People call me and ask, “How do we go about choosing a country to partner with?” First I suggest this six step method:
- Get a globe
- Spin it
- Close your eyes
- Stick out your index finger
- Move your finger forward until you hit the globe and make it stop spinning
- Open your eyes and see where your finger landed
If they don’t like that method, I refer them to a document I prepared last year when I was in the same process. Here it is in it’s entirety, but it’s still OK to call if you want! Hopefully this will help.
To narrow the field to one nation with which to partner, the main criteria to utilize in the decision making process are Strategy, Travel, Health, “Curb Appeal,” and Sense of Call. These criteria are broken down into more specific factors used to evaluate each area. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather serves as a guide in compiling helpful information for making a decision.
STRATEGY
- Strategic Priority: How strategic does the IMB consider the area?
- In-country Nationals Baptist Partners structure: How prepared and able are our Baptist partners to support the demands of a partnership?
- National Baptists Support: How receptive are our national Baptist brethren in receiving a partnership? What is the internal climate? Is there unity within the local convention? What is the relationship between the nationals and our IMB missionaries?
- IMB in-country structure: Does the IMB have enough personnel to handle a partnership?
- IMB support: Do the IMB leaders and field missionaries want a partnership? Do they believe it is something that can really help to advance their work
- Volunteer Volume: What is the present amount of volunteers going to the area? Would more volunteers be helpful to the IMB missionaries? How does the percentage of volunteers going to this area compare to other areas?
- Compatible Kentucky Baptist Match: Is the target population compatible with Kentucky Baptists? In other words, is their general profile something to which we can relate, or are the cultural differences significant enough to render our presence ineffective?
The answers to these questions can be obtained by contacting an IMB representative in the area(s) of interest. If you need help making those contacts, let me know.
TRAVEL
- Airfare Costs: How expensive is the airfare to this area in relation to other areas in consideration? These days you can go to a site like www.travelocity.com and get just about all the information you need.
- Air Travel Time: How long does it take to get to the area and how does this compare with other areas under consideration? Are there long layovers required?
- In-country expenses: What is the average in-country expense per day per person? How does this compare to other areas under consideration?
- In-country travel time: After arriving by air is there any further ground travel required to reach the area? If so, how much time will be spent in ground travel?
- Visa Requirements and travel restrictions: Is a visa required to enter the country? If so, what is the procedure for acquiring it? How long does it take? How much does it cost? How difficult is it to obtain? Are there travel restrictions or visa restrictions that would make it difficult for volunteer teams to operate in the country? For this information visit www.travel.state.gov
- Accommodations: What in-country accommodations are available? Are they adequate or will volunteers be expected to “rough it”?
HEALTH
- Health Risks: What are the health risks to volunteers going to this area? How easily are they contracted and how serious are they? Could they become a deterrent for potential volunteers?
- Immunizations required: What immunizations are required for entry into the country? Recommended? How expensive are they? What are the health risks involved with taking the vaccines? Visit www.cdc.gov/travel
- Special Health Cases: Are there health factors that would put volunteers with certain health concerns at risk?
- Physical Dangers: What are the physical dangers involved with travel to and within the country? Is there a significant threat of crime, violence, or terrorism in the area? What is the sentiment toward US citizens in the country? Visit www.osac.gov
- Climate: What about the temperatures, sun intensity, and other weather factors? Will volunteers be subjected to extremes? If so, what resources are available to alleviate volunteers from such extremes? Will these extreme weather factors eliminate some volunteers from participation?
- Food and Water: Are there adequate sources of clean water and good food in-country?
CURB APPEAL
- This is a criteria borrowed from the housing industry which suggests the value added to a house by its outside appearance upon the arrival of a prospective buyer. This is a first impression factor that excites the buyer about the house, and entices him to investigate further, or to immediately lose interest and drive away.
- It is used here as a subjective factor to estimate the interest generated among Kentucky Baptist by a particular location. Obviously, a choice would not be based upon this criterion alone, but overall it can make a difference in the final decision, as the amount of interest generated by a certain place is an important consideration. The success of the partnership with Russia is a case in point. Hopefully this draw would be for spiritual reasons and not purely a desire to go to a certain place. On the other hand, the opportunity afforded to participants to see places of interest is something that is not necessarily a bad thing.
SENSE OF CALL
- This is the intangible part of the decision process that cannot be analyzed on paper. It is a sense of direction from God as to which location should be chosen. The human factors are important and must be considered, however, the last word and confirmation come from God. It is a firm belief that mission trips are not a “spiritual vacations” but rather a divine instrument of the harvest force in the hands of the Great Harvester. It is a conviction that God does want to use Kentucky Baptists in His overall strategy for winning a lost world. He knows how Kentucky Baptists can best be utilized. Only God knows all the factors involved that should be considered. Therefore, this criterion is the most important and crucial of all, and can be truly discerned only through prayer and heart-searching introspection.
