Short-term mission trips, or ‘mission tourism’ as it is often called, have come under scrutiny in recent years following the boom of U.S. trips to impoverished countries.
Statistics show that the number of United States residents, specifically Christians, partaking in mission trips has jumped from 540 annually in 1965 to approximately 1.5 million in 2011.
Shouldn’t that be reassuring?
Many disagree with the well-intended week to month long missions, saying they are not cost-effective, sustainable, or empowering to the community.
Despite the criticisms, studies show that students that engage in short-term missions are less materialistic, have a deeper appreciation for other cultures, and have a more well-rounded understanding of mission lifestyle.
Why are CUA mission trips, specifically the bi-annual trips to Kingston, Jamaica, effective?
One of the most prevalent concerns about short-term mission trips is that they are only quick fixes and that they create dependency.
Catholic University is unique in our mission because, first and foremost, we have a legacy in Kingston. In the early 1970s, Monsignor Richard ‘Dick’ Albert, a Bronx native and beloved CUA alum, failed his theology comprehensive exams, forcing him to defer his plans to become a university chaplain. In the meantime, Msgr. Albert was sent to Jamaica for what was meant to be a short-term mission. Once there, he fell in love with the people, the risks, and the challenges he faced. He began his ministry by opening St. Monica’s in 1982, a nursing home for the abandoned and sick. He then expanded the St. Patrick’s soup kitchen into the St. Patrick’s Foundation in 1994, providing food, education, health and child care, job training, and services for addicts and those who are H.I.V. positive at three service centers. Msgr. Albert spent the latter 40 years of his life serving the poorest of the poor in Kingston until his death this past November.
Catholic University students still serve all of these sites today and we don’t do so simply by donating supplies or money. We serve through a ministry of presence, meaning that it is human love and connection that enriches the community.
Another concern of these types of trips is that they are too self-focused. The trip becomes more about how the visitor has changed and grown as a person, not how the community has been changed.
I personally do not see a problem with these trips being mutually beneficial. Trips like these are eye-opening and enlightening, and they can lead to bigger, more long-term commitments. For example, while serving in Jamaica, some of the Mission Jamaica team was able to meet up with a CUA alum who had embarked on the same trip during his time as a student. Inspired by the visit, he felt compelled to further serve the community. He is now on a year-long mission in Jamaica.
Additionally, one of the freshman team members was inspired by our trip to St. Margaret’s, where we taught language arts to remedial students, to consider switching his major to primary education. This shows that mission trips do not just have a global impact, but they can change lives on a local scale as well.
Further, many cticize short-term missions for being superficial. It is a chance for students travel with their friends to ‘exotic’ places and take photos posing with underprivileged children.
Yes, my team and I collectively took hundreds of pictures with the people we served in Jamaica. But it was not for the opportunity to say, “Hey, look at all the good I’m doing!” We took photos to remember the people who changed us for the better, who changed our perspective on life and on faith. The people we served may be monetarily poor, but they are certainly not poor in spirit. The children taught me to smile despite the circumstances and the adults taught me about unwavering faith in the face of misfortune.
When I signed on for the spring break trip to Jamaica, I was worried about the effectiveness of my service. I had heard the criticisms and seen the statistics. Was what I was doing worth it?
The words of the late El Salvadorian Archbishop, Oscar Romero, summed up the philosophy of CUA mission teams and put me at ease:
“We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide the yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs.”
It may seem selfish, but I know that the people of Kingston, Jamaica have impacted my life more than I have impacted theirs. But that doesn’t mean my service didn’t brighten days and bring hope to the residents of St. Monica’s, Riverton, and Bethlehem House because I know I am carrying on a legacy of those who came before me and I know that there will be hundreds of CUA students who will go after me.
“Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.”
–Mother Teresa