Labouring Together, Listening Together?

Improving the effectiveness of short-term mission in Moldova by understanding church leaders experiences of working with foreign short-term missionaries

Christopher J. Ducker

Presented as part of the requirement of the M.A. Degree in Global Issues in Contemporary Mission, Redcliffe College, Gloucester, UK

July 2012

PREFACE

Virtually all of the published research related to short-term missions focuses on the perspectives of the short-term missioners themselves with very little research exploring the experiences and perspectives of those in the receiving communities. Priest (2007a, pp179-180)

This dissertation explores the practice of short-term mission in Moldova, Eastern Europe, showing how indigenous perspectives can be sought and learned from. Twenty-two Moldovans with collective experience of nearly 400 short-term mission trips were interviewed, yielding significant quantitative and qualitative data and a deep insight into host perspectives of short-term mission. These perspectives were complemented by views shared in a seminar with an additional fourteen Moldovans, as well as interviews with representatives of several mission agencies working longterm in Moldova.

The issues raised in this research made it possible to question what is meant by the effectiveness of short-term mission, and in Moldova in particular it can be improved by ongoing partnerships, greater cultural sensitivity, and constructive,

contextualised, biblical feedback.

My sincere thanks to Redcliffe College, Gloucester; College of Theology and Education, Chiinu; and International Baptist Theological Seminary, Prague for use of their research facilities. I gratefully acknowledge the constructive comments of

Rev Dr Darrell Jackson and Revd Dr Colin Bulley, my dissertation supervisors, and would like to thank Anastasia Volimbovski for her help in conducting and translating the research interviews. I would also like to thank Brian Pile, who led my first shortterm mission trip to Moldova, several years ago, and who stressed the importance of equal partnership with the local church.

CONTENTS

Page PREFACE CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2. THE SHORT-TERM MISSIONS MOVEMENT 2.1 Origins and History 2.2 Definitions 2.3 Issues and Trends 2.4 Hosts The Missing STM Perspective CHAPTER 3. THE MOLDOVAN CONTEXT 3.1 Political, Economic and Social Context 3.2 Cultural Context 3.3 Religious Context 3.3.1 Religious Identity and Attendance 3.3.2 Religious Affiliation 3.3.3 Orthodoxy and Protestantism 3.4 Moldova and Short-Term Mission CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4.1 Research Tools 4.2 Respondent Profile 4.3 Research Limitations 1 3 6 7 8 11 11 13 14 17 19 19 20 22 22 23 24 25 27 27 28 29

Page CHAPTER 5. RESEARCH FINDINGS 5.1 Experience of Short-Term Missions 5.1.1 Frequency and History of STM Trips 5.1.2 STM Connections 5.1.3 Relationship Status 5.2 Short-Term Mission Practices 5.2.1 Involvement in Planning 5.2.2 Feedback Opportunities 5.2.3 Feedback and Change 5.3 Benefits and Effectiveness of STM Trips 5.3.1 Benefits of STM Trips 5.3.2 Clarity of Aims 5.3.3 Effectiveness of STM Trips 5.4 Responsiveness of STM Teams to Moldovan Culture 5.4.1 STM Teams and Local, Long-Term Vision 5.4.2 Similarity of Beliefs 5.4.3 Universality of the Gospel 5.4.4 Cultural Preparedness of STM Teams 5.4.5 Efforts to Learn Moldovan Culture 5.4.6 Respect for Moldovan Traditions 5.4.7 Redressing Offence 5.5 Opportunities and Mechanisms for Feedback 5.5.1 Evaluation During Trips 5.5.2 Evaluation After Trips 5.5.3 Methods of Sharing Feedback 5.5.4 Attitudes to Listening 5.5.5 Positive Impressions 5.5.6 Negative Impressions 5.6 General Advice and Comments Regarding STM in Moldova 32 32 32 36 36 37 37 37 38 39 39 41 41 42 42 43 44 44 46 46 48 49 49 49 50 50 50 51 51

Page CHAPTER 6. APPRAISING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STM 6.1 What are We Measuring? What Impact on Whom? 6.2 Who is Measuring? 6.3 A Moldovan Perspective CHAPTER 7. THE THREE KEYS TO IMPROVING STM EFFECTIVENESS IN MOLDOVA 7.1 Partnership 7.2 Cultural Sensitivity 7.3 Feedback 7.3.1 Definition of Feedback 7.3.2 Biblical Feedback 7.3.3 Contextualised Feedback CHAPTER 8. FURTHER MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS 8.1 Role of STM in Mission/Missiology 8.2 Ongoing Missiological Biases 8.3 Second-World Missiology? 8.4 Further Research CHAPTER 9. CONCLUSION CITATIONS LIST BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX 1. Research Interview APPENDIX 2. Additional Religious Context APPENDIX 3. Benefits of Short-Term Mission Trips APPENDIX 4. Positive and Negative Characteristics Attributed to STM Teams APPENDIX 5. Advice from Moldovans to Visiting STM Teams APPENDIX 6. Translation of the Word Feedback into Romanian APPENDIX 7. Questions to Ask When Contextualising Feedback 54 54 59 59

61 61 63 66 66 67 71 76 76 78 79 79 81 84 90 100 105 108 109 110 112 113

LIST OF TABLES

Page TABLE I RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF MOLDOVANS (ESTIMATED), 2010 TABLE II RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION OF MOLDOVANS, 2010 TABLE III RESPONDENT PROFILE BY POSITION, DENOMINATION AND SEX TABLE IV STM NATIONALITIES HOSTED BY MOLDOVAN RESPONDENTS TABLE V STM ACTIVITIES EXPERIENCED BY MOLDOVAN HOSTS TABLE VI BALANCE OF STM PROGRAMME PLANNING TABLE VII FORMS OF FEEDBACK TABLE VIII DO VISITING TEAMS ATTEMPT TO ADAPT TO MOLDOVAN CULTURE? TABLE IX DO VISITING STM TEAMS LISTEN TO MOLDOVAN CHRISTIANS? TABLE X 52 48 40 39 37 36 30 25 25

RELIGIOUS ADHERENCE OF MOLDOVANS, 2005

TABLE XI

107

MOLDOVAN RELIGIOUS GROUPINGS IN THE 2004 CENSUS

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LIST OF FIGURES

Page FIGURE 1 NUMBER OF STM TEAMS HOSTED BY EACH RESPONDENT FIGURE 2 ORIGINS OF EUROPEAN STM TEAMS VISITING MOLDOVA FIGURE 3 DO MOLDOVAN LEADERS FEEL THAT THEIR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON BOARD? FIGURE 4 WERE STM TEAMS SEEN AS EFFECTIVE? FIGURE 5 DO STM TEAMS FIT IN WITH CHURCHES LONG-TERM VISION? FIGURE 6 DO STM TEAMS KNOW MUCH ABOUT MOLDOVA UPON ARRIVAL? FIGURE 7 DO STM TEAMS RESPECT MOLDOVAN TRADITIONS? 49 47 45 44 41 36 35

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Though precious and worthy in Gods eyes, the small Eastern European country of Moldova has attracted only modest levels of missionary activity and even less missiological attention, unlike its immediate neighbours Romania and Ukraine.1 It is a country which, for reasons explored later, fits neither category of first nor third world, and is the very epitome of a country at a decisive crossroads in determining its future direction.

As a Christian missionary working in Moldova since 2007, this author has hosted a growing number of short-term missionaries and missions teams, predominantly from the UK. Upon consulting the missiological literature, it became clear that short-term mission, like Moldova itself, has been somewhat neglected by missiologists; and that, just as Moldova is a young country barely out of its teenage years, this is a young discipline also at a significant juncture.

Beyond this interesting parallel, however, was the troubling but inescapable conclusion that the vast majority of literature concerning short-term mission was written from the perspective of senders/goers (often but not exclusively Americans)

For example, Operation World reported 17 mission agencies working in Moldova (Johnstone et al 2001, p448) at a time when 85 were operating in Romania (ibid., p536) and 70 in Ukraine (ibid., p645). Vucinich in King (1999, pxv) suggests that Moldova is obscure not just to missionaries: The Moldovans are probably the least known of the former Soviet Unions republican nationalities. One popular travel guide is even blunter: [Moldova is] a country thats only vaguely known in Europe and all but anonymous to the rest of the world (Reid and Pettersen, 2007, p313).

whilst the voices of recipient cultures and host churches were seldom heard or even sought.

This troubling observation led this author to devise what is optimistically but pointedly termed a listening exercise, based on interviews with Moldovan leaders with considerable experience of working with foreigners on short-term mission. As well as being a listening process, this exercise soon became about encouraging Moldovans to express themselves more freely with their foreign brothers and sisters in the Lord.

In addition to being an exercise in encouraging and listening to our co-labourers, this research was an exploration of whether and how feedback is currently practised and how it could realistically be improved in a contextually appropriate way. When Christians of different nationalities share and work together more openly, their mission is more likely to be effective both in terms of task accomplishment but also by the demonstration of love for one another, as Jesus commanded His followers (John 13:34). Whilst the research also highlights the significance of partnership and cultural sensitivity, good communication in the form of feedback is ultimately regarded the most important factor, since through this all other issues can be addressed and, hopefully, resolved.

Chapters 2 and 3 set the scene by introducing the short-term missions (STM) movement and the Moldovan context respectively. Chapter 4 outlines the methodology used in this research, as well as acknowledging its limitations. Chapter 5 summarises the results of the research interviews, and uses selected quotes to give voice to Moldovan experiences. Having sought and listened to Moldovan perspectives on STM, we ask what is meant by the effectiveness of short-term mission (Chapter 6) and identify the three most important ways of improving STM

effectiveness in Moldova (Chapter 7). Chapter 8 identifies some wider missiological implications concerning the role of STM, missiological biases and the possible need for a second-world missiology.

The outputs of this research are some thoughtful Moldovan reflections on what it is like to work with Western short-term mission teams and what advice these Moldovans would give their visitors; some guidelines for short-term missionaries coming to Moldova; reflections on what is meant by the effectiveness of short-term mission; consideration of how feedback can be made culturally appropriate, i.e. contextualised; and what biblical feedback might look like.

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CHAPTER 2 THE SHORT-TERM MISSIONS MOVEMENT

In this chapter we outline the origins of the short-term missions movement, define our terminology, review key issues in contemporary STM and draw attention to the startling lack of host perspectives in the STM literature.

2.1 Origins and History It is first necessary to place the short-term missions movement into its historical context. It is sometimes claimed that short-term mission has its origins in the Bible itself: that Paul, for instance, employed short-term missions as part of his strategy for reaching the Gentiles.2 Others reply that these were either isolated incidents, or not comparable to the nature of short-term missions today,3 and that those finding biblical precedents are to a certain extent seeking justification for their own use of STM.

This author believes that arguments concentrating on biblical precedents of shortterm mission are misplaced for two reasons. Firstly, it is simply not necessary for all forms of mission to have their origin in the Bible; rather it is essential to recognise that the missional impulse and directive originate there and that the actual forms of

Backholer (2010, p61), for example, argues that A large number of the characters of the Bible went on STMs, though, back then, it was known as a mission from God, and cites Jonah, Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Jesus disciples as examples. Robinson concludes that The Bible is replete with examples where God did use short-term assignments (2010, p10). 3 Daniels (2008, p152) maintains that, in its current form, short-term mission has become decidedly unbiblical because too much emphasis is on the needs and desires of the missionaries rather than the needs of the field.

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mission can vary from culture to culture and from generation to generation.4 And secondly, describing individuals such as Paul, Ezekiel or even Jesus as short-term missionaries is in danger of missing the most significant point: what is happening now is a massive, populist movement, and represents a distinct, new phase in missions history.

Mission historians have tended to describe the short-term missions movement as a post-war phenomenon, with the 1960s in particular seeing the formation of mission organizations with a short- or medium-term emphasis, e.g. YWAM and Operation Mobilisation (Backholer, 2010, 11). By the 1980s, the number of people involved in short-term missionary service was increasing sharply, such that Reapsome (1982, p112) could already refer to an explosion of volunteers. Made possible by cheaper international travel and drawing on greater global awareness, the short-term missions phenomenon gained momentum, seeing more (and younger) church groups going overseas, especially from the United States to Latin America. This trend, more recently involving millions of Christians each year, was both a product and a cause of globalization. It was simultaneous with, and apparently connected to a broader understanding of mission beyond the traditional Protestant focus on evangelism, another factor that confirms that short-term mission is indeed part of a new missional paradigm.

The obvious danger of trying to live like the early church, for example, is that we live in different times and different contexts. We may respect and learn from the missional drive of the early church but we must contextualise mission in the same way as we contextualise the Bible itself, translating it into the vernacular and using modern idioms. A helpful introduction to different missional paradigms in different historical contexts is given in Spencer (2007, p42).

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2.2 Definitions There is no universally accepted definition of short-term mission, with disagreement over what length of time constitutes short-term mission, what forms of mission it encompasses, and by whom it is done.

In the early 1970s, the Concise Dictionary of the Christian World Mission explained that short-term missionaries were those appointed for three to five years but noted that some were also using the term even for several months service. The author added, disapprovingly, that these missionaries rarely learn language or culture well enough to work at depth (Smith in Neill et al 1971, p551). Given that the average length of long-term missionary service reportedly now stands at approximately seven years and that up to half of all new missionaries do not last beyond their first term (Yohannan, cited by About Missions 2012) it has become necessary to adjust the definition of what short-term actually means. Throughout the sixteen definitions of short-term mission that this author has encountered in recent missiological literature, STM is typically defined as lasting from between one week and one to two years.

This is the position of Moreau et al (2004, p13), for example, who clarify that shortterm missionaries may be sent out by churches, agencies, or even individuals for a variety of reasons (English language camps, church building, projects, evangelistic campaigns). Missiologists differ in whether short-term mission needs necessarily be cross-cultural and international, though this is usually the case. Some dissenting voices continue to be heard, such as Sills (2008, p86) who contends that STM is anything less than lifetime career service or, even more controversially, Terrys assertion that short-term mission is a contradiction in terms (according to Cuellar in Priest 2008, p284).

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Drawing these different points together, we can work towards a definition of shortterm mission that answers the following questions: Who? From where to where? To whom? For how long? For what purpose? And with whom? If we accept that STM flows may occur in any direction (and not just from the West to the rest), it is perhaps best to describe this as a movement from one part of the global church (we cannot assume this will be through a mission agency) to another location, where they will typically have to cross cultural barriers as well as geographical ones. For those participating in such movement, it is increasingly seen as good practice to partner local churches wherever possible.

For the purposes of this research paper, therefore, short-term mission is understood as the temporary going out of Christians into cross-cultural situations, to participate in kingdom-building activities, including but not exclusively evangelism, for a period of up to one year. They go from one part of Gods church (their local church, or a mission agency) and in His name, preferably to work in partnership with national Christians.

2.3 Issues and Trends It is difficult to describe the scope of the short-term missions movement because it is so amorphous and multi-centred, and there seems to be no international dataset available. Over the last ten years, various missiologists and sociologists have estimated the number of Americans involved in foreign short-term mission to be in the region of 1.5 million per year (Priest et al 2006, p432) or 1.6 million (Wuthnow and Offutt 2008, p218), but potentially as high as 4 million.5 While this can be understood as a primarily American phenomenon, many Europeans, Australians and, increasingly, people from the Global South are participating too a trend not

This figure was mentioned in the discussion between two leading experts on STM, Robert Priest and Kurt Ver Beek (2005a).

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yet fully reflected in missiological literature, with periodicals and books heavily dominated by North American perspectives.6

It has been claimed that short-term mission now accounts for approximately onethird of global missions expenditure,7 and there has been debate over whether this is additional, new expenditure or whether giving to long-term missions has fallen as a consequence. Kim and Anderson (2011, p153) complain that short-term missions represent a serious diversion of Christian funds which might otherwise have been available for other missional activities. A further criticism is that the majority of shortterm missionaries travel to the countries that are already mostly evangelised.8 The most popular forms of STM seem to be construction, evangelism, and holiday clubs/Bible schools (Priest et al 2010, p99).

Even now, some 50 years after the STM movement first started, there is fierce debate about whether or not STM is a net force for good. Influential missiologist Ralph Winter repeatedly criticised the re-amateurization (1996) of short-term missions, e.g. claiming it was not actually missionary activity [but rather] a very high-quality educational activity (2004b, p13) and that the uneven, mainly inadequate quality of the new generation of [short-term] missionaries has got to be one of the most serious and profound limitations to the cause of missions (2004a,

Though Offutt (2011, p210), for example, has recently written about how new centres of global Christianity are adopting the short-term mission model, referring to Korean churches working in the Middle East, African churches in Europe and Latin American churches in Spain. 7 The research of Priest, Wilson and Johnson (2010, p98) suggests that this is the case of megachurches, at least, which spent 32% of their missions budgets on STM. 8 Again, Priest, Wilson and Johnson (2010, p99) found that 6% of short-termers go to World A (the least evangelized countries); 12% to World B (somewhat evangelised countries); and 82% to World C (countries that are mostly Christian). Whether this is a weakness depends on ones understanding of mission and the purpose of STM. If we simply equate mission with evangelism then we might be concerned by a lack of evangelistic activity and the number of new converts. On the other hand, if we understand mission more holistically then we might see community development, relationship building, progress towards equality and fighting against injustice as signs that Gods kingdom is being established, and that STM is indeed effective.

