New additions to the Misc section of my website: That Chorus Picture. Maybe my resentment toward this picture comes from me having to practice in band class, while the chorus slackers got basically a free ride with their chorus class. I might expand this idea later on.
What I am going to say, some people might deem inappropriate. But it is my opinion, and what’s the use of a weblog if you cannot express your own opinions? We have a group of people at church who go to Central America each year on a mission trip. By coincidence, they are leaving on another mission trip tomorrow. While I admire these people’s mission effort, part of me is somewhat dissatisfied. The group seems a bit cliquish at times. Webster’s defines a clique as “a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially one held together by common interests, views, or purposes.” Certainly this group is made up of people with common interests: missions to Central America. Are they exclusive? At times, yes. I’ve tried talking to some of the people in the group and sometimes they seem to give much more attention to people within their own mission group clique. I’ve attempted to get mission trip pictures from them to put on the church webpage, but it has been like pulling teeth. Sometimes they seem unwilling to share information. We don’t get to read bulletin articles from them in the church bulletin. Rarely do I even know what they are doing exactly. Is the group narrow? Sometimes they are. They made only one announcement at church about a special meeting for people who wanted to go on a mission trip. They don’t seem to want to gain new members to their group. Other mission efforts are very well publicized. I have been asked several times to participate in stateside door knocking campaigns. Yet, I have never been asked to go to Central America. They seem to have plenty of people going as it is. The bottom line is that we need to try to work together for the gospel’s sake instead of getting into our little cliques of people who might deem certain people unworthy because they haven’t participated in a certain mission trip.
What’s the use of going to Central America to do a few head scrubs for lice to the natives and then return to America? Then a few weeks later the lice has returned and those people are no better off than before the missionaries came. Have the missionaries made a lasting impact? Sometimes. I’ve seen a few photographs of church buildings and orphanages being built in that area. Please note that I’m not trying to talk poorly about the mission effort. I know that missions is a tough job. I just wish our mission group would be a little more inclusive toward the whole of their activities.