Global MC—Pearl Five

Unmasking Dysfunction

Read it. Discuss it. Apply it.

*****

We are exploring member care by using brief quotes from the book, Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice (published February 2011). Drawing on the metaphor from Rev. 21:21, each quote is like a huge pearl--a pearl gateway--that allows us to enter more fully into the global field of member care. The next four entries are from Part Two in the book, “Promoting Health in Mission/Aid.” https://sites.google.com/site/globalmca/

 Pearl Five

“Most of us have been part of both healthy and dysfunctional work settings. The healthy ones are personally rewarding and we feel we are contributing and growing, and challenged and respected. The dysfunctional ones on the other hand drain us, stealing our time, focus, effectiveness, and even our emotional and physical health...Dysfunction disables our people and purposes, but most importantly from a Christian viewpoint, it dishonors God (Rom. 2:21-24).” (page 88)

“The problem is further complicated when there is not proper accountability in place, or when there is not enough relational history with a person or an institution to really confront it and require verifiable changes. Again I want to be clear that I am not talking about how to handle situations where folks simply differ or where both the normalcy of conflict and the need to work it through in helpful ways are understood. Rather I am referring to instances where there is significant personal and organizational dysfunction. So in other words organizations and people, whether they are aware of it or not, and whether they are willing to admit it or not, are having an ongoing “toxic” influence on people. And as a result, unless we have the necessary life skills, training, and profes¬sional support (which would include being well-versed in the behavioral science areas of systems, recovery, and clinical disorders; and well-grounded in mediation practices and in the breadth of Christian scripture for dealing with conflict and dysfunction) we can end up being “wise as doves” as we interact with others who may be “innocent as serpents.” Truth without grace may be brutal, but grace without truth can be lethal.” (page 92,93)

Reflection and Discussion

**Recall one aspect of your life/work that relates to the quote above.

**Have a go at connecting the above quote with a current international area that interests/concerns you.

Member Care and Transparency—Part 5

Developmental Musings on Breaching Walls

The Berlin Wall was begun in 1961.

It was a transparent and ominous reminder

of the dangerous ideological and relational malaise

that divided large parts of humanity.

We in the mission/aid and member care community

can learn much from the erecting and dismantling

of this monolithic travesty.

*****

Where were you on 9 November 1989? We were in our home in Haarlem, The Netherlands, transfixed to the BBC and Dutch live broadcasts on our television. For those of us born into the era of the East-West debacle, the dismantling of the Berlin Wall that began that night was one of the most explicit signs that the seemingly intransigent barriers of the cold war were crumbling—politically, relationally, and now physically. Simply phenomenal!

A few days ago we watched the 20th anniversary celebrations of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The main celbrations took place, appropriately, in Berlin. Our feelings were mixed and running deep—like two ethereal inner streams mingling both present delight and past sorrow. The celebrations were somber, public, international, and historic reminders of how humans and nations get stuck in perilous mire. They were also encouraging reminders that we can in fact get unstuck although not without courageous perseverance and not without a high cost.

Search on Google and you will quickly find a plentiful array of videos and stories about the Berlin Wall and the recent celebrations in Berlin. Here is a brief video/link that highlights the celebrations. It has excerpts from speeches by Gordon Brown (UK Prime Minister), Hillary Clinton (US Secretary of State), and Angela Merkel (German Chancellor). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8349742.stm The major news for us though was not simply the breached and falling wall. Rather the major news was what it took to get the wall to fall and the far broader reality reflected by this dismantled divider.

Applications to Member Care

When stand-offs, debacles, mire, and barriers exist in the core relationships of people with whom we are working, or in our own relationships, what do we do? I think we all wonder at times how we can better dismantle these relational obstructions, especially the more injurious and lethal types. Yet then again, unlike the Berlin Wall, perhaps some of these walls exist for an appropriate, protective purpose. Their healthy presence helps to safeguard vulnerable people from personal and organizational realities that can only be described as dysfunctional and deviant.