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p4).9 Missiologists such as Moreau et al (2004, p254) have argued that a lot of sound missiological principles are being violated, Livermore (2006a, p13) complains of colonialist tendencies, while Thornton and Thornton (2008, p41) see much of STM as being more vacation than a mission experience. In addition, Ver Beek (2005, 2006, 2007) has written influential papers that, though not against short-term mission per se, have been critical of their lack of discernible long-term impact.

In response, Priest has forcefully argued that STM trips have a strategic role to play (Priest and Priest 2008, p71). Poston (2008, p9) has tried to shift the focus away from the duration of a mission trip, towards their actual function, adding that instead of continuing to castigate todays young people for their lack of long-term commitment, we should instead capitalize on their short-term bursts of energy, and others have made similar points about using the enthusiasm and availability of a new generation of missionary volunteers. Greene (2003, pp14-15) goes as far as listing 21 advantages of short-term mission even if most of the benefits are accrued by goers rather than hosts.

Short-term mission is indisputably one of the main issues in missiology today (Snodderley and Moreau 2011, pp25ff), as missiologists attempt to catch up with a populist movement that has until recently been somewhat detached from formal missiology (Priest 2008, v). Whilst it is not difficult to find examples of bad practice, around the world there is much good being done by a generation of ordinary Christians intent on serving God as their time and resources permit, something that
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Have we been here before? Overreaction to the involvement of youths and nonprofessionals in short-term mission reminds this author of protests heard during the Reformation against the reading of the Bible by the likes of Tyndales ploughboy, as recounted by Deanesly (1920): The friars, who argued against the lawfulness and expediency of translations of the Vulgate, relied chiefly on the grounds that a general, lay reading of the Bible would be an infringement on the teaching office of the clergy, and would be contrary to the divine economy of different orders in the Church. They claimed too that the mysteriousness of holy scripture rendered it unprofitable for the simple Need there be a professional class to do that which all Christians are commanded to do?

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should surely be applauded and encouraged. The question is, how can the international missionary community best utilise this new resource and how can host perspectives be heard as we seek to improve the effectiveness of STM teams sent to work alongside them.

2.4 Hosts The Missing STM Perspective The growing missiological literature concerning short-term mission has approached its subject from several different angles. As mentioned above, there have been considerations of whether STM has biblical precedents; studies on how best mission teams can be prepared, briefed and debriefed; research trying to quantify the impact or success of mission trips; and there has been a great deal written about the impact such trips have on their participants, the goers.

This last point is particularly significant because to many people, this author included, it seems that so much focus is on the goers, that many trips seem to prioritize their experiences, their spiritual journeys, their transformation and that whilst we should not be surprised to find God working in the lives of His people through such experiences, it is a different thing altogether for mission trips to have such spiritual development as their primary goal, rather than a missional or kingdom-building focus.

This becomes an even more important issue when we consider precisely who are the senders/goers, and who are the recipients/hosts. Typically, those going on shortterm mission trips are those with the resources and opportunity to do so; and those receiving them have either appealed for helpers or are perceived to be in need of assistance. It is somewhat discomforting, therefore, to realise that many STM programmes seem to be focusing more on the needs or experiences of those from

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(relatively speaking) privileged, Western backgrounds, rather than those whom they are notionally serving in less developed countries.

Connected with this issue of missionary practice is a second, related bias, one within the field of missiology. In a discussion with Priest, Ver Beek observed that out of the 40-some studies that we found published before 2004, only one interviewed receivers of STM (2005). Little has changed since their discussion. From a methodological perspective, one can understand that it is easier for a researcher to interview a class of American students who have been on a summer missions trip than to interview a host church or a group of national leaders. But this alone cannot fully account for the fact that so little research has been done into the experiences of host churches and communities.

Over a decade ago, Krabill (1998, p130) called for greater research into those on the receiving end of mission trips a call that has since been echoed by Priest (2006, p429), Howell and Dorr (2007, p32), Wilder and Park (2010, p58), Thomas (2010, p9) and others yet this remains almost completely untouched territory. It is hoped that this research paper can illustrate the value of such research, and provide some suggestions for further research in this area.

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CHAPTER 3 THE MOLDOVAN CONTEXT

In this chapter we introduce Moldovas political, economic, social, cultural and religious situation, before outlining the current state of short-term mission in this republic.

3.1 Political, Economic and Social Context Moldova is an Eastern European country, formed in 1991 as a consequence of the break-up of the Soviet Union.10 Ceded to the USSR during the Second World War, Moldova was historically part of Romania, reflected by the facts that 76% of its people are ethnic Romanians and the official state language is Romanian.11 Moldova is sometimes referred to as post-Soviet and sometimes postCommunist, as though the two terms were interchangeable, whereas Moldovans actually continued to elect Communist governments as recently as April 2009. In this sense, therefore, the two terms are not synonymous.

Moldova is Europes poorest country which, although certainly not as poor as many African or Asian nations, does mean that hundreds of thousands of Moldovans are living below the international poverty line, with average incomes at less than one-

The best introduction to Moldovan history and culture is undoubtedly Kings The Moldovans (1999). Brezianu and Spnus historical dictionary The A to Z of Moldova (2010) also contains an informative introduction to the contemporary Moldovan situation (pp1-24). 11 Though sometimes referred to as Moldovan (including in the 1994 Moldovan Constitution) or Moldavian, it is the same language as that spoken in Romania.

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fifth of neighbouring Romania, and just 6% of the USA.12 According to the latest Human Development Report (UNDP, 2011, p126), Moldova has the lowest Human Development Index of any European country, and a lower ranking than, amongst others, Bolivia, El Salvador, Gabon, Mongolia and Sri Lanka, ranked 61 places behind neighbouring Romania. As such, Christian missionaries working in Moldova have focused not only on traditional evangelism but also on practical ministries amongst the poor, the elderly, children, and other marginalised people.13

Moldova has a very sizeable Russian population, many of whom have never learned Romanian, resulting in some underlying ethnic tensions.14 Given that Moldova is a newly-constructed state with no history of independent existence, there is no strong national identity, unlike in many other ex-Soviet states. Because of its geopolitical position and its recent history, Moldova is conflicted by the choice of East versus West: whether to ally with Russia and adopt from Russian culture, or to be orientated towards the European Union and join its brothers in Romania, which became a member in 2007. Since the July 2009 general election, a pro-European alliance is in the political majority.

3.2 Cultural Context Moldova as a country is a curious mix of Latin/Mediterranean influences and Russian/Slavic ones, and the resulting blend is a fascinating culture with distinctive food, music, customs and traditions. The Romanian language is the most similar to ancient Latin, having developed separately from other Romance languages such as
GDP per capita (PPP in 2009): Moldova $2,854, Romania $14,278 and the USA $45,989 (UNDP 2011, pp162-163). Despite this, life expectancy is a reasonably high 69.3 years (p128). 13 Examples include the ministries of Operation Mobilisation, Breadline, Link Romania, Mission Direct, The Mission Exchange, Christian Response to Eastern Europe, and Mission Without Borders. 14 In the 2004 census, 282,406 people identified themselves as Ukrainian, 201,219 as Russian, 147,500 Bulgarian and 65,662 Romanian but those of Russian ethnicity are significantly higher than these figures suggest (Biroul Naional de Statistic al Republicii Moldova, 2012).
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Spanish and Italian, since the Romanian people were for much of their history surrounded by Slavic peoples.

In its current form, Moldova has only existed for 20 years, and so to some extent there is an ongoing process of developing national culture. As King observes, since independence the legacy of Soviet-era nation-building and the contentious question of the true national identity of the Moldovans have remained topics at the center of political life, with Moldovans resolutely divided over their common identity (1999, p225). Whilst Russian is the mother tongue of only 11% of the population (and Moldovan/Romanian of 77%), it is very widely spoken and in many ways the default language of business and politics, an ongoing reminder of division and ethnic tensions.

Moldovan culture is strongly conservative, with adherence to traditional gender roles, and a certain inertia or resistance to change. It is generally patriarchal, especially in the countryside, and family and kin obligations are much more significant than, for example, in Western Europe. To visitors the culture may appear hierarchical or even authoritarian, with elders afforded greater respect; legalistic;15 pragmatic; low on the scale of uncertainty avoidance; and somewhat masculine or macho.

Mt-Tth (2000, p28) has spoken vividly of a Chernobyl of souls in the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe, the result of Soviet governance,

authoritarianism and limited individual moral responsibility and accountability during

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Penner argues that, in the former Soviet Union, expatriate and short-term missionaries complain that most nationals are legalistic and that, more disturbingly, nationals see most missionaries as useless, which leads him to call for unity and true biblical partnership in doing Gods mission (in Sawatsky and Penner, 2005, p151).

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the Communist era, something he regards as ethical and moral devastation, the effects of which are still being felt.

3.3 Religious Context Missiologists and sociologists have explored the secularisation of Europe, which has been taking place since and arguably because of the twin processes of modernisation and industrialization took root in the nineteenth century. Yet as Jackson (2011a, p7) has argued, Europe is simultaneously pre-Christian, Christian, and post-Christian; that is to say its religiosity cannot be adequately described by a single term, and that certain countries (including Moldova) retain their Christian identity, even if Western Europe is effectively post-Christian. Davie, a leading scholar in the sociology of religion, acknowledged this point by explicitly excluding Eastern Europe from her book Europe: The Exceptional Case: When speaking of Europe, I will in fact be referring to Western Europe in the sense of Western Christianity. I will not be including the Orthodox parts of Europe it is too soon to say whether the Eastern European case will follow the Western one in terms of its religious trajectory (2002, xi).

3.3.1 Religious Identity and Attendance For now, statistics for both religious belief and practice indicate that Moldova remains a religious country, with religious acts, images and values pervading everyday life. Generally speaking, Moldova is an Orthodox country (see Table I) and the Orthodox Church throughout Eastern Europe continues to be influential: of 291 million Eastern Europeans, an estimated 246 million (85%) are Christians, of whom 177 million are Orthodox (Johnson and Ross 2009, pp156-160).

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TABLE I RELIGIOUS IDENTITY OF MOLDOVANS (ESTIMATED), 2010 Orthodox Protestant Marginal Christians Independents 3,444,000 88,000 42,000 8,000

Source: Johnson and Ross (2009, p337)

Pickel (2008, p198) puts church attendance across Moldova at 11% in 1999/2000, adding that, in 2000, 91% of Moldovans classified themselves as religious, and 96% said they believed in God.

3.3.2 Religious Affiliation The latest Operation World (Mandryk 2010, p591) figures for religious affiliation present the following picture:

TABLE II RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION OF MOLDOVANS, 2010 Orthodox Protestant Catholic Marginal Independent Unaffiliated 2,208,000 affiliates (61.7% of population) 138,000 affiliates (3.9%) 73,000 affiliates (2.0%) 43,000 affiliates (1.2%) 19,000 affiliates (0.5%) 142,000 (4.0%)

Source: Mandryk (2010, p591)

This information describes 73.4% of the population as being Christian (5.0% Muslim, mostly in the southern region of Gagauzia; 0.13% Jewish; and 21.6% non-religious). Within the Protestant churches, it is estimated that there are 57,000 Moldovans affiliated to some 500 Baptist churches, 32,000 affiliated to Pentecostal churches and a further 32,500 Seventh-Day Adventists (Mandryk, 2010, p591). The number of

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Protestant believers is down marginally from the figure of 141,000 a decade earlier (Johnstone et al, 2001, p448) but still above the 73,000 estimated in 1993 (Johnstone, 1993, p387).16 The varying percentages described as Christian reflects differences between the methodologies used as much as any systemic shift in the religiosity of Moldovans.

3.3.3 Orthodoxy and Protestantism Through its symbols, rituals, traditions and ceremonies, Moldovas culture is demonstrably Orthodox and to this day the Orthodox Church retains significant political and social influence. Throughout its troubled history and different manifestations, Moldova/Moldavia/Bessarabia17 has historically been an Orthodox country and its kings, most notably tefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great, 1433-1504), fought to repel Muslim advances into Christendom. Today, most Moldovan villages have an Orthodox church; the entrance to each village is marked by a troi, or cross; and the local priest is revered and respected, and performs certain public functions. There is little formal dialogue between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Churches. Ongoing tensions between the churches are indicated by the fact that, in 2007, the majority Russian Orthodox Church protested that a 2007 law on religion did not restrict freedom of religion enough (Sarkissian, 2009, p497).18

Anecdotally, the number of Baptist members (and especially pastors) has been adversely and disproportionately affected by emigration, as families seek to improve their prospects by moving overseas. It is often claimed that any growth in membership numbers is undermined by the death of elderly members and the emigration of younger ones. 17 Bessarabia is a historical term for the territory in Eastern Europe bounded by the River Nistru in the east and the River Prut which borders Romania in the west, and is approximately analogous to the Republic of Moldova today, minus the disputed region of Transnistria. 18 From an Orthodox perspective, former Soviet states like Moldova are intrinsically Orthodox. As Kishkovsky (1998, p18) explains, The Orthodox believe that they have been assaulted by well-organized and well-funded mission efforts in an encroachment in their territories. Jackson (2008, p28) adds that the post-Soviet Orthodox Church understands herself to be threatened by active Protestant missionary groups offering an alternative identity-constituting discourse that is not always constructed with reference to ethnicity or nationality, and so considers Protestant churches (and especially missionaries and newer denominations) to be proselytising.

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When viewed from an Orthodox perspective, Protestants represent a splinter from a splinter off a Western church that left the true faith almost one thousand years ago Russian Orthodoxy teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Church (which means, by implication, the Russian Orthodox Church) (Coker, 2010, p76).19

For additional religious context, see Appendix 2.

3.4 Moldova and Short-Term Mission In the absence of any centrally collated figures, it is difficult to estimate the number of short-term mission trips and volunteers coming to Moldova. Discussions with senior church leaders, and directors of mission agencies working in Moldova, enable us to tentatively suggest that somewhere in the region of 1200-1500 short-term missionaries come annually, participating in perhaps 150-200 mission trips. As elsewhere, these tend to consist of childrens summer camps; evangelistic and outreach events; construction projects; mercy missions and social welfare projects, including medical missions.20 A relationship with an international church endows status and often resources on a Moldovan church, and it is fairly typical for church minibuses, holiday clubs and construction projects to be funded through partnerships with American, German, British or Dutch churches and charities.

There is little national-level response to short-term mission rather, churches independently organize and receive short-term mission teams. On occasion, these may be facilitated through the Baptist or Pentecostal Union, or more rarely through a Bible college.
Whilst Coker was writing specifically about Russia, his observation is equally applicable to Moldova. 20 The single largest facilitator of short-term mission in Moldova is Operation Mobilisation (OM), which organizes cross-cultural STM with local churches throughout the country. This ministry has grown rapidly from 20 foreign volunteers in 1997, to 50 in 2007 and some 200 in 2011 (Skirton 2012).
19

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Whilst some of the students trained at the College of Theology and Education, Chiinu, go to Central Asian or other former Soviet states (Raber and Penner, 2011, p223), these tend to be longer term missionary placements; few Moldovans are currently involved in cross-cultural short-term mission outside of Moldova.21 In the last two years, however, there have been some tentative efforts to involve Moldovans in short-term mission in other countries: two years ago a church in Chiinu hosted a seminar about short-term mission, and in June 2012 an email bulletin was circulated by the Mission Department of the Moldovan Baptist Union promoting the possibility of short-term mission in Russia, Ukraine and Israel.

In this chapter, we have seen that Moldova has deep-rooted social and economic problems, as well as significant political and cultural divisions. Religiously, Moldova is a predominantly Orthodox country, with a small but active Protestant minority. The research findings in Chapter 5 must therefore be understood as Protestant and/or evangelical responses within a broader Orthodox culture; that is, they represent a significant but minority community within Moldova.

One Moldovan pastor insisted confidentially that this was not primarily due to financial constraints but rather due to lack of vision for mission within the Moldovan church.

21

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CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this chapter we explain the research methodology and how the research interviews were compiled; outline the profile of the 22 respondents; and acknowledge five potential limitations in the research methodology.

4.1 Research Tools It was decided that the best way to explore the opinions of Moldovans who had experience of working alongside foreigners in short-term mission would be through face-to-face interviews in their native language (Moldovan/Romanian). Though timeconsuming, such interviews would allow unprecedented access to the experiences and thoughts of Moldovan STM hosts.

Each interview was structured around questions that were grouped into three sections: (i) (ii) (iii) Experience of short-term missions Short-term mission practices Reflections on short-term mission, including: a. benefits and effectiveness, b. responsiveness to Moldovan culture, c. opportunities and mechanisms for feedback.

