Graduation Speech for CDFM

My CDFM class - students and staff: (back) Dante, Sarah G, Kai, (front) Me, Chrissy, Kourtney, Jonathan, Keri, Angie and Jenna

Honestly I didn't know what to expect of this school when I applied. I hoped I'd learn something about God's heart for the poor and how to combat poverty, but I didn't have incredibly high expectations. But within the first week of teaching God had already blown me away with a complete change in worldview and I learnt more that first week than I expected to learn in the whole school. 

And from there on the learning and amazing teaching continued. Each week brought new insight and revelation into topics that God can use in us to change the lives of people all around the world. Things like water & sanitation, healthcare, education & teaching, economics, how to start an NGO, amongst many other things. But while this school did teach us a lot of practical skills that we can use on the missions field, these would be a lot less meaningful without the Godly foundations that everything was built on and the biblical worldview through which everything was seen. 

I know I speak for my whole class when I say that I now definitely have a much better understanding of how to go into a community and be able to empower them and help them build themselves up without doing more harm than good in the process. This school has revealed to us so many misconceptions we've had about missions and the ways in which we've done things in an unsustainable and unloving way in the past, even though we thought we were doing the right thing. I feel equipped to go out and make a much more long term impact in the world now, wherever that may be. And I know that I will be able to use the principles taught in this school to bring God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven in every sphere of life that I may be in: whether that be in church, on the missions field, in social circles, education, IT or in business sphere. I know that God is going to use each one of us to bring about his intentions for mankind wherever he may take us in life. And I'm really excited to be a part of it. 

I would like to thank all our staff for all their input in our lives over the past three months. We really appreciate you and would not have made it through without your love and support. And thank you YWAM Denver for this amazing opportunity that you have given us. I look forward to seeing where God takes each one of us from here. 

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Last week of Community Development

I can't believe how fast time has gone. I officially have only one more week of my first school at YWAM Denver, studying Community Development for Missions (CDFM). For an overview about what I'm doing this year, check out this post. 

 

It has been a pretty challenging school, but I've learnt so much and I'm looking forward to putting it into practice at some point in the near future. I feature in this video below where I talk about a stove that I made out of tin cans! 

These photos are of the finished product :)

I think the most impactful things that I've learnt in this school were summaries really well in the book "When Helping Hurts" which I wrote a book report on here. I'd really encourage you to read it if you are interested in Missions or Community Development of any form. In Missions and Community Development we so often end up going into a community thinking that in just a few weeks or months we can 'fix' them and make them like us. Obviously most of us don't consciously think that way, but it very often ends up being the underlying attitude that the community receives during our time there. We go in and build them houses, paint their schools, plant trees, teach them about God or abstinence or about health and HIV, without taking the time to really understand their culture. 

All people are created in God's image and have incredible potential to do amazing things. On Friday night I went to a thing called the Resound: One Night Conference with Ray Hughes from Circuit Riders as the speaker. It was a really amazing time of worship and teaching. The church where the conference was held, VineLife, is situated in the middle of the country with huge windows on either side of the stage that overlooked the fields and Rocky Mountains. Instead of standing facing the band, we were encouraged to stand on the side of the stage and look out over God's creation as we worshiped Him. It was a really incredible experience to watch the sun set over such amazing beauty and try to comprehend that the God who made all of that loves ME and created me to be in relationship with him. It blew my mind and I just wept! 

One thing that Ray said that really stood out to me was that "God created everything to be creative". Such a simple yet so profound a concept! Every cell in our body recreates many times a second. All creation creates and grows with God all the time. How much more should we! I also love the concept of the universe being described as "uni" = one, "verse" = song. The universe is one song, every part of creation singing it's part in harmony. It reminds me of this mashup that Louie Giglio made of stars and whales singing together. So amazing! 

So coming back to how that applies to what I learnt in the CDFM school, God has put amazing potential and strengths and talents in each one of us and we just need to harness them. So when we go into communities where we want to help bring about change, we need to see them the same way. I've learnt that when we go into a community we need to help them recognise their own strengths and identify the potential that each other have. From this we can help to empower them to bring about the change that they want to see in their community. 


