Fronse Pellebon Smith

Brother Daniel

7), I believe participation by ALL stake-holders is needed before proceding in continuing an important dialogue such as this. This is my wisdom sense. This includes our Missions and Reformed African church partners. Our partners' ideas suggestions and wisdom should shape forward positive shaping of our business involvement in Africa.

We are doing well in this discussion and appreciation is  given to all participants. I am asking that we all include

an olde gospel song: "Standin' in the need of prayer" in our ' way forward'  to uplift the Church in Africa.

It is with God helping us that we can work together with our African partners, pastors, elders, deacons, congregants and lay buisnesspeople. I believe we are called to provide poles to the people we are teaching to fish.

It is a gross generalization to assume all people of 'other' ethnic or cultural backgrounds are poor and/or do not have or give resources to their churches. One person's opinion does not shake my foundation of faith in God or the CRCNA. And they have a right to their opinion(s). I find my Joy and Peace in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christs' assurance of Grace.

I read Joel Huyser's blog post "Are our/we living in a Bubble?" and believe he is posing in a different way some of the points being made here. Are  we 'witnessing to or for'  vs 'with.' Are his cogent points. I'd like folks here to read Joel's blogpost and consider his points in our discussion here.

Brother Daniel, Your reference to a business-person's approach reminds me that there are the equivalent of Chambers of Commerce in most urban environs. Searching by-country websites the formal organizations can be identified online.

i.e. In South Africa in the mid 90's a small group from Holland MI met with the Chambers of Commerce in Johannesburg, Capetown,  Port Elizabeth and Durban. In each city our receoption was very well received and spurred much interest in SA.

Fortunately or unfortunately this was not a concept well understood at the time. The meetings were arranged by URCSA ministers at first, who were wrestling with the dynamic changes in their congrants lives.

As a lay-person and retired businessman my travels to Africa (South, West) have taught me to adapt to and learn how best to 'help' by listening, learning and hearing what African businesspeople and churchpeople need and want expatriates like me to do. And it is not always money handouts, rather it is sourcing, providing information and learning capacity  building possibilities.

I will try Lou, Handouts are (to me) when people come to say a rural area, bring their own tools and materials, build a room, house or clinic and then leave. The people 'helped' are left with a building they did not participate in building and the building thus is not theirs. Too often the local craftspeople are not involved, and too infrequently the local unskilled people are not trained in a craft (carpentry, stonebuilding, roofing) .

Sourcing is when local craftspeople, local materials, and local resources are identified first then used. This includes labor. If there are no craftspeople, then training is given and the congregants on site build for themselves. Elders are invovled in the conceptualization and implementation of a project BEFORE outside people are brought in.

This is not true of medicines, medical supplies, medical machinery that are not available.

Another way I can express this is the 'source' must the people themselves, collectively working together.

All of what I've written above is capacity building to me because when 'we' leave people have not just a building but knowledge to do for themselves.

There are two 'development' definitions: Capacity Building and Fundraising.

I read this article with interest because in my personal travels and discussions with African business people in several countries comments range from 'we can't do this ourselves' to 'it prevents local businesses from developing.' For example is a few countries men are tailors and make traditional clothing to support their families. When western clothes flood the markets too often they 1. drive the tailors out of business, 2. create demand for brands, icons and that cannot be met locally, 3. builds a 'dependency' model that drastically reduces personal innitiative, 4. printed messages are inappropriate for cultural value system, 5. imposes western manufacturing techniques that can't be duplicated on Singer machines, 6. creates a street market for containers of clothes donated yet sold when clothes get to ports. I could go on yet a final point: The cost of shipping containers often is more than the value of the materials within them. Money for transport only makes surface shipping companies richer and does not improve local economic development.

Thank you Albert Hamstra, Amen.

Being just an Elder I often search for right words and I find Scripture my guide for Wisdom.

Appreciation and respect is given to ALL who share their views in this discussion.

Proverbs 16:33

Compassion, Caring and Determination are exhibited in the Matthew, Mark and Luke quoted Scriptures (to me).

A person in need of these three traits (C,C,D) is better aided when they 'see' all three in me.

Lou, appreciate your discussion and responses, how are the meetings going now?