tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33958009552686840342024-02-19T09:27:59.943-07:00promises are yesLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comBlogger288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-21003265869374782722018-10-22T06:06:00.002-07:002018-10-22T06:12:03.197-07:00Walk with god<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
For 17 years I've dreamed of taking a walking trip in England. It turns out that my good friend Sara also had that dream, so for the past ten years we've talked about it, and finally planned do it this year! For me it then also served as a great break after the intense year I'd spent in a medical training program, re-gaining knowledge I'd lost on the mission field.</div>
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Unfortunately, two weeks before the trip I had a bad fall off of a horse. It was incredibly painful for me to walk even a few feet, and yet we had planned to walk 9 to 16 miles a day on our trip! I slowly improved, and just before the trip walked <b>three</b> miles: but it was incredibly slow and painful and I needed to ice my back afterward. Thankfully, God designed our bodies in such a wonderful way that they often are able to heal, given enough time. During the first week in England I was grateful that - although very slow - I was able to complete each day's walk. </div>
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The words above the windows of this church say, "Walk with God." I found this phrase very meaningful, as we saw this church right before starting our second week of walks. The previous days when we hiked in the Yorkshire Moors were full of the presence of God: in the varied beauty of the nature around us, in our interactions with the people we met, and in my awareness of God as a very present help in time of trouble as I struggled with both physical pain from the accident <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">as well as with worry and distress over the healing process.</span></div>
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Through it all, my friend and walking companion Sara also acted as the hands and feet of Jesus as she helped carry my luggage, waited for me with patience when the pain caused me to suddenly need to rest, and acted as a comfort (either with a listening, sympathetic ear, or a joke, a worship song, or even a well-timed burst of a song from the 80s). </div>
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God walks with us all the time - may we have eyes to see.</div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-39004312741620208742017-07-20T13:54:00.004-07:002017-07-20T15:46:33.902-07:00God's SovereigntyOne of the most important items on my to-do list today is to read about interstitial lung disease. (I precepted one case with the director of my fellowship program last week, and she told me to read up on it - and she'll be my preceptor every day this next stretch of work, which starts this Saturday, so I'd better be able to discuss the subject intelligently.) But I've been reflecting lately on the subject of God's sovereignty and a few recent conversations with friends where the subject came up, and I either just shut down or responded too quickly. I thought it might help me clarify my thoughts to myself - and also respond better to friends in the future - if I wrote them down:<br />
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God's sovereignty is
no longer a comforting concept to me. I do still believe that God is
sovereign, but I no longer find that a comforting notion, nor something that is helpful to reflect on when I need comfort.</div>
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I suspect that in
the past, when I thought that I was trusting in God's sovereignty I
was often <b>conflating it</b> with other things. (Once when I told a
friend that I was trusting in God for something she challenged me,
“Really? Or are you just in denial?”) Growing up in a middle class family in North America, I have a baseline of
trust in a social structure and infrastructure, and trust that in any
time of trial that I or my loved ones would at least receive the best
medical care possible or that insurance would cover part of any loss
of property. But now I have lived in places where it appears that
God has often chosen not to intervene, even when families and
sometimes entire communities or swaths of a country have lost
everything from a storm – and where losing everything means that
now their children won't go to school or that they and their children
may even die (from the storm itself or from its economic sequelae).
There are so many countries where people die every day from diseases
that are easily preventable or treatable in other places. And where
the survivors still put their trust and hope in God. I do find hope
for the distant future in the concept of God's sovereignty: I
believe that Jesus will return to make all things right, and God will
wipe every tear from our eyes. But in the meantime lovely people
suffer, go hungry, and die in the details.
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I get <b>frustrated</b>
when I hear the concept of God's sovereignty used to explain things
that I think are due to economic/geographic happenstance, or even the
results of long-term abuse of power. I still believe that all good
things come from God, and I thank God when good things happen. But
if God's sovereignty is directly involved when you get the job you
wanted when you live in a place with 6% unemployment, what does that
mean for my friend who cannot find any job in a place with 80%
unemployment? And what does it mean when the poverty and lack of
jobs where my friend lives has a direct historical relationship to
the plenty where you live?</div>
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I also sometimes get
<b>angry</b> when I hear people cite God's sovereignty when it appears that
it is being used to justify acceptance of (or even outright collusion
with) evil systems that are designed to benefit some and worsen the
lives of others. I believe that we are called to live now the way we
will live in the future, and that we are to be a part of setting up
systems that bring justice and peace for our families, neighbors, and
communities – both as a foretaste of what is to come and also
because people's lives (even now!) are important. So if new laws or
repeals of old protections cause my neighbor to suffer injustice or
want, this does not seem like a time for us to take comfort in God's
sovereignty – this seems like a time for us to storm the gates of
hell.</div>
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So, I do not
currently find the idea of God's sovereignty comforting (although again, I do still believe that God is sovereign). What does
give me comfort and hope in trial? The fact that if our neighbor is
suffering, we have the privilege of suffering alongside, and that we
can comfort others with the same comfort that we have received. The
fact that even though there is much evil in this world, God can give
us the strength to resist evil, to work for good, to maintain love in
our hearts. The fact that we know that God is on the side of love,
justice, and hope. The fact that God is always present – rejoicing
and moving toward the good, and weeping with us in the bad.
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-5850728408057204492017-03-15T13:05:00.001-07:002017-10-25T08:03:48.225-07:00Micro-enterprise Training - Report from the team<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
The Haiti team reports:<br />
Medical Ambassadors Haiti helps people build up their economic lives and experience local development starting with themselves. We show them they have resources within their communities that they can utilize which will help them grow in business. We also show them how to help their families grow economically so that they do not go hungry and always have sufficient funds to pay for their children’s school without depending on others.</div>
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We held a training in the Cap Haitien off<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">ice for all the master trainers as well as ten other trainings done in communities throughout three provinces. Those trainings were on micro-enterprise and savings groups (called “mutual solidarity”), as well as on agro-industry. We did many demonstrations on agro-industry such as making liquid laundry soap, shampoo, house cleaner, white vinegar, tomato paste, tomato sauce, hot sauce, perfume, and hair pomade.</span></div>
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We found the means to be able to “reinforce” the savings groups in some communities [meaning to add to money used for short-term loans]. We bought materials for the agro-industry trainings done in the communities.</div>
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The communities told us that they really loved the training and that they will put it into practice because they can sell what they make in the communities. There are people there who already sell products in the market and from their homes.</div>
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Personal note:</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I was talking with my landlord, who is interested in micro-enterprise projects. She asked me if we send out reports "like Kiva does." This is what I told her: </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- I received a report about our micro-enterprise program from our team last July.</span></span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Since all of our micro-enterprise projects are currently funded by just one donor, and I was going to see that donor the next month, I printed off the report and planned to translate it for him in person. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">--I only had a partial day to spend with the donor (a family member), and we ended up just chatting and hanging out with family.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- I found the printed paper report (still in Kreyol) buried on my desk a few weeks ago. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">--This past Saturday I was at the hospital and had a bit of time where I needed to still be there physically (due to a medication a patient was on) but didn't need to attend to anyone. So I translated the report and e-mailed it to myself. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">--Today, after my landlord and I spoke, I finally e-mailed the donor the translated report and also posted it here (above) and on Facebook. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conclusion: please pray that we would find people who have free time and administrative skills that want to volunteer with us! Our team does wonderful work year-round and it is important that their work is seen, celebrated, and supported!</span></span></span></div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-88958059390866955912017-02-09T18:55:00.001-07:002017-03-15T13:06:06.186-07:00Micro-enterprise Triumphs<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Testimonies
from Mombin Crochu</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">"I
have a small business selling beverages. When I first started
it with my own funds it didn't go well. The small profit that I
made did not really help me with my personal needs. The CHE
program teaches micro-enterprise. I became involved with CHE.
I came to know more about business and I also received a small
starter fund through CHE that I could add to my own funds. My
business grew and I increased my profits. This has enabled me
to pay for school for myself as well as to pay for school for a few
months for my little sisters. And I also contribute to food in
my household. My father is in the Dominican Republic trying for
a better life but it isn't going well -- he can't find work so he
can't send money back here to his family. I am very grateful to
the CHE program for their good work and for what we have learned." </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">"I
have a business selling rice as well as things people need for sewing clothes [needles, thread, etc.]. When I started a long time ago I made
some profit. I am married and have children, and I have this
business to help my husband because he cannot make enough for our
family. Now I'm associated with the CHE group in Mombin Crochu
and they had micro-enterprise teaching. I now understand my
business better. I was able to get a small loan and this
enabled my business to grow. I now make more profit because I
understand better how to manage my business. My business has
also grown. This has improved my family's economic outlook." </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b>About our Micro-enterprise Program</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Someone asked me a couple of years ago if we did micro-enterprise teaching. I said that we had lessons that we hadn't taught much for years since that portion of our program wasn't regularly funded. That person asked me to send him a plan for use of funds - turns out our director had an entire 5-year plan in his head for whenever we found funds. <span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;" title="smile emoticon"><img aria-hidden="true" class="img" height="16" src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v7/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span aria-hidden="true" class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">:-)</span></span> Since that time, just one donor has funded teaching in many villages throughout northern Haiti in both micro-enterprise as well as savings groups. We have such a </span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">creative, hard-working, plan-ahead team!</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-59308895320179858262016-10-03T15:07:00.003-07:002017-03-15T13:06:18.118-07:00More wonderful stories!We asked volunteers about the changes they have seen in their homes and communities as a result of the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) program. Here are some of the stories from people in Lospinit (northeastern Haiti):<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFI_5efo9s57aHFOF45-53IOcbSROA83l4CeYwHqYshO3FB-KIzMOCycFl-sA2fqEpa0byd8ip95TLMK-x-esYRu-B8mKBBSZq1fDeLWffbtKg9nJ-BAtQeWVAyhqL6fJZrTgbSoaFYEPS/s1600/Gremicile+Jean-Charles+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFI_5efo9s57aHFOF45-53IOcbSROA83l4CeYwHqYshO3FB-KIzMOCycFl-sA2fqEpa0byd8ip95TLMK-x-esYRu-B8mKBBSZq1fDeLWffbtKg9nJ-BAtQeWVAyhqL6fJZrTgbSoaFYEPS/s320/Gremicile+Jean-Charles+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gremicile Jean-Charles, Community Health Evangelist in Lospinit</td></tr>
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I
had children and there were many things I didn't know.... They show us how to make water potable. My children used to get
watery diarrhea. Now that I treat our water they don't have diarrhea
anymore.<br />
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I
have six children. They showed me how to live well with your
husband. If you yell at him, well, you should lower your voice.
I've started to do this. When my husband yells, I speak calmly.
Your children buy the words from your month [Kreyol proverb to mean
they will imitate you]. You should serve as a good example. Our
anger used to last longer, but now when I calm down I see that we
don't fight so much, and we also protect our children in this way.
My husband has also learned this. If I start to talk loud, he gets
softer. Then the fighting ends. CHE taught us this.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2FytUrajM8ULGakkyUqmRG7D2NuEhEuC9OcampLEsyENRJrs4C984x79AX556OJmUPLUARLHs1O88Z1gCxfivfMINSpvvTVq61D2dC9f1Hwd3nxtOoX_bX7fc0cgjEovD0XJxmNHYsD7/s1600/Charles+Wisline+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2FytUrajM8ULGakkyUqmRG7D2NuEhEuC9OcampLEsyENRJrs4C984x79AX556OJmUPLUARLHs1O88Z1gCxfivfMINSpvvTVq61D2dC9f1Hwd3nxtOoX_bX7fc0cgjEovD0XJxmNHYsD7/s320/Charles+Wisline+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Wisline, committee member in Lospinit</td></tr>
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I
am very grateful to CHE because they explained a lot of things to us.
I didn't know how to make a dishrack, I used to put dishes on the
ground. CHE taught me to make a dishrack for my dishes.</div>
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I
already washed my hands before starting with CHE, but I poured water
over them. Now I have a Tippytap because it's easier and you don't
waste water.</div>
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They
explained to me how to dig a hole for my trash. This way the trash
isn't spread all over your yard, it's just in one place. That is
cleanliness, it's better.</div>
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They
explained me how to wash vegetables well and also to boil the food
well before eating. I like this because I don't get sick this way.</div>
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They
explained to me that I shouldn't let my children walk barefoot,
especially when they are near pigs. This is so they don't get worms.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQN02S7bVCAByi-au0WScyzMnKdMSwRynJlOWkCUEBttq7g4WxjVBHTVf1CRG9ljkVdDci9Vg_gytEl1VUBA-r9LcVI2_uUCL9R4VWXS9ui2YMNSDgt3DLdojA_ETR3s3aGdt1LrcV-0A/s1600/Ana+Jean-Louis+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQN02S7bVCAByi-au0WScyzMnKdMSwRynJlOWkCUEBttq7g4WxjVBHTVf1CRG9ljkVdDci9Vg_gytEl1VUBA-r9LcVI2_uUCL9R4VWXS9ui2YMNSDgt3DLdojA_ETR3s3aGdt1LrcV-0A/s320/Ana+Jean-Louis+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ana Jean-Louis, Community Health Evangelist in Lospinit</td></tr>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When I cooked I used to put the dishes on the bare ground. When I washed dishes I would put them on the ground, too.
