Attitude toward missionaries

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Funwhileserving

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A group of 20 of us is coming for a mission trip to help in a Haitian refugee camp not far from the border. We would like to know what the attitude in country is to rich white people coming to help what could be considered illegal immigrants. We will be with a well organized and long stand missionary organization. Do the locals resent us helping the Hatians and not helping them? Is the government happy that we are there?
 

Chirimoya

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A 'refugee camp'? While there are Haitians living in communities on the DR side of the border, I've never heard them referred to as 'refugee camps'.
There are plenty of organisations working in the area with both Dominicans and Haitians.
 

mountainannie

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Long standing tradition

A group of 20 of us is coming for a mission trip to help in a Haitian refugee camp not far from the border. We would like to know what the attitude in country is to rich white people coming to help what could be considered illegal immigrants. We will be with a well organized and long stand missionary organization. Do the locals resent us helping the Hatians and not helping them? Is the government happy that we are there?

No worries. There is a long standing tradition of guilt ridden white people flying down to do work in the hot sun which they would hire Haitian and Dominicans, many of them illegal, to do in their home in the States. There is a lot of money made from these trips. Now most "volunteers" are charged about $1000 a week to come and "help" the poor. Your being here allows the Dominicans more time to play Dominios and perhaps builds some nicer homes for the Haitians. If they are really nice, the Dominicans will take them away from the Haitians after you leave. The Dominican government is thrilled that you are here since this allows them to not have to deal with the issue. The US government is thrilled that you are here since this shows how generous and giving the American people are, while we continue our agricultural subsidies and dumping our rice on the island.... And you, of course, feel like you are really helping...

so it is a win win win...

right?

Guess you picked up how I feel about it... I particularly love the ones who come with the gold crosses in their ears.....
 

sweetdbt

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No worries. There is a long standing tradition of guilt ridden white people flying down to do work in the hot sun which they would hire Haitian and Dominicans, many of them illegal, to do in their home in the States. There is a lot of money made from these trips. Now most "volunteers" are charged about $1000 a week to come and "help" the poor. Your being here allows the Dominicans more time to play Dominios and perhaps builds some nicer homes for the Haitians. If they are really nice, the Dominicans will take them away from the Haitians after you leave. The Dominican government is thrilled that you are here since this allows them to not have to deal with the issue. The US government is thrilled that you are here since this shows how generous and giving the American people are, while we continue our agricultural subsidies and dumping our rice on the island.... And you, of course, feel like you are really helping...

so it is a win win win...

right?

Guess you picked up how I feel about it... I particularly love the ones who come with the gold crosses in their ears.....


Still on that soapbox after all this time annie? Give it a break!!
 
May 28, 2008
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So cynical! You all come down and help all you can. Ignore the cynics and go and do your fellow man some good. I have seen teens come down, as well as adults, and they work hard and go back with a whole new understanding of the world. Tonight, 100's of millions around the world, have a roof, have clothing, have food, and education and medical care due to these people with crosses! They are not cynical (as you rich local gringos are) they are thankful! We have had teams stay at the Casa Blanca in Cabarete and we have seen them effected in many positive ways.
 

mountainannie

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Ah, no, I applaud your good intentions, and your back breaking work,and sure, you could be at the mall or playing golf or doing lots of other things and so sure, sure, do IT..... Just realize that the money that you spend on air fare could send a Haitian kid to college for a year.... And that it indeed is work that they can do for themselves, is it not?
 
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Mountainannie has a right to her opinion. I hope. She has, in fact, seen much of the area in question, and probably knows as much about it as anyone, certainly more than the OP, who asked for exactly the kind of input that Annie is offering.

If anyone with as much experience as she has feels the need to present an alternative assessment, that is fine also, but just because some don't like the message Annie is relaying doesn't mean it isn't accurate.
 
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Lambada

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A group of 20 of us is coming for a mission trip to help in a Haitian refugee camp not far from the border. We would like to know what the attitude in country is to rich white people coming to help what could be considered illegal immigrants. We will be with a well organized and long stand missionary organization. Do the locals resent us helping the Hatians and not helping them? Is the government happy that we are there?

Could you tell us how the well organised & long standing missionary organisation has briefed you so far, please? Like Chirmoya I have never heard bateyes or other communities referred to as 'refugee camps' and you wouldn't have used the term out of thin air, so I'm curious as to what your expectations are, based on what you have been told. I ask because there was a US or Canadian newspaper report about 18 months ago, where the young helpers were of the belief that the locals hadn't seen 'white folks' before...........

On the plus side I have seen young volunteers have a life altering experience as the result of their few weeks here which has meant a future career choice for them to enter one of the helping professions. Some of the gains for locals are much needed material gains (the teaching of building sturdy homes, how to implement a clean water supply etc) which I think everyone would support. Mountainannie is commenting on the politics of voluntary effort and yes she has a point. But by and large all voluntary effort is very much welcomed.
 

Chip

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Missionaries are well received here in the DR and they usually come in droves to help Dominicans and Haitians. True you can get more bang for your buck doing a direct donation (eg such as giving directly to a poor Catholic Haitian or Dominican parish or a reputable protestant one) but making the trip can be useful too as this is usually something that stays on the mind of the traveller for many years. A good example is that many protestant churches have been built here and funded for many years and many of the churches send teams over every year.

good luck
 
May 28, 2008
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It is not accurate! Not even close.

1. Air costs are around $500. That is from Canada. Less from the USA Eastern.

2. If the kids (or adults) do not come here, the $500 and extras gets spent at home in the rich USA. Your DR friends get NOTHIING mountainannie!!!