There are some really amazing stories of what has happened in communities when the local people have been empowered and have hope again to reach for their dreams and create a better life for their families. Obviously alongside this we need to help through educating the people in the areas that they want to develop in and helping them come up with sustainable solutions to their identified needs. So that may be teaching them how to build a well or a water catchment system, but not simply building it for them. The most important thing is to make sure that when we leave the community, the people are empowered to continue bringing about change and developing further from the work that has been done. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday I'm going to be sharing some of what I've learnt with the Compassion Discipleship Training School (DTS) that is running at YWAM Denver Arvada campus (Paul is doing that school) and with Boarders DTS that is running up at the Eagle Rock campus. I'm kinda nervous about it and would really appreciate some prayers. I haven't had much time to prepare yet, so I need to spend most of the next two days planning and preparing. Tomorrow (Monday) night is also the last time that our school will be working with the Koren refugees who we have been teaching English. I'm pretty sad to be leaving them because I've really enjoyed working with them, but I hope that I might be able to visit them again next when I'm doing School of Worship next quarter. But I think I'll write more about that in a different post :)

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Community Development for Missions Update

Dear friends, family and prayer supporters

I am so sorry that it’s taken me so long to write a new update. A few of you may be aware that I got pink eye a little while ago and that set me back quite a bit with my homework (Click here for more details). Since then it’s been a mad rush to try and get on top of things again. This week is the 8^th week of my first 12 week school at YWAM Denver where I am studying Community Development for Missions.

So far we have covered a wide variety of very interesting topics including Worldviews, Community Development Principles, Water and Sanitation, Community Assessment, Project Management and Economic Development. This week we have Education, followed by Primary Healthcare, Agriculture and various other seminars. We have also read three really great books and I put my book reports up on this blog for two of them if you are interested in reading more about them. The first book is called Truth and Transformation and the second is When Helping Hurts.

I have learnt so much during this school! I didn’t come with very high expectations and I think that I learnt more in the first week than I expected to learn in the whole school! I’ve already finished filling an entire book with all the notes I’ve taken. The highlights of the teaching weeks for me thus far are the weeks on Worldview and Economic Development. Worldviews taught me that so often we want to go in and help fix the surface level problems, when actually these come from a much deeper worldview root that stems from what the people believe about themselves, God and the world. Unless the root of the problem is addressed, our community development attempts will be short lived at best.  

Last week’s teaching on Economic Development was also a highlight for me because it enabled me to see how God’s unique gifting in my life can be used to bring lasting change in the Kingdom of God. It is so easy to be caught up in the stereotypical missionary mindset where evangelism is all there is to it, but God has given me a unique skill set with a business degree and an IT specialization that he can use in many ways to bring his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. One of the main things that God has been showing me this school is that he does not want me to conform to what others say I should do, but that the most important thing is to follow him in obedience. He will direct my path. “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (Prov 21:3) is a phrase that I’ve heard a lot in my time here! I wrote a poem in response to the economic suffering of many people in the world which you can read by clicking here.

My CDFM class is very small with just five students. I am getting on really well with my classmates and building friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. One big prayer request that I have is for our protection. We seem to be coming up against a lot of spiritual opposition in the past 7 weeks and there hasn’t been one week where we have all been in class every day. There have been various sicknesses going around, ranging from stomach bugs, to head injuries and other serious pains that the doctors could not identify. In addition, many of us have been struggling with various other spiritual attacks that have limited our ability to engage in class and get the most out of the school.

Spiritually I have been struggling quite a lot recently, which I know seems weird given that I am surrounded by Christians who are on fire for Jesus. I think it’s just the difference between the practical focus of this school and the spiritual depth of the other YWAM schools that I have done in the past which has thrown me off guard a bit. If you could pray for me to go deeper with God and to seek him on a daily basis, I would really appreciate that. In addition, if you get any words of encouragement for me while you pray, I would absolutely love it if you could send them to me.

Finally, if you would like to support me financially for my next school at YWAM Denver which starts 2 April, School of Worship, you can do so by going to www.ywamdenver.org, clicking on the “donate/pay” tab and selecting “Student Payment” from the list. If you have any questions or would like to organise an alternative method of payment, feel free to call the accounting office on 303-424-1144.

May God richly bless you in the coming days, weeks and months and may he give you a fresh revelation of his unconditional love for you.

Love Sarah

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This Hell of Poverty

I wrote this poem for a class assignment in CDFM as a creative reflection on the struggle of economic development issues in the world. 

