Barely 12 hours had gone by since the announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death when a church staff member received an email from a parishioner questioning what impact the event would have on the church’s international mission trips. The church member’s question was raised in light of the worldwide travel alert issued by the U.S. State Department minutes following the bin Laden announcement by President Barack Obama late Sunday.
The State Department notice warns “U.S. citizens traveling…abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan.” It goes on to say that Americans in areas where recent events could cause violence are “urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.” The alert expires August 1.
So, should these events cause that church to alter its international ministry plans? Here are some things to consider if you or your organization has an upcoming mission trip.
First, remember that the world is a very big place. It is important that you get good information for the specific part of the globe where you are heading and not make decisions based on generalities. We have to distinguish between travel warnings that are general in nature and those that are specific to particular areas.
What is more helpful to mission teams than State Department global alerts are the Warden Messages issued by U.S. embassies. These notices are usually specific to a country and also specific to particular cities or regions within that country. They can be found at www.travel.state.gov. From there click on your destination country and then “Recent Embassy Notices for American Citizens.”
This information along with current local news (see www.AlertNet.org) can help you discover potential concerns for where you will actually work. Of course the best information typically comes from contacts living in the area, so be sure to talk to your local hosts ahead of time about any security concerns.
Second, be careful not to broad-brush a country and dismiss ministry there because of problems in limited areas. Just because one region of a nation has issues it doesn’t meant that all the others do as well. That would be like saying that if muggings are common in New York City then they also must be in Topeka because Topeka is part of the U.S. What is true about one part of a country may not be true of other parts.
Third, regardless of the current global threats, there are always certain places or events that you should avoid. Crowds of demonstrators, even if they seem peaceful, and places known for demonstrations certainly fall into this category. A ministry trip to the area may be perfectly safe just as long as you avoid these “hot spots.”
Finally, when you do travel, be sure to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program offered by the State Department at http://travelregistration.state.gov. This will allow the U.S. government to better assist you if problems arise while traveling abroad.
Don’t avoid travel or stop your international ministry just because of general global concerns. Instead, base your decisions on good information specific to your destination and then take the appropriate precautions.