RockHonduras

My Perspective on Begging & Gift-Giving

Stevi — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:05:01 +0000

My Perspective on Begging & Gift-Giving
by Stephanie Davis, 2002

Having done several foreign mission trips, and spent two months in Chile, I have been able to observe the phenomenon of begging and giving enough to form my own opinion. As a Christian, I realize it is God’s desire that I have compassion for the “least of these.” But I am not convinced that tossing about cheap gifts says anything about my compassion. After standing amidst about 50 pushing, shoving Salvadoran children all shouting “Regala me uno, regala me uno” (give me a gift, give me a gift) after a bag of goodies was opened, I realize that I am not touching their lives in a positive way. And I am certainly not teaching them any good characteristics. If anything, I’m teaching them to push and shove and shout.

Contrast this to the time I spent on the front lawn of a Salvadoran family drawing pictures in the dirt for their shy 5-year-old daughter, Katherine. She told me the Spanish names of the various animals, and later, her mother asked if I could put the pictures on paper, as the little girl would not let anyone walk on her pictures. I drew my amateur sketches on paper, and wrote down a Spanish children’s song that I knew and gave it to the little girl along with a small bottle of bubbles. The next day, the girl showed up with a small plastic jewelry box… a gift for me. It was the kind of thing you buy at the dollar store, but it was the best they had, their home having been destroyed in a severe earthquake a few months prior. I have since kept in touch with the family, and send pictures of my family and my pets, and pages from coloring books for Katherine to color.

What is the difference here? Whether or not it is personal. If the gift is personal, given after time spent together, it will be more meaningful than a random gift to a stranger on the road. If part of your purpose in visiting a foreign country involves distributing things, like hygiene kits or Bibles, be sure to spend time talking to the family you give the gifts to. Make sure they understand why you are doing it.

If you make friends with children, and wish to give them gifts, give them in small groups or better yet, individually. Explain that this is something special for them because they are a good friend. If you are in the midst of a large group of children, do not attempt to give gifts. You may choose to blow some bubbles, or bounce a balloon around. Or ask them to teach you a game, or teach them a game like Simon Says, or Duck Duck Goose.

Things that make good gifts;

For children: Stickers, pencils, balloons, bubbles, jump ropes, buttons/badges, coloring pages, colored pencils, beach balls, toothbrushes, sunglasses, plastic animals, ethnic dolls (ones that look like the children you plan to give them to), postcards, small flashlights, raisins, nuts, bouncy balls, marbles, jacks, small puzzles, small picture books, small stuffed animals,

For adults: potholders, hand towels, lighters, baseball caps, bandannas, hand lotion, notebooks, candles, clothespins, baby care itemsThings that do not make good gifts;

Anything with sugar in it (gum, candy, soda) – remember they probably do not own a toothbrush!

Toys of a violent nature (army men, toy guns, tanks, etc)

Caucasian dolls

Money

Jewelry (even plastic kinds)

American flags (encourage pride in their own country!)

One more thing… DON’T DON’T DON’T invite them to visit you in the US. Don’t even mention it. And don’t tell them you will come back to visit if it is unlikely. If you take an address and promise to keep in touch, DO IT. You want to build a relationship of trust an encouragement. They may not be able to write very often, due to high prices of stamps, and distance to a post office. But a postcard every once in a while from you can mean a lot. A Christmas card can speak volumes about your faith and about Americans in general.

An Argument For Giving to Beggars

Stevi — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:03:34 +0000

An Argument For Giving to Beggars
Scott Graham
Summarized from Handle with Care: a guide to responsible travel in developing countries by Scott Graham ($8-95, Noble Press, 1991, ISBN 1 879360 06 3)

Most travelers, myself included, choose to give to beggars selectively. Since begging is an integral part of life in many developing countries, I see refusing to give to beggars as tantamount to refusing to become involved in the local culture. In addition, I agree that I am quite wealthy compared to the majority of citizens in the developing world, and should do what I can to share some of my wealth with the least fortunate in the land I’m visiting. However, I believe giving to beggars, especially impressionable children, indiscriminately, is harmful.

If you decide to give to beggars selectively, you face another difficult question: How do you decide who should receive your charity and who shouldn’t? Many travelers, myself included, have no qualms about giving to handicapped and elderly beggars. Since developing countries rarely provide the underprivileged with the type of social assistance common in industrialized nations, citizens too old or inform to work often have no choice but to beg. I am especially comfortable joining locals in giving to handicapped and elderly beggars gathered near places of worship. Many beggars congregate at such places to collect offerings from the devout seeking to buy themselves or loved ones heavenly favor, as their religions teach, by bestowing benevolence on the less fortunate.