It takes courage, perseverance, skill, and lots of support to deal with the reasons behind our relational walls. Using the materials taught in the one-week intensive course, Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills, can be a great place to start (http://www.itpartners.org/). For more complicated and resistant walls, professional mediation over several days may prove helpful. In cases where dysfunction and deviance are involved, some very special approaches are needed (e.g., see the 10 summary principles listed in Wise Doves and Innocent Serpents; http://mcaresources.googlepages.com/realitydose).

The above photo was taken today in our office. We are holding a piece of the Berlin Wall given to us years ago by a German friend/psychiatrist. This photo reflects our commitment to relate transparently with others and together seek to understand, breach, and if possible dismantle walls. This piece of the wall is a regular reminder to us of Christ’s exhortations for courageous transparency: "Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don't hesitate to go public now.” (Matthew 10 26-27 The Message)

Transparency—The Book

Consider the above thoughts in light of this next set of quotes from Bennis et al in Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor (2006). To use the “wall” metaphor from this weblog entry, these quotes focus more on the darker side of why walls exist: namely consistent unhealthy personal or organizational practices such as feigned openness, excessive ambition, groupthink, and injustice. As shared in the previous entries, we think it is timely for this book to get into the hands and practice of all of us in the mission/aid and member care community.

“No matter the official line, true transparency is rare. Many organizations pay lip service to values of openness and candor, even writing their commitment into mission statements. Too often they are hollow…and inspire frustration, even cynicism, in followers all too aware of very different organizational reality.” (p. 4)

“Groupthink-driven decisions are the downside of a dynamic every organization seeks to build: group cohesiveness and pride in belonging. The paradox here is that the very cohesiveness that can make such tight-knit groups highly effective can shade over into a clubby sense of entitlement and superiority. This can lead members to believe that the group can do no wrong—that stretching rules to achieve its goals is, for them, permissible.” (p. 40)

“[Aristotle] goes on to say that there are times when anger is called for and appropriate. In fact, if one does not become angry over a grave injustice, he says, one cannot be considered virtuous.” (p. 76)

Reflection and Discussion

1. Think of a couple relational walls in your life right now. Try to give a specific name/title to these walls.

2. If the walls could talk to you about why they exist what would they say? If the walls could give you advice about how to breach them, what would they say?

3. Which of the above quotes by Bennis et al on transparency are the most relevant for you right now?

4. We have regular candid discussions with confidants about the walls that exist in the mission/aid and member care community. The importance of developing our “relational resiliency” is constantly emphasized. Such resiliency is fostered by seeking mutual transparency and accountability with meekness, skill, and resolve. What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment below on the weblog.

Member Care: Pearls and Perils, Lecture 2

Wise Doves and Innocent Serpents?
Promoting Health and Managing Dysfunction in Mission/Aid

*****
This second lecture at Fuller School of Psychology (February 2009) looked at suggestions for developing healthy organisations and for safeguarding workers in light of personal/systemic dysfunction. Human relationships and organizatinal life are vierwed as being very positive provided that good practices are understood and embraced. The lectures are available on line for free in written, audio, and video formats. We have included a few excerpts below from the second lecture to encourage you to download and watch the video.
*****
http://www.fuller.edu/academics/school-of-psychology/integration-symposium-2009.aspx

Snakes in suits, doves in snakes. © 2006 MCA/KOD

*****

Overview of Health and Dysfunction

Most of us have been part of both healthy and dysfunctional work settings. The healthy ones are personally rewarding and we feel we are contributing and growing, and challenged and respected. The dysfunctional ones on the other hand drain us, stealing our time, focus, effectiveness, and even our emotional and physical health. Much of my work in member care is devoted to helping organizations develop healthy practices. Conflict management in particular takes up a lot of time for me and many of us, especially for those in management roles. Research also supports what we all seem to know from painful experience: relational struggles in the mission/aid sectors stress us out (Gish, 1983, Carter, 1999, Fawcett, 2003). Conflicts, even if managed well, do not always lead to personal growth and closer relationships. This is especially the case when dysfunction is involved. Dysfunction disables our people and purposes, but most importantly from a Christian viewpoint, it dishonors God (Rms. 2: 21-24).

