Checking South America off my List

While I'm sad that Mark doesn't get to share the Colombia experience with me, I'm a wee bit happy that I get another country and continent on my list of places that I've been (and he doesn't). He is pretty far ahead of me in the number of countries visited, thanks largely to the bike trip he took with his sister Julie through eastern Europe when he dropped out of college.

I've been at the MCC base in Akron, Pennsylvania for a week and a half now. It's been great being here with people going to countries that face similar challenges as DRC. Here's a few pics from around here. (Pardon the blurry ones - taken while jogging.)

I'm going to Colombia with three other new Seed Facilitators to learn from the program that is in its third cycle there. The two facilitators from Colombia have also been here with us for most of the time and have answered a lot of questions.

Here's some of what I've learned about the Seed program. There are three pillars, which are service, learning, and peacebuilding. The latter seems to be used largely in Mennonite circles but gets at the idea that injustice and vast inequalities drive conflict and violence. If we work to address these inequalities and improve access to resources for the poor, then there will be less reason for conflict. Another way to explain it is "negative peace" (the absence of violence) vs. "positive peace" (where justice is being realized for all people).

So we'll have 8-10 young adults in DRC, half from US/Canada/Europe and half from the Africa Great Lakes Region (DRC/Rwanda/Burundi). They will come for two years and work for local partners in the projects that are already happening. For example, doing trauma healing work among Internally Displaced People (IDPs) - like refugees but still in their home country.

Okay, sorry if this is becoming a crash course in peace studies. Back to the point.

I leave for Colombia for ten days tomorrow! It's kinda like a short term mission trip, but it's actually more like a learning tour. I'm trying to have an attitude like I would have going into a mission trip, that is, Flexible and open to new experiences and willing to be out of my comfort zone!

Here are some specific prayer requests:

- smooth and safe travel

- good time of connection with Serge, my co-facilitator. (We've sat side by side in class a lot but haven't really had much opportunity to get to know each other. But what I know of him, I'm excited about!)

- health and energy

- good connections with people, and willingness to stretch myself when I'm tired of being around people (INTROVERT)

- vision and clarity about our future Seed program in DRC
- being away from Mark (and pray for him while I'm gone, too)

Okay, gotta wrap it up and go to bed so I can get to bed early and to the airport.