Impoverished, under trodden, forgotten
That’s life
Well at least that’s all I've ever known it to be

Neglected, abused, broken
I try
But no matter what I do, pain is all I see

I long for life, hope and freedom
An ability
To break free from this hell of poverty

Money, loans and debt unending
I’m drowning
In an endless abyss of agony

I can’t escape, no matter how hard I try
I’m caught
Trying to get a better life for my family

But I fall short every time, bills piling up
Unending
Stretching on for all eternity

Can it be? 
Is there hope of dignity?
Could I really 
Hold my head high, live a life of liberty?

Sarah Palser

22 February 2012

When Helping Hurts

"How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor... and yourself"

Book written by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

This is my book report from the second book that I have read in my Community Development for Missions training school. My first book report on the book "Truth and Transformation" can be found here. 

A - What are the key themes and principles that were communicated in the book? 

When Helping Hurts was written to make people wanting to help the poor realise the ways in which they often end up hurting the poor more than they help them. It not only points out what we need to avoid in mission and community development, but also proposes alternative solutions to improve the way that we help poor people while avoiding hurting either or both parties in the process.

The first part of the book looks at the foundational concepts of helping without hurting. Herein it discusses why Jesus came to the Earth – not just to save our souls, but to restore our relationships with Him, ourselves, each other and the rest of creation. We need to remember that in every aspect of community development we want to be bringing restoration in these three areas, as Jesus did. The book then looks at the real definition of poverty from the perspective of the poorest people. The define it as being so much more than a lack of material possessions, but as a lack of dignity, value, self worth and power.

Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work. When we come in as outsiders to a poor community we need to realise that we have mutual brokenness. Financial gifts in these situations tend to do a lot more harm than good as they do not solve the underlying problem of poverty. In our attempt to bring about poverty alleviation, then, we need to strive to bring about reconciliation in all four relationship areas. This means that sharing the Gospel is key to being able to bring true transformation.

Part two of the book goes on to outline various strategies for helping the poor without infliction additional harm. It is essential to remember that development should be done with people and not for people. The importance of providing the right kind of help was then addressed, looking at examples where relief, restoration and development are appropriate and when they are not. An organisation should choose to focus on one of these areas to be the most effective.

Another principle discussed was to focus initially on what the community already has, rather than their needs. This helps a community to see their own strengths, rather than wallowing in their weaknesses. This can be done through Asset Mapping, Participatory Learning and Action or by an Appreciative Inquiry. In order to be the most beneficial to the community, the people themselves need to be involved in the development process from the planning stage, right through to the evaluation stage. In doing so, it is also imperative to give a voice to the marginalised and make sure that their input is also gained.

The third and final part of the book analysed practical strategies for helping without hurting. It first looked at the short term missions (STM) phenomenon. More often than not, STM go in, do something and leave feeling good about themselves. But the locals are often left in a much worse situation. There are many causes for the hurt that STM teams bring; the major reasons coming from the foreigner’s lack of understanding of the local’s culture, their concept of time and their concept of self. In order to be effective, STM need to come in through an existing ministry that is working long-term in the community and have a good understanding of the community’s needs and culture. STM teams need to seriously consider their reasons for taking a team, evaluate how the community is benefiting and ensure that the community actually want them there.

The book then went on to discuss the need for poverty alleviation methods in the United States itself which I have discussed in more detail in part C. After addressing what poverty looks like in the States, it outlined possible solutions that can be brought by the local church to the poor in their immediate surroundings. These can include workshops and classes on managing finances and training in the soft skills needed for successful employment. The final chapter then looked to the rest of the world and looked at ways in which different economic solutions can be implemented to bring about the material poverty alleviation required in a sustainable long-term fashion.

B - How can you apply these themes and principles to both your personal life and as a community development practitioner?

This book has been great because, while it has not taught me that many totally new things, it puts things that I have learnt in various different parts of life in one concise book. I am excited to take this book home and give it to the missions committee at my church to challenge the way that we do missions and propose some changes to our STM programs. I have learnt the importance of including the locals in every step of the development process and this is something that I want to make sure I implement in my personal life and in any development involvement.

