IDR Christmas Party '07

The Christmas Party this year was a fun and food-filled time! We missed those who weren't able to be there -- but Julie can probably find some extra white elephant gifts if anyone wants a little recycled "treasure" to plop down under your tree. : )


Merry Christmas to all!

Reflections

There is a river somewhere on the road between here and Virginia. I have crossed it many times over the past 10 years, but the day I took this picture it struck me as exceptionally beautiful. I have this photo hanging in my office at work, and yesterday I found myself looking at it, wondering for the hundredth time - how can the reflection in the water be more clear than the hazy sky?

Now for the very short deep thought of the day - do we see God more clearly as He is reflected in others? My prayer is to be that clear reflection to those around me. I can maybe go one step further in the analogy before stretching it too far - only still waters can reflect so clearly. Think about it.... (Psalm 46:10)

-Karin

Advent Hope

Last Friday there was an advent reflections luncheon hosted by Campus Ministry. It was a nice opportunity to take a break from this very busy season in the academic and personal calender and focus on the meaning of advent. It was a time of guided reflection and sharing - begining by meditating on three words: waiting, patience, and hope.

It was interesting to hear the different thoughts and emotions evoked in various people - for some, waiting elicits excitment and anticipation, for others a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. It was agreed by most everyone present that patience does not come naturally! It takes practice and discipline, and is a trait that is ever more difficult to master living in a culture that thrives on instant access to whatever the heart desires.

And what about hope? Hope, for nearly everyone, evoked positive feelings - a sense of joy in what is to come, a way to see us through the waiting (patiently or otherwise!). The leader remarked that in Christian usage, hope has a very specific meaning: it is the confident expectation that God's plan will be revealed - for our lives, and for our world. For me this gave a richer meaning to the word. Hope is not the same as wishful thinking - in that case we wish (hope) that good things will come to pass, but have no real certainty that they actually will. Hope is intimately tied to faith - as followers of Christ, we are certain that God's grace and love are extended to us - no matter how much our current circumstances may make it feel otherwise. That hope is what allows us to patiently wait for the revelation of God's love.

So during advent we wait. Expectantly. Actively. Preparing the way for the light and hope of the world!

A blessed advent to you all.

--Lisa

Lord, give us safety?

At 3:30 this morning I was awakened by a loud beeping noise downstairs. It was the security system that was installed on my dining room wall by the people who lived in the house before me. And even though I have been under the impression that the sercurity service is no longer monitoring the house, the monitor device still lights up and looks menacing at night, so I have left it there to deter would be burgalers.

So, here it was 3:30 in the morning and the alarm was going off. I tripped over the cats, hurried downstairs -- flipping all of the lights on as I passed -- and stood in front of the monitor feeing suddenly a little bit worried. The alarm service monitors for break-ins at the front door and back door, and "motion in the living room." And suddenly I wondered two things: 1.) Is this service actually still working. 2.) And if so, has someone just broken into my house?

I grabbed the cell phone, dialed 9-1-... and carried the phone with me, finger on the 1, as I checked all the dark spaces downstairs -- the closets, the front and back doors -- praying all the way "Lord, keep us safe tonight."

All was safe in the house. And when I called the security alarm people, they said it was likely just a problem with the battery. I crawled back into bed and said the prayer again, just to be sure. "Lord, give us safety for the rest of the night."

And then I thought about it. Why was my first instinct to ask God for "safety?" Why not "courage" to face whatever situation was about to present itself to me?
And I wondered
Is it a cultural thing?
Are we so used to having "safety" here in our country -- where the police are generally NOT corrupt, where wars fought by our nation are generally played out on other nations' soil and near other peoples' homes -- that we cannot imagine having to face danger and still trust God in the midst of them?

Or, on the other side of that coin, are we so afraid in this country -- where gang violence, house break-ins, thefts, and drug related crimes are regrettably common in urban settings like ours -- that we pray only for "safety," so that we don't have to see what our God is really made of when things get scary around us?

And if we habitually pray for safety and not for courage, what will that mean when we again enter an era in this country when tough choices about reputation and safety must be made on behalf of what is right? Choices like those that people made during the era of the underground railroad, the civil rights movement of the 60s, or even during the Holocaust in Europe? What about folks who make these tough decisions in their daily lives today? Peace workers in South America, Iraq, and Congo; Church leaders in underground churches in Indonesia and beyond...

And so at 3:30 in the morning I paused to ask the question: Are we really so far from a time when we as U.S. Christians must also ask for courage in addition to just safety? And if we do so, what amazing things might God be able to do among us and through us?

I admit, I prefer safety. But perhaps I should think of these things more often at 3and 4 in the morning.

Because now I wonder this: Is setting off alarms in my house at 3am the only way that God can get me to sit in silence in the dark...and really, truly listen?

Perhaps it is.

- Janelle

The toughest job you'll ever love

October 27, 2007

The man who dreamed up this whole idea, President Kennedy, once said of the Peace Corps: “But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying”. Boy, was he right! I haven’t written on this blog for a while, and I have been neglecting my other blog as well. Unfortunately, what President Kennedy didn’t mention is that life is going to change on a daily basis. One day you want to cry because your language skills are terrible, the next day you are laughing so hard you almost pee in your pants while trying on Peruvian dresses, or the following day you are rubbing your sore leg after a dog bit you while running. Even then, I still do not know what will come tomorrow. My life changes on a whim’s notice, and I am off doing something I had never expected to do. It is exciting, challenging, sometimes very frustrating, and yes, rich and satisfying.

Lately I have been getting more and more involved in my community. At first I was shy, keeping to myself and being incognito. It just doesn’t work. You have blonde hair, green eyes, waltzing through the plaza, a foot taller than everyone else – they are going to notice you. And if you aren’t there, they notice your absence even more. So, I have decided to stop caring so much about what my community thinks of me or what cultural blunder I might commit next. It is really difficult though, because even the smallest things are huge insults, like not greeting someone properly or sharing the food you have. But I am learning. I just have to laugh at my mistakes, cry quietly into my pillow at night, hold my head high, pray a lot, ask for forgiveness on a daily basis, and do everything with a sincere positive attitude. Most of all, I have to be myself.

