Speaking Hope

Give Hope - One Christmas Gift at a Time!

2011-11-18T11:34:00.001-05:00

For many people in Canada, there is often a feeling of conflict between what Christmas should be about – sharing the joy of Jesus’ birth and the Christmas story, connecting with family and friends – and the reality of the season.

It is stressful and busy, and everything is further complicated by the need to find the time and money to shop for gifts that aren’t always needed or used. Last year, as a possible solution to this problem, ITCA created a Christmas catalogue filled with items designed to simplify gift-giving and support International Teams programs at the same time. The catalogue contained everything from ice cream for orphans and high school tuition for teenagers to vocational training for widows and bicycles for pastors.

Philip Sheldon, Canadian Team Leader for Impact Kenya (PACE), says that the catalogue allowed them to do something special for the large number of orphans attending PACE Academy. “The catalogue funds allowed us to buy special foods for the children in December. One of the most purchased items was the $5 gift of bread and milk at the Victory Nursery School in Maina. We were going to be short for January because of a drop in our regular donations, but these small gifts were enough to enable us to continue until our regular donors came back.”

One of ITCA’s regular supporters emailed to share how an article about the catalogue in the December issue of Momentum resonated with her. “I really loved your article. I’m at a point where I can honestly say that I hate Christmas. Last year, I hated it but still wasn’t able to say it out loud and this year I’m dreading it. I’m dreading the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the traffic, the noise, the people, the expectations, and the disappointments. It’s too much and I just want to close my eyes and make it all go away. Reading your article made me feel like maybe there’s hope... it inspired me to think of ways to simplify Christmas.”

Simplifying Christmas can be as easy as visiting our website at http://catalogue.iteams.ca during the holiday season and choosing one or more of the many unique items in the catalogue, such as Bibles for pastors in Sudan, juice for a family-style dinner at Welcome Home, tuition for a former street kid in Rwanda, or baby chicks for widows in Kenya.

The 2011 Christmas catalogue – new and improved, with many options to give genuine hope in tangible ways – was launched in mid-November and we would love for you to join us in Giving Hope, one holiday gift at a time.

New Online Services Department Makes Online Giving Easy

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

Chris Fane

International Teams Canada's new Online Services Department is an exciting step forward for ITCA's head office infrastructure, one that Neil Ostrander, CEO, believes will provide increased opportunities for genuine engagement with ITCA's people and programs.

ITCA's total revenue has more than doubled in the past three years, an increase that he says was driven in large part by programs, people, projects, and teams leveraging online services as more donors choose the convenience, reliability, and security of donating online. "We created the Online Services Department this summer and gave it a focused mandate to grow our donor support and partnerships by simplifying the online donation process and empowering leaders and teams to tell their stories. We believe that the new tools we have access to can help engage our supporters and get them truly excited about giving."

The new team operates under the leadership of Chris Fane, previously a sub-contractor for ITCA who brings a wealth of real-world web, graphics, and branding experience to the role, as well as a unique perspective on user experience and usability.

Chris says that his primary focus in the new role is on making sure the stories of ITCA's missionaries, staff, and indigenous leaders are being told. He believes that leveraging online tools is a great way to supplement the various offline ways those stories are currently being shared. "This role helps both donors and fundraisers from beginning to end by streamlining our process. We can help people who are raising funds by giving them the resources they need to communicate their vision for the project, as well as the tools they need to come back to the donors after the experience and communicate that story effectively. We're also making better use of donor dollars and scaling back the number and frequency of print materials by giving our supporters the opportunity to receive updates via email, Facebook, and our website."

Chris believes the best barometer for the success of the new department is the comfort level of ITCA's donors with the new technology. "We'll know we've done our job when everybody has a great experience using the online tools, because we've made it accessible and easy to use for everyone, regardless of their familiarity with online giving. Everything is a work in progress, so we're always looking for feedback. We want our donors to tell us what works for them!"

Stay tuned to our website for further enhancements to the online donation system. To share feedback, please email Chris directly.

Strategic Partnership with Careforce International

2011-10-04T03:00:00.000-04:00

Neil Ostrander, CEO of International Teams Canada (ITCA), and Philip Chester, CEO of Careforce International (CFI), are excited to announce a strategic partnership that will benefit both organizations as they work together to care for those in need in Canada and around the world.

Effective September 29, 2011, this partnership represents a bold next step for the International Teams partnership strategy, and one that will help ensure the long-term future of Careforce International. The agreement sets out a path where ITCA will run all the back-office functions, with a special emphasis on Online Services, while CFI continues as a separate charitable organization. CFI and ITCA will partner in program delivery and both organizations are expected to see an increase in participation and donor support over 12 months.

Philip says that the partnership will not only allow CFI to focus on the initiatives that are at the heart of who they are as an organization – providing resources to project partners, and sending short-term teams to assist those partners in the work they are doing – but will also assist in growing their constituency of supporters and establishing new programs. “Our research shows that sharing our resources will enable us to maximize and improve impact for our partners through increased efficiency in our operations. Biblically-based collaboration with ITCA will allow Careforce to transfer and share, to the benefit of both organizations. This will mean that Careforce and ITCA will be able to invest a greater percentage of donations directly to the programs and projects.”

Neil and the Board of Directors of ITCA have leveraged their experience, gained from ITCA’s other partnerships, to identify a number of benefits to this unique arrangement. “Nothing is being lost. In fact, we all have a lot to gain through increased efficiency. Partnering with Careforce allows ITCA to increase our program and operational capacity further and faster. Together, we will help more churches who in turn help more widows, orphans and refugees.”

Both Neil and Philip are confident that the future of Careforce programs, partners, teams and overall vision is solid, thanks to a sustainable operational model that will be focused, lean and effective. They are available for more in-depth discussion of this partnership and encourage supporters of either organization to contact them directly with any questions.

Philip Chester
CEO, Careforce International
philip@careforceinternational.ca
905.639.8525

Neil Ostrander
CEO, International Teams Canada
neil.ostrander@iteams.org
519.669.8844

New Partner: Bongalon Christlike Community

2011-09-17T10:58:00.001-04:00

Great re-post from Brett's Blog ...

Henry posing with the beautiful scenery

Last week Henry was able to make a trip south of Manila to a small fishing village and get some hands on experience with our newest partner, Anton. I have actually been seeing Anton around church for quite sometime, maybe even since I first arrived, since before JKKCC was planted, I was attending his home church. After hearing him make a presentation at church, I got up and left the service to talk with him - I new he would a perfect partner. After approaching him and telling him what Impact Philippines is about he was also quite excited. Finally, after about a month and a half of preparation, Henry was able to go and see his ministry.

After sitting down and looking at some pictures of Henry's few days there and chatting about the possibilities, I got very excited. Anton and his wife have done a very good job in ministering to this community. They have built a preschool which doubles as a church, and are working on building livelihood programs. Anton has had a powerful affect on this community, so much so that even local politicians have approached him to be on the board of tourism! I have been deeply inspired by Anton and what they have accomplished, and I believe God brought our ministries together, and I look forward to seeing what will happen!

A comprehensive plan will be laid out in the coming weeks, but for now there are some points to consider and pray about. The long-term prosperity of this community is dependent on the children getting a good education. But there is a huge hindrance - the school is 2km away, and the high school 4km. What makes it worse is that the children don't any food to bring for lunch so they have to walk back for lunch! So for the young ones its 8km of walking a day, and for the high schoolers 16km a day in the heat! It seems clear we need to get this community a way to transport the students to school to ensure everyone is getting there and actually able to function. Please pray that we will be able to raise the necessary funds to get a old jeepny (a jeep with an extended back fitted with two benches) to function as a school bus. Be warned that this has the potential to be a huge blessing or curse. If not done right it could create jealousy and divisions in the community, but I have faith in Anton and also Kuya Henry to prepare them for that kind of responsibility.

Another issue is the terrible poverty. This community makes the informal settlers in the dumpsite look like life in paradise. Earning money is very challenging, and we have to overcome a lot of obstacles for the community to become self sufficient. Urban poor have opportunities to earn money daily, one reason why so many leave the rural areas, but these people have so few options. A sustainable local economy needs to be developed, and that wont be easy, or happen fast. The encouraging thing is that people in the rural settings know how to work hard, are not dragged down with entitlement (feeling the government needs to fix their problems), and are generally much more honest. The potential is huge, the partners are great, and the plans are comprehensive and built on sustainability - I am very excited to get started.

On a personal note I am a little jealous of kuya Henry for being able to get out of the city and get hands on, but I know my time locked up in the library at school is also important. I am learning and growing exponentially right now, and though the papers and memorizing ancient greek vocabulary seems somewhat irrelevant, but I see its value and am trying to enjoy each day and learn as much as I can. Enjoy the pictures:

This is what the houses typically look like in this community.

Henry and Anton with the members of their church (Anton is the on the farthest right)

Life is hard, a mother is chopping wood for cooking.

A typically kitchen.

A fisherman working on his engine for his boat.

Houses are made mostly of wood.

When the students are lucky they get a ride from Anton.

Playing chess during the afternoon heat.

Henry sitting with a couple, probably hiding from the heat of mid-day

Repost: Streams In The Wasteland

2011-07-12T20:59:00.002-04:00

Ptrs Gani and Henry

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Today, is a new day. While each day in reality starts afresh, more than that, today is truly a new beginning. New beginnings owe their significance to the fact that they are very liberating. Our human desire to move forward and chase after the light of hope is always hampered by the mud of the past that bogs down our progress to the future. If you have slogged through muddy paths, you know how frustrating and tedious it is. It can wear you down. It can immobilize you as you sink deeper into the mud. Therefore, to be free today from the things that bind us to the past liberates us to witness the wonderful fulfillment of God's plans in the future.

Streams in the wasteland will constantly remind me from this day onwards on how God brings freshness to the Calling He has for each one of us. Streams in the wasteland will stir up the sense of anticipation on what He will do among the people who waste away in hopelessness.

Today, I would rather be swept away in that stream to the wasteland than be bogged down and sink in the muddy past.

Well said Pastor Henry. Follow his blog Streams in the Wasteland.

CrossCulture Event Encourages Student Leaders to "Dream Big"

2011-06-17T08:32:00.000-04:00

CrossCulture Event Encourages Student Leaders to "Dream Big":

HAMILTON, ONTARIO - Twice a year, 120 youth and young adults from the Hamilton area gather together at a CrossCulture event for a time of teaching and practical service at local ministries or community groups.

Now in its sixth year, CrossCulture is run by TrueCity Hamilton's Youth Network in partnership with International Teams. The day-long event provides an opportunity for young leaders to gather for breakfast, participate in a time of worship and testimony, and then go out to pre-arranged service sites. Everyone returns at the end of the day for worship, a message, and a time of prayer.

Esther Dillabough co-founded CrossCulture while attending Redeemer University. 'I was part of a team that essentially operated as a think tank, providing a place for students to create outreach opportunities and get other students involved. The idea for CrossCulture came to me and another student and eventually spread to other churches in the city who had a similar vision: to bring people together for a day and provide teaching around how to integrate worship, service, and social justice into a lifestyle, and then provide practical opportunities to serve at local agencies and churches.'

??Esther sees the events as a great way to really connect people with their community. 'We wanted to see what it would look like to serve together and make a bigger impact in the city. We partner with existing ministries, so we can encourage them and learn more about them, ultimately exposing people to ministries they may not even know existed in their own community. Often CrossCulture serves as a catalyst that leads to long-term involvement with these ministries and with our community.'

For CrossCulture's student leaders, many of whom are students at Redeemer University, it is an invaluable opportunity to be stretched and to truly invest in the youth and young adults that come to the event. As they near graduation, students on the planning team are responsible for replacing themselves, a process that Esther says is exciting to watch. 'Our leaders do a really great job of identifying in their peer group someone who has leadership potential and would be a good fit to help plan the next CrossCulture. It is really fun to see the younger students come onto the team and develop those skills.'

The 10th CrossCulture event took place on March 26. As they look ahead, Esther asks for prayer that the CrossCulture team will continue to dream big. 'We hope and pray that God would give students big dreams, and that youth pastors and church staff around the city would continue to help them make these dreams a reality.'

Where the Sidewalk Ends (Repost from Rwanda Mama)

2011-05-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

One thing that I love / live for / look forward to... are garage sales in Kigali.
Never really went to a garage sale when I lived in Canada but here - you can't keep me away!
Most happen when embassy or NGO people leave after their 2 or 3 year contract is finished. Oh the treasures they can have... chocolate chips, books, brown sugar, molasses, DVD's, fajitia seasoning, etc. etc.

I went to one last Saturday between gettting the team settled into painting one of our houses for former street kids and getting them lunch. One of the treasures I found... 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'!

I SO remember getting this book of poems read to me in I don't know what primary grade and then signing it out of the library to read by myself at home. Needless to say I snagged it and when I arrived home to my kids, I promptly sat them down for a poetry reading.

Nothing like the things that bring my two worlds together.

I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
By Shel Silversteien

Next garage sale... tomorrow!!

Lead with All the Senses

2011-04-22T11:37:00.000-04:00

Lead with All the Senses from The Soderquist Center on Vimeo.

Mwalimu: by Gary Cymbaluk

2011-03-19T07:21:00.000-04:00

Mwalimu:

Several weeks ago, I walked into my Friday evening Greek class at 5:30pm. This is the time the class is scheduled to start. Ten minutes later, the first student arrives and we exchange greetings. There is no apology given for being ten minutes late. She tells me, 'I have had a busy week.' We talk about the art of balancing studies and a full-time job. I encourage her to keep focused. The whole time we talk, I am also thinking about the time. I want to know where the rest of the classs is given that it is 15 minutes past the start time.

What is with the lack of respect? Why is it that people don't show up on time for class? Do they not care about wasting other people's time? Obviously, it doesn't matter to them that we start on time. We have so much material to cover and the clock continues to tick. What is the deal with these students?

With one eye on the clock and one ear in a conversation, I do my best to listen to the student tell me about her challenges. The clock on the wall keeps ticking. A few other students show up and we draw them into our conversation. When we are finished, she says, 'Thanks for the encouragement mwalimu!'

Mwalimu? What does this mean? Part of me wants to know. Part of me just wants to get the class started. I know if I ask the question out loud, it will generate a conversation. We really do not have time for a full-blown etymological discussion on the meaning of this swahili word. I can't resist. I ask, 'What did you call me?' I move towards the student. My ears don't always pick up the words spoken softly and with a different inflection. She smiles when I stop in front of her desk.

She repeats herself, 'Mwalimu.' Other students smile and nod. 'Yes,' they say a little louder with emphasis, 'Mwa-limu.' I am puzzled. I ask, 'What does it mean?' They tell me it is a swahili word that means 'teacher' or even 'rabbi'. 'We use the word to pay respect to a learned teacher who does a good job,' a student at the back says. Suddenly, I like the way they are using that word.

I stride back towards the whiteboard and ask them to spell it for me. They spell the word, letter by letter. I write it down in big block letters. I ask them to pronounce it and I repeat what they have said until I am able to say it. A few more students walk into the room and they smile at the mizungu attempting to say a swahili word. It takes me at least half a dozen tries to nail the pronunciation. I tell the class, 'In English, we do not have a word that begins with the letters 'Mw' and that is why it is hard for me to say.'

To them, it doesn't matter that I butcher the word--leaving a bloody mess on the floor. Everytime I say it, their eyes light up and they show beautiful, bright smiles on their faces. They quietly repeat it back to me after I have said it. They are pleased I know a new swahili word. I am honoured they have decided to call me 'Mwalimu'.

Not only has my first term at Pan Africa Christian University given me a new name, I have also moved a long way in 11 weeks with regards to teaching. I remember someone telling me, 'Doctoral studies are the least useful thing you can do to prepare yourself for teaching.' Although I vaguely understood it at the time, I now know how true this is. When you write a doctoral thesis, you spend most of your time in a study or in front of a computer. It is solitary work that does little to exercise pedagogical muscles.