Now I use a dishrack.</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
have an improved, raised cooking stove [cooking fires on the ground can lead to badly burned children, also to animals getting into the food] that I keep in good condition.
I used to use one but when it wore out I didn't fix it. Now I
always keep it in good condition and don't make a cooking fire on the ground
anymore.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When
our hands are dirty, when we finish working in the garden, when we
finish going to the bathroom we use the Tippytap. I used to put
water in a basin to wash my hands. But now we use the Tippytap and
we don't waste water. [With the Tippytap] you also don't need someone else to pour the
water for you.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When
we wash dishes we put them on the table and cover them so that flies
don't land on them and make us sick.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
used to tie my pigs up close to the kitchen. Now I take their
excrement and put it in a hole and cover it with dirt. I use this
for fertilizer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There
is a couple that lives with me. Sometimes they fight. I talk with
them and do lessons for them, hoping that they will stop arguing. I
haven't given up yet!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, "Trebuchet MS", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Note: the above stories were collected in 2013. The Lospinit program remains very active. Funds for my time in the northeast were donated by <a href="https://worldpovertysolutions.org/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">World Challenge</a>, one of our Haiti team's major partners.</i><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-88906786696935203002016-09-17T09:51:00.003-07:002016-09-17T10:13:29.137-07:00Stories of Transformation - more from volunteers in Lospinit (northeastern Haiti)<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-KVS-w06JuFZfchMlksc2qghgHRwRzADWzWmpWnS5iP_nLuDCZQImqpD4Hc_yUJq2TiAtZ5F_RNlB8EKcGHuPcrOQrRgEphi9JDwcSmmb2Egw08EhTZJrVFaLsgcRT9j2cPqEvTKq2_T/s1600/Noel+Resimene+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-KVS-w06JuFZfchMlksc2qghgHRwRzADWzWmpWnS5iP_nLuDCZQImqpD4Hc_yUJq2TiAtZ5F_RNlB8EKcGHuPcrOQrRgEphi9JDwcSmmb2Egw08EhTZJrVFaLsgcRT9j2cPqEvTKq2_T/s320/Noel+Resimene+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noël Resimene, Community Health Evangelist in Lospinit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've
been in CHE [Community Health Evangelism] since the beginning, in 2000. We started with perinatal training. I've
had a lot of children. I took them to the hospital a lot, and they
often had red hair because they were malnourished. I learned about
nutrition in CHE and now my children are healthy.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
go to people's houses. When you go to someone's house you greet
them. They have us come in, ask us to sit. We show them some things
in a brochure. We see that they make changes – they have good
latrines, they have Tippytaps [simple handwashing device]. They ask us to leave us brochures so
they can continue to read. They make dishracks, they wash their
dishes, they cover the clean dishes so that flies cannot sit on them
and bring cholera....</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
love all the lessons: how to wash hands, how to make water potable.
I don't buy chlorine tablets anymore – we do SODIS [solar disinfection of water] so that we don't
get sick with cholera.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPqHyA0NOZLhCOc2uov0DhzMM7YKdihLg4AFYWIN8SPe-uqTDo9QU4Mb0EsJRMdIP7YqFidV3H6VVG2o7dbeJuTtVnO9G8dSCwqmMY97dEOIVWz8449kQgva8yqzdOD9BzyOulBQXj-JM/s1600/Edner+Exile+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPqHyA0NOZLhCOc2uov0DhzMM7YKdihLg4AFYWIN8SPe-uqTDo9QU4Mb0EsJRMdIP7YqFidV3H6VVG2o7dbeJuTtVnO9G8dSCwqmMY97dEOIVWz8449kQgva8yqzdOD9BzyOulBQXj-JM/s320/Edner+Exile+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edner Exile, Community Health Evangelist in Lospinit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What
I like about CHE is that when we are learning a lesson it's the same
way it is when you are a child at school, you learn. Then after you
learn, you go share with someone else. Then after we learn something
they teach us something else so that we can continue to more forward.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
say all of this because once I had a problem – my wife was pregnant
with our first baby. We lost the baby but it wasn't because we
weren't doing everything we could: every eight days I had her get a
check-up. I spent a lot of money, but we lost the baby. When she
got pregnant again, with the second baby, we had success. Then she
became pregnant a third time and lost the baby. With the lessons I
learned in CHE, I thought about them, and realized we shouldn't try
to get pregnant again right away. We should take a little rest.
It's because of CHE I say thank you very much, they gave me this
great idea to take a rest.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzljv-lBW6ZRK7ARzjLRcGwpC8QOkAwC-YzDqD_ZRb_lBMXosuDGj5cvvIvAsFYlmBxmQvZhFzujI_xGynJCg0-HnIyu0kbz_7MBBtG8I4EIBpkV6DreLEt5H1gyug1UHwP_l7_NJHU_cW/s1600/Amelie+Jean-Baptiste%252C+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzljv-lBW6ZRK7ARzjLRcGwpC8QOkAwC-YzDqD_ZRb_lBMXosuDGj5cvvIvAsFYlmBxmQvZhFzujI_xGynJCg0-HnIyu0kbz_7MBBtG8I4EIBpkV6DreLEt5H1gyug1UHwP_l7_NJHU_cW/s320/Amelie+Jean-Baptiste%252C+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amelie Jean-Baptiste, Community Health Evangelist in Lospinit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What
I like about CHE is the Bible teaching. When you see a portion of
Scripture, that really helps you. If you have a disagreement with
someone we have learned we shouldn't yell at people. We have changed
this and really behave better with people within the CHE group and
with our neighbors. We even tell the children they should live like
brothers and sisters and not argue or hit each other or throw stones
and hurt one another. When there is fighting the children suffer and
their parents suffer, too. They listen to us, and even though they
still fight sometimes it's gotten better.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPA46kdmZNP8MvLcsPeNNBLFcdKEPQxptRXR0UPD7EKXuIfpt2FvAmP9pmmzsb7I55ZqSYyLhAqC3gPW2pC6ANgh4c2wnlnabW8jNBAAR-xErKkVl2IVwL3QC4Lj9Ke34vPEeP48KYSYd/s1600/Augustin+Viola+best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPA46kdmZNP8MvLcsPeNNBLFcdKEPQxptRXR0UPD7EKXuIfpt2FvAmP9pmmzsb7I55ZqSYyLhAqC3gPW2pC6ANgh4c2wnlnabW8jNBAAR-xErKkVl2IVwL3QC4Lj9Ke34vPEeP48KYSYd/s320/Augustin+Viola+best.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augustin Viola, Community Health Evangelist in Lospinit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
CHE
has given me a lot of information, because every month I go to the
trainings the trainers give. We wash our fruit, and when we cook our
food we cook it well. They advise us to dig a hole for trash and to
build latrines.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
didn't know about making a hole for my trash before. But I have one
now. I really like this. When the hole is filled you cover it or
you can burn it – that depends on the kind of trash. When you have
papers you shouldn't let them blow all over your garden – we put
them in the hole or burn them.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We
shouldn't tie up our pigs in the same place where people go to get
water. I didn't have pigs when I first started with CHE. Now I have
them and I tie them under a tree. I don't let my children go over
there without shoes so that they don't get worms. I have five
children. I always have them put on shoes – even if they sometimes
take them off!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You
need to give your children a toothbrush so they brush their teeth
every morning. Whether you're a child or an adult, before you go to
bed you should brush your teeth again. Really, you should brush your
teeth three times a day.</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They
taught me how to gain wisdom, how to talk with people – you can't
just do it in any old way. You need to reflect. For example, in
your neighborhood a neighbor's animals might come into your garden
and eat your plants. But you shouldn't yell harshly at your
neighbor, you should speak with wisdom.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: the above stories were collected in 2013. The Lospinit program remains very active. Funds for my time in the northeast were donated by <a href="https://worldpovertysolutions.org/" target="_blank">World Challenge</a>, one of our Haiti team's major partners.</i></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-75418106344665697682015-10-06T17:12:00.002-07:002015-10-06T17:37:02.693-07:00Brotherly Love (July 2015)<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“You
look really happy.” The clerk at the Miami Airport Sheraton hotel
said that to me last night, about half-way through the check-in. And
it was true, I was. I'd been annoyed earlier, though.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Waiting
in the Cap Haitien airport earlier that day, I was seated near a very
friendly guy with a voice that carried well. He chatted with most of
the people near him. He had lived in many countries, but made some
rather amazingly ignorant statements about language and history and
current events. I ended up seated in the same row as he was on the
plane, and got to hear more of his theology and life philosophy as he
chatted to the guy in between us – much of which I disagreed with.
I asked God to help me see him as my brother, and that helped a
little – but then he would say another ridiculous thing and I would
mutter under my breath again. I then focused on my breathing, which
actually did help a lot.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We
landed a little late in Miami, but I still should have had plenty of
time to get to my next flight. However, I hadn't yet been issued a
boarding pass for that next leg and the two lines for that were
chaotic – many of us were told to wait in one and then later told
to move to another, several agents and passengers were snippy. I
still had some time and it wouldn't have mattered terribly much to me
even if I missed my flight, so I wasn't frustrated due to the wait.
I was getting annoyed, though, by the statements of some of the
people around me. A couple of the guys behind me were pushing two of my
buttons: annoying travel talk (complaining about common travel
inconveniences as if they were rare, and emphasizing how much they
traveled internationally) as well as throwing out certain theological
statements that I find objectionable. It didn't help that they had
similar accents as the guy who'd been near me for hours that day (to
my untrained ear – they were from Alabama and the previous guy was
from Texas).</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
One
of the thing they complained about was how horrible American Airlines
was compared to Delta. I interjected that similar things had
happened to me on Delta before, and it turns out the difference was
that they had premier status on Delta. So they were used to
privileged treatment (okay, so maybe that's another one of my
buttons). Then one of them mentioned again how frustrated he was
that he still wasn't home, then added that perhaps God had done this
for a reason, saving them from some tragedy. This pushed my “9/11”
button – you know, all the people who told stories about people who
didn't go to the Twin Towers that day as if God had particularly
orchestrated events so as to spare them. (I'm not a fan of this idea since it leads to God somehow not caring about the thousands who were
there that day -- indeed, some popular pastors currently preach that
God is okay with destroying people). My
waiting-in-line companion then said about the missed flight, “After
all, how are we to know what's bad and what's good.” Argh!
There's another one: this popular concept that assumes that what we
want and desire is likely opposed by God, and ignores that we were
made in the image and likeness of God and are hopefully daily being
shaped more and more into God's image, growing to love what God loves
and walk in the ways of the Kingdom of God.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Airplane
guy had said something similar – he'd been doing a job that he was
very skilled at and really loved, but he felt God calling him “to
trust God alone, to do things in His power” and so left his job in
fear and trembling to be a “full time Christian missionary.” Who
did he think had given him those skills that he had been using? How is using
your innate talents somehow not trusting in God's power and creative
energy and design? More than doing something random that you are
able to call “full time Christian missions” ?</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But
then I kept talking with the guys from Alabama - they were very
chatty. And they were funny, and kind. One of them mentioned how
sorry he felt for the gate agents having to deal with such frustrated
passengers, and added in his Southern drawl, “Boy, aren't they
receiving some blessings today.” I'd heard Southerners use that
word ironically in movies but not in real life – it was really
cute.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It
was then my turn to go to the gate agent, and she was really helpful
and we ended up laughing a lot. My flight was already closed, but
she gave me a dinner voucher (I hadn't eaten much that day since I'd
spent a lot of it waiting in lines, so this part was particularly
exciting to me – silly to be so happy about this, since I would
have had no trouble paying for dinner myself), a night at the
Sheraton, and re-routed me to Minneapolis in the morning. The
shuttle bus to the hotel was packed and the driver kept making funny
announcements and telling us that we were going to the best hotel
ever. The staff at the reception desk were very professional, and
acted as if this were the Ritz Carlton. I knew I had a restaurant
meal soon to come, followed by a huge, comfy bed.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So
yes, I was happy when I was getting checked into the hotel. While I
was bummed that I would be missing the church service in Minnesota
that I had been looking forward to (with people I've worshiped with
for decades, which is now an uncommon occurrence in my life), the
disruption in my travel plans wasn't serious. The two guys from
Alabama had helped me to move past my earlier internal ishy-ness –
and since Jesus put so much emphasis on the love we are to have for
one another, I am very grateful to my brothers in Christ for helping
me get there last night. (And hopefully beyond last night, as when
similar issues come up I will doubtless remember them.) And my
physical needs were being catered to fantastically well. Happy.</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Written
at the Philadelphia airport – in the City of Brotherly Love. :-)</div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-57882596800759617892015-08-11T20:12:00.001-07:002015-08-11T20:42:23.306-07:00Laughter<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">"Someday,
somewhere - anywhere, unfailingly, you'll find yourself, </span></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">and</span></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">
that, </span></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">and</span></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">
only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your
life."</span></span></span><span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">--Pablo
Neruda </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I saw
this beautiful quote tonight and it got me thinking. Last night I
posted on Facebook that I loved the fact that when I was recently in
a situation that could have been embarrassing or awkward, my first
response was to laugh – heartily and genuinely and without fear. I
posted that the laughter was my “natural” response. And in that
moment it was – it revealed who I am right now, when I'm at my
best. Which is why I was so happy to see that as my response. It
revealed a “me” that is in keeping with what I say that I believe: that I am loved and lovable and have no need to be
ashamed. (Zephaniah 3:14-20)</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although
I really like Neruda's quote, I'm not 100% sure that I agree with it.
