share the gospel. The problem is that often much of what they think happened on their trip is an illusion.

This seems harsh but let me explain. I’ve been leading short term mission trips for almost 10 years, and most recently I’ve been traveling to Haiti. One phrase you will commonly hear Haitians say is, “That’s my blanc.” The truth is everybody wants a blanc. What’s a blanc? In case you’re not up on your French, it means white and that is the Haitian term for white people. I don’t mind being called “blanc”; after all it’s a pretty accurate description. However, I have no desire to be somebody’s blanc. Essentially this means they take care of my every need, and I give them money. It was with dismay that I learned that some Haitian people I considered friends merely viewed me as their blanc. I wasn’t so much a friend as an asset.

I don’t fault the many Haitians that adopt this perspective. After all their country is economically devastated. People are just trying to find a way out of poverty, but what many fail to realize is how unhealthy and patronizing these relationships become. I fully believe that it is our responsibility to give to those who are less fortunate but not this way.

I encountered this dilemma when I worked with a financially established Haitian pastor who partnered with our organization. He acted like my best friend at first, but when he didn’t get the amount of money he wanted he became cold and sometimes hostile. One thing was clear. We did not have a friendship. We had a business relationship. I was just his blanc.

I was forced to ask myself tough questions. If I’m building these kinds of relationships can I have healthy local partners? Can I effectively serve at all? There had to be a better way.

I can’t help but notice that participants on weeklong mission trips often view things very differently. Most people return from a short term trip elated by what they have accomplished. They often come home with a glamorized view of the country they visited, but they haven’t had time to see past the veneer. I hear pastors tell returning team members they were on the “front lines” spiritually. What we so often fail to realize is that it becomes all about our experience. Both sides are using each other. We’re using those we’re serving to have a life changing mission trip, and they’re using us for material gain. This is not just true for Haiti. It’s true of many countries that host short term teams.

Obviously, this was never the goal, so perhaps we should adjust our perspective. When we travel as foreigners to an underdeveloped country it is not our job to lead some great “work.” Rather we should seek to play a supportive role. That’s why my focus is always primarily to identify local people who are serious about serving their communities and then to support and equip them. People won’t view them as their blancs but instead their brothers and sisters.

This is what is happening in Haiti. I’ve been able to connect with a group of young Haitians who treat me as a friend not their “blanc.” I quit partnering with the pastor I had been working with and started working with these young men. He opposed them for “stealing his blanc,” and he opposed me because I didn’t want to be his blanc, but that’s ok. Why should I feel the need to protect a hopelessly patronizing relationship? I don’t know what the future holds for our work in Haiti, but I am convinced that my young Haitian brothers will be able to impact their community an the way that I never could, and I’m ok with that. In fact, nothing could make me happier.

5 Tips for Short Term Missions

Short term missions is a hot topic right now. It’s become a big part of Christian culture, and it’s also a source of much discussion and debate. Are short term missions beneficial? Most people think so, but many also realize that if they’re not done in the right way they can be harmful. I would agree. So how can we do short term missions well? I’m not going to try and give a comprehensive answer, but here are 5 tips that I think are crucial to doing short term missions in a positive way.

1) Love. Don’t patronize. The key here is to build relationships. If you jump in just to accomplish a task, people will view you as the “rich, powerful people” who are coming in to help the “poor, helpless people.” This will make some people feel insecure and small. Others will accept you’re help because it benefits them, but they will secretly grow embittered toward the “rich, arrogant Americans.”

When this happens, both sides are patronizing each other. If the mission team is so focused on completing a task that they disregard people’s feelings, they’re actually using the local people to feel good about themselves. It becomes a transaction. “You get our services, and we get the satisfaction of knowing we saved the day.” We can pat ourselves on the back, and return home to our churches telling of the great work that we did. Conversely, the local people who become bitter towards the “rich, arrogant Americans,” are simply using the mission teams for their services. It’s another transaction. We get your services, and you get the satisfaction of thinking you saved the day. They play along and act like they’re your best friend while they smugly wonder to themselves whether the Americans actually think they can change everything in a week. As soon as you stop giving them what they want, they’re not your friends anymore. Each side is using the other to get something in return. This is patronizing.

