Mission Trip and Evangelization

Evangelization of By the Poor

“God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are . . .” [1]

Do we believe that wealth and good fortune mean that we have a better knowledge, understanding and better relationship with God? If not, how do we explain the arrogance of preaching to the poor?

Without knowing anything about the faith of the poor or their relationship with God, we organize a mission to evangelize and to teach the poor. We assume that they do not have Jesus in their lives. Why? Do we really believe that poverty is a sign that people do not know or believe in Jesus? It seems so.

When we organize trips into the poorest colonias along our border, people frequently ask why we are not evangelizing. The truth is that the poor I have come to know a stronger faith and a stronger relationship with God than my own. In fact, as I listen to their stories and see the circumstances in which they live, it is my own relationship with the Living God that is strengthened.

Many years ago, I met with a group of families on a dirt road in a poor colonia of Mexico. These people knew me as a man who came with other Americans to distribute food and clothing to them. They knew me a member of an organization that made life-changing medical help available to people, especially to children, who would otherwise not receive such help. They knew me as a man who led Americans to walk the among the poor and to visit them in their homes.

These people offered a startling piece of advice. “When you come with Americans, do not tell the people in the colonias that you are a ‘mission’ group. To us, a ‘mission group’ is a group who offer food that we truly need in exchange for participation in a Bible Study or a prayer service. Many times, these ‘mission’ groups tell us to come to their service and that after the service they will give us gifts of food. They hold the food hostage until we are saved. What kind of Christians are these mission people? Our churches are filled. We know about Jesus and the Bible. When we know that a ‘mission group’ has arrived, we get out our Bibles and pretend to be reading it. We pretend that praising Jesus is something new, and we act the parts they want us to play. If you want a real relationship with us, don’t say that you are on a mission or part of a mission group. It is OK to invite us to your prayer services, but please do not require us to come to receive food that we need.”

As one or two people voiced this opinion, I saw that almost everyone in the small crowd that gathered nodded their heads in agreement. Since we never preached or required anything when we distributed food, I know that this advice was given in sincere friendship.

It got me to thinking about how being among the poor strengthened our own relationship with God. On every such trip (and we called them mission trips for lack of a better name) at least one American remarked about the happiness that these poor people seem to enjoy in the midst of unfair treatment, poverty, and so many disappointments. Americans would often say, “Why are they so happy” and I suspected that they also thought, ‘and why am I not’’.

It is frustrating to know, beyond any doubt, that the more people help others the more happiness they experience in their own hearts. Continual charity ensures not good health or wealth but does ensure continual contentment and a relationship with the Lord that is very personal and very special.

Missions among believers who live in extreme poverty are perhaps the greatest necessity in today’s America. But it should be recognized as a mission where we, the Americans, are brought closer to Christ and closer to becoming the person we always hoped to become.

---

[1] Luke:18-11

Violence in Acuna

Due to the recent outbreak of violence that includes murder in Acuna, we are no longer scheduling mission trips. We are continuing to visit the colonias and delivering food, medicine, clothing to the people in need. We remain committed to supporting the shelters for children, free meals for school children, and other programs that make a positive difference in the lives of the working poor.

We expect to expand our support as other charities shift their resources away from Acuna because of the violence.

Paper Houses Across the Border

We work as partners with people living in the colonias of Mexico. There are 50,000 very poor people living in Acuna, Mexico - within a few miles of our border and they do NOT want to enter our country illegally. They struggle to survive, work 56-hours a week for less than $60. The cost of living requires 4 family members to work just to keep food on the table. We help them to succeed. We help them to succeed in Mexico. We work with orphanages, shelters, and we work door-to-door with the people living in cardboard shacks. For details visit us at www.paperhouses.org.