Different Ways to Serve - Adventist Volunteer Service

32 Pages·2010·4.72 MB·English

From Everywhere to Everywhere vvoolluummee 1122 •• nnuummbbeerr 11
Different Ways to Serve
departments
4 Postcard
5 Editorial
30 New Volunteers
31 Reflections
32 Volunteer Opportunities
features
6 Different Ways to Serve
There are many ways to witness about our
faith, and one of them is by doing activities
that help our bodies stay healthy.
8 My Name is Henock
“I love you. Don’t forget it.”
c o n t e n t s
11 The Missionary Identity
I am not building the kingdom of
heaven; it is building me.
16 It’s a Word that is Alive
It would have been easy to ignore had it
not landed in my mind with such force,
like an enormous jumbo jet touching
down on an airport runway.
19 The Blessing of Service
It’s so wonderful to see the many ways
in which God can use us, even though
we’re human beings with many faults.
21 Miracle at Shark’s Pit
“Lord! If this is it, if I am going to die
now—into Your hands, I commend
my spirit.”
25 Ten Months in Madrid
“The best part of volunteering is sharing
the love of God with others.”
28 A Volunteer Interview
While I was their teacher, they kept
singing the songs we learned and
quoting the Bible verses I taught them.
Cover: Volunteer Cassi Fitzpatrick on
location in Kenya. Story on page 4. It just made my heart melt!
m i s s i o n p o s t | c o n t e n t s 2 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e
missionpost
GENERAL CONFERENCE VOLUNTEER STAFF
Homer Trecartin | DIRECTOR/EDITOR
Donna Rodill | SR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/LAYOUT & DESIGN
Candace Renk | AVS VOLUNTEER APPOINTEES COORDINATOR
Joanne Stango | AVS ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR
Jill Walker Gonzalez | AVS ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR/
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
4
e
g
a DIVISION VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS
P
Hudson E Kibuuka | EAST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION
Gabriel E Maurer | EURO-AFRICA DIVISION
Michael Kaminsky | EURO-ASIA DIVISION
Faye Reid | INTER-AMERICAN DIVISION
Jose Rojas | NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION
Akeri Suzuki | NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION
Marly Timm | SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISION
Robert Bolst | SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION
Julian Hibbert | SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION
Rose Christo | SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION
Page 11 Gary Rustad | SOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION
Paul Tompkins | TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION
John Enang | WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION
We welcome unsolicited manuscripts, letters to
the editor, volunteer tips, postcards and stories.
Send all editorial correspondence to:
Adventist Volunteer Service Publications
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 USA
66
ee 11 Email: [email protected]
aagg Fax: [phone]
PP
Website: www.adventistvolunteers.org
Mission Post (ISSN 1528-235X) is published four
times a year by the Adventist Volunteer Service of
the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.®
Printed by the Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown,
MD 21741-1119. Copyright © 2001, General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. For a free
subscription, send your name and address to
Adventist Volunteer Service Publications, 12501 Old
Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 or
send an email to: [email protected]
www.adventistvolunteers.org
Page 19
m i s s i o n p o s t | c o n t e n t s 3 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e
P o s t c a r d
DDeeaarr VVoolluunntteeeerrss,,
HHow awesome is it to be a
vessel for God? So far, it
has been truly amazing for
mmee.. TThhiiss yyeeaarr GGoodd hhaass ppllaacceedd mmee iinn
tthhee bbeeaauuttiiffuull llaanndd ooff AAffrriiccaa,, wwhheerree II
am a volunteer at Maxwell Adventist
Academy in Nairobi, Kenya. My
aassssiiggnnmmeennttss hheerree aarree pprriimmaarriillyy ttoo bbee tthhee
AAssssiissttaanntt EElleemmeennttaarryy TTeeaacchheerr,, aass wweellll aass
aa ttuuttoorr ffoorr tthhee aaccaaddeemmyy ssttuuddeennttss.. WWhhaatt
aa jjooyy tthhee kkiiddss aarree ttoo wwoorrkk wwiitthh eevveerryyddaayy!!
