Learning how to see again

Today we found out we came all the way to South Africa and we are not on a mission trip. What? Well just to clarify we are not on vacation either. The correct designation of what the group of 20 from all over the US is on is a Mission Discovery Trip.

We woke in Johannesburg this morning and had a brief meeting before heading out on a six or seven hour drive to Hazy View. Along the way (when I wasn't sleeping which was most of the way) we saw the transition from the bustling city of Jo'burg to the more rural areas. I took a few pictures which I'll post soon.

But the most impactful part of the day happened during worship this morning and training this evening. We as a group were ready to go out and do something but our trip leader Maitland DiPinto took some time to teach us how to see again. In the evening, Ray Tetz reinforced the class on how to see.

Let me explain. Many times when we come on mission projects, they explained we bring a mindset of negative examination. We try to figure out all the things that are wrong with the area we go to and we seek to be the heroes in fixing them. This produces results but is limited in it's continuity.

What we were challenged to do is to Appreciative Inquiry. That simply means, find out what's working where we are and try to increase capacity for that. We figure out what ministries are working and we seek to resource them and help them to do more of it.

It may not be revolutionary to some but it was to me. Too many times we seek to find what's wrong with a situation instead of asking what's right with this situation and celebrating that. We were taught to ask questions that found out what the people we are going to meet like, what makes them happy, what are their hopes and dreams. They are not problems to be solved or things to be repaired but human beings to be embraced.

Tomorrow we head out to Nhlengelo. You can read up on that at hope4.com/wiiserve. I'm not going tomorrow to be a hero. I'm going to find the heroes, celebrate them and then making sure they have what they need to continue doing the works they are doing.

I'm going there with new eyes because I learned to see again.