*

The above assertions may sound good and “balanced” most of the time. But we must also be concerned about the other side of the distortions—downgrading clear dysfunction and referring to obvious deviance as merely being “differences”. This will become apparent usually if skilled, unbiased people will take the time to inquire. Otherwise people back away from what is seen as a complex confusing story with two or more sides, rather than there being a cohesive core of truth that is being distorted/overlooked. So surely we must not make a mountain out of a molehill; yet neither should we make a molehill out of a mountain! The tricky part is trying to discern who has the clear or clearest perception of what constitutes a mountain or a molehill. It is also tricky since most issues are not so black and white. As Proverbs reminds us (16:2, 18:17): All the ways of a person are right in one’s own eyes, but the Lord weighs the motives; and the first to plead one’s case seems just, until one’s neighbor comes and gives input.

*

Relational Resiliency

When I teach on relationships within the mission/aid sector, I like to distinguish between functional trust and foundational trust. Functional trust is assumed, and needed so that we can work together. It believes a priori, within limits, in the good intentions and reliability of a colleague. It gives others the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise, so that work-related tasks and mutual interests can be realized. Foundational trust however is much deeper and it is earned. It is developed over both time and over tough times together. Enduring and genuine friendships are based on such trust. Functional and foundational trust can overlap over time, with work-related confidence in a colleague flowing into a growing friendship. Yet it is a real mistake to think that being friendly colleagues in a work context (functional trust) is the same as being true friends (foundational trust) in life. The shift from functional to foundational trust is slow and easily hindered. As Christians, this shift leads to deeper levels of “fellowship” (koininia) as emphasized in New Testament writings (e.g., John’s epistles) and to greater levels of “oneness, unity, community” (yachad) as emphasized in the Old Testament (e.g., Psalms 133).

*

"Trust shifts" from the functional to the foundational are healthy. They happen via consistent demonstrations over time that people are seriously and sacrificially committed to each other. This is especially evident during crises which force people to work together closely with mutual dependency. Further, there is the genuine willingness to put someone else's best interests over one's own, with no strings attached. There is the deep sense that people are doing their utmost to respect and understand each other. People communicate regularly, equitably, and empathically. Finally, trust shifts happen when people fulfill their promises. Where foundational trust flows, entrenched conflicts usually do not.

*

Essential Resources: Good Governance and Good Management

Healthy people form healthy organizations, and vice versa. One of the greatest challenges of maintaining a healthy organization is to manage conflict and dysfunction well. I have learned the hard way (not simply from the literature!) that people in conflict do not always play fair and that often significant dysfunction (not just differences in opinion or personality) must be addressed. Probably like many of us, I default towards being a helper who stays neutral, preserves unity, increases mutual understanding, arrives at a “win-win” outcome, who helps people agree to disagree and believe the best in each other. This approach is usually sensible of course. However there are times when this approach is inadequate and ill-advised, and confrontation and discipline are required. This is tough love that necessitates verifiable contrition and verifiable change. Otherwise innocent people, now and in the future, get hurt. And justice is not done.

