Week 3

This week out topic was planning or more specifically how to set up a new ministry. Out teacher was Dave Swann and much to my delight he has worked quite a bit in Africa and even knows all the YWAMers in Mali, I know YWAM is a small world when I meet someone in Tijuana who knows my friends in Mali.

I had really been looking forward to this week and hoped to get a lot out of it and I was not disappointed. I have felt a little overwhelmed when thinking about starting up this ministry with the garibouts and I didn’t really know what the first step should be ... but now I do. I feel much better equipped and much less intimidated. It will not be easy, this I know, but I now have a new excitement to get started.

Through the lectures this week I really learnt how important planning and research are, you cannot do too much! We looked the story of Nehemiah (chapter 1-2) to get a Biblical perspective of planning. In short Nehemiah wanted to restore the wall of Jerusalem but he didn’t just jump in and start with bricks and mortar; he prayed and fasted about the problem , realised things needed to be put right with God, he probably did research about what things he would need to get to Jerusalem, then what he would need to do the job and then prayed that the king would be favourable to him. He also knew exactly what to ask, he had a good proposal, when he went to the king. He submitted to the King’s authority and got permission before starting anything. When he got there he checked out the walls to see what needed to be done; he did this secretly, maybe because he didn’t want to raise too much expectation in case they couldn’t actually do it. He then started to gather help, ‘come let US rebuild...’ giving them ownership, it is not all about Nehemiah, he is getting the community investing in it. He gives encouragement through showing what God has already been doing – this may also have been to help show is authority on this.

I have read this story many times before but never from this perspective and it was quite an eye-opener.

Another thing I learnt was how important it is to understand the real needs of a community before starting any project. Instead of coming into a community, finding a problem and trying to fix it we need to look beyond the problems we see (perceived needs) and even beyond the problems the community sees (felt needs) and get to the underlying cause of the problems (real needs). The only way to do this is through research: talking to mothers, fathers, leaders, children, making observations and understanding the culture. This is a long process but very much worth the effort.

I guess the biggest thing I learnt this week was that it is ok to spend maybe two years researching problems, culture and the community before even starting ministry. I want to start the ministry with garibouts the best way possible and I feel I already have a decent chunk of the research done but I know there is quite a bit more preparation to do before I can actually start with the boys but I am quite ok with that.

There was one thing I felt was missing in this week’s teachings and that is how to prepare a ministry and oneself for hand over or how to come into and take responsibility for an existing ministry.

Local outreach

Again this week we went to zona norte (the red light district) to work with the children there. It was a good time but I feel like we lack direction and purpose for the ministry. I think that is just because I don’t know the history behind it and why we are there. I am looking forward to next week though when I will start teaching English to the kids.

This week I also went to the red light district at night to prayer walk through the streets. This was an insightful experience and at times heart wrenching, especially when we went to the area where child prostitution is practiced. But I have to say I was not as affected as I thought I would be which concerned me a little but when I prayed about it I felt God saying this is not for me and it was Him that shielded me from feeling too much. God is good and He knows His plans or me.