The question I have been facing lately, however, is who I am exactly. I can say “be myself”, but who is that girl? Sometimes I attack all projects with a huge sense of idealism; this time I shall save the world! It is nearly impossible. Development work just doesn’t work like that. You can have the big victory in the back of your mind, but really you have to work on the small things first in front of you. I expected things to be difficult and challenging, but never so tedious and I will admit, sometimes boring. I have always wanted to be this person who is incredibly outgoing, witty, funny, and personable; with all of my sincere attempts I expected to make tons of friends and be weaving on the street corner with all of the elderly women in my town. It just doesn’t happen that way. First off, I am slightly shy. It takes a while before I can open up to others. Second, sometimes I really do prefer being by myself in my room reading, rather than out in the plaza dancing to huayno music or attracting attention. So, throughout these past five months, I have had to learn more about myself and realize that I can only be who I am, and no one else. It is difficult, because sometimes I just want to build a ladder and climb up to God and ask Him what in the heck is going on. I just want this perfectly laid out map of where I am supposed to go and what I am supposed to do. However, for the first time in my life I am going to be content with no answers. I am just going to go with the flow, take on projects that arise out of the community’s needs, and not be so persistent and proactive. It is hard, because I have a “Type A” personality, but perhaps the answers can be found in the things I cannot control.

Things are going well in Peru and I feel more and more productive everyday. A year ago I wouldn’t have thought hanging out in the city hall building for two hours, talking to random people would be productive – but in Peru, it is. Today I had several girls from the high school come over to my house and we all made vegetarian black bean soup. They had never had black beans and I think we enjoyed ourselves. It was pretty funny though, because we had to combine cultures – me with my vegetarian soup recipe and them with their rice and potatoes. And who knows, maybe this was just a random event to socialize – or perhaps these girls might have taken away something else. These are the small tiny details of development work that I never knew existed.

So, RMC community and fellow bloggers, I am surviving. They say it is the “toughest job you will ever love”, and it is true.


- Tiffany, Peace Corps Volunteer, Peru

Rilke has a way with words...

As I am prepared to tell the story of my summer field work tomorrow at RMC, I am rereading lots of old journal entries and other books that I read over the summer. One book in particular is Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet. I highly recommend this to anyone. I want to share a specific excerpt that has really spoken to me many times in the last 6 months.

"Were it possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches, and yet a little way beyond the outworks of our divining, perhaps we would endure our sadnesses with greater confidence than our joys. For they are the moments when something new has entered into us, something unknown; our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity, everything in us withdraws, a stillness comes, and the new, which no one knows, stands in the midst of it and is silent.
I believe that almost all our sadnesses are moments of tension that we find paralyzing because we no longer hear our surprised feelings living. Because we are alone with the alien thing that has entered into our self; because everything intimate and accustomed is for an instant taken away; because we stand in the middle of transition where we cannot remain standing. For this reason the sadness too passes: the new thing in us, the added thing, has entered into our heart, has gone into its inmost chamber and is not even there anymore,-is already in our blood. And we do not learn what it was. We could easily be made to believe that nothing has happened, and yet we have changed, as a house changes into which a guest has entered. We cannot say who has come, perhaps we shall never know, but may signs indicate that the future enters into us in this way in order to transform itself in us long before it happens. And this is why it is so important to be lonely and attentive when one is sad: because the aparently uneventful and stark moment at which our future set foot in us is so much closer to life than that other noisy and fortuitious point of time at which it happens to us as of from outside. The more still, more patient and more open we are when we are sad, so much deeper and so much more the unswervingly does the new go into us, so much the better do we make it ours, so much more will it be our destiny, and when on some later day it "happens" (that is, steps forth out of us to others), we shall feel in our inmost selves akin and near to it. And that is necessary. It is necessary-and toward this our development will move gradually-that nothing strange should befall us, but only that which has long belongs to us. We have already had to rethink so many of our concepts of motion, we will also gradually learn to realize that that which we call destiny goes forth from within people, not from without into them."

Chew on that for a while and let me know what you think!

I can't wait to see some of your smiling faces tomorrow morning!

Peace,
Jodi

Christmas for Congo 2007

About a year and a half ago the Raleigh IDR held "Congo Night" at RMC. We sang Congolese songs, ate Congolese food, and listened as Tresor shared about the violence occurring in his country due to the civil wars and political upheaval that has continued there for the past 20 years.

At that time, RMC sent donations to Tresor's friend Nicholas, who with the help of Congolese churches, runs an orphanage and AIDS orphan ministry for many children, in Northern Congo. Nicholas' group provides housing, food and education for the kids, a few of whom are pictured in the photos above.

After Congo night we waited, prayed and hoped that the presidential election that took place in Congo earlier this year would put an end to the bloodshed. It has not.

So, it's time to help Nicholas once again. Let's send the kids around Northern Congo a special Christmas that they won't forget!

Many people at RMC have been asking how they can help support those working for peace in Congo. So, Tresor and the IDR have joined with Nicholas to plan "Christmas for Congo." Financial gifts will be accepted from October through the end of November, at which time they will be wired to Nicholas to help buy Christmas presents for the kids, and to provide for their other daily needs this winter.

Other churches in the Raleigh area have also joined in, and are making donations to the cause. If you'd like to make a donation to help Nicholas' kids, send your checks to Al Reberg, at Raleigh Mennonite Church, and note that they are for "Christmas for Congo." As the holiday season begins to edge it's way toward us. And let's continue to pray for peace in Congo, and to support those there who are rising above the violence to help others.

Happy Early Christmas to all! - Janelle, Tresor, and the IDR -- for Nicholas and the kids.

Reflections of Faith

Since arriving in Austin, we have been immersed amongst the Catholics! St. Edward’s, where I teach, and St. Michael’s, where Ben teaches are both Catholic institutions. (no surprise there with those names eh?) Ben’s grandparents were Catholic so for him this brings back memories from his childhood, but for me it’s a whole new world. Just trying to keep up with the terminology (what, exactly, is a diocese?) so I know what the people around me are talking about has been a challenge! But as I’ve found other times in my life, with each new challenge comes the chance to learn something new about yourself and those you have the privilege to interact with.

I’d been to mass before. And as a born and raised Mennonite, those services seemed to be the polar opposite of what I was used to! The rituals, the smell of the incense, chants and liturgies that everyone knew, up and down on the kneelers, the sometimes ornately decorated sanctuaries with altars and candles, the priests in formal robes – there was so much to take in! I must admit I never left feeling particularly worshipful, it was more spectacle than worship service for this teenage Mennonite.

