Showing posts with label May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label May. Show all posts

Monday, January 24, 2011

A Spiritual Word: Love

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” – Colossians 3:14

I am in love with the people of South Africa. Words cannot completely describe this love. If only I could send the experience of looking into the eyes of one of the children with whom I have fallen in love from the primary school where I volunteered for eight months. Then, maybe you could get a glimpse of this love, because I’ve fallen in love with their souls, and, yes, I do believe that eyes are the windows to the soul. The children at the primary school warm my heart as they glow when our eyes meet.
My eyes tear up as I anticipate leaving the school for the final time; I realize how much I love the children. The week before my last week at the primary school, I try to figure out an additional day I could go to the school. I do not feel ready to say goodbye.
Six months prior, I had been counting the days until I was done at the school. I loved the kids, mostly from a distance; yet, I rarely spent time with them, for in attempting to give the teachers the power to initiate my time in the classroom, on a good day, I was in the classroom for one or two hours. Over my first three months at the school, the educators and I slowly built a trusting and caring relationship as we explored how a young, white, American woman could interact within a rural, primary school environment with older, black, South African educators. Used to the “doing” culture of the US, I tried to keep myself busy with cleaning, organizing and reading educational material, but ran into dead ends with finances and organizing documents in another language. From those first three months, I learned important lessons in patience and how it feels to be trapped from the all-important American virtue of productivity. More importantly, I internalize that my productivity level does not define how good of a person I am. One may do more good by not doing anything physically constructive, but just being. In the relationship-focused culture at my school, I feel a revitalized awareness to the beauty of being.
Furthermore, since January, the educators and I have implemented an agreed upon schedule in which I teach grades one through six, each for one hour over the two days I am at the school every week. In grades one through three, I teach English vocabulary, such as family members or greetings. For grades four through six, we work on English reading. I feel I connect with the students and the educators through the shared process of creating a positive environment in the classrooms. I thoroughly enjoy my time at the school in 2010.
When I first arrived at the school, the children’s eyes seemed to follow me because I am white. At the school, all of the twenty staff are black and, except for five Indians, all of the 420 students are black. Now, I see many kids’ eyes light up when they see me and they greet me or whisper to their friends: “Miss Kate!” I feel that they are genuinely excited to see me because they like me for being me, not based on my skin color or country of origin. Kids giving me a random hug or leaning in the office door, whether to say hi to me or giggle, always puts a smile on my face.
During my last two weeks at the school, I teach the kids the song “Kids of the Kingdom”. On my last day, we tape the children singing the song. It is an honor to be able to give my supporters in the US the best gift of the children singing "Kids of the Kingdom". Additionally, major