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Interviewees were also given the opportunity to offer advice to STMers coming to Moldova, and a final opportunity to add other comments deemed relevant to this research.

In total, there were 31 questions to be discussed, which meant that the average interview lasted approximately one hour, with some lasting up to 90 minutes. As can be seen from Appendix 1, interviews consisted of both quantitative and qualitative questions.

A draft version was tested with one Moldovan church leader, and subsequently revised in view of his comments. The resulting 22 interviews all took place between January and May 2012, at various locations around Moldova.

4.2 Respondent Profile

TABLE III RESPONDENT PROFILE BY POSITION, DENOMINATION AND SEX Position Pastor Youth worker Deacon/Elder Other Total 10 6 3 3 22 Denomination Baptist Oastea Domnului (Lords Army) Other Total 18 2 2 22 Sex Male Female Total 18 4 22

Of the 22 Moldovan respondents, 82% were Baptists. Several representatives of the Pentecostal Union were invited to participate in this research but none made themselves available for interview. Four Moldovan women were amongst the 22 respondents; the high percentage of male respondents is explained by the fact that, within at least the Baptist church in Moldova, the positions of pastor and deacon may only be held by males. Youth workers may be male or female. Nearly half of the

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respondents were pastors, others were church youthworkers, directors of Christian charities and one Christian medical worker. All of these had worked as a hostorganizer or team-leader of at least one short-term mission trip in Moldova since its independence in 1991.

4.3 Research Limitations A number of steps were taken to encourage contributors to speak freely and openly: most interviews were undertaken by a well-respected Moldovan Christian, known for her work as a presenter on a Christian radio station (the two exceptions being interviews personally conducted by the author with trusted friends). Secondly, all interviewees were assured that their comments would be treated anonymously and that no quotes would be attributed. Finally, interviewees were also assured that this research was entirely unrelated to any existing partnerships they might have, so they need not fear jeopardising any relationships, or losing any funding as a result of their participation.

Despite these measures, there are five limitations that could potentially undermine the legitimacy of any research findings, or conclusions based on those findings:

(a) Openness Whilst this was conceived as an exercise in listening, and every step was taken to encourage openness, it is not possible to be certain that all comments were totally frank and honest. Especially when one considers cultural factors, it is possible that criticism might be held back for fear of offending visitors or supporters. In Moldova, and especially so within Christian circles, hospitality is taken extremely seriously and good hospitality is a significant expression of what it means to be Moldovan. There is a possibility that being seen to criticise foreign visitors would be neglectful of ones responsibility to be hospitable at all times. It is hoped that, because they were

29

speaking to a fellow Moldovan and under condition of anonymity, these interview participants nonetheless felt able to speak freely.

(b) Linguistic/Cultural Secondly, there may have been linguistic or cultural limitations to the research interviews: whilst the interview questions were originally written in English, they were professionally translated into Romanian. Even so, testing of the draft version revealed that some terms do not carry the same weight, or precise meaning, in Romanian as they do in English, even including the phrase short-term mission (misiune de scurt durat) which is a relatively unfamiliar term (in Chapter 7.3 below we also explore how easily the term feedback can be translated). Given the number of interview questions, other examples may have existed. When translating responses from Romanian into English, care has been taken to avoid mistranslations and clarification was sought where necessary.

(c) Awareness There is a small risk that those selected for interview, in some instances, may not have been fully aware of any cross-cultural frustrations or issues; or in other ways not have been in a position to answer specific questions, such as the preparedness of visiting teams. As in all research of this nature, the participants opinions are necessarily valid, but their knowledge of events may be limited or flawed.

(d) Biases It is essential to consider whether any findings of these research interviews may have been influenced by any biases. Attempts were initially made for this sample to be as representative as possible, by inviting people of different denominations, both genders, different generations, and from different parts of Moldova. However, there were different response/participation rates, and the final sample was neither

30

weighted nor stratified, so we must be careful about claiming how representative any results can be. Ultimately, however, the legitimacy of this research comes from the fact that each Moldovan host should be listened to, respected, and given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences. As such, the opinions of the individuals taking part in the research interviews were intrinsically valid and relevant.

Another factor to consider is participation bias, if Moldovans with only positive experiences of STM opted to participate in the research interviews. Whilst as much as possible was done to include Moldovan leaders with any experience of STM, we cannot rule out the possibility of participation bias: some 50% of those approached declined to be interviewed, and it is not possible to distinguish those declining because of time restrictions or genuine unavailability from those declining because they had had a bad experience of short-term mission and were unwilling to talk about it.

(e) Sample Size As mentioned above, this research was conducted with a relatively small sample size (22), and this sample was neither stratified nor weighted. In a country of approximately 138,000 Protestants, receiving perhaps 200 STM teams a year, this is a reasonable sample size, though having, say, 50 or even 100 participants would have given greater statistical significance to the results. The collective experience of the 22 research participants amounts to approximately 385 short-term mission trips, and it is this number that increases our confidence in the surveys

representativeness and validity.

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CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH FINDINGS

5.1 Experience of Short-Term Missions In order to establish the significance of our research findings, and to put any findings into perspective, it was necessary to ask several questions concerning respondents experiences of short-term mission. The responses in this chapter allow us to build up a picture of what STM in Moldova looks like, from a Moldovan perspective.

5.1.1 Frequency and History of STM Trips At least some Moldovan church leaders have been hosting short-term mission teams since Moldova gained its independence in 1991, but on average those participating in the research have been hosting since 2001. They have hosted an average of 1.6 STM teams a year, and in some cases as many as four per annum.

Two research participants claimed to have hosted as many as fifty STM teams, and the average number of teams hosted was 17.5 per interviewee. Though the least experienced had hosted just two STM teams, the median response was 10.5 teams. Collectively, the Moldovans interviewed for this research had collaborated with foreigners on some 385 short-term mission trips (though it is possible, of course, that several of these were mutual).

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50 50

40

30 26 20 20 16 16 11 9 10 10 10 28

5 2

7 7 7

FIGURE 1 NUMBER OF STM TEAMS HOSTED BY EACH RESPONDENT

Visiting teams tended to stay for one to two weeks the average reported stay was 13 days though some teams came for one month and, on rare occasions, for 6 months.

Short-term missionaries typically came from English-speaking countries, with English being the lingua franca between hosts and visitors, except when teams came from Russia, Ukraine or Romania. Table IV shows the number of respondents reporting to have hosted short-term missionaries from each country listed:

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TABLE IV STM NATIONALITIES HOSTED BY MOLDOVAN RESPONDENTS USA UK Romania Germany Netherlands Australia Austria Canada Central Asia 18 16 9 6 5 1 1 1 1 81.8% 72.7% 40.9% 27.3% 22.7% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% France Greece Ireland Kirgizstan New Zealand Russia Switzerland Ukraine 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5%

Sending countries

Moldova

Sending countries not shown: Australia, Canada, Central Asia, Kirgizstan, New Zealand, USA.

FIGURE 2 ORIGINS OF EUROPEAN STM TEAMS VISITING MOLDOVA

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Visiting teams ranged up to 50 members, with an average of 10.2 members (median: 8).

The reported ages of STM volunteers ranged from 13 to 80, though the average was at the lower end of that scale, at 25. (It should be noted that these figures are based on estimates made by interviewees, rather than data they themselves had collected.) Team leaders were expected to be both older and more spiritually mature, averaging 37 years of age but sometimes being as young as 25. All but two of the interviewees agreed that there should be a minimum age limit for STM volunteers, the median suggestion being 18 years old.

So, what were these short-term mission teams doing in Moldova? What follows is not intended to show the frequency of different types of mission trips (though that data would itself be very informative). Rather, it is a depiction of which forms of STM each Moldovan leader has at some time hosted:

TABLE V STM ACTIVITIES EXPERIENCED BY MOLDOVAN HOSTS Evangelistic events/programmes Childrens camps Construction projects Development/Practical help Adult camps Medical missions Working with disabled people Other 19 18 14 14 10 10 8 6 86.4% 81.8% 63.6% 63.6% 45.5% 45.5% 36.4% 27.3%

Here, other includes the following experiences: teaching at seminars/conferences (2); delivering humanitarian aid (1); sports camp (1); working with vulnerable families (1); and Christian music concerts (1).

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5.1.2 STM Connections Short-term mission collaborations arose through many different ways. Sometimes there was an intermediary bringing together a church and a mission agency or other organization, such as Communitas, Breadline, UCCF, CERI, Operation Mobilisation, Youth for Christ, MissionDirect, etc. In some cases, a national church organization such as the Baptist Union helped facilitate partnerships. Sometimes foreigners initiated collaborations, whether simply a visiting Christian or group of Christians, or long-term missionaries already based in Moldova. On some occasions, Moldovans themselves initiated these collaborations, such as when visiting American or British churches, or through a friend or relative of theirs working abroad. There were some serendipitous meetings such as at seminars and, finally, there were relationships that arose through working on somebody elses short-term mission project. From the respondents interviewed, there was no single dominant method for the establishment of STM collaborations.

5.1.3 Relationship Status These relationships are, for the most part, ongoing: 82% of interviewees said that some or all of their partnerships were still open and developing; though 32% did say that one or more partnership had finished. In two instances, these relationships had ended painfully and unexpectedly but in most cases the partnerships were seen to have completed their lifespan and attained their purposes. Several Moldovan leaders spoke of good relationships in which both parties continue to communicate throughout the year.

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5.2 Short-Term Mission Practices

5.2.1 Involvement in Planning Again, there was a considerable range of ways in which STM programmes were planned, and how involved the host was in any preparations. Some Moldovans even mature Christians including church pastors reported that their primary responsibilities were facilitating, logistics (food, accommodation and transport) and translating, with little or no involvement in preparing the missions programme. More frequently, Moldovans said that they were significantly involved in planning and coordinating the STM project and there was a suggestion that their level of involvement grew over time, with one Baptist pastor saying most programmes were led by missionaries [but] now I am involved very closely during the planning. In percentage terms, 10%:90% 15 years ago but now 70%:30%. Participants comments about their involvement in planning are summarised in Table VI.22

TABLE VI BALANCE OF STM PROGRAMME PLANNING 0 Very strongly Moldovan-led planning 5 Mostly Moldovan-led planning 9 Equally-led planning 6 Mostly foreigner-led planning 2 Very strongly foreigner-led planning

5.2.2 Feedback Opportunities The most popular form of feedback was the whole STM team discussing and evaluating with the host(s) (option B2 in Table VII below). Sometimes this was quite

One voice of scepticism, however, comes from a former dean at the Baptist college in Chiinu, who says that mostly Americans drive the agenda, though on the surface it looks like a Moldavian initiative. In reality, Moldavian hosts do everything to accommodate wishes of their guests and entertain them. There is a saying in Russia, Listen to the music of the one who pays the orchestra (Turlac, email correspondence, 28 February 2012).

22

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a formal process, but for others it was a celebration of what the team had achieved together: this we do through a relaxed, pleasant discussion, looking at hundreds of photos or videos and commenting on how things went. The second most popular form of feedback was for the foreign leader to meet one-to-one with the host leader, for mutual feedback (A1 below).

TABLE VII FORMS OF FEEDBACK Feedback from foreigners A. Team leader Host B. Whole team Host C. Team Team leader Host D. No feedback to Host Feedback from hosts 1. Host Team leader 2. Host Whole team 3. Host Team leader Team 4. No feedback from Host

This schema, which has been simplified by incorporating host churches into the category of host, shows 16 possible feedback behaviours. It was relatively rare for teams to use written evaluations forms, and where these were used it was always at the instigation of visiting teams. A follow-up study could further investigate which combinations of feedback were used by each host, e.g. A1 but also C3.

5.2.3 Feedback and Change Have the differing forms of feedback been effective in leading to real changes? The broad perception is that yes, they have (64%), with only one person saying that their feedback exchanges had not resulted in change, which was put down to the visiting leaders leadership style. Types of changes that were reported included a greater sense of cross-cultural unity, greater team discipline, the host church becoming more missional, and improved communication.

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Don't know/ No comment, 22.7%

No, 4.5% Yes, 63.6% Sometimes, 9.1%

FIGURE 3 DO MOLDOVAN LEADERS FEEL THAT THEIR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON BOARD?

5.3 Benefits and Effectiveness of STM Trips

5.3.1 Benefits of STM Trips Given the opportunity to reflect on the benefits of their STM experiences, respondents named an average of nearly three advantages each, with some listing as many as seven. A complete list of these can be seen in Appendix 3. The five most popular responses were:

(a) Non-Christian locals are attracted by foreigners and more likely to listen to them (11 responses) (b) STM teams bring financial and/or material support (7) (c) The teams inspire, motivate and challenge the local church (6) (d) The teams bring greater organisation and help the local church to focus (5) (e) Teams from other cultures bring new perspectives and different experiences (5).

The most frequently mentioned benefit was the ability of foreigners often simply because they were foreign to create evangelistic possibilities. In some ways this

39

counters those who question the ability of short-term missionaries to work evangelistically, without knowing the local language and without staying long: such skills or commitment are seemingly not necessary to help the local church in its outreach. One respondent noted that non-Christians are more open to listen to a foreigner than to us locals, with another adding that foreign experiences always draw a crowd.23

Financial and material support was acknowledged as important but it is interesting that fewer people mentioned this than the evangelistic/missional point above. Interviewees who mentioned money were appreciative but often went on to say that they considered spiritual factors more important, such as this respondent:

I think that the money which is involved here is actually the Lords money and anyway, money alone doesnt resolve anything Presence and being involved makes the difference. The main problem in Moldova isnt lack of money but a lack of vision

Other perceived benefits included spiritual support, friendship, encouragement, determination, personal testimonies, the genesis of long-term missional

partnerships, and an increased credibility of the church in the eyes of local nonChristians.

This point echoes Priest (2011, p297), Peruvian power structures were sometimes hostile to their evangelical witness. But when Peruvian missionaries partner with visiting groups of short-term missionaries in acts of social service, they discover that doors to ministry and public witness are opened, and that their own credibility and evangelistic influence are enhanced. This author has experienced this same phenomenon many times in Moldova.

23

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5.3.2 Clarity of Aims In a majority of cases, it was reported that visiting STM teams had clear aims and objectives: 73% said that this was always the case, with the remainder saying that this was sometimes the case. Several respondents reiterated that these aims and objectives were the result of co-operation between STM teams and themselves. Some comments hinted at the tensions between pre-established plans and the need for contextualisation and flexibility during the actual missions, e.g. Yes they do have [clear plans] but in my opinion its good for a team from Moldova to set the aims because they know the area, cultural and historical context better, and Certainly, yes but they arent always effective in everything because we locals need to do some things our own way. As with many things when working cross-culturally, striking the right balance was considered important.

5.3.3 Effectiveness of STM Trips What was the Moldovan hosts impression of the effectiveness of STM teams (especially when measured against stated aims and objectives)? 59% of those interviewed (excluding dont knows) had a generally positive impression, e.g. Without exaggerating, I can say that all the teams Ive worked with were useful and effective. Certainly, theyve made a difference by achieving their purpose for coming here. All left good footprints for others to follow! A further 23% had mixed or qualified things to say about teams effectiveness, although one respondent reported, with regret, that A few times they were useless.

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Don't know/ No comment, 13.6% No, 4.5%

Somewhat, 22.7%

Yes, 59.1%

FIGURE 4 WERE STM TEAMS SEEN AS EFFECTIVE?

5.4 Responsiveness of STM Teams to Moldovan Culture

5.4.1 STM Teams and Local, Long-Term Vision The limitations of short-term mission are well-known, especially linguistic and cultural barriers, and the limited time available. A powerful argument in support of STM, however, is that it can contribute towards the local churchs long-term vision or plans. Did Moldovan church leaders believe that this had happened, and were there signs that STM was being deliberately used towards long-term goals? 68% of respondents made positive comments, along the lines that STM was at the very least complementary to their churchs vision, and sometimes a deliberate component in the strategy to fulfil it. In the examples given by respondents, there were repeated references both to growing existing churches, and to planting new ones, with STM teams being intentionally used to reach those aims, e.g. We wanted a church and the first team helped us buy a house and from it we made a church, this was long-term. Others helped us with Bible teaching, and:

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A [foreign] medical team went in a village they also shared the Gospel there and people appeared who were interested in Gods Word. Our church sent a missionary who now goes to this village and works with those people who were interested; this is part of our churchs vision.

Four respondents (18%) expressed mixed feelings about whether STM teams really fitted into their churchs long-term vision, especially when a foreign team comes with their own objective [which] does not fit the overall vision/objectives of the church, the team becomes a burden rather than a tool to further progress the churchs objective. One person felt that STM teams had lost sight of the churchs long-term vision, and two others expressed no opinion.

Don't know/ No comment, 9.1% No, 4.5%

Somewhat, 18.2%

Yes, 68.2%

FIGURE 5 DO STM TEAMS FIT IN WITH CHURCHES LONG-TERM VISION?

