ROUND TRIP isn't just about both American and Kenyan mission teams—it was shot by a multinational team. How did you find one another?

Nate Clarke: Getting a non-American involved behind the camera was a high priority for us. We wanted the way we told the story to reflect the fact that the future of missions is multi-directional. Also, we had to do it that way for budget reasons! We couldn't afford for me to make several scouting and shooting trips to Kenya. So while I was in Kenya with the Chapel Hill team, I kept my eyes peeled for someone who had experience in video and could be a good partner. The very first full day we were there, Pastor Kyama introduced us to the media team from Mavuno Downtown church, and I sat down on a concrete bench next to Ken Oloo. It was quickly clear that not only was Ken interested in helping, but he asked good questions, had an eye for composition, and was willing to take direction. So I continued to ask Ken to join us on shoots. He immediately became an important part of our production team and invaluable to us while we were in Kenya. At the end of our time in Kenya, I asked Ken to continue filming the preparation of the Kenyan team. I left a camera and audio gear with him and headed back to the States.

Ken Oloo: I think I was initially apprehensive about the Kenyan team being filmed. Most of the documentaries that I had seen that were made in Africa had a negative perspective. They dwelled on the wars, dictators, and famine. I wondered if Nate was in Kenya just to capture the negative stuff that happens in my part of the world. All that was quickly put to rest. Nate and the other crew were deliberate in forming relationships with the Kenyans that they were filming. They were clearly interested in the people whose stories they were telling.

I had just started volunteering with the media team at my church, and I was not sure what direction my life was going to take that year. I remember standing next to Nate at the back of the church and looking at his camera and just being wowed. His camera was five times the size of my church's camera and it was about 15 times more expensive. I remember telling him that I would like my camcorder to be like his when it grew up. We both laughed at that joke and I was sold. When you can laugh at something together, you know you've made a great start.

Why did you film ROUND TRIP in documentary format rather than as a more traditional training video?

Andy Crouch: Certainly the "teaching video," with a talking head who tells you what you need to know, is a much more common format for the church market. And we do have some great commentators woven into the training sessions—Lisa Espinelli Chinn, Tim Dearborn, David Livermore, Oscar Muriu, and Ruth Padilla DeBorst. They say some terrific things very clearly and concisely.

But short-term mission trips are a learning experience that happens as you go. A short-term mission trip is very little like a planned-out lesson from a master communicator. It's much more an adventure into the (partially) unknown. If you go expecting a series of cookie-cutter experiences or lessons, you'll be disappointed. But if you go seeking to learn and grow, you will likely be amazed at what God is willing to do.

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The Round Trip DVD and Curriculum: This documentary and five-session curriculum will help your team prepare for your trip, navigate the challenges of cross-cultural relationships and team dynamics, and return with lasting relationships and personal transformation.

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