Thursday, June 28, 2012
Dancing across the World!
I originally posted this video not even seeing the dancing part in Port-au-Prince. It is at 1:31! Check out how those little girls can move!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
As promised...I wanted to post about my Pastoral Care couple through CTEN, Dick and Birdie Johnson!
Aren't they just wonderful?! Seriously, they are one of the neatest couples. I am so incredibly excited and thankful to have them with me on this journey. Both originally from the US, they lived and worked in Puerto Rico for a number of years after they got married. They now live and work with CTEN in Kerrville, TX. I cannot believe how encouraging, supportive, caring, and wise they are! It is such a comfort to know I can call them at any time with ANYTHING, they are praying for me daily, and that at some point they will be coming to visit me in Haiti! What a HUGE blessing they have, and will continue, to be!
On top of that, as mentioned before, they are two people after my own heart - silly, goofy, full of life. I couldn't believe how much I laughed around them. Birdie, was re-enacting a puppet show she dreams of putting on with the idea being an American trying to learn Spanish, and a Latino trying to learn English. You should have heard her lines and accents. Hilarious! She would have rivaled any comedian.
And Dick just stands back and laughs...he just loves his wife! He gave us (CTEN members) a recipe that he swears by...Master Tonic!! Apparently, he takes 2 tablespoons of this daily, and since starting it in the late 90s has not had any stomach or digestive issues...what a hoot! See the recipe below...who knows, he may be on to something!
So after posting this I'm realizing this might make some of you think, "What the heck is she getting into with these people?" Honestly, as much as I'm joking around about them, they are WONDERFUL people, full of knowledge, wisdom, and guidance in what I am about to do in Haiti. Without them, I would not feel as comfortable as I do heading off to Haiti!
 |
| Dick & Birdie...what a pair! Just their names alone give you insight into what characters they are! |
Aren't they just wonderful?! Seriously, they are one of the neatest couples. I am so incredibly excited and thankful to have them with me on this journey. Both originally from the US, they lived and worked in Puerto Rico for a number of years after they got married. They now live and work with CTEN in Kerrville, TX. I cannot believe how encouraging, supportive, caring, and wise they are! It is such a comfort to know I can call them at any time with ANYTHING, they are praying for me daily, and that at some point they will be coming to visit me in Haiti! What a HUGE blessing they have, and will continue, to be!
On top of that, as mentioned before, they are two people after my own heart - silly, goofy, full of life. I couldn't believe how much I laughed around them. Birdie, was re-enacting a puppet show she dreams of putting on with the idea being an American trying to learn Spanish, and a Latino trying to learn English. You should have heard her lines and accents. Hilarious! She would have rivaled any comedian.
 |
| Check out their faces...And I thought I was good at funny faces! Dick's just kills me, haha! |
And Dick just stands back and laughs...he just loves his wife! He gave us (CTEN members) a recipe that he swears by...Master Tonic!! Apparently, he takes 2 tablespoons of this daily, and since starting it in the late 90s has not had any stomach or digestive issues...what a hoot! See the recipe below...who knows, he may be on to something!
Master Tonic
Equal parts
fresh chopped white onion
garlic
ginger root
horse radish
habanero pepper
un-pasteurized apple cider vinegar
After combining ingredients with the vinegar, let 'brew' for 2 weeks, stirring it once or twice a day.
At the conclusiion you should seperate the solids from the liquid. You can use just the clear liquid though some like it with some sediment making it stronger. Keep it in closed glass containers. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. Good for parasites, amoebas and - I can't remember what else.
- Dick Johnson
So after posting this I'm realizing this might make some of you think, "What the heck is she getting into with these people?" Honestly, as much as I'm joking around about them, they are WONDERFUL people, full of knowledge, wisdom, and guidance in what I am about to do in Haiti. Without them, I would not feel as comfortable as I do heading off to Haiti!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
CTEN Training
Last week I attended an orientation training for my sending agency, CTEN (Commission To Every Nation). Let me just say now...it was awesome!!!
