beg/borrow/steal

There are a lot of people out there who are doing "a photo a day" blogs and they do it for a large variety of reasons: some artistic, some documentary, some just for fun. My friend, Jimmy Hayes, is doing a photo-a-day blog while living in NYC and it's pretty cool.

Borrowing/stealing from Jimmy, I've decided that a photo-a-week would help me keep up the blogging and keep people updated on my life abroad and here in the states.

Last night I got to spend some over-due time with Kara McClure (affectionately known as K'Mc). We went and listened to Handel's Messiah at 10th Pres in Philly and it was extremely moving.

Afterward, we met up with Fausto for some eats. Fausto had previously introduced me to vietnamese food, specifically Pho. [If you're not a vegetarian and haven't eaten it, run to the nearest vietnamese restaurant].

Fausto and I have since become slightly addicted to pho and bubble tea smoothies. Avocado is actually the best. So while looking for a place to sit and chat last night (after getting my last Pat's cheesesteak in Philly), we wound up at the Pho Café on 11th & Washington. A great ending to a wonderful evening.

countdown

The past month has been a whirlwind of preparations, packing, goodbyes, questions, meetings, and emotions. I've moved out of my house in Philly [i miss my jklmn girls] and I'm back in Moorestown with Ma Burris. I end work at Center City Crime Victim Services in a week and then it will be time to really finish packing, and perhaps even sending off some stuff via USPS.

I sold my car on Monday and then rode my bike to a doctor's appointment yesterday. Baby steps. :)

I don't have much time to update on small details right now, BUT suffice it to say that fundraising for UPH is going to be my main concern starting next week (once I'm not working full time). So in light of that -- here's a link to a UPH fact-sheet that you may find interesting as you [possibly] think or pray through supporting the ministry monthly.

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A chance to do something

Did you know that Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America with over half the population living below the poverty line? Honduras also has the lowest graduation rate for students in secondary schools in Latin America and only 2% of youth will graduate from university. While this paints a bleak picture, I’m excited to share with you an opportunity to do something--an opportunity to infuse the lives and futures of Honduran students with hope.

Personally, I’ve felt a burden to act since my first experiences in Latin America, 9 years ago. As time has progressed, I have become more aware of the connection between lack of education, community development and poverty. In addition to awareness, my understanding of how to respond has developed as well.

Six years ago, while on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico, I stayed at a mission where young girls came after school for help with school work. The girls came diligently every day and were supported in their studies and their faith. When I saw how the Christian community in Reynosa came alongside those students, I knew that was the direction God was taking me. I knew that I was being called to respond to seemingly hopeless circumstances by investing in children and youth in Latin America to equip them academically, socially, and spiritually for life’s challenges.

In May of 2009, Urban Promise Honduras initiated full-time work in Copan Ruinas, using the Urban Promise model and holistic approach of implementing After School Programs, Summer Programs, and Leadership Development in under-resourced communities. In September 2009, I traveled to Copan Ruinas and served as a volunteer with UPH in their first After School Program, Camp Hope. While serving with UPH, I witnessed an effective response to poverty and apparent hopelessness. I saw and experienced first-hand the restorative power that comes from empowering children and youth to take hold of life, learn responsibility, discipline, and values of the Christian faith.

Urban Promise Honduras has grown and developed since 2009, and is now taking steps to launch a second After School Program site in another neighborhood of Copan Ruinas. This especially is exciting for me because it has opened up a long-term position on the Urban Promise Honduras team to serve as Director of this new After School Program, starting this May. As I write this letter to you, my mind is bouncing in a million directions, dreaming of the possibilities, opportunities and hopes to come for and through this new Program.

I want to invite you to pray through how you could respond to what God is doing through this ministry. I would like you to consider partnering and supporting this new After School Program and the ministry of Urban Promise Honduras. I’m responding by going down to serve. How could God be calling you to respond?

If you'd like more information about UrbanPromise Honduras, click here for their website and click here for information on how to donate.

on [the other side of] skype

For those of you who don't know... Kristianna [my dear little sister] is in Brazil!

She's teaching English and loving it. She got a job shortly after arriving there and I'm not surprised at all to report that her face lights up when she talks about the lessons she's planning and how she gets to interact with her student (she just has one right now to whom she gives private lessons). I'm quite happy for her. It sounds like this is going to be an amazing adventure.

I got to chat with her via skype the other day and it was wild to be the one state-side. I found myself asking her a lot of the questions I remember getting, and I had to chuckle. And it made me miss being abroad.

I've been asked a lot lately whether or not I have plans to go abroad again. I can't really answer that yet, mostly because nothing is in the works per se. However, I DO know that the desire to go is there, and I just have to wait for God to open the door, or maybe I need to listen a little better to what He's telling me to do. Either way, it's definitely on my heart, I just don't know where the next stop on this journey is!

she did come...

just because i know everyone is waiting on the edge of their seats... Natalia did come. :) She's great. :) You should all come meet her. And hear about Russia.

The end.