Fast forward a few years and here I am, professor at a Catholic university. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a Christian institute of higher learning – how refreshing it was to begin orientation that first day with prayer. A brief moment for me to step back and thank God for this new opportunity I’ve been given, to center myself, take a deep breath and feel God’s presence with me as I step forward into the unknown. There is mass every day here on campus, and I’ve been a couple of times. Although the services in our humble chapel aren’t quite as elaborate as mass that I’ve attended before, there is still a very different feel to this experience of worship. I find that the sights and sounds serve to remind me that I am in a holy space, and a time set apart to connect with God. I imagine that once you learn the liturgies, the comfortable repetition helps to block out the distractions and put you in a frame of mind to focus on worship. Kneeling and performing the sign of the cross add a physical connection to worship and employ another of my senses. I am learning to appreciate this new experience and the ways it can add meaning to my relationship with Christ.

Here at St. Edward’s, I’ve found a community of people who are deeply committed to one another and to their faith. Not everyone is Catholic, or necessarily religious. But we can, and do, learn from each other every day. The variety of beliefs and faiths represented on campus provide a good opportunity to reflect on my own faith, and where it needs strengthening in thought and action. At one of the start of school ceremonies, this was part of the prayer:

“Loving God...today you breathe into each of us a new opportunity to form community, seek truth and deepen our understandings of the universe around us”.

May we all be blessed with the challenge of new opportunities, and what it can mean for our faith, and for our world.

-- lisa

Progressive Party a big, loud success!

Welcome Back to all those who were gone for the summer, to those who came by phone, and welcome to our new folks! Music and games all around.

Food, Food and More Food at the IDR September Event..

"Wherever two or three are gathered, there I will be in the midst of them" Matthew 18:20

Stop # 1 and Stop #2. Didn't we just eat at someone else's house 5 minutes ago?...

little baby chachi

we were getting ready to eat dinner at my sister's house the other night and we kept hearing a high-pitched squealing in the back yard. when we went to investigate we found a nervous but very friendly baby squirrel under the sea-grape trees; he gave the air two quick sniffs before running right up to us. his teeth weren't strong enough to bite into the nuts we gave him, but his little feet were perfectly capable of scurrying up my leg and investigating his new friend.
thanks to photo-lovin sisters i can share the moment with you guys!!

i'm can't upload any of the great little videos of chachi becoming acquainted with us, but here are two of my favorite pics:

we brought chachi inside on my shoulder breifly before dinner and after that he'd run back up to the sliding door and squeal when we set him outside. so we made him a box and by the next day could see that his mother was not around... but a little brother was!

we check in on them in lisa's backyard though they won't intake the liquids we try to give them, and if we leave the backdoor open chachi will still run in and follow you around till we help him to the door.

they are both little heartbreakers, and I don't think I'll ever be able to look at a "pesky" squirrel the same again.

me and my mom will be drivin out early tomorrow mornin back to Raleigh. I'm lookin forward to seein everybody lots!! and yes they have made sure i leave the squirrels here ...

- kp

Apo-kata-what-a!?!?

In addition to KP's cycling marathon, I have a whiffle ball trophy to add to the IDR blog. This afternoon my fellow Divinity School students came together for BBQ and a whiffle ball tournament. It was a great time to meet some new faces and greet some friends from this summer. The teams (aptly named A, B, C, and D) played each other and the the only team to win all their games was Team A, my new friends and I. Some of the upper classman decided the team's name (Team A) stood for apokatostasis and begin to create cheers in earnest. Of course, the other newbies and I had no clue what that meant. Never fear! We discovered it is a Greek word that roughly translates into "the end shall be like the beginning." After arriving back home I grabbed my hand pocket dictionary of theological terms (NOT A JOKE: It has already come in handy and classes haven't even begun!) So here's what it had to stay about my team's name :

apokatoastasis: A Greek word loosely translated as "restoration." In the Old Testament the Hebrew equivalent of the term referred to the return of Israel from exile (See Jeremiah 16:15). In the New Testament apokatastasis speaks of a future time when God in Christ will restore all things in creation according to God's original intention. Some theologians have taken this to mean that at the end of history all humankind (and perhaps even Satan and his demons) will be saved. Generally, Christian theology has rejected the idea of universal salvation.

Additionaly, one fellow student remarked that it would be like all the hair you've ever had cut off with come back at the endtimes and we will all have heavenly afros.

I think I'm going to like these people a lot.

The past several days have been a whirlwind. I've been through orientation, registration, campus tours, and various extracurricular adventures. I have bought my requisite 30+ books and poured over the syllabi that have been available to me. The nerdy part of me is quite excited!

Some of you may remember Andrew Tatum. He visited RMC for a few Sundays. He graduated from Campbell and he and his wife are in the process of moving to Durham. Well, Andrew and I are not only fellow Dukies, but we are in the same Spiritual Formation group. Our SP groups are about 10 people with which we meet weekly over the entire year. It was great to have a a friendly face to hang out with during orientation.

I also met a 2nd year student who goes to Chapel Hill Mennonite (He know you both, Karen and Janelle!!) and I shared with him my love for RMC. CHMC meets on Sunday evenings so I might get my Mennonite fix regularly after all. I know it won't be the same as RMC (BTW: HUGE Shout out to Eric and the SA fellas who helped me move. Y'all are amazing!!!!)

I hope you all are doing well and I hope to visit soon. Actually, I think Karen Metzler is scheduling me to speak to the Journeys Sunday School Class sometime around the end of September. Soon might come sooner than I think!

The Graduate School Adventure begins tommorow!!

Peace,
Jodi

Destination: The Southernmost Tip

So this past Thursday me and two sisters Natalie and Lisa had planned to make a 30 mile bike ride to Marathon since we all had a day we could do it together. We left early in the morning in order to beat the Florida heat, and I brought my IDR tshirt with me in order to take a picture feeding the giant tarpon at Robbies.

So the trip was going great, and it was such a beautiful morning for a bike ride.

So beautiful in fact, and our feet were feeling so light, that while conquering the upcoming bridge in this picture it occurred to us that we wanted to try and ride the rest of the way to Key West.

(lunch time!)

My sister had been planning a trip to Key West for a little while, over a two-day period of time. This became a sort of spontaneous, self-initiated marathon, that none of us had trained for... ! Not being the Keys native I once was, the 'couple' extra miles in the blazing heat were definitely threatening to knock me off my bike the last 20 miles...

(almost there!!)

But we made it, and even if my mom was the only fan waiting for us at the end, we all definitely felt like stars for making it all the way through.

It was a beautiful journey to the southernmost tip of the continental US;
an event of which i was proud to say
been there
done that
brought the t-shirt.