I’ve been here since August, and I can
aallrreeaaddyy sseeee GGoodd wwoorrkkiinngg iinn tthheeiirr hheeaarrttss;;
I know that amazing things are going to
happen this school year.
In my 5th-8th grade Bible class, we’ve
decided to make Thursdays our days of
outreach to the community and campus.
Last week, we made “Thank You” cards
for all of the Maxwell staff. It was such
OOvveerraallll,, tthhrroouugghh tthhiiss
a blessing to see the kids enjoy giving
eexxppeerriieennccee II’’vvee sseeeenn wwhhaatt GGoodd ccaann
their cards away and also to see the
do with my life when I give Him my
staff members filled with happiness to
whole heart and let Him make all of the
know that we appreciate them and what
decisions. If you do this too, I know He
they do for us on a daily basis. Other
will take you on the journey of a lifetime. I
projects we are thinking about include:
guarantee it!
fundraising for the local orphanage,
putting together care packages for the
God Bless,
sick, visiting people in hospitals, and
Cassi Fitzpatrick
cleaning houses for our campus staff.
The kids are really starting to get excited
Originally from the USA, Cassi is serving in Africa.
about helping others, and I hope this will
be something that changes their lives and
the way they look at the world.
m i s s i o n p o s t | p o s t c a r d 4 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e
Homer Trecartin | Editor, Mission Post | Associate Secretary, General Conference of Seventh-
editorial
day Adventists ®| Director, Adventist Volunteer Center
Well
Hello There!
IIsee you have picked up this issue of here – pictures of Kenya and Kazakhstan,
Mission Post and started to read. Botswana and Spain, Costa Rica and Guam.
OK, you’re right – I can’t really see The stories are here too. Your heart will
yyoouu,, bbuutt II hhaavvee tthhoouugghhtt aabboouutt tthhoossee wwhhoo ache for the young mother who makes
wwoouulldd ooppeenn tthheessee ppaaggeess.. WWhhyy aarree yyoouu the agonizing decision to give away her
doing it anyway? Did you or one of your newborn son. You will hold your breath as
friends send in an article or picture, and a pastor is swept out to sea. But you will
you want to see it? Or maybe you are also find far more than entertainment in
part of the way through these pages.
May you find
your volunteer term Our prayer is that God
in some lonely place, will speak to you as you
and this helps you feel read. May you find comfort
comfort and
connected. Perhaps you and courage here. May your
are a returned volunteer – faith be renewed. And may
returned in body, but your you be challenged to get
courage here.
heart is still out in the involved. Pray for Andres
mission field. Maybe you and Cassi, and Emese (and
just found this copy lying May your faith be the others). Share a story
on a table in the church with your Sabbath School
foyer and are dreaming of class, or share the magazine
far-away places and exotic renewed. with someone who might
experiences. not have seen it. And check
Whatever prompted you to pick us up out our website to see if there are any
in the first place, if you keep reading, you opportunities you could fill.
will soon see that Mission Post is not just Thanks for picking up our magazine.
another travel magazine filled with pretty We hope you are blessed by the time you
pictures and fascinating stories. They are spend with us.
m i s s i o n p o s t | r e f l e c t i o n s 5 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e
UUUUUnnnnniiiiittttteeeeeddddd SSSSStttttaaaaattttteeeeesssss
ooofff AAAmmmeeerrriiicccaaa
Different Ways
to
SSeerrvvee
By Raul Alejandro Ortega Carrion
IIstarted my volunteer service at gymnastics. In doing so, I was able to pass
Sandia View Academy in Corrales, on my knowledge of physical education,
New Mexico, in the United States of kinesiology and health to my students.
