A letter from Philip and Bacilia Beisswenger in Guatemala
March 5, 2011
Greetings in Christ from Guatemala!
Since my work involves short-term mission teams, I’ve gotten used to questions like: Wouldn’t it be better to just send the money, instead of spending it on plane tickets? Do these teams really contribute to God’s mission, or are they religious tourism? Do these teams build support for Presbyterian mission, or siphon resources away from it? It’s right to raise such concerns about short-term mission efforts, and to be evenhanded in assessing the good they do.
It’s important to appreciate that relationships are at the heart of Christian mission. Consider what happened to Saul during his mission to hunt Christians in Damascus (Acts 9). With his excellent education, zealous convictions, and backing from the temple establishment, Saul felt sure he had Christians figured out. Then Saul had an unexpected, face-to-face encounter with Christ. A voice from heaven asked, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” When Saul asked who was speaking, the reply was, “I am Jesus.” Once Saul truly met Jesus, he became the Apostle Paul, one of the greatest missionaries in history.
As for people in places like Guatemala, it’s easy to imagine that we can figure them out. Based on what we read in newspapers, see on TV, and hear from others, we might imagine that we know what Guatemalans need, and how to meet those needs. If that’s the case, we’ll likely be disappointed by the results. Sure, establishing close ties with people consumes lots of time and energy. Nevertheless, the value of a mission effort is diminished if relationships are lacking. Mission work that matters the most focuses first on strong relationships, not on projects and programs.
This past week a team from Williamsburg (Va.) Presbyterian Church visited several towns in the indigenous Ixil region with hopes of forming a partnership. The Ixil people are mostly subsistence farmers who suffered greatly at the hands of the Guatemalan military during the 1980s.
The Williamsburg team got to know Francisco, the lay worker for the Presbyterian congregation in the town of Cotzal. Francisco told them about how he’d been a philandering drunkard years ago. One night in a state of inebriation he passed out on a street in Guatemala City and his legs were run over. While in the hospital Christians visited him and prayed for the restoration of his crushed legs. Now he uses his legs to trek up and down the mountains that surround Cotzal, offering the gospel in remote villages and homesteads.
They got to know Rosa, who lives in the rural village of Chichel. She graciously served coffee and sweet rolls to the team, and shared the story of how her abusive husband abandoned her. Although she struggles to provide for her six children, Rose converted her living room into a Presbyterian worship center where six families now worship regularly…
They got to know Miguel, the Presbyterian pastor in the town of Chajul. When Presbyterians needed a place to worship five years ago, he and his family moved into the back room of their house, giving up the rest for the church’s ministries. Five years later, they still live in the back room while the search for a permanent church site continues.
They got to know Catalina, a talented 18-year-old Sunday school teacher who worries about dropping out of high school because her family can’t afford the tuition. They got to know Felipe, a Presbyterian bank teller whose passion about preserving Ixil history and culture led him to create a museum. They painted beside faithful churchmen. They sang and shared puppet shows with crowds of laughing children. They taught crafts along with dedicated schoolteachers in dirt-floor, adobe classrooms, and they enjoyed Ixil food carefully prepared by women over an open fire. Now, having invested in relationships like these during their first get-together, Williamsburg and Ixil Presbyterians are eager to build an ongoing mission partnership.
We all need relationships, with Jesus and with many others, to develop a way of life that fits with God’s purposes. When the body of Christ from places like Williamsburg joins with the body of Christ in places like Chajul, we come much closer to knowing who Jesus really is and how we can best serve him.
Blessings and grace to you,
Philip Beisswenger
The 2012 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 6