Yes, there are four degrees under my belt. Yes, I have sat under dozens of different teachers. Yes, I took courses in Education, Philosophy of Teaching and How to Teach the Bible. But, this doesn't guarantee anything. Only a few exceptionally creative teachers stand out during my educational journey; most were boring or lifeless. The teachers I remember are those who gave a rip about us. That single point never left my mind. Teachers who care for, or even love their students are the ones who have lasting influence.

In my first few classes this term, I was in survival mode. You would be too if you were in my shoes. You get off a cross-continental flight on a Friday and you are told the classes you will teach(starting on Monday) have changed. You might have been preparing to teach Hebrew and Homiletics. You might have even purchased texts and weighed down your luggage(sacrificing other things you wanted to bring). But, that was Canada and this is Africa. I prepared the best I could for my new courses. I put together material during any spare minute I could find to fill up those three hours of class time.

Eventually, the jet-lag dissipated. We dealt with the children being sick. We got into the rhythm of African life. Lecture notes were tightened and refined. I began to put together material that made me shine. Students will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I didn't graduate at the bottom of my class. In my mind, I imagined them telling their friends about all the amazing new insights they had picked up from 'that new mizungu teacher'. I moved from into the phase of being a top-notch, enthusiastic, content-producer.

But I still couldn't get the idea that teachers teach students and not facts. In twenty years time, the students wouldn't remember much of what I was telling them. What they would remember is who I am. It didn't really matter how much information I threw at them, or how brilliantly it was presented. What mattered was how much they were being transformed.

With only one week left until final exams, I have begun to see my students in a new light. They are not students I must manage and teach. They are persons who have a lot to offer. The focus is less on me and more on them. They are brothers and sisters in Christ who I am privileged to journey alongside. At the end of my first term, I have truly begun to learn from my students.

WHAT CAN I DO?! Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are

2011-03-12T01:24:00.005-05:00

Guest post by David Livermore: Great leader and researcher. Great friend with a great challenge!

My newest book, What Can I Do: Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are just released. I wrote this primarily for Christian readers who want to make a difference globally but aren’t convinced that a two-week trip overseas or an occasional donation is enough.

I rarely meet someone who doesn’t give a rip about HIV-AIDS, freedom in the Middle East, poverty and disease, human trafficking, or any number of other global challenges facing our generation. But all too often, we’re shamed with another series of statistics about how sweet our lives are compared to most people around the world.

I’m all about seeing our lives in perspective. And I start the book out in that very place—seeing ourselves in light of our global neighbors. But all too often, global types like me stop there. We rant and rave with a global chip on our shoulder trying to get people to care about poverty, disease, and war and we don’t offer people practical steps for what they can actually do about it.

Having sometimes seen those tendencies in myself (apologies to those of you who have been subjected to my personal and public rants), I embarked on this project a few years ago. The book stems from research across many different disciplines and professions.

The main section covers dozens of stories and practical ways we can all make a difference globally—in our families, through our jobs (with chapters devoted to how individuals are doing so through business, art, education, science, health care, etc.), at school, in our communities, etc. It was deeply inspiring to work on this project because I learned so much personally from the many people I interviewed and the stories I encountered.

A more complete review of the book will be available on this website soon.For now, you can download the introduction and a couple sample chapters here: What Can I Do Sample. Feel free to share them with others or use them however you wish. And I’d love to hear your own stories of ways you’re learning to play your part in our global village. The book is available at Amazon and bookstores everywhere.

Global PartnerLink hires Wayne Johnson as new President and CEO

2011-03-08T06:53:00.000-05:00

Former Head of Opportunity International Joins Forces with Global PartnerLink
Calgary, Alberta - March 5, 2011

Global PartnerLink announced the hiring of Wayne Johnson as the new President and CEO. Johnson brings over 25 years of sales, marketing, fundraising and international development leadership experience to Global PartnerLink from both private industry and the non-profit community.

“We are thrilled to have Wayne join the Global PartnerLink team. His proven leadership, creative and innovative style, and international program experience will help us grow to the next level as an organization”, says Ned Benner, Chairmain of the Board, Global PartnerLink.

Johnson previously served as the founding CEO of Opportunity International Canada, Executive Director of a large Christian children’s camp in a major turnaround role, and as the Director of a niche marketing consulting organization, which served over 50 non-profits across Canada, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

“Bible translation is foundational to effective evangelism, church planting and discipleship. It is the missing key for many people groups who are marginalized and often the poorest of the poor. Literacy skills are also crucial, leading to improved education, health, job training, and cultural stability”, adds Johnson.

Keith Pickerill, Executive Director, Seamless Link, of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Canada sees growth at Global PartnerLink, “…Two years ago Global PartnerLink was launched as a spin off from Wycliffe Bible translators. The objective was to dramatically accelerate the rate of scripture translation by working alongside organizations led and staffed by nationals, not westerners. There are still over 2000 languages around the world that still do not have the scriptures in their own mother tongue, or heart language,” explains Pickerill. “Wayne will help us as Canadians do our part in ensuring that people from every people, tribe and nation will be able to worship God in their own heart language… ”

Global PartnerLink works in 13 of the world’s poorest countries with 16 nationally led and staffed Bible translation and literacy organizations. They fund and facilitate 60 translation and literacy projects involving 80 indigenous languages spoken by over 3,000,000 people. Within 8 years Global PartnerLink plans on being involved in an additional 140 unreached languages and people groups.

www.globalpartnerlink.ca

Congratulations Wayne ... you will do a great job!

Hope in Forgiveness

2011-03-05T10:37:00.059-05:00

I came across this quote from Miroslav Volf recently, and its challenged me to think and act! Read it slowly or perhaps a few times as I did.

"Forgiveness is the boundary between exclusion and embrace. It heals the wounds that the power-acts of exclusion have inflicted and breaks down the dividing wall of hostility. Yet it leaves a distance between people, an empty space of neutrality, that allows them either to go their separate ways in what is sometimes called 'peace' or to fall into each other's arms and restore broken communion.

Much more than just the absence of hostility sustained by the absence of contact, peace is communion between former enemies. Beyond offering forgiveness, Christ's passion aims at restoring such communion--even with the enemies who persistently refuse to be reconciled."

The truth is, this forgiveness thing has been on my mind for some time. If I'm honest, I have to admit that I've got a lot of work to do in this department! So I've built a daily habit of "forgive - release - bless". Simply put, I reflect and pray about people, situations, conflicts, etc., and then ask for insight on who I need to fully forgive, then release them and ask God to bless them.

Note that in all these cases, the presenting issues or conflict are over. Where needed, I've asked for forgiveness and in some cases, I've been asked to extend it. What I'm working on now is finishing the job ... doing the remedial work in my own soul so that I can truly "release and bless".

As I've practiced this simple ritual since December 2010, I've been surprised by:

The number of people I've needed to "release and bless"
The cumulation of negative stuff that needs active attention to dismiss
The freedom and "more positive" outlook in my own soul

Recently I was prompted to add one more feature to this soul work. That is, in the case of a very old wound, I needed to call a trusted friend and tell him that I had forgiven, released and blessed someone we both knew. It felt good to bless and be blessed by my friend ... by healing the old wound, not reopening it!

I wish I could say, "follow these three simple steps and you'll be fixed for life", but I can't. Somehow God cherishes us in our journey away from brokenness, so I imagine that people like you and me still have a lot of work to do in this soul area.

However, I can say that in each situation (or person) that I've released and blessed ... I feel much less blame or self-justification and ton more compassion. I've begun to feel that 'neutral space between', that is peace. This is a huge reward in my own soul.

So join me in changing the world, by finding hope in forgiveness. Try the ritual of "forgive - release - bless" for a week and see what happens in your own soul.

Rejoicing and Rebuilding in South Sudan

2011-02-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

Rejoicing and Rebuilding in South Sudan: February 18, 2011: Gord Skopnik, Program Leader for Impact Southern Sudan with International Teams Canada, was in Sudan in 2005 for the signing of the Naivasha Agreement, a comprehensive peace agreement struck between the north and the south in order to end the Sudanese Civil War and develop democratic governance country-wide. As part of the agreement, a referendum was scheduled for January 2011, giving the people of South Sudan the opportunity to vote on the issue of succession from Sudan as a whole. Gord remembers the 2005 agreement as a great cause for celebration, and feels that the referendum results (98% in favour of succession) is an even greater reason for the people of South Sudan, many of whom have been displaced, to rejoice.

With the referendum on the horizon, many people began over the past few years to return to Sudan from refugee camps in Congo, Kenya, and Uganda to re-establish and start life over again. The returnees, some armed with supplies provided by the UN, have been faced with the difficult challenge of rebuilding their lives in their homeland, as thousands and thousands have returned to a devastated country without an infrastructure in place to support them.
Still, Gord says, the refugees continue to move forward. 'It is very exciting for them, that they can come back to their homeland and find it relatively safe. With the exception of some disputed areas, the country has been fairly peaceful, and the peace was maintained even throughout the vote. With the results of the referendum, they feel more secure to start work on the reconstruction of their country. Outside countries can now get involved due to the end of the embargo on Sudan as a whole, and the Southern Sudanese will receive aid to help in the reconstruction of their country.'

Gord says that his personal prayer for Sudan, and what he has been preaching to both the local people and government and community leaders, is that they would maintain their integrity in Christ, and abstain from corruption. 'These things have destroyed much of north and east Africa. Because the governments are full of leaders without integrity, countries break down and fail. I don't want to see that for Sudan. I'm excited to see the rebirth of a country that is built on Christian integrity, morality, and principles.'

An excerpt from South Sudan Oyee, the proposed national anthem of South Sudan:

Oh Eden! Land of milk and honey and hardworking people,
Uphold us united in peace and harmony.
The Nile, valley, forests and mountains
Shall be our sources of joy and pride.
So Lord bless South Sudan!

Life in the slow lane

2011-02-07T05:37:00.004-05:00

If you know me, then you know I'm an Eagles fan. While I love the guitar work in the song, "Life in the Fast Lane", I'd never want to live the lyrics. As it turns out, I may not be the only one who doesn't connect with them ...

Life in the Fast Lane drains my will to live. I abhor this one. I loathe this song with every fiber of my being. (Music critic from the Louisville Examiner)

And hey, as an adult with ADHD, Dyslexia with a little OCD thrown in ... I have my share of "brain in the fast lane"!

But this post is about a leadership discipline that could be called, moving to life in the slow lane. It something I recognize but really struggle to put into practice. To be honest, I'm working on it these days and getting some traction, so its easier to write about it now.

The truth is, there is a huge set of encouragements, even rewards for being a "manic leader". You know, on the go, productive, involved and busy! And if you are like me and you love what you do ... and you love the people you do it with ... why not just keep up the manic pace?

Any sane person can recognize a bunch of reasons to slow down the pace, but let me suggest that you'll never be the leader you were called to be unless you take time to reflect.

Whether you lead a small group, a department or an entire organization, there are insights and directions that can only be discovered "away from the action." And, if you lead other leaders, they will observe your style and emulate your best (and worst) characteristics.

The more significant decisions require the most reflection. That means, looking through the lens of past performance, present reality and future possibility. Of course, no matter what the circumstance, this must be done with a sense of hope.

When we embrace reality and look honestly at what could be, we meet our God who continues to create and transform. As leaders, we regain the sense of hope that what is, can be changed and it can be change for good.

For me, this sense of hope comes when I move into the slow lane and take precious time to reflect. So I take time every day to reflect on major decisions, then each week I take some extended time and every quarter, I take time away from the action ... mostly to be reflective.

Lots more I could say, but this is a good start ... so, join me in the slow lane!

Fun Infographic on cell phone useage

2011-02-05T08:05:00.000-05:00

Via: Online IT Degree

Brene Brown on TED: The power of vulnerability

2011-02-02T16:49:00.000-05:00

Simply one of the best and most powerful talks I've heard in a long time! Hang in for the full 20 minutes and experience an uplifting ending. I was wiping the tears as I listened to timeless teaching through her journey. Thanks Dave Loney for pointing me to this link!

Overview: How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness? How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?

Hope: Year in Review

2011-01-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

Ken in Bolivia - Grad Pics

2010-12-19T02:00:00.001-05:00

Grad pictures...: "We're still working on the Christmas decorations, so those pictures will have to wait. Yes, yes...I know...it's only seven days until Christmas. But it's not our fault...the decorations keep falling down. Everything here is cement, so we've been trying to tape things to the walls.

It's cooler than that just sounded...trust me.

At any rate, the tape won't hold and every morning everything's on the ground. We're working on the situation.

But in the meantime, here are a few pictures of Americo and Cocoliso's graduation...

Andres with Cocoliso...while we waited for the grad to start.

And waited...and waited...and waited...

Coco with two of his sisters, Lupe and Isabel.

And finally, at 9 o'clock...three hours after the stated

commencment time...everyone had arrived and we got started.

Coco with his new diploma...

You couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces!

The graduating class of 2010!

You can give a guy a diploma, but you can't

make him hold it right-side up...

Americo enjoying the supper after the grad...

The next night after the graduation (Sunday) Americo's family (who'd travelled from different cities) had a supper for him....

The tables and chairs were curtesy of our house, but the

rest of the decorations were done by Americo's

nieces and nephews...

Americo 'helping' his brother BBQ...

Then the rain started...

We borrowed some tarps from next door

to try and put up a roof...

The good thing was, no one let a little (or a LOT)

of rain dampen their enthusiasm!

Eventually we got it figured out.

The only problem was, you never quite knew where

the roof was going to suddenly let go with a

ton of water!

A few people got surprised...

A couple of Americo's nieces hiding out under the

eaves of the house...

Finishing the cooking!

Everyone dry and happy! It wall worked out in the end...

I always enjoy when I have the opportunity to hang out with the families of the guys. Sometimes it takes a bit for everyone to feel comfortable (I am, after all, a gringo!). =) But once we're all used to the situation, it's fun to just talk and hang out. I like being a part of their families. So far, they've all enjoyed having me...I think...

All in all, it was a great couple of days! We had fun...rain and late grads and all....

Catalysts, Champions and the Decentralized Organization

2010-12-14T17:24:00.001-05:00

For the past two weeks, we at International Teams Canada hosted a gathering of leaders from around the world for a series of planning, visioning and structure development outcomes.

To "cut to the chase" as they say, we had some profound outcomes ... what I would call a real breakthrough.

In our organization, we have a mix of ages, backgrounds and cultures and that can bring added colour and added challenges. However, we are bonded by our shared passion to see lives and communities transformed by the power of God.

The gathering of leaders from or Refugee Teams set a powerful example of shared learning along with shared passion. Later, CEOs and one of our Europe leaders "sat in" and listened to the visioning process. That process addressed how we could continue to grow our global work with refugees both in depth and breadth. As well, we want to be even more intentional in building effective partnerships with local refugee organizations/initiatives where our teams are located.

Our vision of a more decentralized organization found clarity and definition through the book "The Starfish and the Spider". I found a useful summary and added some questions that help our leaders envision roles like Catalysts and Regional Champions.

Our Leadership Team were impacted by the deep "buy in" and unity in the Refugee Leader's community-driven approach. Well done people! And, while I'm giving some recognition, let me mention that our team here in Canada (with an extended team of volunteers) did an amazing job of hosting all who participated. That hospitality helped create our greater sense of community!

Well done all!

Impact Christmas

2010-11-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

The beginning of this year’s Christmas season has given the program staff of International Teams Canada a new reason to celebrate: the launch of the Christmas Catalogue, a brand new initiative designed to provide an opportunity for ITCA supporters and weary Christmas shoppers to purchase more meaningful Christmas gifts.