5.4.2 Similarity of Beliefs Short-term missionaries coming to Moldova are not only working cross-culturally; they are often working inter-denominationally and cross-generationally, and so it is not surprising that their beliefs are perceived as different from their hosts. Whilst

43

32% of interviewees reported that their views were essentially similar, and a further 32% thought that they were mostly the same, a significant 36% referred to a range of differences some abstract and theological but more often related to church practice and norms.

These included baptism in the Holy Spirit; the use of spiritual gifts; the security of salvation; eschatological differences; acceptance of other denominations/churches (specifically, of Orthodox believers); the role of women in the church; dating behaviour; alcohol consumption; clapping during worship; jewellery wearing; listening to lumesc (worldly) music; praying with eyes open; and non-church members participating in Communion.

5.4.3 Universality of the Gospel What was the Moldovan understanding of contextualisation and the place of the Gospel in differing societies? 27% placed greater emphasis on the priority of the Gospel, e.g. The Gospel is universal, it has the same message for everyone in the world. 32% placed greater emphasis on the Gospel being adapted and presented in a culturally appropriate manner, e.g. I think it needs to be adapted and explained differently for each culture, with real examples for their lives. The remaining 41% placed equal stress on the universality of the Gospel and on how it is communicated from culture to culture.

5.4.4 Cultural Preparedness of STM Teams Moldovan church leaders politely protested that short-term missionaries know either nothing (27%) or very little (41%) about Moldova before coming a finding which should seriously challenge those who are responsible for training STM teams. In the worst cases, they didnt know very much, some didnt even know of Moldova while others confuse it with Romania and havent even searched for information on the

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Internet. Some of this criticism is especially directed at Americans, who are less familiar with European geographical and ethnic distinctions. As would be hoped, several respondents said that when short-term missionaries come back repeatedly, they know a lot about Moldova, and 32% of those interviewed said that STM teams generally know something about their destination.

Nothing, 27.3%

Something, 31.8%

Almost nothing, 40.9%

FIGURE 6 DO STM TEAMS KNOW MUCH ABOUT MOLDOVA UPON ARRIVAL?

In Moldova, Romanian and Russian are the most widely spoken languages, but short-term missionaries seldom know either, the exception being when teams have come from Eastern Europe (or are Americans of Moldovan/Romanian descent). English is increasingly popular, especially amongst the younger generation and in cities. Most Moldovans are bi- or tri-lingual but STM teams hire translators if their hosts do not speak English. One pastor said that he would be surprised if even 1% of short-term missionaries spoke either Romanian or Russian, before adding but I dont think thats necessary for short-term mission, echoed by another respondent who stated that as for the language, they may know some two or three key phrases

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at best [but for] 10-14 day trips that is understandable. A visiting short-term missionary may not be able to speak with members of the host community, but his behaviour and actions will communicate much. Next we ask how well STM teams adapt to Moldovan culture.

5.4.5 Efforts to Learn Moldovan Culture Did visiting teams make an effort to learn about, and adapt to, Moldovan culture? Faced with a 5-point Likert scale, interviewees generally answered positively:

TABLE VIII DO VISITING TEAMS ATTEMPT TO ADAPT TO MOLDOVAN CULTURE? Definitely To a large extent To some extent To a small extent Not at all 18.2% 50.0% 27.3% 0.0% 0.0%

5.4.6 Respect for Moldovan Traditions Moldovans are proud of their culture and traditions. Within the general culture, there is a Christian subculture that is unique to church members, with its own traditions, symbolism and practices (despite the fact that Protestants make a point of not using icons or appealing to tradition in Orthodox manner). Significantly, in their comments respondents referred more to their specific subcultural, religious norms than to general Moldovan ones.

Only four interviewees (18%) said that short-term mission teams fully respected their traditions, with many more people (59%) saying that, whilst this was generally the case, they had experienced occasional but significant exceptions. Various examples of disrespect were given, including smoking; drinking alcohol; complaining about

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gender roles; and, most frequently, not being dressed suitably in church. Whilst some Moldovans excused their visitors behaviour as maybe only by mistake, others were more upset, such as the church leader who said that many visitors couldnt care less about their conduct in church.

The remaining 23% of respondents gave the impression that visitors tended not to respect Moldovan traditions to any meaningful extent. Perhaps even more disturbing, however, was one persons observation that not following the local culture was deliberate: They understand the difference from their culture but there are cases when they tried to change the locals perspective on what women can do in church, which worryingly reveals notions of cultural superiority held by some visitors.

Not often, 22.7%

Always, 18.2%

Usually, 59.1%
FIGURE 7 DO STM TEAMS RESPECT MOLDOVAN TRADITIONS?

Significantly, several respondents said that visitors avoided making cultural faux pas when they had been trained beforehand, e.g. They usually respect those things they were warned about and prepared for Ive not had cases of problems if people are prepared. One Moldovan youth leader thought it better if such training were

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done by Moldovans themselves: I think they respect [our culture] if they are informed about it by a local. Weve not had cases where people havent respected it once they were informed. Whilst this may seem common sense, it is still the case that many STM teams receive no cross-cultural training or induction, especially when they are sent out by a church rather than a missions agency.

5.4.7 Redressing Offence Bearing in mind potential problems of cross-cultural communication, divergent religious beliefs and norms, the immaturity of some short-term missionaries, and other factors, it is clearly important that Moldovans feel free to communicate when they have been offended. Is this the case?

Just two people claimed that it was unlikely they would share when they had been offended (11% when we exclude the 3 dont knows), with 89% saying that they would share. This is a high figure, and should be seen in the context of Moldovan leaders being involved in STM for, on average, 11 years: they are experienced and confident enough to speak up, and have been working alongside the same visitors for many years. This was a typical response: At the beginning it was difficult for me, now I think I could speak freely and, again, At the start it wasnt easy because I was worried about the consequences of being misunderstood. Such openness was not always appreciated, however, with one person saying Yes [I said I was offended] but many of them got angry.

Interestingly, several respondents said that, whilst they would share when teams had been offensive, they felt that other Moldovans would be more reticent: In general Ive worked with people who helped me to be open and direct [but] brothers in Moldova normally dont have the courage to say to somebodys face everything that they are thinking and, likewise, Me personally, yes, because for a

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long time Ive worked in mission. But in general people wouldnt say anything. One church leader made a distinction between being offended personally in which case he would not say anything versus somebody being generally offensive to Moldovans in which case he would.

5.5 Opportunities and Mechanisms for Feedback

5.5.1 Evaluation During Trips During short-term mission, is it normal to make time to reflect on and evaluate experiences and events as they unfold? Just 14% of respondents said that this was done sporadically, with the remaining 86% saying they had a routine way of sharing and giving feedback. The most popular form of sharing and evaluating was the daily team meeting (68% of Moldovan respondents gave this as a norm), followed by just the leaders meeting together in a planned way (41%), or simply through ad hoc chats (23%). Daily team reviews could be either in the morning or evening, typically lasting between 30 minutes and one hour, and were verbal apart from one instance where a daily evaluation form was used.

5.5.2 Evaluation After Trips After a short-term mission event takes place, what further evaluation occurs, according to Moldovan leaders (bearing in mind there is often debriefing and evaluation back in the sending country)? It is normal to have some form of post-trip evaluation: 82% indicated that one or more forms of evaluation always takes place, with a further 14% saying sometimes this was the case. The most frequently used form of evaluation was written reports (including forms and questionnaires), as mentioned by 50% of interviewees. This was closely followed by email exchanges of feedback (41%) and telephone/Skype conversations (27%).

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5.5.3 Methods of Sharing Feedback Were the Moldovan participants considering additional or new ways of evaluating and sharing feedback? For the most part, respondents had not given this much thought, and were broadly satisfied with the evaluation mechanisms they were using, although some additional factors were mentioned: case studies of STM in Moldova could be prepared and distributed in advance; individuals on a team could receive one-to-one feedback from their host(s); those who had been to Moldova on STM before could summarise their experiences for those coming for the first time; and mission agencies could take a more proactive role in giving written suggestions to STMers. Some of those not currently using written evaluation forms suggested that they be used.

5.5.4 Attitudes to Listening From their experience of working with STM teams, did Moldovan hosts think that visiting Christian volunteers listen to their opinions and ideas, and those of other Moldovan Christians? Impressions here were positive though not without room for improvement:

TABLE IX DO VISITING STM TEAMS LISTEN TO MOLDOVAN CHRISTIANS? Always Usually Sometimes Rarely Never 31.8% 50.0% 18.2% 0.0% 0.0%

5.5.5 Positive Impressions What overall impressions do Moldovan hosts have of foreigners coming to do shortterm mission? Even after combining close synonyms, more than 35 different

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adjectives were used, the most common of which were: a desire to serve (mentioned 9 times), dedicated/devoted (8), sacrificial (5), friendly (5) and willing (4), followed by open, compassionate and loving (3 each). Respondents gave an average of 3.3 positive attributes. A complete list of positive impressions is given in Appendix 4.

5.5.6 Negative Impressions Having volunteered their positive impressions of STM visitors, which negative words might Moldovan hosts use (albeit reluctantly)? 36% declined to use any negative words at all, e.g. I couldnt use a single negative word. Those who did express some concerns (64%) mentioned 18 negative terms to describe the attitude of some of those coming to Moldova for short-term mission, though none of these terms was used by more than three people. The most frequent complaints were that short-term missionaries are too tolerant/liberal (three respondents), they do not want to see things differently, they are disrespectful of local leaders, and they come for adventure rather than mission (2 each). A complete list of negative impressions is also given in Appendix 4.

5.6 General Advice and Comments Regarding STM in Moldova Having stated some reservations and mentioned cross-cultural issues and other difficulties, what advice would Moldovan leaders give to those coming on short-term mission? There was a wide range of helpful, practical advice, covering preparation, behaviour, leadership, culture and much more in total, 43 different points, with each respondent giving an average of 4 pieces of advice.

The advice most frequently mentioned was to learn about Moldovan culture before arriving (41% of respondents), e.g. to inform themselves of the culture of our country, which various respondents explained as including traditions, history,

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cultural values, behavioural norms, religious orientation, food and drink, and language. Another church leader stressed that one of the biggest issues has to do with cultural differences, so learning about Moldovan/Soviet culture is very important. Advice was given to research not just the church subculture they would be visiting, but the worldview of non-Christians and other denominations within Moldova, in order to be more effective when participating in outreach a twofold contextualisation. The third most popular advice was similar: for short-term missionaries to make efforts to learn about Moldovan culture during their stay, as well as before.

The second most frequently given advice (32% of respondents) was to accept the physical conditions that Moldovan co-workers are used to whether sharing rooms, eating simple food, using long-drop toilets, drinking well water, and so on and without complaining. As one youth worker pleaded, try to adapt to our living standards, even if thats difficult for you, with another leader adding be ready to live in more difficult conditions than in your own country.

Other popular pieces of advice concerned the relationship that short-term missionaries have with the local/host church, e.g. listening to and respecting local church leaders; and respecting the local churchs teaching and its culture, including behaviour, dress and appearance. There was a repeated plea for any material help not to be given to villagers directly but through the local church, which was in a better position to understand peoples needs and circumstances.

Further pieces of advice could be said to be true of short-term mission in general: be flexible (especially since in Moldova we dont and cant plan everything six months ahead!); return in order to build up long-term partnerships; dont make promises you wont keep; and be patient with your co-workers here.

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On a more spiritual note, some interviewees were keen to stress that people should come willing and prepared to be changed by God as they work in His service; that it would be beneficial to have a missions mentor to discuss issues with; to come with courage and confidence in what you are doing for the Lord; and, preferably, for at least 70% of team members to be mature Christians. Those who are not spiritually mature should not pretend to be experts in things that they are not, just because they come from a more developed country. For a complete list of advice, see Appendix 5.

This chapter summarises the results of the listening exercise, whereby 22 Moldovans with experience of short-term mission were given the chance to share their thoughts by answering a series of structured questions. As such, it provides an important contribution to the missiological literature by demonstrating host perspectives on different aspects of STM. Amongst the positive comments and heartfelt appreciation were repeated concerns about behaviour, communication, spiritual immaturity and unpreparedness. In Chapter 6 we address some general questions about the effectiveness of short-term mission trips, before identifying the keys to improving STM effectiveness in Moldova in Chapter 7.

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CHAPTER 6 APPRAISING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STM

In the introduction to short-term mission in Chapter 2, we noted that many in the missionary and missiological communities doubt the efficacy of short-term mission. In the light of the research findings from Chapter 5 above, we explore what is meant by the effectiveness of STM, note that different participants (senders, goers, hosts) have different perspectives on its effectiveness, and challenge the prevailing bias against host/local perspectives, as highlighted in Chapter 2.4.

6.1 What are We Measuring? What Impact on Whom? As we saw in Chapter 2.3, the debate concerning the validity of short-term mission has been fought chiefly on two fronts. Firstly, missiologists have been concerned whether STM is biblical whether it is in accordance with our understanding of the churchs calling to mission. And secondly whether STM is effective whether it works in various defined ways. This debate is unresolved partly because different theological arguments have been made concerning the nature and purpose of mission according to the Bible but moreover it is unresolved because there is a lack of clarity over what short-term mission should be accomplishing. Some evangelical missiologists claim that STM exists to evangelise people and that if it is not doing this, it is not truly mission. For example, Leake (2006) claims that:

Short-term mission has missed the point of the Great Commission. Something hundreds of thousands of Christians are doing every year with

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the term mission in its title has very little to do with the Mission making disciples of all nations.

Others have a broader, more holistic understanding of short-term mission, and seek additional impacts such as communal or social transformation.24 Sometimes the goal is kingdom building25 or even engaging in spiritual warfare. And, increasingly, an explicit aim of short-term mission is to transform (or even convert26) members of the STM team themselves. In order to enter any discussion about whether shortterm mission is effective, we need to be explicit about what should be done effectively.

The following ten areas are amongst those that have recently been reviewed to see whether short-term mission has had a positive impact:

1. Charitable or missionary giving by STMers (Priest et al 2006); 2. Number of STMers training as long-term missionaries (Priest et al 2006); 3. Better interethnic relationships at home (Priest et al 2006); 4. Greater levels of social trust (Priest et al 2006); 5. Spiritual impact on STMers (Ver Beek 2006); 6. Level of satisfaction amongst STMers (Ver Beek 2006); 7. Greater interest in missions in general (Ver Beek 2006); 8. Increased religious participation (Trinitapoli and Vaisey, 2009), e.g. church attendance, prayer, Bible reading;

Nelson et al (2011, p54), for example, identify one of the six major shifts in missional understanding as a switch from conversion to personal transformation and the transformation of communities. 25 What Winter referred to as a new Kingdom Era of holistic mission is renamed the Missional Era by Priest in Snodderly and Moreau (2011, p294, p300). 26 According to Trinitapoli and Vaisey (2009, p137), in surveys of American youths, 7.1% (2002) and 8.4% (2005) of those who reported being involved with STM said they either did not believe in God, or were unsure whether they believed in him.

24

55

9. Solidified religious belief (Trinitapoli and Vaisey, 2009), e.g. feelings of closeness to God; 10. Youth civic action (Beyerlein et al 2011), e.g. levels of volunteering and political participation.

Whilst the above impacts are all desirable, it is troubling that it is increasingly common to measure the effectiveness of a short-term mission trip according to the impact it has on goers or on the sending community, rather than on the hosts and the host community. There is a danger that STM is becoming more about discipling young Westerners and less about serving other Christians and working with them in a broad range of missional activities.27 It is as if Western churches see the need to justify their short-term trips in terms of observable (and even measurable) impact on team members. Rather, the justification should be that short-term mission is in obedience to the Great Commission, it glorifies God our Father, strengthens His kingdom and blesses His children around the world. It is justified because it works towards the same goals as long-term mission, albeit in a more limited way and one does not hear of people entering long-term missionary service for their own personal growth and benefit.

At this point, it is helpful to turn to the Five Marks of Mission identified by Walls and Ross (2008, xiv), viz.:

(1) To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom (2) To teach, baptise, and nurture new believers

A growing minority of missiologists and field missionaries are increasingly explicit that this should be the primary aim of short-term missions, e.g. Lewis-Anderson (2009, p74): I would like to suggest one overriding goal for STM trips: to impact the life of the participant in tangible, meaningful, and measurable ways. Whilst it is surely desirable for STMers to mature spiritually, should this be the primary or overriding goal? Speaking in confidence, one missions director in Moldova also suggested his missionary organization was now at least as concerned with discipling and training STMers as with actual missionary endeavour.

27

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(3) To respond to human need by loving service (4) To seek to transform unjust structures of society (5) To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Whilst the authors acknowledge that these Five Marks are neither a perfect nor a complete definition of mission, (2008, xiv) they provide a useful reference point for categorising missionary activity, and hence a step towards judging its effectiveness, because of their breadth and clarity.