The video below was made by Ben and Jen Beachy, the couple who will be serving with me in Haiti as Guest House Coordinators. They are leaving for Haiti in July. What an awesome, fun, wise couple...I had so much fun with them and am so excited to live and work alongside of them!
The training took place over 3 days in Kerrville, TX. The hill-country of Texas...where seriously, EVERYONE was a cowboy (at least in my mind!). It was in a small office building where CTEN is located. There were 30 people present, representing 12 different countries. Some were couples, singles, older, younger, American, Canadian, not yet serving in their country, had been there for 10+ years....lots of variety. It was so neat to see all these people in ONE place, and to hear all of our unique stories.
Meeting our pastoral care couples was awesome as well. In CTEN there were 4 Pastoral Care couples...basically it is a 'retired' married couple who has served overseas at some point in their lives. They were phenomenal...their life experiences, knowledge, wisdom, guidance, and care! I couldn't believe how much they seemed to know about me, and how much they genuinely cared for me. To know I have this support while I am in Haiti is so comforting. They will keep in touch with me on a weekly basis and have stated multiple times to call/skype them WHENEVER! What a blessing...and they were after my own heart too - goofy, spunky, and full of life. (: (I'll post more about them later!)
The week easily could have been overwhelming - details and more details about CTEN staff, Partnership Development (fundraising), Language and Cultural Acquisition, Conflict Management, Financial Practices, Taxes (side note - you wouldn't believe the amount I will have to pay!), Publishing, Family Issues, and Safety. You name it, we went over it! It was so thorough, and I feel so much more prepared!
Yet, with all of this information and all of these details, CTEN was so focused on the "right" things. They realized the importance of all these details, yet remained true to this "Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God...". God remained the focus, keeping Him center, living out of His Spirit, not all the things we have to do or get done. It was the perfect balance...exactly how I feel like God has intended it. I don't think I have ever felt such peace and essence of God's Kingdom here on earth like I did that week. What a blessing!
The video below was made by Ben and Jen Beachy, the couple who will be serving with me in Haiti as Guest House Coordinators. They are leaving for Haiti in July. What an awesome, fun, wise couple...I had so much fun with them and am so excited to live and work alongside of them!
The training took place over 3 days in Kerrville, TX. The hill-country of Texas...where seriously, EVERYONE was a cowboy (at least in my mind!). It was in a small office building where CTEN is located. There were 30 people present, representing 12 different countries. Some were couples, singles, older, younger, American, Canadian, not yet serving in their country, had been there for 10+ years....lots of variety. It was so neat to see all these people in ONE place, and to hear all of our unique stories.
Meeting our pastoral care couples was awesome as well. In CTEN there were 4 Pastoral Care couples...basically it is a 'retired' married couple who has served overseas at some point in their lives. They were phenomenal...their life experiences, knowledge, wisdom, guidance, and care! I couldn't believe how much they seemed to know about me, and how much they genuinely cared for me. To know I have this support while I am in Haiti is so comforting. They will keep in touch with me on a weekly basis and have stated multiple times to call/skype them WHENEVER! What a blessing...and they were after my own heart too - goofy, spunky, and full of life. (: (I'll post more about them later!)
The week easily could have been overwhelming - details and more details about CTEN staff, Partnership Development (fundraising), Language and Cultural Acquisition, Conflict Management, Financial Practices, Taxes (side note - you wouldn't believe the amount I will have to pay!), Publishing, Family Issues, and Safety. You name it, we went over it! It was so thorough, and I feel so much more prepared!
Yet, with all of this information and all of these details, CTEN was so focused on the "right" things. They realized the importance of all these details, yet remained true to this "Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God...". God remained the focus, keeping Him center, living out of His Spirit, not all the things we have to do or get done. It was the perfect balance...exactly how I feel like God has intended it. I don't think I have ever felt such peace and essence of God's Kingdom here on earth like I did that week. What a blessing!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Job Description 101 - Empowerment
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what I am going to do in Haiti, I would have all my financial support and then some! Seriously. And rightfully so! It's a great question and one that I'm glad people are asking and caring and showing their interest.