:-) - KP

Finally...

Hey everyone! I'm finally putting out a blog...geeze louise. Crazy to think of Tiffany in such a different place and seeing some of the effects of the earthquake.

Life here is going well. Been busy with work, thesis, house sitting for the parents of a good college friend, things like that. Right now I'm living in Alexandria, VA in a nice house with an almost-too-friendly cat that just won't stop licking me. That's normal behavior for him - Simba. Maybe someday he'll learn to roar instead of just lick. Who knows.

I remember Janelle requested a "moving in" blog. To tell you the truth, we still aren't really moved in all that well. Everyone's been traveling a lot and wrapping up things at previous schools (except me...ugh, but I'm house sitting) so we all haven't been in the house very consistently. But I will put up some pictures of the move from June 21.


So here me and my roommate (John Creasy, nuclear engineering Texas A&M) were unloading my hitch. I had that U-Haul, my car on the tow dolly, and then (I think) my bicycle on the back of my car so that amused me greatly. You'll see a bigger and better picture of that rear end soon.

Here's us posing together. I almost created a disaster with my car by forgetting to take the chains off connecting my car's tire wells to the tow dolly. I went in reverse a little, felt the snag on something and John saw what was going on...oops! A little too eager to get my car off that thing.

So next are the "going through the threshold" pictures going into the house:


(the promised rear end...hehehhe)
I'm smiling right now kinda like I am in the picture

His girlfriend Angela was taking the pictures. I also had a couple of friends come down from Baltimore to help with the move later that evening, which was really nice. A mini college reunion.

I like it a lot here and miss RMC and all of you in IDR. Things are good, thesis is frustrating as usual and I can't wait to be free, but it will get done. I like the people I work with, the roomies are great, and I'll be traveling some for work this calendar year. Prague at the end of September, possibly Burkina Faso in Oct/Nov (wonder how much Tresor knows about the Burkinabe), and possibly Ukraine I don't know when. Not a bad deal!

I have some funny/interesting Mennonite-themed stories to tell so this will serve as my reminder to put them up sometime next.


Blessings to you all and I should come to Raleigh either in September or October so I will track you down and make you hang out with me!!!

----Ethan

Pray for Chincha Today

The area of Peru where Tiffany is serving in the Peace Corp. has suffered a 7.9 earthquake yesterday, and many people across that area of Peru have reportedly died. See Tiffany Stokes' personal blog for her discription of the city of Chincha, July 29th (link below right), which has apparently suffered a great deal of damage.

Tiff, we'll keep Peru in our prayers as recovery efforts continue near you.

Isaiah 40. - Janelle

Swim Against the Current

The IDR T-shirts induce questions about our faith.
And some of them have now travelled to Texas, Oregon, Indiana, DC, Florida, Canada, Peru and more!

Big thanks to Caitlyn, Cynthia, and others for the work you did creating and ordering them!

"Swim against the current," Mennos. : ) - Janelle

Another new IDR chick!

Jason and Joni welcomed their new daughter Harper May Boone at 7:57pm on Wednesday, August 8. She weighed in at 8lbs 4oz. Congratulations!!

My Living Prayers

Greetings y'all (yes they say that in Texas too)! It's good to be back with you here in our little corner of cyberspace. Things are good here in Austin - and I'm mostly feeling settled. At least as much as one can in a totally new city with a new job looming....at least the boxes are empty!

All throughout this transition the song A Living Prayer by Ron Block has been in my mind. I shared it with Worship commission and Servant Leaders before I left, and Craig played it at the goodbye party. I wanted to post the words here, because they have been so meaningful to me as I've said goodbye.

A Living Prayer

In this world I walk alone
With no place to call my home
But there’s One who holds my hand
The rugged road through barren lands

The way is dark, the road is steep
But He’s become my eyes to see
The strength to climb, my griefs to bear
The Savior lives inside me there

In Your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God, to Thee

In these trials of life I find
Another Voice inside my mind
He comforts me, and bids me live
Inside the love the Father gives

In Your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God, to Thee

Ron Block notes on his website that "To be a living prayer is to be indwelt by Christ, used by him to manifest God's character and goodness to others in our circle of influence". So often in the last few months I've realized that my friends at RMC, and especially in IDR, have been living prayers to me -wonderful reflections of God's love and goodness. And your examples and encouragement help me be open to the ways Christ can use me to share that light with others. Thanks for that. In these days of newness and lots of unknown it's so good to know that there are friends thinking of me and praying for me. Know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers as well

Peace, Lisa

PS - A Living Prayer is performed by Alison Krauss & Union Station on the 2004 Album "Lonely Runs Both Ways" - excellent!

New baby Rodriguez

Hi all -

For those of you who weren't at church on Sunday, we have a new IDR baby! Adelyn Olivia Rodriguez was born at 9:30pm on August 4th to Becky and Eloy. Congratulations to the happy new parents!!

-Karin

Peace and Healing

Greetings Friends!!

I miss you all and hope each of you are doing well. I have the wonderful blessing to be in Raleigh for a few days and I'm very excited about that. (Janelle -perhaps we can have real coffee!!)

I only have a little under 2 weeks left in my internship. It feels very strange, almost like I've been leading double lives and now one of them is going to go away. I won't say that summer has flown, because it hasn't. It has a been a real struggle for me sometimes, but the blessings have been numerous. I have met some incredible people and made some wonderful friends at the Divinity School. It will be nice to know some friendly faces once classes start at the end of August.

Each week I have gotten in the habit of studying the lectionary text in preparation for writing a sermon. I don't actually write one all the time, but it is a great practice to be in and I learn a lot from that study. A few weeks ago the Psalm text was from Psalm 52. Verse 8 says "But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever." I thought a lot about olive trees that week. Olive oil was used as a healing balm in those times and the olive branch is still considered a symbol of peace even today. So, we are like trees in the house of God. Trees of healing and of peace. It's kind of a nice thought.

As a dear friend said to me the other day, I hope the sunsets are beautiful where you all are!!

Peace,
Jodi

Bon Voyage Lisa and Amy!

Setting off from the IDR Summer picnic, Lisa, Amy (and Tresor soon too,) are all heading out to new ports of call...

I miss you guys!!

Raleigh IDR, I miss you guys SOOOO much.

I found half of this quote a while back on Al and Ruths refrigerator, but then it appeared again recently in full.. and I wanted to share it.

-If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save and savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. - E.B. White

Just thought I would spread some inspirational quotations around to you all!!