I seem to have “found myself” multiple times. These days, in my
despairing moments, what I seem to find in my inmost self (and,
indeed, in my conception of the universe and my trajectory in it) is
not the same “reality” as that which I see in the joyous moments. And many years ago, I would have said that my deepest nature was sin.
Thankfully -- after decades of actively listening to God's Spirit,
reading the Bible, applying what I learned from many
wonderful theologians, choosing to look to Jesus, and living -- I think
differently. I still see the blackness of my heart, but I also see
many things to love. And even when I'm faced with the yuck, I have
learned grace. Years of choosing to walk in God's grace have also
taught me grace for myself.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was
at a missionary gathering a few years ago and the speaker invited us
to think of how difficult it was for us to love those who wronged us.
Then he asked that we imagine how much more difficult it must be for God to
love us. He then went on about how terribly hard it was for God to
try to love us. What? Costly, yes. But difficult? This
seminary-trained man (who shortly thereafter started a church) reads
and studies the same Bible that I do and comes up with a radically
different concept of God. I wanted to shout out, “Blasphemer!”
but I wasn't entirely sure that I knew the definition of that word
(and I'm so tired of Christians crying “heresy” at slight
doctrinal differences – also, I thought my motives were a little
judge-y judge in the moment).</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To me,
the story of myself as one who sins is part of my story. There are
important things to be learned from that part of my story, but it's
only one part. I now see the over-arching storyline of the Bible
revealing a God who loves the entire cosmos – which includes
people, which includes me. A God who actually – somehow – IS
love. (1 John 4) It is sometimes hard to believe – in the light
of history, in the light of current events, in the light of my own
quickness to anger. But I do believe it to be true. And it is truly
good news.</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Algún día en cualquier parte, en cualquier lugar indefectiblemente te encontrarás a ti mismo, y ésa, sólo ésa, puede ser la más feliz o la más amarga de tus horas. --Pablo Neruda</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-50665368759023262672015-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:002015-06-30T08:44:59.347-07:00God is good. All the time.<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I think that the
majority of my Facebook posts are positive – I usually post about
finding something fun or funny, or that I am grateful for something
or someone. <span style="line-height: 100%;">I rarely write the words “God” or “Jesus” in my Facebook posts, although I have been following Jesus for over 20 years. I believe that God is honored in this.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There
are two major reasons why I
frequently
hesitate to write
“God” on Facebook.
The first is because
in my worldview, God is supporting everything that is good, and God
is present in everything
that is difficult. Everything.
All the time. So if I were
going to write about God's involvement in something, it would be in
every sentence:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When
I write about food, I think about God's creativity and creation. I
really do – every single time that I write or think about food, I
think about the One
who came up with such a
wonderful idea and sustains
it all. When I write about
joys in the town I recently moved to or
about my frustrations
with the number of times
I've moved, I
am conscious of the rather
direct ways in which God led
me here: 1)
someone read
a mass
prayer letter I sent and
wrote to me about moving here, and
2) at a time where there
were very specific ways that I needed to grow in my profession, this
town afforded me opportunities in that direction that were beyond
what I'd even hoped for. When
I write about my
friends and issues of provision, I am very aware of the fact that
despite my frequent moves
God blesses me with quality relationships. I also know that many
of the reasons that I am single
have to do with my worldview
and with my personality – which I also choose to accept as a gift
from God.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There
is a second reason that I do not readily verbally attribute gifts to
God on Facebook, and that is
due to my understanding of
spiritual warfare. I
frequently write
“Life can be so wonderful,” instead of “God is good,” because
while I believe that God is
indeed undergirding
all good things that happen, and verbally thank God
countless times per day (I
live alone, which makes this easier to do out loud!), I also know
that I have the wonderful things that I write
about because I was born in
a country that uses
power and violence to obtain its wealth. I am conscious that so many
of my brothers and sisters suffer and
(literally) die on a daily
basis to support my access to material things.
This gives me pause when thinking of writing “God is good”
about a
glass of wine when so many are denied access to clean drinking water. <span style="line-height: 100%;">I do thank God for the wine -- and for my job, for my apartment, for my potable water that comes on tap. But I hesitate to write about "blessings" that in one sense come from God but in another very real sense come from a place very, very far from God's heart.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
believe that in the fullness
of time God's Kingdom will
come in completeness as
the earth is made new and
becomes one with heaven. I
seek to consistently
choose the
Kingdom way
of love, generosity,
kindness, forgiveness, mercy, honesty,
and justice. I
truly hope that God is
glorified in every aspect of my life, including Facebook. :-)<br />
<br />
P.S. In reflecting further on this issue, I have two additional comments.<br />
1) Another reason that I do not always write about God's working in my heart on certain issues because Facebook isn't a particularly intimate space. <br />
2) In both Spanish and Kreyol I write or say "God willing" when discussing planned future events. I do this because it's expected of me in those contexts. But after decades of becoming more profoundly aware of God's involvement and activity and presence, adding "God willing" seems superfluous. And yes, I have read the fourth chapter of James.</div>
</div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-48449123812740170872015-03-24T21:22:00.001-07:002015-04-24T20:31:00.970-07:00Faith Journey<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've
been thinking of how each of our faith journeys is so unique – we
learn new things about God and the world on a daily basis, and our
life events and the people we interact with also have a huge impact. Below I've written some of the spiritual themes that have been important
to me or critical to my thinking at different points in my journey. <span style="line-height: 100%;">I've organized the post by groups of years followed by themes, important authors, and (sometimes) key Scriptures. I could have added a whole section on how each of these themes has had a direct impact on my day-to-day life ("identity in Christ" coming just before the stressful medical school years, non-violence readings starting again shortly before a work crisis with someone who abused power), but that would have made it far too long!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">Some of the concepts that were important to me early on in my faith journey are still critical today, like knowing my identity in Christ. Some have evolved throughout the years, like my understanding of what God's sovereignty is and my engagement in spiritual warfare. Some have expanded beyond my wildest dreams, like my understanding of grace and my confidence in Jesus as the living word of God.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
I hear that some people's reaction to certain of the authors that I've read is to worry about a <a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/they-were-right-about-slippery-slope" target="_blank">"slippery slope"</a>. And indeed, during the first decade of the 2000s I was sometimes fearful of such a thing. But perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"></span>
Turns out, my externals have not changed considerably in the past two decades: I still spend a several hours each week volunteering in causes both physical and spiritual. I am chaste. I tithe and give offerings. I read the Bible daily and also set aside specific prayer time each day in addition to praying throughout the day. I may be somewhat more cynical when privileged people in wealthy countries ascribe their fortunes to God's provision, but I am more confident than ever of God's constant presence with us all, that Jesus is worthy of following to the uttermost, and that he will return to earth to restore all things. Maranatha!</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><b>1983
– 1991</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>Am I “in”? Did I really “pray the prayer” with sincerity?</i></span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Limited reading of "spiritual" material: Charles M Sheldon, Guideposts magazine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Scripture: Good News Bible (denim cover!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>Contemplative prayer</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Joyce Huggett</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="line-height: 100%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1992
- 1996</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 100%;">Assurance of salvation, purity and sin, God's sovereignty </i><span style="line-height: 100%;">--</span><b style="line-height: 100%;"> </b><span style="line-height: 100%;">meaning that
God specifically orchestrates events and we should look to God to speak to us in a supernatural way</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>Spiritual warfare, Identity in Christ (including asking for forgiveness of self and forgiving others), healing prayer</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">--Neil
Anderson, Brennan Manning, special church meetings (pentecostal,
revival), </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">John and Paula Sandford, Joyce Meyer</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Scriptures:
Ephesians 6, also lists of verses proclaiming my identity in Christ -- that I am loved, have a purpose, am significant </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></i>
<i style="line-height: 100%;">"Christian basics"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">--C.S. Lewis, John Bunyan, </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">Oswald Chambers,</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">the Alpha course</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>Women in the Bible and in our world</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Gilbert
Bilezikian, Kari Torjesen Malcolm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>"God moments," verbal evangelism</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Henry Blackaby, evangelism training (Navigators, Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association), David Wilkerson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Scripture: “Romans Road”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>Inner city ministry, overseas persecution, holism</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--John Perkins, Floyd McClung, Christian Community
Health Fellowship, Voice of the Martyrs</span></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1997
- 2004</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Continuation of much of the above, especially identity in Christ and verbal evangelism</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Christian
Medical Association (plus more of the above-cited sources)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>More "Christian basics"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Augustine, Thomas à Kempis, Brother Lawrence, John Chrysostom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><b>2005 – 2011</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Missions and ministry, holism</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-US"><i></i></span><span lang="en-US">--Lesslie
Newbigin, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">David
Bosch, Vincent J. Donovan</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%;">--Scripture: Word
study of “salvation” and “saved” </span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%;">and
their multiple meanings (both physical and spiritual)</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Kingdom of God and eschatology</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--N.T.
Wright</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Women and Men in the Bible and in our world (again)</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">--Christians
for Biblical Equality, J</span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">unia
Project, Katharine C Bushnell</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Power: “power under” (vs. “power over”) and
other concepts of authority</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">--Walter
Wink, </span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Greg
Boyd,</span></span><span lang="en-US"><i> </i></span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Henri
Nouwen, Oscar Romero, Desmond Tutu</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;">--Scripture: Philippians 2</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Grace</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Anne
Lamott</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><i>Changing understanding of God's sovereignty:</i><b> </b></span>Lots of great things happen to those who are wealthy (in global terms) that they ascribe to God but are more likely due to an unjust system that favors them and hurts others. God is present and wants to work with us and through us for change.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Scripture:
Matthew 5:45</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God.</i><b> </b> Our
understanding of God's direction and will is not only to be
understood by a special “word from the Lord” but also through
the wisdom we have gained and the godly character that has been
formed in us over time.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-indent: -0.25in;">--Scripture: starting the story in Genesis 1 rather than in Genesis
3</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<i>Expanded vision of spiritual warfare, principalities and powers</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Walter Wink, John White</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>2012 - 2015</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much of the above plus:</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Non-violence (re-visited)</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Martin Luther King, Jr., William Stafford, Elias Chacour, Benjamin L Corey, Walter Wink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 100%;">Testing theological concepts with the question, “Is it valid around the world?” Continuing evolution of my understanding of God's sovereignty</i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> –
the Kingdom of God is indeed breaking out all over and someday will
come in power and fullness, but meanwhile lots of horrible things
happen to people. God is still present.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><i>How we read Scripture</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">--J.R.
Daniel Kirk, Peter Enns</span><span style="line-height: 100%;">, </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">John
H. Walton, Rachel Held Evans, N.T. Wright</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Key phrase: “Authority of Scripture” is a shorthand for “God's
authority exercised through Scripture.” (N.T. Wright)</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">Everyone is welcome at the table<b> </b>(and I don't need to stress</span><span style="line-height: 100%;">
</span><span style="line-height: 100%;">about
who God </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">might
</span><span style="line-height: 100%;">“let
in”), </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">recognizing followers of Jesus by the fruit of the Holy Spirit<b>
</b> (not just orthopraxy, but the attitude of love in which our actions take place counting as much as or more than a merely verbal assent
to orthodoxy)</span></span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">--Nadia Bolz-Weber, Rachel Held Evans, Justin Lee</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Scripture: Luke 14</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Below
is a list of one or two of the books by </i><i>some of </i><i>the
authors listed above </i><i>that were formative for me</i><i>. </i><i>I
have learned much by many authors and preachers and speakers and
bloggers, many of whom are not on this list.</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neil
Anderson, <i>Victory over the Darkness</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Gilbert
Bilezikian, </span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #252525;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beyond
Sex Roles: What the Bible Says about a Woman's Place in Church and
Family</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Henry
Blackaby, <i>Experiencing God</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David
Bosch<i>, </i><span lang="en-US"><i>Transforming Mission: Paradigm
Shifts in Theology of Mission</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greg
Boyd, <span lang="en-US"><i>The Myth of a Christian Nation</i></span><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John
Bunyan, <i>Pilgrim's Progress</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Katharine
C Bushnell, <i>God's Word to Women</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elias
Chacour, <i>Blood Brothers</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oswald Chambers, <i>My Utmost for His Highest</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Chrysostom, <i>On Living Simply</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vincent
J. Donovan, <i>Christianity Rediscovered</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter
Enns, <i>Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem
of the Old Testament</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">Joyce</span><span style="line-height: 100%;">
Huggett, </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The Joy of Listening to God</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Thomas à Kempis, </span><i>The Imitation of Christ</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">J.R.
