Possibilities: They Are Where You Cannot Even Imagine!

When I arrived in the Republic of Nicaragua I found everything very different from Brazil, but I decided to open myself up to new experiences. Without creating expectations, I tried to accept this new country into my life. I chose to prepare myself for the “non-knowledge” of things. I opened myself to the new culture, the new place, and all the POSSIBILITIES that presented themselves to me while I watched everything carefully.

I came curious to work together with an NGO that works on issues of social justice, community development, and health, so after GMF training and training in the capital of the country, I went to the Caribbean Coast and started a cultural immersion that would change my life!

The Autonomous Region of the North Caribbean of Nicaragua is very interesting and fun. Interesting because it is everything different from what I already knew, and fun because that is how I see my learning process and adaptation! I love meeting people, and my biggest investments have been directed to new relationships I’ve made.

Even though sometimes people look at me as if I’m from another planet, it’s fun! Once I was accompanied by my friend from work and a very humble lady asked my Nicaraguan friend, “What country is she from?” I looked at her and answered in Spanish: “I’m from Brazil!” I smiled, but that lady was very embarrassed because I spoke to her without knowing her. After I said my name, she already gained more confidence and continued asking questions!

In Brazil I have always loved going out for a walk and having coffee outside the house every day; this is something important for me. However, in my place of work it is impractical, so I have reorganized my lifestyle. Now I like to make homemade coffee, wash clothes by hand with a specific soap whose smell I love, do exercises in the workshop room of my work (where I live), and sit on the porch talking to a work friend! I rewrite Bible passages and study my actions together with some friends of my GMF class! This is good!

We are all beings that adapt, and I can say that I am very happy to live as I live and to meet so many nice people. The important thing in all of this is to be well and have fun even in a complex context. I choose to smile every day in the midst of my sadness, and it makes me grow a little stronger.

My gratitude is for being able to do what I learned to enjoy. I continue to learn how to be, how to learn, and how to do. My learning is constant, and in Christ I can say with great confidence: everything is fine!

Ester Antunes

GMF International, Class of 2017-2019

Nicaragua

#3022335

 

 

Possibilidades, elas estão onde você nem imagina!

Quando cheguei na Republica da Nicarágua achei tudo muito diferente do Brasil, mas decidi me abrir para as novas experiências e sem criar expectativas busquei aceitar esse novo país na minha vida. Escolhi me preparar para o “não conhecimento” das coisas, me abri para a nova cultura, o novo lugar e todas as POSSIBILIDADES que se apresentavam à mim enquanto eu observava tudo atentamente.

Cheguei curiosa para trabalhar junto com uma ONG que atua em questões de justiça social, desenvolvimento comunitário e saúde, então após capacitações e treinamentos na Capital do país, fui a Costa do Caribe e comecei uma imersão cultural que mudaria minha vida!

A Região Autônoma do Caribe Norte da Nicarágua é muito interessante e divertida, interessante porque é tudo diferente do que eu já conhecia e divertida porque é assim que eu enxergo o meu processo de aprendizagem e adaptação! Eu amo conhecer pessoas e meus maiores investimentos foram direcionados a novos relacionamentos que fiz, mesmo que as vezes as pessoas me olhem como se eu fosse de outro planeta, é divertido! Uma vez eu estava acompanhada com minha amiga de trabalho e uma senhora muito humilde perguntou a minha amiga nicaraguense: de que país ela é? Olhei para ela e respondi em espanhol: Sou do Brasil! Eu sorri, mas aquela senhora ficou muito envergonhada por que eu falei com ela mesmo sem a conhecer, após dizer meu nome ela já ganhou mais confiança e seguiu fazendo perguntas!