Neil Ostrander, CEO of International Teams Canada, says that the story of how Sharon's family transformed their Christmas traditions really touched the hearts of staff at the national office. “Her personal testimony of what it means to give a more meaningful gift – including doing the research and finding that perfect charitable cause that connects with each family member – helped inspire us to do likewise. I'm following Sharon's lead this Christmas and I encourage everyone else to do so as well.”

The catalogue, officially launched in the middle of November, contains over 100 unique items specially selected by program leaders to make a lasting impact by providing education, healthcare, food, clean water, or vocational opportunities to widows, orphans, and refugees around the globe. Gifts are available from each of the twelve Impact programs, and include everything from ice cream for street kids in Iraq and sewing training for widows in the Philippines, to milk and bread for orphans in Kenya-Nyahururu, medical insurance for refugees in Rwanda, and Bibles for pastors in Sudan.

Marcee Groen, the Co-Director of International Programs, believes the magic in the Christmas Catalogue is the insight it provides into what is really happening around the world. “It shows the practical, hands-on activity that is taking place and will increase understanding of what International Teams is doing. With increased support, program leaderss will be able to keep their projects and initiatives strong and consistent. The items I really love are the ones that build micro-enterprises or supplement the incomes of workers in the countries. By purchasing a sewing machine and materials for a woman, we increase their income and their dignity. Providing food and nutrition for students is fantastic too. It's such a simple way to increase a child's chances at academic success while promoting good health at the same time.”

Brett Ostrander, Host Country Program Leader in the Philippines, says the variety of items and the wide range of price points will allow people to engage specifically with their passions this Christmas. “People can pick items closest to what’s in their hearts, or to the heart of the person receiving the gift. The whole idea is very simple, yet very powerful! Small regular donations to something like the catalogue are a really great way to engage with a program’s key focus, opening doors that might otherwise remain closed.”

To make a purchase from the catalogue, visit www.iteams.ca/catalogue or click the link below. Simply add one or more items to your cart, click checkout, and check your inbox for a confirmation email and the opportunity to send a Christmas e-card to friends and family.

Check out the Christmas Catalogue!

David Livermore: My 1 hour interrogation at U.S. Customs

2010-11-26T07:47:00.000-05:00

David Livermore

My friend and Cultural Intelligence Guru, Dave Livermore, joined my leadership team and mission leaders for a day-long training session in Hamilton, ON, Canada. His experience the following day highlights the challenges but injustice of "screening" at border crossings!

He writes:

Yesterday I was traveling by car from Toronto to New York to visit my family. Driving across one of the bridges between the U.S. and Canada is something I’ve been doing my entire life. My parents moved to the U.S. shortly before I was born and several times a year, we traveled back to visit family in Canada. The most I’ve ever been asked to do at these inspection points is open the trunk or one time, they even asked to see under the hood of my car. But the longest delays are usually just waiting for other cars to get through the line. As a kid, I always wondered what happened over in those stark, cement customs buildings where a few lone travelers were sent while the rest of us went on our way across the bridge.

This week I found out. The questioning at my car went on for several minutes. Then the officer put my passport in a red leather bag and directed me to drive my car over to the inspection area where I would be further questioned. I was taken into the customs hall and I looked with dread upon how full the room was of other detained travelers.

Of about 40 other travelers in the room, I was the only fair skinned one there. I knew this wasn’t going to go fast. And I noticed how this situation immediately put me on the defensive. I don’t have time for this. I’m no threat here. In fact, I just spent time with the Department of Justice and Homeland Security teaching some of them about cultural intelligence. Can’t I just go on my way?

My name was called and I was interrogated about all kinds of things: Where do you live? Who owns the car you’re driving? Why do you travel so much? How much money do you have with you? What exactly do you do when you travel to these places? Where’s your family? Can they ask me all these things? I wondered. Meanwhile, I see an officer take my car keys and head toward my vehicle. I wasn’t invited!

I was trying to use my cultural intelligence in how I responded to the questions. I looked them in the eye. I tried to disguise my defensive feelings. I answered as directly and to the point as possible. And as much as I wanted to lighten up the conversation with some humor and personal conversation, I didn’t think that would bode well for me.

About an hour later, I was on my way. Before leaving, I asked my primary interrogator, “Might I ask—Was this just a random stop?” He said, “Yes. Totally random. Most of these are.”

I’m not even sure mine really was but it was really hard to imagine that most of the people in the room were just randomly stopped. Being an effective customs official is harder than ever. They need to keep our nations secure and look for suspicious activity. I’m sure many people are detained for suspicious activity or for outright violations. But how do the assumptions of a customs officials—especially if they aren’t aware of them—impact which people they randomly check? Biases based upon people’s appearances are inevitable for all of us. But acting upon those biases is something we can control. Food for thought…

But the real lesson learned: While impatiently waiting in the line of cars waiting to go through, I noticed a new inspection lane opened up. So I darted out of my line into that one. Assuming my delay was “truly” random, it looks like my “no delay” line cost me an hour. But my family will be the first to tell you, I’ll probably never stop waging bets on which line is moving fast and inevitably make us wait longer because of my efficient way of keeping us moving!

Celebrating a New Kind of Christmas

2010-11-22T02:02:00.001-05:00

For Sharon Wallace, International Teams Canada’s new Director of Organizational Development, a new family tradition began when she realized she was struggling to find meaningful gifts for her family. Christmas shopping had become a frustrating and exhausting experience. “Just going to the mall and choosing something for which the recipient has no real need, seemed a bit empty. Why buy more for people when we were all trying to live more simply and declutter our homes? So I thought that doing something where I match a gift to my family member’s values and interests, while also blessing someone in need, would truly make Christmas more special for all.”
Challenged and inspired by the number of charitable requests she received each year at Christmas time, Sharon spoke with her family to get a sense of their willingness to change how they celebrate Christmas. She suggested that they draw names and set a spending limit, half of which would go toward a book or magazine, with the other half going to a charity.

After just one year of this new kind of Christmas, Sharon’s entire family was on board for making this a tradition in their family. “Everybody loved it. It has changed the tone of our celebration – it is much calmer, more reflective. The book or magazine is wrapped, so there’s still something to unwrap, and people are very creative with the other part, even writing poems to explain why they’ve chosen that particular charity!”

Sharon believes – and thinks her extended family would agree – that the thoughtfulness and meaning behind the gifts is often the most touching part of the gift exchange. “I was a little bit surprised by how it felt. I guess I thought it would feel good because it was the right thing to do, but now I would not give up doing this for the world. It is so meaningful and is really bonding our family together in a lasting way.”

This year, Sharon expects she will do the majority of her shopping from the newly launched International Teams Christmas Catalogue (Click here for the full story).“I looked at the items in the catalogue and could see something for everyone in my family, like glasses for widows at a sewing school on behalf of my mom, who recently had cataract surgery, or soccer balls for refugee children on behalf of my sports-loving dad. And my daughter never goes without breakfast and a hug from her parents, so I will likely give a gift of fresh fruit for orphans in her name. I get to have the fun of picking out unique gifts without having to negotiate crowds and lineups!”

Sharon’s only regret is that she wishes she had thought of this idea years ago. “God has entrusted us with abundance and to be able to share it in a meaningful way is a real gift. I can’t imagine doing Christmas any other way. We haven’t lost anything by this – we have only gained.”<

Check out the Christmas Catalogue!

Hate (to Hope)

2010-11-05T17:14:00.000-04:00

Hate: by Julie Slagter

Where’s the love? I’m beginning to wonder where the love has gone in the country which I live. Everytime I flip on the TV lately, I see hate… I hear hate on the radio and read about it in the news… I witness hate in face-to-face conversations and in public areas….

Hate is all around… government candidates are running hourly ads about how evil their opponent is, talk shows and people in the coffee shop are enraged about the potential of a mosque going up near ground zero, journalists and celebrities are slurring racist comments, people are being bullied, relationships are being torn apart by hurtful words and actions, and the list goes on and on…

I don’t want to live in a culture of hate. I want to live in a culture that listens to each others opinions… respects each other and extends grace. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for a fantasy world and I’m well aware that life isn’t roses all the time. But let’s stop this culture of hate, this extreme dislike of one another.

Consider Jesus Christ, he didn’t give into a culture of hate. He lived a counter-cultural life. In John 4:1-29, Jesus, a Jew, meets a Samaritan woman at a well while traveling through her village. Samaritans and Jews disliked each other, a culture of hate existed between them. This makes it very odd that Jesus would engage the Samaritan woman in any kind of humane conversation. Besides her Samaritan label, she also has a shady reputation. She’s had several husbands in the past and wasn’t married to her current lover. And it’s obvious her own village gossips about her because she was at the well at a non-rush hour time of day.

Despite all these factors and perceptions, Jesus talked to her AND listened to her. In addition, Jesus offered her everlasting life! And then he goes further to break down her stereotypes of worship. He conveys to her that God can’t be confined to a place. He tells her it doesn’t matter where she worships or what she’s called. Economic status, denomination, race, age, political party… doesn’t matter. What matters is ones relationship with Jesus Christ and how one lives his/her life.

And one more thing – the Samaritan woman goes back to tell the village about Christ. She tells them that he knows us all inside and out. God simply wants us to be in relationship with him and for us to trust him, love him, and repent. By grace alone he forgives.

I don’t want to give in to a culture of hate. I want to strive daily to live counter-culturally like Christ. I hope you will too.

Refugees Flood Greece

2010-10-20T17:18:00.000-04:00

From my friend Scott in Greece who thought we might like to see a sample of recent articles from Greek newspapers. Thanks for praying. As Scott says, "We really need a move of God in this country."

UNHCR Greece Press Review 16-18 October 2010

Please note this is an unedited press review

UNHCR slams migrant detention conditions

Greece must send doctors, interpreters and social workers as a matter of urgency to help migrants crammed into detention centres at its border with Turkey, said the UNHCR on Friday (15/10). “We are deeply concerned by the detention conditions…It’s a real emergency situation and requires urgent action,” stated UNHCR PI Officer Ketty Kehayioylou. According to official data, as many as 44 persons have died to date in 2010 in their attempt to reach the Greek side of the Evros river, while the actual number is believed to be higher. Furthermore, 9 in 10 irregular migrants use Greece as a springboat into the EU and arrivals by land –mostly from Turkey- have significantly increased, putting pressure on the country’s northern border regions.

(kathimerini.gr, in.gr, vimaonline.gr, 15 October, Kathimerini English Edition, Avriani, Niki, xronos.gr, 16 October)

Iranian hunger striker punched in the face by officer of Municipal police

One of the 7 Iranian hunger strikers, who have stitched their mouths and are staging a protest in Athens centre requesting to be granted asylum, was punched in the face by an Officer of the Municipal Police on Friday evening (15/10), according to allegations by the Iranian Committee for Refugees, the Immigrant Workers Union and the Movement Against Racism and the Fascist Threat. The Officer punched the Iranian shouting “here is Greece, get the hell out of here”. To be noted that shortly before the incident, the Iranian woman who has sewed her lips was urgently transferred to the hospital as she almost chocked on her own vomit. A press conference will be organized on Monday (18/10), in front of Athens University central building.

(tvxs.gr, episkiasis.wordpress.com, protoselido.com, 16 October, nobudget.wordpress.com, 17 October, athens.indymedia.org, neoiakoa.blogspot.com, 18 October)

Clashes with migrants in Athens Square

Tension between “indignant citizens” and migrants has recently shifted from the area of Aghios Panteleimonas to the nearby Athens Square. A far right group attacked on Saturday evening (16/10) a makeshift mosque, injuring two immigrants from Bangladesh. One of them was the priest of the mosque who remained inside the building under siege together with other migrants for one and half hour. A mini-market owned by immigrants from Bangladesh was also attacked and five people were trapped inside for at least half an hour. Later on, clashes spread over the area for several hours while some 80 local citizens up in arms, including women and 15-year-old boys, gathered at the Square shouting in the presence of riot police “They are not humans, they are illegal migrants, they are worms”.

(tvxs.gr, 17 October, Eleftherotypia, Avriani, Ethnos, Eleftheros Typos, 18 October)

Suicide attempt by migrant held in police station

A migrant held in the detention area of a police station in western Athens attempted to commit suicide as he was kept in appalling conditions. The migrant was detained for six months waiting to be deported in violation of the law that sets out that the detention period for migrants to be deported should not exceed 3 months. According to reports by the Greek Police Technical Unit, conditions at the detention areas of police stations in Athens are deplorable, referring i.a., to problems of overcrowdness and lack of natural light.

(Eleftheros Typos, 18 October)

European Court of Human Rights condemns Greece on illegal detention and degrading treatment of detained migrant

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found in July that a 42-year-old asylum-seeker (A.A.) was held illegally in squalid conditions in a Greek detention centre. After leaving the refugee camp where he had been living in Lebanon, A.A. entered Greek territorial waters and was arrested by the coast guard. He was held in deplorable conditions for three months in the detention centre of Samos island where he was deprived of an interpreter and a lawyer as well as of timely medical care. The Court held that Greece had to pay the applicant 15,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 800 euros for costs and expenses.

(Kathimerini, 16 October)

250 migrants cross the Evros river on a daily basis

Some 250 people cross into the Greek side of the Evros river every day, while according to police data during the first 8 months of 2010 a total of 80,750 undocumented migrants were arrested in Greece. 34,175 of them were detained in the Evros region with 65% being Afghans coming either from Afghanistan or Iran, followed by Somalis. The vast majority of migrants end up in the mainland, particularly Athens, putting pressure in areas with burgeoning migrant population. Police authorities in Greece have registered 350,000 irregular migrants but the actual number is estimated to be higher. In addition, Greece received in 2010 10,083 requests from other EU countries to send back undocumented migrants under the Dublin II Regulation. Meanwhile, according to the police the exit of irregular migrants to other EU counties has been reduced by 90% in an effort to send the message that Greece is not an easy transit country.

(Ethnos, 16 October)

Action Plan for Athens centre still in paper

The Action Plan for Athens created by the Citizen Protection Ministry with the aim to upgrade the city’s centre has remained mainly on paper. One of the main actions included is the management of the dozens of thousands of irregular migrants living in Athens centre by creating reception facilities to accommodate undocumented migrants in different areas of Greece away from urban centres. According to the plan 11 centres are to be created country-wide especially at entry points (Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Evros, Igoumenitsa, Patras etc.). However, the search process for areas to host the centres has frozen following the opposition of local communities.

(Real News, 17 October)

Why we do Short-term

2010-09-23T21:45:00.001-04:00

Jen, Serge and kids in Rwanda

Jen Kamari writes:

These thoughts have been rolling around in my mind for well over a month. They started when I received an email from someone who reads my blog wanting to know my thoughts.

Is short-term mission really worth it?

Do short-term teams and individuals really make a difference?

Isn't better to just send the money?

She was confused. She has been on short-term mission experiences before and believes that God is calling her and her family to do it again. She had some correspondence from someone else here in Rwanda giving some negative feedback on short-term... What were my thoughts she asked?

WELL... time to get up on my little soapbox again :-)

There is so much to say about this, but in brief - maybe... :-)

- If short-term teams and individuals are prepared, orientated and hosted well... they are amazing opportunities.

- Hosts need to believe that short-term teams or individuals will and can impact the ongoing ministry in the location. If hosts feel like short-term is just something they should be doing and not something they are passionate about, of course they are going to feel like short-term takes too much time away from 'real' ministry and that they cost money AND they should NOT be hosting short-termers!

- How else does a long-term missionary have a chance to recruit other long-term workers? Best they come and see and give God the space to allow their passion to grow for a certain country or people group.

- Spend the money to come! Sure you could send us your $4000 and get a tax receipt but then what? That would most likely be it. If you come, I know we have gained an ambassador for the ministry here.

We've gained prayer partners, financial partners because someone has come to minister alongside of us. We've gained lifelong friends.. not just us, but fellow Rwandans as well. This would not have happened if you had not come.

