Author Topic: Travel Snobs  (Read 9768 times)

Chesleygirl

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Re: Travel Snobs
« Reply #50 on: October 08, 2017, 03:48:58 PM »
I wouldn't last long at your church, I really don't like these sorts of missions. People would do more good by volunteering their time in their own communities if they want to help, and donating money to charities abroad(preferably effective and ethical ones).
My former church had an especially disgusting example of voluntourism gone wrong actually. The priest and some church members would raise money to go down south once a year to provide "aid". Once there, the priest would trade food and money to young local boys in exchange for sexual favours. Luckily he was caught and went to jail, but I shudder to think how many kids he hurt, all under the umbrella of the church. I know that particular circumstance is rare, but it does make me realize that there need to be measures in place to prevent exploitation of the kids involved in the mission trips as well.

That's just awful. And he was doing this on free money from his church.

I wonder if the answer is, that people traveling on mission trips shouldn't be allowed anywhere near children. I just see so, so, so many pictures of people posing with kids on these trips, putting it on social media and I wonder if they even have permission to be taking those kids photographs. It also seems the child is merely a prop to showcase their lifestyle of traveling. Not that this is necessarily child abuse but it doesn't seem totally appropriate. Why can't they just take pictures of themselves or the scenery without using children as props.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!