Yes this was my literal dilemma last night.
A group of men are graduating from our TEE Training program in January 2009. This is the second class of self supporting graduates since we began in 1995. These men have retained their jobs, remained with their family, and studied and served their churches as tentmakers (self-supporting) for 10 years to get to this point. A mile stone.
However, I have never understood the propensity of the African leaders, “The PASTOR”, to desire to look like Southern Evangelical fundamentalists in both look and preaching style. Most missionaries I know are glad to drop the suit and tie. The African context offers very classy and functional formal attire. Buy or have it made local I say.
Anyway, I was packing my bags last night and stuffed in supplies for 33 simple bucket drip irrigation systems for 33 poor families living on less than $1 a day. This will extend the growing season in Burkina Faso by 8 months of the year, increases production by as much as 30% in regular growing season, and by 60% in dry & drought season, over traditional watering methods. Cheap, and lasts 10 years.
The five graduates had a request for suits to be brought over. A person in the states can get them like new/second hand for $5 and was suppose to mail them for me to take over. My Bags are at the weight limit now. Over weight bags are charged $100 each and I can’t bring myself to pay $400 in overweight charges. I can’t spend any more money.
So for a moment last night I actually took out one coil of tubing and all the irrigation fittings for 10 kits, to make room for the suits. As I looked at the irrigation stuff sitting in the corner I had a serious personal crisis. I asked myself what I was doing as I started to say to myself, "Food for a family 8 months of the year for the next 10 years or a Suit?"
The Irrigation supplies went back in. I’ll have suits made local for them if I have to. But I am not choosing suits over feeding brothers and sisters in Christ. But at times those are the foolish things we have to weigh on kingdom balances.
What have we become in our values and choices. It startled me just how easily I took the irrigation out to do some “Friends” a favour, and then deny others healthy children. What has church become when these things, these props and performance "churchy" things, outweigh poverty issues?
The Clarity of the situation must be made evident to us from time to time.
So what would you have done last night?
A group of men are graduating from our TEE Training program in January 2009. This is the second class of self supporting graduates since we began in 1995. These men have retained their jobs, remained with their family, and studied and served their churches as tentmakers (self-supporting) for 10 years to get to this point. A mile stone.
However, I have never understood the propensity of the African leaders, “The PASTOR”, to desire to look like Southern Evangelical fundamentalists in both look and preaching style. Most missionaries I know are glad to drop the suit and tie. The African context offers very classy and functional formal attire. Buy or have it made local I say.
Anyway, I was packing my bags last night and stuffed in supplies for 33 simple bucket drip irrigation systems for 33 poor families living on less than $1 a day. This will extend the growing season in Burkina Faso by 8 months of the year, increases production by as much as 30% in regular growing season, and by 60% in dry & drought season, over traditional watering methods. Cheap, and lasts 10 years.
The five graduates had a request for suits to be brought over. A person in the states can get them like new/second hand for $5 and was suppose to mail them for me to take over. My Bags are at the weight limit now. Over weight bags are charged $100 each and I can’t bring myself to pay $400 in overweight charges. I can’t spend any more money.
So for a moment last night I actually took out one coil of tubing and all the irrigation fittings for 10 kits, to make room for the suits. As I looked at the irrigation stuff sitting in the corner I had a serious personal crisis. I asked myself what I was doing as I started to say to myself, "Food for a family 8 months of the year for the next 10 years or a Suit?"
The Irrigation supplies went back in. I’ll have suits made local for them if I have to. But I am not choosing suits over feeding brothers and sisters in Christ. But at times those are the foolish things we have to weigh on kingdom balances.
What have we become in our values and choices. It startled me just how easily I took the irrigation out to do some “Friends” a favour, and then deny others healthy children. What has church become when these things, these props and performance "churchy" things, outweigh poverty issues?
The Clarity of the situation must be made evident to us from time to time.
So what would you have done last night?
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