During Orientation, one of the other coordinators, Gina, gave a beautiful reflection on thinking about what we are (emotionally) packing for our journey. I've thought a lot this past month about packing - everything from malaria pills to school supplies to shoes. Today, as I'm putting the final touches on my suitcases, I feel like I am bringing an overabundance of "things." First aid kits, clothing, electronics - it's all there. Granted, I know that I will leave many things behind, but it still feels like an inordinate amount of stuff.
The most important bag I'm packing doesn't take any room though.
First, I feel that I am packing a complete and total reliance on God. There is nothing like preparing to lead a mission trip to a third world country to make you realize your own limitations. However, I know that "with God, all things are possible." (Mt. 19:26) Plans will change, things will happen - but no matter what, if we retain our reliance on God, His Will will unfold.
Second, I'm packing my vulnerability. My brokenness. I know that this experience will change me, will change the way I think about things, and cause me to grow tremendously as a person. If I knew what that would look like, I would have already tried to change and grow in these ways. It's uncharted territory. I am eager to allow these things about myself to be transformed through this experience.
I was incredibly humbled in a conversation the other day, by realizing just how little I know about the history and current situation of the people we are going to serve. Reading a few books and articles could never tell you the story of a people. However, the most important thing I'm bringing is really what ties this all together and makes this journey Vincentian. I'm bringing myself, my presence. I may not have a doctoral thesis on how to solve their issues of hunger or poverty, I may not have millions of dollars to create foundations, I may not even have a very good working knowledge of their language or their culture - but that's not why I'm going. I'm going there to love. The Vincentian charism is about recognizing the beauty, the dignity of every human person. I hope, through my presence, to tell every person I meet in Kitale that they are valued and they are loved. If there is one thing that still stays with me from my time in Ethiopia, it is that they have far more to teach me than I could ever teach them. And knowing this, I bring myself - and I hope to let them teach me how to serve them.
I depart tomorrow, still full of unknowns, but especially with great excitement. I'm packing my nervousness, but I know that's one thing that won't be coming home with me. I'm eager to see what those returning suitcases will hold.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Letting Go
Sometimes I feel that time has sped up this month. It seems like yesterday that I left for Chicago to be a part of Orientation. Nervous and excited, we spent time developing our community as well as planning our camp. At the end of Oriention, we sent off the Ethiopia VLMs, who are currently finishing their service in Bahir Dar. Somehow, amidst busy work schedules, family visits, and summer activities, 4 weeks vanished. 10 days from now, I'll be on my flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam. There I will find the three volunteers I am taking to Kitale (Amy, Emily, and Caitlin), along with the rest of the VLMs headed to Kenya. We will depart Amsterdam for Nairobi, where the Daughters of Charity will meet us and take us to our individual sites. The group going to Chepanyl will head West with us, while the Kioo group will head East. All three of these sites are part of the Daughters of Charity ministry in Kenya, but we will be the pioneering VLMs to set up their first children's summer camps.
Sometimes, though, I feel as though time has stopped. As a college student, summers were always a time of transition and travel for me, and spending the summer of 2008 in Ethiopia did not seem unusual or difficult. I'm quickly discovering that life after college, particularly married life, is just a little bit different. As the reality of putting every part of my life on hold for the month of August has set in, I've found myself absorbing special moments like a sponge - soaking up every last drop. Wonderful conversations with friends, rare moments just sitting and enjoying my husband's company, joyful masses (in English!) - I feel these times being absorbed into my being, tucked away for any hard times that lay in the journey ahead.
Preparing to leave for a month has involved a lot of work - orchestrating all the different aspects of my life to run on autopilot. Some things are simply delegated; others require a lot of advance work. Whatever the case may be, I've had to realize that not everything will get done - and that's ok! As an admitted over-achiever, this hasn't always been easy. However, I have great hope in knowing I am going exactly where God wants me to be next month. The "urgent" is so easy to have supercede the "important" in our life's priorities. As my time is now limited, I find myself forced to let go of things I want, in order to be where God wants me to be.
Let Go, and Let God. A dear college friend once gave me a small worry stone with that inscription. In these last 10 days of preparations for going to Kenya, I am increasingly aware that what I'm bringing is myself. Packing lists have to be checked, affairs placed in order, details finalized - but at the end of the day, all I can really do is show up, and make myself available to be used as God's instrument. No amount of crayons or paper or soccer balls could replace someone being present, letting the children be children - helping them create art, learn to play games, or share a simple meal in a safe environment.
I have to let go of my time, and let God take care of the rest.
Sometimes, though, I feel as though time has stopped. As a college student, summers were always a time of transition and travel for me, and spending the summer of 2008 in Ethiopia did not seem unusual or difficult. I'm quickly discovering that life after college, particularly married life, is just a little bit different. As the reality of putting every part of my life on hold for the month of August has set in, I've found myself absorbing special moments like a sponge - soaking up every last drop. Wonderful conversations with friends, rare moments just sitting and enjoying my husband's company, joyful masses (in English!) - I feel these times being absorbed into my being, tucked away for any hard times that lay in the journey ahead.
Preparing to leave for a month has involved a lot of work - orchestrating all the different aspects of my life to run on autopilot. Some things are simply delegated; others require a lot of advance work. Whatever the case may be, I've had to realize that not everything will get done - and that's ok! As an admitted over-achiever, this hasn't always been easy. However, I have great hope in knowing I am going exactly where God wants me to be next month. The "urgent" is so easy to have supercede the "important" in our life's priorities. As my time is now limited, I find myself forced to let go of things I want, in order to be where God wants me to be.