But, if I'm honest, I sometimes hate that question. It seems like such a hard question to answer with not just a one or two sentence explanation. I don't know how to adequately answer it, so...let me take the time now to share with you how I would love to respond every time that question is asked:
Number 1...I struggle with that question because it is a loaded way for me to be saying what I will be 'doing' in Haiti. How I will perform, what will I achieve, a way to be measured. And yes, all of those things can be good and can be good motivators. But for me, they can become bad, very bad!
Because in essence that is NOT the point for going to Haiti. If I go just to do good works and be a good person and perform and achieve, well then, I have missed the point! I will get burned out, beaten down, and exhausted. Because, it's not about ME and what I do and how I do it, it's about God. His will. His plan. His purposes. If I go and learn to be more like Jesus and use THAT change to selflessly serve others...out of the overflow of my heart change, THEN, I will have served my purpose. God empowering me!
Number 2...With that being said, can I safely go into more detail about my job in Haiti and what I will be doing? Absolutely!
One of the big reasons I feel more comfortable making this move to Haiti is because I firmly believe in what AwakenHaiti is doing. Their goal is to empower people, and to empower Haitians. Empower them to change and grow and develop. Not just come in and do things for them and say "This is how its done and we are here to help and we will do it this way and we will do it all for you." NO, that is so not it! It's about life change and giving people the means to help them help themselves. To teach, encourage, affirm, guide, and love them!
And, as I have been thinking about this concept and how much I believe in it, I found an actual biblical explanation for this idea of empowerment. This excerpt is from the book Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell:
"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so." The next verse is significant. "The land produced vegetation." Notice that it doesn't say, "God produced vegetation." God empowers the land to do something. He gives it the capacity to produce trees and shrubs and plants and bushes that produce fruit and seeds. God empowers creation to make more."
This happens again in Genesis 1:22 when God blesses the creatures of the water and sky and then says, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." Once again God gives creation - here it is fish and birds - the ability to multiply and make more. God doesn't make more fish: God gives fish the ability to make more.
God empowers creation to make more and in doing so loads it with potential. It is going to grow and change and move and not be the same today as it was yesterday, and tomorrow it will move another day forward. Creation is loaded with potential and possibility and promise.
AwakenHaiti believes this and I firmly believe this! We have been called to help empower people, with God's help, to live as they were fully created to live. To use the potential, possibility, and promise that god has given us!
So, what does this all look like for me and what I will be 'doing':
1. My main title is Girls Home Coordinator. This means I will be spending lots of time at the Good Samaritan Girls Home. I will be teaching, mentoring, guiding, and assessing each girl. Over the two years that I am in Haiti, there is a hope that some sort of transition program will develop for the girls as they reach the age to leave the orphanage. This will look like finding each girls talents and gifts and finding how that will work in her future. One example of this would be to train a few girls in dental health and then allow them to move to Canaan (see #2 below) and work in the Medical Clinic as a dental hygienist. Using all aspects AwakenHaiti to empower her to provide a future for herself!
2. Canaan - the tent city where earthquake survivors had to relocate. AwakenHaiti works here with a Haitian pastor and is doing lots of construction and rebuilding. We have built a school, church, a few homes, and will begin construction on a medical clinic this summer. I will get to help with this area in some aspects, as needed. But one of the main goals here is to teach members of the church in Canaan the skills to be able to build themselves, so that possibly, someday AwakenHaiti can hire them to continue leading this construction and provide work and an income for their families. Empowerment!
3. The final purpose of AwakenHaiti is to provide opportunities for teams to come down and serve for a week in Haiti. Again, I will get to help with these teams, as needed. Teams vary on what they do but usually along the lines of medical, construction, and/or relationship building. By doing this, AwakenHaiti is empowering these teams to grow and change outside of their everyday life in the US or Canada. And to then take what they learned in Haiti and use it in their daily life, to empower change in themselves and the people they come in contact with everyday!
So...there you have it! In a nutshell (a big nutshell)! Hopefully this captures not only the essence of what I will be doing, but also the details of what I will be doing and why I will be doing them.