I have previously been involved in helping communities out by doing practical things that I now realise they could have done for themselves. I now recognise how hurtful this can be and will endeavour never to do it again. Ensuring that the community themselves actually want us there, not just our group thinking we are needed, is also something that I will take into consideration in the future. Finally, this book has given me some new, insightful ideas for how to further develop my Masters in Computer Science work that I plan to do in 2013 with additional elements that will help bring about greater lasting change. I really enjoyed the book and I look forward to having the opportunity to put what I have learnt into practice.

C - Is there anything in this book that you have more questions about or disagree with?

I struggled the most with chapter 8 which addressed material ‘poverty’ in the United States. I put poverty in inverted commas on purpose, as I cannot agree with the authors that this is true material poverty. The authors described their monetary income, the amount of the welfare cheques they receive and their living conditions; all of which are better than most people in South Africa. I cannot believe that someone would be considered ‘below the poverty line’ while receiving $1200 from the government each month, the equivalent of nearly R10000; a reasonable starting salary for university graduates in South Africa. I understand that the cost of living can be higher in the United States in some respects, but I also think that the expected standard of living is extremely high. I cannot agree that these people need government or church funding, when they are already living better lives than the majority of the rest of the world, and thus I cannot consider them to be living in poverty. If you truly want to see poverty, you need to go and see how people live in the rest of the world. 

Truth and Transformation

The first book that I read during CDFM (Community Development For Missions) is called "Truth and Transformation". It is written by an Indian man named Vishal Mangalwandi. It is subtitled "A Manifesto for Ailing Nations" and looks at the ways in which communities can be transformed through the truth of the Bible. Below is the book report that I wrote for my class, answering three specific questions. I decided to post it as a blog so that you guys can get a little glimpse of the type of stuff I'm learning about.

A - What are the key themes and principles that were communicated in the book?

The first part of the book addressed the question “Do we need transformation?” The West was transformed by the Reformation in the 16^th Century, when the moral values of the Bible became the foundation of many nations. From corruption and an uprooting of these values that originally transformed societies, it is possible that the West is slowly losing the moral ground that has helped them prosper in the last half millennium. Rationality is discussed to be rooted in Christianity and the trigger for the technological progress of the West. The value in humanity and the freedom from menial labour that Christ’s death brought enabled humans to advance societies. Instead of seeking spiritual enlightenment through meditation, they sought to develop their minds and stretch their capabilities to experience life abundantly. Societies where this has not happened still are still spiritually oppressed and burdened by menial labour.

The family unit is highly valued in the Bible and its importance in Western civilisation’s history enabled strong communities to be built. The downfall of the family unit’s importance in more recent years has been a trigger of the West’s recent collapse. Likewise, the idea that humans are made equal in the image of God shaped much of the West’s previous success. However, in societies where value is not given to all people, oppression, poverty and death result. 

The second part of the book continued by looking at the question “Can nations be healed?” When looking at what Jesus accomplished on Earth and through his death and resurrection, Vishal discusses that Jesus’ wounds are for the healing of the nations, not just to save our souls. This includes bringing reconciliation between hostile people groups. Jesus has a rebellious compassion that practically loved people, while fighting against the injustice in Israel.  We are called to do the same in order to bring transformation.

The Kingdom of Heaven comes on Earth when we submit ourselves to God’s Word. Recognising the spiritual forces on the Earth, both good and evil, is necessary in order to combat the strongholds of the enemy, which hold communities in bondage, to bring freedom and life. Truth is the key to transformation and the ability for us as humans to cultivate our minds is a gift from God. Christians need to take an active role in education and teach people to know God. Jesus came to give us the knowledge of truth, for the truth will set us free. The Law that God gave us sets the way for community development to occur. When even one of the Ten Commandments is not upheld in a community, its downfall is inevitable. The consequences of our sin lead to poverty and pain. God’s law is a blessing that can revolutionise cultures and communities.

Following from this, the third part of the book addressed the question “How does the Gospel transform?” For a society to be reformed, it needs to be made aware of what is wrong, what is right and how it can change. This requires a spiritual awakening and mass movement. Evangelism is thus vital for proclaiming the truth that sets people free. This must include both that Jesus saves and that Jesus is Lord. This revelation can only come by the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives us the strength to stand against the powers and principalities that are corrupt and evil. Through Him we are able to refuse to accept injustice, no matter the consequences.