Daniel Kirk</span><i> Jesus Have I Loved, But Paul? </i>
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brother Lawrence, <i>The Practice of the Presence of God</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kari
Torjesen Malcolm, <i>Women at the Crossroads</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brennan
Manning, <i>The Ragamuffin Gospel</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Floyd
McClung, </span><i>Seeing the City with the Eyes of God</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Lesslie
Newbigin, </span><span lang="en-US"><i>The Gospel in a Pluralist
Society</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Henri
Nouwen, </span><span lang="en-US"><i>In the Name of Jesus</i></span></span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Henri Nouwen<i>, The Return of the Prodigal Son</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-US"><span style="font-style: normal;">Henri
Nouwen, </span></span><span lang="en-US"><i>The Way of the Heart</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Perkins, <i>Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">John
Perkins, </span><i>Resurrecting Hope</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Oscar Romero, </span><i>The Violence of Love</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Charles
M Sheldon, </span><i>In His Steps</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Desmond Tutu, </span><i>The Rainbow People of God</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">John
H Walton, </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Lost World
of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate</span></i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Wilkerson, <i>The Cross and the Switchblade</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Walter
Wink, </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jesus and
Nonviolence: A Third Way</span></i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Walter
Wink, </span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #252525;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Naming
the Powers</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Walter
Wink, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #252525;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Unmasking
the Powers</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">N.T. Wright, <i>Scripture and the Authority of God</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">N.T. Wright, <i>Surprised by Hope</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-20449632669098192452015-03-22T13:01:00.000-07:002015-03-22T14:32:15.652-07:00Poetry<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5IwVoFOFzba28Ix0zKEwAZPdz0IhtoOPuABDTALFH1pInLkl-YAL2GbrLyKKQRj47tWFc2i3tgWe7vxiGXpU6HOJO0r-8aGRB-plUaO6K3mQnjYS64bdggHjjmA7tmysxOFx0U1dZXC4/s320/IMG_1761.jpg" height="213" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nèg mawon" ("runaway slave," or "free man"), a famous statue in Port-au-Prince. I'm not sure if this is the statue referred to in the poem below, but it's what I first thought of. Photo taken from <a href="http://jenniferinhaiti.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">this blog</a>. I don't know the blogger but she has some great pictures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have been reading<i> Open Gate: An Anthology of Haitian Creole Poetry (ed. Paul Laraque and Jack Hirschman). </i>The poems are all originally in Kreyol with English translations. The poem below was translated by the author.<br />
<br />
<u>Horizon of Gunbutts</u><br />
by Patrick Sylvain<br />
<br />
The history of my country is<br />
in every link of chains<br />
at the foot of Boukman's copper statue<br />
overlooking a dusty town<br />
at the depth of despair<br />
with candlelights of anger<br />
burning in every tired palm.<br />
<br />
Low black clouds convert light<br />
into darkness, the Man with a fat cigar<br />
stands in front of the black mirror,<br />
at Palais National where he plunders dreams<br />
silently. Leaving only rocks<br />
and drifting dust behind.<br />
<br />
The icebergs of nightmares are melting<br />
in our imprisoned minds as we journey<br />
along the horizon of gunbutts,<br />
sticks and chains.<br />
<br />
One by one, we are starting<br />
to pull our shadows away<br />
from burning cages.<br />
There's a new man in the mirror<br />
he holds a clock which is slowly ticking<br />
like a dying breath.<br />
<br />
His eyes and fat hands are<br />
desperately searching for our dreams.<br />
The sun is slowly conquering low black clouds<br />
to establish a permanent noon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/medium/NW0229.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the same statue with the National Palace (spoken of in the poem) visible in the background. The palace was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. I found this picture <a href="http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/details.php?categorynum=17&categoryName=&theRecord=7&recordCount=13" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>In Kreyol:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
ORIZON KÒS FIZI<br />
Patrik Silven<br />
<br />
Istwa peyi-m nan<br />
chak may chenn ki nan<br />
pye estati an kwiv boukmann lan<br />
k'ap konstate yon vil pousyè<br />
nan kòtòf kalfou dezespwa<br />
kote bouji kòlè boule<br />
nan plamen ki fatige.<br />
<br />
Nwaj chabon fè limyè<br />
pran dèy, Nonm avèk gwo siga-a<br />
kanpe devan yon miwa nwa<br />
nan palè nasyonal pou l'vòlè rèv<br />
trankilman. Aprè pou li lèse wòch<br />
ak pousyè k'ap viwonnen pou nou.<br />
<br />
Blòk glas kochma pral fonn<br />
nan sèvo-n ki prizonnen pandan<br />
n'ap peleren anba orizon kòs fizi,<br />
bout baton ak chenn.<br />
<br />
Youn aprè lòt, nou kòmanse<br />
deplase lonbraj nou<br />
anba kaj dife.<br />
Gen yon lòt gason nan glas la<br />
li kenbe yon revèy k'ap mache<br />
tankou yon souf devan lanmò.<br />
<br />
Je-l ak pimba plamen-l<br />
ap chache rèv nou ak fòs.<br />
Solèy la kòmanse fonn nan dengonn<br />
nwaj andèy pou l'tabli avi yon klète midi.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://act.pih.org/page/-/email_files/ebulletin_img/February_2010/Neg-Mawon.jpg/@mx_300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the same statue with the partially destroyed National Palace in the background. As <a href="http://www.pih.org/blog/the-free-man-will-never-be-broken" target="_blank">this blogger (from whence came this photo)</a> writes, one of the stirring phrases after the earthquake has been "Nèg mawon pap janm kraze," or, "The free man/runaway man will never be broken." This is also often said of Haiti itself: Ayiti pap janm kraze. Haiti will never be broken.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-26073894058873384842015-03-04T11:17:00.001-07:002015-03-04T11:17:00.957-07:00Best Practices<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
I'm halfway through reading "In Their Own Hands: How Savings Groups are Revolutionizing Development" by Jeffrey Ashe and Kyla Jagger Neilan. The principles the authors discuss, the models used, and the successes seen are what we are using and seeing in Haiti - which is both very encouraging and also very frustrating (more below).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<u>Principles:</u><b> </b></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>dependency and handouts are not empowering</li>
<li>poor people are very smart and careful with their money</li>
<li>when teaching adults one should apply principles of teaching for adult learners (participatory with immediate practical application)</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<u>Models:</u><b> </b></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>local trainers (who then naturally have cultural expertise)</li>
<li>volunteer-based</li>
<li>an "interactive training process that empower[s] participants to feel ownership over their knowledge." </li>
<li>most of the specific savings groups models mentioned (ROSCA, SHG, and now mutual solidarity) are ones that we've used</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<u>Successes Seen:</u> </div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li>voluntary replication/multiplication</li>
<li>a mentality change in the participants to one of pride in their knowledge and ability</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
I mentioned above that this is both wonderfully affirming and also frustrating. It is affirming because during my nearly five years of working with our Haiti team I see over and over that we are using best practices. It is frustrating because we are lacking a few critical ingredients to really do our work in the best possible way. The authors of the book brag about the low budgets they work with – but ours are far, far lower and do not permit us to do the more thorough training and follow-up as the authors do. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
We need a development director to help us to have the financial and personnel resources to continue to flourish. If you know of anyone that is skilled in this area and would enjoy the challenge of working with a grassroots organization that is doing phenomenal work, please let me know.</div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-38134109876199463702015-02-28T20:36:00.002-07:002015-03-16T14:01:48.524-07:00Life is not a contest<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">It has come to my attention that my friends and acquaintances who are married with children might appreciate some cultural tips on dealing with your single brothers and sisters. Below is something that I wrote several months ago about experiences related to singleness and childlessness that frequently come up in my mind and in private conversations but that I rarely see discussed publicly:</span></div>
<br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;">1. Life isn't a contest.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16px;">2. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">I'm glad when I hear someone say that marriage made him less selfish or that having children made her learn to think about others besides herself. But just because I don’t have kids doesn't mean that I am selfish. Thankfully, God doesn't want any of us to be self-centered and, if we are willing, God will use our life experiences to shape us into more caring, outward-focused people. In order to take good care of patients I work long hours, stay on top of the latest information, listen attentively and initiate difficult conversations when necessary. On top of that I volunteer thousands of hours per year for a mission organization, and often spend several hours per week helping out friends and acquaintances. But again, life isn't a contest.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">3. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Raising children is very hard, and it’s great that our culture seems to be recognizing that. For one thing, it is very draining to get up in the middle of the night -- I know this first-hand, since parenting isn't the only job that requires this! :-) I get up in the middle of the night after a long day’s work to go out in the freezing cold to the hospital to care for strangers who may be appreciative or may not – making critical decisions at 3 am and having to look professional while doing it. Being a parent is hard in other ways, too, of course. B</span><span style="line-height: 16px;">ut that doesn't actually mean that in every way being a mother in the US is the hardest job on the planet. (I think about the subsistence farmers that I've met who use hand tools to barely get enough food for their family who face life-altering and frequently life-threatening parenting trials and concerns.) Also, see #1 again.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 100%;">4. I get really excited when my friends have babies, and I also get
really sad when they lose babies. I also get sad sometimes at the slowly-dawning realization,
month after month, that I probably won’t ever have a baby myself. Please
consider the possible sorrow of all the childless people in your
midst – not just the married ones -- when sharing news about
infertility issues. We may actually feel your sorrow more than you
know.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">5. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Your body probably changed when you had a baby. I, too, have stretch marks (from puberty and weight gain – life is stressful!). I, too, have had months of swollen feet and ankles (tropical countries). I, too, have had months of nausea on end (third world living). Let’s appreciate all of that, and not imply that the only valid excuse for stretch marks is pregnancy. (Again, see #1.)</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">6. </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">I also get tired and like to stay in most nights and follow quiet
pursuits, and need a lot more time to recover from a sleepless
night. Some things you experience may actually be changes due in
part to age, not necessarily parenthood – we might have more in
common than you think.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 100%;">7. If you were only a single adult for a brief period in your early 20s, you might not know what it’s like to be single
in your 30s, 40s, and 50s. On the one hand, we have many things in common that you
may not think about when you view us as yourselves decades-ago: we
have careers, house and car purchases, we worry about planning for
retirement and taking care of aging parents, etc. But also, although we might not have
some of the really tough concerns that you do about your children, we might have some worries that you don’t – who will take
care of us when we get older, or develop a debilitating illness?