AAmmeerriiccaa oonn JJaannuuaarryy 77,, 22000088.. AAtt SSaannddiiaa During the semester, we had a gymnastics
VViieeww,, II ttaauugghhtt ggyymmnnaassttiiccss aanndd SSppaanniisshh,, show at Three Angels SDA Church.
and I helped supervise study hall. This Everything went as we had practiced,
was a new experience for me; I had never and it was a success! The parents who
worked in a country where everyone attended could see how much time their
spoke a different language than I did! At kids had spent practicing. I felt they
first, I had some problems with the were happy that their kids were
llaanngguuaaggee,, bbuutt lliittttllee bbyy lliittttllee,, II iinnvvoollvveedd iinn ssoommeetthhiinngg ppoossiittiivvee,,
wwaass aabbllee ttoo ccoommmmuunniiccaattee ssoommeetthhiinngg tthhaatt bbuuiilltt tthheemm
better with the students uupp.. TThhiiss ffiilllleedd mmee wwiitthh
and the other teachers. satisfaction.
I have always gone While I was serving,
to Adventist schools. I I was reminded of
remember that student what the Bible says
missionaries came to in 1 Corinthians 12:4,
my high school, Colegio 5: “There are different
Adventista del Ecuador kkiinnddss ooff ggiiffttss,, bbuutt tthhee
((CCAADDEE)),, eevveerryy yyeeaarr.. MMoossttllyy,, ssaammee SSppiirriitt.. TThheerree aarree
they came from the United different kinds of service, but
States to teach English and to serve in the same Lord.” Certainly, there are
other ways at the school. Providentially, many ways to witness about our faith, and
now I have had the opportunity to serve one of them is by doing activities that help
as a volunteer in the United States, to our bodies stay healthy.
learn about a new culture and to teach I was also able to witness in other ways.
some of the things I’ve learned throughout I began every class with a Bible verse and
my life. a prayer. It was a beautiful thing to begin
In New Mexico, I was privileged to each class this way. My students and I
be able to teach a subject that I like: may have had cultural differences, but we
m i s s i o n p o s t | u n i t e d s t a t e s 6 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e
shared a common faith. In the Spanish in the U.S. This is a week when you wear
classes, I enjoyed helping the kids with different costumes every day to see
pronunciation and conversation, and I which class has the most school spirit. On
often made up language games so learning one of the days--Mad Hair Day--all the
would be fun. It was very gratifying for me students and faculty went to school with
to work with the teenagers, to be able to extravagant hairstyles. There was also
be a good influence for them at this stage Nerd Day, Pajama Day and others.
of their lives. I encourage everyone who wants to
Not everything was about work, be a volunteer to do so. If you do, you
though. We also had a winter camping will have enriching experiences that will
trip in February, during which we last a lifetime. The most satisfying thing
enjoyed the snow, hiking and learning about volunteer service is to feel you have
about survival in the mountains. done something to inspire the people you
I enjoyed volunteering in New Mexico. served and that through your life, you
I bore witness to the education system of have reflected the life of Jesus.
this country. I saw U.S. customs, festivals
and holidays, as well as how Americans Raul Ortega Carrion, a native of Ecuador, writes
organize events and programs. It inspired ffrroomm EEnnttrree RRiiooss,, AArrggeennttiinnaa,, wwhheerree hhee iiss ffiinniisshhiinngg
me to take different ideas and to do his studies in Kinesiology and
Physical Education at River
different things in South America that I
Plate University.
had witnessed in the United States. For
example, I was inspired by “Spirit Week”
Top Left: Volunteer Raul Ortega Carrion
Center Left: Students have fun sledding on the winter camp out
Raul performs alongside his team
Sandia View’s gymnastics team shows off their two-highs.
m i s s i o n p o s t | u n t i e d s t a t e s 7 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e
EEEEEttttthhhhhiiiiiooooopppppiiiiiaaaaa
Baby Henock being
held by the son of a
staff member at Gimbie
My Name is Adventist Hospital
HHeennoocckk
BByy MMoonniiccaa BBaarrllooww
HHello, my name is Henock, and My mother looked at me, and said, “I
I am 10 days old. My hair is jet am glad that you are healthy!”
