Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pastor Julie
Today I saw my friend Julie become a called and ordained minister in the ELCA. I have never been to an ordination ceremony before and like many times this week found myself crying the whole way through. First off, Pastor Jim delivered a beautiful sermon on the import of remembering it is not about you. Our time here is to glorify God by working to hear and do his work here on earth. Second, the day was bright and beautiful. What a wonderful moment to affirm my faith. I have struggled to stay positive as time passes and I still do not have a visa. I am not able to make plans for more than the next month without serious hesitation. But today, for a minute I lost myself. As I looked out the windows at the top of the sanctuary I found myself spinning (maybe floating?). Suddenly the very world seemed too bright. I thought, I want to keep this feeling, and instantaly I was snapped back into the song. People around me were missing entrances, holding notes too long, they were not in key and many were fumbling words. I love it. We are so fragile and so mistaken. I thank all the people who have helped me decern my call. Is this God calling me to work half a world away? Donno. It's a leap of faith. And today I saw a very wise very strong women give it all up. Without help we are lost. Today for just a light filled moment I was found. I thank God for that moment of clarity. The sound of all those voices lifted me up.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Letter to Atonement Boulder
Dear Friends in Boulder
Thank you so much for your prayers of support. I did not know you all were praying for me until recently when I traveled from my home in Lakewood to Boulder for an organizational meeting on how we can support members of our congregation as they face health challenges. Many people at the meeting expressed surprise at my still being in the United States. Frankly, I am also surprised. When I sent the congregation an announcement in July we believed I would be leaving for Indonesia in late August or early September. But here it is October and I do not have a departure date. I am waiting for my visa. Our colleagues at church-wide tell me it is very likely I will be granted a visa sometime this month. To put bread on my personal table I have a temporary position at a costume store and enjoy it very much. Most Sundays I do not drive the hour and half round trip to see you but you all are in my thoughts and prayers as I join with Atonement Denver in worship. There is very little I can do to speed up the bureaucratic process but it is my prayer I will arrive in Balige in early November.
While I am waiting God has blessed me with the opportunity to do his comforting work here at home. Several members of my family have faced unexpected life changing events in these four months. I am blessed to be with them as they walk through these things. Everyone is in their right place. God has a plan and a time.
I have been in contact with my supervisor at in Indonesia and have been preparing for my departure by learning Bahasa, writing some lesson plans, and getting my vaccinations. Please allow me give the congregation more information about what I expect to do when I get to Southeast Asia. I have been invited by the people of Indonesia, the HKBP church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to serve God at the deaconess school for two years teaching English in Balige, Tobasa Sumut, Northern Sumatra. I will also be designing a curriculum for the school to keep when I leave to use with short term native and near native English speakers.
While studying Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I learned about the December 26, 2004 magnitude 9.0+ earthquake in the Indian Ocean. This was the fourth largest earthquake since 1900 and the resulting tsunami was over 10 meters tall when it reached shore in Sumatra. In Indonesia at least 110,229 people were killed and all over the world more than 150,000 people died as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in 2004.
My colleagues who have recently traveled to the area tell me the people of northern Sumatra are recovering well, the communities are coming back from the disaster and most houses in the devastated areas have been rebuilt. But God still has more work to do in this part of the world. I was approved to serve for two years by the Global Mission unit. While I may not be directly working with disaster relief efforts, I believe I will be working with the women in the school to affect long term change so that when future natural events happen they will not become disasters like the tsunami. By empowering the deaconesses to speak with officials at agencies around the world, it is my prayer any future natural disasters will be mitigated before they become a tragedy like the 2004 tsunami. Additionally, by many estimates more than 80% of scientific publications are in English. With greater access to information my students will be able to affect many other aspects of their community lives. They may use their skills to build interfaith relationships, better nutrition, organize rural development, and in the professional fields of nursing and education.
As a church we have been called by God and justified by faith to walk humbly with all people on earth. In preparing to travel I pray for safe travel and health. I pray God watch over and care for my friends and family. Finally, I pray the people who have supported the Global Mission unit of the ELCA know how much hope, joy, and good they are bringing to an area of the world that has been devastated by a tsunami. The people that I have contacted in the area are very excited for my arrival. Finally, I am reminded of what we learned in orientation- mission work goes two ways. I pray my ministry will serve as a witness to God’s promise to the people in Indonesia. Equally importantly, though, when I write home and when I get back our church will be better for the talent, insight, diversity in thinking and challenges our companions bring to us as we walk in accompaniment. God’s work. Our Hands.