In the Moldovan context, what might these Five Marks of Mission look like as practised by cross-cultural short-term mission teams? The following are real examples taken from the last four years:

(1) Proclamation. Short-term mission teams frequently come to preach at Moldovan churches and at public gatherings, both in larger towns but also in remote villages. They run holiday clubs for children, which include Bible studies and Bible talks, frequently for 100 or even 200 children at a time. These often follow evangelistic schemes such as the 4-point plan or the Wordless Book28 and include invitations to respond to the Gospel message by making a personal faith commitment.

(2) Teaching, baptising, nurturing. These ministries are typically conducted by the local church, but STM teams participate in teaching programmes, such as conferences and seminars, as well as Vacation Bible School (VBS). They are

The 4-point plan covers the key points of the Gospel, viz. God loves me; I have sinned; Jesus died for me; I need to decide (www.the4points.com). The Bible in 5 Colors (also known as the Wordless Book) uses a scheme of five colours to represent the Gospel.

28

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also involved in encouraging and discipling Moldovan believers, especially youth leaders.

(3) Loving service. Every year teams from Western Europe come and visit elderly, disabled, poor and marginalised people in remote Moldovan villages. They may bring them a basket of fruit, they will offer prayer and sometimes a free Bible, and will give practical help such as cleaning, painting and repairing peoples homes, responding to their needs as a sign of Gods love. Often they will invite local youths to join them in caring for the vulnerable.

(4) Challenging

injustice.

Christian

charities

such

as

Through

the

Roof

(www.throughtheroof.org) send teams to Moldova to encourage and train Moldovan charities working with disabled people. This is an example of one group of people who face considerable discrimination, and Christians visiting Moldova have worked alongside Moldovan lawyers to campaign for justice and promote disabled rights. STM teams coming to Moldova often visit forgotten children who have been put into state institutions.

(5) Safeguarding creation. Although there must necessarily be a human focus to mission, some STM teams visiting Moldova also have time for litter picks or clearing streams of rubbish, as public recognition of the creation mandate to care for the Earth. Whilst respecting different cultural attitudes, visitors to Moldova may sometimes raise questions about what they interpret as acts of animal cruelty or deprivation.

When one shifts attention away from individual STM participants (without denying that God will be blessing and transforming them), it is clear that all Five Marks of Mission are present, each year, in Moldova, and that God is being glorified through local Christians and STMers working together in His name. Short-term mission is

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meeting the same goals as long-term mission, and the signs of its effectiveness are present in the local community, rather than amongst STM teams themselves.

6.2 Who is Measuring? Yet there remains a problem to be addressed when evaluating the effectiveness of short-term mission, a systemic problem inherent to the missiological debate: who decides whether short-term mission is effective? The unspoken assumption has been that senders and goers (typically, though not exclusively, Westerners) are the ones who decide. They came, they saw, they acted, so what did they achieve? This automatic attribution of Westerners as judge must be challenged. At the very least, as co-labourers, hosts and visitors should discern together how effective a mission trip has been.

More than this, though, the local church is ultimately in the best position to decide the level of effectiveness because they have the best understanding of local culture and the best interpretation of local reaction to short-term mission, This is especially true when we remember that some of the fruits (or problems!) of short-term mission may only be revealed in the medium- to long-term, after the STM team has returned home. This author argues, therefore, that the local church and local Christians are, by default, in the best position to assess the effectiveness of short-term mission carried out in their area. For missionaries and missiologists, it may take considerable humility and discipline to listen to their appraisals.

6.3 A Moldovan Perspective We now return to the fieldwork results from Chapter 5, to remind ourselves of Moldovan opinions on the effectiveness of short-term mission in Moldova.

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The strongly-held view was that STM was worthwhile (in that its intentions were both good and biblical) and effective (in that it attained missional aims and objectives). While there were issues concerning the behaviour and respectfulness of visitors and sometimes concerning their ability to contextualise their mission and adapt it to Moldovan culture these sources of disquiet were more than outweighed by positive observations about what was being achieved, both amongst nonbelievers and within the local Christian community. This explains why Moldovan churches continue to invite short-term mission teams year after year, for ten or even twenty years.

Participant-focused short-term mission is in danger of threatening the longestablished missionary principle of serving the people to whom one is sent. On his first mission placement in Moldova, this author spoke with a local church leader and was invited to join in the missionary effort in his region, bringing a metaphorical bowl and towel. This reference to Jesus washing the disciples feet (John 13:1-17) speaks not just of humility but also of blessing others and serving them. If short-term mission teams take a similar approach, they will promote the needs of others of hosts and their communities and consequently see the success or effectiveness of a mission trip not as dependent on their own development or benefits, but rather on its impact upon the host church and community.

In this chapter, we have concluded that local Christians, the hosts of short-term mission, are in the best position to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of such mission, and we would do well to prioritise impact in the host community over impact amongst team members. In Chapter 7 we consider the three best ways of improving the effectiveness of short-term mission in Moldova, in the light of the research interviews and other discussions.

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CHAPTER 7 THE THREE KEYS TO IMPROVING STM EFFECTIVENESS IN MOLDOVA

At a seminar with a further 14 Moldovan STM hosts, this author heard various anxieties about whether they had been able to offer their foreign guests a good enough experience. That is to say, hosts placed considerable emphasis on the experience and even satisfaction of their guests, related to practical concerns such as food and sleeping arrangements. There was initially only a surface-level appraisal of how STM collaboration had been; only later did attention turn to less tangible concerns, such as communication and cross-cultural differences.

Having listened to, and reflected upon, this shared feedback, together with the original 22 in-depth interviews, this author suggests that the following three areas are crucial to improving the effectiveness of short-term mission in Moldova: (1) Partnership, (2) Cultural sensitivity, and (3) Feedback.

7.1 Partnership In some parts of the world, there seems to be a pattern of short-term mission where change is the norm: either a church sends an STM team to a different host church each year; or it sends different people each year to the same host church. Given that mission is intrinsically relational, it is difficult to see the wisdom or desirability of such discontinuity.

This author has had the pleasure of seeing many cross-cultural friendships blossom as hosts and guests become acquainted. After a week or more of working together,

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often in intense situations, Christian brothers and sisters have been drawn together in unity, love and mutual respect. Yet this is not an instantaneous process; neither is it certain that the mere act of working together will result in close friendship. So it is hard to understand why teams that do succeed in establishing genuine bonds often sever their relationship the moment they board their aeroplane home. Hosts of STM teams are often mystified why the people with whom they have worked so well may not be in touch until the following year or, worse still, never again, even if they have promised to return.

Amongst the most positive experiences for Moldovan hosts was when the same church was able to send a similar team year after year. The very act of returning on a second, third, or fourth STM trip is an act that affirms and encourages Moldovan hosts. A repeat trip means that returnees can continue their friendships as well as their working relationships with their hosts, deepen mutual trust, and share more in each others lives and ministries. For Nelson et al (2011, p38), such mutuality is a key concept, a state of mind through which we, with humble sensitivity, work together, listening and learning with an attitude of genuine respect, seeing one another as partners in Gods activity (p17).

As well as returning each year, there is the issue of how Moldovans and foreigners communicate during the rest of the year. Anecdotally, this seems not to occur very much, apart from between local church leaders and the organiser of the visiting team. Other team members may keep in touch with Moldovan friends they have made, increasingly using social media to do so, but this often fades out after a few weeks. That is one, relational, dimension. Yet on a more spiritual or ecclesial level, there is sometimes little depth to relationships between Moldovans and their foreign friends, so that one hesitates to use the term partnership at all. More meaningful partnerships would include the possibility of exchange visits (i.e. Moldovans visiting

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foreign churches), regular sharing of prayer requests, mutual exchange of teaching suggestions, and mutual encouragement and edification, notwithstanding any language constraints.29

Such partnerships necessitate investing time, emotional and spiritual energy, and sometimes financial resources. The fruits of such partnerships can be a deeper bond between all parties, greater unity, convergence of vision, and greater continuity and effectiveness of missional activities. A leading expert on cross-cultural partnerships is Rickett (2008a, pxii), who sees their tremendous opportunity: Unlike any time in history, we have the opportunity to apply the New Testament principles of koinonea (fellowship) on a global scale as we build partnerships for world evangelization. These are not just a chance, but the best chance, of participating in Gods global mission, the missio Dei.

7.2 Cultural Sensitivity The second key factor in improving the effectiveness of short-term mission in Moldova was a recurring theme in the research interviews, as reported in Chapter 5. Indeed, it is a commonplace complaint in missiological literature, that short-term missionaries often display grave cultural insensitivity, or what Livermore (2006a, 2009) calls low cultural intelligence, though we should recognise that this can vary with STMers age, nationality, personality and even denomination. Jackson (2008, p27) quotes Patriarch Alexy II, the late primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, as saying that, ultimately, Missionaries, not concious (sic) of the values of the local culture, harm the spiritual wellbeing of society.

Such partnerships will only be healthy when the visiting party is prepared to trust their hosts and accept their superior understanding of the local situation. Becchetti (1997, p54) shares an example from Moldovas western neighbour, Romania, which he visited for a STM trip where everything seemed disorganised and ill-prepared. He concluded that he had to trust his Romanian hosts to organise things in their own way: Which they did in Romanian, roundabout, by-our-standards-last-minute fashion [and yet] it was a fantastic trip.

29

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The effectiveness of STM in Moldova would be improved through greater cultural sensitivity, for a number of reasons. Firstly, short-term missionaries who are more attuned to the subtleties of Moldovan culture are more likely to understand and appreciate the environment in which they are working, and modify their behaviour accordingly. Secondly, such cultural sensitivity wins the respect of Moldovan hosts and reduces the likelihood of cross-cultural tension and cross-cultural

miscommunication. And thirdly, cultural awareness and sensitivity means that members of the host community are more likely to be receptive to the STM team / local church partnership.

In our experience, members of short-term mission teams coming to Moldova are sometimes already aware of aspects of Moldovan culture (e.g. social norms, customs, traditions, history, etc.). And sometimes they are aware of their host church culture (e.g. gender roles within the church, norms concerning clothing and appearance, abstention from alcohol, etc.). But they are rarely prepared for both of these things, and the tensions that exist between the two. For example, a cursory investigation into Moldovan culture might lead somebody to identify wine, dancing, close family ties and warm hospitality to be key components. Wine is Moldovas main export and largest agricultural product, and in the countryside it is distilled in very many homes to make a cheap but popular beverage. Traditional dances such as the hora are a popular feature of village life, school performances, weddings and so on. However, within at least the Baptistic tradition, abstention from alcohol is compulsory, and dancing is forbidden. Thus it is necessary for the visitor to be familiar both with Moldovan culture and with the specific sub-culture of their host church, and to seek awareness of how that church reacts to its national culture.

For foreigners to understand and safely navigate Moldovan culture and its religious nuances, they undoubtedly need a guide. Mission organizations such as Operation

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Mobilisation insist on cross-cultural training for all STM teams upon their arrival in Moldova,30 and this practice is to be commended. To help Westerners adapt to Moldovan culture, it is best for the guide to be somebody familiar with both cultures such as a foreigner who has lived for several years in Moldova; or conversely a Moldovan who has previously lived in the USA or the UK.

However, at least one mission organization operating in Moldova seems to take a generic, uncontextualised approach to STM training, bringing in temporary leaders for their STM teams who are admittedly skilled in leadership, teamwork and even cross-cultural communication but who have not lived long-term in Moldova and do not have a deep understanding of Moldovan culture. In such cases, team leaders may not have sufficient cultural intelligence to help guide members of their STM team, leading to a greater chance of cultural offensiveness or misunderstanding. This lack of adequate cultural sensitivity is a recurring theme: some fifteen years since they issued their warning, Elliott and Corrado (1997, p338) remain correct in their warning that the greatest flaw today in missionary orientation of post-Soviet lands is not its brevity, although that is frequently a serious shortcoming [it is] nonexistent country-specific and culture-specific preparation.

In sum, STM effectiveness is increased when foreigners have the opportunity to learn about and reflect on national culture as well as any relevant sub-cultures (denominational, regional, etc.). In this process they will need a mediator to help them understand, respect and adapt to cultural differences. Failure to make serious efforts to adapt to Moldovan culture especially church culture is presently frustrating and even discouraging many church hosts.

30

Personal conversation with Matthew Skirton, OM Field Leader in Moldova, 23 February 2012.

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7.3 Feedback

7.3.1 Definition of Feedback Ultimately, the most important way of improving the effectiveness of short-term missions relates to communication and feedback between participants. This is because it is through constructive feedback that other issues, misunderstandings, inappropriate behaviours and so on can be broached and rectified. Chambers Dictionary (1998) defines feedback as response or reaction providing useful information or guidelines for further action or development, a simple definition to which some slight nuances can be added: that feedback in the sense used here is deliberate, and that it very often has an element of mutuality. As such, we define feedback as intentional and preferably two-way communication between relevant parties, which reflects upon shared experiences, with a deliberate aim of improving future participation and outcomes.

Feedback is important because as imperfect creatures we invariably make mistakes, which could in future be avoided, or at least their effects could be mitigated. It is important because cross-cultural communication can lead to confusion and misunderstanding, which can normally be clarified through feedback. It is important because constructive feedback enables us to grow as people and to mature as Christians. It is important because it enables us to see the world through the eyes of others. It is important because irrespective of specific content, the very act of sharing, reflecting and encouraging through feedback potentially draws Christians together and can increase their love, trust and unity, and hence their missional effectiveness. For a discussion on the translatability of the word feedback, see Appendix 6.

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7.3.2 Biblical Feedback Slater (2000) is one of the few commentators to have talked about debriefing as evidenced in the Bible: he notes that, for example, after Jesus sent out the twelve (Luke 9:1-6,10), and later the seventy-two (Luke 10:1-24), he debriefed them upon their return. Whilst this does not amount to a biblical template for short-term mission evaluation and feedback, it is worth noting Slaters observation that Jesus comments on the effect of the ministry of His disciples, rather than the effect upon them: While it is true that people who faithfully minister the grace of Christ are blessed because of it, that does not seem to be the motivation here (2000, p453).

Secondly, Velema has tried to outline a biblical basis for project evaluation, with special focus on project planning cycles and methods of project evaluation. Velemas starting point is human fallibility and the inevitability of mistakes, which can be addressed through retrospective evaluation: [we can] expect to find shortcomings and even total failures. Imperfect knowledge, imperfect

communication and imperfect action all contribute (2009, pp9-10). Ultimately, though, Velemas approach tends to rely on a distinction between evaluators and evaluated, and assumes a rather formal type of appraisal, somewhat different to our own concept of feedback.

It is possible to ask what would specifically biblical feedback look like: are there general principles to be discerned in the same way that we might discern a biblical approach to, say, leadership? If a person wanted to give feedback in a biblical, Christian manner, what qualities should he display? This author proposes seven key values:

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(i) Begin with Listening As James writes to his dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen (Jam 1:19a).31 Proverbs 18:13 adds that to answer before listening that is folly and shame. Both the Old and the New Testaments, therefore, encourage Christians to be prepared to listen to others, and indeed to listen to their point of view before hastening to state ones own.

There is something profoundly Christian about this emphasis, this seeking anothers opinion which values and affirms the other person. Likewise, putting others before oneself, e.g. whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 18:4) and, more directly, be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves (Rom 12:10). This holding other people in high esteem means that the process of feedback must begin with a genuine desire to listen to the other person.

(ii) Accept Correction As discussed above, all of us are fallible, imperfect beings, and we must recognise our own limitations all the more so when we are working in unfamiliar and often stressful cross-cultural settings. It follows, therefore, that we must be open to other people sharing their insight into how we might do things differently, and better. Proverbs 12:1 states that whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid, and biblical wisdom instructs us that we must accept correction (in some translations, criticism or reproof) in order to learn and to grow in understanding.

31

This and all other biblical quotations come from the NIV Bible (UK edition, 1982).

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(iii) Strengthen and Build Up It is important that we keep in mind the reason for giving feedback. It is certainly not to undermine others or to boost our own position. Rather, biblical feedback is that which strengthens and affirms those involved: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Eph 4:29). It is important to remember that encouragement is a spiritual gift (Rom 12:8) and that good, constructive feedback can be regarded as exercising this gift.

(iv) Do Not Judge As one Christian gives feedback to another, perhaps reflecting on how well a days missional activities have gone, he should be careful not to judge those with whom he has been working. The type of feedback that God would have us practise does not permit us to consider others inferior, and we should refrain from judging others altogether: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged (Matt 7:1-2a, cf. Luke 6:37).

As Morris explains in relation to the Lucan passage: Jesus does not have law-courts in mind but the all-too-common practice of assuming the right to criticize and condemn ones neighbours If we are harsh with our judgements on other people we generally find that they return the compliment and we find ourselves widely condemned, whereas if we do not pass judgment on others our neighbours are slow to condemn us (1974, p132). Whilst honest and explicit, good feedback must be neither harsh nor condemnatory.