We are just coming out of summer where we hosted four interns and two short-term teams, over three months. All a bit wild and crazy for sure - we didn't sleep enough, spent more money than we had to live a bit more conveniently so we could function in sanity, we forgot to pick Prince (our son) from school more than once, we didn't have much family time... but oh, the benefits!

Our kids still pray for interns and individuals on teams that were here last year, they talk all the time about the new friends they made this summer, again we've had SO many email from this years 'batch' of short-termers of how their lives were changed because of their time with us... and how it continues to challenge them in their day to day life (gosh we're privileged that God entrusts us with his children!), but most of all... they loved on Rwandans, they gave more than what they thought they had and they learned from their brothers and sisters here.

SO... if anyone out there is thinking that all this short-term stuff just isn't worth it... just give me a few minutes of your time.

I'll tell you what has been my experience for over 15 years .... lives changed! lives transformed! lives being lived with a greater sense of the world that God has created.

What more could you want!?

DAN PINK ON THE SURPRISING SCIENCE OF MOTIVATION

2010-09-19T09:54:00.000-04:00

If you lead people, take 19 minutes and learn what science knows but business ignores!

Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories -- and maybe, a way forward.

What we know after 50 years

2010-09-11T18:18:00.000-04:00

Relaxing Retreat

The first 25% of our annual planning retreat season is done! The overall theme for all four retreats is, “Here’s what we know so far.” This wonderful quote comes from my friend Ron ... and I have latched onto it.

For a number of years we’ve been in a constant state of learning and development. We’ve been working on partnership development along with program and network development. As a part of our various retreats we are going to pause ... taking time to celebrate what God has done.

To achieve this we will employ a system called “Appreciative Inquiry” (AI). I think of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 as an example of AI. He called forth powerful images of what God had done in the past, mixed with prophecies and promises, then called the people to action.

Similarly, in Acts 15, the so called “Council of Jerusalem” was another picture of AI. Simon spoke first, giving part of the perspective. He was joined by Paul and Barnabas relating their missionary experiences, then James rose and called on the history and marvelous acts of God to build his version of Appreciative Inquiry, then called the group to a decision and action.

Likewise, we will look at our five decades of history and God’s faithfulness. This appreciation will inform our future plans as we strive for excellence in partnership and mission.

Your smile didn't matter [seth godin repost]

2010-09-05T13:20:00.000-04:00

Your smile didn't matter:

If you worked on the line, we cared about your productivity, not your smile or approach to the work. You could walk in downcast, walk out defeated and get a raise if your productivity was good.

No longer.

Your attitude is now what's on offer, it's what you sell. When you pass by those big office buildings and watch the young junior executives sneaking into work with a grimace on their face, it's tempting to tell them to save everyone time and just go home.

The emotional labor of engaging with the work and increasing the energy in the room is precisely what you sell. So sell it.

Jim Collins: Six Attributes Every Employee Needs

2010-08-29T07:55:00.000-04:00

Watch the Video on bigthink.com

The Swell

2010-08-27T19:39:00.000-04:00

From Loving the Overlooked

They are easy to spot. They look desperately tired. And dirty – like they haven’t changed clothes in weeks. Even in a crowd, they look alone; it’s almost as if you can see the despair settling into their eyes and the burden of worry loading down their shoulders. The swell of new refugees and immigrants into Greece simply doesn’t relent.

In July and August we met many new refugees around Athens: mostly from Afghanistan; often only having been in the city for a day or two; always displaying the despair and worry of new arrivals. With our building closed for construction, our ministry team spent extra time in the city parks and plateias (or neighborhood squares) around Athens this summer. This is where we first encounter these new arrivals.

Refugees and immigrants continue to pour into Greece. As the chart (above) indicates, while the numbers of illegal immigrants has tapered off in Italy and other European ports, Greece is unable to control its borders. Almost 3/4 of illegal immigrants headed for Europe in 2009 used Greece as their point of entry - that’s over 75,000 immigrants! Three years ago, Greece served as the point of entry for about 50% of illegal immigrants coming into the EU; 2010 estimates see that percentage swelling to around 80%. These numbers are coming from a recent article on illegal immigration in Greece in The Economist – it’s well worth the five minutes to read through.

As if not already overwhelming, we must remember that these numbers immigrants PEOPLE are entering a fragile economic and volatile social situation here in Greece. In short, these refugees and immigrants can expect little help from the Greek government – already crippled by innumerable crises in the past year. From the Economist article:

Detention centres for irregular immigrants in Greece are small and understaffed, and there are too few of them. Cash-strapped authorities encourage detainees to move on to Athens before their claims have been processed. And on top of the flow of tens of thousands arriving every year is a stock of an estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants already in the country. The €80m ($103m) the government spends each year on tackling the problem is far from adequate, but with austerity in the air more cash is unlikely to be found.

With this in the air, we are excited (jumping up and down, can’t hardly wait excited!) that we will be reopening our ministry center (the Athens Refugee Center) on Saturday! Please pray for our refugee friends, our ministry team, our updated programing (more on this later) and – of course – the many new refugee friends we’ll be meeting in the next weeks. Thanks for your support, love, and prayers!

Mass Grave Project Video

2010-08-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

Take a few minutes and watch this powerful story by Tim Sliedrecht.

Hope While Learning and Launching

2010-08-23T03:45:00.004-04:00

This is more of a personal update so feel free to move on and read something more interesting like saving the forests in places like Ethiopia.

As I reflect back on the past couple of weeks, I continue to be filled with hope but I’m reminded that “August is the new September”! In the midst of the summer heat and bygone memories of “lazy days” the motor is revving as we push up to the start line that is “Labour Day”.

These are the days of concentration and focus on top priority activities. These are the days that where we take full advantage of the long hours of daylight, add snippets of recreational activity in an otherwise fully productive period.

Craig Bauman is fully in his role as COO as this was a “form following function” appointment. Craig’s leadership and steady manner has been the rudder of our national operations for some time ... and there was a chorus of ‘amens’ with his role announcement.

On the partnership front, we had good meeting with leaders from Northpark Church, London ON. It was a great process of them putting us through an assessment for partnership potential, values and mission alignment and landing on a discernment process as our next step. Great stuff! Deepens my hope for long-term effective partnerships that empower widows, orphans and refugees.

We’ve been on the journey of partnership with churches around the world and the indicators are good if not powerful that we are on the right track. Better said, we are on the same track with many leaders and moving in the same direction. This week alone, we signed a partnership agreement, drafted the next level for another, had several requests for exploring new partnerships and turned down a couple that don’t fit with iTeams Canada. Wow ... lots of activity ... lots of decisions!

We had a BBQ at our place with the people who will be involved in a major project to help iTeams build on the growing interactive use of our online presence. (That was a mouthful of a sentence!) As we build, you will see more about our partners, get easy access to global projects and lots of information “flow” -- like news, what’s happening now, reports and plans. Our leaders and partners will have greater access and greater influence and that too gives me hope.

My great hope for this project based on recent results that tells us what “you” are looking for!

I had some great conversations with our leaders in places like Austria, Athens, Wales, US, Australia, Philippines and here in Canada. I met with a number of “old friends” or is that “long-time friends” on a variety of personal and organizational items. My soul takes hope in these friendships as I find that I receive more than I give. I trust my friends feel likewise.


Yvonne, Luciana and Nickie

And as a special treat, Yvonne and I had dinner and mini-holiday with our Brazilian friends Nickie and Luciana. They are a great couple and a wonderful addition to Canada. Nickie is working on his masters in Hydrology while Luciana has an extensive resume in marketing and has just been hired by Research in Motion (RIM) starting today! (Mon Aug 23). Bright, dedicated, young and ready to sacrifice for their futures, their families, their friends -- knowing new Canadians like Nickie and Luciana gives me hope for our country’s future.

For someone like me, taking time to reflect back and look forward brings hope. My spirit runs on ideas and inspiration and out these I work to create optimism and hope. I find that many people, hope is in short supply.

So my question to you is ... where does your hope come from?

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
Psalm 121:1,2 The Message

Gut Wrenching Hope

2010-08-15T09:07:00.003-04:00


Sebastian Biber

Pictured here is my friend Sebastian, a fun and happy kid from Austria. Yvonne and I love him and his parent Peter and Maria. Last time they visited with us, Sebastian made us laugh so much and brought real joy to our home.

He was traveling North America by "couch surfing" and introduced us to this cool kind of travel. Sebastian is just that kind of person ... the kind who can go from home to home (couch to couch), meet new people, make friends, bring laughter and leave a blessing.

Tragedy hit their town in Austria as one of Sebastian's close friends drowned. Peter told me that Sebastian gathered friends on the couch in his own home and was helping them process the grief. In the midst of his own loss, he was helping others. Well done my friend!

When a young life is lost, it is tragic, when those closest feel like they could have ... should have done something, it is even more tragic. To be clear, there is no blame here, nothing that could have been done, but that does not stop friends from playing out the "what if "scenarios over and over.

Our son Brett has been through this journey as he lost a very close friend and like Sebastian, helped his friends process pain, loss and grief while he walk that deep valley. Its just gut wrenching.

So Sebastian, we pray for you ... we pray with you. We cry with you and we love you. We pray for your friends and for their families as they go through this gut wrenching loss.

This is my hope ... as you face the reality that life and death live as neighbours in our world, may you continue to choose life. Yes, there is always hope! Gut wrenching hope.

Conservation of Ethiopia’s Church Forests

2010-08-10T19:19:00.001-04:00

Conservation of Ethiopia’s Church Forests by bugcounter:

Closer view of Debresena church forest- South Gondar, Ethiopia (Photo–Alemayehu Wassie)
My primary reason for this trip to Ethiopia is to lend a hand to a team of researchers who are working to conserve the biodiversity of Ethiopia’s church forests. Ethiopia’s Christian heritage is about as old as the religion itself. The land that churches are built on are considered holy land and are spared the harvesting of trees for building material, fuel, and agricultural land.

Some of these forests are 1,500 years old and exist as “hot spots” or reservoirs of biodiversity. We will survey the relative distribution and abundance with special focus on assessing the ecosystem services that insects provide (as pollinators, herbivores, seed dispersers, and agents for seed germination, and nutrient cycling). With this data, we will make recommendations for conservation and management of these last remnants of Afro-montane forests of Ethiopia.

Another important part of our work here is to empower Sunday school children as the future stewards of these forests. We will engage children in the observations, surveys, and appreciation of their local insects. Because this conservation priority, the sites that were selected are adjacent to elementary schools with active Sunday school programs.

Craig Bauman appointed Chief Operating Officer

2010-08-08T10:41:00.010-04:00

Craig and Leilani Bauman

I’m pleased to announce that effective August 1, Craig Bauman has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of International Teams Canada, a strategic move that I feel will help us build even greater capacity as we work together on our common goal of helping churches help the poor.

Craig has been with IT Canada since 1999, most recently as our Director of Operations. As we’ve moved toward greater partnership with churches in recent years, Craig has taken a strong leadership role in the redesign of our systems and agreements, helping us to become significantly more effective as a result. As COO, he will continue to push forward with these initiatives, while also overseeing the management of our international programs, as well as our Finance, IT, and HR departments. Craig will continue to report to me, and staff in those areas will report directly or indirectly through Craig.

The Board of Directors has been very encouraged by Craig’s leadership over the past 11 years and have expressed their appreciation for Craig’s ability to increase the scope of his leadership and contribution to International Teams as his level of responsibility has grown.

On a personal level, I’m excited to begin working with Craig in this new capacity. The past number of years have seen solid growth in partnership with churches in Canada and around the world, and I very much believe that the stability he offers is foundational for our next phase of growth and ministry. Craig leads people and processes very well, and has a unique personal touch that ensures he is well-liked and well-respected within our organization and beyond.

Please join me in congratulating Craig on his new role.

Check out their family blog at Paths of Life

My friend Tim writes about "Within a Yard of Hell"

2010-08-05T08:33:00.001-04:00

Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. C. T. Studd

Athens at the height of the Financial Crisis

I was in Athens last week for a networking meeting of Christians working to care for refugees in Europe. We made a brief visit to a ministry center in the heart of the city where I worked nine years ago, and it really shook me. The situation when I lived there was desperate, but desperate is no longer a sufficient description of this place. No picture would do justice.

Thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers find themselves stuck in the cycle of Greece’s overwhelmed and broken bureaucracy, living in hovels or just in the parks, dreaming of a way out. Many have fled persecution and violence in extreme forms, while others left behind “only” abject poverty and hopelessness. At certain times of the day, the street turns into an overwhelming and intimidating sea of faces from the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. Inside an alleyway entrance to the center we were visiting, 50 Afghan women with children in tow lined up to collect basic food staples. One man asked for money to buy medicine for the sick baby girl he was carrying, but we had to say no.

A few years back that same street became home to a methadone treatment center for drug abusers. Now hundreds of addicts crowd the sidewalks — shaking, wavering and bobbing about with weak knees, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. In a desperate search for their next fix, men and women drop their pants without shame or take turns stabbing each other in the back of the neck looking for a vein. They’ve lost all sense of dignity and are lost in some other world, but it’s the needles in their shaky hands that make me shudder as we navigate the street.

In this same zone legal and not-so-legal prostitution runs rampant both day and night. Women from Africa and Eastern Europe are lured in with promises of jobs and a new future only to be forced into sex slavery. Some are physically held in confinement. Others are kept through psychological and emotional abuse involving tales of impossible debts and threats of harm to their loved ones should they flee. Brothels are lined up one after another, marked with simple white light bulbs left on outside the doors. The men exiting brothels into the daylight look sheepishly at the ground, avoiding our gazes, and hurry on their way.

I think it is the unrestrained evil in this little triangle of Athens that strikes me most. Overt, abusive, degrading evil is tolerated. Police officers wander the streets in a show of power. They spend most of their time checking immigrants’ documents while casually observing the drug deals an arm’s length away. It’s like the authorities have given up, having resigned this section of the city to unrelenting darkness, perhaps only hoping to isolate it from the eyes of tourists.

I’m sure this must be what hell feels like.

Roy Campbell writes from Rwanda

2010-07-21T05:37:00.001-04:00

Roy + Mac

Hey - Wow!!! What a day....

Today we went shopping in the market and had to bargain for better prices for food for HIV/Aids patients. We were buying 56KG of this and 112 Kg of that. Items we bought were: Sugar, Soap, Red Beans, Rice, Sosamma Powder (makes a porridge like food) and fruit.

Then we came back to the guest house and broke it down into family sized amounts which we then delivered to the Ubuzima group. This group is a support group for people with HIV/Aids. While we were there, we learned how to make beads out of strips of paper. The finished product actually looked pretty good. It was great to share time with these folks and have them teach us something that we can bring home and have some fun with. Giving them the bags of food was also a special treat. In total we had made 80 bags of groceries.

After that we went off to Momma Fabrice's house. Fabrice is a young man who was injured by a land mine many years ago. Currently he is living in Canada. We went to meet his family. We were able to witness their courage and strength after their losses of the past year. On Aug 16 it will be 1 year since Fabrice' father passed away. 1 week before that, Fabrice' uncle had passed away. (2 brothers in 1 week) Suffice to say that this family - that didn't have much before - has less now and was really encouraged by our visit. We were also encouraged by visiting them. They are truly special people.

Ugali Ready to Eat

Tonight we had a low point in the trip. Everyone coming to East Africa needs to try "Ugali" - a flour and water mixture that is a traditional dish for the poor. We went to a restaurant that serves ugali and other foods. We need to find another place to get our ugali. While the ugali was good, most of the other food was not so good. Oh well..... No complaints, just another lesson to learn.

Off to bed..... Tomorrow we shop and then travel to Keziba to visit the refugee camp on Thursday.

Building a new home: Day 4

2010-07-19T02:00:00.002-04:00

Day 4: "

Jen Kamari checks in the with Waterloo MB Church Team:

I drove out to Kayonza again today to see the progress the team was making. My goodness! I couldn`t believe it. They have worked hard.