Patronizing is about using others, but love is about knowing them. It’s listening to their story, learning about their culture, and developing a friendship. When this happens, both sides feel respected. Suddenly it’s not about saving the day. If you complete a task, great. If not, that’s ok too. The important thing is that you work together and get to know each other. In the end, you may not accomplish all the physical tasks, but your impact will be more lasting, and you’ll accomplish more in the long run. You can return back to your church and tell about your new friends and all of the things that you learned. In the same way, even if the local people in the community didn’t get all the help they wanted, they will tell their neighbors about their American friends and all the things they learned. Now, all the sudden both sides are demonstrating God’s love, and it’s no longer about using people.

2) Have fun, but put others first. Some people come on a mission trip and say “we’re just here to serve,” yet this is almost never actually the case. People also come for the experience. Missions can be quite an adventure. That’s ok. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and it’s good to pursue fulfilling experiences. You should have fun, but when your desires conflict with those of your team members or people in the community you should put others first.

3) Don’t come with expectations. This can be really hard because you may have a certain mission experience built up in your mind, but it’s critically important that you fight this temptation. Don’t try to control your experience. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about mission trips, it’s that anything can change, and it probably will. If you have specific expectations, you might be disappointed, but if you go in with an open mind, you’re more likely to be a blessing to others, and you’ll actually enjoy your experience much more.

4) It’s not just about serving; it’s also about learning. Yes, you come on a mission trip to serve, but it’s important to realize that the struggles and challenges that people in underdeveloped communities face are much too complex for you to fix. Hopefully, you can meet a practical need, but the community as a whole will have all the same problems when you leave as it did when you came. Don’t come in with the assumption that the people you meet have a need that you can fix. This can lead to arrogance, and you run the risk of trivializing their pain. Instead, you should come in with the attitude that you will get to know the people and learn about their culture, their challenges, and their way of life. Then don’t just serve them, but partner with them to serve the community together.

5) Your short term mission should be a part of a long term relationship. Again, the challenges that face underdeveloped communities are much too complex for a short term fix. Sustainable change happens over a period of time when people work together toward a common vision for the future. When this vision is coupled with the needed resources, now there is a chance that it can happen. To do this right, it is important to develop meaningful relationships and think through a strategy. Both of these things take time. This is especially true in relational cultures where business doesn’t happen until a friendship has been developed.

During one short term trip, it’s nearly impossible to build the kind of relationships that make this process work. However, if a long-term relationship is already being developed, then it can be immensely helpful to have short term teams come in and support. Because of this, it is advisable for your short term mission team either to go with an organization that has a long term presence in a community or be prepared to make a long term commitment to the community yourself.

There’s no easy 1-2-3 formula for short term mission trips, but I know that these concepts have been helpful to me over the years, and I think that if we apply these it’s a great start. I welcome any thoughts or comments.

Beauty and Brokenness

As I reflect on my most recent mission trip to Haiti, I am struck by ever-present coexistence of beauty and brokenness. I think this is the reality everywhere in the world, but I find it particularly evident in Haiti.

When I pass through the streets of Port-Au-Prince and the surrounding areas, I see piles of trash everywhere, and there’s always dust and pollution filling the air. The city is still littered with buildings that were destroyed in the earthquake, and people are forced to defecate right out on the streets. Yet surrounding this decay are the majestic Haitian mountains and the beautiful Caribbean Sea. The contrast is stark.

All over the city you will see slums that are home to many of those who were displaced by the earthquake. Living in shacks or tents that are crammed together, these people enjoy little privacy because of woefully inadequate bathing and toilet facilities. There are children wandering the streets because their parents were killed in the earthquake, and there’s no one to care for them. Still, in the midst of this suffering, there are beautiful, vibrant people out on the streets living life and enjoying each other. Precisely because many people have inadequate homes, there is always activity on the streets, and there is a real sense of community within the neighborhoods. In the US our cities are full of people who live in isolation, but this is not true in Haiti. Perhaps it is over-crowded, but if you really step back and take the time to see the people around you will see a great picture of the most beautiful thing that God has created – humanity.