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(v) Practise Humility, Gentleness, Love and Peace More than one Moldovan pastor, when interviewed, expressed concern that many foreign visitors come to Moldova with an air of arrogance, evidently assuming that because its economy is underdeveloped (or backward in their words), then its people and practices must be backward too. In some cases this has led to an inferiority complex whereby a Moldovan church leader might be intimidated or, worse still, patronised because he has less or no formal theological training.

Such an imbalance means that when a short-term missionary proposes something or gives feedback, unmerited significance may be attached to what he says, purely because of his status or qualifications. But a biblical approach to giving feedback precludes arrogance and challenges such false claims to power: be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:2-3). These virtues make it more likely that any feedback will be helpful, just and well-received.

(vi) Be Slow to Anger There are two issues to be addressed here. Firstly, there is anger that causes team members to give feedback hot-headedly and without appropriate reflection and timing, which is covered in the above point about patience and peace. And secondly, there is anger that stems from hearing critical feedback, especially if an individual perceives that he has been slighted or misrepresented. With the honest sharing of opinions and thoughts, comes the possibility of offence, and this is precisely why it is so important that feedback be given lovingly and in humility. But if we do find ourselves upset by another persons feedback, we should heed the Bibles advice and be slow to become angry (Jam 1:19b). If we overreact to peoples feedback then we are making it less likely that they will share honest feedback in the future.

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(vii) Speak Truthfully Finally, biblical feedback is concerned with making every effort to be truthful and to represent things fairly: each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body (Eph 4:25). As well as avoiding untruths, it is important when giving feedback to avoid exaggeration, crass stereotypes and idle assumptions traps that short-term mission teams may fall into as they work cross-culturally but without time to understand that culture deeply. Whilst it may be easier to pretend that everything is going well and to gloss over difficulties that people are experiencing, it is important that Christians be able to talk openly in love about unresolved issues, which can then be addressed before they worsen.

7.3.3 Contextualised Feedback Continuing to develop our theme of feedback as crucial for improving the effectiveness of short-term mission, and following on from our identification of biblical principles for the sharing of feedback, it is important to note that good feedback must be contextualised. That it to say, how feedback can be given, how it is received and understood, will vary from culture to culture. So whilst on a general level we may be able to recommend more or better feedback, on a practical level the nature of that feedback will necessarily differ. The points below typically relate to feedback being shared in the Moldovan context, with some broader points being extrapolated from the examples used. Of course, within Moldova there are occasions where practices may differ, but the following points are generally applicable throughout the country.

Power Differentials Those coming on short-term mission from Western countries have very probably been educated and socialised to be opinionated and to be confident about making

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their thoughts known. They may be more widely travelled, better off financially, and perhaps more experienced in certain ministries than their local host. The net result of these factors is that when somebody from Moldova and somebody from the West sit down to review things, there may be an unspoken, intangible but still very real imbalance of power between the two.

Power here is used in the sense of ability or perceived ability to influence or control events. A Christian who is seriously interested in the effectiveness of overseas mission must be wary lest his suggestions are accorded greater merit than they deserve merely because of the status his nationality gives him (another reason why it is so important to begin feedback with listening to ones host). For feedback to be contextualised, efforts need to be made for host and guest to be speaking from an equal platform.32 In some rural areas of Moldova, where pastors are much less likely to have formal theological training, they may need to be reassured that their opinions and perspectives should be listened to, which would help to balance the power differences involved.

Method of Feedback Again this is a factor where there is some difference between urban and rural Moldovans. Moldova has a high functional literacy rate (98.5%33), but this is not the same thing as saying that people read as widely as in more developed economies. Many Moldovans, including rural pastors, are simply too poor to own many books, and there is a knowing joke in parts of Moldova that a Bible and hymnbook are collectively termed a pastors library. In villages and rural churches, information is

This equality of opportunity to share feedback does not imply that one should inappropriately assume other equalities: Moldovan pastors typically are accorded significant respect and authority by their congregations and should be addressed using polite, formal Romanian forms of address unless they indicate otherwise, and visiting teenagers should not assume that their opinions carry equal weight (even if they are theological students). 33 Adult literacy rate, ages 15 and older (UNDP 2011, p159).

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transmitted orally, so one may walk from one end of a village to the other without seeing a word anywhere (one may be tempted to compare this favourably with the visual overstimulation one experiences in the West). On the other hand, one would certainly pass many people on the street, greet each of them and chat with several. The point is this: outside of Chiinu, Moldovans are more used to sharing and receiving information verbally than through reading or writing, and contextualised feedback must somehow take this into account.

Feedback can include some or all of the following: occasional and unplanned conversations, scheduled discussions, multiple-choice questionnaires, written evaluations, etc., as well as their online equivalents after a short-term mission event (e.g. Skype conversation, emailed feedback). Verbal feedback can be either in groups or one-to-one, and written feedback tends to be from one leader (host) to another (visiting team leader). Visiting STM teams who come via a missions organization may well have a formal evaluation to complete, which could include feedback from their host. Teams sent out by churches or composed of individuals organizing their own mission trips are less likely to collate and seek feedback unless those churches are either very experienced in mission or employ mission pastors.

After reflecting on the nature of Moldovan society and culture, and based on the comments and suggestions of Moldovan pastors and church leaders, this writer recommends that visiting team leaders and their hosts arrange to speak every day to reflect and share on how things are going. This is a better approach than simply waiting for problems to arise and then trying to broach them, which can seem confrontational or accusatory. It is better to have a regular daily time for leaders to reflect together at a senior level, i.e. a time distinct from daily team meetings, which are often dictated by the need to make arrangements for the coming day, and which

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might not be an appropriate setting for the sharing of more sensitive feedback. Coupled with this daily discussion between leaders, there should be a short, perhaps 2-3 page, evaluation form for everyone involved in the short-term mission, to be completed at the end of the mission week. If possible, the host leader should collate and summarise feedback and send this after the mission week; and the visiting STM leader should do likewise with feedback from his team. Both of these leaders have a crucial role in ensuring that feedback is fair, proportionate, relevant and in accordance with the biblical principles outlined above.

Justification and Understanding of Feedback Finally, we return to a point alluded to on several occasions: Moldovans may not be as familiar with some forms of feedback as those coming from Western Europe or from North America. Concepts such as 360 feedback34 are relatively unknown in Moldova and pastors of smaller churches may lead them unilaterally and with a strong emphasis on church discipline, often without a leadership team, elders, or equivalent. Christian leadership in Moldova may therefore appear to outsiders as being hierarchical or even authoritarian.35 In this context it will be important to explain the significance and desirability of group feedback.

Feedback is a particular form of communication between two or more parties, and includes both positive and negative comments. As such, when contextualising feedback one must be mindful of how, in the given culture, problems are dealt with, who may confide in whom, and other relevant social factors. In Moldova, a very high value is placed on providing hospitality (both outside of the church but especially
In contrast to traditional forms of appraisal, where managers review the performance of less senior employees, 360-degree feedback includes feedback from fellow workers, managers, subordinates and often self-evaluation, i.e. all aspects of ones work circle. 35 As Skirton says in his analysis of preaching in Moldova, Under the combined influences therefore of communism and orthodoxy there is an expectation that leaders provide strong (often authoritarian) leadership. Preachers therefore in Protestant churches enjoy a respect and spiritual authority which is generally speaking far greater than in the West (2009, p2).
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within), and some Christians may feel that to share negative feedback would tarnish or undermine their hospitality.36

It may be necessary, therefore, to create a neutral space where visitors can make comments without them being perceived as an attack on the host or their culture, and where Moldovan hosts can give feedback without this being seen as diminishing their own hospitality, which is indeed exceptional. A helpful metaphor to communicate this may be Pauls metaphor of the church as a body in which the different parts must communicate in order to cooperate fully (Eph 12:12-27), and where the parts should have equal concern for each other (v25), i.e. be prepared to listen to each others feedback after all, if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it (v26).

In Appendix 7 there are some questions to be considered when trying to contextualise feedback in different cultures.

In this chapter, we have looked at three key issues pertinent to improving the effectiveness of short-term mission in Moldova: Partnerships can add greater depth to relationships and promote unity; cultural sensitivity improves both how STM teams perform and how well they are received; and better feedback allows teams to assess and improve their performance and effectiveness.

In several of the research interviews, as well as at the STM seminar in Chiinu, respondents referred to their hospitality and were anxious to know whether visitors had enjoyed it.

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CHAPTER 8 FURTHER MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

In this chapter we briefly consider some broader missiological implications related to this study, and consider the scope for further research.

8.1 Role of STM in Mission/Missiology There is no consensus as to the role of short-term mission in world mission and in missiology. As we saw in Chapter 2, there are those who are adamant that, by definition, STM is too short-term to be considered mission; those who believe that STM should be regarded primarily as a way of developing team members; and others who believe that STM is or at least could be an effective and relevant means of conducting mission in the twenty-first century. What is unfortunate is that sometimes a sending church has a different understanding of the purpose of STM (e.g. discipleship of its young people) from their host church (e.g. reaching others through evangelism). If these purposes differ, there can be conflicting approaches and tensions within the team, with people at cross-purposes.

This author strongly recommends that the focus of short-term mission be on the material and spiritual needs of the receiving community. Serving others in this way has much greater resonance with New Testament approaches to mission. When we are serving God by living and working missionally, we should certainly expect Him to bless, transform and disciple us. But the modern preference for prioritising ones own transformation seems just that: a modern preference with its origins in an individualistic, consumerist society that leads people to ask what are they getting

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from a STM trip and prioritising their own need to grow spiritually over other peoples need for salvation and personal and social transformation. As Jeffrey laments, North Americans often come seeking the emotional rewards of hands-on involvement rather than a way to make an investment in long-term empowerment (2001, p5). The situation is exacerbated when such emotional rewards are spiritualised and made to sound worthy but actually draw attention away from the needs of the host community.

It is time for short-term mission to be taken even more seriously within missiological circles.37 Yes, it is sometimes amateur. Yes, it is often limited in impact. And yes, by its very nature it will lack the depth of long-term mission. But it seems, at least to this writer, that STM deserves to be respected because it is a vehicle for Gods work around the world today. It is a sign of Gods church being innovative and creative as a younger generation of Christians respond in their own way to the serious task of global evangelization and global transformation in Christs name.38 It should be taken seriously because it is allowing many, many more Christians to take an active, participatory role in world mission; and it should be taken seriously because it is playing a strategic role in building up, encouraging and empowering local churches around the world. Moldovan churches continue to invite short-term mission teams to serve alongside them they are asking for deeper partnerships, not fewer and this

It is instructive that several key missiological texts contain no references to short-term mission, from Boschs Transforming Mission (1991) and Kirks What is Mission? (1999) to, more recently, Wrights The Mission of God (2006) and Walls and Rosss Mission in the 21st Century (2008). A review by Liston (2010) of all issues of Missiology, IBMR and Missionalia between 2003 and 2007 found just 9 out of 302 articles covered short-term mission all of which came from a single issue of Missiology. 38 On the link between short-term mission and generational profiles, Bennett quotes an interviewee who observes that We have to think about training, discipling and mobilizing each generation in different ways. Generations X and Y are hands-on. They have to get out there and experience it themselves (2006). See also Bolster (2007, p4) on the Millennial Generation, and Baker (1997, p77) on baby boomers in STM. An alternative understanding of long-term shifts in mission is provided by Balia and Kim (2010, p130), who note that society has shifted from an industrial culture to an information culture, with greater stress on networks, thereby increasing the importance of international partnerships, including short-term mission.

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strongly indicates that the short-term mission movement is considered effective and worthy by local churches, using their own criteria of usefulness, rather than ours.

8.2 Ongoing Missiological Biases One motive for writing this paper was a desire to hear Moldovan perspectives on mission. This research has taken a small but important step in this direction, by interviewing 22 pastors and youthworkers, alongside many other, less formal, conversations. Having read the missiological literature on short-term mission, this author is deeply concerned that non-Western voices are practically inaudible for every research piece exploring the perspective of host churches or host communities there are dozens commenting on the impact on team members (despite the fact that many writers have criticised this imbalance over the years). As Nelson et al note in their discussion of the local churchs role in global mission, over and over again, our Southern partners remind us of the need to listen (2011, p120, emphasis added).

A further bias in the missiological literature on short-term mission is geographical, in that a very high proportion relates to the Americas. On one level, this is understandable, since the majority of STM flows are from North to South America.39 On the other hand, much more attention needs to be paid to divergent perspectives both receivers (e.g. what does STM in Eastern Europe look like?40) and non-

Priest, Wilson and Johnson (2010, p98) surveyed 405 megachurches and found the top six destinations for their mission trips to be: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Brazil. Parks survey in Priest et al (2008, p514) of 869 students from four US Christian colleges yielded data on 1055 STM trips 45.4% of which were to Mexico and Central America, South America and Latin America; and 13.1% of which were to Eastern Europe. 40 Smither in Evangelical Missions Quarterly (forthcoming) is the only article which touches on short-term mission in Eastern Europe and even then his focus is actually in the Balkans of south-eastern Europe. In 2007, an entire issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology was dedicated to considering short-term mission in Peru and other Latin American countries, with informative articles by Priest and several of his colleagues. It would be a worthwhile enterprise to publish similar articles from European host perspectives as well as African, Asian and other perspectives.

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Western senders (e.g. what does STM conducted by Koreans or Indians look like?). This paper calls for more research in these areas.

8.3 Second-World Missiology? With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990-91 and the end of the Cold War, the term second-world has fallen from popular and academic usage. Historically, second-world referred to Communist states under the influence of the Soviet Union, including Moldova. With the loss of this term, perhaps we are lacking an adequate terminology for this part of the world. When people talk of Europe of how secular it has become, or how post-Christian it is they are typically talking of Western and Central Europe, whereas the Eastern European picture is quite different.

The question becomes, therefore, whether there is a distinctly Eastern European perspective on mission; an Eastern European or second-world missiology? In the last fifty years there has been much progress towards listening to decentred, feminist, postcolonial and other non-Western perspectives, whether from Africa, Asia or Latin America. This author suggests that, missiologically speaking, we also need to listen to different, quieter voices from within Europe and to not treat Europe as a homogenous whole.41 A similar point was made by a Ukrainian missiologist, who notes that the soil of the former communist countries requires different methods of gospel-message contextualisation (Golovin, 2008, p63).

8.4 Further Research This research exercise has attempted to prove that it is both possible and desirable to listen to the perspectives of those who receive and host short-term mission teams. In a relatively small country like Moldova, it has in some ways been easier to
In this regard, we are furthering Mt-Tths discussion (2000) of whether a theology of the Second World will develop by attesting the need for, more specifically, a Second-World missiology.
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collate information and to develop a picture of what is happening. This author would encourage other researchers to investigate indigenous perspectives on short-term mission to complement the considerable amount of research conducted into sender/goer perspectives. With little modification, the survey used here could be applied to other countries, and it would be very interesting to discover host perspectives on STM from around the worlds continents.

It would also be possible to conduct further research within Moldova, potentially with a larger sample size and including a greater number of Christian denominations, as well as holding more in-depth discussions with church leaders on the key issues identified here, such as partnership, cultural sensitivity, and the contextualisation of feedback.

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CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSION

This listening exercise was conducted in order to understand the perspectives of Moldovan church leaders who host short-term mission teams from Europe and North America. It was decided that one-to-one, confidential interviews would lead to the most reliable and most instructive responses. The core of this research is based on the opinions and experiences of those 22 interviewees with collective experience of nearly 400 short-term mission trips together with informal feedback from many other Moldovans and some foreign missionaries. The most important voice in this research is not that of the author, but of the Moldovan church, which has been invited to lovingly but forthrightly tell us foreigners how we may wish to modify how we do mission here, in the light of their wisdom and experience.

It was especially important to give voice to Moldovans involved in short-term mission, because around the world very few missiologists have prioritised host perspectives and listened to their experiences. We agree with Ver Beek in Priest (2008, p490) that it is very distressing that there is so little information on those receiving short-term missionaries, and echo his call for more high quality research regarding the lasting impact of STM on the receiving communities.

By listening to these perspectives, we have everything to gain: not only do we acquire a deeper understanding of the missional context; but we grow closer to our international brothers and sisters in faith, working together more effectively. We

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honour host churches and host communities when we put their needs and priorities above our own desire for personal growth or horizon-broadening.

In Chapters 6 and 7 we discussed the effectiveness of short-term mission and how, ultimately, host churches are in a better position to gauge the impact of missional activity in their area. We also saw that effectiveness will increase when we pay special attention to partnership, cultural sensitivity and feedback. This last issue was crucial because, no matter how well prepared a short-term mission team, problems and unpredictable events will occur and there will be differences of opinion between co-workers which can be discussed and resolved through feedback, especially when it adheres to the biblical principles we identified. We concluded that both the content and the method of any feedback will need to respect the local culture, that is to say it must be contextualised, like so many other aspects of cross-cultural mission.