Another incredible sight... Veronic about floating around her property. I have NEVER seen her smile so much. Was a gift for me to see.

Serge discussing with Francois, the builder, on where to put her outdoor kitchen

Some of the team taking a needed break. Their laps don`t stay empty for long!

Alain checking out the progress. Looking good!

Praying for the house at the end of the day

The team and some of the local workers

Next a roof, then some windows and doors, a cement floor and the outdoor kitchen.

Lots done but lots left to do.

Great Leadership: Opportunities and People

2010-07-15T13:21:00.002-04:00

Always put your best people on your greatest opportunities rather than your biggest problems. This simple but profound leadership lesson comes from Jim Collins and his research team as they distilled this principle from the mountains of data on organizations that took the leap from "Good to Great".

Yes, this principle is simple and profound, yet difficult to apply in real life. I've been working at this for a number of years and here a few of my learnings along the way.

Getting people into the right role, with the required resources is largely a matter of discipline.
Therefore, I review regularly, I look for who has "flow" and who is "stuck." It always takes time and this particular job is ongoing.
People and problems go together, as do growth and problems. We all do better at tackling the problems when we accept this reality.
One person's problem is another's opportunity. Many times a "problem" in one are is an "opportunity" to improve in another. I try to diagnose if a problem can be addressed somewhere else or by someone else.
I must tackle some of, even many of problems and protect my leader's time, energy and efforts.

I spend a large portion of my time thinking/reflecting on this principle and my people. I'm learning to be a student of the people I work with and particularly those I lead. Each one is a precious resource and worth the effort. Also, I love the opportunity to find that "flow" when personality, passion and skills are deployed on a meaningful opportunity for impact.

Try this principle on for size. See what happens in a week, a month or a quarter.

The results can be amazing and the journey can be fun!

If Anyone Takes Your Sunglasses, Let Them Have your Kit Kat Also

2010-07-12T11:22:00.002-04:00

If Anyone Takes Your Sunglasses, Let Them Have your Kit Kat Also:
Su Roland writes ...

"While on a trip to Rome with our dear friends Gary, Joy, Joe and Jan, we were robbed by a band of gypsies while on a Metro train. We might have suspected what was going on, except that the group who crowded into our train car were young women carrying their babies. It seemed strange to have five young moms all get on at once and not talk to one another. Joe graciously offered his seat to one of them, but she ignored him and stood between the two of us. As we jostled through the moms and babies to get off at the next stop, Joe thought he felt a baby's foot pressed against his waistline. It was the mom's hand which successfully fetched cash and train tickets from his money belt and managed to unzip my own pack as well and grab my sunglasses. We realized what was happening before the train doors could close, but there was nothing we could do about it.

As the six of us gathered our wits and assessed the losses, we actually saw that very mom further up the platform! We ran after her and stopped her, asking for our things back. Since she was working in a pack of thieves, I'm sure she had already passed off our cash or glasses to another. She protested her innocence, but made no effort to escape. Joe and I ended up wasting over an hour in a hot, smoky, crowded Metro police office while the rest of our group waited outside the door.

We caught an insider's glimpse of how the Rome Metro police work (0r don't work!). At times we had up to eight officials in the room with us, doing absolutely nothing. One of them spoke English and told us we could not leave until the city police showed. We were literally prisoners in that stuffy, dark room! Meanwhile the gypsy mom continued to insist upon her innocence, vociferously protesting her detention and complaining of the heat.

After an hour or so I was feeling light-headed and asked permission to have Woody buy me a candy bar. Woody knocked at the door and handed me two Kit Kats, telling me to give the second one to the gypsy. I looked at him incredulously. 'Really? Give her one?' Woody gently encouraged me to do it.

At first she sullenly refused the Kit Kat. I kindly looked her in the eyes and insisted. The English-speaking officer told her in Italian, 'Go ahead. Take it! She wants you to have it.'

Thanks to Woody's encouragement, I began to change my perspective towards the gypsy mom. I began to pray for her. I knew that there was no chance we'd retrieve any of our lost possessions. The only way to redeem this lost time in Rome was to see the situation through God's eyes.

Shortly after eating her Kit Kat, she spoke to me through the translator. 'If I had the money, I'd give it back. I really would.' She even told me how many work in their band of thieves, though she still insisted she hadn't stolen from us herself.

When the Rome police finally showed up, they were not particularly friendly or helpful. The best thing they could do for us was to finally release us from that smoky, hot room which felt like our own prison cell by that point. They said they were escorting her out of the subway (where I'm pretty sure they just let her go!). Before leaving, though, I asked if I could share a few words with her through our translator. As a bevy of police stood around, I shared a few inadequate, but heartfelt words. 'God loves you and wants to forgive you. I believe you that you'd give back the money if you could. You need to turn to God to find forgiveness and to have the power to choose a different lifestyle. This is no way for you to live or raise your child. God wants you to turn to Him.'

I know that she is a woman hardened by life's circumstances, but I trust God spoke to her through my paltry words and Woody's prompting to be Christ to her in some small way. As for me, the loss of my sunglasses was worth the spiritual lessons I learned.

The next day I was reading from the book of Proverbs, and verse after verse struck me. Among them:

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. Proverbs 25:21
Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry. Proverbs 6:30

That day I was also reading from Prayer by Philip Yancey. No one needs our love more than the unlovely. We should stand beside our enemies and plead to God on their behalf. After all, who else will pray for them?

I doubt many people pray for that young gypsy woman. I'm sad that I did not ask her name. Her face, I will not forget. And, even as I write this blog, I am reminded to pray for her, that my inadequate words might be used in some small way to open her heart to the new life God would have for her."

Missions, At Home & Away

2010-07-05T08:03:00.002-04:00

ELMIRA, ONTARIO - For many International Teams staff members, the question of whether to serve at home or abroad is a complicated one.

Marcee Groen, an IT Canada staff member, spent several years serving in Bolivia and is currently investigating the possibility of establishing an International Teams program there, or the possibility of returning there herself. Marcee spent four years working at a girls' home in Santa Cruz before returning home in 2009. She says her main focus during her time in Bolivia was to provide pastoral support, mentoring, and accountability for the girls in the home, most of them abused and abandoned and ranging in age from 2-20 years old.

Many of them were behind in their schooling and suffered from behavioural issues in addition to the complicated issues of their sexual identities and the social stigma that surrounded their lives. Marc?e tells the story of one young woman with whom she had what she called a love-hate relationship, saying 'She wanted me to be her mom, to fill that role in her life, but she would frequently mouth off or throw things and tell me she hated me. I had to learn how to show the love of Christ to someone who was so distorted in her own view of herself.'

Marcee returned to Canada and became IT's Co-Director of International Programs in 2009, where she is responsible for providing accountability and support to IT's partners in countries like Sudan, Romania, Rwanda, Ecuador, and others. She became the female supervisor of the Welcome Home refugee house in early 2010, where she lives and focuses on both the practical side of running the house as well as offering support and evangelism to the refugees who live there, hearing their stories bit by bit and looking for opportunities to talk with them about Christ.

She loves her work in Canada but still misses the girls she worked with, and is returning to Santa Cruz for a 5-week trip this spring to investigate the possibility of a new partnership with International Teams. 'I still feel a high sense of responsibility to the girls I worked with. Even though this is not an IT project anymore, they've given me the freedom to wrap up what I started. I'm really hoping to figure out if I still have a place in Bolivia, and mostly to figure out if we can start a new international program there.'

In the meantime, Marcee says she keeps imagining her reunion with them. 'I keep imagining walking in and seeing the girls for the first time in eight months, reuniting with them and reconnecting with them ... I'm really looking forward to being back in the sounds and smells of Bolivia, and finally speaking Spanish again!'

Kim Loney: Celebrating 20+ Years of Service

2010-06-26T07:59:00.000-04:00

Many people know Kim Loney, here in Canada and around the world. Kim comes from a “ministry family” and her parents Claude and Marion have been a positive influence in my life. I remember well hearing the news that Claude had passed suddenly from this life to the presence of the Lord. His funeral, July 1996 was a wonderful tribute to a Godly man, his family and his legacy.

Marion too has made a big impact in my journey! She’s been a personal councilor, a friend, a teacher, a retreat speaker and a person who cares for the people on my team. Like her parents, Kim has made a big impact on me and on IT Canada. She brings experience from life and mission from many countries, along with her studies and research through several institutions. In short, I trust her instincts and decisions.

Many serving in mission will tell the story of being “recruited” by Kim Loney. And by the way, it was Kim who invited Yvonne and me to “come and see” her work in Europe. That first trip led to new vision, a new set of decisions and 20 years later, we are leading the people of IT together.

They can Take My Home, But they Can't take my Future!

2010-06-25T07:58:00.000-04:00

They can Take My Home, But they Can't take my Future!: " by Jen Kamari

That is the slogan on the banner outside the UNHCR office here in Kigali, commemorating World Refugee Day... which is TODAY!

A day to bring awareness to the world of the plight of over 43 million people who have been forcefully displaced for their home .. as the UNHCR puts it (United Nations High Commission for Refugees)

What is a refugee?

A refugee is a person - man, woman, or child - who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.

We have been to church this morning, been out for brunch at a local coffee shop when on the way home I saw this banner flying, and decided that I needed to write and do my part to bring awareness - but more so to share about our ministry in the Kiziba Refugee Camp here in Rwanda.

My first trip into the Kiziba refugee camp was in April 2003 and we have been going there ever since. In my first visit I listened to the pastors plead with me, to help them learn the Word of God so that someday when they were able to return to their homeland and villages, they would be more learned and able to better bring people to Christ.

Kiziba is home to 20,000 refugees - mostly Congolese. They have been in this camp for over 10 years now, just waiting, hoping, praying that the unrest in Eastern Congo would 'disappear' so they could return home. They live everyday in hope...

In the meantime, I think some incredible things have happened in the camp which we and International Teams have been privileged to be part of.

We have intentionally trained pastors and key church leaders for the past four years and will continue to. The 15 denominations have come together to form a ministerial to work together in ministry in the camp. A HUGE answer to our prayers ... they have understood that they can do more together than individually! (Me walking with some pastors and key leaders in the camp.)

Because the pastors and key leaders came together, the youth have also come together. About three years ago they came to us, speaking of their passion to evangelize and be Jesus hands and feet in the camp... would we fund their projects. NOPE!... but we trained them to develop small business plans challenging them to think how they could tap into the camp economy. They have done that and it's been SO fun to see them realize they didn't need a hand-out, they needed someone to come alongside them and help them.

(Some key youth leaders in the camp.)

They are charging cell phones! (We / International Teams got them a generator and some power bars) Before they would walk 2 hours ONE WAY to charge their phone!

They opened a haircutting salon... or saloon as they call it :-) (We got them equipment)

They realized that when they went to share the Good News of the Gospel in the camp, the people could not hear them because they were SO hungry... so they planted a garden. From the money they earned from the cell phone charging and the hair salon, they bought THEIR OWN seeds and even hired people to work the land!! SWEET!

We just learned last week that they have harvested 400 kg of cabbage, 300kg onions, 250 kg potatoes - ALOT!! and gave the food to the poorest in the camp.

With the money they make, they also pay the rent, buy fuel for the generator AND they have fixed up a couple very dilapidated homes occupied by widows.

PAST cool I tell you!!!

Last year we learned that the education in the camp has changed drastically. LONG story... but the short of it, if a child doesn't pass the National Exam for Grade 6, the UN is finished to pay for their schooling. A kid could have passed grade 6 in school and just not passed the national exam... they are REALLY hard. Done school at 12 years old! (Pray for Prince, he is preparing to write his in October.)

Serge and I were moved by this. Without education, how can one break the cycle of poverty and destitution that they are in? So, we decided we needed to do something about it.

This is our second year to sponsor 19 students in the Kiziba Refugee camp. Not many when you consider the hundreds that are not sponsored BUT these are 19 of the brightest students in the camp who are not on the streets and hence are not being subject to prostitution, drugs. They have a chance, they have hope...

I feel like what I have written really doesn't capture it all... but trust me, God is at work in the camp and we are blessed to be part of it.

If you want to check out more on what the UN says about refugees in Rwanda, check out this link. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e45c576

I trust that you are moved to be thankful to God for your home, your family, your future... pray for the refugees in our world today, pray for us as we minister to refugees in Rwanda.

Should you want to give financially towards the ministry in Kiziba Camp, go to http://www.iteams.ca/impact_rwanda.php

A Time of Transition for the London Urban Network

2010-06-19T14:36:00.000-04:00

A Time of Transition for the London Urban Network: "
LONDON, ONTARIO - The London Urban Network may be undergoing some changes at the end of May but much of the work begun by Dave Henderson and his colleagues will continue in 2010 and beyond..

As Dave and Allie Henderson make plans to move to Vancouver for Allie’s medical school residency, Dave says he is sad to leave the work in London but is also encouraged by what God has done in such a short time. He considers himself privileged to see how Christians all over the city are reaching out to bring Christ’s love to refugees who face loneliness, poverty, and injustice.

“The idea behind this initiative was always that I would work myself out of a job as churches took on the role of community transformation. I don’t think any of us expected the work to last only 2 years and there is still much to be done, but fortunately most of the work that has been started can continue.”

Founded in 2008 as a partnership between North Park Community Church and International Teams Canada, the goal of the Network has been to serve, support, and encourage churches as they reach out to the refugee and low-income communities around them. Many of the activities started in partnership with local churches will continue in 2010, like the unique Huron Street Cultural Market, and the youth soccer and the Wednesday night kids’ program run by Stoney Creek Church and Knollwood Church. A number of churches in the Limberlost area (Gateway, the Meeting House Home Church, and Trinity Presbyterian) hope to continue to work together with the Limberlost Chaplaincy. London will also be a host city for the Ride for Refuge later this year.

Dave initially became more involved in the London community when he started volunteering with youth programs at the Life Resource Centre, and says he is excited to see that work continue to grow and evolve. “My volunteer work gave me something practical to do, and it ended up making a huge difference in my faith. I learned a lot about Jesus and love and judgment through doing this, so I’m excited when I see other people or churches in London catch that and take it on and get excited about it. Often it changes them as much as it changes the refugees.”

What’s next for Dave? He says he will be looking for a job in Vancouver once he and Allie are settled there. It is obviously a bittersweet transition and Dave expects to miss his daily interactions with the diverse group of refugees in London. “I’m going to miss being surrounded by people from all around the globe, being exposed to new people and new cultures. Every day I’ve seen and worked with and talked with people from Congo, Burma, Iraq, Sudan, and all over the world.”

Birthdays and Courage

2010-06-14T09:16:00.000-04:00

Yvonne and I had a great time with Gerry Fowler, family, friends and Gerry's church community called Bethel Chapel ... all located in beautiful Sault Ste Marie. Gerry is a very capable board chair, friend and all-around travelling buddy. As I joked with his friends, "I've shared a room with Gerry and heard him snore on several continents and in many languages!" Let me dare to say that we make a great team as board chair and CEO and I look forward to more years working together.

Gerry invests in the lives of people, families and his community. His birthday celebration was filled with the love of family and friends, and that was a simple but profound tribute to Gerry's investment strategy. Yvonne and I had some great conversations but none more meaningful than our conversations (over two days) with Debbie and Dave Yule. They have a deep faith and great courage as they face Debbie's cancer along with the barrage of appointments, treatments, life-altering changes and the ever-present fear that Dave could become a single parent!

People question faith when they see us in the normal stuff of life. People doubt the love of God in the midst of tough circumstances on a personal or global scale. But it is difficult to doubt the courage found in faith that you encounter in the presence of Debbie and Dave. To be clear, they do not think of themselves as special, or so-called saints. No, they see themselves as ordinary people who do not seek to stand out in any way. But somewhere along this journey, a local community rallied with prayer and action, and then a larger community joined in. Now they journey together loving, supporting and learning through challenges of life and a life-threatening disease.