3. When they come down, they load their luggage with thousands of dollars of good, medical, personal etc. If we listen to mountainannie that all stays in the USA.

Mountainannie has a right to her opinion. True. So do all the people who elected Bush. That does not make her right. Opinions are like a---ho---les everyone has one.

The simple truth is, thousands of people here thank God and their friends abroad for the blessings they receive! Do you?
 
May 28, 2008
29
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It is not accurate! Not even close.

1. Air costs are around $500. That is from Canada. Less from the USA Eastern.

2. If the kids (or adults) do not come here, the $500 and extras gets spent at home in the rich USA. Your DR friends get NOTHIING mountainannie!!!

3. When they come down, they load their luggage with thousands of dollars of good, medical, personal etc. If we listen to mountainannie that all stays in the USA.

Mountainannie has a right to her opinion. True. So do all the people who elected Bush. That does not make her right. Opinions are like a---ho---les everyone has one.

The simple truth is, thousands of people here thank God and their friends abroad for the blessings they receive from these visiting teams!

And they go home and raise millions more for education and relief. Mountainannie would shut all of that down? Way to go?..
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
well, well, well...

Are you a paying advertiser? You seem to feel the need to plug your business as often as possible...
So cynical! You all come down and help all you can. Ignore the cynics and go and do your fellow man some good. I have seen teens come down, as well as adults, and they work hard and go back with a whole new understanding of the world. Tonight, 100's of millions around the world, have a roof, have clothing, have food, and education and medical care due to these people with crosses! They are not cynical (as you rich local gringos are) they are thankful! We have had teams stay at the Casa Blanca in Cabarete and we have seen them effected in many positive ways.
You're a local gringo with his own hotel aren't you? In the eyes of many you'd seem "rich" and to fit your own cynical stereotype. ;)
Opinions are like a---ho---les everyone has one.
Opinions are like "a lesbian ho"? Como? :cheeky::bunny::bunny:
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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It is not accurate! Not even close.

1. Air costs are around $500. That is from Canada. Less from the USA Eastern.

2. If the kids (or adults) do not come here, the $500 and extras gets spent at home in the rich USA. Your DR friends get NOTHIING mountainannie!!!

3. When they come down, they load their luggage with thousands of dollars of good, medical, personal etc. If we listen to mountainannie that all stays in the USA.

Mountainannie has a right to her opinion. True. So do all the people who elected Bush. That does not make her right. Opinions are like a---ho---les everyone has one.

The simple truth is, thousands of people here thank God and their friends abroad for the blessings they receive from these visiting teams!

And they go home and raise millions more for education and relief. Mountainannie would shut all of that down? Way to go?..

Perhaps you have a comprehension problem William. MountainAnne has done a lot of chariable work herself and lived on this island for many years. She is of the Quaker persuasion and as a journalist has show very good observation skills and insight. Perhaps you should read her blog and some of her article. So judgemental- you need to work on that.
 
A

apostropheman

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It never ceases to amaze me...

Perhaps you have a comprehension problem William. MountainAnne has done a lot of chariable work herself and lived on this island for many years. She is of the Quaker persuasion and as a journalist has show very good observation skills and insight. Perhaps you should read her blog and some of her article. So judgemental- you need to work on that.
how hypocritical and cynical some self proclaimed men of the cloth can be...and the language! :cheeky::bunny::bunny: What one thinks, and even says in private and among friends, is one thing but certainly not in a public forum!
Opinions are like a---ho---les everyone has one.
Then again considering his other posts what do we expect! (not much really ;))
 

Funwhileserving

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Jan 12, 2009
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Thank you all for you input. This is exactally what I wanted to hear. Our church has gone on mission trips all over the world and realize the contradiction in what we are doing. We are doing it for spiritual, personal, and religious reasons. I think Chip hit the nail on the head with his post. Those of us who have gone on other trips talk and think about them constantly. Roast Goat head in Africa, Beef Tongue from a street vendor in Ecuador (bad idea) severe laceration and stitches in Nicaragua, and Vacation Bible School for a week in the rain in Beliz are some of the favorites.

Haitian Refugee??? I don't know where that came from, possibly it was, actually, out of thin air. The word our materials use is Batey, Maybe I'm thinking of Gaza. We know the Haitians we allowed, invited, to come work in the DR sugar industry. The sugar industry mechanized leaving lots of Haitians out of work. They don't want to go back to Haiti because it's worse there. They take what work they can get at slave wages. We will be building outhouses for families, and we have an M.D. and and R.N with us who will be doing medical stuff.


Please correct me if I'm wrong and give me any other insights. Don't go easy on me just because I'm a cross-wearer (checks ears for gold crosses).
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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Don't go easy on me just because I'm a cross-wearer (checks ears for gold crosses).
Well, I'm Dominican and I'm not a big fan of your type of missionary.

For one thing, you knowingly are going to ridicule Dominican laws and institutions by supporting illegal immigration, and the fact that there are sectors within Dominican society that does that doesn't make it right or justify foreign intrusion into such matters.

And second, what skills are you going to be teaching those people? What good is building huts for people that need to be free rather than dependent on feel good foreigners?

Don't take this as an attack on you, but rather accept this as something to think about.

When you look into the eyes of those Haitians, ask yourself if you are simply giving them a fish so they can eat for a day and from your hands. Or, if you are teaching them how to fish so they can eat for the rest of their lives without anyone helping them.

Think about that when you see into the big black eyes of a small Haitian child that due to their innocence will grace you with a big warm smile.

Think about if you are doing more harm than good to those people and then think about if you are doing more harm than good to the host country.

-NALs
 
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