black and very straight. I was She held me really tight.
bboorrnn oonn NNoovveemmbbeerr 33 aatt GGiimmbbiiee AAddvveennttiisstt Soon we left the hospital and arrived
HHoossppiittaall iinn EEtthhiiooppiiaa,, ttoo aa vveerryy hhaappppyy at home. When we entered the house,
mother. She was afraid I would come my father was gone. I don’t mean he had
before she arrived at the hospital, like gone to the store; I mean he had left for
most babies do here. Although being good. No note, no arguments, just GONE!
pregnant in a third world country is often Since grandma had passed away before I
a death sentence, my mother delivered me was born, that left only grandpa to help
with little difficulty. mom with two kids and no husband.
Alongside my mom, I experienced the Unfortunately, it was too much for him.
women’s ward for two days. I looked Mom seemed sadder every day. She smiled
around at the hospital beds with green when she looked at me or my sister, but
mosquito nets hanging above them. I otherwise her eyes had a glassy, far off
heard other babies crying to be fed, and I look. She didn’t hum while she cooked
saw their mothers happily scooping them dinner anymore. She looked as if she was
up to be nursed. As I noticed each pair, trying to figure out a great riddle or the
I realized that one young mother in the meaning of life. As I watched her working
corner seemed distraught. over the stove, I saw that her old torn
My mother looked at me and held me dress could not hide her beauty. With her
close, saying “Poor girl! Her baby didn’t hair wrapped up in a scarf, she looked
make it.” at least 25, but her smooth skin gave her
AA ffffeeeerrrreeeennnnggggiiii (((fffooorrreeeiiigggnnneeerrr))) ttthhheeennn llleeefffttt ttthhheee rrroooooommm ttrruuee aaggee aawwaayy.. MMyy mmootthheerr wwaass aa ggoorrggeeoouuss
wwiitthh aa bbuunnddllee wwrraappppeedd uupp iinn aa ttoorrnn oolldd wwoommaann;; nnoo oonnee ccoouulldd ddeennyy iitt..
sshheeeett.. SShhee ppuutt tthhee bbuunnddllee iinn aa ccaarrddbbooaarrdd AAfftteerr eeiigghhtt ddaayyss ooff hhoommee lliiffee,, eevveerryytthhiinngg
bbooxx aanndd wwrroottee ““ddeeaadd bbaabbyy”” oonn tthhee oouuttssiiddee.. cchhaannggeedd.. TThhaatt ddaayy,, NNoovveemmbbeerr 1122,, ssttaarrtteedd
TThhee bbooxx wwaass ppllaacceedd nneexxtt ttoo aannootthheerr ssiimmiillaarr jjuusstt lliikkee eevveerryy ootthheerr ddaayy ooff mmyy lliiffee hhaadd ssoo
bbooxx,, aanndd sshhoovveedd iinnttoo tthhee nnuurrsseess’’ ssttaattiioonn.. ffaarr.. II wwookkee uupp iinn mmoomm’’ss bbeedd iinn oouurr ttoowwnn
II hheeaarrdd mmyy mmootthheerr tteelllliinngg aannootthheerr ppaattiieenntt nneeaarr DDeemmbbii DDoolllloo.. MMoomm llooookkeedd ssttrreesssseedd
tthhaatt tthhee ggaarrddeenneerr ppiicckkeedd uupp tthhee bbooxxeess aanndd tthhiiss mmoorrnniinngg,, bbuutt sshhee ssttiillll ggaavvee mmee aa bbiigg
bbuurriieedd tthheemm ddoowwnn tthhee hhiillll.. ssmmiillee aass sshhee ttuurrnneedd oovveerr ttoo bbrreeaasstt ffeeeedd
mm ii ss ss ii oo nn pp oo ss tt || ee tt hh ii oo pp ii aa 88 aa dd vv ee nn tt ii ss tt vv oo ll uu nn tt ee ee rr ss ee rr vv ii cc ee
me. I love my mother. Yeah, she’s only 18, Her gaze looked different than I had seen
but she does her best to take care of my it before. It was if she was looking into
one-year-old sister and myself. my soul, and imprinting there the words,
As soon as we got done with breakfast, “I love you. Don’t forget it.” I didn’t know
mom strapped my sister to her back and what was going on, but I desperately
held me in a blanket in her arms while she wanted to tell her not to worry, that we
walked to the bus station. We waited in were all going to be okay. All I could do
the heat for almost an hour and then got was to smile and enjoy her warm arms
onto the bus with the other commuters and attention.