How do we deal with cross-country moves all by ourselves? How do we
handle all home responsibilities (yard work and repairs and cooking
and grocery shopping) as well as taxing jobs?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 100%;">8. You might have chosen to have children, but that doesn't mean that
I necessarily choose not to. Not having met a
wonderful guy who was available at the right time wasn't necessarily a choice on my part. I can
rejoice with you when your marriage is going well and be sad with
you when it is falling apart. But please don’t assume that we've
all had the same options.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">9. My definition of "alone" is actually the dictionary one</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> -- when I say that I did something alone, I mean with no other human being. For example, when I mention that things are difficult right now because I recently moved to another state "all by myself," and you respond that you did that, too -- but you mean that you moved </span><b style="line-height: 16px;">with your life partner</b><span style="line-height: 16px;"> or even</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> </span><b style="line-height: 16px;">with your life partner and all of your children</b><span style="line-height: 16px;">, this is frustrating. I'm sure your move was challenging -- like mine, you left your friends (well, most of them -- you did actually make the move together with one of your best friends), unlike mine perhaps you have the additional challenge of no longer having extended family to help with the kids. But you did not actually move by yourself. There are actually people in your new city (in your own house!) that you have known for more than a few weeks.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 100%;">10. Single people actually miss out on some things you might not think
about. </span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Playing -- When I’m with my friends’ kids I
love getting to actually play: board games, card games, tag.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Talking about our day – I know that
doesn't always happen (or happen well) with married people. But
do you realize it can be the norm for singles who live alone to not
talk with anyone about how their day has gone? </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Marking life
milestones – I know many spouses complain that their partner does
nothing for their birthday, but who typically plans a birthday
celebration for a single person? Who makes sure that the job
successes or other milestones are celebrated? They often just pass
by. </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Holiday routines – as much as possible, I spend my holidays with family members. I don't always get to be with family on the holidays due to distance or time constraints with work, and I don't consistently get to see the same family members. Except when alone on the holidays, I do not spend the holidays at my own house, nor do I celebrate the same traditions every year -- I participate in the traditions of the people I'm with.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">In the above I am in no way claiming that certain people categorically have more difficult lives -- in fact, I'm rather tired of hearing about that (see #1). In general I really enjoy my life and appreciate the blessings and accept the challenges. I am really just trying to fill in some gaps on some points that many of my single brothers and sisters wish were more public knowledge. So there's your PSA for the day.</span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-59134920102032962682015-01-31T17:15:00.002-07:002015-01-31T18:19:18.059-07:00AssumptionsToday a friend told me about a book she'd read about a missionary's experience in Haiti. I looked up the author's blog and one of the first sentences I saw was about a 5-year-old child that everyone called a "baby" because she couldn't speak. My first thought was that they were probably actually calling her a "bèbè" (deaf-mute) rather than "bebe" (baby) -- there is a subtle difference in pronunciation between the two. Then I wondered how many other assumptions had been made because of this one (likely) misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
Then I directed it back to myself -- how many times do I make assumptions based on a misunderstanding? In this instance, how am I prejudging this blogger and all of the things she might say next? <i>sigh</i><br />
<br />
I have been incredibly blessed by my friendship with Rick and Rhonda Hamilton, who interned with us in Haiti in 2011-2012. Rhonda once wrote a <a href="http://relentless-hamiltons.blogspot.com/2012/02/all-about-liz.html" target="_blank">blog post about me </a> and made it clear that she noticed that I'm kind of obsessed with not making cultural assumptions: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">You will conclude a matter and Liz will say “I’m not sure I can say that because I just haven’t studied it out.” “I haven’t been here long enough to say that…maybe it's just a cultural thing”.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #00327f; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">This happens a lot. It challenges me to examine my own thought processes, has exposed my prejudices and has made me a better missionary.</span></blockquote>
You see, I have been wrong so many times in my interpretation of events. And people are often wrong in their assumptions about me, about my country. And then when language gets in the way -- uff! <br />
<br />
Today I got angry about other remembered assumptions and misinterpretations about Haiti from my non-Haitian acquaintances. Then I got angry about things that people have recently assumed about me. Then I got angry about things that acquaintances have recently posted that criticize medical professionals due to a whole host of assumptions. Then I thought I should go exercise to get rid of all of this anger -- and remembered that I've had two bum knees for the past six weeks and couldn't run or bike -- so of course I got angry about that.<br />
<br />
Oh, Brother Francis! Make this be my prayer as well:<br />
<br />
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is hatred, let me sow love;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is injury, pardon;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is discord, harmony;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is error, truth;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is doubt, faith;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is despair, hope;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>Where there is darkness, light;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>And where there is sadness, joy.</i></dd></dl>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>To be consoled as to console;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>To be understood as to understand;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>To be loved as to love.</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>For it is in giving that we receive;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px;"><i>And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.</i></dd></dl>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-4980164653955873012014-11-25T14:55:00.000-07:002014-11-25T14:57:33.281-07:00Community Health Evangelism in Haiti<i>Report prepared by Osse St Juste, Coordinator of Medical Ambassadors Haiti</i><br />
<br />
Community Health Evangelism (CHE) first started in Haiti in 1993 in the area of Labruyere, in the north of the country. A team was trained at a Training of Trainers 1 (TOT1) in the Dominican Republic and started implementing the CHE principles in the following villages in the North province (“Nord” in French – <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Haiti#mediaviewer/File:Haiti_departements_map-fr.png" target="_blank">see map</a>): Milot, Grand Ravine, Labruyere, and Bayeux. Out of those four communities, CHE really got started in Labruyere and a little bit in Bayeux. Through contacts that were made, CHE began to be implemented in trainers' hometowns of Monben Kwochi (in the Northeast province, or Nord-Est), Lenbe, and the area of Lakil (both in North). There are several ways that the program can expand: through churches, partner organizations, clinics, or other local organizations. There are some programs in Haiti that receive direct support from Medical Ambassadors International (the original organization which started CHE in so many countries). There are other international organizations and churches that ask the local team, Ambassadeurs Medicaux d'Haiti (AMDH, or Medical Ambassadors Haiti) to accompany them.<br />
<br />
As of today there are around 80 communities in Haiti that use the CHE tools. About 35 of those programs are overseen by different partner organizations. Of the over 40 CHE programs overseen directly by AMDH there are a total of 72 trainers, 350 committee members, and 1152 community health evangelists (CHEs, the house-to-house volunteers). There are even more communities that are hoping to start the first training, a TOT1. The CHE communities have gone through several stages: the awareness seminar, committee training, training of the CHEs, then often Women's Cycle of Life and Children's CHE. The majority of the CHE communities in Haiti have already reached the stage of doing home visits. As we begin seeing CHEs start to visit homes and small local projects planned and executed, we start to see changes in communities. We often have a party to celebrate the beginning of home visits, and everyone who went through the training gets a certificate. We call this the “Change Party.” We perform evaluations to verify that people have retained what they learned. The trainers also evaluate the homes that are visited.<br />
<br />
Different missions and organizations plan and partner with AMDH when they see that we have common goals. AMDH then accompanies these organizations as they organize and plan trainings. We do a vision seminar for the communities involved and then offer a series of trainings: of these trainings, TOTs 1 and 2 are critical. A TOT 3 is done if there are several active CHE programs that are working well and expanding. Together with our partners we have CHE programs now in multiple provinces (“departments” in Kreyol): North, Northeast, Artibonite, Central Plateau, and now some new programs starting in the West province. In the southern part of the country (in the West province in particular) the programs are led by church and mission organizations. (<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Haiti#mediaviewer/File:Haiti_departements_map-fr.png" target="_blank">Click here for a map of Haiti</a> showing the provinces.)<br />
<br />
We see success in the physical and spiritual realms with this program because the training is holistic and participatory. In each meeting the trainers teach a physical and a spiritual subject. Behavioral changes and belief changes are seen in people who are in the program. People's mentality starts to change – they think more about sustainable development and they want to participate in it (as opposed to waiting for handouts).<br />
<br />
<b>Activities Accomplished</b><br />
After the trainers complete a TOT 1 they share the CHE vision in their communities, typically through awareness seminars. The community members elect a committee which is then receives 18 training sessions. Once the committee is trained they select between 25 and 50 CHEs, who will be trained in different lesson modules such as: basic lessions, sanitation and hygiene, agriculture, health, etc. The CHEs then visit 6 to 10 families regularly, once per week. Water sources are improved, water is treated so that it is potable, they organize seedling gardens and plant trees (for reforestation), start vegetable gardens, raise chickens and rabbits, dig fish ponds. They also do evangelism and have small group Bible studies. The entire process is facilitated by a group of master trainers who are responsible to supervise two or three CHE programs, as well as a team of two to four local trainers who volunteer in their community, training the committee and the CHEs.<br />
<br />
<b>What are some reasons why are there challenges implementing CHE?</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The trainers weren't well chosen.</li>
<li>No local community leaders open doors or integrate into the process.</li>
<li>The community is very used to receiving relief work.</li>
<li>People are not motivated to work voluntarily toward holistic development.</li>
<li>They want to start with projects rather than receiving training.</li>
<li>They think more about the way to resolve problems rather than thinking about the resources they have that can help them advance. </li>
<li>Non-governmental organizations with a lot of money give gifts and do relief work in the community.</li>
<li>Natural disasters or political crisis.</li>
</ul>
<b>Needs</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Reinforce the capacity of the trainers, committee, and CHEs in order to have both quantity and quality of programs.</li>
<li>Ensure that there are models for people to grow under, particularly spiritually.</li>
<li>Increase the spiritual training that is done in the home visits, in order to truly see a holistic change.</li>
</ul>
<b>Practical Advice</b><br />
<ul>
<li>The vision seminar should be done with the principle leaders of the mission or organization – the decision makers must be there.</li>
<li>The choice of the trainers who are invited to the TOT 1 is critical. They must:</li>
<li>Have a good witness in the community.</li>
<li>Live in the community or live no further than 45 minutes away.</li>
<li>They must be able to read and write.</li>
<li>Have the ability to share what they learn.</li>
<li>Available to volunteer around four hours of time per week.</li>
<li>Start to put into practice what they learn and model what they teach.</li>
<li>Christians who are faithful.</li>
<li>Interested in both the physical and spiritual aspects of people.</li>
<li>Participate and accompany the community members in their activities.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLNyDYGb1b1VOjr_uxfe1UfxBT6-xwXzJ4o5ElhvJJQUXcNW5k8aknZbZ0OqN1y7u_SEcaX4ZuQsMGFqivVCQgXVKQBIjgSo82AFrkwOQyAA8JpCgDpuoo-RPsrTMqTzOpRHde2-adLzc/s1600/Osse+in+KS.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLNyDYGb1b1VOjr_uxfe1UfxBT6-xwXzJ4o5ElhvJJQUXcNW5k8aknZbZ0OqN1y7u_SEcaX4ZuQsMGFqivVCQgXVKQBIjgSo82AFrkwOQyAA8JpCgDpuoo-RPsrTMqTzOpRHde2-adLzc/s1600/Osse+in+KS.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osse St Juste in Kansas, where the above report was shared this month with one of AMDH's partners, Church of the Resurrection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-91815084941734263962014-11-25T11:01:00.001-07:002014-11-25T11:06:21.910-07:00A week in Mombin Crochu, northeastern Haiti Day 5<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Continuing posts from </i><i>a week spent traveling in northeastern Haiti last summer.</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7f1H8PE_hFRiBDAXqIZuFq-1P1ReKlTWQNZyYPrDA3rq5Mcr3jsNlPvIZeMwDtXYNGzAPLkyuWKHrLALoXke7myFdmiUvJiY9eFuo3r4s7HLmZbuPRx19XR4267bErVHANKzagSAvnyl/s1600/P1050931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7f1H8PE_hFRiBDAXqIZuFq-1P1ReKlTWQNZyYPrDA3rq5Mcr3jsNlPvIZeMwDtXYNGzAPLkyuWKHrLALoXke7myFdmiUvJiY9eFuo3r4s7HLmZbuPRx19XR4267bErVHANKzagSAvnyl/s1600/P1050931.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Plaj Labe -- we stopped here on our way back from gathering stories</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Friday, July 19, 2013</i><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When
you go to bed at 3 am, the morning comes early! As I get dressed, I
discover that my trusty leather sandals finally gave up the ghost .