Of course there are also serious social issues in Haiti. It has been estimated that as many as 80% of people in Port-Au-Prince are unemployed, so this means that they’re surviving from what little they can sell or trade to their neighbors. Many people go hungry as a matter of course, and many parents are unable to properly care for their children. It is devastating to a parent when he/she cannot even provide enough food and clothing for his/her children, much less send them to school.

Lamentably, desperate times call for desperate measures, and people often resort to less than honorable ways of making a living.  Corruption is extremely common in government, and unfortunately it happens all too often in the church. In Haiti, many people feel that stealing or cheating is the only way to make a decent living. Sadly, many women and even young girls sell their bodies in an attempt to survive. In extreme cases, practitioners of Voodoo will even kill members of their family because they believe the devil will reward them with money.

Though all of this darkness is very real, do not think that it characterizes all Haitians. There are many honest, hard working people who are genuinely striving to live well and provide for their families. There are even champions who reach out to others in their community in the midst of suffering. I have met many such people, and the friendships that I have formed with good people in Haiti have blessed me immensely.

Because of the social turmoil and the economic hardship in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, the brokenness in Haiti may be more obvious than it is in some places, but it can be found everywhere in the world. We have all experienced the effects of sin and destruction to some degree. What amazes me is that in the midst of this brokenness those friendships that we have and the immense beauty and love that can be found are so powerful that we will still fight for life at great cost. In Haiti, you see so many people who are experiencing daily suffering, yet they choose to get up and live everyday. Even when life is very hard, people will hold onto that last glimmer of hope, and it will keep them going.

Everyday I am amazed by the beautiful world in which I live, and I am awed by the relationships that God has placed in my life. It is this beauty that gives us hope, yet it also makes the brokenness seem even more terrible. If we had not experienced the beauty, we would likely begin to think that the brokenness is normal but because we do experience it our hearts are filled with this deep sense of longing for a better life – a life free from hurt, pain, disease, hunger and broken relationships. It is when I truly see the brokenness in my world that I am utterly humbled and awed by God’s promise that he will make all things new.

Revelation 21:1-5

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. ² Then I, John,^[a]saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

It is amazing and wonderful for me to think that God will one day make all things new. This is so exciting that I desperately want to be a part of the work that God is doing. I may be a very small piece of the puzzle, but by God’s grace I do have a part in his work of making all things new. The truth is that we all do and that in itself is a great example of God’s grace.

Two men. Same place. Different worlds.

The other day I was serving with a group from my church at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, a local homeless shelter and recovery program, and I had a couple of interesting conversations. We were supposed to help serve the lunch meal, but for some reason it seems that UGM double scheduled, so we weren’t needed. Instead, we ate with the residents and tried to strike up conversations.

After getting my rather unappetizing meal of canned soup and chicken salad from an ice cream scooper, I scanned the tables for a group to join, and I noticed a young man about my age. I approached him and asked if I could join him, and to my surprise he responded with a cheerful, intelligent tone.  Why was this guy a resident at a homeless shelter? He didn’t seem that bad, certainly not your stereotypical homeless man who is mentally ill or strung out on drugs and alcohol.

We soon were chatting away, and I began to learn pieces of his story. He was a musician, and he’d been in a band, yet he was constantly battling alcoholism. He would try to get out of it, but he found it so easy to slip. He’d voluntarily committed to stay at the UGM shelter and enter their year long men’s program so that he could be in an environment where he had the structure and accountability needed to succeed in beating this addiction. Rather than seeming discouraged about his unfortunate living situation, he was thrilled for the opportunity to really get clean. He was eager to talk about his relationship with the Lord, and he seemed excited about his future because of the presence of God in his life.

As we finished eating, he headed back to his living area, and I began to look for the next person with which to converse. I soon found that the other men at the table were in much worse straights. They seemed completely disengaged, and I utterly failed in my attempt to make conversation. Awkwardly, I walked around, found a drink of water, and ended up gravitating back to the others in my group.