Thank you so much for your prayers of support. I did not know you all were praying for me until recently when I traveled from my home in Lakewood to Boulder for an organizational meeting on how we can support members of our congregation as they face health challenges. Many people at the meeting expressed surprise at my still being in the United States. Frankly, I am also surprised. When I sent the congregation an announcement in July we believed I would be leaving for Indonesia in late August or early September. But here it is October and I do not have a departure date. I am waiting for my visa. Our colleagues at church-wide tell me it is very likely I will be granted a visa sometime this month. To put bread on my personal table I have a temporary position at a costume store and enjoy it very much. Most Sundays I do not drive the hour and half round trip to see you but you all are in my thoughts and prayers as I join with Atonement Denver in worship. There is very little I can do to speed up the bureaucratic process but it is my prayer I will arrive in Balige in early November.
While I am waiting God has blessed me with the opportunity to do his comforting work here at home. Several members of my family have faced unexpected life changing events in these four months. I am blessed to be with them as they walk through these things. Everyone is in their right place. God has a plan and a time.
I have been in contact with my supervisor at in Indonesia and have been preparing for my departure by learning Bahasa, writing some lesson plans, and getting my vaccinations. Please allow me give the congregation more information about what I expect to do when I get to Southeast Asia. I have been invited by the people of Indonesia, the HKBP church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to serve God at the deaconess school for two years teaching English in Balige, Tobasa Sumut, Northern Sumatra. I will also be designing a curriculum for the school to keep when I leave to use with short term native and near native English speakers.
While studying Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I learned about the December 26, 2004 magnitude 9.0+ earthquake in the Indian Ocean. This was the fourth largest earthquake since 1900 and the resulting tsunami was over 10 meters tall when it reached shore in Sumatra. In Indonesia at least 110,229 people were killed and all over the world more than 150,000 people died as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in 2004.
My colleagues who have recently traveled to the area tell me the people of northern Sumatra are recovering well, the communities are coming back from the disaster and most houses in the devastated areas have been rebuilt. But God still has more work to do in this part of the world. I was approved to serve for two years by the Global Mission unit. While I may not be directly working with disaster relief efforts, I believe I will be working with the women in the school to affect long term change so that when future natural events happen they will not become disasters like the tsunami. By empowering the deaconesses to speak with officials at agencies around the world, it is my prayer any future natural disasters will be mitigated before they become a tragedy like the 2004 tsunami. Additionally, by many estimates more than 80% of scientific publications are in English. With greater access to information my students will be able to affect many other aspects of their community lives. They may use their skills to build interfaith relationships, better nutrition, organize rural development, and in the professional fields of nursing and education.
As a church we have been called by God and justified by faith to walk humbly with all people on earth. In preparing to travel I pray for safe travel and health. I pray God watch over and care for my friends and family. Finally, I pray the people who have supported the Global Mission unit of the ELCA know how much hope, joy, and good they are bringing to an area of the world that has been devastated by a tsunami. The people that I have contacted in the area are very excited for my arrival. Finally, I am reminded of what we learned in orientation- mission work goes two ways. I pray my ministry will serve as a witness to God’s promise to the people in Indonesia. Equally importantly, though, when I write home and when I get back our church will be better for the talent, insight, diversity in thinking and challenges our companions bring to us as we walk in accompaniment. God’s work. Our Hands.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Wondering about a sea of consumption
I was walking to work the other day and there were hundreds of cars zooming by at a busy intersection. I was the only person not in a car or shop as far as I could see. But I had memory of hearing sometime that there is a story about aliens coming to earth and concluding that cars are really in charge and they have enslaved the human race. Which in some ways is true. We spend time in them everyday and work to support them. I guess I feel a little isolated sometimes because I don't have a car.
It seems everyone owns a car. I did learn in school how we decided to move from an infrastructure of public transit and spaces to a private car culture. It wasn't an accident. I am thinking specifically of how Goodyear bought up all the train companies in the West (specifically starting in L.A.) and then replaced them with buses. Buses are louder and more expensive to keep going and use a lot more carbon and are less reliable and safe but they make money for the manufacturers because they have to be replaced more often. I am waiting to go somewhere and I am going everywhere in a private car. My neighbors are fighting the Fasttracks rail line going in behind their houses because it will be loud. But it's not like they are building new tracks from scratch- they are just fixing an old track to make it usable again. I am frustrated with my neighbors because public trains are better for everyone- they cost less than private cars, are better for the environment, are safer, and create a sense of shared responsibility by encouraging public spaces.
It seems everyone owns a car. I did learn in school how we decided to move from an infrastructure of public transit and spaces to a private car culture. It wasn't an accident. I am thinking specifically of how Goodyear bought up all the train companies in the West (specifically starting in L.A.) and then replaced them with buses. Buses are louder and more expensive to keep going and use a lot more carbon and are less reliable and safe but they make money for the manufacturers because they have to be replaced more often. I am waiting to go somewhere and I am going everywhere in a private car. My neighbors are fighting the Fasttracks rail line going in behind their houses because it will be loud. But it's not like they are building new tracks from scratch- they are just fixing an old track to make it usable again. I am frustrated with my neighbors because public trains are better for everyone- they cost less than private cars, are better for the environment, are safer, and create a sense of shared responsibility by encouraging public spaces.
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