Gateway Week Three: World Perspective & Transformational Development

Here comes the sun (do-do-doo-doo), here comes the sun, I say...

Hooray! The snow has melted, the temperatures are slowly climbing (lows in the 20s and 30s at night, highs in the low 60s during the day), and we are enjoying this great season in Texas.



This week our teachings have all been about different world views and what perspective do you see the world through. Why, you might ask? Well, because how we see the world greatly affects the decisions we make and the way we live our lives. If I believe in karma and I'm living the consequences of a past life, I don't have much hope for the future - I'm trapped in this body until I get reincarnated as something better. If I believe that dust exploded and we are a product of chance, then I better solve my own problems, and this life is all I get, so make the most of it.



Or, if we believe that God created the world and we were created in His image, with a mind, body, emotions, will and spirit, then I can live my life to the fullest while also fulfilling my God given destiny and the purposes that He has while here and for all eternity.



We've also been discussing how our underlying assumptions form our value systems, and these become evident in the fruit in our life. For instance, the speaker, Camille Bishop, referenced an experience she had in Albania, where she attended a wedding. In Albania, the brides customarily look sad during their weddings. To an outsider, this appears strange. But, in that culture, there is an extremely high value on family. When an Albanian bride marries, she is essentially saying goodbye to her parents, so the underlying assumption is to show respect to them. Without understanding the root (the assumptions), it becomes easy to misjudge these actions.



So often we look at actions and judge them based on our own underlying assumptions, but if we follow the example that Jesus portrayed, we must look to the root of why people behave or live the way they do, without superimposing our own assumptions on them.

Today we celebrated with an African feast - our speaker, Edward Davies, is from Sierra Leone and helped give us a glimpse into the culture we will be working with over the next ten months. We had delicious chicken, rice, peas, plantains, and mango custard.

Edward told us a great example today- I'll let you formulate your own conclusions of what it pertains to: How the Monkey Saved the Fish. Lots to think about when we consider transformational development. Sometimes our intentions are really not in the best interest of anyone else. Compassion, involvement, and courage aren't enough if you make questionable assumptions. We need good understanding and good information as well as relationship in order to truly be able to know the needs and help those around us, wherever they may be.



What is culture? Edward says that culture is What You Do Without Thinking About It. I liked this definition. It makes me realize that everyone has a culture, even when you don't feel very "cultural."



So, it's been a full week with lots of deep thinking and discussion, and recognizing that without the Lord's guidance and his instruction, there is the potential to create systems of dependency and "help" becomes "hindrance."



Have time for one more link? Here's an amazing video we watched about Garbage City, Cairo, Egypt. This is an example of what transformational development really should (and can) look like. (it's in two parts - follow the link for the first part, second video is on that screen on the right). It's a bit lengthy, but worth the time if you have 15 minutes or so.

Okay, onto some lighter subjects! We celebrated Aussie Day this week -

here's one of our Aussie's (Deb) celebrating, and teaching us the Aussie Cheer!

The girls continue to do well with school and are functioning even with 6:45am wake up time (this is the first time we've ever had to get up this early!!).

Here's an early morning shot of Kylie:

And here's Savannah with her famous (infamous?) bedhead!

Thank goodness for detangler.


Thanks for your diligence in reading- we will update again next week- hopefully with some great pictures as Dan will be going through Basic Safety Training (Fire Fighting Instruction, CPR, First Aid, Personal Survival, Water Survival and Crowd Management). I will be helping out in the warehouse with sorting of medical supplies, and we'll be getting ready for our departure for Sierra Leone! It proves to be a full week!! TTFN (Ta Ta For Now...)

Preparing for Ship Life

Countdown to Africa....2.5 Weeks...

Part of the beauty and wonder of missions is the way that God loves the nations. Here are a few of the flags flying above our classroom every day. These are nations commonly represented here in class.