The church has been given to nurture people into truth that encourages loving relationships. As a community of self-sacrificing love that it is intended to be, the church can stand against poverty. We need to stand up to empower the oppressed as Jesus did. Through His death, Jesus brought about restoration in our relationships with Him, each other and with creation. We can thus have hope, even in the midst of what circumstances that might seem hopeless, for in Jesus there is hope in spite of our human failures. God’s purpose was to restore man’s dominion over the earth and will not destroy it when He comes again, but will make it new and come to live with us on Earth forever (John 14:23, Rev 21:2-3). If we want to see God’s power bring deliverance, we need to act in faith and obedience to what he calls us to.

Finally, the fourth part of the book posed the question “How can I participate?” This section is an appendix to the main book and deals with three different topics: Corruption and the Culture of the Cross; From Worldview Programs to Kingdom Movement; and finally, Transform America: Retake Education.


B - How can you apply these themes and principles to both your personal life and as a community development practitioner?

This book has opened my eyes to see the amazing way that God blesses communities who are founded on his Word. I was not previously aware how influential this has been to the successful development of the West since the Reformation. I can now see that even those who do not believe in Jesus are blessed through a community that follows his commands. This has influenced the way in which I understand Jesus’ prayer, “May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”.

In my personal life I have been thus challenged to look for every opportunity to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, no matter where I am. I want to bring freedom for the captives, like Jesus did, and stand up against injustice, no matter the cost. As a community developer practitioner I one day hope to bring restoration in communities with each other, God and humankind, through teaching them God’s truths and a knowledge of Him. This will free them from the dominion of Satan and allow them to step into their purpose as people made in God’s image.


C - Is there anything in this book that you have more questions about or disagree with?

There are a number of times in the book where I felt that Vishal’s arguments were too generalised out of a specific case study and where he assumed an understanding of a premise that wasn’t fully rationalised in his argument. From this I struggled to fully agree with some of his arguments, while still understanding the heart of what he was trying to convey. There were also times in the book where I had to grapple with his argument for a while before being able to agree with what he was saying.

His focus and case studies often came from very different cultures from the ones in which I have grown up and thus I sometimes saw times where, while his application may apply in a European and Eastern society, it was not true for an African society. An example is his illustration of the ancient societies being able to build temples to their gods but not to liberate the menial labour of their people, keeping them in poverty. In Africa there has never been significant technological progress that was hindered by an incorrect worldview. Overall, however, I found the book to be a very interesting read, with a unique outlook that broadened my understanding of Community Development.

So far so good :)

It's been two weeks, but it feels like so much longer than that! Being back at YWAM Denver is so amazing and I'm really really enjoying it so far. At first a I was a little nervous about coming back, because I knew that a lot would be different from my last time here in 2007, and also because of how much I have changed and grown since then. But it's only been a week and I already feel like I've known everyone for a few months and my room mates totally feel like family! It is especially awesome having Paul here and, even though we don't get to hang out that often, it's just great having him nearby and seeing the way that God is working in his life. 

Paul at the lake near the YWAM base. The YWAM base is directly behind him in the distance.

There are just five of us in my school, Community Development for Missions (CDFM). We are a really nice mix: Dante is our only guy and he is from the Bahamas. He is going to MIT in September to study Chemical Engineering. Kourtney is from Viginia and she went on her DTS outreach to South Africa and volunteered in Haiti for 9 months after the earthquake. She wants to study nursing after this school. Sarah G is a Missionary Kid who lived in Thailand and Burma for 4 years. She is now studying Renuable Energy for International Development in the States and taking a semester break to do this course. And finally there's Crissy who is originally from Colorado but has travelled a lot and is passionate about helping women caught in trafficking and prostitution.

My CDFM class: Crissy, Sarah G, Angie (staff), Keri (director), Jonathan, Kourtney, me, Jenna (staff and my small group leader), Dante and Kai (assistant director)

Our leaders are also really awesome people. Keri is originally from the UK and he has his Masters in Mechanical Engineering with a specialision in Community Development. His wife, Angie, is a nurse and they both have a huge heart for missions. They also have a really adorable 2 year old son called Jonathan who I am very quickly falling in love with, and another baby on the way :)

Angie and Jonathan

Last week we spent most of the time bonding and getting to know each other. We also went over the basic introductory things about being in YWAM and rules of the base etc. This week we are doing a video conference with a lady called Christine from the YWAM base in Khona, Hawaii. There have been quite a few issues with the technology, but they got stored out by Tuesday. 