Let Go, and Let God. A dear college friend once gave me a small worry stone with that inscription. In these last 10 days of preparations for going to Kenya, I am increasingly aware that what I'm bringing is myself. Packing lists have to be checked, affairs placed in order, details finalized - but at the end of the day, all I can really do is show up, and make myself available to be used as God's instrument. No amount of crayons or paper or soccer balls could replace someone being present, letting the children be children - helping them create art, learn to play games, or share a simple meal in a safe environment.
I have to let go of my time, and let God take care of the rest.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Fresh Taste of Summer
With everything going on this month, it has been difficult to be a regular blogger! I am getting on today to share some quick updates.
1) VLM Orientation starts on Monday! Please keep us in your prayers as the volunteers travel to Chicago from all over the country. There are fifteen of us total (four returnees, including myself, and a fifth as well serving as site coordinators for the other ten). This will be the first time we will all be together since we began this journey long distance late last fall. There will be plenty of new faces, and lots of reunion hugs as well!
2) I am officially starting my new work with the Daughters of Charity here in the Bay Area, serving as Coordinator for Vincentian Educator Formation. It is a very exciting position, and I am loving being able to work in Vincentian Formation as a career! This will definitely be overlapping into my sharing about the Vincentian charism with you all.
3) I had a beautifully successful fundraiser two weeks ago at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in my hometown of Jordan, Oregon. My heart is overwhelmed by the generosity of money and school supplies that were donated to the VLM cause. If you have any further donations you would like to share with us (either before this trip, or in preparation for next year's volunteers) please don't hesitate to contact me! You can also visit our website for more information on e-donating, or mailing items to our director, Jessica Werner.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, donations, and for sharing the message of this beautiful ministry. I will be back in July!
1) VLM Orientation starts on Monday! Please keep us in your prayers as the volunteers travel to Chicago from all over the country. There are fifteen of us total (four returnees, including myself, and a fifth as well serving as site coordinators for the other ten). This will be the first time we will all be together since we began this journey long distance late last fall. There will be plenty of new faces, and lots of reunion hugs as well!
2) I am officially starting my new work with the Daughters of Charity here in the Bay Area, serving as Coordinator for Vincentian Educator Formation. It is a very exciting position, and I am loving being able to work in Vincentian Formation as a career! This will definitely be overlapping into my sharing about the Vincentian charism with you all.
3) I had a beautifully successful fundraiser two weeks ago at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in my hometown of Jordan, Oregon. My heart is overwhelmed by the generosity of money and school supplies that were donated to the VLM cause. If you have any further donations you would like to share with us (either before this trip, or in preparation for next year's volunteers) please don't hesitate to contact me! You can also visit our website for more information on e-donating, or mailing items to our director, Jessica Werner.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, donations, and for sharing the message of this beautiful ministry. I will be back in July!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Preparation
VLMs are in the thick of preparations! It's a very busy month, with volunteers graduating, finishing classes/finals, working, and preparing to be gone for an entire month of their summer.
For 3 days at the end of June, all of the groups heading to Kenya and Ethiopia will gather in Chicago to reflect, learn, build community, and gather necessary materials for our journey. Orientation will be a unique time for all 15 of the volunteers to get to know each other, especially since we will be doing our ministries in small groups of 3-5. The coordinators are preparing sessions on the Vincentian charism, community building, our service, culture tips for our work in Africa, etc. It will be a busy 3 days, full of valuable information and fun!
The Ethiopian group will be leaving directly from orientation, and will spend the entire month of July in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. This location has such a special place in my heart! They will be working with the teachers at the Blessed Gebre Micael school, sharing new teaching methods and pedagogy. Please pray for them in their final few weeks of preparation.
The remaining three groups traveling to Kenya will go back home for the month of July, and we will all meet up en route to Kenya in August! There is much left to be done, but the excitement is definitely rising.
As I've been preparing materials for formation and for the upcoming orientation, I've been thinking a lot about this notion of preparation. As Christians, we are asked to always prepare - for we will know neither the day nor the hour of the Lord's coming. We prepare our homes for guests, we prepare our minds for the workplace, we prepare our hearts for God.
I heard an interesting quote tonight at mass that I would like to leave you with - about preparing and living lives centered on Christ.
"If being Christian were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"
For 3 days at the end of June, all of the groups heading to Kenya and Ethiopia will gather in Chicago to reflect, learn, build community, and gather necessary materials for our journey. Orientation will be a unique time for all 15 of the volunteers to get to know each other, especially since we will be doing our ministries in small groups of 3-5. The coordinators are preparing sessions on the Vincentian charism, community building, our service, culture tips for our work in Africa, etc. It will be a busy 3 days, full of valuable information and fun!
The Ethiopian group will be leaving directly from orientation, and will spend the entire month of July in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. This location has such a special place in my heart! They will be working with the teachers at the Blessed Gebre Micael school, sharing new teaching methods and pedagogy. Please pray for them in their final few weeks of preparation.
The remaining three groups traveling to Kenya will go back home for the month of July, and we will all meet up en route to Kenya in August! There is much left to be done, but the excitement is definitely rising.
As I've been preparing materials for formation and for the upcoming orientation, I've been thinking a lot about this notion of preparation. As Christians, we are asked to always prepare - for we will know neither the day nor the hour of the Lord's coming. We prepare our homes for guests, we prepare our minds for the workplace, we prepare our hearts for God.
I heard an interesting quote tonight at mass that I would like to leave you with - about preparing and living lives centered on Christ.
"If being Christian were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)