supporters taught me "Kids of the Kingdom" when I was the same age as the children, so I am eager to pass the song onto the children and share how I believe they are each kids of God’s kingdom. The school community shares so much of their culture with me; I am thankful for how excited they are to learn the song, a part of my culture. The best part of teaching the song is hearing teachers and children sing “Kids of the Kingdom” as they go about the day.
During my last two days at the primary school, a lot of love is all around. Each grade welcomes me into their class one more time for a time of sharing: thoughts, sentiments and hugs. In the first grade class, I ask the children if they have any questions for me. One child asks, “When are you coming back?” Another child raises his hand and shares, “I love you.” More hands pop up and, one by one, children tell me, “I love you.” I feel humbled by the children’s love. I tell them that I love them all too. Then I offer that they may each share a hug with me. The children amaze me as many eagerly embrace me. Self-consciousness, age, race or any other thoughts of boundaries fail to hold them back. They show me pure love.
The educators and students continue to give of themselves as they perform a closing program in my honor. Amongst the beautiful songs, classes sing about love and a reprise of “Kids of the Kingdom” as well as the educators, including me, singing a hymn in Zulu. Kids in each grade share what they learned from me and one boy speaks on behalf of all the children in expressing their gratitude. The educators present me with traditional Zulu crafts, including a skirt and beaded jewelry. After receiving the material, musical and sentimental gifts, the teachers ask me to respond. In front of the community, I tell them I cannot entirely express my gratitude in words. I thank them for openly embracing me and selflessly giving of themselves; for through these attributes, we have created a strong connection. I share with the students that I believe in and hope the best for them. Finally, I tell them I love them. To close the program, a dozen female students passionately perform a Zulu dance. As the energy of the dance builds, the students gather around the ladies to form a clapping and cheering circle. The spiritual dance moves me.
Later, during the party given by the educators, adorned in my Zulu outfit, I attempt to dance in the traditional Zulu way. The educators cannot get enough of my dancing; they practically roll over one another in laughter and keep asking me to dance more. I doubt my dancing is technically superb, but to see the joy in their faces as I dance makes my effort worth it for every step. Giving the teachers personalized notes and dancing their traditional dance is the least I could do to thank them.
Do not let some of the children’s worn clothing deceive you; the children may not only be clothed in love, as recommended in Galatians, the children embody love. I feel their love demonstrates how everything is bound together by love. The children and I connect. When you genuinely give someone a hug, you cannot see the person’s skin color. When I first saw a picture of myself in front of a classroom, I was shocked by how much I stuck out- my skin looked much lighter than I remembered and I was not wearing the school uniform. Yet, my clothing choice or skin color could not stop love from bringing the children and me together. Love shatters human conceived boundaries.

God, guide us to see your love in one another and to love as you love us. Amen

An Open Letter to the Friends & Families of Returning Young Adults in Global Mission, by Rev. Andrea Roske-Metcalfe

My name is Andrea Roske-Metcalfe, and I’m the Country Coordinator for the Young Adults in Global Mission program in Mexico. During our second-to-last retreat this year, I asked my volunteers to write a letter to their friends and family back home. I asked them to write about how they felt, given that they only have a couple months left here. I asked them to write about how they’d changed and what they were afraid of in returning home. I asked them to write about what they had discovered about themselves, and what they were looking forward to in returning home. …
This might seem like a strange request, but I wish that someone had asked it of me. Reverse culture shock is nobody’s idea of a good time, and I’ve gone through it enough (including after my own YAGM year) to know that it doesn’t only affect the person returning home; it affects everyone around them.
So I wish someone had asked this of me. I wish someone had asked me how I really felt, because I only rarely admitted that to myself. I wish someone had asked me to write it down, so I could go back to it later and process it. I wish someone had asked if there were parts of it I wanted to share with friends and family before I returned; something that might have, at least in part, prepared all of us for what would be a bumpy landing. … The funny thing is, when I asked my volunteers to write a letter, I didn’t exactly expect to write one myself. … And so, I wrote a letter (or a list, as it may be) to you, in case your very own Young Adult in Global Mission doesn’t get around to sending theirs:

10 Suggestions for Helping your Young Adult in Global Mission (YAGM) Return Home

1. Don’t ask the question, “So how was it?” Your YAGM cannot function in one-word answers right now, especially ones intended to sum up their entire year’s experience, and being asked to do so may cause them to start laughing or crying uncontrollably. Ask more specific questions, like “Who was your closest friend?” or “What did you do in your free time?” or “What was the food like?” or “Tell me about your typical day.”

2. If you wish to spend time with your YAGM, let them take the lead on where to go and what to do. Recognize that seemingly mundane rituals, like grocery shopping or going to the movies, may be extremely difficult for someone who has just spent a year living without a wide array of material goods. One former YAGM, for example, faced with the daunting task of choosing a tube of toothpaste from the 70-odd kinds available, simply threw up in the middle of the drugstore.

3. Expect some feelings of jealousy and resentment, especially if your YAGM lived with a host family. Relationships that form during periods of uncertainty and vulnerability (the first few months in a foreign country, for example) form quickly and deeply. The fact that your YAGM talks non-stop about their friends and family from their country of service doesn’t mean that they don’t love you, too. It simply means that they’re mourning the loss (at least in part) of the deep, meaningful, important relationships that helped them to survive and to thrive during this last year. In this regard, treat them as you would anyone else mourning a loss.

