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;

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.

Related posts:

1. Transforming Third World begging
2. An Argument For Giving to Beggars
3. Gifts and Sharing

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.



Related posts:

1. My Perspective on Begging & Gift-Giving
2. Transforming Third World begging

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).

Related posts:

1. My Perspective on Begging & Gift-Giving
2. Gifts and Sharing
3. An Argument For Giving to Beggars

Ten Commandments for Mission Trip Participants

1. Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast them at home, for thou hast left thy home to find things differently.
2. 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.
3. Thou shalt not let other group members get on thy nerves. Thou raised good money and set aside this time to enjoy thyself.
4. Thou shalt not forget that, at all times, thou dost represent thy own country and the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Thou shalt not be overly worried. He who worrieth hath no pleasures. Few things people worry about are ever fatal.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Do not judge all [insert name of target people] by the one person with whom thou hast had trouble.
9. 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.

Related posts:

1. Articles on Short-Term Missions
2. Packing Tips
3. Passport Carrying Tips

1. The ‘poor’ we will always have with us.- Matthew 26:11
2. With much wealth comes much responsibility. – Matt 25 Talents stuff
3. We must help the widows and orphans in distress- the helpless. – James 1:27
4. We must try to create positive, reproducing solutions to the problem. Try to give a hand up not just a handout. Avoid creating a dependent welfare class as much as possible. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day- Teach a man to fish, feed him for a life.
5. Compassion is a must. – 1 Cor. 13
6. We must be generous!  -  1Timothy 6:6-20
7. We should try to love and try to help those who want to change and be helped.  – 2 Thes. 3:10
8. Justice will be done in the end by God.  – Matt. 6
9. I do not think this means we do nothing now.  I just know justice will happen someday.
10. The gospel and the church must be major components of our solutions.
11. God is good even though there is great suffering all over.  – 1Peter stuff
12. When we serve the needy, we give to God.  – Matt. 25 sheep and the goats story
13. Strongly involve the people you are serving with what to do and how to do it.  When serving in foreign places, do the ministry the way the locals do it and be learners not American Egotists who think they know everything.

Wisdom to consider when being generous and compassionate.

• You can only give what is yours. ie – Not your parents money, not the Y’s food, not …….
• Be very careful not to “should” on your brother.  This seemingly zealous generosity can be legalistic and hurtful to others.  High and mighty self- righteousness stinks on anyone.
• We should be careful not to blindly violate certain principles in our doing “good”.  Every so often it is appropriate to break rules.  But be careful.  God usually works within the principles of wisdom.
• I am personally OK with us failing forward in these things-  We have a good chance at arriving at good healthy God honoring balance this way.  But be humble!
• Be careful of other people’s healthy boundaries.  Honor all people.  The poor and your partner.
• Think hard about what is best and helpful for the individual you are serving.  Strategy is important! Ie-  What does the drug addict really need?  Does the proposed solution help them make steps to cooperate with God?   Do not enable the poor to greater struggle.   Maybe taking them to a ministry designed for them is the best solution.  If they complain about that ministry- just wait- they will most likely complain about you.
• Be careful not to just try to feel good about yourself in the good you are doing.  But do not let your sucky motive prevent you from doing good.  Do Good and address your motive!!!  See #7
• When addressing a problem, be careful not to jump to a certain solution too fast.  Stop and think.
• Use wise counsel whenever you are in doubt.  Use wise counsel even when you think you know what God is saying.  Experienced godly men and women may have the greatest ideas.
• Do not play the God- Card in communicating to others.  Eg- “God told me ……”  Playing the God Card is the best way to kill a discussion and the wisdom thinking process.   People who play the God card are often independent and prideful.  They know it is the trump to shut somebody up and do what they want.
• We know God’s Will through 1.  The Scriptures, 2. Through Prayer,  3.  Through the community we are in’s counsel, 4.  Through a mystical understanding last.   Be careful that pride does not get you.
• Get out your wallet and your time and give more than you ever thought you had to- this will honor the Lord.

Related posts:

1. Crackers & Mud – Thinking about poverty
2. How Do I Know God’s Direction For My Life?
3. Packing Tips

Last year’s list is a good combination of English & Spanish songs, some having significance from previous trips, others requested especially for the 2010 trip:

• Abre Los Ojos
• Blessed Be Your Name
• How Great is Our God
• Cuan Grande es Nuestro Dios
• Give Me Your Eyes
• He Reigns
• Hosanna
• I Am Free
• Majesty
• Majestad
• Mighty to Save
• My Savior, My God
• Not to Us
• Solo Cristo
• Solo Dios Puede Salvar
• Song of Hope
• Those Who Trust

So now it comes to the point of choosing songs to keep from last year, and new songs to add this year. Anybody got requests or recommendations?

Related posts:

1. Mood Music 2009
2. Bathrooms in Honduras
3. Mood Music 2010

• During the day, long pants and tennis shoes are absolutely necessary.  Yes it will be hot.  But it is better to be hot, and have your legs & feet protected, than to risk injury from construction materials and debris.  Even if we’re not doing construction, the streets in Limón and other areas are full of broken metal, glass and sewage.  Be practical, be smart.  Take care of yourself.  We need you.

• For the evenings, you will notice that the Hondurans tend to dress more formally than we would.  If they have a church meeting, or go out to dinner, they’ll get dressed up in nice jeans or khakis and wear nice shirts.  The girls will do their hair and make-up and wear jewelry.  You don’t have to dress to impress, but it’s respectful to clean yourself up and look presentable, not sloppy.

