Would You Take This Job?

Your pay starts at 800,000 KSH ($10,500) per month.  That's your base salary.  If you actually come to work (because absconding from the job is the norm) you will receive a daily bonus called a "sitting fee".  On top of your generous salary you will receive keys to not one, but two brand new BMW cars.   Because you must continue to ride in style, we'll replace the Beamers with a brand new set each year.  And for your family full health care, a vacation allowance, and all private education from grade school to professional school will be paid.   A modest mansion awaits your family once you are hired.  The importance of your position dictates that you will not pay income tax.  If the new Beamers did not seal your decision, maybe this will.  A referendum is in place (you get to vote, not the public) to increase your monthly salary to 1.2 million KSH ($15,000 USD) per month (or $180,000 USD) per year.  Will you take the job?  

If you took job you just became a Kenyan MP (Member of Parliament), which there are about 200 in this country of 30 million people.  A Kenyan MP is the US equivalent of a Senator.  Being sympathetic to the MP's, you could argue that a US senators annual salary ($174,000) is equivalent to an MP.   But let's put it in perspective.  A US senator makes roughly 5 times that of an average joe American ($34,000 per year).  A Kenyan MP makes 574 times that of an average joe Kenyan ($314 per year).  If the salary raise referendum passes Kenya will shift its pay scale for MP's to second in the world, only lagging behind the UK.

Missionaries are encouraged to abstain from politics.  In one sense I have abstained.  I don't vote.  I don't have a voter card.  I don't campaign.  I don't wear political shirts. I don't have a sign in my front yard.  I haven't run for any offices here.  

But in the other sense politically, I can't be silent.  But it's their country, not mine.  So I asked a colleague of mine Michael, What do you think of this referendum?   

 "It's wrong.   They have BMW's, and we are grappling for peanuts.  The MP's trade free Mendazis (scones) for votes.   Our nation is struggling economically from the post election violence.  Even the educated can't find jobs.  It's a disgrace to see MP's get a raise, while the poor sit in IDP camps." 

Christians should react to disparity (a loaded term...but 5 times vs. 564 times?). We are called to be distinct from culture and engaged with culture.  We are distinct because our lives have been changed, turned upside down by a new covenant ushered in by Christ.  We engage culture because we recognize that sin has broken individuals (theft, drugs, abuse) but sin has also broken systems (greed, dishonesty).  We engage to show that Christ offered a better way.  And the better way is adorned if we are distinctly Christian.  

The Shackled Continent (Part III)

5)Africa can hardly be prosperous because of the advance of AIDS.  Thirty million Africans are infected with AIDS.  Three quarters of the world’s AIDS deaths occur in Africa. Life expectancy while rising in the West has fallen in Africa due to HIV. Poverty accelerates the spread of HIV.  Without antibiotics open sores are not treated, and the virus is transmitted more readily.   Poverty of education has also speeded the spread of AIDS.  Some African women believe that without regular infusions of sperm, they will not grow up to be beautiful.  Some African men believe that by having sex with a virgin  they can cleanse themselves of the virus.  The disease strikes people in their prime years (not a disease of the elderly like alzheimers).  Fathers lose jobs, families lose homes, and children are orphaned.  

6) African countries are chronically unstable.  Most  Africans feel more loyalty to their tribe than their nation.   Nepotism is rampant among “elected officials.”   Corrupt politicians use tribal-alliances  to their advantage.  The genocide in in Rwanda of the Tutsis was carefully planned by the Hutu politicians.  Hutu politicians to keep themselves in power coordinated a mindset to hate and kill Tutsis.  Using tribal alliances approximately 800,000 Tutsis were murdered in six weeks; the swiftest genocide in history. 

 

7) Wealthy countries have too many trade barriers that prevent African countries from selling their exports at reasonable prices.  Africa has fertile land, plenty of sun, and cheap labor. But wealthy countries through quotas, tariffs, and national farm subsidies create an environment where African producers cannot compete.   

8) Civil wars set back countries in Africa and prevent success.  In 1999 1/5 Africans lived in a country currently in civil war.  90% of casualties in civil wars in Africa are civilians.  19 million Africans have been force to flee their homes.   The poorest 1/6th of humanity endures four fifths of the civil wars. What are the risk factors for a civil war: poverty and stagnation.  As the saying goes, “it is easy to give a poor man a cause.” In a vicious cycle of poverty-war-more poverty, it has been shown that a civil war reduces average income by 2.2 percent each year. 

 

9) Africa needs more successful business but doing business in Africa is risky.  Bad roads and “hungry policeman” at roadblocks makes it costly to move goods even a short distance.  Imported business to Africa say BYOI (Bring your own infrastructure). 

10)Term limits for presidents before the 1980’s in Africa were almost non-existent.  Without term limits bad presidents are never voted out of office.  And without constitutions rogue governments cannot be kept in check.   

 

11) Most countries in Africa have underdeveloped property rights.  For example in Malawi a person cannot buy or sell land without agreement from the village chief.  If he is able to buy the land but leaves it unattended for a short time the land can be taken .  We take property rights for granted.  In a country with strong property rights you have incentive to improve your land, you can use your land as collateral for a loan, you can divide your land and share assets.  Furthermore, owning land gives you an address. This allows you the ability to develop a credit record, identifiable assets, an incentive to pay off your loans, ability to get electricity, a phone line, the ability to business with strangers.

When Can You Throw In the Towel?