going to Gimbie. The bus ride was smelly, The next thing I remember was seeing
noisy, and cramped, but lying in mom’s several people scurry into the room.
arms was a delight, like always, regardless They were talking to mom. Although she
of the circumstances. Her milk quenched answered them, she only looked at me.
my thirst and warmed my belly, causing In a very strange language, they talked
me to drift off into a sweet dream of to her, but she could not understand
familiar smells and sounds. what they were saying. Then a nice older
Suddenly there was a SCREECH!! I was woman with a friendly smile spoke in
rudely awakened by the sound of the Oromofa, our language. She repeated the
well-worn bus breaks and the feeling questions previously asked of my mom.
ooff ppeeooppllee ppuusshhiinngg ttoo eexxiitt tthhee OOnnee ooff tthheessee qquueessttiioonnss
bus first. wwaass,, ““WWhhaatt iiss hhiiss nnaammee??””
Mom got up “““III MMyy mmootthheerr llooookkeedd
slowly, securing ddoowwnn aatt mmee,,
dddiiidddnnn’’’ttt nnnaaammmeee hhhiiimmm...
my sister again and then up at
to her back and III wwwaaasss wwwaaaiiitttiiinnnggg fffooorrr hhhiiisss the friendly
wiping away a lady. “I didn’t
fffaaattthhheeerrr tttooo nnnaaammmeee hhhiiimmm,,,
tear that trailed name him. I
down her bbbuuuttt hhheee iiisss gggooonnneee was waiting
cheek. Under for his father to
nnnooowww...”””
the strain of her nnaammee hhiimm,, bbuutt hhee
load, she hobbled iiss ggoonnee nnooww,,”” wwaass
ooffff tthhee bbuuss aanndd wwaallkkeedd mmoomm’’ss rreeppllyy..
to Gimbie Hospital, where I had The women discussed this
been born 10 days previously. I had no predicament and then asked my mom if
iiddeeaa tthhaatt sshhee hhaadd aann aappppooiinnttmmeenntt wwiitthh tthhee sshhee wwaass aa CChhrriissttiiaann.. MMoomm ssaaiidd yyeess,, sshhee
cchhaappllaaiinn aatt 22 pp..mm.. wwaass.. SSoo tthheeyy aasskkeedd iiff sshhee wwoouulldd lliikkee ttoo uussee
AAss sshhee cclliimmbbeedd tthhee ssttaaiirrss,, hheerr lloonngg aa nnaammee ffrroomm tthhee BBiibbllee ffoorr mmee..
sskkiirrtt bbrruusshheedd tthhee fflloooorr,, wwhhiicchh wwaass dduusstteedd MMyy mmoomm ssmmiilleedd aanndd ssaaiidd,, ““YYeess..””
wwiitthh tthhee aarreeaa’’ss rreedd ddiirrtt.. SShhee ddiiddnn’’tt sseeeemm TThhee nnaammeess mmeennttiioonneedd wweerree DDaavviidd,, DDaanniieell,,
ttoo nnoottiiccee.. SShhee hheeaaddeedd ssttrraaiigghhtt ttoo tthhee GGiiddeeoonn aanndd IIssaaaacc,, bbuutt mmyy mmoomm jjuusstt llooookkeedd
aaccccoouunnttiinngg ooffffiiccee,, ffoouunndd aa sseeaatt oonn tthhee aatt mmee aanndd ssaaiidd,, ““HHooww aabboouutt HHeennoocckk??””
