Seeds of Change...

It’s the day after Easter, and I’m walking in a place that may seem strange to some – the Herrnhut Cemetery. It takes less than 5 minutes to get there from my house, and upon entering, I am immersed in history, in stories untold. (To the left is the path up to the Herrnhut Cemetary and the Prayer Tower)

Names and dates greet me as I go from stone to stone: Mathilde, 1875 .…Johannes, 1902….Heinrich, 1913, Amelie, 1930. Interestingly, my mind goes back to last week, to the stories that were told by the Staff and Students from our Fall Discipleship Training School. They have just returned from the international outreach part of their DTS, and they bring with them accounts of lives touched – the orphanage they worked in, the Ethiopian tribes they worked with, the almost forgotten African village tucked away in the corners of India that they searched for and found.

Why the connection between the Herrnhut cemetery and the DTS? Because while I was walking through that graveyard as well as listening to our students and staff, I heard the future. I looked at those headstones and wondered at the countless number of lives that were touched, and when I listened to those 10 teams report back, I thought the same. These staff and students carried with them seeds – seeds of the hope that was within them, their relationships with Jesus. They planted their seeds, not always with knowing how they will grow, but trusting they will produce much when God brings them to life.

I wish you could have been here last week during the report back time for our DTS – I would have even saved you a seat! As with every school, the stories are not always full of easy passage, but I see and hear God’s hand in the lives of those who go, stories from staff and students who gave up their known way for a season. (To the right - the report back by the team leader of the Chad/Cameroon/Ethiopia team)

We had 10 teams this year, which encompassed 95 people on the field in 12 countries: Chad/Cameroon/Ethiopia, Ghana, India/Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Israel, Nepal, China, Pakistan and Thailand. They left on their outreaches in January, and thankfully (though we had a few tense moments with several teams, i.e. having to emergency evacuate one team from their location because of attacking rebels), all returned safe and sound.

And with stories. I recall the Ghana team and how they didn’t have an overabundance of finances, but were able to raise 5,000 Euros (about $7,800) for a project they were working with. I think of the somewhat strange story from the Israel team about one of the ministries they did – digging graves. That may sound unusual, but they told us that this was the one cemetery in the whole region where Christians, Jews and Muslims could be buried together – one island of peace in the midst of an area in vast turmoil. (To the right: The report back from our China team)

The stories go on! But, above all, I walked away with the reminder that what you and I do by supporting these teams impacts not just their lives, but the lives of hundreds of others. The seeds of change have been planted, and the stories remain to be told, in your life, in mine and the lives of those in the nations.

(Click the video below and listen to the Nepal team singing!)

A Great Time at Home...

What can I say? Being able to be home for a break from the end of November through mid-January, and home for the holidays for the first time in three years, was truly a gift. Good times with family and great friends, good food, great connection time with my church family, a zillion choices, and most everything in my own language – wow! (Look - it's me, Mom and Dad at Christmas - so cute!)

I didn’t get to go to all the places I wanted to go, like to my family in Kansas, so that’s on the agenda for the next time I’m home (which I’m not sure when that will be). But, all-in-all, the time home was refreshing and thought-provoking. I come away each time with a thankfulness for my parents and family, amazing friends and supportive church…and, of course, the wonderful Seattle coffee. (Picture on right: good friends, hanging out)

Here I am, speaking at my home church.....and celebrating my 33rd birthday with good friends

A Campaign for Hope

I’m sitting in New York City, the epitome of the international city, at a pre-launch meeting for an event called The Hope Campaign. Gathered with me are several dozens of people who all carry the heart for issues of injustice in the world: child soldiers, poverty, illiteracy, lack of clean water, human trafficking, etc. Each person, including myself, sees the great need in the world, and wants to do something to fight back…but what? How can one small life make a difference? (My good friend, Melissa, and I, reconnecting!)

The statistics on Human Trafficking alone are staggering: 27 million people a year are trafficked in the world, across national borders and within their own countries, some for forced labor, most for sexual exploitation. Some of those numbers include children, and all of those numbers include valuable and irreplaceable lives – someone’s brother, mother, sister, son, friend.

And those statistics take a very real presence not far from me here in Europe. This is not a story for Eastern Europe alone – it is in every nation, and in almost every major city. And the question comes to my mind again – what can one life do in the face of so much?

And that is what drew me to New York for this meeting – the desire to do something. As I listened and gave my administrative piece, I heard the hearts of the others in that room that wanted to work in, or were already engaged in, issues of injustice. As the meetings unfolded, we listened as a framework for the future began to come together. (The picture is of my friend, Tonya, presenting about a township she works in in South Africa)

In short, The Hope Campaign will serve as a platform to focus and facilitate individuals and organizations to educate, inspire and move towards action on issues of injustice. Next year, starting at the end of February and going through mid-March, different groups (and anyone can apply to host a venue) will gather in New York City to raise awareness and provide action steps on issues of injustice.

It was a privilege to be a part of these meetings, and I hope to be a part of the first Hope Campaign event next year. I won’t say any more about it now, but if you’re interested in more information, just let me know. There will definitely be more about it in future updates. (Here I am, in Times Square!)