Hi guys...we made it! The flight was one of the longest, most uncomfortable things I've done in a while, but so WORTH it!!! The villages are too much for words...one picture is all I have time for, and even that may not post due to the shaky connection. Miss y'all!
Love,
jc
PS. check Laura's Orl. Sentinel blog a few posts below as she's posting right now. You may see some of my shots on there! She's also mine and Amber's team leader so we're w/ her every day.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Orlando Sentinal
One of our teamates, Laura Brost works for the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper, and is going to be able to report on this trip via the Sentinel's Nation/World blog section every day we're there. The link won't be up 'til Friday so check back as her blog will be the most up to date source of communication of how our team's doing while we're gone. I think she's the only person who will be able to use the internet while we're in Malawi.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/malawi
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/malawi
T-minus 15 Hours
Well folks, the bags are packed (almost), passports are laying out, Stinker & Frodo (dog & cat) are just about ready to get dropped off...etc etc.
I can't believe this day is finally here. I feel both excited, grateful, & scared at once. It's still hard to accept that in 30-something hours I will be on a whole 'nother continent for the first time in my life. Just nuts. One of the parts I was not expecting was having to pack "business casual" attire to wear while we work in the village / orphanage. I thought we were going to be dressed jeans and tee-shirts. It just felt awkward putting dress shoes in the suitcase when I know I'm going to a country where people live on less than a dollar a day. I'll have to reflect on how that all fits when I get there I guess.
There are a few specific things I'd really appreciate your prayers for...
-that Amber and I stay connected throughout the trip (we may be split up at night due to lack of space so girls w/ girls, guys w/ guys).
-for us to stay connected w/ God
-for us to take care of ourselves while we're there so we actually have something to give to the people we're striving to serve
This will most likely be my last post for a while as I'm not sure if we will have internet there, but I will be keeping that diary to share so stop back by.
To living fully alive.
~jc
I can't believe this day is finally here. I feel both excited, grateful, & scared at once. It's still hard to accept that in 30-something hours I will be on a whole 'nother continent for the first time in my life. Just nuts. One of the parts I was not expecting was having to pack "business casual" attire to wear while we work in the village / orphanage. I thought we were going to be dressed jeans and tee-shirts. It just felt awkward putting dress shoes in the suitcase when I know I'm going to a country where people live on less than a dollar a day. I'll have to reflect on how that all fits when I get there I guess.
There are a few specific things I'd really appreciate your prayers for...
-that Amber and I stay connected throughout the trip (we may be split up at night due to lack of space so girls w/ girls, guys w/ guys).
-for us to stay connected w/ God
-for us to take care of ourselves while we're there so we actually have something to give to the people we're striving to serve
This will most likely be my last post for a while as I'm not sure if we will have internet there, but I will be keeping that diary to share so stop back by.
To living fully alive.
~jc
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
"no regrets"
I was talking with a friend of mine last night who is also a photographer http://www.scottdavidphotography.com/ and I asked him if he had any thoughts about being fully present on this trip while having a camera in my hands. Many times it's easy for me to get behind that lens, and use it as a bit of a shield between me and the world. Simply that I can hide behind or get lost in camera land. Scott had taken a mission trip to Africa a few years ago, and I loved the feedback he gave me.
He said go and live there so you don't have any regrets when you get back. If you feel like God's asking you to do something, do it.
Simple is good for me, and "no regrets" is a little tidbit I can hang onto while I'm there (and while I'm getting ready for the trip I might add). Thanks Scott.
He said go and live there so you don't have any regrets when you get back. If you feel like God's asking you to do something, do it.
Simple is good for me, and "no regrets" is a little tidbit I can hang onto while I'm there (and while I'm getting ready for the trip I might add). Thanks Scott.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Feedblitz
I added a service via Feedblitz which allows you guys to enter your email and receive updates whenever I post so you don't have to check back, posts will just come to your inbox.
Ok, I'm done for today. If you look at the post times on this page, you'll notice I spent a good bit of the afternoon in front of my laptop.
~jc
Ok, I'm done for today. If you look at the post times on this page, you'll notice I spent a good bit of the afternoon in front of my laptop.
~jc
Children of the Nations
Check out their site if you have some time...http://www.cotni.org/
We're going to their Malawi site...http://www.cotni.org/29-malawi
human doings
I'm finally sitting down to fully read (actually it's just read, as in, for the first time...I said, "fully" cause it sounds better, like I've already done some of my homework) my http://www.cotni.org Venture Team Manual, and I came across a core value I love. It's actually numero uno on the list:
"...We are not there to be the American fix; rather we come along to encourage, assist, and empower the national staff... At COTN we challenge people to remember that we are human beings, not human doings. We are more interested in having you "be" with our people than getting something accomplished."