In about two weeks I find out my permanent site placement.. for the past two months I have been in training. Keep me in your prayers.. and if you want to add a little prayer for God to send me to the beautiful mountains, I will not object!

Oh yeah, and if you do read my blog from July 10th.. just proceed with caution!

Peace,
Tiffany in Peru!

Blog readin...

Just wanted to say how much I appreciate the recent blogs on some of our IDR travelers' individual blog sites this month! I'm loving Tiffany's hillarious story from July 10th, Bruce's "illusion" blog about colonialism and democracy in Congo, and Jodi's adventures in preaching! (See blog links below right). It's great to know that though some of us are so far away we can still have these kinds of coffee house discussions going on. Does anyone need cream or sugar while I'm up? - Janelle


From Bruce's blog -- quote from the Poisonwood Bible: "We constructed our lives around a misunderstanding, and if ever I tried to pull it out and fix it now I would fall down flat . . . Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet."

guess i'm sendin a postcard

“…perhaps there are
small animals
under the house
mouse, raccoon, rat,
though none of us
can find
a trace.
and late a lone plane
makes a straining sound
low over the trees
though only I am awake…
behind the blind
light still burns
at the edge of the bay.
someone drives
over the bridge.
home is
in every direction.”

home
by susan griffin

just wanted to post a poem and a pic tonight.
my fam was out in different places so I took a walk over the whale harbor bridge. this picture was taken earlier this summer but it almost captures how beautiful the sunset was tonight.
these little islands and their thick heat have so many memories in them, and i have had enough time to both remember them, and to be in the moment with my family.
i am very grateful for this.
the Keys are great; july has been a chilled out month for my fam, everyone will be home in august and so the pace will be pickin up.
hope everyone in Raleigh ~~ and out around the world ~~ is doin good
post about your lives when you can!!
i know i'll love to read em.

be blessed; and happy Sunday to yas ;)

kp

another blog source for thought/conversation stimulation

I just wanted to let everyone know about another blog source that I've been following off and on over the summer. It gets a lot of traffic, and I've just been a lurker thus far, but it's interesting lurking. All sorts of topics are covered, from all sorts of views . . . but with an "anabaptist" bend.

http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/

Amy

Party Time...

Triumph

of

the

Spoon

Queen!

Finding my own community

Never has community been so clear to me as it is in Peru. When I was home, I had multiple communities - those of my family, my friends, my college, and of course, Raleigh Mennonite. When I got to Peru, however.. all of those communities were still there, backing me up, but I had to strategically find my own community here in order to survive. Here, communities are not quite as easy. People look at us suspiciously... they have seen the NGOs come in, take over, and leave incomplete projects behind. They have been victims of a corrupt government. They experience poverty and marginalization on a daily basis. Do they even have time for a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed gringa?

Well, I am making a lot of assumptions about the Peruvian people, but in general people here are defined by their communities. Are they European Peruvians, from Lima, from the sierra, or campesinos? Do they live in a tiny village, in invasion communities, or in the departmental capital? In my community, I live in a small neighborhood outside of Chosica, about an hour from Lima. I walk up the long hill home and children run out to greet me and ask me how to say Hello in English. Mothers smile at me, young boys whistle. The gringos that live here are novelties.. what are we going to do next? How will we act at parties? We live in a community - but are we part of the community?

Integration is so key in the Peace Corps. You are here for two years and three months - if you act independently and do not integrate, your projects will not be sustainable and ultimately fail. If your community loves you, and more importantly respects you, then you can get a lot of things done. Maybe that is the problem with international development organizations - they focus too much on the numbers, the outcome, or the projects. For our first three months in site, Volunteers do not do anything.. we just sit around and integrate. Sounds pretty lazy, especially since we are supported by American tax dollars, but actually it is fantastic. We are integrating and gaining the respect of the communites.. we are saying, We are not here to take over, we are here to assist you in your own development process.

So, in a few weeks I will leave training and go to my permanent site. I pray that God sends me to a community that will welcome me with open arms.. and open hearts. Peru feels like such a new, fresh experience. Every child I meet I feel like I have this huge potential to impact their life and make a difference... and they have the potential to impact mine. Community is not just a house on a street within a village.. it is the people, their respect, and a sense of support and love. I am slowly learning how to integrate myself into a community that is completely different than the ones I left.. but I am comforted by the fact that once you are in a community, your heart is there forever.

- Tiffany, PCV in Peru

Thomas Merton's Prayer

Just wanted to share this prayer with each of you. I have appreciated in greatly and prayed ii earnestly over the past few years and continue to use it now.

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.


I miss you all very much and ask that you pray for me this Sunday while I deliver the message at the 11:00 service at Hickory Grove UMC.

Peace,
Jodi

Sweet memories!

Visiting Tiffany in Washington, DC during summer 2006

pictured: Ethan, Tiffany, Tresor

not pictured: Jodi (I was taking the picture!)

Sending out the Seven.

Bon Voyage to our newspaper-bedecked travelers:

Jodi, Emily, Caitlin, Ethan, Liz, Tiffany and Lisa.

You're always a part of us.

May God speed you as you follow your callings into other parts of the U.S. and the world.

I Timothy 4:12

- Janelle

I wonder how the psalmist would feel about cold showers...

I've been reading Psalm 77 this week. One verse in particular stands out to me.

Verse 13 reads, "Your way, Oh God, is holy."

Not my way, not your way, but God's way is indeed holy.

Somehow that comforts me among all the discomfort I seem to be experiencing. In times such as this I find reassurance in the knowledge that God's plan for each of our lives is purposeful and holy, even if we don't realize it at the time. This passage illustrates how psalmist is going through a difficult time, but he struggles to remember all the times God has heard his cry and responded. This gives him faith that God will again hear his cry and honor his plea.

Even when we are stuck and we can't see how God will pull us through, it is important to remember that God does not live in a box defined our human minds. We cannot limit God.

When the future is muddy and uncertain, it is comforting to know that God has incredible plans for us. God can use all of us despite ourselves.

My prayer over the next few days is that God would continue to be patient with me as I stumble through my time in Lumberton and use me, despite my own self-doubt and frustration.

God is good and I am so grateful.

Peace,

Jodi

A.R.K.

We went and saw Evan Almighty over the weekend - I know it's gotten bad reviews, but I liked it. Maybe I was just needing some serious escapism (or it could be that I'm just a huge Steve Carell fan), but I really enjoyed it. First, it's not often you get through a whole hollywood production withouth a bad word stronger than 'crap', and once you get past the cheese, there were some good messages in there.

