Representing Young People

As an ecumenical mutt, this has been my first year to really follow the events happening at UMC General Conference. It has been hard to read and watch over the past week as decisions have been made (or not made), riling up voices on social media and blog sites.  I’m not here to challenge any of the opinions or decisions presented, but to focus our attention on the young people represented. It was powerful to be able to stream the Young People’s Address yesterday and hear from Chelsea Spyres and Peter Cibuabua, two amazing young adults who were chosen to speak on behalf of young adult Methodists across the world.

I encourage to listen to the address yourself, click here!

 

The message Chelsea and Peter share is bold and powerful. They mention some touchy subject on human sexuality and funding/support of young adults in the church, but they also take a stance of love and of unity.

“Remember that we have one God, one Christ, we have one doctrine, we have one faith, we have one body, one, and one church.” -Cibuabua

“We are a church based in love.” -Spyres

General Conference-type events are never easy within any denominations that span globally, so I appreciated these words from Chelsea, reminding us of our human faults and God’s grace.

We as human beings get it wrong a lot. We think that we have it right, that we know what we are talking about until someone comes along and proves us otherwise. Or maybe God stops whispering and starts to yell. God stops waiting for us to find a quiet moment and shows up in very very apparent ways. We as the people who make up the church can also get it wrong. We can find ourselves far from sharing God’s love, only portraying our personal intentions and goals. It is in these moments that I am thankful for God’s grace and grace from my neighbor. One of the things I that hear most from young people is that their voice is not being heard, that they are not welcomed. As a denomination we can get so focused on doing things the way we have always done them that we miss out on new voices longing to be heard. We don’t take time to get to know that new person who has just walked into worship or the new demographic that has moved into the neighborhood. We make assumptions before building relationships. As a church we think because we have heard from one or two young people, we have heard from them all, but we must remember that each individual is unique, with their own story, their own background, their own ideas for the future. Whether or not we agree with someone theologically or personally, we must remember that we are first God’s children, created equally, created from and for love. How would the church grow if we began to listen before we spoke? If we learned about each other’s cultural backgrounds before inserting our expectations? What would the church look like if, before anything else, we loved, and I mean truly loved all? If first and foremost we sought to show the radical, perfect, undeserving love that Christ shows us?

As Chelsea states above, Peter and herself are just two young adults trying to share the thoughts of many others, but there are so many more voices that need to be heard! I am proud to be a part of this blog of young adults, to be able to share stories and learn from others around the world.

How can you lift up the young adults in your conference? What voices need to be heard?

Maria Niechwiadowcz
Amity Foundation, China
GMF International, Class 2014
Advance #3021976

 

 

Travel like Jesus

Being a teacher in China gives me the benefit of a long winter holiday to wander through the country. What a blessing! What I realized on my most recent trip was that Jesus, too, was a traveler. In fact, Jesus was the ultimate traveler, using his own two feet to take him from place to place. Reading the Gospels we find that Jesus actually seems quite fond of nature, journeying to mountains and lakes often, for example. But Jesus didn’t journey to experience amazing sites or taste the local cuisine – his purpose was solely relational. He went to preach, teach, and heal. He built relationships and united communities under God’s name. Despite his importance and ‘lofty status’ as the Son of God, he entered into the must humble of homes and communicated with the lowest of people. This was how he learned, served, and shared the message of Truth. This was how he traveled and this was how he taught his disciples to travel.

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

–Mark 6:6b-13 (The Message)

As I think about my adventures, I realize that the most fulfilling moments are the days that I am meeting new people and engaging in the local community. In fact, I plan my travels differently now. Rather than booking time at every site and packing my days, I seek opportunities to learn about the local culture and find ways to meet native people or other travelers. I now travel to experience the culture through people. I don’t regularly preach the Gospel with words, but I do believe that Jesus calls me to build relationships, listen to the stories of others, and to share the love the Lord has placed in my heart. Jesus’ journeys remind me that one small encounter with another person can make a huge difference. I can’t heal illness, but I can share my experiences and friendship. I can’t give salvation, but I can give love and acceptance.

