Through the Travels (Years)

My missions mentor spent 8-9 months a year on the road. I was clocking about 4 months a year from 22 trips at my busiest.

Speaking from the perspective of a man and also from spending many years in the pastoral ministry, it is never a good thing to be away frequently from home. Man has physical drives beyond that of food. With no recourse he will be grouchy, miserable and irritable. When I was pastoring, my congregation was at the short end of the stick from preachers and teachers who were away from their family once too often or once too long.

Each one has a certain threshold of tolerance towards loneliness and being homesick. When reached, it will take away their "sweet spirit". The main challenge in missing one another is to maintain a sweet spirit in the course of the ministry, refusing to allow little things to mar doing a good job with a sweet spirit.

When I first started my travelling to the field, it was usually for up to 12 days. And I travel alone most of the time. It was a call of God at that time as He is sending me as, "one man."

And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man. Judges 6:16 NKJV).

I may be at three countries per trip. So I mitigate the dangers by staying with friends or in family hotels where you can see 3-4 generations under one roof. I never go out after dinner unless I am with local friends in the ministry. And I set a policy where colleagues of the opposite sex will not stay in the same hotel.

As I grew in the ministry, my role changed. Yes, my stature has grown and coupled with an increasing portfolio in the ministry, I was able to break the trips up into 2 or 3. It is more strategic for me to divide my time careful between my base and the field. The base nurtured the field. This was where resources were raised.

At this point the main challenge was the physical body. Every few months I would have a serious bout of viral flu where I will be completely knocked out for up to 2 weeks. On occasions I have contracted flu on the road and it is no joke to be sick when away from home. I do usually pack a course of Zithromax in my luggage to handle these mini-emergencies. And not only that every 3-4 years I would have a serious ailment where I need to cut my trips down for a period of a few months.

Reflecting, all in all it was excitement and passion that started my travels but later sustained by the call of God. We have to care for our total being in order to have a sustained and successful ministry.

Thinking Patterns - Evaluating Risks in Missions

I was travelling home with my son after shopping for groceries. These were what we bought:

1) Two 10 litre (10kg) Purified Water in plastic round containers.
2) Four cartons of milk in TetraPak.
3) A bunch of ripe bananas.

All were placed in the car boot. At each corners the water canisters were rolling around. Should have placed them on the floor where the rear seats are.

My reaction was: "Oops...the water canisters will roll onto the bananas and crush it.

My son's reaction: "I am afraid they will crush the milk cartons and mess up the boot!"

I was evaluating from my past experience while my son was looking from the perspective of risk management which he is currently pursuing in his university.

My background: I had an experience of liquid softener being split from its container and messing up my boot. But it was due to a loose cap. Probably a customer unscrewed it and then failed to fasten it tight. I could never imagined a TetraPak can be crushed by the 10kg water canister subsequently spilling out its content. I mean TetraPak is made of tough materials.

My son's background: Actuarial studies - managing risk. His thought, "What will be the worst it can happen if the water canister is rolling around?" The risk is there for it to crush the TetraPak thus releasing the milk. Crushed bananas will mess up a limited area.

Missions endeavors have its risk. 

All who participate in it must have an appetite for risk and mitigating it by having good counsels from experienced practitioners or at least by paying a field visit to do a due diligence. Those who is risk averse and/or had bad experiences will most likely take the easy way out. Latch on to an establish player and support them.

If this happens the local church would have missed out on a great faith adventure as well as also lose the opportunity to develop and train lay leaders. Further we may missed in supporting those who really have needs but may not be able to 'market' themselves or their 'products' due to small ministries or lack of communicative skills as well as not able to speak the language of the supporters.

Basically with some attention to details on the ground, have a keen observation skills plus working in teams the efforts will most likely yield good results to both parties. The benefactor and the beneficiary.

We need to pay attention to two areas of risk:

1) The evaluation of risk. The evaluation portion has to do with our training, background and good or bad experiences from similar endeavors. We need to get this right. From the perspective of good practices there is a need for a good variety of views when it comes to evaluation. There is also a need to check on the place (location) and the face (those involved in the field). Many eyes will made the evaluation more accurate. A field visit or more is essential to look into these matters:
- Evaluation of Project/Ministry
- Evaluation of Ministry Philosophy and Organisation Structure

2) The management of risk. The management side is more straight forward as it is done after the evaluation exercise. The key is to identify gaps in their understanding with regards to the project and also managing it. Then build their capacity and bring it up to speed.

Teaming - Are we growing professionally?

Personal growth is important is an effort that reflects our desire to contribute to our organisation and team. What will happen if our growth is not in tandem with our organisation, team and colleagues. It produces angst among the team and holding back organisational growth.

One of the most frustrating as a leader is to see a team member procrastinate growth and change till it is too late. It is not that we don't understand the need for change and growth. The problem is we are stuck with a bad habit and keep excusing ourselves. Our constant refrain is ,"I will do it tomorrow."

One of the sure signs of growth is the lack of time. Welcome to the real world! Quoting Jose Mourinho at BBC: "This is modern football. It's going in this tendency - more matches, more competitions, less time to work, even not enough time to have a real holiday for bodies and brains that top football players need. "There's not enough time." This applies to all industries.

World leaders are marked increasingly by this, "There is not enough time." But this does not mean they will produce a shoddy piece of work. By growing and changing we can do a better job will lesser time!