We still had some more downtime before we would leave, so as I was standing there, I noticed a gentleman sitting by himself at one of the tables. He also did not look like your typical homeless person. He was dressed plainly, but he appeared neat and clean. He had mostly gray hair, and I would have placed him at around 50 years old.

I approached him, and said, “How’s it goin?” He responded with a puzzled look of frustration, and his gestures seemed to say, “Well, what do you think? Look where I’m at.” What kind of question is that?” Finally, words came out, and he said, “Well, I mean I’d rather be dead?” His tone was not dramatic but casual, and it seemed to imply that I’d asked a stupid question. He proceeded to launch into a mini-diatribe about how this existence was hell, and it would be better not to live. He quickly made it clear that this was a new situation for him and that he had been a functioning member of society for most of his life. He’d been a football player in college, and later he coached football. He vaguely referred to having been married, but he didn’t seem to want to talk about it. He said that he appreciated what I was doing, but this comment seemed disingenuous, and he made it clear that I wasn’t helping.

I sensed that his bitterness was deep. I also perceived a steak of arrogance and pride. He seemed to think that he was better than all these other guys. They were a sorry bunch of bums, but he’d just had some bad breaks.

I conjectured that his resistance to me was mainly because he figured I was viewing him as a charity case, and this was threatening the last shred of dignity that he held. Nevertheless, I tried to push through this barrier by speaking with a casual tone of respect – kind of like I would talk to a buddy. I told him I was just trying to pass the time, hoping that he would realize that I only wanted to talk to him, and I wasn’t viewing him as a sad charity case to make me feel good about myself. It seemed to work a little bit, and we spend most of the rest of the time talking football, something he clearly new much more about than I did.

Toward the end of the conversation, I casually said, “Man, you know there’s always hope. You can climb out of this.” For the first time, he actually seemed to appreciate the thought, yet he responded by saying he kind of doubted it. Next, it was time for me to leave, and we parted ways.

As I reflected, I noticed several similarities between these two men. Sure, they were different ages, and they had different pasts, but they were both a little out of place in the homeless shelter. Both were clearly, much more coherent and lucid than your average man in the room. You could meet either one of them on the street, and think they were pretty normal guys, yet they were confined to a place where they were surrounded by the lowest class of society.

I was struck by the fact that both men lived in the exact same place with the exact same type of men, yet from talking to them you would think they lived in totally different worlds. Their outlook on life was radically different. The first man was humble and self-assured. He seemed strangely at peace. He knew he was where he needed to be, and he was willing to walk the path that lie before him. The second man was prideful (not in an extreme way but in the way that is common to most men), yet he seemed to hate himself. He was convinced that he didn’t belong there, and he saw no path before him that was worth walking.

I would imagine that the second man’s reaction was similar to how most men would react in his situation, but the first man seemed outside of the norm. Finding himself at a low point, he was willing to face that discrepancy between who he was and who he ought to be. To me, this is an example of the power of God, the ability to see past your own pride and acknowledge who you really are while embracing who God wants you to be. I think I can learn a lot from this young man. I’m not so different from him. I’m constantly faced with that same discrepancy between who I am and who I ought to be, and just like him I’m desperately in need of a gracious God who can shape me into the man he wants me to be.

Why would we serve?

Imagine there’s a group of 15 high school students on a mission trip to Haiti who are working hard removing a pile of rubble. Most of them aren’t used to manual labor, and they certainly aren’t accustomed to working in the excruciatingly hot, humid climate. It’s hard, and they’re weary, yet all in all they seem to be having a good time. They’re goofing off with their friends, and making new friends with some of the hired Haitian workers.

Meanwhile there is a strong, able-bodied Haitian man sitting on the side of the road watching the students work. He doesn’t appear to have anywhere to be or anything to do, and given the overwhelming shortage of gainful employment, it is probably a good bet that this is true. Still, he continues to watch yet doesn’t offer to lift a finger. Eventually the students on the team begin to notice and they wonder, “Why isn’t he helping us?”

