Aid for Close to HOME

Why is it that churches in America send missionaries off to foreign countries to evangelize there when there are so many people unsaved within 1 mile of pretty much every church? Shouldn’t we take the thousands that save a few and use them closer to home where it will go farther and save more people. If you factor in the cost of plane tickets and lodgings for church groups that go overseas you could easily witness to many more people in the local area. The exact same amount of money would last much longer or just go out to more people. Maybe logic doesn’t belong in the church but I feel that foreign missions are just expected now but not necessarily the best choice. This brings me to the way that the church and the government send so much aid over seas, in the form of medication and wheelchairs, has no one ever been to downtown LA? No one ever took the time to drive a mile and look at all the people who need help here? Come on there were people in need before Katrina hit, but it took a natural disaster to get attention. There are just as many poor people in the Midwest in need from losing their jobs. Why do people always see some mentally ill guy on street (by the way we can thank the ACLU for getting that guy out of a mental hospital) but instead of giving him a nickel they give it to some organization for Africa. It is almost like you would rather help the person farthest from you, like the farther away they are or what country they are in makes your donation more righteous.