*

3. Guidelines for Grievances and Whistle-blowing. Third, I suggest that organizations have clear guidelines for handling grievances and for "whistle-blowing" including non-retaliation commitments to those who confront serious problems in an organization. These guidelines are part of good management practices and are in addition to those for conflict resolution. With regards to grievances, mission/aid organizations should also consider the role of an “ombudsman”, a person who acts as a neutral intermediary to represent and help negotiate the interests of both staff and the organization. As for whistle-blowing, one helpful resource is the Policy on Suspected Misconduct, Dishonesty, Fraud, and Whistle-Blower Protection by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability in the USA (see Box 9,). This policy takes into account the legal protection offered by the 2002 Sarbanes Oxley Act in the USA for those who report possible or actual organizational misconduct. It also urges that a variety of safe reporting mechanisms be set up that are understood and used by staff, and includes sample policies for both large and small organizations to adapt for their purposes. Note too that similar legislation to protect whistleblowers was passed in the United Kingdom in 1998, as part of the Public Interest Disclosure Act (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980023_en_1). See also the standards for raising concerns and retaliation at: www.business-ethics.org/newsdetail.asp?newsid=88. Mission/aid workers, whether they are employees, volunteers, or independent contractors, need to be aware of their rights/status under the law. Organizations are responsible to explain these laws to their members and to abide by them.

*

Reflection and Discussion

Here are three of the ten "Health Promoters" that are included in the article.

*
1. Healthy organizations have clear policies/procedures that are understood, recognized, and reviewed. Clear ethical values/commitments are also indicators of health. Yet even still there can be a mess when healthy practices are not followed and dysfunction exists. What do you think?

*

2. What behaviors in your experience would you consider to be dysfunctional? Examples: manipulation, lying, stealing, ignoring, ridiculing, discrediting, withholding information, blaming/shaming, scapegoating, demoting, dismissing, etc. Note that organizational and personal health can be described in opposite terms of how dysfunction is described (e.g., honesty vs. lying, affirming vs. discrediting). How can focusing on healthy practices be more constructive than focusing on the negative?

*

3. Have you had to confront “poisoned water”? If so, what were the outcomes? What helped? What did you learn? Have you ever felt like you and/or your colleagues were being harassed and “sifted like wheat” by a malignant force that seemed far greater than yourself (e.g., Luke 22:31)? If so, what did you learn?

Member Care: Pearls and Perils, Lecture 1

Staying Healthy in Difficult Places:

Member Care for Mission/Aid Workers

This first lecture at Fuller School of Psychology (February 2009) looked at historical milestones in member care, listening to our global voices, and future directions for this field. The lectures are available on line for free in written, audio, and video formats. We have included a few excerpts below from the first lecture to help encourage you to download and watch the video.

*****

http://www.fuller.edu/academics/school-of-psychology/integration-symposium-2009.aspx

A Somali woman at the gate of the UNHCR compound prior to
registration and admission to a refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya, October 2008.
© Manoocher Deghati/IRIN. Used by permission. http://www.irinnews.org

*****

Historical Milestones

Opportunity, danger, duty, hell. Life can be as difficult as it can be wonderful. And helping those whose life is even more difficult than our own can be very difficult indeed! There is so much misery that requires the interventions of the faith-based, government, and civil society sectors (e.g., natural and human made disasters, poverty, HIV-AIDS, malaria/diarrheic disease, and internecine war, to name a few). For the mission/aid community, helping can often involve staying sane—and alive—in unstable, insane places. It is not that mission/aid work always deals with life-threatening experiences, of course. Rather it is just that helping to relieve the “maims and moans” of creation takes its toll. Mission/aid workers, like the people they are helping, have some special challenges and needs indeed.

*

Over the last 20 years, a special ministry within the Christian mission/aid sector, really a movement, has developed around the world that is called member care. At the core of member care is a commitment to provide ongoing, supportive resources to further develop mission/aid personnel. Currently there are an estimated 458,000 full-time “foreign missionaries” and over 11.8 million national Christian workers from all denominations (Barrett, Johnson, and Crossing, 2008). These figures do not reflect the number of Christians involved in the overlapping area of humanitarian aid, nor do they reflect the unknown number of “tentmakers” or Christians who intentionally work in different countries while also sharing their faith. Sending organizations and churches, colleagues and friends, specialist providers, and also locals who are befriended are key sources of such care.