Sadly, I’ve seen variations of this situation in each of the communities where I’ve lead mission trips for youth. It stirs up many thoughts inside of me. My initial response is one of judgment against the young Haitian. He is no doubt much more physically capable of doing the task than any of the high school students, yet they are the one’s doing the work. They’ve invested hundreds of dollars, and they are volunteering their time to serve the Haitian community, yet this young man does not seem to care about his own community. What’s his deal?

Next, my mind goes to the students on the mission team. They are working hard to serve this Haitian community because they have seen the intense need, and they feel good about the fact that they are serving. Yet, however commendable this may be, I also know that many of these students probably never volunteer in their own communities. I guess it’s human nature to ignore the needs that are close to home.

Let’s face it, whether Haitian or American, everyone has to take care of themselves, and this brings a lot of responsibility. We all have to work a job. If we’re not working a job, we have to go school so that we can one day get a job. Not to mention we have to do all the other stuff of life. After we do all of this we’re exhausted, and there’s little energy to think about helping someone else. We easily fall into self-preservation mode, and we just fail to think about serving our communities.

For the majority of people in the US, there is the hope that if you work hard and do your best, you will at least have everything you need and probably reach some level of prosperity. In contrast, this young man in Haiti lives in a dysfunctional economy amidst wide-scale poverty. He probably feels like no matter how hard he works he will always be poor. He struggles just to survive and help out his family. This must be very discouraging.

The bottom line is that we all have the tendency to be inward focused. By default, we expend the vast majority of our energy pursuing our own ambitions or desires. Of course, it’s not bad to have personal ambitions and desires, but if we learn to see beyond ourselves it actually gives us a freedom we won’t otherwise experience. In fact, it’s precisely when we stop worrying so much about our own stuff that we cease to have so much fear of losing it.

Still, the reality is that life’s hard, and the idea of letting go of our personal interests even a little is like falling backward. It seems dangerous. If you’re living in a poor country like Haiti, it seems unwise or just flat unappealing to expend energy to help someone else. It’s hard enough to survive. In a prosperous country like the US, it seems unwise or at least unappealing to lay aside personal ambitions or desires to help someone else. After all, it’s hard enough just to deal with the pressure of trying to be successful.

I’m the same way. I often become frighteningly self-absorbed, but its during those times that I see beyond myself that I experience freedom like no other time. And while I obviously value mission trips, I’m convinced we shouldn’t equate a week long experience with the essence of serving. The true servant is the one who through the wear and tear of daily life is willing to sacrifice their own interests for the interests of others. Perhaps this depicts the radical inversion Jesus alluded to when he said, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Prayer

Shiprock

It’s been about two years now since I first visited Victory Life Fellowship in Toko’i, New Mexico. This church is on the Navajo Reservation in the wide open desert just a few miles west of Shiprock, which is one of the largest two cities on the Rez. It sits just north of the massive rock formation for which the city gets its name. It is an arid yet beautiful place.

The Pastor of this church is Herman Harrison, a Navajo man who was once living a life of alcoholism and drugs but was transformed by a miraculous encounter with Christ. About ten years ago Herman planted the Church in Toko’i. He did not plant the church with a wildely impressive list of credenials. He did not have a sending church providing copious amounts of funding. He did not have a large core group of believers from which to launch a thriving ministry. He simply started the church in Toko’i with prayer. For the first time in his life, he began to ask the Lord for a prayer life. He began a ministry of intercession where he would devote a large amount of time to entering into the Lord’s presence and praying for his family, his church, and his community. This is when God told him to plant a church.

To this day, Victory Live Fellowship is a church that emphasizes prayer, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is evident. At Experience Mission, we organize short mission trips to Toko’i each year, so I visit regularly, and each time I am reminded of the need for prayer in my own life. I am reminded of the importance of spending time in the presence of the Lord.