The first was that to 'change the world' a good place to start is with Acts of Random Kindness (ARK- get it?!). That's a good reminder for me, that when I feel hopeless about the state of current affairs and what really can one person do! Well, what we CAN do is practice kindness, compassion, and generosity, and start by making a difference for ONE person - be it family member, friend, or complete stranger. What would happen if that was the norm in our culture?

The second message was more subtle. It was a reminder that God answers prayers, but maybe not in the way we expect. Evan's wife in the movie (Lauren Graham) had prayed for their family to become closer. Later in the movie as she is lamenting her husband's spiral into what seems to her to be insanity, Morgan Freeman (as God, although unbeknownst to her) suggests that maybe prayers aren't answered directly, but that instead, God provides opportunities for us to make those answers happen. In this case, it wasn't that *poof* the family was closer, but the opportunity to work on the ark together resulted in just that - a closer family!

This really struck me - for one, I am one of those people who likes to think they are in control and can make things turn out the way I want them to! This was a good reminder that God will answer my prayers, I just have to be open to the creative ways that that might happen! My need to control can (and does) get in the way. Let Go, Let God! The other message to me was the reminder that we are partners with God on this journey - answers to prayers aren't delivered wrapped up with a pretty bow. We are called to be active participants in God's plan - and doesn't that make things infinately more interesting?!

-- Lisa Goering

All about Service?

Hey God -- Can you hear me now? IDR Virginia Trip, Blue Ridge Parkway.

fireflies

so the fireflies around here are amazing. i do not remember this many in wingate. maybe its a summer thing here in NC?

i keep seeing a little electric current of them going thru the woods.

i'm a big fan.


- KP

...so...this christian conferencing thing....

(this is an emotional and personal entry, but one I believe adequately speaks to the frustration of many individuals involved in "church politics")


One main part of the United Methodist faith is something called "christian conferencing." For the past 3 days I have been in Greenville, NC at the Convention Center with 1,800 of my closest methodist clergy and lay delegates. This experience has been frustrating, shocking, invigorating, life-giving, exhausting, etc. I feel torn about so many things that I've witnessed. I have heard some of the best sermons and participated in truly earnest worship. I have felt God in the burning in my gut and in the prickling of tears in my eyes.

Tonight I broke down for the first time.

The delegates vote on resolutions that are included in the United Methodist Church Book of Resolutions that is printed every 4 years. These resolutions explain the Church's official stance on a wide variety of topics ranging from alcohol to homosexuality to what version of the apostle's creed is preferred for use in the service. The resolutions that are discussed at each Annual Conference are rotated every year to provide ample attention to all. This year the resolutions included; The war in iraq, human impacted global climate change and gangs.

Over the past year and a half of attending RMC (Raleigh Mennonite Church) I have been sheltered from Methodist church politics. I have also developed my own beliefs regarding what Jesus practiced and preached in regards to war and other highly publicized issues.

I have become a pacifist.

Tonight I heard arguments for and against a resolution regarding the war in Iraq. I was moved to tears by a former lieutenant's plea. He described how his search for the direction of Christ had shown him that, "Peace will never be found with the tip of a rifle." and "the soldiers who deaths I have brought about have not made the world any safer, and have added a shadow of shame and pain within my heart." He urged the conference delegates to put aside their "American ideals" and prayerfully consider how Jesus truly calls us to behave.

I believe his courage to speak was a result of the Holy Spirit.

There were many other comments made which infuriated me. One of which quoted a famous text of which I cannot remember the name. A man remarked, "Men who question the action taken to protect their freedom are only entitled to it because of the valiant efforts enacted by better men on their behalf." The same individual also remarked that, "Jesus would want us to fight to save the oppressed." I could go on, but I feel the tears beginning to threaten.

It would not be ok to cry in a hotel lobby at a public computer.

My heart broke for God, for our world, and for what we are doing to it. I felt the heavy burden that sometimes accompanies hopelessness. I tried to pray, but found my throat and thoughts clouded by pain and frustration. I excused myself and escaped to an open field beside the building where I gulped the fresh air and held my chest in anticipation of the recession of emotion.

It did not come.

I questioned many times before tonight whether I truly believed in pacifism in an situations regarding violence, war, and genocide.

Tonight I felt God's heart revealed to me regarding the matter.

It hurts to have your heart broken by God.

I would appreciate your prayers. We have once day of conference left before I will be able to return to Raleigh Sunday afternoon. I am in a very sticky situation where I find myself in an completely foreign culture and they are much more conservative than I. I find difficulty in discussing a difference in beliefs while I am still trying to get the community to open up to me and trust my intentions. The Native American Community is very underrepresented here and fighting for voice. I have also openly witnessed discrimination while we are out dining or traveling. It is a very disturbing situation, but one I believe God has put me in for a reason.

Peace,

Jodi

Experiencing other faiths

Greetings from Chaclacayo, Peru! I have settled quite nicely in Peru with a wonderful training group and a great host family. As most of you know, most Peruvians are Catholics.. and well, I´m officially Mennonite, so this is a bit different. But, to keep up with the culture of my family and to become more accustomed to Peru, I have decided to go to church with them every Sunday (well I guess it is called mass). It is really interesting.. I went last Sunday with my family (just my host dad, brother, and sister). No one really talked to each other.. no meet and greet or anything like that. And no food. DEFINITELY not Mennonite. And right away the assistant to the priest came up to me and wanted me to read the scripture in front of the church! I politely declined, although I looked bewildered. The service was nice.. the music was really lovely, we did a lot of kneeling and standing, and a random dog wandered in from off the streets and jumped up on the pews, haha. But no one seemed concerned that he was in there! Maybe he needed a little Jesus, too.

So, in this seemingly unimportant service, I found my own faith. No, I am not Catholic.. but I can take these opportunities when I go to mass to reaffirm my faith and spend time with God. I have no idea what we are praying or saying.. but it feels wonderful to be in this church, to be kneeling before God, and praying about my day - even if everyone else is doing something totally different. I feel part of a community.. not only of my small town of Chaclacayo, but a community of believers. It is nice. And God is there.

IDR at the Letter Carriers' Food Drive

Unloading food donated to the postal workers to help feed local families.

...to continue a theme...