*

The member care ministry and movement did not develop easily. It was often through crises, mistakes, and failure that we began to realize that Christian workers needed quality support in order to help them in their challenging tasks. One of the first books written to help with this need was written by Marjorie Collins in 1974, providing many ideas for how churches and friends could better support mission personnel (Who Cares About the Missionary?). Previously in 1970 Joseph Stringham, a psychiatrist and missionary working in South Asia published two landmark articles in Evangelical Missions Quarterly on the mental health of missionaries. Stringham identified a number of external and internal challenges including culture shock, being disillusioned with others, children, medical care, etc. (external) and resentment, sexual issues, marital struggles, dishonesty, guilt, spirituality, trauma/deprivation in earlier life, motivation etc. (internal).

*

Listening to our Global Voices
Expendable Humanitarian Workers, Africa, Viola Mukasa. I’m a humanitarian worker living in a location in Africa that is in prime need of help/missions. I’ve experienced many types of stress as I have worked in various mission programs. The most sustained tension that I have experienced has been related to the urgency and the amount of work to be done in a potentially explosive social and political environment. The challenge here is not only to produce expected results quickly, under tense and sometimes risky circumstances. The challenge is also to deal with the constant worry about the security and health of those within my immediate world and where I, my family, and friends fall within that world.
(Excerpts from chapter 27 Doing Member Care Well 2002)

*

Grave Consequences. India, Dr. Manoj. The recent deaths of many young missionaries in different parts of the country have been very shocking. More so, because the causes of the deaths are malaria, enteric fever and other common treatable and preventable causes. Today when medical science has advanced so much, it is sad that these young budding lives have been lost through what could have been ignorance, neglect, or delayed/improper treatment….As a health professional, I would recommend that every missionary sent to the field, especially to the remote areas, be given a proper training in basic health and be oriented to the health realities of their locations, in addition to other areas of preparation.

(Missionary Upholders Trust, Care and Serve Bulletin, March 2004; excerpts p.3)

*

Research on Mission Workers, Dorothy Gish, 1983 Sample of 547 field missionaries in several countries and with several organizations, Stressors (reported by 40%+ to be moderate to great):
· Confronting one another when necessary
· Crossing language and cultural boundaries
· Time and effort maintaining donor contact
· Amount of work
· Work priorities

(Journal of Psychology and Theology, reprinted in Helping Missionaries Grow (1988)

*

Future Directions

The need for old/new treasures [directions and resources] must also take into account the significant shifts in demographics among the world’s 2.1 billion “affiliated Christians,” especially the growing majority of Christians in/from the Global South and the proportional decline in Christians in/from the global North (Johnson and Kim, 2006). These treasures must also support the efforts to resolutely and responsibly deal with the world’s greatest problems, including the need to eradicate poverty (e.g., the 910 million urban slum dwellers), provide universal education, promote gender equality, combat HIV/AIDS, foster environmental sustainability, etc. (United Nations Millennium Development Goals http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals). Here are 12 such treasures...

*

Treasure 3. Relief/Aid Workers—Psychosocial support is increasingly being recognized as a necessary and ethical organizational resource for workers in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (CHEs). This support includes briefing, stress management, debriefing, and practical help for relief workers as well as equipping them with trauma/healing skills to help survivors (e.g., see the account in Randy Miller’s interview with a World Vision relief worker, “Staying Sane and Healthy in an Insane Job” (1998) and the many accounts in Sharing the Front Lines and the Back Hills, edited by Yael Danieli, 2001). Many disaster scenarios provide opportunities to interact with and help UPGs, leading to ongoing joint programs in community development. It is especially important to consider the reality of “neglected emergencies”—the ones that get overlooked due their chronic, seemingly unsolvable problems and overall lower profile— including “fragile states affected by ongoing conflict, poverty, corruption, and weak infrastructure (Gray, 2008, Moeller, 2008). One timely resource is the radio program and materials created to help survivors and caregivers in both natural and human-made disasters (http://www.seasonsofcaring.org/). See also two publications in particular from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: Managing Stress in the Field (2001) www.ifrc.org/publicat/catalog/autogen/4773.asp and Psychological Support: Best Practices (2001) www.ifrc.org/publicat/catalog/autogen/4516.asp.