It is the wise use of time that characterise a growing team member. It is the use of the same amount of time with increasing effectiveness by multiplying time by duplicating ourselves and delegation of work. Leaders must expand the work as well as take on greater roles and responsibilities. Expand horizontally and vertically.

Here are some characteristics of people who want to grow:

1) Desire and energy to make it happen.

2) Push the limits of status quo and always wanting to do the best possible job.

3) Use gold standards of the industry to measure own and organisation's work.

4) Constant improvement in the area of communications both written and spoken.

5) Building alliances and expanding network without being froward. These will be point of references for work and life.

6) Recognising others' growth and adjusts to their new approaches and systems and take advantage of the momentum generated rather than wanting to keep to the convenience of the old and conventional ways of doing things.

7) Do things differently. It is not following what's trendy and fashionable. It is the changing of mind-set and requires getting out of the comfort zone. Each expansion of roles and vertical moves will oftentimes require drastic shift.

8) Learn new skills especially people skills. Horizontal and vertical growth requires supervision and enforcement. It involves people. Skills are required to managed, control, direct and get feedback. If we don't have these we will likely be promoted to our level of incompetence.

Local Partnerships - Evaluation of Project/Ministry

One of the greatest challenge for the missions' strategist is to hear heart-rending yet simple requests for ministry that is so much needed in the Third World. On the one hand we would like to fulfill these cries for help but felt constrained by lack of experience, funding and resources.

However, here are some constraint-busters:

1) Think out of the ordinary. We need to imagine beyond the debilitating control of our limiting mind-set acquired from seasons of lack and bad experiences in our work. This is perhaps the saddest of all as the ministry will be curtailed.

2) There is always a first time. Not being there before is an often used excuse. Pioneering  leaders bashed through the jungles and sailed the seven seas to prepare toe-holds and beach-heads for the ministry to prosper.

To break-out one must have lots of love and magnanimity towards the locals. It is not an emotional thing. It is a conscious effort to surmount the glass-ceilings. Many of these require a personal price to be paid. Take time to let the locals articulate their needs, even if they are going to impinge into our comfort zone, carefully laid-out plans and budget.

Listening is an art as well as a discipline. 

Let us be honest. In our best intentions, we are still the benefactors. We have more of 'everything' and is supposed to know better. The locals are supposed to listen and we speak and not the other way around. Are we going to say, "Let us bake the cake and let them eat." But then have we considered this question? Have we asked the locals what they want to eat in the first place?

However, without listening how can we evaluate with out heart and our minds. Is there a case for their ministry plans (mind)? Are they carrying a genuine burden and vision (heart evaluation)?

It is the locals that can best speak about their lives and context. They have the same God and they will know their locale better than anyone especially those that come by a few times a year. It is intended to be that way. Let us listen carefully to understand the local needs. Let us have their local knowledge and local wisdom.

By listening and observing we can spot genuine local leaders and their ministries.

Here are some pointers:

1) They are offering their best people in that ministry category for us to train.

2) There is a sharing of their dreams and visions. The need for finance recedes to the background.

3) Great Commission mandate is always in the fore-front.

4) An openness for a partnership budget where they are willing to supply a portion of it.

5) Their families are part of this ministry and partnership equation. We sometimes see three generations where their lives and concerns are an open book.

6) Failures in their families were never hidden but always bathed with much prayers and request for the same.

7) Their young people is vibrant and energetic and have a vision to reach their kind and people.

8) A love for their people and society are expressed through a good grasp their locality and nation's in socio-economic, legal, political, cultural and societal challenges like drugs, corruption, gambling and alcoholism.

Local Partnerships - Evaluation of Ministry Philosophy and Organisational Structure

Local partnerships is an essential part of missions. Foreigners just can't do 'it' on their own. Knowing this is the first step. The second step is to find the local partners.

Here are a few match-ups that will create partnership that works and also mutually satisfying.

1) Do we share the same philosophy of ministries and goals?

Make sure there is a match-up in philosophy of ministries. Church planting organisations must work with those who have vibrant church planting structures and desire.

2) Is funding necessary?

Look for those who do not have a channel to tap on foreign funds.

- These may not have a leader that know how to 'sell' their ministry 'product'.

- Another sign is their leaders do not have good spoken English making it difficult to network with foreign groups.

3) Is their organisation structure clear? 

Leadership structure is obvious and well-defined. Decision-making is prompt and clear. Span of control and division of labour are obvious.  This will ensure proper and prompt distribution of resources as well as smooth implementation of projects.

4) Is there transparency in all that they do?

The organisation is transparent and serious about accountability and responsibility. Most Third World groups have different degree of opaque systems and processes. Build capacity into these groups in stages and bring them up to speed.

The key is the people. Look for those who are willing to learn, to see further and have a long-term outlook with regards to ministries.

5) Is there a plurality of leadership? 

Promote and allow diversities of voices. There is a plurality of leadership. By having this there is less likelihood of the group splitting up. 'Strike the shepherd and scatter the sheep' is not that easy.

6) Is there energy?

There is a sizable young people. It means there will be energy and drive. Projects will take off if they catch the vision.

7) Is there a future ? 

Start with a pilot project before deciding to do more. This is a smart way forward as you can gauge their readiness and motivation to work. Conclusion can be drawn if these are sufficient to sustain the work as well as expand it.