SERVING WITH EYES WIDE OPEN
DOING SHORT-TERM MISSIONS WITH CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
By David A Livermore; Baker Books, 2006, 188 pp., $12.99
Every Christian traveling abroad, whether missionary, short term missionary or even as a tourist, should read this book. One of my greatest frustrations growing up a missionary kid in South America was seeing the damage well meaning, but culturally unaware, believers caused during their brief stays. Livermore has written a great resource for believers who want to leave the right kind of legacy in their travels. He gives glimpses of the global church, new understanding on interpreting other cultures, and thinking through the purpose of short term mission trips. However, the greatest asset in this book is the discussion on the conflicting responses to short term mission teams; more specifically, the impression Americans think they are giving as opposed to what the locals actually think. This is not a condemnation of American missionaries, though – rather, it is a great tool for being better prepared and more equipped to communicate the right messages and be more intentional in being culturally aware. This book should be on every mission team’s required reading list.
This review, by me, originally appeared in the Journal of Student Ministries.
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