*

Treasure 6. Special Support for A4 Workers—There is an increasing number of Christian workers from the A4 Regions. A4 senders/workers desire to provide develop quality member care approaches that fit their own sending groups, personnel, and cultures. Their experience in member care is also relevant for those from other sending nations (e.g., see the article on the India organization, Missionary Upholder’s Trust (Ethne-Member Care Update 11/08; www.ethne.net/membercare/updates). Quality care is also emphasized in a special listing of “15 Commitments of Member Care Workers”, developed with consideration for diversity in MCW backgrounds (Upgrading Member Care, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 07/06). The commitment to quality care for A4 workers is also clearly stated in these excerpts from the Declaration by the Philippine Missionary Care Congress of October 2005...

*

*****

*****

Reflection and Discussion

1. List a couple items that strike you as being especially relevant for member care: in its history, current status, or future direction.

*

Comment on any of the above paragraphs in light of the concluding paragraph in this lecture/article (below):

*

Love. Above all, the core of E2MC [Ethne to Ethne Member Care--that is, the vission and strategy to promote member care by and for all people groups] involves the trans-ethnê, New Testament practice of fervently loving one another—like encouraging one another each day; bearing one another’s burdens; and forgiving one another from the heart. By this all people will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35). The Great Commission and the Great Commandment are inseparable. Our love is the final apologetic. It is the ultimate measure of the effectiveness of our member care.

Member Care: Pearls and Perils

Good news.

The materials from the member care lectures at Fuller School of Psychology in February 2009 are now available on-line for free.

*****

The overall topic was:

The Pearls and the Perils:

Practicing Psychology in Mission/Aid Settings.

http://www.fuller.edu/academics/school-of-psychology/integration-symposium-2009.aspx

These materials include the articles, audio, and video for the three lectures. Please share this info with your colleagues and networks. The three lectures:
*

1. Staying Healthy in Difficult Places

Historical milestones in member care, listening to our global voices, and future directions for this field.

*

2. Promoting Health and Managing Dysfunction

Suggestions for developing healthy organizations and safeguarding workers/senders in light of dysfunction.

*

3. Developing Guidelines for Good Practice

Ethical principles and human rights commitments to upgrade the work in member care and mission/aid.

------

Opening prayer for the Symposium,

by Dr. Winston Gooden, Dean of the School of Psychology:

“God we thank you for the call on our lives. We thank you for the many places to which we are sent. We thank you for the sensitivity of those who care for us on this journey that we take. And now tonight as we come to hear, to learn, to study, to be inspired, we pray that your Spirit will hover over us. That you would strengthen our speaker, that you would open our minds, that you would fill us with your rich wisdom so we might be prepared to do your work. We pray this in the name of Him who was sent by You to be our Savior. Amen.”

Growing as Good Practitioners--2. Promoting Health and Managing Dysfunction

Lecture Two
The Pearls and the Perils:
Promoting Health and Managing Dysfunction
*

Stay tuned for more information on the free lecture articles and videos that will be on-line.
*
Here is a summary of the second lecture.

Promoting Health and Managing Dysfunction

“Yesterday he prayed for me, today he preyed on me.” This presentation explores two important and overlooked areas for health in mission/aid. They are the role of human dysfunction (problems from significant weakness/wrongness, e.g., leadership abuse, psychological disorders, moral failure, harassment) and the role of discipline (correction to restore people/organizations which violate others e.g., independent reviews, counseling, recovery programs, remedial training, and dismissals). Further developing our capacity in these two areas is fundamental for safeguarding workers/senders and maintaining effective operations. We will look at five essential resources for personal/organizational health: conflict resolution guidelines, discipline/restoration procedures, organizational assessments, human resource departments, and whistle-blowing protection. We will also reflect on ways to upgrade friendships/trust among colleagues as we review perspectives from Sirach, Francis of Assisi, Machiavelli, and Orwell.

