We wanted to capture some of that adventure in the way we told the story, and also to give short-term teams practice in listening to and learning from others. In a way, the journey you go on watching the sequences in ROUND TRIP—getting to know the various characters, seeing things from their point of view, wondering about their motives and assumptions, hoping for them and mourning with them—is very much like what a short-term trip requires of us.

Why follow a Kenyan team as well as an American one, given that most groups that watch this will be Americans?

Andy Crouch: It's crucial for several reasons. First, this is the reality of mission in the twenty-first century: it is "from everywhere to everywhere." No matter where you go in the world, if you are visiting Christians you are visiting people who feel called to mission. It's especially important that no one set out from the United States on a "mission trip" imagining that mission is what "we" do to "them." The people we will meet are also called to, and in all likelihood actively engaged in, mission work. So we wanted to make sure no one could miss that crucial idea.

Second, I think seeing the Kenyan team's story helps clarify that cross-cultural experiences are both hard and rewarding for everyone. It's not just "ugly Americans" who are puzzled or disoriented by being in a new culture. Crossing cultures always requires us to depend on God in new ways, no matter which culture we are coming from.

And finally, it sure doesn't hurt to see American culture, however briefly, through the eyes of visitors to our country. When you are part of a dominant culture like the United States, you can imagine that "culture" is something that other people have. But the truth is that all of us have been shaped in deep (and sometimes humorous!) ways by the culture we grew up in.

What is your favorite moment on the DVD?

Andy Crouch: I love it when Ken is looking warily at a tea kettle on the stove in his American hosts' kitchen. So familiar yet so unfamiliar! The expression on your face is priceless, Ken—I interpret it as something like, "I know I'm supposed to be making tea, and I make tea all the time at home, but I'm not sure this is tea!"

Ken Oloo: The tea scene makes me laugh every time I watch it. I was thinking, "We are making tea, but this is a very, very different way of making it." I think I was a bit dumbfounded.

My favorite moment in the film is when the Kenyan team is being briefed about what to expect during the church service at Chapel Hill Bible Church and there is a communication breakdown. The Kenyan team felt like we were being asked to tone down our "Africanness" to accommodate an American audience. The stunned look on the faces of Kenyan team is so precious. You can feel the raw tension! We really didn't expect that level of culture shock. I thought that our team was so well exposed to the American culture that we would fit in easily. But that scene shows that this was indeed a cross-cultural experience.

Nate Clarke: I love the moments when somebody does something subtle that speaks volumes without saying anything. We have a shot where Kungo is standing in front of a wall of TVs in an American electronics store—and they are all displaying African wildlife. What a surreal moment.

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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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