Sempre amei sair para passear e tomar café fora de casa todos os dias, isso é algo importante para mim, mas no meu local de atuação é inviável então eu readequei meu processo de qualidade de vida e agora gosto de fazer café artesanal em casa, lavar roupas na mão com um sabão específico que eu amo o cheiro, fazer exercícios na sala da oficina do meu trabalho( onde eu moro) e sentar na varanda para conversar com uma amiga de trabalho! Reescrevo passagens bíblicas e estudo minhas ações juntamente com alguns amigos de minha turma GMF! Todos nós somos seres que se adaptam e posso dizer que estou muito contente de viver como vivo e conhecer tantas pessoas legais, o importante em tudo isso é estar bem e se divertir mesmo em um contexto complexo, eu escolhi sorrir para a tristeza todos os dias, e ela me faz crescer um pouco mais forte.

Minha gratidão é por poder fazer o que eu aprendi a gostar, sigo aprendendo a ser, aprender, fazer e ser, minha aprendizagem é constante e em Cristo eu posso afirmar com muito consciência: vai tudo bem!

The Starting Point of the Beginning

It was in the early evening when the 0628 flight of Ethiopian Airlines landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. A few minutes later, my excitement of arriving started to dissipate. Walking into the immigration office at the airport took me longer than I thought. By the time I walked out of that office, the airport was almost empty. As if that was not enough, while heading to claim my baggage, I saw my suitcase wrecked with half of my clothes out. From there I knew that things would be tough for me in the Philippines. Once outside with my recycled clothes, I heard my name. Looking across the street, I saw the KKFI’s van with a couple of people who had come to pick me up.

My world turned upside down in my first three months. I went through everything that a missionary could, and I didn’t expect it. From the visa process to culture shock to language barriers to work supervision hardships to anything that you can imagine. In my head, the verb “to resign” was reoccurring quite often, but thank God the verb was never conjugated. The turning point was my relocation to Pulilan. While still skeptical about what was waiting for me there. Turns out, Pulilan became my perfect spot while supervising KKFI’s programs. It’s the reason why I’m still in the game.

Pulilan has been a great place, with great young people with whom I am working. Satisfactory would my program’s rating. Dealing with 41 scholars from three different communities has been very hectic and challenging for me. Programs such as care group (once a week) and church service (Sundays) have help me connecting with these young people, which has made my work somehow easy. However, since it is a mandatory requirement for scholars to attend care groups, some started losing interest in it, thus making it hell for me. I really don’t blame them because they would never understand the pressure to be in my shoes as a foreigner trying to do my best. Tutoring was the most frustrating and complicated sessions for me. Let alone that I had to carry them in the communities sometimes alone, but even those held in Gilead tend to be challenging. For instance, some youth would willingly oppose my planned lessons, schedule, and everything. Then, I decided to save my time and energy, and let them plan whatever they want to learn at each session. Because, some won’t attend or will just walk away if I do plan. Thus discouraging the few that would be attending.

Truth be told, my status of missionary has never favored me. To many, I was just an outsider with no power. Don’t get me wrong here! I’m not saying they should “worship me,” but I always felt that I was irrelevant to their eyes compared to other staff. This has been my mission journey reality. Well! Every story has an end–even the movie “The Passion of The Christ” ended. So, praise be to God my ending is coming.

Bellarmee Milosi

GMF International, Class of 2016-2018

Philippines

#3022200

Simple, Faithful, Mundane Moments

We as human beings love powerful images. We love dramatic stories.

They inspire us. They spark our emotions. We love a story with a beginning, middle, and end. A story told in an image of suffering or of overcoming. These stories and the images they evoke–or from which they are evoked–ignite passion and make us want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

But these stories are not the whole story. A powerful image is beautiful, but it doesn’t capture all of the moments that come before, or after.

Because life isn’t like that. Life is not a single story. It doesn’t have a good “arc,” a clear narrative structure, and a neat and tidy meaning or ending. Life is complex. It can be nonsensical. It can seem dull.

