Long Chains and Long-Term Change

On this long and lonely road, a broken-down vehicle can mean a very long wait for help. I know people who have spent the night in their vehicle waiting for help to pass by. We always travel with satellite communication (there’s no cell signal for most of the road), but most people don’t have that option.

Because of these conditions, the rules of the road demand that you always stop to help. Several times when I’ve been stranded, another driver has stopped with the right tool and sometimes even the parts I needed. Last month I came on a motorcyclist whose drive chain had slipped off because it had stretched dramatically and was ruined. The motorcycle was only three months old, but he had never lubricated the chain.

Long-Term Change

In our ministry, we aim to not just provide immediate solutions but effect long-term change. We live in a culture that is very traditional. People do not like to change their ways. They suffer from severe poverty and have learned that experimenting with new ideas can cost them the little that they have. It’s safer to do what’s familiar, even if it might not yield the best results.

Experimenting with new ideas can cost them the little that they have.

This week we visited a small town a couple of hours away to meet with some medical staff and community leaders. We had the wonderful privilege of meeting people who care about their community and are working to bring long-lasting improvements to the lives of the people they serve.

A missionary who has a lifetime’s experience working in this area had much to teach us about fruitful and sustainable ministry. The doctor who manages the government health clinic in that town spoke of the struggle to get her patients to accept her suggestions of preventative care and nutrition.

She showed us how she is working in a temporary house with no water or electricity and often struggles to get basic medications. We also had the privilege of strengthening relationships with some of the military leadership in the area, which is important for safety and security for ourselves and our community.

We are seeking the Lord’s direction for every step. We cannot turn a blind eye to the immediate needs, but we recognize that we can cause long-term harm by filling those needs without thinking about the future.

• We give out medicine, but are working to bring better health education to the region.
• We give food for work when our neighbors are hungry, but are asking them how they might change their rice farming methods to get better yields.
• We speak to our community about Jesus, but are supporting their efforts to form and lead Bible-study groups of their own.

To borrow a metaphor, many years of free fish have produced a generation of people who have forgotten how to bait a hook. We want to break that cycle.

The man with the broken motorcycle went on his way with his worn chain somewhat in place. I showed him how to lubricate it and told him where to buy the right supplies. I hope he takes it to heart.

I hope they all do.