Challenging Development Theory

I was asked by the African Student Association at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign to be a guest speaker for their annual forum. I shared about my trip to Sierra Leone and my new thoughts about the challenges of international development. Enjoy the video!

The Beauty of Contextual Humility

So, you would think that when you go out of the country and you come back changed (as I do after every experience) it would be due to major realizations about something relating to the new context in which you were placed. While this sentiment rings true for the majority of my experiences outside of the United States; gained an understanding of the role of followers of Christ in a global context in Honduras, faced a mini identity crisis when faced with a new definition of what it means to be Black in South Africa, and developed a steadfast resolve to challenge current development theory in Sierra Leone; however, my most recent experience in Haiti, taught me a lot about relationships and trusting God; lessons you may not think you need to travel outside of the country to learn.

In my experiences outside of the US, I have found that my heart is much more open and I am much more humble when interacting with people, due to the realization that they know so much more than I do in how life in their sphere operates. When in the U.S., I both consciously and unconsciously consider myself an expert in the majority of things I do. I know what people are likely thinking when they see me walking down the street, I know how the markets I am spending my money in work, and I know what is considered polite and impolite when interacting with others. All of this is up in the air when I am in a new setting, and because I am so vulnerable, and at a place where I can easily admit I need help, and where I desire to learn with an open heart, God uses each and every second I am out of the United States to challenge and mold me into the person he wants me to be.

Haiti is the first country to which I have traveled where I had no previous knowledge of the language. The official language in both South Africa and Sierra Leone is English, while I have a working knowledge of Spanish and was able to communicate pretty well in Honduras, which both lessened my dependence on others for getting around as well as increased my ability to build one on one relationships with people in the country. However, Haiti was a totally different ball game. Although French is listed as one of the official languages of Haiti, if you go to the country and want to interact with the people, French will get you virtually nowhere- Haitian Creole is what you need to know…and exactly what I didn't know. 

I went to Haiti with the expectation that the country would be much like Sierra Leone. Based on everything I read about Haiti prior to going to the country, it seemed to me that I would be encountering poverty of an extreme measure. The first thing countless websites and books state about Haiti is that it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere- what I learned when I went was that although it may be poor, Haiti is still in the western hemisphere. Haiti is one of the most projectized nations in the world (yes, I just made up that word). Everywhere you turn there is a non-profit organization engaging in some project for some reason in the country. While this may seem like a great thing for the nation, there are also some pretty significant negative consequences which arise from this approach to development. I was forced to do some deep introspective thinking while in Haiti as the plane from Miami to Haiti was primarily filled with White people coming to Haiti on behalf of Christian based organizations.

Ok, before I continue I need to make something clear, I have nothing against White people or Christians going to other countries. I only point out that the plane was filled with White Christians because Haiti is a Black Caribbean nation and that contrast holds real denotations and connotations for the current realities of the island. As a matter of fact I think it’s great that both groups are traveling and I think it’s something that needs to be done to help us understand how other people live in order to more fully live out the Great Commission in Matthew 28. However, I do think it is a problem when either group enters into a context that is not their own, with pre-conceived notions, and acts out of those notions rather than coming to the new context with humility, and a desire to learn from those who live in the country.

I went to Haiti with a burning desire to learn and gain a glimpse into the life and realities of my Black brothers and sisters who share a similar history of being brought over from Africa in chains, but have since taken over their own destinies and created the first ever Black Republic. I wanted to understand their thoughts about what they feel when people come to their country wearing t-shirts with slogans such as “Save Haiti” and “Hearts for Haiti.” I wanted to see what the nation really looked like four years after the earthquake when the only images broadcast of the nation were of poverty, death and destruction, and then nothing.

At the beginning of the school year, in August, long before the possibility of actually traveling to Haiti was in existence, I called my mom and my Pastor discussing plans to begin a micro-finance organization in Haiti. I had a vision of utilizing my money from my summer internship and from selling my car to invest in the people of Haiti to give them access to funds to lead change in their nation however they wanted to. At this point in time all I knew about Haiti was from what I had read online and seen in documentaries, I was missing the entire other side of the story.  Then six months later, after some intense prayer for clarity of how and if I should pursue my desire to work in Haiti, God provided and opportunity for me to see the whole picture.

Haiti is a nation of unreal beauty. Depending on where you go, you may forget where you are and feel you are in the Swiss Alps, or a beach in Cancun, Mexico. And although I use these comparisons to express the depth of beauty of the scenery, they in themselves distort the reality that Haiti is beautiful in its own right.

I was overwhelmed by the clear demonstration of God’s hand in creation as I sat bundled up in layers of clothing (and still shivering, who goes to Haiti and thinks they are going to freeze??)  on the top of a mountain and wondered why God has been so gracious as to give us such beauty. I sat in silence and talked to my creator, the creator of the universe, and reconnected with God in a way I have been desiring for months. I was energized to wake up at 7am and go outside and spend time alone with God in the silence, surrounded by flowers and fog and just reflect and listen. With no computer to attend to (although many of the places we stayed had wifi), no cars bustling through the roads (only on the mountain, traffic in Port Au-Prince rivals Chicago), and no cell phone distracting me, reminding me of other responsibilities, I was able to be fully present with God in a way I desire with all my heart to be in the States but rarely achieve.

During my time in Haiti I found that there is real danger in internalizing a single story of any person or place. We have to go into new situations with an open heart and mind and ask God to show us what He wants us to see and understand, even if it makes us uncomfortable and challenges things we previously thought were true. I am not saying go to a country with an open mind to the point of betraying things you know for a fact are true such as Christ being the one and only Savior and the only way to an eternity of peace and love, but I am saying don’t be so quick to judge others a heathens or think someone needs your help. People in other countries have stories beyond what the media says about them and they are not just sitting starving and waiting for us to come to their aid. They are real people with real lives, real challenges, but also real successes and triumphs, just like us. Yes, the bible says

                “What good is it my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them  ‘go in peace, keep warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?” –James 2:14-16,

which means we are charged to act, but it is my opinion that we should so in a way that is culturally respectful and considers the long term implications of our actions. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:

 “19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

This is how we are to be on mission when going to new places. We have to first understand the people we are trying to reach. We cannot come into a new context and try to force our beliefs on other people. We first must demonstrate love and humility and a respect for people in their space through a genuine desire to learn from them.

So I leave everyone with this challenge, when you enter a new context, whether domestically or internationally, leave your notions of how things should be at the door and reach out and take someone’s hand who is from the place, and become a student. Learn. Ask questions. Engage with your new space in humility and watch how much more you are impacted by the experience.