Though we as believers desire God to change and transform us, the truth is that for most of us there are areas deep in the recesses of our hearts that we want to control. It is a scary and terrifying thing to allow God to have complete control in those areas. I know this is the case for me. The fact of the matter is that in the deepest corners of our hearts there are sinful inclinations that are so ingrained that we lack the ability to change. When we seek to transform on our own strength, we will only be confronted with the powerlessness of our own devices. It is only by the liberating yet sometimes agonizing work of the Holy Spirit that we truly surrender to God. We cannot change our own hearts only God can do that.

Herman will attest that when his prayer life began to increase God started dealing with the issues deep in his heart. One of the amazing things about the Christian life is that we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who has the power to change hearts. Our responsibility is to enter into his presence, to call on his name in humility and sincerity. It is then that the Holy Spirit will touch those parts of our hearts that we have previously guarded (whether wittingly or unwittingly), and then he can give us the life of peace, freedom, and joy that only comes through him.

I think this is one of the primary purposes of prayer, our own sanctification. It opens our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit. My desire is to be more diligent to seek God in prayer so that I may experience the peace and freedom of being fully committed to him.

Jamaican Baptism

Ever since I first came to Jamaica 5 years ago, I’ve heard about traditional Jamaican baptisms where everybody marches from the church down to the river and celebrates the addition of a new member into the Kingdom of God. A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity to witness this for the first time as several members from a team on one of our mission trips were baptized by Pastor Leroy. Above is a short clip of one of these baptisms.

Alto Coen Bridge is Complete!

http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1288048715&f=yV9USRTgFDJo3YArywjyEw&d=273&m=p&r=w+s&i=m&ct=Costa%20Rica%20Mission%20Trips&cu=http://www.experiencemission.org/&options=start_hq

Returning from Alto Coen and meeting with the Cabecar Council.

Long before daylight this morning, a rooster right next to the house started crowing about every 15 seconds, so it was hard to sleep. I tried until about 5:30 and then got up. We had an appointment with Benjamin at noon, so we knew we had to leave early, and we were on our way back by 7:00. The way back was very enjoyable because it is a beautiful hike, and we did not have any health issues. Yon and I both felt extremely healthy today, so for that we were very thankful.

Still, the hike was extremely hot, so by the time we reached Sibodi to catch the bus, we were quite ready for a relaxing ride just sitting back sipping our water. This was not to be. Shortly after we left, the engine stalled and our driver told us to push! It was a rocky partially muddy dirt road, and the bus was the size of a school bus. Amazingly, with 1 woman and 5 guys including the driver we were able to push it about 15 feet to get a jump start, and we were on our way.

It was about 12:30 when we arrived in Suretka, and we were starving so we grabbed a bite to eat and made it to Benjamin’s by 1:00. An hour late. Not bad by local standards.

Our objective was to work with him to visit the two Cabecar villages, and I felt strongly that we needed to first meet with the Cabecar Council. We hired a truck to take us to the Council headquarters and a very formal meeting ensued. In the end they welcomed the team, and it turns out that the leaders of the villages were on the council, so we worked out all of the details in the meeting. While it was a bit of a formality, it was very important to go through this process, so that we can respect the tribe and start the relationship off right.

It’s Wednesday night and I’m now in a cabin in Puerto Veijo. Yon and I must go to the Western Union here early tomorrow and try to pick up the money for the team next week. Once this is done we just have to make a couple of phone calls, and everything will be in place. It’s been a great week, and I think it’s been very productive. I’ve learned more about Bribri culture, and we’ve been able to more clearly see some of the political issues in the area, and we have a better idea of the correct way to proceed. I’ll be leaving on Friday, so this trip will soon come to an end. I will miss Costa Rica.

Alto Coen

Tuesday, February 23

Today was the first day that we met with some physical difficulty. We met Albir at about 8:15 at the store in Sibodi and began the hike to Alto Coen. The sun was already very hot, so we could see that that we would need to drink plenty of water and use the river to cool off. As soon as we began, I could feel nature calling. I was starting to have stomach cramps, and it was evident that either something we ate or something we drank did not sit well. I had to make several emergency runs to the bush, but other than that I was feeling strong. However, this was just the beginning.

