Hi
let me share with you my experience and perchance you might find it helpful . I’m in Africa right now . still it might help you out .
when I was in the west I prepared the ground for myself so that when I came back to my African country of origin everything was ready . in the west I was in business for myself , so advance planning came natural. Viable business model a must .
I had to earn the trust of the clergy . they own the churches and the facilities and the cars and residences .things that were acquired at great effort and sacrifice and maintained equally so. Expect the challenges to differ form country to country though. Never assume you know better or you can do better a job or even help them do a better job. The church has been around for so long . I can’t begin to think how was that possible . it’s a miracle. If there is any truth that the Catholic church is the true it’s this , it is still around , alive and kicking . so the trick was to badger them and pester them into suggesting to me ways with which I can help out . you see the worst thing you can do is try to help and end up doing harm. God knows the many blunders I made in business and the nightmares resulting .being the Captain of the ship with dozens of employees depended on you to make the right decision so they can put food on the table taught me to be careful very careful .just getting them to suggest is a good start . I get the suggestion I go did it come back and tell them hey I did it . give me some more please . before you know it they hounded me with suggestions . people recognize excellence .
Here is a tip. The Diocese here operate according to what is called “self reliance” . This is not Ralph waldo Emerson self reliance bit . surf the net and familiarize yourself . its different. No problem back the priests and the nuns its going to be . Priests where I’m at have to survive often times on pertinence . each of course has a car and new clothes to wear . its Europe back in the day down here . in countries with disenfranchised Christian minorities facing challenges, the office of the clergy is one of few ways to climb the social ladder . so we try to make our priests look good, look all that . but if you should ever have something nice to eat make sure you save some for the priest and the nuns . just yesterday I took some food to this skinny elderly nun and she ate and ate , polished off three rolls of bread. She saves on her food to give Christian refugees. So I had to sit her down and make her eat. Priests are the same thing . torn between what little they got and giving to a desperate congregation for that little .
I was and remain a business mind set, wheeler double dealer , foremost conniving con man. If you’re the little people you are in luck. I’ll be more than nice to you . you’re not then business is what you will get . you will pay what you owe Jesus if you come near. End result I’m very popular with feeding programs. priest calls me , nun call me . everyone calls me. I come and I listen to the specifics . I ask for the budget laid out . I leave . I come back and give them my estimate . invariably it is less than half of budget out laid . I tell them just give me that much and keep the excess money for yourself and go do with it what priest and nuns do down here . spend it on the sick and widows and orphans . they do nto ask em how I’m going to manage to do it . I taught them not to. You hear anyone complaining or complained to you ? okay then , stand aside and let me do my work. They do.
What I’m trying to tell you , I operate by cutting corners and in some very shady areas through teams I put together from the congregation. Business minded people like me ready to get down dirty and stuff . we operate in that world and the priest and nuns operate in the nicer world. Not everyone does . it offends their sense of morality . but a bunch of meals that cost a hundred dollars we’ll deliver it to you for ten dollars nicer and better . they eat it all the same . we sort of work opposite to NGOs NPOs and the good ole UN. The UN wants to deliver a sandwich they rent expensive villas for thousand of dollars , hire ten thousand dollars monthly salary experts , purchase Toyota land cruisers costing 60 thousand dollars , pay off others to let then do it , they even fly the sandwich on planes , etc.
In our parishes there’re always a group of illustrious lay members . disagreements and disputes are inevitable. Patience is must . breaking the ice is the way to go . you make them look bad and they quit there might be no one out there to replace them. Compromise . bend over backward if you have to. You might be passing through. They were there before and they should be there after you . every person is useful . learn to harness their potential. Be business minded .
Best if you decline accepting money or donations . they place you under obligations .it has a tendency to corrupt , esp stuff from NGOs and NPOs … Use that part of your income that you figure belongs to Jesus . Jesus fed thousand of people with few fish and handful of bread. You won’t beat that buy you can maybe able to achieve more with love . Mother Teresa started out with a board and veggies and fruits given to her by street vendors . the only way you can whip Satan is with love. Fortune and fame is his but love is mightier and belongs to Jesus and ony him. he give you soem fo that life and all doors will open beofre you.
God spoke to Abraham and Abraham just packed his stuff and left not even knowing where he is headed . so hey if this is him who has talked to you then maybe you do what Abraham did
Forgive me for talking so much . actually I want to say more . but I will stop here .
P.S. you ever change your mind and consider Africa you let me know
In Christ