As a missiological discipline, short-term mission is scarcely older than the Republic of Moldova, which gained its independence in 1991. For much of that time there has been sustained criticism of how we do short-term mission but as the global church becomes more experienced in this type of mission we trust it is also becoming more competent.42 As we learn from our mistakes, we must be alert both to the guidance of Gods Holy Spirit, and to the opinions of our international co-workers in Christ. Missiologists and missionaries alike need the humility to seek out and accept other perspectives as well as the boldness to continue crossing every conceivable cultural and geographical barrier to work alongside others in transforming the world

On this point, it is positive to have Codes of Practice for short-term mission, as well as a general increase in focus on training, preparation and debriefing for team members. The US Standards of Excellence in Short-term Mission was launched in 2003, five years after a UK version (Peterson 2004, 2006). From the information available, however, it seems that these Codes were drawn up in consultation with short-term mission practitioners but without explicit input from national hosts.

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in Christs name, listening together as we labour together as Gods fellow-workers (1 Cor 3:9a).

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Ford, J. and Ford, C. (2010) The Short Term Missions Handbook [eBook], Chalef LLC. Fox, F.F. (2003) Screwtape on Summer Missions. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 39(4), pp482-489. Friesen, R.G. (2004) The Long-Term Impact of Short-Term Missions on the Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviours of Young Adults, Thesis (PhD), University of South Africa. Friesen, R.G. (2005) The Long-term Impact of Short-term Missions. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 41(4), pp448-454. George, S.K. (2004) Called as Partners in Christs Service: The Practice of Gods Mission, Louisville: Geneva Press. Gibson, M. (2010) Short-term Missions Transform Congregations. Missio Apostolica, pp23-29. Gibson, T., Hawthorne, S. and Krekel, R. eds. (1992) Stepping Out: A Guide to Short Term Missions, Seattle: YWAM Publishing. Givens, E.M. (2004) When are Short-Term Trips Terminal?. Lausanne World Pulse, pp6-7. Global Connections (3 April 2007) Are you thinking about taking responsibility for sending a team or volunteer on short-term mission? [online]. Available at <http://www.globalconnections.co.uk/OneStopCMS/Core/CrawlerResourceServer.a spx?resource=138352cd8f7e4218943d9652902c6112&mode=link&guid=c6c6e03cb ab141ac8af59171b805b7eb>. Global Connections (2012) Short Term Mission Teams Suggested Planning Timescale [Online]. Available at: <http://www.globalconnections.co.uk/ Resources/Global Connections/Codes and Standards/STM Teams - generic planning timescale.pdf> [Accessed 15 February 2012]. Global Connections (12 February 2012) Code of Best Practice in Short-term Mission [online]. Available at <http://www.globalconnections.co.uk/code.asp>. Green, A. (2008) Missions Boot Camp. Christianity Today 52(2), pp60-63. Guerrina, R. (2002) Europe: History, Ideas, Ideologies, London: Arnold. Guthrie, S. (2001) Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, Milton Keynes: Paternoster. Haker, H., Sowle Cahill, L. and Wainwright, E. eds. (2011) Human Trafficking, London: SCM Press. Hall, Jr., J.W. (2006) Mission Faithfulness Requires Short-term Missionaries [Online]. Available at: <http://cis.nts.edu/pdfs/jhall.pdf> [Accessed 10 February 2012]. Hanciles, J.J. (2006) Transformations within Global Christianity and the Western Missionary Enterprise. Mission Focus 14, pp4-27. Harries, J. (2006) The Effectiveness of Short-term Mission to Africa: In Respect to Westernising, Christianising and Dependence Creation [Online]. Available at:

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<www.jim-mission.org.uk/articles/effectiveness-of-short-term-mission-to-africa.html> [Accessed 12 May 2012]. Harris, P. (2002) Calling Young People to Missionary Vocations in a Yahoo World. Missiology 30(1), pp33-50. Heerwagen, B.J. and Grudda, D. (2006) The Next Mile: Short-Term Missions for the Long Haul, Waynesboro: Authentic Media. Henighan, S. (2002) Lost Province: Adventures in a Moldovan Family, Vancouver: Prospect Hiebert, P.G. (2006) The Missionary as Mediator of Global Theologizing in Ott, C. and Netland, H.A. eds., Globalizing Theology. Belief and Practice in an Era of World Christianity, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. Hiebert, P.G. (2007) Short-termers Leave Your Jeans, Shorts and Sneakers at Home! [Online]. Available at: <http://globalmissiology.org/english/legacy/Hiebertpaper-MSWord.pdf> [Accessed 10 February 2012]. Hoeft, T. (2010) Maximum Impact: From Short-Term Missions to Long-Term Results. Youthworker Journal [online]. Available from: <http://www.youthworker. com/youth-ministry-resources-ideas/youth-ministry/11634053/> [Accessed 20 February 2012]. Holzmann, J. (1988) Short Terms: Factors Not Often Considered. Mission Frontiers [online] 10(3). Available from: <http://www.missionfrontiers.org/pdf/1988/ 03/m882.htm> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Howell, B.M. (2009) Mission to Nowhere: Putting Short-Term Missions into Context, International Bulletin of Missionary Research 33(4), pp206-211. Ioni, V. (2009) Cooperation and the Promotion of Unity: An Orthodox Perspective, in Kerr, D.A. and Ross, K.R., Edinburgh 2010 Mission Then and Now, Oxford: Regnum. Jackson, D. (2006) Appendix 1 Mapping European Contextual Morality and Identity, in Mapping Baptistic Identity, Grams, R.G. and Parushev, P.R. eds., Mapping Baptistic Identity: Towards an Understanding of European Baptist Identity, Prague: IBTS. Jackson, D. (2011b) Short-term Missions: Effective Evangelism or Hollow Hype? Vision for Youth Magazine, p13. Jaffarian, M. (2008) The Statistical State of the North American Protestant Missions Movement, from the Mission Handbook, 20th edition. International Bulletin of Missionary Research 31(1), pp35-38. Janzen, W. (2006) The Springboard of Short-term Missions. Lausanne World Pulse [online]. Available from: <http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/themedarticles.php /263/03-2006> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Johnson, K. (2003) Mission Trip Prep Kit Leader's Guide: Complete Preparation for your Students Cross-Cultural Experience, Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Youth Specialties. Johnstone, D.M. (2006) Closing the Loop: Debriefing and the Short-Term College Missions Team. Missiology 34(4), pp523-529.

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Jones, K.G. and Randall, I.M. eds. (2008) Counter-Cultural Communities: Baptistic Life in Twentieth-Century Europe, Milton Keynes: Paternoster. Judge, C. (2006) Short-term MissionsHow Things Have Changed!, Lausanne World Pulse [online]. Available from: <http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/ themedarticles.php/241/03-2006> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Kerns, B. (2011) The Hidden Danger of Short-Term Missions. Youthworker Journal [online]. Available from: <http://www.youthworker.com/youth-camps-missions/ 11644679/> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Kim, B. (2004) Asian Vision STM 2015 A Case for Mobilizing Filipino Christians for Short-term Mission. Journal of Asian Missions 6(2), pp195-212. Kirby, S.H. (1995) Short-Term Volunteer Foreign Mission Experiences: What Difference Do They Make in the Lives of the Participants?, Thesis (DMin), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Knitter, P.F. (2005) Mission and Dialogue. Missiology 33(2), pp200-210. Koll, K.A. (2010) Taking Wolves Among Lambs: Some Thoughts on Training for Short-term Mission Facilitation. International Bulletin of Missionary Research 34(2), pp93-96. LaBreche, A. (2010) Cross-Cultural Issues Facing American Evangelical Missionaries in Romania, East-West Church & Ministry Report 18(4), pp6-9. Lamberty, K. (2009) A Tool Kit for Short-Term Mission. New Theology Review 22(4), pp73-76. Lee, M. and Calver, V. (2007) Raising Standards in Mission. Connections 6(2), pp6-8. Lee, M. (2010) Short-Term Mission: What are the Criticisms we Face? (A Global Connections paper) [Online]. Available at: <http://www.globalconnections.co.uk/ Resources/Global%20Connections/Forums/Shortterm%20Mission%20Forum/What %20are%20the%20Criticisms%20we%20Face%20-%20Martin%20Lee%20-%20Oct %2010.pdf> [Accessed 3 February 2012]. Linhart, T.D. (2005) Planting Seeds: The Curricular Hope of Short Term Mission Experiences in Youth Ministry. Christian Education Journal Series 3, 2(2), pp256272. Linhart, T.D. (2006) They Were So Alive!: The Spectacle Self and Youth Group Short-Term Mission Trips. Missiology 34(4), pp451-462. Linhart, T.D. (2010) How we Learn from Short-Term Mission Experiences: A Grounded Theory Modification of the Joplin Model. Christian Education Journal Series 3, 7(1), pp172-185. Livermore, D.A. (2004) AmeriCAN or AmeriCANT? A Critical Analysis of Western Training to the World. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 40(4), pp458-466. Livermore, D.A. (2006b) The 14-year-old missionary?!: Re-Thinking Short-Term Missions. Relevant Leader Magazine. Livermore, D.A. (2007a) Leave Your Baggage At Home: An Open Letter to Youth Ministry Workers Planning Short-Term Missions. Youthworker Journal, p80.

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Livermore, D.A. (2007b) Culture Smarts: A More Culturally Intelligent Approach to Short-term Missions, Network Magazine, pp3,30-31. Lo, J. (2000) What Have We Done?, Evangelical Missions Quarterly 36(4), pp436438. Long, J. (2006) Ten Suggestions for Short-term Mission Workers. Lausanne World Pulse [online]. Available at: <http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/urban.php/268/032006> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Loobie, S.G. (2000) Short-Term Missions: Is It Worth It?. Latin American Evangelist 80, pp6-8. Lundy, D. (2005) Borderless Church: Shaping the Church for the 21st Century, Milton Keynes: Authentic. Martin, D. (2011) The Future of Christianity: Reflections on Violence and Democracy, Religion and Secularization, Farnham: Ashgate. Maslucn, R. (2007) Short-Term Missions: Analysis and Proposals. Journal of Latin American Theology 2(2), pp139-158. Mathews, E. (1992) Short-Term Efforts and Long-Term Effects. Journal of Applied Missiology [online] 3(2). Available at: <http://www.ovc.edu/missions/jam/ shrtlong.htm> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. May, S. (2000) Short-term Mission Trips Are Great, IF Evangelical Missions Quarterly 36(4), pp444-457. Meroff, D. (2011) Europe: Restoring Hope, Linz, Austria: OM Books. Moore, S. (15 February 2012) The Keys to a Quality Debriefing [online]. Available at <http://www.shorttermmissions.com/articles/quality_debriefing/complete>. Moreau, A.S. ed. (2000) Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, Grand Rapids: Baker Books. Moreau, A.S. (2011) A Current Snapshot of North American Protestant Missions. International Bulletin of Missionary Research 35(1), pp12-16. Moreau, A.S. and ORear, M. (2004) All You Ever Wanted on Short-Term Missions. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 40(1), pp100-105. Morgan, G.R. and Easterling, J.F. (2008) The Potential Value of Short-term Missions as Preparation for Long-term Cross-cultural Ministry and Service: A case study of the internship program of Northwestern College, Global Missiology 1(6). Moser, M.K. (2011) Valentinas Story: Trafficking in Women in Moldova, in Haker, H., Sowle Cahill, L. and Wainwright, E. eds., Human Trafficking, London: SCM Press. Muriu, O. (2007) The African Planter: An Interview with Oscar Muriu. Leadership Journal 28(2), pp97-101. Mller, K., Bevans, S.B., Sundermeier, T. and Bliese, R.H. eds. (1998) Dictionary of Mission: Theology, History, Perspectives, Maryknoll: Orbis.

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Negru, P. (2004a) A Survey of the History of Christianity in the Romanian Principalities from the 17th to the 19th Centuries: Between East and West. Perichoresis 2(1), pp3-25. Negru, P. (2004b) The Orthodox and the Evangelicals: Cooperation or Confrontation?. Perichoresis 2(2), pp13-26. Noonen, J. (2006) Short-Term Missions: Refractive Errors and the Hope of Proper Treatment [Online]. Available at: <http://cis.nts.edu/pdfs/noonen.pdf> [Accessed 10 January 2012]. OSullivan, A. (2004) The Changes to Short-Term Mission Work. The Baptist Times, 19th August, pp8-9. Palmatier, A. (2002) Spring Break Mission Trips: A Blessing or a Curse?. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 38(2), pp228-232. Palomino, M.. (2007) If Everything is Mission, Nothing is Mission: Reflections on Short-Term Missions. Journal of Latin American Theology 2(2), pp208-226. Paredes, T. (2007) Short-term Missions: What Can be Rescued, What Can be Criticized, and the Challenge of Contextualization. Journal of Latin American Theology 2(2), pp249-259. Parrott, D. (2004) Managing the Short-Term Missions Explosion. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 40(3), pp356-360. Peace Corps (22nd February 2012) Moldova [online]. Available at: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.easteurope&cntry=mold ova. Pelt, L. (1992) Whats Behind the Wave of Short-termers?: Questions about Motives Focus on Both Baby Boomers Themselves and the Agencies. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 28(4), pp384-388. Plueddemann, J. (2011) Globalization, Global Church and Educational Ministries: Forging Ecclesiological Relationships Between the Christian South and the PostChristian West. Christian Education Journal, Series 3, 8(2), pp395-405. Powell, K., Linhart, T., Livermore, D. and Griffin, B. (2007) If We Send Them, They Will Grow Maybe. The Journal of Student Ministries 3(2). Priest, R.J. (2007b) Introduction: Short-term Missions and the Latin American Church. Journal of Latin American Theology 2(2), pp7-20. Priest, R.J. and Ver Beek, K. (2005b) Who Gets Socially Rich from Short-Term Missions? Christianity Today [online], 8 July. Available at: <http://www. christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/julyweb-only/52.0.html> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Radecke, M.W. (2010) Misguided Missions: Ten Worst Practices. The Christian Century 127(10), 18 May, pp22-25. Ramet, S.P. (1998) Nihil Obstat: Religion, Politics, and Social Change in EastCentral Europe and Russia, Durham: Duke University Press. Ramet, S.P. (2006) The way we were and should be again? European Orthodox Churches and the idyllic past in Byrnes, T.A. and Katzenstein, P.J. eds., Religion in an Expanding Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Reese, R. (2008) Short-term Missions as a Spiritual Exercise. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 44(2), pp158-163. Rickett, D. (2002) Making Your Partnership Work: A Guide for Ministry Leaders, Enumclaw, WA: WinePress Publishing. Rickett, D. (2007) The Promise of Short-Term Missions (A paper presented at the annual conference of the Fellowship of Short-Term Missions Leaders) [Online]. Available at: <http://estrategiadetransformacion.com/assets/docs/articles/ ShortTermMissionTrips.pdf> [Accessed 14 February 2012]. Rickett, D. (2008b) Short-term Missions for Long-term Partnership. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 44(1), pp42-46. Robbins, C. and Hammer, R. (2003) Giving Guidelines for Russian Short-Term Missions. East-West Church & Ministry Report 11(2), p16. Robert, D.L. (2011) Cross-Cultural Friendship in the Creation of Twentieth-Century World Christianity. International Bulletin of Missionary Research 35(2), pp100-107. Robinson, G.G. ed. (2008) Striking the Match: How God is Using Ordinary People to Change the World Through Short-term Missions, Franklin: E3 Resources. Rodewald, M. (2010) Short-term Mission: A Reflection. Missio Apostolica 18(1), pp48-56. Root, A. (2008) The Youth Ministry Mission Trip as Global Tourism: Are we OK with this?. Dialog: A Journal of Theology 47(4), pp314-319. Rowe, J. (2006) Dancing with Elephants: Accountability in Cross-Cultural Christian Partnerships. Encounters Mission Ezine, Issue 10. Saint, S. (1998) Looking at Missions from Their Side, Not Ours. Mission Frontiers 20(5-6), pp16-19. Schwartz, G.J. (2004a) How Short-Term Missions Can Go Wrong. International Journal of Frontier Missions 21(1), pp27-34. Schwartz, G.J. (2004b) Short-Term Mission Trips: Maximizing the Benefits. Mission Frontiers 26(2), p12. Slimbach, R. (2000) First, Do No Harm, Evangelical Missions Quarterly 36(4), pp428-441. Smith, W.Y. (2012) Can Short-Term Teams Foster Long-Term Church-Planting Movements? Mission Frontiers, pp6-9. Sotelo, S. (2007) Impacting Lives, Changing the World. Youthworker Journal [online]. Available at: <http://www.youthworker.com/youth-ministry-resources-ideas/ youth-culture-news/11553357/> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Sprowl, D.A. (2011) Successful Short-Term Effectiveness [eBook], Amazon Media. Missions: The Elements of

Stachura, M. (1994) Seven Principles for Highly Effective Short-Term Missions. East-West Church & Ministry Report 2, pp6-8.