Our guide was also having his difficulties. He had purchased a new pair of rubber boots, and his feet were hurting badly. We stopped at several houses because he hoped that they would have a cream for his blisters, but we did not find any. Finally, we stopped at a house of a one of the local leaders, Castulo. I had been here once before so this was familiar. I went into the house with Albir and he went to the back room by the fire, and he began to take the burning ember from the end of a stick burn his blisters. It was evident from his reaction that this was about as painful as it sounds, but apparently he hoped to numb the pain. They also offered us a glass of water with fresh squeezed orange juice flavoring it. This was good but the water was not purified, so I think this contributed more to our upset stomachs.

We soon left and made our way to the river crossing. Here there as a raft made of three logs that the people of Alto Coen have made. One of the men from the village met us and rafted us across, and we then began the most challenging portion of the hike. This is a climb to the top of a mountain known as Alto Piste. Before we began, I could feel the stomach cramps returning, so I took another strategic trip to the bushes. As we began, walking up Yon was forced to stop, and he vomited severely three times. Clearly our American systems weren’t handling the local food and water. Still, Yon was extremely resolute and after a short break we continued. Thankfully, he felt much better after this, and we made it the rest of the way into Alto Coen without any problem.

As soon as we arrived, we looked upon the progress of the bridge, and found that there has been almost no progress since the teams came last summer. This was a bit disappointing, so we determined to talk to Margarito, the local leader as soon as possible.

We then made our way up the very steep climb to the main part of the village and dropped our packs in Laonida’s house. We stayed there last year, and we actually met her on the way up, so no introduction was needed. We found out that Margarito and many of the people from the village were having a meeting at the school. We had no choice but to wait until it was done. It was about three hours that we waited, and as the night wore on more and more people came into the small hut.

Finally, Margarito arrived, and we sat down with him, Albir, and other members of the community to discuss the progress of the bridge. This was a very important meeting because it was a chance to communicate more clearly about Experience Mission our desire to help the community and discuss practical steps to completion. The issues right now are that there are a few more supplies and tools needed, and there is need to hire an expert to finish the project. Benjamin has been helping the teams in the past, but both Margarito and Albir explained that they are not comfortable hiring him to complete the project. Fortunately, they told us that there is a man living in Amubri who they believe is qualified to do it. However, he will charge more than they can afford.

We had the unpleasant task of explaining that we currently do not have the funds to complete the project, but said that we would continue to attempt to raise the funds. All were in agreement that we should plan out practical steps for the completion of the bridge, so Albir and Margarito agreed to attempt to contact the man in Amubri, and we agreed to hire him for a couple of days to go with the team and help assess the project and determine what are the necessary materials to finish. As is always the case on the Bribri Reservation, with limited communication there is no guarantee that he will arrive, but in either case the Bribri have agreed to send us a written report of the funds needed to finish the project.

Meetings like this are unpleasant at times because we were not able to provide the message that they wanted to hear. They wanted to hear that we have the money to finish the project, and we are bringing in a skilled overseer to finish. However, this is not the case. As the meeting progressed, I stopped and prayed that the Holy Spirit would be present and work in the situation, and I feel that he did. By the end, everyone seemed to have a mutual respect, and I feel that the relationship is growing, and I am more determined than ever to do our best to complete the bridge.

Right now I am sitting on a log that serves as one of the main chairs in Laonida’s house, and it is completely dark for everyone else is in bed. As I was writing, two or three of the children and a couple of the adults gathered around. It is hard to tell who it was because it was so dark, but the stared in utter fascination. There are very few times that they have seen a computer, and they are not used to seeing someone type. To put it in perspective, we are in wood hut with a leaf roof in the middle of the mountains. No electricity and no running water. Candles, flashlights and the stream must suffice.

It is getting late and we have a strenuous hike back to Sibodi, followed by a bus ride to Sepecue, and a boat ride to Suretka in the morning. We must return in time to visit the Cabecar villages past Shiroles, so time is important. I am greatly enjoying the visit. The crickets are chirping and the sound of running water from the nearby stream will hopefully lull me to sleep.

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