So yesterday, shortly before leaving to spend the rest of the day in Chapel Hill to take care of some pre-internship activities, I read Jodi’s blog and found her reflections on beginnings and ends, Alpha and Omega insightful and helpful. My nerves were a little up in the air as it came time to go meet with my supervisors and one future intern of next year, and help give feedback to this year’s intern’s end-of year presentations.Because I like to jump the gun and imagine possibilities, it was helpful to instead say to myself, "You stand before beginnings; You stand before God".

In looking back at the day together it is also interesting to see the ways that beginnings and ends meshed together made for a valuable interaction. Me and the other newbie, Matt, somewhat clueless and uncertain about the nature of an intern’s year, caused the veterans to have to relate and relive details and experiences that reveal their maturity and unity as a group. And our enthusiasm, and beginner’s "innocence", was possibly a brief boost to all the energy they had expended throughout the year.

It makes me think that the God of beginnings and ends allows this sort of exchange to happen more often than I realize.

It also caused me to wonder about, if I may expand the theme, the span between the two, where it seems God has really surprised me the most lately, the times we could term the "in-betweens". Not only has this been the case as I’ve found myself in-between jobs, in-between places of residence, and often count the hours as in-between meals :), but also because the most ordinary "non-events" to the world have been so moving to me, and I see how so many miracles in-between our busyness or between our plans are what make our stays here meaningful.

This is also what has helped me decide on going home for two months this summer (besides it having become an important time to save on rent!). It has been a long time since I’ve been able to spend the regular in-betweens of life with my family -rather than the end of high-school, the beginning of Christmas break, the end of a semester…- and it may be along time until me and my sisters will be around to do it some more.

It is somethin else to stop and look at the big new beginnings that IDR is infused with right now. It’s also something to think of an Alpha that allows for these nerves-and-possibilities-full beginnings and all the smaller ones that happen each day.

And because I’ve been filled with hope after being out of school a year to see the ways He expands himself to the times "in-between", stretching our roots and watering them, I want to join in passing hope around to all who are finding themselves on a beginning; I am excited for the ways the Omega who holds all the endings will surprise you along the way .

---and thanks to Jodi (and the rest) for sharing with us your reflections along your adventure, and for bearing with me as I ran with them and applied them to my situation!


-Karen P.

Standing before Beginnings..

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the other blogs. I feel close to y'all even though we are beginning our journeys (or have already begun them) in far away lands.

After 19 hours of glorious flying, being searched, and waiting (LOTS of waiting), I have returned safely from Europe. The past two weeks have been stuffed with many performances with the chamber group, a lot of good food, and many, many eye-opening experiences. Today is my catch up day. We returned last night. I leave tomorrow morning for Lumberton, where I will do an internship through the Divinity School with Rockingham District Native American Co-operative Ministries (yes, I have been practicing it!) I am thrilled, and exhausted, and apprehensive.

Throughout the many moments of waiting and touring, one thought has permeated my subconscious. It can be found in Letters to a Young Poet by L. M. Rilke. It reads simply, "You are so young; you stand before beginnings." I am young. I stand before beginnings. What does that mean? I find that this sentence accurately describes these 24 hours that I am spending frenetically doing laundry and attempting to get affairs in order. I am so young. In past years I would have found that statement to be offensive, an insult sometimes. So what if I am young, what should that matter? I now found it to be a word of comfort, of encouragement. I am young. I have time. I have opportunity. It is ok that I have not unlocked the mysteries of the universe, or found the answers to all of my questions. Rilke goes on to tell his younger friend to have patience, that he may indeed live out the answers to his questions in the future.

This brings me to the second part of the statement. You are so young; you stand before beginnings. What does it mean to stand before a beginning? What is before an beginning? Well, an ending of something else. Does that mean that I am at an ending? I bounced this idea of my friend Tara. She replied, "What come to my mind are the names of God, The Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End." You are so young; you stand before God. If one stands before a beginning, then one is standing at an ending. If one stands before the Alpha, then that person also stands before the Omega. It is a very interesting idea.

After chewing on the idea of God as the beginning that I stand before, I begin again to feel inexperienced and apprehensive. More words come to me from Tara. "God does not call the prepared, God prepares the called" You are so young; you stand before beginnings. I begin to feel comforted. It will be a daily practice to remind myself of that fact. God did not call me to this internship because I was ready. God did not call me to Duke because I was ready. God calls, and by answering that call, I accept that my education, that my preparations will happen according to God's time and not my own. Ministry is not about one's comfort zone. I dare say that it is about one's discomfort zone. It is about living in that place where I am challenged deeply and often.

I pray that I may remember those words.

You are so young; you stand before beginnings.

God does not call the prepared, God prepares the called.

May each of you find Peace and Joy in the coming days of summer,

Jodi

Church kids help Tiffany decide what to pack for Peru

Spanish Dictionary? Water bottle? Hmmm...

Off to the Peace Corp!

Do it now.

It's great to see the various posts going up here, and I'm thrilled to see the links to our individual blogs listed as well. I very much enjoyed reading Bruce's personal blog entry from May 25th (see link below-right) about his ongoing "calling" to become more involved in the lives of people who live on the streets in the U.S., and in Africa where he is right now.

Bruce's musings reminded me of a conversation I had with a neighbor the other day. We were chatting about pets and flowerbed weeds when he said "You know lately I've been feeling like I'm just killing time in my current job when I really ought to be in seminary." Of course, unprepared, I responded with some lame statement about how it's probably ok to earn a little money to make affording seminary easier. But that's not really what we were talking about, is it? I don't think so. What we were talking about was having a "calling," and waiting; about God's timing vs. ours. So I've been thinking about it, and since that day I've been watching for my neighbor hoping to have the chance to say "hey wait, I have something to add to our previous conversation!" I think it's always important to follow one's calling, and time doesn't always wait for us.

I've enjoyed reading the life stories of people like Martin Luther King Jr, Dr. Paul Brand (a surgeon), church leader Deitrich Bonhoffer, and social worker Jane Addams (my hero) who followed their callings and lived their lives in a way that impacted the world. They are good examples for me. Of course, there are other good examples close at hand... So I thought I'd just hop on here to say kudos to Bruce, and Tiffany, Ethan, Tresor, Jodi, KP, and so many others in our group who are jumping into your calling with both feet -- or actively seeking ways to do so. I look forward to seeing everyone's stories and adventures on this blog.

