What if......?????

In the U.S. it's now holiday season. Stores, streets, and individuals are happily decorating, there are parties and dinners to attend, many stores will be staying open late to accommodate shoppers, and there is often an extra measure of "good cheer" and graciousness in many interactions.

Here in DRC it's now "election season". The country's second ever democratic election(after 51 years of independence) will take place on November 28th. Believe me, the ambiance of election season here is vastly different from that of the U.S. holiday season. The city is "decorated" with thousands of posters and banners promoting various candidates. Riot police patrols dressed in full riot gear are a common sight. Tensions are high and people are stressed. Many do not want to go out at night as crime is on the increase and even wearing a tee-shirt that supports a particular candidate can easily get you beat up. One of our pastors told us, "It's awful. People go into their homes and lock their doors at 6pm. We don't even know for sure if we can trust our neighbors."

Pat and I have tried to go on with "life as usual" in outings and ministry, but we, too, are finally succumbing to the tensions and security warnings. The members of many churches that we work with are not wanting to go out in the evenings to attend seminars. Most pastors are mainly preoccupied with encouraging their congregations and communities and praying for peace - which of course we support and understand.

The other day, we finally had to have our "what if" conversation......."What if the girls are up at their school while we're down here at home and violence breaks out?" "What if we have to evacuate? Where would we go?" "What if looters come over the walls - where do we hide the girls?" Although I am keen on problem solving and big on prevention - I have not wanted to have this conversation. I don't want to think about it!! Any of it!! But especially when it concerns my daughters!! Granted - If I were a betting woman (and I'm not!!) I would definitely bet on a no evacuation scenario. But things here are tense and edgy and in the end, in situations like this, one has to draw up their plans for the "what if's", put a few processes in place, and then go on with life, knowing that you're ready....IF............

I'm so glad I serve the God of "what if's"......although I believe He expects me to use wisdom and common sense, in the end He is God and we can have peace because of that.

Please pray for Congo! Pray for peace, not just during elections, but even more importantly when the results are announced (scheduled for Dec. 6th). Pray for our safety and protection, and pray for the Congolese. In the midst of planning for the "what if's" we, as Westerners, have many more options to consider than most who are here.

How do you spell relief?

My mind is constantly reflecting on the issues of relief and development. I just can't help it - I live in a country whose infrastructure has literally declined over the past decade rather than seen even the most miniscule of advances. I am a registered nurse, therefore concerned about health and health issues. And I am finishing up a Masters in Public Health with an emphasis on international public health. Effective methods and strategies for tackling the immense issues that we see in Central Africa are constantly on my mind.

To be honest, these things also weigh on my mind because I'm a missionary and I have a great network of supporting churches and individuals who give generously of their finances and prayers to allow us to live here. I take that support very seriously.

So I try to do a lot of reading on relief and development, effective techniques, best practice strategies, etc. Because the reality is - Relief and Development is an entire track of study - just like education or medicine or even theology.

Right now I'm reading an excellent book that I would recommend to ANYONE, missionary, pastor, interested lay person. It's called "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. After discussing the difference between "relief" (the need to provide IMMEDIATE assistance such as the immediate hours or days after a natural disaster) and "development" (addressing issues of poverty - and not just material poverty, but relational, emotional, and spiritual as well) I found the following paragraph:
"Ironically, you will also typically find that most existing organizations in your community are focusing on providing relief. Why? There are at least three reasons. First, many service organizations have a material definition of poverty; hence, they believe that handouts of material things are the solution to that poverty. As a result, they often provide relief to people who really need development. Second, relief is easier to do than development. It is much simpler to drop food out of airplanes or to ladle soup out of bowls than it is to develop long-lasting, time-consuming relationships with poor epople, which may be emotionally exhausting. Third, it is easier to get donor money for relief than for development. "We fed a thousand people today" sounds better to donors than "We hung out and developed relationships with a dozen people today." (When Helping Hurts, Corbett and Fikkert - the page shows up different on my Kindle, so I don't know the exact page in the book, but it's page 1885 on my e-reader).

I'm really struck by those words..........I have to admit - relief is "sexier" than development. It's a lot easier to write about a huge food or medicine distribution rather than to write about a small training seminar of 10 community health workers. And I also admit - there are times when I feel pressured from wonderful supporters to do more relief (even when the circumstances don't call for it) than development. I want to minister in a way that turns people and communities towards Christ, in a way that encourages independence and not dependence.

I haven't written on this blog in so long - that probably no one is even reading my musing, but if you are, I'd love to hear your thoughts. As a supporter or a church pastor/member who is heavily involved in missions - does relief seem more attractive than development? How do we bridge this gap so that lives are touched - but touched in ways that leave true change?