4. You may be horrified by the way your YAGM dresses; both because their clothes are old and raggedy and because they insist on wearing the same outfit three days in a row. Upon encountering their closet at home, returning YAGMs tend to experience two different emotions: (1) jubilation at the fact that they can stop rotating the same 2 pairs of jeans and 4 shirts, and (2) dismay at the amount of clothing they own, and yet clearly lived without for an entire year. Some YAGMs may deal with this by giving away entire car loads of clothing and other items to people in need. Do not “save them from
themselves” by offering to drive the items to the donation center, only to hide them away in your garage. Let your YAGM do what they need to do. Once they realize, after the fact, that you do indeed need more than 2 pairs of jeans and 4 shirts to function in professional American society, offer to take them shopping. Start with the Goodwill and the Salvation Army; your YAGM may never be able to handle Macy’s again.

5. Asking to see photos of your YAGM’s year in service is highly recommended, providing you have an entire day off from work. Multiply the number of photos you take during a week’s vacation, multiply that by 52, and you understand the predicament. If you have an entire day, fine. If not, take a cue from number 1 above, and ask to see specific things, like photos of your YAGM’s host family, or photos from holiday celebrations. Better yet, set up a number of “photo dates,” and delve into a different section each time. Given the high percentage of people whose eyes glaze over after the first page of someone else’s photos, and the frustration that can cause for someone bursting with stories to tell, this would be an incredible gift.

6. At least half the things that come out of your YAGM’s mouth for the first few months will begin with, “In Mexico/Slovakia/South Africa/etc…” This will undoubtedly begin to annoy the crap out of you after the first few weeks. Actually saying so, however, will prove far less effective than listening and asking interested questions. Besides, you can bet that someone else will let slip exactly what you’re thinking, letting you off the hook.

7. That said, speak up when you need to! Returning YAGMs commonly assume that almost nothing has changed in your lives since they left. (This happens, in part, because you let them, figuring that their experiences are so much more exciting than yours, and therefore not sharing your own.) Be assertive enough to create the space to share what has happened in your life during the last year.

8. Recognize that living in a very simple environment with very few material belongings changes people. Don’t take it personally if your YAGM seems horrified by certain aspects of the way you live – that you shower every day, for example, or that you buy a new radio instead of duct-taping the broken one back together. Recognize that there probably are certain things you could or should change (you don’t really need to leave the water running while you brush your teeth, do you?), but also that adjusting to what may now feel incredibly extravagant will simply take awhile. Most YAGMs make permanent changes toward a simpler lifestyle. Recognize this as a good thing.

9. Perhaps you had hopes, dreams, and aspirations for your YAGM that were interrupted by their year of service. If so, you may as well throw them out the window. A large percentage of returning YAGMs make significant changes to their long-term goals and plans. Some of them have spent a year doing something they never thought they’d enjoy, only to find themselves drawn to it as a career. Others have spent a year doing exactly what they envisioned doing for the rest of their lives, only to find that they hate it. Regardless of the direction your YAGM takes when they return…rejoice! This year hasn’t changed who they are; it has simply made them better at discerning God’s call on their lives. (Note: Some YAGMs spend their year of service teaching English, some are involved in human rights advocacy, others work with the elderly or disabled, and at least one spent his year teaching British youth to shoot with bows and arrows. The results of this phenomenon, therefore, can vary widely.)

10. Go easy on yourself, and go easy on your YAGM. Understand that reverse culture shock is not an exact science, and manifests itself differently in each person. Expect good days and bad days. Don’t be afraid to ask for help (including of the pharmaceutical variety) if necessary. Pray. Laugh. Cry. This too shall pass, and in the end, you’ll both be the richer for it.

