Special report: As Decorah churches send out people on mission trips, a discussion is being held about the proper way to do that

Since the 1960s many American churches have sponsored short-term "mission trips" that send members to economically-depressed areas of the United States or to poorer countries overseas.
 
This practice has now become hotly debated, based on the 2009 book "When Helping Hurts."  The authors criticized the practice of American churches that provided material resources for the poor, saying it takes much more than handouts and donations to solve the problem of poverty.

Decorah Covenant Church Youth Leader Cheri Lane, who just returned from a trip to Haiti with six Luther College students, agrees some of the criticism is merited: "The real issue is changing what is happening."  She says the Haitians are capable of solving their own problems.  Sharing resources with the Haitians allows them to be able to put those solutions into effect.

For instance, funding from Covenant World Relief is helping a local farming coop to grow produce that will not only help feed the 1,500 students at local schools, but will enable farmers to share large machinery and an irrigation system.

"It's amazing to see what they can do," says Lane, saying the values on which the community development has been focused is the belief that communities can be changed.  "You can see this is a long-term thing."

NEXT: A look at mission projects by other Decorah churches.