It's funny how little words make big ripples in our hearts. I saw my inbox today (pictured), and read an email by one of our students, Roland, agreeing to our engagement to be a part of the Teachers College. This is no small commitment. 3 years, 1 of studying, 2 of teaching - the benefit (other than service to his country) - a free education at the University of West Africa. It's kind of a Teach for America flipped on its head. You don't need a masters degree to teach in Burkina, in fact you don't even have to finish high school (although for us you do). The real faith kick though, is that this university, of which we count the Teachers College as the beginning of, doesn't have any other faculties at the moment. It is a vision. One we are working towards, but one that is mountains away. But what does faith do? It moves mountains. 

continue reading

I have taken a long hiatus from this. But I see the benefit to blogging. To process the day. To remember what God is doing around me, through HtW and I. No promises...but I want to make this a regular event. Hope some benefit comes from it...if even just for me. 

 We started the Teacher's College this week. An unceremonious start to a new era in our work - bringing what we have learned to scale. It could seem scary, taking on more - committing to more families, kids, smiles and disseminated thoughts. I once said to Patrick (VP comm.) - let's go big or go home. He was a bit taken back, but my perspective was and is that this work isn't worth sleepless nights unless it really reaches the masses. I hear Mother Theresa when she says she looks at the individual, not the masses - but that doesn't work for me. If I wanted to help the individual I would sponsor a kid, donate my clothes, etc. Which are all good things to do, and in fact if we all did that, I wouldn't have to look at the masses. But were not, so I do. 

continue reading

For a while I have been thinking about the answer to this question.  What does it really mean to live in such a way that I am truly promoting the welfare, or well-being, of humanity? What does it involve?  What attributes of Christ can we learn from to enlarge our understanding of this idea?  At its core, my question is this – Can we understand humanitarianism as “being” rather than “doing.”  Is it really about who we are?

Along the way, I have been looking for examples of “being” that might be considered humanitarian.  I found a great one in an article entitled “Sharpshooters – The Distant Executioner” in the February 2010 Vanity Fair (a moderately guilty pleasure of mine in the realm of reading).

continue reading

So this is my first blog ever...

A couple of definitions --  Humanitarian: A person devoted to promoting the welfare of humanity.

Jesus: The human-divine Son of God; the great High Priest who intercedes for His people at the right hand of God; the central figure of human history; the one who conquered sin and death; and the way, truth and life through whom alone can we be reconciled with God.

Are you a humanitarian?  It is a big word and an even bigger idea.  With Haiti on our collective hearts and minds it would be hard to understate the need to ask ourselves if we really do exist for others.  Sure, we do sometimes, maybe even much of the time, but as for me, not all the time.  We live in a broken world, groaning under the weight of its decay, haunted by the knowledge that it could have been different.  We see shadows and remnants of the perfection that was and is to be, but live in, with, and through the vestiges of brokenness.  

continue reading

Tomorrow is World Humanitarian Day. World Humanitarian Day exists to honor those who are serving the needy and to remember those who have lost their lives during their service. You can read about the history of this newly recognized day here and here.

 

Taken from the WHO website, World Humanitarian Day is

an occasion for remembering humanitarian staff who lost their lives serving others. There are many, and they come from partner UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and numerous intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations. WHO remembers its own staff who have lost their lives with great sadness, but also great respect.

 

continue reading