The road outside the YWAM base, very often full of geese!

Thankfully God is able to work regardless and I have learnt so much about the lies that hold back cultures and societies and how we need to go to the root of these beliefs in order to bring about change, rather than just trying to bring change on higher level without looking at the reason for the lack of development in the area. Because so often the reason for the community being in that situation is rooted in a lie that they or someone else believes about them and until that lie has been replaced by God's truth. For example that we are ALL made in God's image and that he has given us dominion over the earth and we are not controlled by it. Through this truth God can bring about lasting change. I'm really looking forward to what else I am going to learn this week and I'm really excited for the rest of this training school!

The YWAM base covered in a fresh layer of snow :)

The weekly outreach that I'm involved in with the rest of my CDFM class is teaching English to Karen refugees from Burma who are now living in the States. We had EFL training on Sunday which was pretty interesting. Monday was our first outreach and I got to take the two hyper 10 year old twin boys, who were distracting the class, aside and teach them Maths, which I thoroughly enjoyed! They are such characters! I'm really looking forward to going back and working with them every week.

Ahtim and Ahtow

The adventures to come in 2012

It's about time that I update you on the exciting plans that I have for next year! I forced myself not to focus too much on next year until my thesis was done. But now that it is, I get to be SUPER excited about what is to come and I want to share it with you :)

http://www.ywamdenver.org/

I'm planning on going back to YWAM Denver for the first 6 months of next year. This is something that I've been wanting to do since I was there in 2007 for my Gap year for a Discipleship Training School (DTS) and School of Biblical Foundations (SBF). God called me to YWAM Denver specifically so that I could do the School of Worship (SOW) there, but the timing clashed with Kirsty (my sister)'s wedding that year. So I had peace about coming home and doing my degree and going back to do it after I finish, which is now! 

SOW is only 3 months long (April - June), so I decided that if I was going to be setting aside a chunk of the year directly for growing in my relationship with God and my passions, I may as well make use of the time and do another school while I'm there. While God didn't directly call me to do another school like he did with SOW, he gave me peace that if I choose to do one he will bless me richly through the experience. I initially wanted to do the School of Evangelism (SOE), or WISE (Worship, Intercession, Spiritual Warfare and Evangelism) - as it is called at YWAM Denver, but the dates of that school got moved so it wasn't an option anymore. 

http://www.ywamdenver.org/

I then spent some time praying and looking into different options and eventually was led to the Community Development for Missions school (CDFM). At first I had some pride issues I needed to get over, as I thought that I would probably be able to teach them a lot of what would be taught in the school, having grown up in a third world country and being involved in missions over the years. For example, the annual trips that I go on with my church to the rural areas of Mthatha [See these blog posts (1) and (2)]. But God brought me to a place of recognizing my pride and realising the incredible way that doing this school would complement my academic studies and future work opportunities. 


I'm planning on doing my Masters in Computer Science in 2013, focusing on the area of ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology for Socio-Economic Development). I've done my Honours thesis (in collaboration with Learn to Earn) in this area. I really want to pursue this field of study and look at ways in which technology can be used and appropriated effectively to bring about change in poor communities. God pointed out that having an all-rounded understanding of Community Development will help make the technology that I develop more effective in changing peoples lives.

Here is an extract from the YWAM Denver website about what each school covers:

http://www.ywamdenver.org/training/school-of-worship/

School of Worship:

Our purpose is to raise-up worshippers who are passionate about Jesus and skillfully trained; those who will not only minister to God's heart, but will go into all the world with His high praises in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand (Psalm 149:6). As part of our program, each student will be taught on songwriting and given the opportunity to write and perform his or her own songs. Then, at the end of the quarter, several of these songs will be compiled into an album that is produced and released through YWAM Denver. 

http://www.ywamdenver.org/training/community-development-for-missions/

Community Development for Missions:

The School of Community Development For Missions is based on God's instruction for us to love our neighbor, help the poor and disciple the nations. The goal of CDFM is to equip missionaries with a skill-set in community development; and see communities around the world empowered to escape the trap of poverty and take control of their own lives. Students will learn key concepts in successful community development and be introduced to issues faced in developing countries. The school provides tools in community assessment and guidance on how to implement projects. A graduate of the school will be equipped with practical tools, resources and contacts to pursue their specific area of interest.