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Stiles, J.M. and Stiles, L. (2000) Mack and Leeanns Guide to Short-term Missions, Downers Grove: IVP. Tan, K. (2008) Who is in the Drivers Seat: A critique of mission partnership models between Western missions and East Asian mission movements. Encounters Mission Ezine 24, pp1-7. Taylor, W.D. ed. (2000) Global Missiology for the 21st Century: The Iguassu Dialogue, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. Thomas, S. and McDaniel, C. (2011) The Next Mile: A Coachs Guide [eBook], DELTA Ministries International. Thornton, P. (2012) Cross-cultural Evangelism and Short-term Missions: How Do We Do It Well?. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 48(3), pp302-307. Tipton, G. and Walker, W. (2011) Ten Days: A Mission Experience that Gets You Off the Bench and Into the Game, Brentwood, Tennessee: Every Nation Productions. Tomka, M. (2005) Church, State and Society in Eastern Europe, Washington: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. Tomka, M. and Zulehner, P.M. eds. (2000) Religion During and After Communism, London: SCM Press. Townsend, C. (1996) Stop, Check, Go: A Short-term Overseas Projects Checklist, Carlisle: OM Publishing. Tucker, J.M. (2001) Short-term Missions: Building Sustainable Relationships. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 37(4), pp436-439. Mission

Tucker, J.M. (2006) Fellowship of Short-term Mission Leaders. Lausanne World Pulse [online]. Available at: <http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/themedarticles. php/244/03-2006> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Turlac, O.P. (2004a) Moldovan Outreach to Central Asia and Russia. East-West Church & Ministry Report 12(4), pp7-8. Turlac, O.P. (2004b) Moldovan Evangelicals: Struggling to Overcome a Fortress Mentality and Emigration. East-West Church & Ministry Report 12(2), pp13-14. Turlac, O.P. (2005) A Response to Peter Mitskevich on Theological Education. East-West Church & Ministry Report 13(1), pp15-16. Van Engen, J. (2000) The Cost of Short-term Missions. The Other Side 36(1), pp20-30. Vlchez-Blancas, E. (2007) Short-Term Missions: A Sign of Mutations, Tensions, and Challenges in Mission. Journal of Latin American Theology 2(2), pp159-174. Walker, K. (2003) Agencies Announce Short-term Mission Standards. Christianity Today 47(10), p30. Walker, K. (2010) Homeward Bound? Short-term missions may be shifting domestic. Christianity Today, p15.

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Walling, S.M., Ericksson, C.B., Meese, K.J., Ciovica, A., Gorton, D. and Foy, D.W. (2006) Cultural Identity and Reentry in Short-Term Student Missionaries. Journal of Psychology and Theology 34(2), pp153-164. Wan, E. and Penman, K.P. (2010) The How, Why and Who of Partnership in Christian Missions. Global Missiology 3(7). Wang, D. (2001) Short Term Trips Continue to Impact Lives. Asian Outreach [online]. Available at: <http://www.strategicnetwork.org/index.php?loc=kb&view= v&id=7438&fto=3940&> [Accessed 27 February 2012]. Williams, D. (2008) Redirecting Members of Short-term Mission to Unreached People Groups. Global Missiology 1(6). Williams, G. (2011) Get in the Go: A Guide to Short-Term Missions, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. Winter, R.D. (2005) Editorial Comment. Mission Frontiers 27(3), pp4-5. Zehner, E. (2006) Short-term Missions: Toward a More Field-Oriented Model. Missiology 34(4), pp509-521.

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APPENDIX 1 RESEARCH INTERVIEW

Section A Background Information Name of interviewee: Date of interview: Confirmed has experience of cross-cultural short-term mission? Location of interview: Residence of interviewee (if different from above): Denomination and position within church: Y/N

Section B Experience of Short-term Mission B1. If we define a short-term mission as lasting between 1 week and 1 year, approximately how many short-term missions have you experienced in Moldova, working with foreigners? (e.g. Americans, Romanians, Brits)

B2. And when was the first of these?

B3. How long is a typical short-term mission trip that you have experienced in Moldova?

B4. And from which countries do team members come?

B5. (a) What is the average team size, and (b) what is the largest mission team you have worked with?

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B6. Which forms of short-term mission trip have you participated in, here in Moldova? (Tick all that apply) Childrens camps Adult camps Evangelistic events/programmes Medical missions Working with disabled people Construction projects Development/Practical help Other (specify):

B7. (a) What is the average age of team members, and (b) what is the average age of team leaders?

B8. To do short-term mission in Moldova well, what would you suggest as a minimum age limit?

Section C Short-term Mission Practices C1. Please describe how your connections with short-term mission teams were first established.

C2. How would you describe your relationship with these teams now? [Prompt if necessary: e.g. improved, closed, ongoing, etc.]

C3. Please describe to what extent you were involved in the planning of the shortterm missions (Especially, what was your role and what was the visiting team leaders role?)

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C4. After a short-term mission project, do you have the opportunity to give feedback/comments and constructive criticism to those who participated (or their team leader)? If yes, please describe how this is done.

C5. If you have given feedback/comments in the past, do you feel that this has led to change?

Section D Reflections on Short-term Mission in Moldova (i) Mission Practice and Theory D1. What do you consider to be the benefits of having foreigners involved in shortterm mission in Moldova?

D2. In your experience, do foreign short-term mission teams have clear aims and objectives?

D3. How effective do you think these short-term mission teams have been?

D4. Does the work of short-term mission teams fit in with your long-term vision or is their ministry somewhat separate? (If it has fitted, please describe how)

D5. Do you think that foreigners involved in short-term mission in Moldova have similar beliefs to Moldovan Christians? In what significant ways do their values or theology differ?

D6. Would you say that the gospel is (1) universal and only needs to be translated into a local language, or (2) that it needs to be adapted or explained in a different way in each culture? (ii) Working cross-culturally D7. From your experience, how much do short-term missionaries know about Moldova before they arrive? How many of them speak Russian or Romanian?

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D8. Do they make much effort to learn about Moldovan culture during their stay? Definitely To a large extent To some extent To a small extent Not at all

D9. How much do foreign short-term missionaries respect Moldovan traditions (e.g. dress codes, position of youth in society, gender roles)? Can you give examples where they have not done so?

D10. If you were offended by the actions of a short-term missionary, would you feel free to say something to their team leader?

(iii) Feedback D11. During short-term mission trips, do you have the opportunity to

discuss/evaluate how things are going? (How? E.g. in passing conversation; formal review; daily reviews; in team meetings; only with team leader, etc.)

D12. After short-term mission trips, do you have the opportunity to discuss/evaluate how things went? (How? E.g. in conversation; formal review; emails; written reports, etc.)

D13. Upon reflection, what do you think would be the best way for church workers such as yourself to give constructive feedback to help short-term missionaries coming to Moldova?

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D14. Do you think that short-term missionaries in Moldova listen to the opinions and ideas of yourself and other Moldovan Christians? Always Usually Sometimes Rarely Never

D15. Which positive words would you use to describe the attitude of those coming to Moldova as short-term missionaries?

D16. Which negative words might you use to describe the attitude of those coming to Moldova as short-term missionaries?

(iv) Concluding Remarks D17. If you could give short-term missionaries one or two pieces of advice for working cross-culturally in Moldova, what would they be?

D18. And, finally, are there any things that you would like to say to short-term missionaries but which you havent previously felt able to say?

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APPENDIX 2 ADDITIONAL RELIGIOUS CONTEXT

The Development of Protestantism in Moldova According to Briggs (2009, p335), Protestantism arrived in Moldova in 1876, via German Baptist missionaries, with a Romanian-speaking Baptist church being established three years later. Ukrainian Baptists also evangelised Moldova, and by 1908 a Russian-speaking Baptist church was planted in Moldova by Andrei Ivanov. By 1927 these two strands of Christians, purportedly differentiated more by language than theological belief, merged. For a while the church prospered in Moldova, with well organized ministries: evangelism, youthwork [and] theological courses of preachers (p336). Bondareva, one of the very few writers to have researched Moldovan church history, adds that pre-war Baptist churches were characterised by a strong emphasis on mission (2004, p5).

During the Second World War, Moldova was occupied by first German and then Russian troops. Post-war settlements saw Moldova ceded to the Soviet Union, with the addition of some Ukrainian territory to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. Its new rulers demanded that all churches be registered with Moscow, and by 1949 Moldovan churches had become divided between those accepting this legal requirement, and those choosing to stand against it. Briggs (2009, p336) correctly observes that tensions between registered and unregistered churches have not been fully solved even today.

Religious Adherence Using a different measure of religiosity to that used in Chapter 3.3, Sarkissian (2009, p488) argues that religious adherence in Moldova in 2005 was as follows:

TABLE X RELIGIOUS ADHERENCE OF MOLDOVANS, 2005 Orthodox Christians not in Majority Atheist/Non-religious Other 45.9% 25.6% 21.9% 6.6%

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These figures, if reliable, indicate a more complex pattern of Moldovan religiosity than more nominal measures such as religious affiliation or identity.

Government Statistics on Religious Groupings The latest official figures come from the 2004 census

(www.statistica.md/public/files/Recensamint/Recensamintul_populatiei/vol_1/10_Rel igia_Rne_ro.xls), which classifies people as follows:

TABLE XI MOLDOVAN RELIGIOUS GROUPINGS IN THE 2004 CENSUS

Orthodox Baptist Seventh Day Adventist Pentecostal Old Rite Christian Evangelic Christian Roman Catholic Evangelic Synodo Presbyterian Other religions Atheists Without religion Not stated Total

3,158,015 32,754 13,503 9,179 5,094 5,075 4,645 3,596 29,813 12,724 33,207 75,727 3,383,332

93.34% 0.97% 0.40% 0.27% 0.15% 0.15% 0.14% 0.11% 0.88% 0.38% 0.98% 2.24% 100.0%

In terms of regional variation, the proportion of Orthodox ranges from 79.7% (Briceni region) to 98.8% (Nisporeni region) and the proportion of Baptists ranges from 0.05% (Dondueni region) to 3.47% (Cahul region). The respective figures for the capital Chiinu are 88.36% Orthodox and 0.62% Baptist. The highest concentrations of followers of some other denominations include 2.3% of Briceni region being Pentecostal, 1.24% of Cahul region being Seventh Day Adventists, 2.65% of Floreti region being Old Rite Christians, 0.55% of Edine region being Evangelic Christian and 0.78% of Bli Municipality being Roman Catholic.

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According to the European Baptist Federation (2012), Moldovas Baptist Union (the Union of Christian Evangelical Baptist Churches of Moldova, Uniunea Bisericilor Cretine Evanghelice Baptiste din Moldova) has 19,604 members across 481 churches. Concerning more qualitative aspects of belief, surveys conducted by Grams and Parushev (2006) have reported that Moldovan Baptists have a low interest in terms of church involvement in society (pp122-124) and can be regarded as separatists from culture (p133).

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APPENDIX 3 BENEFITS OF SHORT-TERM MISSION TRIPS

Respondents were free to mention any number of perceived benefits of short-term mission trips. Below is a list of those benefits, together with the number of times they were mentioned. There were 57 responses in total, i.e. 2.6 per respondents.

11 7 6 5

People are attracted by foreign teams and more likely to listen to them Visiting teams bring financial and/or material support The teams inspire, motivate and challenge the local church The STM teams bring greater organisation and focus Teams from other cultures bring new perspectives and a change of experience

Spiritual support/growth Encouragement Team brings determination and persistence

Friendship Own personal faith grows through co-operation with visitors

Good teaching Led to other international relationships Good fellowship and worship Visitors bring pure love Increased credibility for the receiving church Winning the lost for Christ (i.e. personal conversion) Presence of foreigners is a benefit They initiate ongoing projects Leads to long-term partnerships with the local church Provides enough labour for what we want to do

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APPENDIX 4 (a) POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS ATTRIBUTED TO STM TEAMS (Number of Mentions)

9 8 5 4 3 2

Desire to serve Dedicated/Devoted Sacrificial, Friendly Willing/Keen Open, Compassionate, Loving Well-organised, Lovers of Gods Word, Unassuming, Modest/Humble, Benevolent, Understanding

Nice, Forgiving, Creative, Helpful, Special, Important, In the right place, Sincere, Tolerant, Brave, Respectful, Listening, Passionate for the lost, Giving, Good partners, Responsible, Fellowship, Encouraging, Faithful, Full of life

There were 72 positive characteristics mentioned, i.e. 3.3 per respondent.

(b) NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS ATTRIBUTED TO STM TEAMS (Number of Mentions) 3 2 Too tolerant/Liberal Here only for adventure, Not wanting to see things differently, Disrespectful (of leaders) 1 Dont keep promises, Come with ulterior motives, Ignore advice, Shorttermist, Inflexible in their beliefs, Lazy, Careless, Arrogant, Lack of critical awareness of own culture, Ignorant, Unaware of our culture, Unprepared, Self-righteous, Too critical of Moldova

There were 23 negative characteristics mentioned, i.e. approximately 1 per respondent.

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APPENDIX 5 ADVICE FROM MOLDOVANS TO VISITING STM TEAMS (Number of Mentions)

9 7 6 5

Try to learn beforehand something about our culture Accept the physical conditions here live on our level Try to understand our culture Listen to our group leader and respect him Respect our church culture as well as our national culture

Be flexible Come back again be committed in the long-term Dont pretend to be an expert in everything

Be patient Help people through the local church, not independently Keep your word/promises Learn at least a little Romanian Pay attention to your appearance Take into account cultural differences Try to understand people here Watch your behaviour and the impression you give people

At least 70% of those in your team should be mature Christians Be dedicated Be open to the local church Be ready to work very hard Be united with your Moldovan co-workers Come as a learner Come with courage for what you are doing Communicate more effectively

(continued)

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(continued) Dont be too liberal Dont come in too large teams Dont come to be a tourist Dont eat your own food supplies without sharing Dont get involved in local disputes Dont give the impression of having unlimited money Get yourself a mentor Have a final appraisal with the whole church, not just its leader Have well-determined aims Invest in preaching the Gospel Involve locals in everything that you do Look for common ground theologically Make joint decisions (i.e. with our team/church leader) Preach/Talk with boldness Understand your purpose/reason for coming Work until the very end of your task Work with more than just one leader from the local church

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APPENDIX 6 TRANSLATION OF THE WORD FEEDBACK INTO ROMANIAN

It is not easy to translate the term feedback into Romanian. Some dictionaries omit the word altogether and, although the official corpus of Romanian words (Marele Dicionar Ortografic al Limbii Romne (DOR), 2008) does include feedback as a loan word from English (plural: feedbackuri), in five years this author has never heard it used by a Moldovan excepting when introduced by an English speaker. In DOR, feedback is listed as a noun but with no equivalent verb.

Dictionaries such as the Concise Oxford-Lingua English-Romanian Dictionary (2009) and online services such as Google Translate offer a range of translations but using words that are more closely related to other English words: evaluare (evaluation), comentariu (comment, commentary), sugestie (suggestion), impresie (impression) or reacie (reaction). Thus, there is no direct, commonly used equivalent of feedback, though there are several approximations.

This lack of direct equivalent is worth bearing in mind because there are some subtle connotations to the use of the word in English, such as (a) it is a less formal word than most or all of its synonyms; (b) it may well refer to an immediate impression, and not necessarily the result of significant reflection; (c) as a compound word it alludes to feeding, nourishing and hence building up; and finally (d) there is often an assumption of two-way communication, whereby each person feeds back to the other.

It would be interesting to explore whether the increased usage of the word feedback in the USA and the UK is correlated with less formal workplaces and flatter organizational structures over the last 50 years, especially given the fact that Moldovan and Romanian societies tend to be more hierarchical: does the absence of an equivalent word tell us something about Moldovan society?

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APPENDIX 7 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CONTEXTUALISING FEEDBACK 1. How do people normally receive information in this culture? 2. How do people normally pass on information in this culture? 3. Which people in this culture typically have the role of evaluating how things been done? 4. Is this culture are problems normally addressed explicitly and deliberately? 5. If problems are addressed, how are they broached? 6. And how are they then resolved? 7. If two parties disagree or argue about something, are they expected to resolve things themselves or is it more likely that somebody will mediate between them? 8. How literate are people in the area you are working? 9. How do the people you are working with perceive you as a foreigner? Do they ascribe a certain value or status to you? 10. Are issues talked about directly or indirectly / in a round-about way? 11. Are personal issues talked about or would this bring shame to a person? 12. Does it feel like there is a lot of distance (or a lot of power) between a worker and his employer (or between church leader and church member)? 13. In group situations, do men and women discuss and resolve problems all together or separately according to gender? 14. What topics might it be inappropriate to discuss with your team in this culture? 15. What are the consequences of causing offence by something you say and is it quickly forgiven/forgotten? 16. Do younger people discuss matters freely with their elders, or are they expected to listen? 17. In this culture can issues be discussed immediately or is it more appropriate to make small talk first?

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18. How might my feedback potentially be misinterpreted or misunderstood in this culture? 19. Who can help me to give or receive honest feedback here? 20. What factors might prevent people from giving me honest and complete feedback? 21. How can I remove any barriers to honest and complete feedback? 22. In this culture, is it more shameful to lie or to cause embarrassment to a guest?

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