Maria Niechwiadowcz
Amity Foundation, China
GMF International, Class 2014
Advance #3021976

The Next Step

This month I had a chance to travel to Japan, along with the 27 other Global Mission Fellows that are placed internationally, to attend our Midterm event.

In August of 2014 we left each other after our training, ready to be sent into the world to engage, connect, and grow in our selected placement sites. This Midterm event stood as a marker, a light at the end of the tunnel, something to look forward to amidst the challenges of engaging in new cultures and the pressure of our jobs. As much as I was excited to pack my bags and head to Japan to reunite with my GMF family, there was resistance in my heart. All activities were up and running at school, but I had to put aside these obligations and leave the classroom and my students for two weeks. I’m not going to lie, it felt inconvenient to drop everything and stressful to prepare for my absence, but I was excited to travel. Despite that piece of resistance in my heart, there was nothing better than reuniting as the international class of Global Mission Fellows!

Photo Credit: Yoshi Fujimori

Our week was filled with sessions that provided space to process our experience, our placement sites, and our spiritual journey. We worshiped in song and prayer. We learned about the social justice issues in Japan and analyzed and dialogued about the issues in our placement contexts. We set goals for the next 9 months of our service and began the process of vocational discernment for after the program. But most importantly we shared stories and we listened intently, realizing that our experiences have more similarities than differences. It was a time of reconnecting, of renewal, and of laughter.

Amidst all of this, a small pain formed in my stomach. I missed my students, deeply. This pain came with a sense of joy at first. Missing them validated that my place is in Guyuan right now! I feel at peace in Guyuan, it has become a “home,” and I know that the Lord is using me intently! This pain was a good indicator that I hadn’t wasted a year of my life. But this pain was also a reality check. If I was missing my students after being absent for two weeks, what would it feel like to leave for…well, forever?

There is a beauty in the Global Mission Fellow timeline – two years of service in another country, at first, seems long and daunting. But one year is NOT enough. That first year is spent in the ups and downs of culture shock. It takes time to build relationships; it takes time to understand a culture; it takes time to find a niche within a community. Now, with only six months left in my placement site I wonder, is two years really long enough?

As Global Mission Fellows we now have to reflect on the temporary nature of our positions. How do we continue to engage in our communities while making plans for the future? How do we find closure in our communities?

I invite you to join us in prayer as we search for these answers while continuing to engage in our communities!

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Maria Niechwiadowcz
Amity Foundation, China
Global Mission Fellow, Class 2014
Advance #3021976

12 Lessons in 12 Months

I can now officially say that I have been a Global Mission Fellow for one year, which means there is just one year left of my service in China. It is amazing to look back and reflect on the time that has passed! What a journey of joys, struggles, understanding, and confusion this year has been. Needless to say I have learned a lot, and the learning is not over. In fact, God’s wisdom is just beginning to show it’s light in my work, in Guyuan, and in me. Here are 12 lessons I have learned in 12 months:

1. No matter how much I learn about China, I will never know enough. 1.4 billion people. 5,000 years of history. Various news sources from multiple cultural perspectives. Enough said.

2. Mandarin is the hardest language EVER (dialects make things difficult). I am a little ashamed to say that after spending 11 months in China, I still can’t carry on a full conversation in Mandarin. Survive? Yes. But conditions vary. The guyuanhua dialect here is still incredibly hard for me to understand and even with standard putonghua, my vocabulary is limited.

3. Every day is an adventure. Living abroad turns normal activities like grocery shopping and walking to the bus stop an adventure where anything can happen. I am challenged on a daily basis to adapt and take everything with a dose of grace. Here are just some of the thoughts that run through my head on a daily basis:

• At the grocery store: Pear-flavored sausage? Ok…
• Walking down the street: Pig heads on side of the road, no big deal. 
• Upon hearing fireworks going off: Either my apartment is being attacked, or it is a holiday, or….neither, I live in China. 
• After being invited to an official banquet: How lovely! When is the banquet next week? I mean, of course the banquet is tonight. I’ll cancel my plans. 