From a distance, many of us join this journey by praying. You can too! Check out their Facebook group for updates. Please Pray for Debbie.

A New Idea

2010-06-12T11:04:00.001-04:00

A Reflective post by my son Brett ... from his blog "Life in Manila"

A New Idea: "Yesterday I was in class and we did this Bible reflection thing called 'Lectio Divina.' After relaxing ourselves and our minds, our teacher read a paraphrased version of Genesis 1:1-6, then paused, then read it again. After the second reading we were to write what stuck out, or was special to us, or really anything. I am ADHD, which means I don't sit still, I have a hard time paying attention to a speaker, and the 'H' stands for hyperactive which speaks for itself. For me to calm my brain down and meditate is border line impossible. But I gave it my best, because I know the importance of slowing everything down and just focusing on God. I did ok, but I think I would have needed a much longer amount of time.

One thing that blew me away was my classmate's reflections. A Korean classmate humbled me with an amazing insight and beautiful poem. I am actually going to try and post it here because it was so wonderful. But after listening, suddenly I had an idea to write a series of reflections on the glory of God. I want to take some of my favorite passages and write about how it displays the glory of God. Sometimes we can get lost in the Bible, and without some important insights, we can be misguided, so I hope to take some not-so-common verses as well and maybe even try some of the challenging passages and expand them and show how glorious God is.

So here we go, I hope you can join me in constantly being stunned and in awe and wonder of God, and how truly wonderful He is:

His Glory Reflection Series - Part 1

'Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves His throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath His feet and flow into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill.' Micah 1:3-4

Maybe you have tried to read the books of the prophets and read a passage like this and wondered what on earth God was doing? I would call this a stereotypical view of God, He is off in heaven holding His lightning bolts waiting for us to sin, and then fry our butts when we sin. Now, when I read this it makes me excited, and I begin to grasp a little more of the seemingly endless torrent of His glory.

What's important is to know why the author used this metaphor. At this time the Israelites were in a wonderful time of blessing. They were living it up, and people were getting rich, and in turn more were getting poor. If you read the book of Micah you can't miss the theme of justice. Micah's words are powerful, I like to call him the 'drop kick prophet,' because every time he spoke it was like a drop kick in the chest for the people he was talking to! Here is an example:

'Should you no know justice, you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?' Micah 3:1-3

Wow, imagine if you are the one he was saying that to. But Micah was burning from the inside out because of the injustice his nation was committing. They were in a wonderful time of blessing, but instead of living virtuous lives, they were like dogs fighting for all they could get. They cheated the poor, forgot the laws God had set before them, and choose to worship other Gods.

I get excited about God when I read the first verse I wrote because God was angry about the injustice. Imagine what it means for the poor to hear that God cares and sees injustice? Think of the picture that Micah is painting - a giant god coming down from heaven and smashing through the mountains and making them crumble like nothing. Micah was disgusted, and God had had enough! The chosen people of God had forgotten their purpose, they were to be the priestly nation, demonstrating the ways of God to the world, but instead they got entitlement mixed up with responsibility and lost sight of it all.

God's glory jumps off the pages because the one who made everything, I mean think about it - everything you have ever seen, person ever talked to, thing ever touched was spoken into existence by Him, and He cares and is even angered over the injustice He sees? Wow!!!!

Tonight I was speaking with a 9 year old boy in a squatter area. His dad pulled up in a pedicab(a bike with a side car on it used to take passengers around) extremely drunk. He hobbled over to me, sat down, looked at his son, the boy I was talking to and said the boy was bad. I wanted to drop kick him right then and there. I know him, and he has been a drunk for a long time, beat his wife till she left him, and he embarrasses his family waddling around drunk everyday and never provides for them. Go to any squatter area in the Philippines and he is a dime a dozen - but why? The easy thing to do would be to drop kick him, but the reality there is a lot more to this story. But the bottom line is injustice. It's having a life time of dignity stripped away from you, every chance to lead to an endless road of turns that will never get a person anywhere. It's a government who has got entitlement mixed up with responsibility. It's leaders who forget justice and love personal gain. Seems though Micah penned this down about 2700 years ago, but still the same thing is going on.

I celebrate God because He did not forget the people at the bottom! Those whose voices went unheard, were heard and God cared then, and He cares today, and the same way He burned with anger then He burns today! But where are the Micah's to call out the mutilators of flesh and declare that justice be upheld? Where are the intelligent, educated, and connected Issiah's elegantly rebuking a nation and guiding back to God? Where are the men and women who like Micah are seemingly burning from the inside with disgust? Where are the Amos' coming from the farms but willing to call out all those above him for their injustice?

I celebrate God because He uses people like these incredible men, to fearlessly preach to the nation what no one wanted to hear! Gods glory becomes tangible in these verses because He cares and when I see the poorest of the poor I know that even if no one looks twice my God sees them sitting there and has not forgotten. I see Gods glory in these verses because every time you have to look into the eyes of a child who has no hope, I know the one who breathed life into them truly cares about them!

I celebrate God in all His glory!

"

How Great Leaders Inspire Action: Simon Sinek @ TED

2010-06-04T21:15:00.000-04:00

Do Not Oppress ...

2010-05-22T11:23:00.000-04:00

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
Zechariah 7:9-10

2010-05-17T07:20:00.001-04:00

Away! Def'n: Cottage of good friends, with colleague and good friend (other). Leaving work behind, embracing rest for the soul.

2010-05-04T08:41:00.001-04:00

Great times with fellow leaders and old friends here in Izmir Turkey.

Social Innovation Article : The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle (August 18, 2009)

2010-04-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

Social Innovation Article : The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle (August 18, 2009)

Posted using ShareThis

2010-04-27T20:43:00.001-04:00

Countdown to leadership event with 200 members. They expect a winning approach, credible leaders and clarity of vision. The future is now!

2010-04-26T21:58:00.001-04:00

Just saw/heard the Celtic Women sing Amazing Grace and You Raise Me Up ... speechless.

2010-04-25T15:47:00.001-04:00

Gerry our board chair got out of Switzerland and did a fine job of leading us through a full agenda. Thanks to all.

2010-04-20T11:56:00.001-04:00

Preparing for spring board meeting with my Chairman stuck in Europe.

Good Question

2010-04-10T20:26:00.000-04:00

Good Question: "Asked by a great social worker in our foster parent training class last night:

'How did the [child's] behavior become more important than the relationship?'

2010-04-10T19:58:00.001-04:00

Met old friend today walking his 2 dogs. A leash joining them and old dog slows down young and vice versa. Smart system!

2010-03-28T13:35:00.001-04:00

Sunshine, great views, long hikes and generally relaxed feel. That is Sedona Az.

Heading Home

2010-03-20T02:16:00.002-04:00

Its the last day of our wonderful time in the Philippines. The wedding is "fun and done". A family dinner, one more sleep then travel home.

Return to me

2010-03-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
[who] is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.

Joel 2:12-13

2010-03-14T20:28:00.001-04:00

With Brett and Grace's wedding done, we take a 6 hour drive to a school project in the province and celebrate the opening new classrooms.

2010-03-12T10:11:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe that our baby (Brett) is getting married tomorrow, and in the Philippines. Looking forward to a great day!

Seth Godin: live seminar for good causes 10/09

2010-02-22T20:14:00.001-05:00

Do you lead, work for or support a charity that is doing good work? If so, take an hour (or so) and listen to what Seth has to say.

Seth Godin live seminar for good causes 10/09 from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

2010-02-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

There are limits to self-indulgence, none to restraint.

Mahatma Gandhi

2010-02-16T21:54:00.001-05:00

Canadian men's hockey team open with a decisive win 8-0 over Norway. Great photos here http://ping.fm/KRxi2

2010-02-16T08:08:00.001-05:00

Work today then Olympic hockey. Can't wait!

“We Are More”

2010-02-14T23:12:00.003-05:00

" ... but don’t let your luggage define your travels ..."
The lyrics are below ... watch, listen and reflect. This is great stuff.

When defining Canada
you might list some statistics
you might mention our tallest building
or biggest lake
you might shake a tree in the fall
and call a red leaf Canada
you might rattle off some celebrities
might mention Buffy Sainte-Marie
might even mention the fact that we’ve got a few
Barenaked Ladies
or that we made these crazy things
like zippers
electric cars
and washing machines
when defining Canada
it seems the world’s anthem has been
"been there done that”
and maybe that’s where we used to be at
it’s true
we’ve done and we’ve been
we’ve seen
all the great themes get swallowed up by the machine
and turned into theme parks
but when defining Canada
don’t forget to mention that we have set sparks
we are not just fishing stories
about the one that got away
we do more than sit around and say “eh?”
and yes
we are the home of the Rocket and the Great One
who inspired little number nines
and little number ninety-nines
but we’re more than just hockey and fishing lines
off of the rocky coast of the Maritimes
and some say what defines us
is something as simple as please and thank you
and as for you’re welcome
well we say that too
but we are more
than genteel or civilized
we are an idea in the process
of being realized
we are young
we are cultures strung together
then woven into a tapestry
and the design
is what makes us more
than the sum total of our history
we are an experiment going right for a change
with influences that range from a to zed
and yes we say zed instead of zee
we are the colours of Chinatown and the coffee of Little Italy
we dream so big that there are those
who would call our ambition an industry
because we are more than sticky maple syrup and clean snow
we do more than grow wheat and brew beer
we are vineyards of good year after good year
we reforest what we clear
because we believe in generations beyond our own
knowing now that so many of us
have grown past what used to be
we can stand here today
filled with all the hope people have
when they say things like “someday”
someday we’ll be great
someday we’ll be this
or that
someday we’ll be at a point
when someday was yesterday
and all of our aspirations will pay the way
for those who on that day
look towards tomorrow
and still they say someday
we will reach the goals we set
and we will get interest on our inspiration
because we are more than a nation of whale watchers and lumberjacks
more than backpacks and hiking trails
we are hammers and nails building bridges
towards those who are willing to walk across
we are the lost-and-found for all those who might find themselves at a loss
we are not the see-through gloss or glamour
of those who clamour for the failings of others
we are fathers brothers sisters and mothers
uncles and nephews aunts and nieces
we are cousins
we are found missing puzzle pieces
we are families with room at the table for newcomers
we are more than summers and winters
more than on and off seasons
we are the reasons people have for wanting to stay
because we are more than what we say or do
we live to get past what we go through
and learn who we are
we are students
students who study the studiousness of studying
so we know what as well as why
we don’t have all the answers
but we try
and the effort is what makes us more
we don’t all know what it is in life we’re looking for
so keep exploring
go far and wide
or go inside but go deep
go deep
as if James Cameron was filming a sequel to The Abyss
and suddenly there was this location scout
trying to figure some way out
to get inside you
because you’ve been through hell and high water
and you went deep
keep exploring
because we are more
than a laundry list of things to do and places to see
we are more than hills to ski
or countryside ponds to skate
we are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can’t wait
we are first-rate greasy-spoon diners and healthy-living cafes
a country that is all the ways you choose to live
a land that can give you variety
because we are choices
we are millions upon millions of voices shouting
"keep exploring… we are more”
we are the surprise the world has in store for you
it’s true

Canada is the “what” in “what’s new?”
so don’t say “been there done that”
unless you’ve sat on the sidewalk
while chalk artists draw still lifes
on the concrete of a kid in the street
beatboxing to Neil Young for fun
don’t say you’ve been there done that
unless you’ve been here doing it
let this country be your first-aid kit
for all the times you get sick of the same old same old
let us be the story told to your friends
and when that story ends
leave chapters for the next time you’ll come back
next time pack for all the things
you didn’t pack for the first time
but don’t let your luggage define your travels
each life unravels differently
and experiences are what make up
the colours of our tapestry
we are the true north
strong and free
and what’s more
is that we didn’t just say it
we made it be.

Canada Strikes Gold

2010-02-14T22:29:00.002-05:00

Bilodeau wins Canada's first gold on home soil. http://ping.fm/oUVpy?cid=rssctv Great Olympics moment.

IT Daycare in Manila

2010-02-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

Another update from Hart Weins ...

We got to the International Teams (IT) ministry centre just in time for John and the staff to round up their little pupils for the daycare. We went down the street where the pupils live – literally on the street.

The squatter community exists in the shadow of the skyscrapers that make up the wealthiest business district in the Philippines. But there is no evidence of “trickle-down” economics here. Squatters live on the margins of society. They have nothing. Life happens on the edge of the street where people cook, bathe and work.

One source of income we saw was what appeared to be a repair shop. There were vehicles and all sorts of appliances being worked on – right on the side of the street where life was happening.

The children were excited to join John and his co-worker as they came into the community to pick them up. Again, I was struck by how neat and clean the children were, inspite of their challenging living arrangements. Today 2 new pupils were joining the daycare. They would not have qualified under the rules that the ministry had established, but John and his co-workers took them in anyway because their parents simply did not seem to have the capacity to provide any care for them at all.

The daycare class itself was lively and energetic. The pupils were rewarded for their efforts with little stickers they could choose from an abundant supply that John had brought with him. The class began with prayer and singing. The pupils eagerly volunteered to lead the prayers and enjoyed the singing. Another thing that would stand out to any Canadian teacher was the amount of physical interaction between the teachers and their pupils. In Canada teachers are strictly forbidden from touching their pupils. Here the children were hanging onto the teachers, hugging and being hugged.

The pupils were obviously lapping up the attention and love being lavished on them and learning was definitely happening, not just among the pupils. John was also learning a lot of Filipino language from his eager and uninhibited pupils.

Manila Update from Hart Weins

2010-02-07T23:12:00.004-05:00

Yesterday (Sun Feb 7th) we went to join John and his fellow young International Teams (IT) missionaries at the Church they are helping to plant in a “squatter” community located within sight of what would be the Philippine equivalent of Bay Street or Wall Street. This part of Manila is called Makati, the richest city in the Philippines. Even Rambie, who has lived in the Philippines all his life was surprised that there would be squatter communities in Makati, but they are there, inhabited by the poor, the broken and the marginalized of society. These are the people that the IT ministry and the Church they are planting is trying to bless. As with any new Church plant, there is always something for young energetic volunteers to do. Yesterday for example Brett, one of John’s young colleagues (also from our area in Ontario) learned at 8:00 AM that he was on to preach the sermon. The father of the pastor who had been scheduled to preach had passed away at night and so Brett, who was supposed to have a weekend off, was asked to step in. I thought he did well, given his youth (21 years old), lack of time to prepare and the fact that he is getting married today (the civil ceremony). The Church wedding is schedule for next month when his parents can be here. Brett selected 3 texts. From Micah in the Old Testament – “What does the Lord require, but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” From Jesus in the Gospels – The greatest commandment, love God and love your neighbour. From Paul in Philippians 4 the encouragement to focus on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honourable. Brett is still learning Tagalog/Filipino, so his message was delivered in a mix of English and Tagalog but in language easy enough for most to follow.

The service was conducted in a lively “charismatic” manner led by an energetic worship ensemble of young volunteers from the Church. As I might have expected, I was asked to share a few words of encouragement from the Scriptures and to demonstrate that I too could speak a little “Filipino.” There was a separate program for the children lead by the young IT interns, but some of the younger children who needed to be near their mothers were in and out of the adult service. It struck me that there were many more women than men in the service. I learned later that in some cases mothers had been abandoned by the fathers of their children. At least one young woman was married to a man who lives in another country, something that is quite common in the Philippines where there are not enough good jobs to go around for the millions of young adults who need them. The radical difference in demographics between Canada and the Philippines struck me again wherever I went yesterday. The city of Manila is teaming with people, overwhelmingly young people in their twenties.