Transforming Third World begging

Stevi — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:02:27 +0000

Transforming Third World begging
Jeff Greenwald
Summarized from New Age Journal (March ’93)

I have witnessed case after case of well-meaning Westerners blowing into far-flung villages, attracting local children and doling out handfuls of sugar candies and coins. This kind of behavior turns kids into beggars faster than you can say “Hello, mister” as future travelers to those areas quickly learn. Even a humble Bic pen is a rich prize to a kid whose family earns forty cents a day, and it takes no time before anyone wearing RayBans or rip-stop nylon is viewed as a potential mark. Generosity is not a habit we want to cure ourselves of. Despite our sometimes better judgment, we will give things away. But is it possible to do this without transforming the places we visit into shark dens?

I think we can. There are dozens of ways to express good will and geniality without cultivating greed and dependency. With imagination and a little advance planning, it’s possible to make the process of gift-giving one of the most pleasurable parts of a trip or trek – and one of the best opportunities for engagement with local children and adults.

First off, though, I want to emphasize that gift-giving does not always have to entail giving away things. Sharing a bit of one’s self, a part of one’s life or personal history, is often enough. During my career as a travel writer for instance, I’ve discovered that adults and children all over the world – from Bali to the Bronx – have something in common. They all want to know about your family, and about the place that you come from.

Among the most useful items a person can pack on a trip to the Third World, I’ve found, are family snapshots and postcards of one’s hometown. Recently, assailed by a cadre of ten-year-old beggars in northern India, I sat down and pulled out a cheap inflatable globe that I sometimes carry around. What had begun as a feeding frenzy transformed instantly into a geography lesson. The boys, who could barely read, threw themselves into the session with devotion. They immediately began matching the bits of news they had been hearing on the radio – about Germany, the United States, and Russia – to the appropriate countries, and argued heatedly about why India and Russia were pink, while Pakistan and the United States were green. True, they finally demanded the globe itself; but my firm refusal, on the grounds that I required it for future such encounters, was met with agreeable wags of the head.

When trekking above 8,000 feet, my bag of tricks includes other, equally entertaining, props. A simple magnifying glass, powerful enough to burn a tiny hole in a dry leaf, seems miraculous to people who see it for the first time. The same can be said for a small kaleidoscope, or even a telephoto lens. When I stop for an extended break – and find myself surrounded by local kids – I’ll often pull out a set of colored pencils, and let them take turns drawing in my journal. Some have turned out to be quite good artists, and their uninhibited sketches of animals; flowers and beefy Westerners in blimplike parkas are among my most prized souvenirs.

Although I’ll frequently stop, chat, and spend time demonstrating a prism or kaleidoscope, I very rarely give anything away to people along the trail. Often, though, after a memorable stay at a cozy lodge, I’ll have developed a warm relationship with the owners and decide to give a small gift to them and/or their kids.

For these situations, I offer two rules of thumb: First of all, it’s unwise to distribute money or candy. There are countless other gifts that are less dubious and genuinely expressive of one’s personality. Picture postcards, mentioned before, are light and cheap. They make excellent tokens and are usually displayed and cherished by the people who receive them. Incense, good matches, a reliable pen, or a disposable lighter are also much appreciated.

Kids are much easier. I recommend balloons, plastic rings and magnifying glasses, prisms, tops (stock up on those little plastic Hanukkah dreidels before your trip), colored pencils, pens, crayons, little plastic animals or dinosaurs, or even those cheap foil hologram stickers that are sold by the dozen in many toy stores. All of the above make fun and educational presents that kids can share and that can help them unlock a few secrets of the universe to boot. My second rule is to avoid giving children gifts directly. Hand the present over to a parent, or an older brother or sister, and let them make the actual presentation. Such a gesture is a sign of respect and reinforces the endangered notion that family members – rather than wealthy Western tourists – are the ones to turn to for gifts and rewards.

One very poignant situation, which I encounter more and more, is children and villagers along trekking routes begging for basic medical supplies. Simple first-aid items such as bandages, iodine, aspirin, or Tums are hard to refuse, especially when the person doing the asking substantiates the request by clutching his or her head, doubling over, or displaying a gaping wound.