I bought them in Peru a few years ago and they have been great –
pretty yet also reliable. I have flipflops to wear here, so no
trouble. But the drag is that my other pair of sandals are really
too ratty to wear to church now, and I get home to Cap Haitien on a
Saturday afternoon – meaning I can't buy anything either before
church or before I leave for the Dominican Republic on Monday
morning. Hmm, wardrobe difficulties.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvz0_yxretcHikr2LpdZmfJ48zOVmk_9SOKDTZC8ZVDrpKbKwLPFts2WYnvKz4jTTt2H63meGbRonLHYmwVqd_ED2ZUE3_HVx5l2MLpx7hUbRUmr5_GOR1YfWDhy7nqnrbeuleSUfR-6V/s1600/P1050935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvz0_yxretcHikr2LpdZmfJ48zOVmk_9SOKDTZC8ZVDrpKbKwLPFts2WYnvKz4jTTt2H63meGbRonLHYmwVqd_ED2ZUE3_HVx5l2MLpx7hUbRUmr5_GOR1YfWDhy7nqnrbeuleSUfR-6V/s1600/P1050935.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am, out and about with what for many people is footwear worn only around the home. Yikes. :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Breakfast
this morning is boiled plantains with an oily sardine and tomato
sauce. Since we're not scheduled to go to communities this morning
my co-workers left early for a </span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">konbit,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
which is the word used for when a group of people get together to to
do physical labor. In this case they wanted to dig a pool in which
to breed tilapia fish. For me this means that no one will know if I eat the sardines or
not. And I bought granola bars on my trip to the DR last week,
heh-heh. </span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft3r4liTP083O3QShs4QZKRgv84nT1KF7JtDzEilvpjJd2hJv25J8tmncyJAMRaXGy5fPTIgpT5CaG3bUTJyDMgi3bHpBHUhMB8cTjIhDAOVdJK7hQe4SGjUxOI2W4xzAGYfHFcPGeMtL/s1600/P1050946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft3r4liTP083O3QShs4QZKRgv84nT1KF7JtDzEilvpjJd2hJv25J8tmncyJAMRaXGy5fPTIgpT5CaG3bUTJyDMgi3bHpBHUhMB8cTjIhDAOVdJK7hQe4SGjUxOI2W4xzAGYfHFcPGeMtL/s1600/P1050946.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardines, breakfast of champions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
didn't have any meetings in the morning but I had a lot of
translation work to do. For this I needed electricity since I would
need a fully charged computer for the afternoon meeting, and so I
went to the town center to the dance class to plug in to the
generator we were using. I decided for the millionth time that I
have an awesome life, as I worked with the stories and pictures we'd
collected with little kids surrounding me, cha-cha music playing and
people dancing in front of me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOT_ZoGSF_DkzgwkeLhyphenhyphenzuhzZbLNoghbqCf7Q-LAV3xhwTspQDuNsjn7VMtDg5jr8mO-3DazKBupd8cJD5dvCvljWtneO2_FzinmUg67A9Zdeh4bCmmq7TJA6S6v8xtFihsakzciTqfcC/s1600/P1050941.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOT_ZoGSF_DkzgwkeLhyphenhyphenzuhzZbLNoghbqCf7Q-LAV3xhwTspQDuNsjn7VMtDg5jr8mO-3DazKBupd8cJD5dvCvljWtneO2_FzinmUg67A9Zdeh4bCmmq7TJA6S6v8xtFihsakzciTqfcC/s1600/P1050941.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trainers Eric,
Osse, and Adelin. Osse coordinates all of the CHE programs for Medical
Ambassadors Haiti. Eric and Adelin coordinate the programs in the
province called "Northeast."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu69TA5jRBCGIHxXRu5Kuy3lKULN14Zkq5iXbo8TSq16qKMXoNOMnIVP4_sFkhv2eNaksR8KbPDY4NYI2Z7xTr2f7xhr0cJWH9D50bx2JQfx0u0wfl42rXXEi-EZfqfTwS54L-m-gRknVX/s1600/P1050942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu69TA5jRBCGIHxXRu5Kuy3lKULN14Zkq5iXbo8TSq16qKMXoNOMnIVP4_sFkhv2eNaksR8KbPDY4NYI2Z7xTr2f7xhr0cJWH9D50bx2JQfx0u0wfl42rXXEi-EZfqfTwS54L-m-gRknVX/s1600/P1050942.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And they're smiling! It is very common culturally for people to look serious in photos. It is possible to occasionally capture smiles, though. And it wasn't hard to smile here -- after an afternoon spent driving motorcycles on rough mountain trails, these guys are catching a well-deserved rest.<br />
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-15381933338081421902014-11-24T23:30:00.000-07:002014-11-25T14:21:50.358-07:00It's [Almost] Christmas Time, Pretty Baby!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVJ8xLC0k6HBVHdKAlfzOb143I71rtSUaYU9xdAgBDJBt1emmCPTrvz3E9jj9XjYBxpSeoWrxVPd80WKFergevbqOb-6cLAiDy1UFA9tcyJlb25D2Jspg3IH650nClmcuIHU__Lgmn6MB/s1600/P1070181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVJ8xLC0k6HBVHdKAlfzOb143I71rtSUaYU9xdAgBDJBt1emmCPTrvz3E9jj9XjYBxpSeoWrxVPd80WKFergevbqOb-6cLAiDy1UFA9tcyJlb25D2Jspg3IH650nClmcuIHU__Lgmn6MB/s1600/P1070181.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tree! I tried to capture the beautifully-frosted windowpanes in this photo but you can't see them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I've been jokingly posting on Facebook about how I succumbed to temptation and
started listening to Christmas music early this year – before
Thanksgiving, even! As I put ornaments on my tree tonight, I had a few
gloomy thoughts:<br />
<ul>
<li>All these songs about a special day –
this isn't really leading up to anything this year for me since I'm
working Christmas Eve through to the day-after-Christmas morning. Since
I live alone, three hours from my nearest family, this means that even
though I probably won't be busy in the hospital the whole time I still
won't be able to come home to any family. And I already will miss
seeing family on Thanksgiving!</li>
<li>I haven't been in town for
a lot of Sundays yet, and so even if I'm not busy in the hospital and
can go to a random Christmas Eve service, it won't be at my "home"
church, or even at a church I really know.</li>
<li>The last time I
decorated my own Christmas tree I couldn't put anything breakable on the
bottom branches because of my beloved kitties. I don't have cats now,
nor will there be any cats in my foreseeable future (I live alone and
travel too much, also they're not allowed where I live).</li>
</ul>
Now,
before you tell me that Christmas is all about Jesus (and not about
cats -- what?), well, I'll just head you off there and tell you that I
hope that my whole life is all about Jesus. It is true, we do set aside
this time of year to particularly remember the mystery and wonder of the
incarnation. But the rituals and the family celebrations are also
important -- the beautiful parts of our American culture's celebration
of light in the midst of darkness, of peace and harmony and giving of
ourselves, of family togetherness. (And still ultimately Jesus-y, since
“every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights.”)<br />
<br />
My mood didn't stay
consistently down tonight because I know (thanks to the Holy Spirit and
good brain chemistry and practice – I can't always separate those) that
the following statements are also true:<br />
<ul>
<li>My family loves me lots and have already started planning a weekend to “do Christmas” when I can get to town.<br />
</li>
<li>After
spending so many Christmases overseas, I actually got to be with family
for Christmas in 2012 and 2013. And since I'll be in the US this year,
phone calls to family will be free!<br />
</li>
<li>The ornaments I
bought a few weeks ago at the second-hand store – feel-good item! not
directly supporting the labor of political prisoners! – came with a
business envelope filled with hooks (phew, I didn't have any extra and
was in the decorating mood tonight)<br />
</li>
<li>Most of my ornaments
are ones that I haven't seen since Christmas 2006! These bring back
memories, since the majority are gifts from my mom, but also from my
brother, stepsister, and a good friend. Also a stocking from my dad's
wife that she sewed my initial onto, a manger scene my aunt gave
me...aww....<br />
</li>
<li>I've gotten to see more family members and more often during these past four months than in any of the past 10 years! Woo-hoo!<br />
</li>
<li>Whenever
I've worked on Christmas it has been a blessing – camaraderie with the
staff and getting to help patients and families who are bearing the
terrible burden of being sick over the holidays.<br />
</li>
<li>And, last but definitely not least: Elvis Christmas music. Double entendres and all. Tee-hee!</li>
</ul>
We
will all have different joys and sorrows in this upcoming season. I
know that the ones I mention in this note pale in comparison to death
and injustice and deep loss. May we all experience love and grace in
the midst of both the laughter and the pain. For now I'll wish you a
Merry Ordinary Time! (That's a joke for you liturgical folk out there.)Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-81906547885758396482014-10-03T09:54:00.000-07:002014-10-03T08:44:47.534-07:00Stories of Transfomation -- Community Health Evangelism (CHE) programs around Logat, northeastern Haiti<i>Stories collected in my travels to northeastern Haiti last year.</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4HjPa6MDtKy0H64e9f7rYL6T0Py4CzEwVk81Y5KpI6XhLGT3M1x524NEbN7uxm1a9zuBKXkmOxyA2G2UbuxYwU6Du8mggVFk_7M1w66QDVKkuFGuAwtMXz_nu3LekbTvQfXEmyTOc3lQ/s1600/Iranise+Flereme.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4HjPa6MDtKy0H64e9f7rYL6T0Py4CzEwVk81Y5KpI6XhLGT3M1x524NEbN7uxm1a9zuBKXkmOxyA2G2UbuxYwU6Du8mggVFk_7M1w66QDVKkuFGuAwtMXz_nu3LekbTvQfXEmyTOc3lQ/s1600/Iranise+Flereme.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iranise Fleremé, committee member, Logat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
My
younger brother had a baby, but the baby died. They didn't go to the
hospital, she gave birth at home. When she got sick I went to see
her. People said she had a zombie. But when I saw her, I saw that
it wasn't a zombie – I saw that she had a bad infection and they
hadn't sent her to the hospital. I came and I got two other people
to find a stretcher so we could get her to the hospital [a three-hour
walk]. When she got there they took over her case. It was because
of CHE that I knew what to do. Without that she would have died.
This was in 2012. She just gave birth again, a little girl.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Iranise Fleremé. Used with author's permission</span>.</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><br /></u></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2M_mGaWFoCdLOdeJeUPj0COLwItiF1Prt-HrY5rWpZ_KYQGwSnlMRHYAQjjhPkVLz2RB4rHs2T98UHf1l5Ce0R6h75Kg8d18gvGF4p382Y4N9QNsr0fgSMwRM7RN_GtPjFe4Xb0QeIJsa/s1600/+Lupisient+Oranise+good.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2M_mGaWFoCdLOdeJeUPj0COLwItiF1Prt-HrY5rWpZ_KYQGwSnlMRHYAQjjhPkVLz2RB4rHs2T98UHf1l5Ce0R6h75Kg8d18gvGF4p382Y4N9QNsr0fgSMwRM7RN_GtPjFe4Xb0QeIJsa/s1600/+Lupisient+Oranise+good.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lupisient Oranise, delegate to the LaHatte CHE committee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
really love CHE because CHE has done so much for me. Since CHE came
I have learned so many new things.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
I
didn't used to have a home vegetable garden. But a CHE (Community Health Evangelist) came to my
house and encouraged me, so I started one. After I planted the
garden I encouraged my neighbors to start one, too, and everyone now
has one. I go to their houses and I tell them not to cook food on
the ground, not to eat on the ground. In this way children won't be
burned. When I cook my food on an improved, raised cooking stove,
even if dust comes flying it won't be able to reach the food and
bring bacteria.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When
the trainers have us meet they study the Bible with us. This is
another reason why I love CHE, because I know more about the Bible.
They tell us how we should love our brother as we love ourselves.
What we wouldn't do to ourselves we shouldn't do to our brothers. I
have changed. There are so many things I don't do anymore. You
repent – when you remember the lessons you decide not to do bad
things because you are in CHE. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Lupisient Oranise. Used with author's permission</span>.</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3SNhM1WgdHLwqNrdGXeQJbt9CL4nuTz51D8khB8_28nUl09eynDsRLfaVkKt94YLdWtJXF0NefR7W4Eb_i9ANYFYZF8mH0uKST7iLEj990Z8t8xPlgoMk0AqimHIZX-oG9usmGHEHtUy/s1600/Joseph+Francilo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3SNhM1WgdHLwqNrdGXeQJbt9CL4nuTz51D8khB8_28nUl09eynDsRLfaVkKt94YLdWtJXF0NefR7W4Eb_i9ANYFYZF8mH0uKST7iLEj990Z8t8xPlgoMk0AqimHIZX-oG9usmGHEHtUy/s1600/Joseph+Francilo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joseph Francilo, trainer in Logat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before
CHE came to Logat we had a lot of pregnant women die in childbirth.
At that time it was really difficult to get them to go to the
hospital. Even the midwives were lacking training. As CHE came to
do perinatal training for the pregnant women and the midwives, the
midwives started encouraging the women to go to the hospital. They
don't just encourage them to go, but they even go with them to the
hospital. So now there is more checking up on the women. Every time
someone has pain they tell a CHE and the CHE finds a midwife or a
trainer. We get a group together and go to her house, and according
to the signs she presents with we may have her go to the hospital.
Fewer women now die in childbirth, and fewer children die in
childbirth. . .</div>
<br />
It's
now rare that you hear of a woman dying in childbirth, it only
happens if she has something particular that's going wrong.<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
Before
CHE, we couldn't get people to go to the hospital. People thought
that if you took them to the hospital by stretcher they would die.
They thought they should only go by truck, if not they would die.
But now, after training, they know they can go by stretcher [a
three-hour walk]. Everyone is more motivated to help save the
pregnant women.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
Before
CHE, churches didn't meet together, they didn't want to sit down
together. We have three churches in Logat. After a week-long Bible
study, in which we had pastors, preachers, and sacristans husband
participate together with us, there has been a great improvement. If
there is a training done in a church, everyone can come to it. When
there are activities, we do them together. This has been since 2008.
Pastor Christian did the training (a missionary that was active in
the program).
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
Before
CHE, when people were sick they wouldn't tell you, they hid it. Even
when there were vaccination campaigns, the parents didn't want to say
when the children were born. Even the pregnant women didn't want to
say the day of their last menstrual period. They believed they could
die if they told you – it's a belief here. But with training this
has diminished.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There
was another belief, too: women didn't want to tell you about their
bodies. They were shy, they were ashamed, they thought it was
improper to talk about things like this. Through the CHE training
everyone now talks openly. When they are sick they tell you about it
without any problem. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Joseph Francilo. Used with author's permission</span>.</i></span></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-11430728887341046852014-08-19T12:00:00.000-07:002014-08-19T10:05:20.573-07:00A week in Mombin Crochu (Northeastern Haiti) -- Day 4<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<i>Continuing my posts from last year's travels to collect stories from Community Health Evangelism (CHE) communities</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSw0Acx6LaWqdLKt0xqHtrCYsChbcrwnX4HKyhY-VhFWsce5kgqKCBj990FW2oXHiVnF3Ukw2vDTjbmFLBXgiHXORt2uMuRqbhujvMJUs4-vsXms8GP6DrsfNhgfnOe9aj5XC1VL0UzHD/s1600/P1050821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSw0Acx6LaWqdLKt0xqHtrCYsChbcrwnX4HKyhY-VhFWsce5kgqKCBj990FW2oXHiVnF3Ukw2vDTjbmFLBXgiHXORt2uMuRqbhujvMJUs4-vsXms8GP6DrsfNhgfnOe9aj5XC1VL0UzHD/s1600/P1050821.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seen while walking just outside the village of Mombin Crochu<br />
(My first picture of the pastoral scene didn't quite turn out since one of these donkeys abruptly mounted the other one! Nature.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Thursday, July 18, 2013</i></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">I
wake up and look at the fruit basket that was placed in my room yesterday. Curiously,
there's part of a mango missing. While washing fruit later in the
day (for mangos this means scrubbing and soaking them in “regular”
water, then rinsing them in treated water) I show the half-eaten one
to Adelin. He says, “Oh, yeah, a rat must have started eating it.”