After Church we joined John and his colleagues for a nice Filipino lunch – rice and fried chicken. Then I and Rambie returned to the SIL Guest House where we are staying, for a little rest as I was feeling the effects of my jet lag. We travelled through Manila by “jeepney” the ubiquitous and unique Philippine mode of public transit serving the residential parts of the city and linked to the high speed light rail transit connecting the various cities that make up metro Manila, a city of 15 million people. The light rail system is a new feature since we lived here and it has certainly helped to relieve some of the traffic congestion which has always plagued this city, but only slightly. The growing population continues to put pressure on the infrastructure and overcrowding is evident everywhere – a continuing source of stress (on top of the heat, humidity and pollution) for the people who try to make their living here.

We agreed to meet John and his colleagues again on Tuesday when they hold their Church run day-care, an experimental new program where John is applying his passion for teaching. Some the beautiful artwork of the day-care children was on display at the Church. We will not see all of the ministries in which John is involved in this short visit. On Wednesday John and Jarred will have their Tagalog lessons while Rambie and I go out to the Taal volcano where the Catholic Bishops group is holding their Bible conference – about 3 hours south of Manila. Then on Wednesday night we will all meet at the bus station for our overnight trip north, first to the beautiful Ifugao rice terraces and then on to Tabuk in Kalinga, the province where we began our ministry.

A Strong Sense of Place

2010-02-01T17:39:00.002-05:00

Enoka Dumo (50) was born to Sudanese parents in the Adjumani refugee camp in northern Uganda during the war. When Enoka's children grew up, they applied for refugee status in Australia and escaped the camp. Enoka, however, turned down the offer. He believes he is called to lead his people.

Enoka is the national leader of Impact Southern Sudan and the Director of SERM, an International Teams partner organization that equips and trains pastors. International Teams provided SERM with bicycles that they use to deliver the gospel to neighbouring villages and tribes. In addition, with the help of International Teams, Enoka is building schools for his people in Kajo Keji, Southern Sudan.

In thousands of villages across Africa, children fortunate enough to afford uniforms attend mud-walled schools with straw roofs. Every year during the rainy season the entire structure is weakened or often washed away and must be rebuilt.

With the help of International Teams, Enoka is rebuilding schools out of solid brick with galvanized steel roofs.

The government and local leaders have even started to take notice. Nevertheless, in spite of being a respected elder in his community, every weekend Enoka crosses the border back into Uganda to his home in the Adjumani refugee camp. Enoka's strong sense of place and commitment to his people keeps him in Kajo Keji and Adjumani building schools, preaching the gospel and leading his people.

You can help Enoka build schools in Southern Sudan. To donate to this great program, go to Give NOW.

... there is freedom ...

2010-01-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

International Teams Intern: 'It's a Great Life'

2010-01-12T14:29:00.004-05:00

"Being an intern with International Teams has changed me in a million ways," said Intern, Julia Clark. "I'm more thankful for the great way that I was raised. I see things that I took for granted. I have more of a desire to get involved with God's kingdom work globally."

Julia has worked with refugees in Kenya since 2006 as part of a multi-national team composed of Canadian, Kenyan, Filipina, Nigerian, and American workers.

Julia's team conducts literacy, ESL, Bible studies and sewing classes. They offer counseling, organize community development projects and advocate on behalf of refugees, primarily women and children. They raise money for student scholarships, uniforms, books and lunches. The team serves refugees from Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Congo and the Great Lakes region of eastern Africa.

"I feel very blessed to be able to work as an intern in Kenya. To go where God leads is the beginning of a great adventure and the best place you could be in. I'm a relational person so working in Kenya and meeting people--it's a great life."

Grindstone Church Team to Visit Uganda

2010-01-09T08:54:00.000-05:00

Impact Uganda Leader Dave Adams will lead a team of 6 from Grindstone Church in Waterdown on their first ITCA missions trip to Uganda departing January 11.

The team will consist of Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Teaching, Matt Pamplin; Elder, Doug Veenstra; Paul Dear; Judi Martin; Irene Boonstra and Dave Adam's wife, Jennifer Adams. Gary Sharpe, Director of International Programs will also accompany the team. The Grindstone team will explore the possibility of a strategic partnership with Impact Uganda's national leader, Anne Mwangi.

During their inaugural visit, the Grindstone team will meet Anne for the first time and participate in the ministries she leads. They will teach at the ILTP (International Leadership Training Program) school, minister at the refugee ministry women's group, and serve in the children's feeding program.

A large amount of donated clothing will be distributed including 100 soccer uniforms. In addition, 25 backpacks and a digital camera have also been donated.

Two of the team members with construction experience will work on renovations and general repair in the ILTP building.

"This is a wonderful example of how International Teams helps churches help the poor," Adams said. "International Teams is brokering the relationship between a well-resourced Canadian church and a fledgling ministry to marginalized people in Uganda."

Donations to Impact Uganda: Click Here http://bit.ly/3Dy4qs.

The Prince & The Pauper Exercise (Repost from Tim Sanders Blog)

2010-01-02T10:55:00.001-05:00

The Prince & The Pauper Exercise:

Earlier this week, Prince William lived out at least one side of the famous story of The Prince and The Pauper. After all, it's in his DNA. When William slept rough in the streets recently, he carried forward his mother's vision of increasing awareness about the plight of homeless teens in London.

While some may cast a cynical eye towards William's efforts (along with front page publicity and goodwill it generated), I look at the exercise as a win/win/win venture that all of us should draw from insight from.

For Prince William, this exercise is a coming of age story for a young leader. First of all, he makes the move from sympathy to empathy when it comes to the issue of homelessness. Before this night of "sleeping rough," he felt bad for the poor (sympathy). After the experience, "he could only imagine...," which takes his understanding of the situation to a higher level. This is also the level that the poor would like to be thought of at too. The homeless don't want pity. They want safety, food and to feel good. Pretty much the same thing all of us want. I think Prince William gets that a little bit better now.

The second benefit to the young leader is that he's smashing his fears by confronting them through the experience of being destitute. Last year, I viewed a five minute talk by Tim Ferriss on 'Practical Pessimism." In it, he shared ideas from Stoicism that suggested that the powerful, rich and noble all experience poverty and eat what the beggars eat and wear what they wear. The exercise, helps the have-alots confront their greatest fear: Losing all the stuff. I predict the exercise will help Prince William feel fearless when it comes to moments or even extended periods of not having more cash than you can count.

For the homeless he encountered, there are benefits too. For some, he gave them a shot of hope, believing that help might be on the way. For others, the attentive appearance of Prince William in their hood gave them a voice to the world - and a dose of dignity too.

Done with taste, you can benefit from this exercise too. You can find a way to immerse yourself in the intersection of the community's biggest needs and your greatest assets. Who knows, you might be the only person reaching out this year.

Is there a customer in need? In my first book, I shared the story of Michael Rawlins (former CEO of Pizza Hut). Each Friday, he called his best customers to check on service, thank them for their loyalty and hear out their life stories. One day, he called a single mother of five that worked three jobs to make ends meet. While he didn't walk in her shoes for a day, he listened empathetically. For both of them, it was a life changing conversation. Thanks to Google Books, you can read The Pizza Hut story for all the details.

What is the analog in your business? What did your mother (think founder) care about? Are you still carrying that cause on?

Tim Sanders

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a peaceful, holy New Year

2009-12-27T10:48:00.000-05:00

Dear friends and family,

Reflecting on the Christmas message of Pope Benedict XVI, I was pleased to hear him specifically mention the “little flock of Christians” who live in Iraq.

At just 3% of the overall population, Christians in Iraq suffer great persecution from fellow Iraqis who see Christianity as a western, foreign religion.

For example, recently, a Christian doctor in Iraq was kidnapped by an unidentified group. For a month, he was tied blindfolded to a pole and unable to use a washroom or take a shower. Finally, he was released to his family after they paid a ransom for him. This is just one example of the kind of treatment Christians are suffering in Iraq.

I would like to join with Pope Benedict and call all Christians to pray for our Iraqi brothers and sisters in the Lord. For we know that Christ, the Savoir of the world, though born in the middle east, sees no boundaries on the Earth that God created.

This fall, International Teams established a new program in Iraq, led by Iraqi-Canadian, Insaf Safou. Impact Iraq is a compassion ministry that cares for refugees and internally displaced people by partnering with home churches, encouraging pastors and Christian workers in existing Iraqi churches, building up marginalized women, and developing income-generating projects for impoverished people.

Please consider helping us as we seek to support and encourage Christians in Iraq. To learn more about Impact Iraq go to http://www.iteams.ca/impact_iraq.php.

May the Savoir of the world, grant you a peaceful, holy New Year.

Blessings,

Neil Ostrander

CEO, International Teams Canada

Six Advanced Facebook Page Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations

2009-12-19T12:29:00.001-05:00

Six Advanced Facebook Page Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations: "

Nonprofits that have been using Facebook for a year or more consistently comment “OK… Facebook is great, but how can we take our Facebook Page strategy to the next level?” Below are six advanced Facebook Page strategies in response to that question:

1) Create Customized Tabs.

Advanced strategies requires advanced tech skills. If you know html and have a good graphic designer, then you can use the Static FBML App to create and completely customize Tabs on Facebook Pages. For example, the “Get Involved!” Tab on the Special Olympics of Northern California Facebook Page and the numerous customized Tabs on the Facebook Page of The Humane Society of the United States were created using the Static FBML App.

If you don’t know html and want customized Tabs for your Facebook Page, then you have two options: 1) Pay for a service like Sprout.com or Involver.com. Neither publish their fees online for customized Tabs which usually means they are too expensive for most nonprofits. It doesn’t hurt to ask for a nonprofit discount though. Many of these new services want exposure and buzz. 2) Hire someone who knows html and Facebook, like myself. My fees start at $300 for a Facebook Page with one cusomized Tab using graphics and content from your website.

2) Create a customized Tab for your default Landing Tab.

When you click on Central Michigan University inside of Facebook it goes to a a customized Tab called Unleash the Power. First impressions are important on social media sites, and this page sends a clear message that CMU gets Facebook and is taking it seriously. Compared to other pages by universities of their size, they are definitely doing much better in terms of number of fans. My guess is that this strong first impression is making a significant difference in building their fan base.

Greenpeace International has also set their default Landing Tab to a customized Tab called Take Action. Definitely a best practice, though the Tab could be improved by adding some images and possibly a video. It’s a good start.

Once you have created a customized Tab for your default Landing Tab, simply go into “Settings” on your Facebook Page and under “Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else” select the Tab you want for your default Landing Tab in the pop-down menu.

3) Integrate Facebook “Share” buttons and/or Fan Box Widgets into your “Donate Now” Page(s) and online petitions.

After someone makes a donation on your website or signs an online petition, how about asking them to “Share” with their friends on Facebook that they donated to your organization or signed your petition? At the very least, prompt donors and signatores to become fans. For example, after someone signs the online petition at Forest Ethics’ Do Not Mail campaign, they are then prompted to become a fan of the campaign on Facebook:

The campaign has almost 7,000 fans… a good indicator that this simple strategy works.I would also suggest that nonprofits add a fan box widget to the Web page that thanks online donors for their contribution.

Another possible strategy is adding “Share” buttons to your “Thanks for Signing/Donating” pages. Ideally, the Share post should say something like “I just donated to [Organization Name]!” and then links to your organization’s Facebook Page. The donor gets thumbs up from friends, and your organization hopefully gets some new fans!

4) Incorporate your Facebook Page into your Thank You emails.

Most nonprofits send immediate thank you emails to online donors and signatores of petitions. Make sure to add a simple “Become a fan of [Organization Name] on Facebook!” into your email.

5) Incorporate your Facebook Page into your mobile campaigns.

Ask your text alert subscribers to fan your Facebook Page, but make sure you link to the mobile version of your Facebook Page, such as: m.facebook.com/nonprofitorgs. Also, on your mobile website, make sure you link to the mobile version of your Facebook Page. See www.nonprofitorgs.mobi as an example. Most nonprofits haven’t even begun to think about mobile tech, but mobile Web usage is on track to hit 1 billion+ users in 2010.

6) Incorporate Facebook Connect into your organization’s blog.

If your organization blogs via WordPress.org, there is a Facebook Connect Plugin for WordPress.org Blogs. Facebook Connect allows individuals to post blog comments via their Facebook login. For those with super duper tech skills, you can customize Facebook Connect in order to add it to your website or blog, where useful. I do not know of any nonprofit currently using Facebook Connect, but Mashable has compiled a list of 10 Great Implementations of Facebook Connect. Ironcially, in 2010 your going to see MySpace on that list. They are fully integrating Facebook Connect into their website which is great news for those nonprofits utilizing MySpace.

For a complete audio and visual demonstration of beginner, intermediate and advanced Facebook strategies for nonprofits, please take the How Nonprofit Organizations Can Successfully Use Facebook Pages and YouTube webinar offered by DIOSA Communications (which is me!).

Psalm 36: 5,6

2009-12-12T10:19:00.001-05:00

God's love is meteoric,
      his loyalty astronomic,
   His purpose titanic,
      his verdicts oceanic.
   Yet in his largeness
      nothing gets lost;
   Not a man, not a mouse,
      slips through the cracks.

Reading this made me feel connected.

November 2009 Weather Summary

2009-12-07T17:05:00.000-05:00

November 2009 Summary: "A very warm and dry month with the lowest snowfall ever (possibly, maybe?)

November started out with 6 colder than average days, however that changed when the rest of the month (24 days) all came in warmer than average. Overall it was an amazing 3 degrees above average making it the warmest November since 2001. It was also the most above average month since January of 2008.

It was also the driest month since 2001 with only 34.8 mm of precipitation including a dry stretch that lasted 12 days. Almost all of it came in the form of rain as we only recorded a single day with some trace snow (November 27th).

So now the big question: was this the least amount of snow ever in November for the region? Unfortunately, it is not an easy question to answer as it all depends on how you interpret the trace readings of snow you often get at this time of year. A trace amount of snow is when there is less than 0.5 cm but definitely some on the ground. There have been many years with less than 1 cm of snow in November, for instance in 2006 we only had 0.5 cm.

Looking back in the long term records the last time there was 0 cm of snow was back in 1963. However, the daily records show that there were 6 days with trace snow in 1963 and going back further I was never able to find a year with 0 cm of snow and less than 3 days of trace snow. So using that as a criterion we can say that this November had the least amount of snow of November in the recorded history of the region which goes back to 1914.

The total precipitation for the year (819.5 mm) is very close to the average (830.3 mm). So unless we get less than 15 mm or over 350 mm in December, this year will end up in the average range for precipitation.

Summary for November 2009:
Maximum Temperature 18.0 °C
Minimum Temperature -5.0 °C
Average Daily High Temperature 9.3 °C (Long term average 5.9 °C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 0.9 °C (Long term average -1.6 °C)
Total Precipitation 34.8 mm (Long term average 82.3 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1971-2000 data for the Waterloo Wellington Airport)

Genuine Love

2009-11-20T13:00:00.002-05:00

I've been reading on Sojourners site a bit and came across this quote ... and I love it!

Genuine Christian love is forged against the anvil of our selfishness and possessiveness. It is important to remember that love is more than a feeling. It is active and transitive. The real test of my loving is not that I feel loving, but that the other person feels loved by me. Love is what I do to create this sense of feeling cared for.

Morton T. Kelsey
From his book, "Companions on the Inner Way"

Media Hype

2009-11-13T13:28:00.004-05:00

About this Video

During 13 days, up to May 6, WHO has confirmed that 25 countries are affected by the Swine flu and 31 persons have died from Swine flu. WHO data indicates that about 60 000 persons died from TB during the same period. By a rough comparison with the number of news reports found by Google news search, Hans Rosling calculates a News/Death ratio and issue an alert for a media hype on Swine flu and a neglect of tuberculosis.

Choose your customers, choose your future

2009-11-11T07:27:00.000-05:00

Choose your customers, choose your future: "

Marketers rarely think about choosing customers... like a sailor on shore leave, we're not so picky. Huge mistake.

Your customers define what you make, how you make it, where you sell it, what you charge, who you hire and even how you fund your business. If your customer base changes over time but you fail to make changes in the rest of your organization, stress and failure will follow.