bbeenncchh,, aanndd wweenntt lliimmpp.. MMyy ssiisstteerr sslleepptt oonn AAllll tthhee llaaddiieess ssmmiilleedd aanndd ssoommeeoonnee
mmoomm’’ss bbaacckk,, wwhhiillee mmoomm jjuusstt llooookkeedd aatt mmee.. eexxppllaaiinneedd tthhaatt HHeennoocckk iiss OOrroommooffaa ffoorr
mm ii ss ss ii oo nn pp oo ss tt || ee tt hh ii oo pp ii aa 99 aa dd vv ee nn tt ii ss tt vv oo ll uu nn tt ee ee rr ss ee rr vv ii cc ee
Ethiopia
Enoch. Someone else said it meant “walks They dressed me in warm clothes and
with God.” wrapped me in a blanket with a horse on
It so pleased my mom, that Enoch was the it. They placed me next to another baby,
name written down on the ladies’ papers. Samuel Hosea, who was born in the same
Unfortunately, my mom’s happiness hospital. Although this was my first day
soon faded as she finished answering the here, Samuel had lived here four weeks
ladies’ questions. She handed me over to already. He is Oromo too, but he is a lot
the chaplain, who in turn passed me to bigger than me and has long, curly hair.
a lady with a red shirt who was standing I heard that he never got to know his
by the window. I looked up at this lady mother, that she died from an infection
wondering if she was kind. She wasn’t two days after he was born. I felt sorry for
as pretty as my mom, and she seemed him, for I could not stop thinking about my
about double her age. Gazing up into her mother. Where was she? Would she come
tear filled eyes, I saw a sadness, the same back? It was nice to be here, but it was not
sadness I saw in my mom’s eyes. as cozy as when I was with my mom.
Suddenly my sister woke up and began However, somehow I knew that I would
screaming from her perch on mom’s back. never see my mom again. I heard the women
Untying her, my mom put my sister on her say that as soon as my papers are finished
lap. My sister, an active toddler, clung to and taken to Addis, I will be shipped off to
mom, even though her soiled dress reeked America. I heard them say that I will have
of urine. My mom embraced her as if she many opportunities there and that I won’t
had just gotten out of a fresh, warm bath. get sick there as often as here, that there is
As the lady who spoke our language plenty to eat and good schools to attend,
ushered us out of the room, the woman that America is just like heaven…
in the red shirt leaned down toward my But my only thought was, “Where is
mom. My mom kissed me. Her warm lips my mom?”
quivered and I could feel her presence My name is Henock, and I am 10
leave me. I felt so scared that I started to days old. I’m scared. Could you please
cry. I wanted to jump out of this lady’s pray for me?
arms and into my mom’s embrace, but
at 10 days old, this was impossible. The Monica Barlow and her husband Glenn are
woman with the red shirt cuddled me originally from the United States. They have been
close and spoke in such a soft voice that I serving in Gimbie, Ethiopia, since October of
2008. At Gimbie, Glenn has been the operating
couldn’t help but smile at her.
room director, while Monica has been busy raising
Holding me, she walked down some
three Ethiopian children, two of which she and her
steep steps to a large house. Immediately,
husband have adopted. Monica has also helped to
we were surrounded by a group of young open the first orphanage in the West Wollega area.
women, who all doted over me. They Monica encourages anyone—no matter what his/
removed my soiled clothes and placed me her profession—to become a volunteer. “No matter
what your skills,” she says, “God has a place for you
in some warm water with bubbles. It was
in His work.” The Barlows will be staying in Ethiopia
pleasant, but I cried because everything
until January 2011, or until God says otherwise.
was so new and different.
Henock and his new little sister will meet their
new family this spring.
m i s s i o n p o s t | e t h i o p i a 10 a d v e n t i s t v o l u n t e e r s e r v i c e