Recently, someone I have never met in real life wrote a comment after viewing my FB updates for an entire year, that she doesn’t approve of missionary work and she called the World Race ‘poverty tourism’, a term I have never heard before.
I must admit, being on the Race for an entire year has wrecked me in more ways than one. Not only has it wrecked me of a white-picket fence kind of life, but it also wrecked my public image and reputation.
For someone who used to work in marketing and PR, I know a thing or two about creating the illusion of a positive image, even if it’s only perceived image and not one based on truth. I also know most people find it important to have a positive image to the outside world.
I can’t help but wonder:
Has going on the Race wrecked my public image forever?
For the whole year, I’ve been posting about my mission from every place I set foot on, via FB, Twitter, Instagram, and this blog. My statuses have openly mentioned the words Jesus, God, Christ, love, mercy, grace, healing, etc. whether they are overly Christian or not, you can tell me. But for the first time in my life, I wanted the whole world to know what I was doing. As such, I got comments like the one above every so often and lost a few FB friends in the process.
I suppose some may find my devout and at times seemingly over-zealous Christian updates a turn off. But every status I contemplated putting up have been weighed carefully. I was sensitive that part of my audience were not Christian but I wanted to be myself in each of my posts. Words speak volumes right? Even if it’s only 140 characters. And people that have no belief system or one that differs significantly from mine will always disagree with me when it comes to matters of faith. But if they knew me in real life, they would know who I am and my heart behind each post. But even then, I can only imagine a whole year of such status will make any nonchristian slightly uncomfortable and make people who knew me outside of the christian circle wonder if I was doing missions for the FUN, GLAMOUR, and TOURISM part.
There were also pictures of us posing with African kids, Asian kids, Central American kids, of us having fun on our free days, going on a hike in Swaziland enjoying a safari day in Kenya or seeing Ankor Wat in Cambodia, because we just happened to be in those areas doing mission work and we’re blessed to witness His magnificent creation.
Where are the pictures of us picking lice out of the kids’ hair, picking lice out of our own hair, vomiting, having diarrhea and contracting malaria? That’s right, those aren’t the pictures to take and to post. FB gives life such a rosy colored illusion doesn’t it. If you know me in real life and heard my sharing, you’ll know these “behind the scenes” and “dark night of the soul” stories are the ones that truly changed me on the Race.
So is the World Race poverty tourism?
I came to see these gut-wrenching sights. If that makes it poverty tourism, I don’t know what doesn’t qualify? How can I understand poverty if I am not able to see it with my own eyes. How can I inspire change if I am unable to travel to impoverished places and roll up my sleeves to help? How can I love on these fatherless children without giving them kisses and “bribing” them with candy? How can I tell the world and let them see these places through my eyes if I can’t post and share my experiences?
The God I believe in is a good God. He not only cares that I love the poor and lost, He cares that I’m having fun and going on the adventure of a life time while doing it. There’s so much love and grace coming from Him. Grace that I am not doing this perfectly. Grace that I don’t know how to solve the world’s biggest problems. Grace that I may very well offend people by the ways that I do things. Grace that will inspire someone after me that will do things the right way and reach the right people I couldn’t reach.
At my previous jobs, I’ve always been someone that wasn’t too vocal about my Christian beliefs unless people asked, thinking my life and actions speak louder than words. Living in one of the most liberal states in the country, I didn’t want to be labeled as another conservative Christian, I didn’t want my human shortcomings reflect on my God and my beliefs, I wanted to be know as a true Christ follower.
By being on the World Race, it challenged me to become vocal about my Faith and having that faith inspires me to try to make a difference by going to these faraway lands.
No I may be on deck to be the world’s worst missionary, and I admit I’m not doing this perfectly. But last time I checked the world doesn’t need any more perfectionism. It needs love. And that’s all I can promise to give.
*Please comment and let me know your thoughts on this topic.
