If You Really Want to HelpSample

Something that matters, something that lasts

After all this, you might ask, is there a point to short-term mission trips? Do they do more harm than good? For decades, short-term trips have been one of the primary ways our church partners have engaged the global poor. It’s just what we do. I call things like these legacy decisions — decisions that were made long ago before we knew what we know now. I don’t think short-term trips are bad, and I don’t think they have to go away. But I do think that many organizations need to rethink the way we do things – especially as it relates to engaging the poor – if we want to have a real, lasting impact.

A short-term trip can be an incredible experience for those from the West. Obviously, it was a trip to Butalale and my experience there that birthed the idea of 410 Bridge. But far too many of the ministries I encounter are focused on how Americans will feel after the trip rather than the impact they have.

Doesn’t that seem backward?

Perhaps your church or ministry visits the same community every year. You do a Vacation Bible School Program, and you paint a school or dig a well. Maybe those things are having an impact. But have you really asked? Have you looked closely at what happens to the community after you pack up and return home? What if you never go back? Are sustainable changes being made? Or are these trips something solely for you to feel good about?

I’m not saying this to shame anyone. I think both sides of the bridge need each other. The Western world has something to offer, and it’s not simply resources. And short-term trips, if done well, do allow people to see God at work and experience a mindset-altering shift that so many of us need before we get involved. But far too often, we lie to ourselves about our impact because we love the experience. If you really want to help, examining what you are doing overseas is vital. Ask yourself, were you invited into this space? Are you joining in work that the community is already doing? Are you separating what you give, and how you give it, from your need/desire to feel good about yourself?

Here’s the thing. At 410 Bridge, we hope that each partnership eventually comes to an end. We have a vision of indigenous sustainability. We want the changes that are being made in these communities to last because it’s the community itself who are leading the charge — not us. We clearly communicate this goal when we begin a new partnership, and when the time comes for a community to graduate, we celebrate with them!

We don’t want to continue in a community just because we like it there. We have grown to love these partners and these communities, and for that very reason, our desired outcome is to get to a place where they do not need us anymore. The global pandemic has already had a massive negative impact on communities worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of people have reverted back into extreme poverty while people in the West are giving less, and serving less.

It’s difficult to admit, but we in the West are often more of a problem than a solution. But it doesn't have to be that way. At 410 Bridge, we are hoping to change the paradigm of how the West engages the poor.

In Matthew 28, Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts, we see that early Church ministry was intrinsically tied to feeding the hungry, caring for the widows, and providing for the poor. If you have made it this far in this study, I believe it is because you want to have an impact. A real impact. You want to act on the command of Jesus and change the world. I hope this study has given you much to think about. If you would like to go deeper and learn more specific ways 410 Bridge engages the poor, check out my book “If You Really Want to Help,” or find out more about the 410 Bridge online. And if you are a global mission leader, consider the 410 Global Outreach Network, an exclusive peer-to-peer network of global mission leaders created to help all of us simply get better at global mission.

“If you really want to help, start opening up the minds of the poor to understand they can come out of poverty because poverty is a mindset issue as a result of broken relationships.”

“If you really want to help, stop once the solution to a problem is resolved. Do not continue to help.”

— Samson Mwangangi, Discipleship Program Coordinator