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28/5/06 Things I’m Learning |
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Development work brings about a lot of challenges but also opportunities. It presents a real opportunity to put your values into practice.
But it also can be quite confronting when other people in the same field don’t have quite the same values – especially donors, with their strict requirements for how you are to implement projects using their funds. So it teaches you to really evaluate what your values and principles really are, when to make them known, when to pull out of a potential partnership or go ahead with it, and when to show tolerance.
As a Christian I have a set of values that are quite strong, and I believe also quite positive. But of course I’m working in a communist country that is primarily Buddhist. So that presents a number of challenges. I can’t say I’ve come to resolve many of the questions and dilemmas that come with such circumstances, and I think I will have to live with some degree of uncertainty and continual learning and re-learning.
I feel many inadequacies, and often wonder if I can really make that much of a difference. In a way I’m quite sheltered, living in the capital city and in a nice apartment. I don’t mix every day with the poorest and most disadvantaged. I haven’t even met the real poor and marginalised rural Lao yet.
One thing I am learning, however, is that without God I can do nothing, but with Him, everything. Using the iPod my church gave me at my farewell, I listened to a fantastic sermon by David Gates, missionary to Bolivia – quite inspirational for me as I embark on making a difference in a foreign land. His stories from Bolivia demonstrate that God doesn’t intend for us to worry about our possessions, money, food, etc – and when we really do have faith in God’s provision, and our objectives are to be of service to others, then the blessings really do flow. For David Gates, that meant a fleet of aircraft then a national television network became his (for his mission, anyway) even though he had no money to make the purchases. It’s a real challenge but also opportunity for me to live life in Laos with the same mentality of trust in God and prioritising service to others – and to see what God can do. Listen to the sermon!
And an inspirational part of the Bible as far as development work is concerned is the book of Nehemiah. I started out reading through it looking for the wisdom it provides regarding leadership, but then soon realised Nehemiah really demonstrates a lot more principles of designing and implementing development projects. One day I might write more on that.
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