• Ladies: the dress code in Honduras is different than in the U.S.  Christian women do not show leg – at all.  You may not wear anything shorter than calf-length, except to the beach, where knee-length shorts are acceptable.  Calf-length capris are acceptable in the evenings.  Calf-length skirts are acceptable for church.  Please do not wear athletic shorts except to the beach.

• Drink plenty of water.  Eat plenty of food. You may not like water.  You may not like the food.  But in the heat, it’s easier to get sick than you think.  And if you get sick, people have to take time out of the day to take care of you, which decreases our effectiveness.  We want you to stay healthy so we can all do our best all week long.
  
• Wear sunscreen. Come on guys.  I don’t want to sound like your mom.  But seriously.  If you get sunburned, you’ll be more susceptible to heat-related illness, and you’ll find it difficult to work.  I know you want to come back from Spring Break all tan like the folks who went to Cancun, but you’ve got to resist that temptation.  If you have to go to a tanning salon when you get back, do it.  Just don’t put yourself at risk during our trip.  We need you.
• Try to go unplugged. It’s tempting to bring your laptop, phone & ipod and spend the whole trip plugged in. It’s comfortable. But consider leaving it all at home (or at least at your host home). We’ve only got 10 days, and even during our “down time” there’s an opportunity to connect with our translators, members of the church, each other and God. It’s easy to tune things out when the earbuds are in.

Related posts:

1. The Stuff You Don’t Want to Hear
2. What to Pack
3. Gifts and Sharing

• If you can bring a photo of your family, or print out a digital one, you’ll find that lots of people like seeing them.  I sometimes take a postcard of MU, Missouri, or St. Louis.
• Bubbles are a big hit with kids, but be sure to pack them in ziplock bags in your checked luggage!
• It would be great to take a gift for your host family and your translator.  Things with the Mizzou logo (t-shirts, hats, etc) tend to go over well with the translators as do Christian CDs (anything you like to listen to, they’ll probably like, too).  A set of pretty dish-towels would probably bless your host mom.  A nice coffee mug would also make a nice gift.  If you can get your hands on a Christian book in Spanish, that would definitely make a great gift.  Books by John Eldredge, Beth Moore, Philip Yancey, and John Piper all come in Spanish versions. I don’t know if Lemstone has any, Barnes and Noble might also.  Amazon.com is a good source if you have time to order it.
• I like to buy a cheap inflatable inner tube to take the day we go the beach.  I usually give it to one of the kids at the end of the day.  A beach ball or Frisbee would probably be fun too.
• We will assign you a “secret pal” for the trip.  This will be someone else on the team, and it will be your job to see that they get blessed and encouraged throughout the week.  You can bring little gifts and cards for them, but more importantly, you can bless them through service (like sending them fresh cold water if you notice they’re almost out) or encourage them through notes (especially things you’ve noticed them doing that are blessing you or making a difference).  The important thing is that they get blessed, but they don’t know by whom!  Secrecy is essential!

Related posts:

1. My Perspective on Begging & Gift-Giving
2. The Stuff you Don’t Want to Hear
3. Water & Electricity

• Please, please, please take and use sunscreen. I cannot emphasize this enough.  If you get sunburned the first day, you’ll find it difficult to work the rest of the week.  Even if you aren’t prone to sunburn, the sun is stronger in Honduras and it may surprise you.  Look for a sports sunscreen (water & sweat-proof) in SPF 30 or more.  Apply at least in the morning and again at lunch, more frequently if you are sweating a lot.
• Invest in a good pair of work gloves, bring sturdy shoes and long pants for construction work.  A hat with a brim (bucket hat, ballcap, or visor) and a bandanna for your neck are also good ideas.
• Bring any medications you think you might need for general health issues like headaches, allergies, pulled muscles, cramps, heartburn, etc.
• If you have ever had issues with motion sickness, be sure to bring Dramamine (there is a 24-hour, non-drowsy version), and plan to take it every day before we get on the bus.  Honduran roads are crazy, and Honduran bus drivers are crazier.
• Bring Immodium.  Even though the food we eat will be safe, it may contain ingredients your stomach has never experienced, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Bring some bandaids and some antibacterial cream like Neosporin.  If you do any construction work, you may have minor cuts and blisters that you’ll want to keep covered.

Related posts:

1. Staying Healthy
2. Food and Water
3. The Stuff you Don’t Want to Hear

• Any food your host family offers you is safe. They are very health-conscious when it comes to their visitors from the U.S.  Any food we’re served by the church is safe.  If we go out to a restaurant, you should be fine, unless you’re told by one of our hosts to avoid certain products (like ice or produce).  Outside of those situations, eating or drinking is at your own risk.
• Use bottled water to brush your teeth and rinse your toothbrush.
• If you don’t like drinking plain water, you can get little packs of crystal lite, gatorade, lipton tea, etc. that you can add to your water bottle to jazz it up.  The only thing more important than sunscreen in Honduras is water.  Also, if you like drinking from water bottles with a sports cap, take a few extra caps with you.  Whatever it takes to make sure you’ll drink plenty of water.  Soda will be available, but limit your consumption.
• You might want to bring a few snacks.  Don’t bring anything that would melt in the heat (chocolate).  I recommend nuts, dried fruit, cereal, granola bars, jerky, crackers, hard candy, etc.

Related posts:

1. Water & Electricity
2. Staying Healthy
3. Health and Safety