I say I didn't know they liked mangos. He answers, </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
“Oh, sure. Rats are wily – they will even climb up a mango tree
to eat the mangos!” (FYI, mango trees are really tall!)</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
After a rough motorcycle ride we arrive in Logat. Osse enters the church and sits down on a pew,
extending his legs, looking tired. I say, “These roads are not a
joke.” He answers, “No indeed, they are not a joke. They are
body-breaking.” I think about this often while traveling – that
in other countries people pay dearly to play “extreme” sports, and in
Arizona they build little hills for dirt bikers to have fun. But
here these things are tiring, and sometimes life-threatening. (Stay tuned for stories from Logat.)</div>
<br />
I found out on this trip that Osse has been involved in community development since even before he started working with CHE in 1993. He was
the founding member of an organization that helped to start the first high school in his village in the early 1990s. Osse was invited to the high school graduation in the evening and he'd asked if we would accompany him.<br />
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWtc9_gxrB3crvPQuY1tDdQNkaUZDeZGQ6DJw4qhi-Ea8zVRdS2yFn-jWpXjoDRienUAubfHkkTopOfXdjndHyUzuElvKUVT3nWGoGulmWcagOwwRmTjj5emR1oVIsI4HGo0eBXk6I8HV/s1600/P1050824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWtc9_gxrB3crvPQuY1tDdQNkaUZDeZGQ6DJw4qhi-Ea8zVRdS2yFn-jWpXjoDRienUAubfHkkTopOfXdjndHyUzuElvKUVT3nWGoGulmWcagOwwRmTjj5emR1oVIsI4HGo0eBXk6I8HV/s1600/P1050824.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids playing with a make-shift kite on the grounds of the new high school building in Mombin Crochu. The government built a second high school some years after Osse's group started their high school. The new president of Haiti has a building campaign and is constructing this larger building to accommodate the increasing number of secondary school students.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bmBwpFiVfuijca2fSQJ1fifRvmgkNFRmFNrNiaToK9R732_cFx7kNg2wIaoqdOEBptpW1gRjbk4GpUIYXapwJ3U6qypf77dButa0-kd8LL0EHMWdsc_ZhPPNzbRIlRj8ozhzpF-uTSwb/s1600/P1050825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bmBwpFiVfuijca2fSQJ1fifRvmgkNFRmFNrNiaToK9R732_cFx7kNg2wIaoqdOEBptpW1gRjbk4GpUIYXapwJ3U6qypf77dButa0-kd8LL0EHMWdsc_ZhPPNzbRIlRj8ozhzpF-uTSwb/s1600/P1050825.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Continuing adventures with a kite!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The small Catholic school that Osse helped found threw a great celebration. There were, of course, a lot of speeches: the president of the graduating class, the
president of the junior year class, the “godfathers” of each of
those classes, the “godfather” of both classes combined. Then
the “delegate,” Osse, the “sponsor,” and the class president
of the high school all spoke.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsuboa0VkovlkbEmm_dyMMEMrhosPjT88NeT7c6NmjkS_e8OR9OGKIfeNx3IPc4QVfhHxiuPRX8dGkpDDK32OM5Br7yK7khGSMIJBK_0mgqTHbiA2isCfXn02ck7-mL9JmkJHTUN4eI62/s1600/P1050875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsuboa0VkovlkbEmm_dyMMEMrhosPjT88NeT7c6NmjkS_e8OR9OGKIfeNx3IPc4QVfhHxiuPRX8dGkpDDK32OM5Br7yK7khGSMIJBK_0mgqTHbiA2isCfXn02ck7-mL9JmkJHTUN4eI62/s1600/P1050875.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roselande (dance instructor Claudin's wife) with a sandwich and <i>kleren</i> (raw rum) with pineapple.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
students put on a play in typical Haitian comedy style: two of the
actors are dressed as country bumpkins and there is broad physical
comedy. At one point one of them pretends to own a rich man's house
to impress his girlfriend. He invites her in to the house and starts
telling tall tales, including about how he'd cut a deal with a
foreigner for something. Later, he repeats the story about the
foreigner and, for proof, he points to me and says, “See, there she
is!” Nice bit of improv!</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7LZvEGJSZb7uICvu7YW6vCBU0CUnz1dGdr8-ftvttq78yqffQAFvV6VJQO4Se1d6ZtjrGzQWqW_-RXaLdUouTYwP1Fo_3Uyy6mHKjiMcMSDuTWlCIXenGXGwjs6XrHn7taGpdWFgwhv9/s1600/P1050885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7LZvEGJSZb7uICvu7YW6vCBU0CUnz1dGdr8-ftvttq78yqffQAFvV6VJQO4Se1d6ZtjrGzQWqW_-RXaLdUouTYwP1Fo_3Uyy6mHKjiMcMSDuTWlCIXenGXGwjs6XrHn7taGpdWFgwhv9/s1600/P1050885.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were many beverages served, all very typical. After the <i>kleren</i> we were given a choice of sparkling wine, Prestige beer, or the energy drink Robusto. Above are some of the drinks on my table.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At around 11 pm we were told there was a slight problem and the food wasn't yet ready. They played some music and the kids started dancing konpa.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8ckeuM4jMnPd7fNFX_PGfOOzfhlimPdDt33v60to0x8aZ0X7GpSjpuqBG3q7AphhURTjRpTmHiZHAm6VF36ZeDYDB63Tzw9_dwCoSVL8eZLPmvWLZW8jhorRLUjcHbmtuMaYFEbRznM0/s1600/P1050887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8ckeuM4jMnPd7fNFX_PGfOOzfhlimPdDt33v60to0x8aZ0X7GpSjpuqBG3q7AphhURTjRpTmHiZHAm6VF36ZeDYDB63Tzw9_dwCoSVL8eZLPmvWLZW8jhorRLUjcHbmtuMaYFEbRznM0/s1600/P1050887.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Konpa!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqwkH6GMi_caPs4NTyqQ1zcT71P44sn7wRfU5hIYUn04opXwJcRXEuwuj9thRrh-Dp5iu-4yjKeeOvhv6r8nPqcQNBgHz8CZqW82yJsEtKdMbxsvXztTQG26PBowM4qolQxX22NPzDUMz/s1600/P1050886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqwkH6GMi_caPs4NTyqQ1zcT71P44sn7wRfU5hIYUn04opXwJcRXEuwuj9thRrh-Dp5iu-4yjKeeOvhv6r8nPqcQNBgHz8CZqW82yJsEtKdMbxsvXztTQG26PBowM4qolQxX22NPzDUMz/s1600/P1050886.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supper! Fried plantains, beet salad, goat, beans and rice. After supper we each received a Dixie cup full of popcorn. This was followed by <i>bwason dous </i>(a sweet liqueur) and cake.</td></tr>
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By
2:00 am the festivities were done. We started to walk home –
super-slowly, the way everyone walks that I'd always attributed to
the hot sun, or the steep mountains. But even in the cool night air
on a flat road we are sauntering. Osse dropped me off at his house -- where everyone was already asleep -- and left to accompany the couple to the house they're staying at.
Taking advantage of the fact that the house wouldn't be locked up for
the night until Osse got back, I took a quick bucket bath and was in
bed by 3 am.</div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-11756506800440700552014-07-16T10:23:00.004-07:002014-07-16T10:23:46.936-07:00From gazebos to clean water to parties to growing churches!<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
Much of our funding for 2014 has come from the organization <a href="https://www.worldchallenge.org/community-ministry" target="_blank">World Challenge</a>. Most funds are spent on training, but we also sometimes support community projects or provide funds for events to encourage our volunteers. Here are just two stories that I received in July:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX24U7dH28FJuA8hlWysYNA2EKuAQmtH2zj5we94M6PvdNOlCghBrYEYDft32vnLFqTqwOe6j_Wo2tD_CE7715R7CxzFwSGY-ypKTNtcdzK0DTO27Bh1SiMcw4WkJVixfcsqKmRGlidJ_r/s1600/Gazebo+LaPlanj.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX24U7dH28FJuA8hlWysYNA2EKuAQmtH2zj5we94M6PvdNOlCghBrYEYDft32vnLFqTqwOe6j_Wo2tD_CE7715R7CxzFwSGY-ypKTNtcdzK0DTO27Bh1SiMcw4WkJVixfcsqKmRGlidJ_r/s1600/Gazebo+LaPlanj.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelter and benches that were built for meetings and trainings in La Planj</td></tr>
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<i>Before the CHE program started in La Planj we had lots of difficulties, especially with our water. The water was really in a bad state and a lot of people suffered from typhoid, intestinal worms, and cholera. We were not well-informed about what was happening. When the CHE program came, because of the good training they brought and the way we applied the principles, well, everyone worked together to clean the water sources and protect the springs. Now the water isn't wasted (by falling on the ground) and the animals cannot put their bacteria in the water. Everyone is so happy because they have good water to use. In the name of the CHE program we thank you for your help with the gazebo we now meet under (completed in 2014) as well as the improvement of our water source (completed in 2013). To the supporters of World Challenge we say think you. We hope that God will protect you and your communities. We will always remember you in our prayers. Thank you so much. – Borgella Lucile, secretary of the La Planj CHE committee</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fdrjRIauZFyzXo0kXrNiMmDEGMeKLiSnUxzfRhyrfQsdQ89HbuznrzlfIGexPHzapDo_g4_n8x8fYf9i8emcfpQwoZ1RuqFDi0ALvDfp4luVElBKsQkGCStiUl-Zn9HS1QcOVFEb-PmC/s1600/CHE+committee+members+and+CHEs+in+Grand+Ravine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fdrjRIauZFyzXo0kXrNiMmDEGMeKLiSnUxzfRhyrfQsdQ89HbuznrzlfIGexPHzapDo_g4_n8x8fYf9i8emcfpQwoZ1RuqFDi0ALvDfp4luVElBKsQkGCStiUl-Zn9HS1QcOVFEb-PmC/s1600/CHE+committee+members+and+CHEs+in+Grand+Ravine.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother's Day party in Grand Ravine: CHEs, committee members, and community members were present</td></tr>
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<i>We had 32 community health evangelists (CHEs) in Grand Ravine, but some of them had stopped being active in the program. This Mother's Day party (given with World Challenge funds) was important because it showed those CHEs what they were missing out on, what we were giving to the people with our trainings. Also, there were others who came and were interested in the CHE program who now want to be trained. The CHE program is very important – since it started in Grand Ravine four years ago the community is different. Spiritually, the churches in the area have more people and more evangelism is done. There were 100 people in my church before CHE and now there are 150! Every Tuesday they go out in groups and evangelize. – Vitalus Victales Wilnique, trainer in Grand Ravine</i></div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-91948600370042632872014-07-02T11:34:00.003-07:002014-07-16T10:20:37.733-07:00Stories of Transformation -- Community Health Evangelism (CHE) programs in Lospinit, northeastern Haiti<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_444f08QvytccWxuxl9RuOhfrc5oyKX4W1iZKLSlaGilX78hUbizPhcDyTUW7DoROXAxh9UbDOs9DV6sEtv8tp8LC9DPc4cjo6pDnzK9eQPkjf_MK95wjE7IbTgs8Jql7MsL8cmr-b2oI/s1600/Noel+Anisia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_444f08QvytccWxuxl9RuOhfrc5oyKX4W1iZKLSlaGilX78hUbizPhcDyTUW7DoROXAxh9UbDOs9DV6sEtv8tp8LC9DPc4cjo6pDnzK9eQPkjf_MK95wjE7IbTgs8Jql7MsL8cmr-b2oI/s1600/Noel+Anisia.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Noël Anisia, committee member</div>
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For me, before CHE came to Lospinit we had so many things ravaging the community. For example, we had kwashiorkor, children with bloated bellies. We learned a lot about nutrition, and now the children are more well-nourished.</div>
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Also
with cholera, God really extended grace to us through the CHE program
– the trainers taught us great lessons. They taught us to wash our
hands before we eat, to make a Tippytap to wash our hands. They
taught us to make a dish rack, to make latrines, keep our yard good
and clean, and gather up the trash. Oh, man, this was really good.</div>
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The
trained a committee and community health evangelists (CHEs). The CHEs started doing home visits.