I feel grateful and more confident knowing that I'm heading off into the unknown with an organization who puts something like being vs. doing at the top of their list of values. This is really a huge reason I have wanted to go on this trip, and only today see that my desire coincides with COTN's for me. Pretty cool. There's a lady I know who'd probably say something about a "God deal" right about now.
"...We are not there to be the American fix; rather we come along to encourage, assist, and empower the national staff... At COTN we challenge people to remember that we are human beings, not human doings. We are more interested in having you "be" with our people than getting something accomplished."
I feel grateful and more confident knowing that I'm heading off into the unknown with an organization who puts something like being vs. doing at the top of their list of values. This is really a huge reason I have wanted to go on this trip, and only today see that my desire coincides with COTN's for me. Pretty cool. There's a lady I know who'd probably say something about a "God deal" right about now.
we're going where??!!
I just wanted you all to see where we're going on the map. Amber said something to me the other day like, "we're actually going to Africa! Who does that? I mean people talk about it etc, but we're actually going."
She didn't mean it in a condescending, we're going and poo poo on everyone else because they're not, but more like, "what the heck are we doing???!!!"
I love that woman, and I'm so glad we're going together.
She didn't mean it in a condescending, we're going and poo poo on everyone else because they're not, but more like, "what the heck are we doing???!!!"
I love that woman, and I'm so glad we're going together.
$5000 and an AIDS test
Asking for help to go on this journey has been one of the hardest things I've done in a while. I shared with a few close friends each week for about three weeks that this was the week we were going to finally get the support letters out. It wasn't until the third week that Amber and I finally got the courage up to push through the fears and ask for support. I felt guilty and insecure to actually admit that I needed you guys, that I don't have it all together to get this done all by my self-reliant lonesome. There's something magical though (in a weird way) involved in actually stepping out there, and dropping 40-50 letters in the mail asking for $5000.00.
You know what...
God answered our prayers...
through YOU!
-every one of you who prayed, encouraged us, and opened your wallets to send us to Africa.
THANK YOU!
You know, as I went through that whole process of working up the courage to ask for help, I thought about something I learned on my first team meeting in preparation for the trip. We were asked to take an AIDS test the last day we're there with the orphans we'll be working with because people in Malawi often do not want to know if they have AIDS. I guess the idea is that if we are willing to take a test, hopefully some of the cultural fear will be lessened for the kids. "How can they not want to know??!!" ran through my head as the staff member told us that. Later it struck me; I can relate to them because I'm just like that in so many ways. I don't want to face issues in my life, and hope they'll just not bother me too much or eventually go away. Hence putting off writing to ask for help as long as possible. The $5000.00 we needed was about to strangle us financially though, if we didn't ask for help. And what a blessing it was to open many envelopes day after day to see your love poured out to us through your checkbooks. Thank you again for allowing me to use you all in this never ending list of opportunities to grow God seems to keep sending my way.
(side note...I raised my hand and asked if there were needles involved with this test...thankfully we're able to do it w/ cotton swabs...I hate those pointy things!)
~JC
You know what...
God answered our prayers...
through YOU!
-every one of you who prayed, encouraged us, and opened your wallets to send us to Africa.
THANK YOU!
You know, as I went through that whole process of working up the courage to ask for help, I thought about something I learned on my first team meeting in preparation for the trip. We were asked to take an AIDS test the last day we're there with the orphans we'll be working with because people in Malawi often do not want to know if they have AIDS. I guess the idea is that if we are willing to take a test, hopefully some of the cultural fear will be lessened for the kids. "How can they not want to know??!!" ran through my head as the staff member told us that. Later it struck me; I can relate to them because I'm just like that in so many ways. I don't want to face issues in my life, and hope they'll just not bother me too much or eventually go away. Hence putting off writing to ask for help as long as possible. The $5000.00 we needed was about to strangle us financially though, if we didn't ask for help. And what a blessing it was to open many envelopes day after day to see your love poured out to us through your checkbooks. Thank you again for allowing me to use you all in this never ending list of opportunities to grow God seems to keep sending my way.
(side note...I raised my hand and asked if there were needles involved with this test...thankfully we're able to do it w/ cotton swabs...I hate those pointy things!)
~JC
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