Member Care and Organisational Health

Signs of Organisational Health

I am back at Ards Friary, Donegal Ireland. In my mind. In my heart. I come here often. Thinking about healthy organisations. Thinking especially about healthy faith-based organisations. Orwell has been so helpful. But what are the positive examples? How did the Franciscan monks for example, such as here at Ards Friary, maintain a healthy organisational life--and a healthy community?

How rewarding it is to work in an organisation, a community, a team, a network, with these features:

1. Mutual respect among staff
2. Fair pay/compensation
3. Opportunities to make contributions
4. Opportunities for advancement and personal growth
5. Sense of purpose and meaning
6. Management with competence and integrity
7. Safeguards to protect individuals (staff and customers) from injustice
8. Responsibility for actions: owning mistakes, not blaming others or covering up
9. Honesty in communication and public disclosures: not slanting the truth or exagerating
10. Accountability for personal/work life: seeking out feedback and ways to improve, not ignoring or pretending
*

Reflection and Discussion
1. How would you add to or adjust the above list?
2. What are the three core characteristics in an organisation that would make you want to be part of it and really contribute?

Health and Dysfunction

Personal and Organisational Health

Upgrading Member Care

During the next few months, we will be looking at personal and organisational health. Specifically, we will share some resources/readings on how healthy and unhealthy behaviour affects the well-being of mission/aid organisations and their personnel. We are committed to upgrade all of our capacity to navigate “toxicity” and promote well-being.

*****

Staying safe is something we learn about from the day we are born. We don't eat every plant we find in a field, we don't cross streets without looking, we watch our money belts/handbags etc. Learning about how "life works"—the dangers, the practicalities, and the wonders--is also an ongoing and essential part of our organisational lives as well. There is continuity, in other words, for staying safe throughout our lives--including before, during, and after our mission/aid work.

La Gama Ciega (The Blind Doe)

Horacio Quiroga (from Argentina, 1930s)

Había una vez un venado —una gama—, que tuvo dos hijos mellizos, cosa rara entre los venados. Un gato montés se comió a uno de ellos, y quedó sólo la hembra. Las otras gamas, que la querían mucho, le hacían siempre cosquillas en los costados. Su madre le hacía repetir todas las mañanas, al rayar el día, la oración de los venados. Este es el padrenuestro de los venados chicos. Cuando la gamita lo hubo aprendido bien, su madre la dejó andar sola. Y dice así:
*****

(There once was a beloved doe. Her mother taught her how to survive. Before the doe could venture on her own, she had to repeat each day at sunrise, and thus learn well the “Lord’s Prayer” of the Deer. And this is what it says:)
*****

I: Hay que oler bien primero las hojas antes de comerlas, porque algunas son venenosas.
(Smell well before you eat because some plants are poisonous.)
*****

II: Hay que mirar bien el río y quedarse quieta antes de bajar a beber, para estar segura de que no hay yacarés.
(Watch and wait before drinking to make sure there are no crocodiles in the river.)
*****

III: Cada media hora hay que levantar bien alta la cabeza y oler el viento, para sentir el olor del tigre.
(Every half hour lift your head and smell the wind to recognize the scent of the tiger.)
*****

IV: Cuando se come pasto del suelo, hay que mirar siempre entre los yuyos para ver si hay víboras.
(Always look between the weeds when you eat field grass to see if there are vipers.)
*****
Reflection and Discussion

**Which of these principles--warnings--apply most to your life, now?

**If you were to write a similar "Lord's Prayer" for your life, what would some of the main components be?

**List a few important ways that these principles/warnings apply to the mission/aid sectors.