Upon meeting our Haitian contact, I had a sneaking suspicion that something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was…
By day two, I was informing my squad mentor that some of my encounters with the host made me uncomfortable…
On day 6 as I sat fevering in my tent on the balcony of the church, I listened to the Bible Study taking place inside. The preacher was teaching that tattoos and hand gestures are communications with evil spirits. The hand gestures he described were the ‘I love you’ sign, the ‘okay’ sign, and the ‘hook ’em horns’ sign.
He proceeds to show a couple of amateur conspiracy theory youtube videos with captions such as “George Bush is Satan” alongside disturbing images of human and goat sacrifices to the soundtrack of vulgar, American rap music. Ironically, all the people in the videos were white Americans. You can imagine how uncomfortable we felt.
Every once in a while on the Race, you might encounter a situation where you just don’t agree with what is being taught or how it is being taught, especially if you are working with a first-time contact. What I want you to know about those times is that you can make a difference.
After further conversations with this particular host, we learned of a few more (flaming) red flags: The contact did not believe in The Trinity, nor did he believe that Jesus was fully God. Obviously, Adventures in Missions does not knowingly partner with organizations that disagree on these major beliefs. Adventures uses a screening process to choose good-fit hosts that are doing Kingdom Work that aligns with the organization’s statement of faith (posted below). Unfortunately, though the process is fruitful, it is not flawless.
So…
If you find yourself in a similar situation on your Race, this is my advice to you.
1. Use Your Discernment— take into account cultural differences and keep an open mind about minor doctrinal disagreements. Does this issue distract from the grace of the Gospel?
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. Romans 16:17
2. Pray and talk through any feelings of uneasiness with your team.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:15
3. Keep your squad mentor informed of red flags and seek guidance.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15
4. Create a culture of feedback between you and your host, patiently and graciously addressing anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6
5. With utmost honor and respect, have intentional conversations with your host to clarify beliefs that are central to the Gospel.
6. Remember that it is not your job to end a relationship with a host. God is not surprised that you are there, so ask Him for His purpose in you being there and let the AIM office handle the rest.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Curious how our month played out?
Half of our squad contracted Chikungunya Fever (a mosquito-born illness), so AIM made the decision to pull us out of the country 15 days early and move us to the Dominican Republic to recover and serve with an incredible ministry there. It is obvious to me that The Lord’s purpose for us leaving was much greater than physical recovery.
AIM will no longer be partnering with the host discussed above.
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Adventures in Missions Statement of Faith We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is authoritative and infallible in the original writings. We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of God the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. We believe that faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is essential for the salvation of lost and sinful man. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. We believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ |