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What sort of things are you doing during your time in Texas?? Well, for most of our week we are in class and learning methods on how to minister to the poor, adjusting to life in community, and doing role-plays and skits on conflict resolution (living with 400 people in cramped quarters is going to provide MANY opportunities to learn, which is our new definition of conflict). But, we also have some logistical details to take care of, and some fun things to do, too. One of these was a Wal-Mart run (sorry, to all you anti-Walmart people, but there's not a Target for thirty miles). Forget a raincoat? Your prescription needs filling? New socks? Particular about soap, shampoo, or detergents? Now is the time to stock up!

Miriam, a Kiwi, is very proud of her visit to Wal-Mart. She declares herself a Wal-Mart addict now. $3 t-shirts? Unbelievable! Her Play-Dough one is her favorite. :)


After several days of chilly weather (in the 20s), an afternoon with sunshine feels so nice! This was on Wednesday afternoon as we visited a couple's home on the Mercy Ships campus, that has many pieces of the former ships incorporated right into it. Here an Aussie and Brit are soaking in the rays.

Here's a view from the reading loft of that home, of the team enjoying homemade bread and jam and a spot of tea as we checked out the "unofficial Mercy Ships museum."

Settlers of Catan has come out of its box several times for some destressing in evenings after eight hour days in the classroom.

And with these goofy guys, there are always some shenanigans going on.
(German, German, American (can't you tell??), Austrian, and Canadian)

And we have been fed really, (REALLY) well. So several of us girls have been doing an Australian Biggest Loser DVD to help burn off some of those extra calories! We are sweaty by the time dinner rolls around.

WallyBall is another option. The property that Mercy Ships owns was built for another company previously. Included on the campus is a full gymnasium with a weight room and a racquetball court, which doubles as the scene for some crazy Wally Ball after dinner in the evenings. Don't let these mean faces scare you away!
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Monday we were able to put all our long-term items into boxes and send them to the warehouse to be shipped over to Sierra Leone by container across the sea. So, now we just have enough to carry in our eight bags with us as we fly out in two and a half weeks.

We are so excited to see this next step of our journey approaching!!

How are the girls, you might ask?

The girls continue to have a great time at school. Last night as we were walking to the gym on the Mercy Ships' campus, there was a group of 4th & 5th grade boys playing basketball (possibly a rec league or something?). Kylie recognized one of the boys from her class at school and called out a greeting to him.

Both girls are being loved on and absorbed by our classmates here and are having a wonderful time. Dan and I, too, are learning a lot and grateful for this time of calm and acclimation before we enter the fast pace of life on the ship. We are also glad to get a jumpstart on meeting our crewmates - it will be nice to start on the ship knowing 30 out of the 400 people.

This week we did have a tragedy too: our laptop died. So, along with getting our malaria prescriptions filled and cancelling our cell phone plans and stopping by the bank, we'll be laptop shopping also. Please pray that we'll be pointed to the right one.

We are praying that as the Lord physically leads us on this journey, that He will lead you on this journey as well - of trusting Him more deeply and being challenged out of your comfort zone, whatever that might be for you in this season.




ps- a big shout out to all the great photographers of our Gateway team - most of these photos were taken by them and borrowed from their facebook albums. :)

Thoughts After One Week, and a Birthday for Dan!

we eat our breakfast in our dorm kitchen, then have lunch and dinner in the cafeteria. They are keeping us well fed (too well fed, in fact!)

It's been a wonderful week here, despite the surprise of winter wonderland weather!

The girls have had a great week at their new (and temporary) public schools. One week down, three to go.

Savannah is enjoying her teacher and the new friends in her second grade class. They go to P.E. three times a week, the computer lab once a week, and the library the other day. She was bummed I picked her up early for our group photo on Tuesday, because they were just getting ready for indoor recess. She thinks math is easier here ("they don't even do multiplication!"), and is in the Nancy Drew Reading Club which feels like a real privilege. Savannah came home on Wednesday speaking with a drawl - we think she has a knack for accents, and she's been perfecting her British English as well - with Welch, British, Kiwis, Aussies, South Africans, Canadians, Austrians, Dutch, and Germans here, there are many accents to work on, domestic and international!

Kylie, too, finds the math to be a little bit easier here, and has had a good time playing four-square in the gym. She has made two friends in her class: Bree, and Bri (both girls). She also asked me if I would buy ramen noodles for her snack time. I was confused by this and asked,
"Do you have a microwave?" "No, mommy, you eat them raw. They are SOOOO good!" Something new I learned!

They are thoroughly enjoying meeting new friends and picking on the 20-somethings. They got their nails done this week by one of the girls here in our class who has a soft spot in her heart for them, and they are having fun. Even waking up at 6:45 hasn't been too much of an adjustment, so we are thankful for this!

Our topics this week in class have been really good- grounding us in the foundations of the character of God (i.e. who do we serve and the need for all of our service to stem out of our relationship with Him and our communication from Him). The verse that has been really studied in depth this week is Exodus 34:6-7, what the LORD spoke to Moses as He was passing in front of him while on the mountain, at the time of the creation of the ten commandments:

The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.

Key points:

1. God is compassionate


2. God is gracious


3. He is slow to anger


4. He is abounding in love and faithfulness


5. He maintains love to thousands


6. He is forgiving of wickedness, rebellion and sin


7. He is just - all the punishing of the guilty can be left up to him- it doesn't go unnoticed.

So, the action becomes: how do you move from believing to TRUSTING? How do you not just say it, but LIVE it? While moving to Africa may seem like the extreme answer to this, really it's just an act of obedience. "Obedience is the opener of the eyes," a quote by George MacDonald has been hitting home to us this week. The more EXTREME of the acts of not just saying it, but living it, may be just reaching out to your neighbor (yes, the annoying one) with grace and compassion. We are challenged in those little, mundane moments as much (and sometimes more so) than in the big moves where we know God is in it.

Class has been revolving around topics such as this, with lots of good insight and discussion from all our cultural perspectives and experiences we bring to the table.

We were reminded that to LOVE someone means finding the BEST in them, and we certainly strove for that today with Dan celebrating his 34th birthday. He lead worship this morning (along with an Austrian and Cannuck) and that started his day off right. We also had a large Texan cookout tonight at the home of one of our Gateway leaders. Brisket, sausage, grilled chicken, beans, corn on the cob... a true cultural experience!

And we had some fun as some of the students planned and orchestrated a balloon popping obstacle course for him - with a little jesting of course, thrown in for good measure.

We are looking forward to our silent retreat tomorrow (the girls will go with another family hamster shopping and a day out on the town), and tomorrow night and Sunday we'll do our final reorganizing and packing to get all the stuff we're sending directly onto the ship (and won't need with us the next three and a half weeks here and our two and a half week outreach in Sierra Leone on land) packed and ready. They are loading the container starting Monday and it will get sent this week.

TTFN (Ta-ta for now!)

Public School for the Girls (and Tidbits on East Texas Football Culture)

As you can tell, Kylie was real sure of herself, and our decision to put the girls into public school for our month here in Texas. Why, you might ask? Well, basically we were advised by many people here at Mercy Ships who have seen families come and go through the Gateway program. Most families have put their children into the local school district and have been very warmly received and loved on during their time. So, Monday was the FIRST day we were waiting for.

Then weather rolled in on Sunday and the rain changed to sleet which changed to snow. So we checked the website and found out that school was two hours delayed. Supposedly most students come from rural areas and ride the school bus which is a 1 or 1.5 hour trip each way. Since it is Texas and they aren't equipped with snow plows and machines to salt or sand the roads, they wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

So, at 9:50am Kylie had to report to her new school:









No, we don't REALLY have a middle schooler, but in the school district of Van (town of 2400, school district of 2500), they have so many children, they have split up the schools into several: Pre-K through 1st on one campus, 2nd-3rd on another, and 4th-6th on yet another. This is the one they deem the Middle School.







Kylie went in with a smile on her face, and didn't even want Dan to walk her to her new classroom- she went willingly with her counselor, Mrs. Hutchins.







After her first day, the report was that it was "good, but frustrating." She had a moment where her teacher was correcting papers outloud, and Kylie fell behind. So, either Kylie needs to pick up her game, or the accent plays a part in the processing. She also was worried about remembering to say, "Yes, Ma'am" or "No, Ma'am," but that did not seem to be an issue, on the first day anyway.







Another mile down the road is the "Elementary" campus where Savannah is set to attend. Unfortunately, her teacher was out for the first day at a workshop, but had left a note for her welcoming her to the class and apologizing for missing Savannah's first day. I think she'll have a wonderful time in this class. Two girls were very helpful and made her feel welcome, and they got to play basketball in the gym, so she was thrilled with that, too!

While being introduced to the school on Friday, our new friends The Holmes' were telling us bits and pieces about the community and the schools. I found this part about football fascinating, so I wanted to share it with you:

EAST TEXAS FOOTBALL INDOCTRINATION

So, I was told that in Van, the football players don't have to go to school on game days (so they can mentally prepare for the game). Also, each class in the early elementary school has "adopted" a player, and that player comes into the classroom and talks with the class about football (and life, I suppose). That way, each student feels integral in the game and desires to attend the game and see how "his/her" player performs.

When our little friend Katie was in kindergarten, her teacher's son was on the football team, and he became their "pet" player. When he was out with an injury, many kindergarteners were in tears. And so begins the legacy of the love of Texas football.

While we were here this fall, the first news to greet you on the Tyler paper was the high school football score and review from the night before:

(I guess this shows a bit of the faith I had that we'd be coming back here, and blogging about it, since I took this picture for that very purpose!)

Photos of our Time at Gateway

We made it! Thursday night we arrived at the Mercy Ships headquarters, nestled in East Texas between Van, Garden Valley, Lindale and Tyler. Here are some pictures we took between then and now.

The girls at the entrance gate

The girls posing at the giant anchor

The end result of a group/team building exercise

Kylie hard at work with her group, trying to stack the cups with the rubber band and strings

Savannah's group was also still hard at work

Savannah getting decked out for the chocolate bar relay race (another ice breaker)

Alicia, our school director, is on the left here in the International Lounge

Going on a walk through the campus (pre-snow; pictures to follow)

with new friends Miriam (5)and Betty Lou (1)

A look at the Oasis Cafe (dining hall) and the water tower

Some sisterly love

The weather that has greeted us since Sunday!

Here we are, freezing!! Today I think the high was 19 degrees! Yikes! I thought we were packing for tropical Africa??

The rain to sleet to ice to snow did make for gorgeous scenery though.

Here's the view from out our dorm window - not too many cars in the parking lot this morning- even the schools were two hours delayed due to the weather.... more about the schools in the next post! Stay tuned!!

Arriving at Gateway

It's been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks!

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We visited friends and family in Colorado, spending Christmas and New Year's there tidying up last unfinished bits and pieces. Then it was off to El Paso, Texas to catch up with some of our dear friends from our days of meeting, dating, getting engaged, and working with King's Kids. It was a sweet time!

Yesterday we spent eleven hours driving across the state of Texas. Dan felt like he was out of place without any Wranglers, boots, or gun racks. We learned via a billboard that Judgment Day is coming (5.21.11, in case you were curious), and saw more oil rigs, windmills, and vet clinics than we've seen in a long time. We also had the pleasure of seeing a cattle auction/steak house combined.

The girls thoroughly enjoy our long driving days because it means a break from their (oh-so-strict) normal rule of one movie per day, after chores. What a difference roadtrips have experienced with the advent of portable dvd players!

After replacing a radiator in Denver (thank you 1-800-Radiator for the great deal!), we experienced smooth sailing and no car problems. So, we are grateful for arriving here.

It started to set in yesterday- all the fanfare was done, our visiting and hype was over....
We Are Actually Doing This!! Time for excitement!

The girls were thrilled to see our living quarters for the next month- they have a little room with their own beds, own closets, and had fun finally UNpacking and setting up house for a month. We will have dinner with some new friends tonight and they begin school on Monday.

Our classes will begin tomorrow (Saturday) and today more of our classmates will be arriving and getting settled in. We hope to explore the grounds today and familiarize ourselves for our stay over the next few weeks.

Our computer keeps kicking us off internet when I try to upload photos, so I'll post this, and try to add some pictures to it in a minute.