http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/8 ... pic-spiritThis wouldn't have happened at Numonohi. There were a lot of selfish, judgemental types who looked after their own interest first, their co-workers of same origin second, other co-workers from nearby countries of origin third, foreign coworkers fourth and Brown Gold didn't get much of a look in. I remember visiting my parents when they were running a guest house and being told to be careful not to be to friendly with the locals who worked on the site, when any of our masters were around, because they had the habit of delivering personal ministry and heading to the field committee with what they saw. And then it became uncomfortable for us, because in any difference of opinion, we were not allowed an opinion, even when the other opinion was blatantly rascist and against all that is written in the good book.
My parents should have got out when they turned up for training in Australia, the rascism started there and it wasn't the Australasians who were enforcing it. But we plugged on and I think it did my fathers head in, for despite his faults, he was never a rascist and he genuinely liked the locals in his own way and had to keep quiet about the raw hatred that some of his masters exhibited.
I still scratch my head when I'm having one of those contemplative days and wonder what on earth possessed those who had no compassion for the locals and often tried to have very little to do with them, to actually become missionaries in the first place. On this issue I agree with my father, it was so very very wrong!