Re: Missionaries

Living in Port-au-Prince, I have the privilege of often being around “missionaries,” loosely defined: evangelical foreigners from rich countries working to help poor Haitians.

Often, they are employees of established Christian organizations, receive job descriptions, submit reports, undergo performance evaluations. Some must raise their own funds, but are assisted in doing so.

Others are self-employed entrepreneurs. They create their own “ministries” and pursue whatever activity they wish. Blogs and generous friends facilitate fundraising.

Those two groups share many traits.

First, almost to the person, they are in Haiti because they were “called” by God to come “serve the Haitian people.” I have yet to be told by even one missionary “I am here because your country is beautiful, interesting, haunting, maddening, real.”  Or “I am here because in Haiti, being American is enough. It brings untold opportunities for personal growth, for power, for leadership.”  Or “I am here because I had to get away from home, and Haiti provided that get away.”  That is not said.  All missionaries are here because God told them to come.

Second, the missionaries here live well. Well-appointed homes, nice cars, good schools, regular vacations, easy international trips, all are theirs to enjoy.

Third, they wield much influence and power. Imagine an Evangelical church, in a town somewhere in North Carolina. Imagine the choir of that church. That is Haiti’s missionary community. Except here  they decide who gets jobs, who goes to school, who eats. Wherever they go, from the grocery store to public ministries, people defer to them, ask them for things, value their opinions, accept their decisions. (Yes, it is because they are white and clearly not Haitians.) In absence of charisma, their Americanism does nicely.

Unfortunately, some also hoard power. They stay very, very busy overseeing staff, counseling pastors, checking financial reports, setting strategies, fixing generators, hosting teams, leading workshops on time management and leadership. 

In Exodus, we read about Moses and his management style: I will do it all, not because no one else can, but because I can. 

Exodus 18:13 is particularly telling:  “... Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.” This is a devastating picture, achingly accurate of what happens in Haiti. Here, the “blan” calls the meeting, decides, acts, does. The Haitians stand around, wait for their turn, wait for him to solve the problem, and then say “thank you,” that awful, awful word.

And everyone asks, “how will things ever change in Haiti?”

As Jethro told Moses, “What you are doing is not good.”