And yes, I've taken the plunge myself and submitted a query about short-term service opportunities to MCC -- something I've been "called" to for awhile. Splash!
Life is short. So -- like I'm going to tell my neighbor -- if there's something you plan to do in life, whether little or big, why wait? Put on your gaulashes and do it now.
- Janelle B

Your world is what you eat

Well this is a first for me - my first blog entry! Yeah I've done a lot of blog lurking - reading and enjoying what other people say, but not joining the discussion. Maybe a comment here or there to say hello to a friend, but nothing substantial. Not that this will be substantial in content or meaning! But it's a start…

The Kari/en's and I went to a talk last night sponsored by the Center for Environmental Farming, here at NC State. The speaker was Carlo Petrini, founder and president of Slow Food International, a movement that works for good, clean and fair food. Among other things they work to protect 'endangered tastes' - traditional foods that are threatened by our ever industrializing and globalizing food supply; to educate people about where and how their food is produced; and to promote family farmers and good working conditions for agriculture workers all over the world.

Lately, issues of food and agriculture seem to be popping into my consciousness, hence my interest in the subject. Last fall I read "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser, and the next book on my 'to read' pile is "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. And this winter, I participated in the Sabbath Economics Sunday school class at RMC, where we talked about, among other things how to be good earth stewards which eventually came around to questions about what we eat and from whence it comes.

So here's my take on the subject: our food supply has become increasingly industrialized - food production is now concentrated in mega-corporate farms whose goal is to produce more, more, MORE, and ultimately means we can eat for cheap. Really? Or are there hidden costs? Big agriculture is bad for all of us on a number of fronts: the land is pushed to its limits - fields are not allowed to rest, nor are crops rotated to replenish nutrients, and lots (and lots) of chemicals are used - pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. Not to mention the loss of biodiversity due to monoculture. Animals are kept in overcrowded, unhealthy conditions, and the amount of waste that is produced is staggering. Workers are exposed to the many chemicals in the fields, work long hours for low pay, and in really dangerous conditions in slaughter houses and the like. And with our food coming from fewer, larger operations, the amount of fossil fuels needed to produce and transport our food to the consumer is ever increasing.

So what's the answer? Eat organic? Become a vegetarian? And what would Jesus do? I suppose it's different for everyone, but I'm coming around to the conclusion that part of the answer lies is supporting LOCAL agriculture as much as possible. Smaller family farms are more likely to be sustainable - think about it, this is their livelihood - if their fields are so overworked they don't produce, they don't have the capital and resources to find land elsewhere or absorb the costs like a big corporation does. They are more likely to work on a scale that means they can keep chemicals to a reasonable limit, and to pay workers a reasonable wage and provide better working conditions - they work closely with their employees, they are people, not just a number attached to a paycheck.

But here's the rub. I LOVE food. I mean, really love it. Love to look at it, think about it, cook it, eat it. I like going grocery shopping and planning menus. And I love variety, and trying new things and new tastes. Eating local, then puts me in a bit of a moral dilemma! Chocolate, bananas, really good balsamic vinegar - not local! And eating locally, and in season, means less variety - especially in the winter months. So what's a Christian foodie girl to do?

Carlos said something last night captures thoughts that have been turning over in my head for awhile - he just put it into word more eloquently than I had (and he said it in Italian which made it all the more lovely) - to paraphrase, he said "The way I eat directly determines the world I live in". And not just my local world - the starving African child and the obese, diabetic CEO are two sides of the same problem. God calls us to be good stewards of the gifts we are given, and Christ's example to us is to think about and care for the poor and the oppressed. Our (western society and culture) push for more, cheap, food violates both of these principles. The choices I make about food have the ability build community, or to oppress, to give back to the earth or to strip it, by selfishly continuing to take, take, take.

So yes, when I go to the store this weekend I probably will still buy those bananas, and I'll likely pick up a good bottle of imported balsamic vinegar the next time I'm out. But I'll also eat less fast food, buy strawberries at the farmers market when they are in season, and I plan to find a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Austin when we get settled there. I'll buy more of my chocolate and coffee from Ten Thousand Villages and other places that sell fair trade food items. I'll plant a garden when I can, and teach my kids (when they come, this isn't a hidden announcement folks!) about where their food comes from. And of course, cook more and continue to be curious about food and tastes, and the connections to culture that accompany it, because the way I eat is about more than just what I'm going to have for dinner, it shapes the world we all live in.

--Lisa Goering

A Franciscan Benediction

Duane Beck, the pastor at RMC, shared this prayer with us during service a looonnng time ago. It was on my friend's blog, and I have since put it on my own personal blog.. but I think it is such an amazing prayer that Christians and people of faith should be praying every single day, and acting upon every moment possible. Sometimes I get off the path and struggle, but this prayer always reminds me about the role my faith plays not only in my own life, but in my community (which, I argue, is a world community). Also this prayer really gets to the root of things.. that Christians aren't supposed to be peacemakers in the sense of pacifying and appeasing the people around them.. but they should be active in affecting and impacting the world to bring justice to others, to reach out to others in need, to help people when disaster strikes, to speak out against violence and oppression, to end war and occupation, to protect our natural resources and environment, to create loving and supportive homes, to end racism, sexism, and bigotry, and, most importantly, to spread the love and message of Christ.


A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless us with discomfort…
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger...
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears...
to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them
and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness...
to believe that we can make a difference in this world,
so that we can DO what others claim cannot be done.

Amen


- Tiffany Stokes

Welcome to the IDR blog!

People are very transient - we come and go, moving from place to place, always changing our surroundings. Fortunately, we live in the technology age, where physicial distance does not hinder people from connecting. ID Required, nicknamed IDR, is the young adult group at Raleigh Mennonite Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Some of us have more permanent stays in Raleigh, working in the science field, nursing, teaching, or social work. Others of us only came for a few years to get degrees, complete postdoctoral research, or to volunteer for Service Adventure.

Even if our personal and professional goals are different, we all share the same commitment to live as followers of Christ. We have all met and shared our faith at Raleigh Mennonite Church. Our church's mission is:

"Raleigh Mennonite Church is a community growing as disciples of Jesus, the Christ. We nurture growth of the inner spiritual life, seeking transformation through God's grace as followers of Jesus.We are active in reconciliation and service, making Christ known through sharing the story of God's love and forgiveness with our children, our neighbors and our world. In our lives together we seek justice, healing, hope and peace for all people."

So, this is our blog to reflect our journeys. How do we live as followers of Christ in this seemingly un-Christlike world? How do we become witnesses not just through our church, but in our daily lives and activities? IDRers have now become global.. stretching from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., to Oregon to Peru to Congo to Canada! We welcome you to read our entries, reflect with us, share your thoughts, and join in the stories.

- Tiffany Stokes