I will not be going on any outreaches after these schools, and as such they will simply be a training and equipping time for me to be more effective in the various ministries that God has called me to. I don't feel particularly called to full time missions at this stage, but I am open to it if God leads me in that way in the future. Right now, however, I recognise that I have a unique combination of technical skills and passion for seeing communities changed that God can use me in, even if it is in an academic setting. 

http://www.ywamdenver.org/training/compassion-dts/

I'm stoked to be able to say that my boyfriend, Paul, is planning on going to YWAM Denver too during the same time period to do a Compassions DTS. It has been a long journey for him to decide to do this and has been largely uninfluenced by my decision to go. I'm excited about what us both being in YWAM for this time may mean for our future. But I'm also very aware that this time is specifically for each of us to grow in our relationships with God first and foremost, and as a couple secondly. He is not a member of my church, Pinelands Baptist Church (PBC), so he is not asking for financial support from us, but I know that he would really appreciate our prayer support. His church, while backing him spiritually, are not willing to support him financially. As such, he is following God very obediently and having to totally rely on God to provide for his school fees and living expenses. 

We will be leaving on 29 December and spending a week in England with family before heading to Denver on the 8th. CDFM and DTS both start on 9 January and SOW will run while Paul is on outreach. 

Paul and me

We would both absolutely love for you to support us in prayer during the adventure to come! If you would like to be added to a list of prayer supporters to receive our updates, please email me. I will also be posting regular update here, so you can subscribe (on the left hand panel) to these posts. If you would like to support us financially, please send me and email and I can send you more details. 

First two ministry days in Mthatha

At the moment I'm in Mthatha, a rural area in South Africa, the traditional homeland of the Xhosa people. I'm here with my church on a missions trip, doing some community development, running a holiday club for kids and a discipleship program for youth. The rest of this post is an extract from my prayer request to my prayer partners. Feel free to read it and pray if God leads you to.

Our ministry times have been going quite well, without too many issues. Yesterday it took a while go gather some of the kids from the community, because word hadn't spread that we were coming. We took the time to walk around the village, praying and greeting the people as we went. Within about an hour we had a whole group of kids and were able to play games, do sport, sing songs, chat and run our holiday club program of worship, Bible story, memory verse and craft activity.

After the memory verse, I went out with the teenage girls and some of the leaders to chat. We did an icebreaker to get to know each other and explained why we were there and what we wanted to do. I gave them paper, and we asked them to write down questions that they wanted us to answer during the course of the week. Some of the questions broke my heart, like "what do I do when I'm in deep trouble?" and "what should I do if I have HIV?".

Today Emily spoke about healthy eating and how to look after your body well and focused on what to do if you have HIV. There is a shortage of Antiretrivirals in the area, and since the government officials take preference, the poorer clinics never receive any antiret supplies. There is no way for people here who have HIV to prevent it's development into AIDS and thus it is still a death sentence. The most heartbreaking question we got today, aside from "how do I help my friend with HIV?" and "is it ok for me to have sex with my boyfriend on a Sunday?", was "what can I do if my parents are forcing me to have sex for money?" I nearly cried when I read it! We cannot change the culture here in one week. We can't change the parents minds, the boys actions or the government presence. Trying to tell these girls that they have worth and purpose and are created in God's image and are loved by him just doesn't seem enough.

Please pray for incredible wisdom for us all. The teenage boys are also having a ministry time now during the kids program, and they asked questions about evolution and creation, because the school syllabus teachers such contradictions from the Bible.

The weather is also another concern. It has been VERY cold and the rain today prevented us from being able to do practical work this afternoon. Part of this time was going to be for water distribution, like we did yesterday, but obviously people didn't need water from us because of the rain. It's such a blessing to the nearby village that it's raining, as their water is off for the whole village. So I don't know if we should be praying for the rain to stop or not ;) Just pray that we will be able to be productive and find things to do to bless the missionaries here when we are not able to do the work that we had planned.

On a more personal note, I'm very grateful to have been able to wash my hair in warm water today as I havent been able to since Friday. I'm feeling very clean and happy! Praise God for another good nights sleep, and earplugs that enabled me to sleep through when some girls from the other team got up at 4:30am to shower! I've been able to rest get some much needed rest and personal space this afternoon and I'm feeling good. Please continue to pray for good sleep and good health :)