But, if I'm honest, I sometimes hate that question. It seems like such a hard question to answer with not just a one or two sentence explanation. I don't know how to adequately answer it, so...let me take the time now to share with you how I would love to respond every time that question is asked:
Number 1...I struggle with that question because it is a loaded way for me to be saying what I will be 'doing' in Haiti. How I will perform, what will I achieve, a way to be measured. And yes, all of those things can be good and can be good motivators. But for me, they can become bad, very bad!
Because in essence that is NOT the point for going to Haiti. If I go just to do good works and be a good person and perform and achieve, well then, I have missed the point! I will get burned out, beaten down, and exhausted. Because, it's not about ME and what I do and how I do it, it's about God. His will. His plan. His purposes. If I go and learn to be more like Jesus and use THAT change to selflessly serve others...out of the overflow of my heart change, THEN, I will have served my purpose. God empowering me!
Number 2...With that being said, can I safely go into more detail about my job in Haiti and what I will be doing? Absolutely!
One of the big reasons I feel more comfortable making this move to Haiti is because I firmly believe in what AwakenHaiti is doing. Their goal is to empower people, and to empower Haitians. Empower them to change and grow and develop. Not just come in and do things for them and say "This is how its done and we are here to help and we will do it this way and we will do it all for you." NO, that is so not it! It's about life change and giving people the means to help them help themselves. To teach, encourage, affirm, guide, and love them!
And, as I have been thinking about this concept and how much I believe in it, I found an actual biblical explanation for this idea of empowerment. This excerpt is from the book Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell:
"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so." The next verse is significant. "The land produced vegetation." Notice that it doesn't say, "God produced vegetation." God empowers the land to do something. He gives it the capacity to produce trees and shrubs and plants and bushes that produce fruit and seeds. God empowers creation to make more."
This happens again in Genesis 1:22 when God blesses the creatures of the water and sky and then says, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." Once again God gives creation - here it is fish and birds - the ability to multiply and make more. God doesn't make more fish: God gives fish the ability to make more.
God empowers creation to make more and in doing so loads it with potential. It is going to grow and change and move and not be the same today as it was yesterday, and tomorrow it will move another day forward. Creation is loaded with potential and possibility and promise.
AwakenHaiti believes this and I firmly believe this! We have been called to help empower people, with God's help, to live as they were fully created to live. To use the potential, possibility, and promise that god has given us!
So, what does this all look like for me and what I will be 'doing':
1. My main title is Girls Home Coordinator. This means I will be spending lots of time at the Good Samaritan Girls Home. I will be teaching, mentoring, guiding, and assessing each girl. Over the two years that I am in Haiti, there is a hope that some sort of transition program will develop for the girls as they reach the age to leave the orphanage. This will look like finding each girls talents and gifts and finding how that will work in her future. One example of this would be to train a few girls in dental health and then allow them to move to Canaan (see #2 below) and work in the Medical Clinic as a dental hygienist. Using all aspects AwakenHaiti to empower her to provide a future for herself!
2. Canaan - the tent city where earthquake survivors had to relocate. AwakenHaiti works here with a Haitian pastor and is doing lots of construction and rebuilding. We have built a school, church, a few homes, and will begin construction on a medical clinic this summer. I will get to help with this area in some aspects, as needed. But one of the main goals here is to teach members of the church in Canaan the skills to be able to build themselves, so that possibly, someday AwakenHaiti can hire them to continue leading this construction and provide work and an income for their families. Empowerment!
3. The final purpose of AwakenHaiti is to provide opportunities for teams to come down and serve for a week in Haiti. Again, I will get to help with these teams, as needed. Teams vary on what they do but usually along the lines of medical, construction, and/or relationship building. By doing this, AwakenHaiti is empowering these teams to grow and change outside of their everyday life in the US or Canada. And to then take what they learned in Haiti and use it in their daily life, to empower change in themselves and the people they come in contact with everyday!
So...there you have it! In a nutshell (a big nutshell)! Hopefully this captures not only the essence of what I will be doing, but also the details of what I will be doing and why I will be doing them.
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