Yesterday everyone in my family, including my folks and aunts and uncles, all of who are on pensions and fixed incomes received a letter from my cousin and her husband. Well he has provided for his family for 22 years, and now its our turn. He needs to follow his heart, and wants to go to Malawi on a "mission".

OK that's all fine and dandy and I can respect that - I have known lots of missionaries and repect the work they do in developing countries. But he wants us to contribute a thousand, five thousand or 10 thousand as a one time gift, or a continuing 24 month plan of 100, 200 or 500 per month is available (complete with direct withdrawal from your chequing account). I mean that's a bit steep.

But not only that for some reason he can't seem to go unless he acn raise $92,000 per year. Monthly expenses that have to be paid are $3800 per month for housing, $750 tithes to the Church, adn $2200 per month for their children's schooling.

How exactly would someone be living if they were taking in $92,000 per year in Malawi. Wouldn't you be right up there with the KIng? I would think that you certainly wouldn't be living like the locals?

Can this still be considered missionary work? My Mom is convinced my cousin will have a maid - and thinks this is just exploitative. If she will have a maid I would think so too!

We were asked to fundraise, I think it was somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 (a flight from Western Canada to Kenya is about $3K, and another $200 or so to get to Malawi)... BUT fundraising was not mandatory (thats what the donors are for).

One can live in sub-saharan Africa, quite comfortably, including domestic services once in a while, food and rent on about $600/month and would be very comfortable on $1000. Renting a car, and a security guard (recommended) would be slightly higher. Food, Cell phone service (forget about landlines), and booze are all very cheap.

It is always nice to have people support your work, but reputable agencies do not demand a lot of money. I recommend making a small donation, or passing on this "sponsorship opporunity" if it causes you hardship.

This will not sit well with a lot of babblers but there is a different attitude to employing domestics in Africa. Employing domestic service would not considered exploitative in Africa, as a wealthier individual you are expected to do your part to support a family - and would be betraying your social obligations if you don't. At least send out your laundry. Still a $1000/month is more than generous for everything I mentioned including domestics.

[ 24 June 2004: Message edited by: N-SIGN ]

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This will not sit well with a lot of babblers but there is a different attitude to employing domestics in Africa. Employing domestic service would not considered exploitative in Africa, as a wealthier individual you are expected to do your part to support a family - and would be betraying your social obligations if you don't.

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No that doesn't sound at all like something I would support. Maybe its my rose coloured Mother Teresa glasses but if you are going to a place to help the poor and sick shouldn't you live like the people? I have known missionaries before and that's precisely what they did. Mother Teresa I don't think ever had a dollar to her name let alone six hundred. I don't believe she had servants either.

I'll have to look into the Church's name but I think it something like, first assembly of ..... something or other.

Also I think its a bit presumptous to ask the people who you are asking for money for your tithing money.

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He needs to follow his heart, and wants to go to Malawi on a "mission".

OK that's all fine and dandy and I can respect that - I have known lots of missionaries and repect the work they do in developing countries.

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I don't. And don't even get me started on Mother Teresa.

I wouldn't give one red penny to him. There are much worthier causes to donate to than to missionaries who, out of a need for personal spiritual fulfillment, go to developing countries to try and teach the backward noble savages what the correct religion is.

I went to church for years, and always heard all about these missions, and although none of them would be uncouth enough to put it that way, that's the attitude behind it.

I have seen several monuments to slain missionaries in Africa, and I took that as a signal that I should not be trying to impose my values on the locals. Africa is full of paradoxes, and that is the beauty of the place.

I did sometimes have a negative influence, even in areas I was not aware of. I know I was very bad at wrecking the language, and I know that "bullshit" and the verb "to bullshit", "wicked", and "right on", were added to the local parlance because of me. I hope they faded.