4. Butter is not better. I’ve always been more of an Italian, olive-oil-believing cook rather than a French butter-snob, but when it comes to baking, butter has always been king. Well, butter is scarce and expensive in Guyuan, which means research and adaptions have been necessary and successful! After perfecting a super moist yellow cake recipe with an oil base, I don’t think I will ever make a yellow butter cake again!

5. Ningxia is to South Dakota. (I’m gonna make a big generalization…) Ask an east-coaster where South Dakota is on the map of the USA and they will stare at you blankly. Ask an eastern Chinese person where Ningxia is…same response. What state/province are you referring to? Similarly, the biggest complaint from locals living here in Guyuan is that the weather is “changeable” and oh so terribly cold in the winter. Let’s be honest, South Dakota weather is way more schizophrenic, and hey, I don’t have to worry about tornadoes in China. Let’s just say I had ideal wardrobe for moving to Ningxia.

6. Being a (young, Christian, female) foreigner is complicated. Sometimes I feel like a supermodel, a security threat, and a little kid all in one day. For example, going to the bank takes 2 hours of paperwork. Walking down the street after jogging in my sweatpants still inspires locals to tell me that I am beautiful. Holidays are the only excuse to share “Western religious” culture in class. At the mall I am mistaken for a student, which means the surprised faces upon sharing that I am a teacher are priceless!

7. Time slows down when I am disengaged and unsatisfied, but speeds up when I am living and engaging in the moment. 

8. Breaking expectations is important. Redefining concepts is essential. Even if you enter a new place or experience thinking you have no expectations, the truth is that they are hiding in the back of your mind. This was me. Despite coming to China with a “fresh” heart and mind, I really struggled to acknowledge and release those hidden expectations, especially when it came down to the spirituality in Guyuan. I ultimately had to prayerfully sit and redefine my pre-exisiting concepts of mission, justice, and even religion. It was the healthiest spiritual decision I made over the year!

9. Opening your eyes is the first step to actually seeing. Along with #8 comes a new concept of seeing. I have learned that it is important to listen and observe the culture surrounding me, but also intentionally see from my heart to theirs. That is, looking beyond the surface level and really trying to understand where the Holy Spirit is working.

10. It’s the little things in life…that make your day and ruin your day! A small square of imported dark chocolate can make my day, or a simple meal with a student will bring sunshine all week. But a minor language problem at the store will frustrate my spirit in seconds, and one meal with invisible MSG will sour my stomach all week.

11. God will use me. Even after being here for a year, at least once a week I ask myself, “why am I here?” Living abroad isn’t easy. Teaching isn’t easy. And trusting God isn’t easy. I am constantly reminding myself to trust God’s Wisdom and remember that he uses me in both big and small ways on a daily basis. To highlight some of the “bigger” events, I have been able to coach singers, cook in class, and direct the annual play competition!

12. It’s all about the journey and it’s all about taking risks. In the words of Chef Francis Mallmann, “You don’t grow on a secure path. All of use should conquer something in life, and it needs a lot of work and it needs a lot of risk. In order to grow you need to be at the edge of uncertainty.”

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Maria Niechwiadowcz
Amity Foundation, China
Global Mission Fellow, Class 2014
Advance #3021976

Surprises of the Holy Spirit

I would like to share with you a piece of writing I was able to submit for the latest edition of New World Outlook, a magazine published by Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. The focus of this edition is on the World Council of Churches statement on mission and evangelism, “Together Towards Life.”

You can find my reflection on page 17, in response to the follow statements:

To experience life in the Spirit is to taste life in its fullness. We are

called to witness to a movement toward life, celebrating all that the

Spirit continues to call into being, walking in solidarity in order to

cross the rivers of despair and anxiety (Ps. 23, Is. 43:1-5). Mission

provokes in us a renewed awareness that the Holy Spirit meets us

and challenges us at all levels of life and brings newness and change

to the places and times of our personal and collective journeys.

 

The Holy Spirit is present with us as companion, yet is never domesticated

or “tame.” Among the surprises of the Spirit are the ways in

which God works from locations which appear to be on the margins

and through people who appear to be excluded.