My personal feeling is that one should help however one can, short of dispensing drugs. I will not, needless to say, leap to the aid of anyone with a scrape or splinter, but if the situation looks potentially threatening I usually try to deal with it. Sometimes it’s even a good idea to find out where the nearest health post is, and, in extreme cases, give a relative or porter enough money to take the sick or injured person there.

The bottom line, though, is that begging has become a kind of game, and a genuine nuisance – one that Westerners have helped to create and perpetuate. Unless we make an effort to deal mindfully with the situation, what is now an irritating habit will become, for many Third World villagers and their children, a way of life.

Jeff Greenwald, PO Box 5883, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA (tel and fax 00 1 510 653 6911).

Honduras Leadership Training Info Meeting

Stevi — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:11:59 +0000

An info meeting for Honduras LT will be held after The Rock on Saturday, Oct. 29. Check out honduraslt.com to get a look at the program.

Ten Commandments for Mission Trip Participants

Stevi — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:58:37 +0000

Ten Commandments for Mission Trip Participants

by Howard Culbertson, ShortTermMissions.com

Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast them at home, for thou hast left thy home to find things differently.

Thou shalt not take anything too seriously. A willingness to accept things as they are lays the foundation for a good trip to another country.

Thou shalt not let other group members get on thy nerves. Thou raised good money and set aside this time to enjoy thyself.

Thou shalt not forget that, at all times, thou dost represent thy own country and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thou shalt not be overly worried. He who worrieth hath no pleasures. Few things people worry about are ever fatal.

Remember thy passport (or other identification document) so that thou knowest where it is at all times. A person without documents is a person without a country.

Blessed is the person who says, “When in [insert name of country] (Rome), do as the [insert name of people] (Romans) do.” If in difficulty, use common sense and thy American friendliness.

Do not judge all [insert name of target people] by the one person with whom thou hast had trouble.

Remember, thou art a guest in [insert name of country]. He who treateth his host with respect shall be treated as an honored guest.

Admittedly, these 10 commandments weren’t given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They are, however, based on some foundational principles of success in short-term cross-cultural experiences. So, breaking them can spoil your short-term experience and even tarnish your witness for Christ.

Howard Culbertson is a missions professor at Southern Nazarene University. He maintains a website featuring an extensive collection of articles on missions.

We Need Boring Christians

Stevi — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:56:23 +0000

We Need Boring Christians

Andrew Byers
I was sure God was telling me to quit my landscaping job. I was bound for something more important. The horizon beckoned. So I turned in my notice and embraced unemployment as a divine calling. I spent my hours reading Scripture and praying over maps, nobly trusting God for my provisions. I had a fever of 360 degrees—I wanted to travel the globe. All of it. Four months later I told my girlfriend that the next time I saw her I would ask her to marry me, then I pulled myself out of her arms and boarded a plane. I had some funds, but only for 180 degrees of my round-the-world trip. God would provide.

Six weeks later I was stranded in Southeast Asia with a depleted money belt and the gnawing suspicion that I had missed God somewhere along the way.

Radical is in my resume. Radical is part of our calling. But radical can be dangerous. With seven years of working with college students (and with a personal penchant for the extreme), I offer a couple warnings to complement the needed exhortation to be radical.

Read more at: We Need Boring Christians – ReleventMagazine.com

The Baton is Passed to you… Run!

Choluteca Projects: Limon Classrooms

Stevi — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:01:29 +0000

The social project La Iglesia Gran Comision started in the Limon area has grown immensely over the last several years. Eighty-six kids receive meals and educational enrichment Monday through Friday at the day care. And now the kids who are beginning to outgrow the daycare have a new opportunity to learn and grow – the Computer and English courses offered at the new classroom building in the Community Development Center in Limon.

GCLA Missions: Youth on a Mission

Stevi — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:58:59 +0000

Several youth from Heritage Church in Westerville, Ohio spent June 26-July 4th serving in Honduras. Here’s a glimpse into what they were doing while on their trip.

GCLA Missions: Medical Project

Stevi — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:51:42 +0000

A Medical Mission team from Heritage Church in Ohio put together an open clinic in Choluteca, Honduras. The Honduras LT team was on hand to capture the experience:

Catching Up: Joey’s Photostream

Stevi — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:39:51 +0000

Have you been keeping up with Joey’s Flickr Photostream of Honduras LT? If not, here’s what you’ve been missing…

Day 42: Iglesia Gran Comision Managua, Nica

Wow, oh wow. The weekend of July 15-18 was blessed with an opportunity to travel to Managua, Nicaragua…

Day 41: Serving Lunch

Amy Davidson carries a tray of food to the kids in the Daycare in Limon, Honduras. Amy is one of the…