When can you leave a job or a ministry? Are there areas that are not ripe for the harvest? What are legitimate reasons for "throwing in the towel"? Did Jesus ever give his disciples permission to simply move on? And how can we know what those reasons are?

The 10/40 Window has been one of the most successful and convenient marketing missionaries tools in the last 10 years. Who hasn’t seen a map of the 10/40 window? Guthrie in "Missions in the Third Millenium" writes:

The 10/40 window is an imaginary box drawn between 10 and 40 degrees of longitude, encompassing parts or all of 62 countries in Africa and Asia and a bit of Europe.... Some 3.1 billion people, approximately half of the worlds population live in the Window... This area is the epicenter to Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. 82 percent of the world’s poor live here. 29 of the 62 countries that have the lowest quality of life based on life expectancy, infant mortality, and literacy reside in the Window.

Despite the apparent emphasis on the 10/40 window...only 3 percent of the global missionary force is there and 0.01 percent of Christian ministry funds go here (We aren't there either, Kenya is south of the Window). That all makes me feel sad and guilty..like the Church has really misdirected many of its resources or that maybe we have been unwilling to go where we are needed most. Where it is hot, ruled by law of another religion, and potentially unstable.

I wonder what God would think about how our resources have been spread? Would God want a missionary to remain in an unreached area for several decades with no openness to the Gospel (but maybe seeds are planted)? Does God want more missionaries going to areas like Latin America where evangelical and protestant churches are exploding (but many of these populations have multiple chances to hear the Gospel in a meaningful way)? Does God need more ministers in Europe and in the City where churches are empty and Christianity is dwindling? Isn’t it just a matter of going where the most need is (when you lift a heavy log you go to the end where no one else lifts)? Can we distill the Great Commission down to a geographic window and some telling statistics?

I don’t know who can answer these questions. But I do think God would be saddened that there is still so much poverty, illiteracy, rape, hunger, violence, corruption, and despair in the Window. Also one wonders is the despair in the Window because these areas have not been reached by the transforming power of the Gospel?

Missions needs to go to these areas. But I don’t think guilt is the right response to get people there, or the right response if they go and do not stay. When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples he gave them few instructions (bring nothing but a staff and wear sandals). Jesus might tell his 12 disciples where to go, when to begin, how many people should go together, what should be preached, what activities to involve themselves, or even ultimately what was their purpose. But Jesus didn't tell them any of these things. Jesus gave them this final command.

And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you,
shake the dust off your feet when you
leave, as a testimony against them (Mark 12).

Jesus compels James, John, Peter, and so forth that if they are 1) not welcome or 2) not listened to they should leave. If you have come and spoken, but are not wanted or not heard... Jesus tells you to walk away. Am I suggesting we shake the dust off our feet at the 10/40 window, our churches, our jobs, our communities. Of course not. Blessed are the persecuted. His followers will be hard-pressed and afflicted. No, these places need determined missionaries, pastors, relief agencies, neighbors, friends. God's light needs to shine. They need His grace. But we must also reserve the permission and courage to leave when we are not welcome or heard; and then follow His will elsewhere.

53 patients

53-the number of patients brought into our casualty Thursday morning after a bus lost control while being passed by a car. It was standing room only and overall I was again impressed with the function of our triage under such enormous patient pressure. How many other ERs get 53 trauma patients in one hour? The commonality of such trauma here is underlined by the lack of mention these events receive in the news. 

"The World's Worst Country"

Have you read the awards for best city in America to live in and they come out with towns like Kalispell, Montana, Ft. Collins, Colorado, or Amelia Island, Florida. I've never seen the opposite list of most down-and=out towns in America (Detroit, Michigan, Youngstown, Ohio, etc). But recently the Economist came out with an award for the world's worst country in the year ahead (2010).

They say, "calling this country is a stretch. It has a president, prime minister, and a parliament but with little power outside their capital city. Even their presidential palace requires an outside peacekeeping force to protect the president. In this country more than 40% of the population need food aid to survive and one in every 5 children is malnourished. 1.5 million people live in dire, temporary camps. The future of this country is bleak. The country has a meager economy, and the aid that has been promised often can not get to the people who need it because security can not be guaranteed."

Residents of this country come to Kijabe Hospital frequently for care. I am told this people group is amazed at how quiet the hospital is without the noise of any gunshots or explosions that they are accustomed to hearing back home. Their greeting I have learned is Nabut Mia. This translates to 'is their peace'...that being the first thing they ask anyone they meet. The only history they know is instability, fighting, violence, and civil war for the past 20 years.

I don't write this to knock them down...but to recognize what an opportunity we have at Kijabe to have them come to our hospital. Inside they are likely broken, fearful, and uncertain about their future. If you have not guessed which country this is...the dubious honor of world's worst country goes to our neighbors occupying the Horn of Africa...Somalia.

An Atheist sees that Africa needs a Loving God

I wanted to share an e-mail from my sister regarding the need for God in Africa.  It is written from an Atheist perspective.  

   Matthew Parris of the NYT writes,         "I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa; sharply distinct from the work of secular NGO's, government project and international aid-efforts.  These alone while good, will not do...In Africa Chistianity changes peoples hearts.  It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real."

     "I used to avoid this truth by applauding  - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa.  It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it.   I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then fine; but what counted was the help, not the faith."

     "But I noticed, The Christian Nationals were always different. Far from having cowed or confied its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them.  There was a liveliness a curiosity, an engagement with the world- a directness in their dealings with others- that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall."