You meet amazing people overseas. You help them. You send money. You support families, churches, projects, medical issues, food, school supplies.
But after a while it starts feeling like the relationship is only about money.
The messages slowly turn into guilt trips.
Photos of sick relatives.
Stories about emergencies.
“Please brother just this one more time.”
“If you don’t help us we have nobody.”
Then the second you stop giving, they disappear.
No checking in.
No friendship.
No conversation.
Until months later when another emergency suddenly appears.
I hate even writing this because there are genuinely good people out there and real needs exist. But the emotional manipulation completely drained me and honestly made me step away from mission work altogether.
Has anyone else experienced this?