ONE WORLD CUP: TWO WORLDS, by Mervyn Abrahams

Two days before the first-ever African FIFA Soccer World Cup many South Africans are gripped with a ‘feel good’ factor and excitement. Flags on cars are visible everywhere, people in the city-centers are wearing regalia in support of their soccer teams, and there are almost non-stop radio chat shows on the merits of one team versus another. South Africa is a soccer-mad country and hosting the most spectacular global soccer event has raised the excitement even more. For a country emerging from racial segregation and the brutality of apartheid, sports create a window of opportunity for nation-building because it could be used as a unifying force.
Will the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa be a unifying moment in the history of our nation and advance our socio-economic development by contributing to lessening the inequality between rich and poor? Voices from movements of the poor seem to paint a very different picture of the impact of the World Cup on their lives. From their perspective the World Cup will not benefit the poor and the disadvantaged. On the contrary, given developments on the ground, the opposite is more likely to happen. Second, the expenditure of billions of Rands on the 'elitist' World Cup constitutes a misdirection of resources needed to meet a wide range of pressing social needs.
They point out that South Africa has invested heavily in preparing for the World Cup. It is estimated that US$4.5 billion of public funds were invested in World Cup related infrastructure. At the time of bidding for the World Cup it was suggested that this investment would 'trickle down' through job creation and development. Yet of the 22,000 Cup-related jobs made available to citizens, 70-80 percent are subcontracted positions, offering wage rates of US$1-2 per hour, while construction companies reported pre-tax profit of 54–142 per cent. Thus, the World Cup will not benefit workers or the poor but rather big business.
Instead, FIFA has been granted a ‘tax-free bubble’ when its activities have been categorized as 'diplomatic' via the Revenues Law Amendment Act 20 of 2006, guaranteeing Fifa 17 provisions underpinning 'supportive financial environment', as well as free services ranging from safety and security, healthcare, transport, communications, intellectual property and marketing, control-zones for specific kilometers, amounting to as yet unknown costs.
Perhaps the best example of the manner in which the poor are being sidelined are the situation confronting street traders, those who sell small products on the side of the roads as a means to make a living. These traders are being forcibly removed from areas where they have been trading for years in the build-up and for the duration of the World Cup. This is to comply with FIFA’s designated exclusion zones. Rather than helping these traders the World Cup has become a means to restrict their ability to make a living. The same fate has been meted out to street children, sex workers and other beings considered undesirable in the quest to appease FIFA and to present South Africa’s cities as ‘world-class cities’.
Shack dwellers organisations like Abahlali have warned of increases in evictions from their homes and the South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued a directive to a number of municipalities not to allow marches for the duration of the 2010 World Cup, effectively suspending people’s constitutional right to protest.
So, what can we expect from the World Cup, hosted on African soil for the first time? Those who find themselves on the margins of society agree that the World Cup will in all probably address Afro-pessimism, on the side of First World tourists and media, and create a feel-good factor for South Africans and not much else. The real beneficiaries will be FIFA, big business and the political elite and the inequality between rich and poor in South Africa will remain constant, at best, or increase.
It seems we will remain a soccer-crazy people but mega-events like the World Cup create more difficulties for those who are poor. This is not confined to World Cup 2010 or South Africa but experience elsewhere in the world paints the same picture. Thus, the question remains – how can we use mega-events like the World Cup to improve the living conditions of the poor?

May Snapshots

- Young Adults Rally
- Attended “Electricity, Gender and Poverty”, a PACSA Presentation
- Observed a Food Basket focused discussion
- Enjoyed the beauty of the Land of 1,000 Hills
- Joined the family in celebrating a relative’s marriage with a “white” and “traditional” wedding
- Read a prayer at a service for peace in Israel and Palestine
- Led a devotion at PACSA

May Sound Bytes

“China is the best for everything.” – Eva, a friend, describing how China is a stronghold in the world
“[People] need to be home. You know that.” – Eva
“Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.” – 1st John 2:10
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” – 1st John 3:1
“What does Africa Freedom Day mean to us? We need the Holy Spirit to show us.” – Dean Myaka

A Word in Zulu: Yebo

“Yebo” means “yes”.