Sell to angry cheapskates and your business will reflect that. On the other hand, when you find great customers, they will eagerly co-create with you. They will engage and invent and spread the word.

It takes vision and guts to turn someone down and focus on a different segment, on people who might be more difficult to sell at first, but will lead you where you want to go over time.

I'm here - Jared Redekop

2009-11-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

I'm here: "well i made it here safe and sound. funny story though, John, the guy i flew over here with and am living and working with, made friends with an air traffic man for Air Canada. So on our 13 hour flight on Air Canada from Toronto to Japan John and I got to fly first class because John's friend was able to bump us up. it was incredible, such a blessing from God.

I'm living in an apartment that has an amazing view of the city's skyline. I am living with John, Brett and a filipino named Toph. we've split the room into two, the bed room and a multi-purpose room. i would show you some pictures but im having some problems with my camera so when i figure that out i'll put some pictures up. the part of the city i am in doesn't really have any lingering affects from the floods that happened but i heard we might be helping some of those affected soon.

some of my roles have already changed like I have been put in charge of the youth in the church that i thought i would be doing children's ministry. so i guess for a lack of a better word i would be called the youth pastor. the chruch is of about 40 people but still i'm a little nervous. their youth ministries have fallen off recently so i really want to grow their youth again. there is also a day care the church is setting up this coming week from tuesday to friday so i want to help out with that. i will hopefully get involved with more ministries as well.

thanks again for all the prayers, love, and support. May God Bless you"

Jared

Frank's Five Dollars

2009-11-01T08:32:00.004-05:00

Our local “Ride for Refugees” is a great event that empowers many churches to get off the sidelines and become involved, raising funds and increasing awareness for the plight of refugees. http://www.rideforrefugees.com/ At our sixth annual event recently, 1,000 people gathered at Creekside Community Church in Waterloo, Ontario.

Over the course of the day I had several conversations with one of these participants, an honorary team member I’ll call "Frank" who lives on a disability pension that leaves him with next to nothing to spare. At times I was busy talking, making introductions and solving little issues as they arose and, well, Frank was constantly there ... a little in the way, really.

After the riders returned from their time on-the-road, had great food and were on their way, Frank found me one more time and looked at me directly and I saw emotion in his face. He placed a rolled up five dollar bill in my hand and said, "Here, this is for the refugees."

I was thrilled with his “widow’s mite.” Within 10 minutes his donation was matched and doubled! I was no longer annoyed. Rather, I was convicted. Seeing “one of the least of these” helping refugees prompted me to repent and change my attitude. “God looks on the heart.”

Words of Anguish

2009-09-04T09:41:00.004-04:00

"Confront me with the truth and I'll shut up,
show me where I've gone off the track.
Honest words never hurt anyone,
but what's the point of all this pious bluster?
You pretend to tell me what's wrong with my life,
but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air.
Are people mere things to you?
Are friends just items of profit and loss?
Job 6:25-27 The Message

I've been thinking about this passage of Job quite a bit recently. From my own journey, to those close to me who go through really tough times. Sometimes our words do "belong to the wind", because we speak from our pain. More difficult to deal with however, is the feeling that our words fall on deaf ears and we become less human for a moment.

I am thankful that Jesus hears me whenever I cry out, he hears my groans as clear expressions of a heavy heart. Yes, he does hear and I know that with certainty. But, if I'm fully honest with myself, I still need a person to look into my eyes as they listen to me, and to acknowledge my feelings. Then my humanity is restored and I can journey on and give myself to others in that same kind of 'human listening'.

Hope

2009-08-18T19:58:00.001-04:00

Hope is the strongest driving force for a people. Hope which brings about change, which produces new realities, is what opens man's road to freedom. Once hope has taken hold, courage must unite with wisdom. That is the only way of avoiding violence, the only way of maintaining the calm one needs to respond peacefully to offenses.

Oscar Arias Sanchez

excerpted from his 1987 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.

Powerful Song and Lyric

2009-08-05T16:53:00.000-04:00

A Few Personal Reflections On Teamwork

2009-07-25T06:45:00.002-04:00

Yvonne and I are in our 20th year of service with International Teams. It feels like yesterday we joined Kim Loney for our first trip into Eastern Europe, but as I look back I see many changes over the years.

One of the constants over these years is teamwork. When training new people with IT, I’ve often said that, “Long before teamwork was a management approach and long after the teamwork fad has faded, we at International Teams have been doing team.”

However, as you spend time living life on a team you discover it can be really tough! We know there are various types of teams but what they have in common is, that when it’s working, teamwork increases effectiveness exponentially!

Here is my personal, bottom line for teamwork effectiveness. That is, teamwork is built on trust. Full stop. People who choose to be trustworthy, come together as a team, with a mandate and they work hard together to build, preserve and when necessary, restore trust. That is my personal conviction and my goal, to build trust.

Go and build your team on trust!

An 'inter-cultural church'

2009-07-16T18:00:00.001-04:00

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

New life for historic West End building

By: Brenda Suderman

RUTH.BONNEVILLE@FREEPRESS.MB.CA Enlarge Image

Hundreds of parishioners from diverse cultural backgrounds attend City Church on Maryland Street.

Minutes before the morning worship service begins, musicians warm up their instruments, the pastor confers with worship participants and people dressed in their Sunday best chat with their friends in the pews.

This grand old brick church with its dark oak pews, soaring ceilings, and stained-glass windows depicting Bible stories has been a place of worship for more than a century, but what’s going on here on Sunday mornings is very new.

"What we call ourselves is an international, inter-cultural church," explains Tim Nielsen, one of two pastors of City Church, which meets in the former First English Lutheran Church just north of Maryland Street and Ellice Avenue.

"We believe we’re doing what the Scriptures ask us to do, reflecting the heart of God."

In the case of this new West End congregation, reflecting the heart of God means reaching out to new Canadians from countries such as Burma, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. Most of the 400 people connected to City Church live within a 20-minutes walk of the former Lutheran church, which closed its doors in 2005 after 100 years of worship.

The language of worship is primarily English, with Nielsen’s sermon projected on a screen mounted on the left side of the building, opposite a showy organ with white and gold-painted pipes. On most Sundays, translators huddled in booths in the cantilevered balcony repeat the message into Chin or Karen, languages of two cultural groups from Burma, and Swahili or French, for the people from the various African countries.

Although the spoken words are mostly in English, the music reflects the cultural diversity of the worshippers. After a congregational song sung in English, Karen, Chin and Swahili, two choirs garbed in traditional dress present traditional Karen and Chin music, and a pair of sisters from Burundi sings a gospel song in their native tongue of Kirundi.

Nielsen says there’s a solid reason for this ethnic smorgasbord: avoiding the trap of equating faith and language which can happen in an ethnically specific congregation.

"When the second-generation Canadians reject their culture and language (then) they don’t reject their faith," explains the American-born Nielsen, a missionary from the Christian Brethren tradition, formerly known as Plymouth Brethren.

Nielsen, 49, and his longtime friend and associate Indiana Cuncgin, 47, began this evangelical Christian congregation last September in co-operation with Grant Memorial Baptist Church. Landlocked at their current location of Waverley and Wilkes, the Baptists wanted to begin a new congregation in Winnipeg’s inner city, the original home of the large suburban congregation of 2,000.

"Our long-term strategy is to plant a church every three to five years," explains leading minister Rev. Tom Castor, who is a resident of the West End.

"We also believe the more healthy churches there are in Winnipeg, the healthier the city."

Since last September, Grant Memorial has been renting the former Lutheran church building for City Church and is in the process of buying it. The congregation has commissioned Nielsen and Cuncgin, who were already working with immigrants, as pastors of the new church, paying them a small stipend. The two pastors who raise the rest of their salaries from friends and family and other churches, work long hours every day of the week to meet the needs of their parishioners as they adjust to life in a new city far from home.

For three months, their daily duties included ferrying parishioners in minivans to and from their jobs at an agricultural manufacturer in Rosenort, one hour south of Winnipeg. Now the employer sends a bus for the several dozen employees connected to City Church.

"We saw it as an opportunity to root them in good employment," explains Nielsen of his former taxi duties.

A refugee from Burma himself who has now lived in Canada for the last 12 years, Cuncgin understands the challenges of adapting to a new culture and country and spends much of his time translating for other new immigrants as they attempt to navigate Canadian medical and legal systems.

"It’s totally different (here)," says Cuncgin, whose is nicknamed after the movie character Indiana Jones for his exploits in engineering the release of 100 Burmese citizens from a Thai jail.

"We’re totally different. We’re in culture shock."

Before his work at City Church, Cuncgin held worship services for members of the Chin community in his home, and has organized a national network of Chin people in Canada, which meets annually.

He says Chin and Karen ethnic groups are persecuted in Burma, which has been under dictatorship since 1964.

Cuncgin and Nielsen agree the most important aspect of their work in the new congregation is treating people with respect and dignity. Nearly all the immigrants have come to Canada within the last two years, and many were teachers or doctors in their homeland.

"They taught us we are equals, which we very much appreciate," says Cuncgin, who identifies with the plight of the immigrants he works with. "The City Church treats us like humans."

"Here we have refugees coming from all over the world, and they are in touch with the needs in their countries," adds Nielsen, who is nurturing leaders of different ethnic groups within the congregation.

"We have former doctors, we have principals, we have many people with different professional backgrounds. We can love and respect them."

Although the Lutheran congregation has dispersed, the ministry of City Church to people in the West End has a spiritual connection to what went on before at that location, says Rev. Ted Chell, longtime pastor of First English Lutheran Church.

"It’s rather exciting. I think there’s obviously such a need for a place that can bridge the cultures," he says, adding he is pleased to hear that the building again houses a Christian community.

"That’s a bold effort to bring people together of different languages and cultures."

We Belong to Each Other

2009-07-16T11:27:00.005-04:00

Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because the Lord's remission has been proclaimed.

Deuteronomy 15:1-2

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa

From the Sojourners Blog

Time to redefine refugees as 'survival migrants'?

2009-07-15T08:22:00.006-04:00

Written by: Katie Nguyen

LONDON (AlertNet) - Imagine fleeing your country and having to walk for several days before being able to sneak across the border into a foreign country that views outsiders with hostility.

Now imagine you are seven years old and making the trip alone with no food or water and just the clothes on your back.

Hundreds if not thousands of Zimbabwean minors have done just that in recent years - driven from their homes by chronic food shortages and an economy brought to the brink of collapse by recession and hyper-inflation.

Many have ended up in neighbouring South Africa, where they often face poverty, harassment and xenophobic attacks. But because most are not refugees as defined by a 1951 Convention that applies only to people who have fled violence and persecution, they receive limited legal protection.

There has long been an argument to expand the definition of a refugee to take into account the changing face of forced migration in the decades since the convention was drawn up.

Advocates of reform say warnings that climate change will force up to 250 million people from their homes by 2050 mean a rethink is needed more than ever.

However, critics say widening the "refugee" category would erode asylum seekers' rights and face opposition from states reluctant to sign up to new laws obliging them to provide protection for more people.

In a recently published paper, two academics from Oxford University have come up with a new term, "survival migrant", to accommodate groups who do not fall within the legal refugee definition.

They say "survival migration" refers to those fleeing "an existential threat to which they have no domestic recourse" due to a combination of state collapse, livelihood failure and environmental disaster.

"What constitutes existential threat? It's not just about the threat to life but the rights without which it is impossible to enjoy other rights, namely basic subsistence, basic liberty, basic security," said Alexander Betts, who co-wrote the paper.

"The existing refugee definition, in only looking at persecution, speaks to the narrowest element of security but doesn't speak to the other two," Betts told AlertNet. "Recognition of the survival migration status would ensure that civil, economic and social rights would be respected."

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

The paper is based on a case study of Zimbabweans living in South Africa and Botswana. An estimated 2 million Zimbabweans have fled their country since 2005 - for many, resorting to the only available means of survival, Betts says.

Yet only 10 percent of Zimbabweans arriving in South Africa have been officially recognised as refugees.

As part of their research, Betts and his co-author Esra Kaytaz tracked down more than 3,400 Zimbabweans who had taken refuge in Johannesburg's Central Methodist Church, relying on the clergy's goodwill for shelter.

Among the group were more than 100 unaccompanied minors as well as pregnant women and people suffering from HIV/AIDS, cholera and tuberculosis.

"The government's main response to the church has been to try to forcibly clear the building, and local businesses are litigating to have the church emptied," the report said.

Betts says the legal quandary faced by these Zimbabweans is shared with many groups of Congolese, Somalis, Haitians, North Koreans and Iraqis, among others.

Although he said it would be tough to get states to endorse "survival migration" as a legal definition, he noted the success of attempts to protect other groups who have also been forced from their homes - in particular internally displaced people (IDPs), or those who have been uprooted within their own borders by violence or persecution.

An attempt to address the needs of survival migrants could draw upon the precedent of the United Nations' "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement", which was drafted in 1998.

Though not legally binding in themselves, they consolidate states' existing responsibilities under international human rights law within a single "soft law" document.

The need to protect the rights of IDPs, who outnumber refugees globally, has prompted African countries to consider adopting a ground-breaking convention that will for the first time provide internally displaced people with similar rights to refugees.

"There are a number of reasons to be optimistic," Betts said. "The new realities of forced migration - climate change, livelihood collapse, state collapse - underpin the fact that the definition of refugee under the 1951 convention is not adequate. There's a growing acceptance that something needs to be done to supplement the convention."

The paper, "National and international responses to the Zimbabwean exodus: implications for the refugee protection regime", is due to be published on the website of the U.N. refugee body, UNHCR.

For more humanitarian news and analysis, please visit www.alertnet.org

Clean Water and the Water of Life in S. Sudan

2009-07-13T16:17:00.002-04:00

Wages for the Poor

2009-07-13T15:20:00.002-04:00

You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15

Social Justice

2009-06-30T04:35:00.000-04:00

For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

Exodus 23:10-11

Charity is commendable; everyone should be charitable. But justice aims to create a social order in which, if individuals choose not to be charitable, people still don’t go hungry, unschooled, or sick without care.

Bill Moyers,
television journalist and social commentator

Dan Fogelberg Performs "There's A Place In The World For A Gambler"

2009-06-29T18:00:00.001-04:00

ONCE: Theme song, Falling Slowly

2009-06-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

2009-06-21T17:22:00.007-04:00

I miss my dad. Howard M. Ostrander (1929 -2005) was a man of peace. He was described by his co-workers and friends as someone who could "spread his warmth and humour to all those around him". His former boss called my dad, "A pillar in his community in Elmira, Ontario ... and someone with an endless number of jokes up his sleeve!" How true, that was my dad.

But at a deeper level, my dad was a man of peace. As he was spending his last week with us on planet earth, I was so impressed with how he could bless others as he was so ready to die. Not easy to say, but a great memory. A man who lived at peace with those around him, no one, not anyone from anywhere had to rush to his death bed to make amends. All who came to his hospital bed, came to have a final visit, to share a memory, a song or a verse of two from scripture.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

Dad, thanks for the great example. I'll see if I can live my life in such a way that I honour memory and our lord.

On Fathers Day We Need to Bring Peace

2009-06-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Milt Priggee - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Refugees aren't numbers

2009-06-20T10:02:00.004-04:00

You matter

2009-06-17T07:34:00.004-04:00

Quoted from Seth Godin's Blog
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06/you-matter.html

When you love the work you do and the people you do it with, you matter.
When you are so gracious and generous and aware that you think of other people before yourself, you matter.
When you leave the world a better place than you found it, you matter.
When you continue to raise the bar on what you do and how you do it, you matter.
When you teach and forgive and teach more before you rush to judge and demean, you matter.
When you touch the people in your life through your actions (and your words), you matter.
When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
When you inspire a Nobel prize winner or a slum dweller, you matter.
When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.
And when the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.