Whatever house we go to, people are really glad and they tell us not
to get discouraged and to keep visiting them. After we learn
something we show it to our family.</div>
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Something
else we teach people is to sit down once a month to share. We meet
the fourth Sunday of every month – the trainers, committee members,
and CHEs. We gather funds into a pool, we call this a “mutual.”
We loan the money to each other, and for every 100 gourdes you borrow
you have to pay back an extra 10 gourdes. It's for when one of us
has a problem, this augments what we have. Once I had a need and at
our monthly meeting everyone gave me 100 gourdes. . . I resolved the
problem. In two months I repaid the loan.</div>
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In
terms of what we learn in CHE about wisdom: even if it's not easy,
because of the training we learn -- even if we are the loser in a
situation we control ourselves, we use wisdom, we measure our words.</div>
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Do
you have any more spiritual brochures that we can leave with people?
We do the lessons with them, but particularly the ones that have
Bible verses in them people say they would love to have them at their
house so that they can read them again. [Someone else added: Yes,
yes! They always say they would like this!]<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Noël Anisia. Used with author's permission</span>.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOyfXKs8Oc37-mcoZa5UqLTi_G0J5FoxtnaM_1lQjN8ykr9VJQ0BiNxkNO0RKevSHLdO3JjvKsauSD_x3UkDYYUO0CxXiMIIwuZXu_s9T6FsBmZgzJt_wEMXKi1GU6WXjdVyyQw4WNRBc/s1600/Francois+Jean.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOyfXKs8Oc37-mcoZa5UqLTi_G0J5FoxtnaM_1lQjN8ykr9VJQ0BiNxkNO0RKevSHLdO3JjvKsauSD_x3UkDYYUO0CxXiMIIwuZXu_s9T6FsBmZgzJt_wEMXKi1GU6WXjdVyyQw4WNRBc/s1600/Francois+Jean.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">François Jean, committee member</td></tr>
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CHE
has taught me many things. I have learned how to have better
hygiene. I have learned SODIS [solar disinfection of water]– we do this quickly and we see it's
a really good way to treat water. Before I treated water with
chlorine but that's difficult because you have to buy the chlorine.
SODIS is easier. Also,
we help people built latrines so that they can protect themselves
against bacteria. </div>
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CHE also teaches us how to evangelize better and
in a way that is more brief. We don't talk on and on like we used
to. With what we learn in CHE we learn we should speak briefly and
simply. We shouldn't talk on an on, brief is better. I like to use
the brochure “Peace with God,” we teach a lot of people how to
use it.</div>
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Once
I was walking down the street and I came across a person who was
evangelizing. He was talking a lot and made people tired. I looked
for him later on so that I could teach him this method. He thanked
me, saying that he thought the brochure was really good. He asked if
I could get one for him and I said I would look into it for him.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">François Jean.</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Used with author's permission</span>.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C4DSuiQiyGNZAx9H8dEg9nAgkPPceY1E-ee7G60b8DXHX4AGPGpqRfqnsxHv6HZnjUi6mhsyjT0swo_kqbO2uCwT46MVWBy7qQ69mQeBfns1GONePKgFEKuuKinMWVgJDDxYppCJ1UbR/s1600/Amelie+Jean-Baptiste,.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C4DSuiQiyGNZAx9H8dEg9nAgkPPceY1E-ee7G60b8DXHX4AGPGpqRfqnsxHv6HZnjUi6mhsyjT0swo_kqbO2uCwT46MVWBy7qQ69mQeBfns1GONePKgFEKuuKinMWVgJDDxYppCJ1UbR/s1600/Amelie+Jean-Baptiste,.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amelie Jean-Baptiste, Community Health Evangelist</td></tr>
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What
I like about CHE is the Bible teaching. When you see a portion of
Scripture, that really helps you. If you have a disagreement with
someone we have learned we shouldn't yell at people. We have changed
this and really behave better with people within the CHE group and
with our neighbors. We even tell the children they should live like
brothers and sisters and not argue or hit each other or throw stones
and hurt one another. When there is fighting the children suffer and
their parents suffer, too. They listen to us, and even though they
still fight sometimes it's gotten better.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Amelie Jean-Baptiste.</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Used with author's permission</span>.</i>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-72815029118479157122014-07-02T11:03:00.000-07:002014-07-02T11:03:58.367-07:00A week in Mombin Crochu (northeastern Haiti) -- Day 3<i>Continuing my posts from a trip I took last year to collect stories.</i><br />
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<i>Wednesday, July 17</i><br />
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No communities to go to this morning. I went to bed with a headache
and woke up with one. I've been told that perhaps I'm tired, so I
take a nap. I wake up and there's a crate filled with mangos and
pineapple in my room.</div>
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In the afternoon we walk a short distance up the road to the community of Lospinit. As we wait for people to gather these three children come over to play. </div>
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<i>Next post: stories from Lospinit.</i></div>
Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-23010672629239556442014-05-25T13:29:00.000-07:002014-06-21T10:25:30.451-07:00Encouragement<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
This morning in church the priest said that we would do something special for Mothers Day (celebrated today in Haiti). He said that mothers give us life – that they cannot do so without men, of course, but that we must recognize the role of women as essential to life. He then said that instead of the regular “passing of the peace,” the mothers should all sit and we should greet them with a kiss. I went around to women who were seated and I greeted them with a “Bon fèt” and a kiss on the cheek. A man I’d never met before came up to me and kissed my cheek. I said, “Oh, I’m not a mother.” He said, “It doesn’t matter. Life comes from women.” He stepped away, then came back a moment later and said, “Also, I don’t know what you do here [I am clearly a foreigner, which means I likely work for a mission organization], but if you give your life to help others, you are a mother -- more than a mother.”</div>
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I thought that was very sweet – and very much in keeping with what we’d heard in the sermon from the intern just a few minutes earlier, who'd said (better than this, but I didn’t take notes): When you receive someone in love, you [?]. When you respond to others with sweetness, you are allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you. When you encourage someone, you are true to your baptism.” Thanks for the encouragement today, Holy-Spirit-by-way-of-a-stranger guy!</div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-42441542007444498402014-04-30T19:02:00.001-07:002014-05-01T08:20:48.355-07:00On the Road AgainDepending on how you count the moves, you could say that I have moved six times in the past eight months:<br />
<ul>
<li>From Haiti to Arizona -- although I was only there for a few weeks, that is where I moved all my things back to (and where I still have many boxes!)</li>
<li>From Arizona to my aunt's in Minnesota</li>
<li>From my aunt's to a friend's in St. Paul, MN -- I thought I would be there for several months but it turned out to only be weeks</li>
<li>From St. Paul to a now-friend's house in southwestern MN -- where I thought I would only be a few weeks but it turned out to be several months :-)</li>
<li>From that house to a furnished apartment in the same town, waiting for another place to be renovated</li>
<li>From the furnished apartment to my own apartment in the same town -- got the keys last week, move in tomorrow!</li>
</ul>
Why so many moves? What's the plan?<br />
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Ever since moving overseas in 2007 I've been planning to come back to the US to prepare for my every-10-year family medicine board exam (taken two days ago). See, after completing my family medicine specialty ten years ago I worked in a prison (mostly men, with very few women and children and no hospital work) and then worked in community health and development overseas (administrative and teaching work). I'd been away from full-spectrum family medicine much longer than I'd been in it. After starting the process back here in the US last fall it soon became clear to me that would take much more than just a few months to get back up to speed. But there was still no one with the language and cross-cultural skills available to fulfill the role I played in the continually growing ministry in Haiti, so I also wanted to stay involved there.<br />
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So here's the plan: for the next several years I intend to continue working half-time as a physician in rural Minnesota, taking one day off per week to work administratively with the Haiti team and several US partners (via phone, e-mail, and Skype), as well as spending several months per year in Haiti. After having my things scattered between several states and countries for years (I have lists of what is where), I am very excited about having <i>one </i>place where I'll have my home and my home office, so to speak. I will admit that last fall I had hoped to not move anywhere new again (<i>sigh</i>) but this situation has turned out great -- my colleagues have been very supportive about mentoring me and I've met a lot of really friendly people.<br />
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Today was my last official day at the clinic before spending a few months in Haiti. One of our hospital administrators stopped by with a card and had written, "You truly 'Bloom where you are planted' and we are grateful that your roots are growing here." I am feeling blessed tonight.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395800955268684034.post-14464662352696267322014-03-23T13:43:00.000-07:002014-07-02T11:42:08.179-07:00More community stories: from Dèyè Gad, Venbal, and Lagwamit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ministry tools of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) encourage people not only to come to a living faith in Jesus, but also to
work out their faith on a practical level. </span>Just like in the United States, in Haiti it is challenging to walk as Jesus walked, to love our neighbors and give of our time and our efforts to bless them, to be people of peace and reconciliation in our communities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Unlike in the United States, a majority of people in Haiti struggle to meet their everyday, basic needs (in large part because of policies that keep the U.S. and other countries rich -- but we can talk about systemic injustice another time). Many people walk long distances every day to get water for their household. They do not have consistent water purification systems to remove the cholera and E. coli from the water. They do not have latrines. Our volunteers teach some very simple methods that help with these daily needs, including teaching about the Tippytap -- a simple system that allows people to wash their hands using a minimal amount of water (remember, they spent a lot of effort to get that water) and also be able to wash their hands without having to call another person over to pour the water for them. We also teach gardening techniques and help people find seeds to help with the daily challenge of feeding a family in a very food-insecure environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here are some more stories from three communities in northeastern Haiti: Venbal, Lagwamit, and </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dèyè Gad</span>.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Edouard
André, committee member in Venbal</span></td></tr>
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I haven't been with CHE long but the little bit that I've been
involved with has really been good for me, both physically and
spiritually. When they talk about washing hands after we leave the
latrine, not walking barefoot. I'm not perfect at it but I'm trying.
Also with trash cans, not leaving trash on the ground, raised
cooking fires so that children don't get burned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We also really have seen resolution of some problems in the
neighborhood, we have started to talk together. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright Edouard André</span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">.</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Used with author's permission</span>.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg202trd0iFExPIsJ77Q95zxOToioDOSkbKhI6cf4pYBPLvfybjNagm8qi4-k2XdE7sLuXmk6B6rw3l-si1FjobL_p8fNfrvdTnUuGq9PkFLYckQgqv2aUuACigZqVYgJTa3-iD12UsuAM1/s1600/Philius+Fils-aim%C3%A9+best.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg202trd0iFExPIsJ77Q95zxOToioDOSkbKhI6cf4pYBPLvfybjNagm8qi4-k2XdE7sLuXmk6B6rw3l-si1FjobL_p8fNfrvdTnUuGq9PkFLYckQgqv2aUuACigZqVYgJTa3-iD12UsuAM1/s1600/Philius+Fils-aim%C3%A9+best.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Philius
Fils-aimé</span><i>, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">community health evangelist in
Lagwamit</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">
We did a survey – there were people that didn't raise up their
cooking fires, but I left my house to help them to do so. We also
learned how to make Tippytaps, something we'd never seen before. It
doesn't cost any money, it's something you can do for free. I really
applaud CHE for this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A lot of people now live in peace because they participate in a
savings program in CHE and can get advances from that. . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">On Sundays before going to church I visit five to ten houses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">There are some people that are interested in starting vegetable
gardens when they see how nice my garden is.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Philius Fils-Aimé.</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Used with author's permission</span>.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Cheristen
Renellus</span><i>, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">committee
member in Dèyè Gad</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;">
I was kind of lazy – I didn't do anything at home all day. I
didn't dig a hole for a toil</span>François Jeanet. But the trainers explained all of
this and really set me in a good direction. I see that I've become a
different person. And I want to keep moving forward so that I can
change completely.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The trainers come and pray with us. We used to have division among
us but now there is peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I have a lot of children at home – eight kids plus my wife and me
makes ten. Almost everything is completely changed: we have a
Tippytap, we have a raised cooking stove.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I go to church, and now I
have the skills to change my life so that I am stronger and live in
God's presence.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Cheristen Renellus.</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Used with author's permission</span>.</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pierre Jacsen, vice-president of the Dèyè Gad CHE committee</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Those of us in our community, we really weren't living well in a physical sense. Those of us on the committee wanted to choose our worst problem. We decided to work on the problems of dish racks and latrines. We started with latrines. One of our neighbors, he had a lot of children. He never dug a hole for a latrine, we saw him go to the bathroom a few inches from his house. We wanted to help him get out of that situation. We chose a CHE [community health evangelist] to go to his house, but the man wouldn't let him talk to him. After two or three different trips the CHE made, some of us committee members went secretly to see how the work was going. We saw that he had started to dig a hole!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">People were putting their dishes on the ground and all sorts of animals, dogs would walk over them. We brought people information, we explained to them how to build dish racks.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(c) copyright </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Pierre Jacsen.</span></i></span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Used with author's permission</span>.</i><br />
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</span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13566966979997162050noreply@blogger.com