I encourage you to read the the entire “Together Towards Life” document, which can be downloaded on the cover page, as well as read the other articles from perspectives around the world!  The entire magazine can be accessed by clicking on any of the links within this blog!

May this be a tool for you to do your own reflection on mission in the world and how you fit into that picture!

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Maria Niechwiadowcz
Amity Foundation, China
Global Mission Fellow, Class 2014
Advance #3021976

Sleep, Eat, Pray, Teach

As we made our final decent, my eyes gazed past the wing of the plane and down upon the dry, brown dunes and crackled mountains. As the capital city of Yinchuan drew closer, the land became more green and fertile. Rows upon rows of cookie cutter villagers lay in perfect squares with a shining mosque at the center. The sun slowly slid down the horizon and as the wheels of the plane hit the pavement, its orange orb had tucked itself behind a hazy mountain façade. We made it, I thought to myself. After months of waiting for a placement site, after weeks of training and document processing, here I was in Ningxia!

I am 1 of 8 foreign teachers at Ningxia Normal University, and despite trying to get settled into my apartment, applying for residency, and acquiring other living essentials, the start of the school year brings more pressing matters. There is a motto between the foreign teachers here regarding the month of September. This is a motto which we live by….Sleep, Eat, Pray, Teach…SEPTember. As a first year teacher and a newbie in Guyuan, this motto is a survival tool.

Sleep is often my number one priority to attaining good self-care. Having been in China for two weeks (for training and visa processing), it was a blessing to not have to deal with jetlag upon arrival in Guyuan. With busy days of cleaning, running around the city, and preparing lesson plans, exhaustion sets in fast. I am not ashamed of my early bedtime that has allowed me to get the 8-9 hours that I have needed to function within transition.

I did not eat the way I expected during my first week here, eager to begin cooking my own meals. I arrived to a nice sized apartment, well furnished, and comfortable, however, I soon found that while my refrigerator had power, it was not emitting coldness. Similarly, my stove was lacking a tank of gas. With no power to my stove and no cool space to store food, cooking was almost impossible. Since then, I have discovered the beauty of the rice cooker. 🙂 I am grateful for a street lined with produce vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables and eggs at a reasonable cost.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” -Colossians 4:2-6

Teaching, of course, is the reason why I am living here in Guyuan and where most of my time goes. I have the privilege of teaching two sections of Freshman Oral English, who meet twice a week. So throughout the week, I teach 2 lessons across 4 class periods, maintain office hours and of course, spend time at home preparing for the lessons and grading papers afterward. My job is my lifestyle but I am loving it so far!

As I expected, the students write very well, but are very shy and nervous to speak. Therefore, the goal of my course is to build their confidence in English speaking by giving maximum time to practice conversation in class.

I have been overwhelmed by the peace God has given me as I have planned and taught so far. With prayers of wisdom and strength in my heart, the Lord has provided complete calm within me. Even on the first day of class I did not feel overly nervous or excited, just ready. Ready to take this call and serve. Within this secular setting is sometimes hard to see God’s hand working, but as a fellow foreign teacher stated, “if our God changed the world with a baby, surely He can touch hearts with a vocabulary word!”

Using my background in Children’s Ministry and Theatre, I have been able to plan interactive activities in class and hold Workshops during my office hours to engage with my students. I praise the Lord for these moments where my purpose seems so clear and I pray that He will continue to show me how I can work in the lives of my students. I am reminded of Colossians 3:23, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters.”

What is not a part of the SEPT motto? L for Language. It is almost impossible to get by here without a foundational knowledge in Mandarin. Outside of the University, people in the community generally do not speak English, so with my limited knowledge of Mandarin, it has been difficult to communicate. My knowledge of numbers has allowed me to make purchases and live on a daily basis, but anything more than that requires a Mandarin speaker. I have come to appreciate menus with pictures, as I cannot read Chinese characters. With a comfortable teaching routine in place, I am eager to begin taking time to learn the language and challenge my communication abilities come October.

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Maria Niechwiadowcz
Amity Foundation, China
Global Mission Fellow, Class 2014
Advance #3021976