Misssionaries With God Complexes

[coadie]

Originally Posted by DAII

When we factor how much Americans have given charitably to non for profits that often do "missionary" work ..

The scale tips over

In 2007, Americans donated over 295 billion dollars
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...aritable_N.htm

Beers sales that year ... about 213 million
http://www.beer-brewing.com/beer-bre...beer_sales.htm

The biggest chunk of the donations, $96.82 billion or 32.8%, went to religious organizations. The second largest slice, $40.98 billion or 13.9%, went to education, including gifts to colleges, universities and libraries.

Small part is sent to missions? so sad.

[rgcraig]

Very sad.

To many of these countries, just living in the US seems to them we are rich. Is there needs in the US, of course, but as a whole, Americans are blessed.

A friend I work with just returned from Peru - a very poor nation. It was a vacation not a missions trip. They visited a school while they were there and gave $7 US to provide the children a "treat" that day. Each child was giving a small piece of cheese and crackers and he said they were so excited.

He stood and just cried to witness that.

Are there needs in the US - - yes, of course and we do need to take care of our own too. But, I wasn't offended at all by what was said - - these countries live in huts with dirt floors - they don't have government programs helping them provide school lunches, provide groceries, etc.

I think some were a little hyper sensitive to the heart of what was being spoken.

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by DAII

When we factor how much Americans have given charitably to non for profits that often do "missionary" work ..

The scale tips over

In 2007, Americans donated over 295 billion dollars
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...aritable_N.htm

Beers sales that year ... about 213 million
http://www.beer-brewing.com/beer-bre...beer_sales.htm

So we are putting the beer companies out of business by speding way more on non-profits than on beer?

Disgraceful.

I wonder if the wine makers were upset when Jesus turned the water into wine?

[berkeley]

great post Renda

[Maximilian]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

So we are putting the beer companies out of business by speding way more on non-profits than on beer?

Disgraceful.

I wonder if the wine makers were upset when Jesus turned the water into wine?

Or of they'd consider that "missions"

[missourimary]

I went to Brazil for a few weeks in 1997. I didn't meet the Alvears, but I was very impressed with the work in Manaus that I witnessed. Did everything make sense to me? Absolutely not-but then again, I hadn't lived there for 30 years like the missionaries I visited had. I couldn't even speak the language. Nothing seemed unsensible to me, either, though.

Missions has been rather glorified in some American churches. We see the missionaries fly in, nice suit, nice dress, going out to eat at nice restaurants... we see pictures of their homes and hear about the church that donated a brand new vehicle to them. I'm not sure any of us-even me, even after having lived with missionaries for a few weeks-really has any concept what the daily life of a missionary is like. That's not a sob story either. Here's some of what I saw during my trip though:
The missionaries had several people who worked for them in their home. (but I overheard later that they had been hired to take care of us for the time we were there, since we couldn't operate the wringer washer and didn't have time to cook...) I saw those workers debone the chicken that they put in our soup... and ask permission to take the bones home to put in soup for their own families.
I watched people brush their teeth in water straight out of the Amazon, and knew that the facilities in the missionaries' home had been installed specially so the water to the house-pumped into most homes without proper purification-wouldn't make the Americans who visited sick.
They had air conditioning for the comfort of the Americans who visited too. Actually, the missionary slept out in the front room in a hammock while we were there because he couldn't stand the air conditioning-he was too used to not having it.
The vehicles the missionaries drove us in weren't the nice Land Rovers and such that I'd seen in missionary pictures. They were rattly, dented vehicles they could drive through the bumpy streets. If they had nice vehicles from mothers memorial or whatever, they were in service at some of the other works-the missionaries weren't driving them, certainly.

I went back to America with a different concept of what it might mean to support missions, what missionaries face in their countries, and the value of an American dollar. Not everyone in America has it easy. But not every missionary does either.

If missions work were easy and lucrative, there would be a lot more missionaries.



*I don't know Sis Alvear, I am not on her FB, and I'm not trying to guilt trip or guild anything. I just think the original post is very sad, and at least somewhat misinformed.

[Owl]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Very sad.

To many of these countries, just living in the US seems to them we are rich. Is there needs in the US, of course, but as a whole, Americans are blessed.

A friend I work with just returned from Peru - a very poor nation. It was a vacation not a missions trip. They visited a school while they were there and gave $7 US to provide the children a "treat" that day. Each child was giving a small piece of cheese and crackers and he said they were so excited.

He stood and just cried to witness that.

Are there needs in the US - - yes, of course and we do need to take care of our own too. But, I wasn't offended at all by what was said - - these countries live in huts with dirt floors - they don't have government programs helping them provide school lunches, provide groceries, etc.

I think some were a little hyper sensitive to the heart of what was being spoken.

Those are great points, Renda.

My dissatisfaction has nothing to do with the fact that there truly is a need for missions giving. It has more to do with the fact that a missionary insulted one of the most giving nations in the world and all of the hard-working Apostolics in it. She insulted the very nation most responsible for her continued ability to preach in Brazil.

No one is holding a gun to her head. A missionary becomes a missionary by choice. The martyr shtick wears thin, especially when it is slathered with excessive amounts of gooey guilt.

The light of American Christianity was once a bonfire. It has now faded to a smoldering flicker. America is in desperate need of evangelism, or she will soon become as dark as Europe.

[Praxeas]

As far as Im concerned, that missionary is right about American in general, but I doubt it was aimed at Owl.

As far as Im concerned, compared to my relative life here in America many missionaries DO have a harder life and needs that we here in America are in a good position to provide for. I doubt that missionary was aiming their comments at all Americans including those that have recently lost jobs and such.

Perhaps the way the missionary posted rubbed a few the wrong way. Perhaps the missionary just went about it the wrong way. Perhaps even that missionary was distressed where they are at and under their present circumstances too. I don't know.

But I've talked to enough missionaries to know that their mission field are often in third world nations and not a Disneyland vacation. They are far away from home, family and friends and no unlimited credit card.

I could not read the posting for myself but maybe this person needs more patience and understanding :-)

[Sister Alvear]

I am sorry that I offended 2 AFF posters that are on my friends lists...that was not intended at all...I was speaking in general terms. Not one person at all in mind...

I remember when one of my boys was little we went to a church to preach and the boy saw a dog house, riding lawn mower, a barn for the horses...He said mother, these people are so rich....I never could convence him they were not rich...

[Sister Alvear]

Originally Posted by Owl

Those are great points, Renda.

My dissatisfaction has nothing to do with the fact that there truly is a need for missions giving. It has more to do with the fact that a missionary insulted one of the most giving nations in the world and all of the hard-working Apostolics in it. She insulted the very nation most responsible for her continued ability to preach in Brazil.

No one is holding a gun to her head. A missionary becomes a missionary by choice. The martyr shtick wears thin, especially when it is slathered with excessive amounts of gooey guilt.

The light of American Christianity was once a bonfire. It has now faded to a smoldering flicker. America is in desperate need of evangelism, or she will soon become as dark as Europe.

Will you forgive me?