Day 40: Eva & Melissa

Two girls from the malnutrition clinic that are beyond precious. But Eva, with her head against the…

Day 39: Charlie & Humility

I can’t even begin to explain this inside joke, but suffice it to say God used a joke to bring about one…

Day 38: Manualidades & Molly

Molly Nixon from Illinois has a gift. Well, she has several. But one is handicrafts, which has been a…

Day 37: Malnutrition Clinic Mischief

Emily loves to try to teach the kids at the malnutrition clinic in Limon new games and songs. Here she’s…

Day 36: Tropical Thunder [& Lighting]

Have I mentioned it’s the rainy season in Honduras right now? It seems literally every single day there…

Day 35: HLT in Danli

Our trip to Danli definitely surpassed anyone’s expectations. We had no idea what we were getting…

Day 34: Worshipping in Danli

We had the opportunity to participate in one of Danli’s church services. It was definitely a…

Day 33: Hotel in Danli

Let’s just say our hotel in Danli was a little too much to handle for some of the ladies in our crew.…

Day 32: Downtime after Dinner

Sometimes after dinner we have a little too much time on our hands. But we always find ways to keep…

Day 31: Traveling by Truck

While in Honduras, our HLT Crew has been using two diesel Mazda trucks to get around the area. Since…

Day 30: Manualidades Bracelets

Several of the ladies who are infected/affected by HIV/AIDS work with a ministry associated with the…

Day 29: Michael’s Story

Michael (left) has joined the Honduras LT program for this week. He’s from the church in Tegucigalpa and…

Day 28: Birthday Cake Boys

We celebrated the birthdays of all the people in our small group who were born in July. A tradition in…

Day 27: Smiles and Rainbows

After getting a check up by Dr. Mitch at the medical clinic set up at Casa Hogar Vida, a few girls were…

Day 26: La Zona Cero

Pastor Geovany Granera shares the Gospel with around 500 jovenes (youth) at IGCC’s outreach concert on…

Day 25: Abre los ojos de mi ALMA

Alma (noun): heart, soul. But she is also a woman who is HIV positive, along with her 2 year old…

Day 24: Francisco’s Homecoming

Day 24 was full of surprises… like driving through the mountains to Tegucigalpa to pick up Elizabeth…

Day 23: Futbol Fun

The youth from Heritage Church has spent a good portion of their week playing futbol (soccer) with the…

Day 22: Dr. Mitch & Medical Missions

Dr. Mitch Kennedy and a team from Heritage Church in Ohio began their medical missions work yesterday in…

Day 21: Eye-to-Eye

April from the University of Illinois is quite the character. When she’s not traveling around with a…

Day 20: Smiles and Church

The Aguilar-Oyuela family looks through a photo album the team from Elevate Church gave them before…

Day 19: A Gift, From God– The Aguilar Family

The Aguilar-Oyuela Family was given their new house today. And no amount of pictures or videos could…

Day 18: Hope for a New Beginning

The Aguilar-Oyuela family had given up everything for the health of their ailing 10-year old son. But…

Day 17: Prison Baptism

Yolani (woman in the water in yellow) is crazy about the Lord and prison ministry. Today several of us…

Day 16: Moving Rocks, Laying Foundation

The mission team from Elevate Church in Michigan continued working on building a house in the Limon…

Day 15: Construction Project

One of the mission teams from Michigan is building a house for a family who lives in Limon. The hope is…

Day 14: Jonah and Small Group

In Honduras, an integral part of small groups is interactive games as icebreakers. This was one that I…

Day 13: Megan’s Gift

Megan Frost-Smith has an extraordinary gift for loving kids. This is just another great illustration of…

Day 12: Microloans Workshop

La Iglesia Gran Comision has a ministry that is based on giving microloans to small/tiny business…

Day 11: AIDS Orphanage

There are currently six kids in the Casa Hogar Vida AIDS Orphanage. The four boys are all related, but…

Day 10: The Battle for Purity

What an incredible night to be at IGCC. Dennis Chavarria, pastor from the GCLA church in San Pedro Sula,…

Day 9: Washing Hands at CNI

Emily from OSU washes the kids hands before eating breakfast. Good hygiene is something the program…

Day 8: Dedication of Computer & English classrooms

The center in Limon celebrated the opening of its newest ministry on Monday, June 13. Limon now has two…

Day 7: Rest and Small Group

Sunday looks like it’ll be our sabbath– which is definitely going to be needed. We’ll finish off our…