And this is the reality of ministry as well. We post pictures and share stories of the highlights. They tell the story that is true, and that people are interested in hearing, but we tend to gloss over the other parts of the story. The parts that don’t seem like a big deal. The everyday parts. The cleaning of community spaces. The going to the senior center to volunteer and only one senior showing up that day. The spending an hour with that senior, talking at times and sitting in silence at times.

This isn’t glamorous, and hardly even seems significant. Not worth mentioning really. This story doesn’t make it to the newsletter. But my God yes does it matter. These choices, these small insignificant moments are what make up a lifetime. They are what makes a community. They are what build and shape our character, our sense of connection and responsibility to one another and to the people, places, and things that surround us.

The young man in this photo spending time with this senior has come to know her. He knows much about her story and he cares for her. When he dreams of what he might do to improve his community, he thinks of ways to create educational opportunities for this woman and her friends. He knows that she has much to give, that she has not only a rich past but a rich present worth investing in, and that she is not a charity case. And he knows this because of the hour he spent that day, along with the other hours on the other days that he faithfully shows up to meet her and her neighbors.

This is the real story behind an image. This is the reality of the way our stories as individuals and communities are made, even if it is not the way that we tell them. It might not be flashy or sexy, but it is the real power of missional living: The power only found in simple, faithful, mundane moments.

Mary E. Hooke Quashie

GMF International, Class of 2017-2019

South Korea

#3022380

The Battle of a Social Justice Advocate

As a Social justice advocate and missionary, I root my battles in the concepts of human rights and equality. I hope to participate in the movement towards a socially just world. I also hope to make my voice heard by promoting the idea that all people should have the same and equal political, social, economic, and civil rights. I strongly believe that injustice, inequality, discrimination, and racism do not apply to Christian teaching. In addition, the Bible teaches us that it is wrong for a Christian to have feelings of superiority. Philippians 2:4 says, “Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” On the other hand, believers are told not to make class distinctions among themselves. James 2:5: “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”

John Wesley placed primary emphasis on Christian lives, putting faith and love into action because he saw the love of God in loving neighbors and correcting societal problems. Many Christians today tend to focus more on loving God whilst ignoring loving their neighbors. Jesus told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That is one of the recommendations that a true Christian should put in practice. Love is never only verbal but rather love is action. Many Christians today arguably do not care about social action but rather prefer addressing prayers to God expecting to see the Messiah come to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and so on. Churches as well at times preach the gospel without responding to people’s needs. Why we can announce the gospel without taking into account the social reality?

Anany Kasongo

GMF International, Class of 2016-2018

Brazil

Shade and Fresh Water Project

#3022192

Trumpets of Thanksgiving at Matola

Grateful hearts at Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday (Accao de Gracas) at Matola Circuit

Giving thanks to God in the midst of Trials and Tribulations.

Since time immemorial, it has been the culture of United Methodists to meet in celebration of what is commonly known as the Harvest Thanksgiving or “Accao de Gracas” in Portuguese. Hundreds of congregants gather in their respective circuits to give thanks to God and to celebrate and acknowledge God’s favor and kindness to them. Thanksgiving is such a genuine and most valuable event in the history of the United Methodist Church and more importantly in the history of our Christian faith. Harvest Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be thankful from our innermost souls for all that God has done to us. I had previously experienced Harvest Thanksgiving in my home country Zimbabwe, but this present year 2017 I was honored to witness a vibrant, live, and blessed Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday at Matola Circuit of the Southern Save Conference in Mozambique where I am currently serving as a Global Mission Fellow of the United Methodist Church.

On August 6, 2017, more than a thousand congregants gathered at Matola Circuit as they celebrated and expressed their gratitude to God, where Rev Naftal, a fellow GMF, and Rev Joao Diogo Inguane are currently serving as the pastor in charge and the assistant pastor respectively. The following Sunday, August 13, 2017, was followed by a visitation to one of the local churches–Joaquina Nhanala Local church, named after the resident bishop–where we continued with the Accao de Gracas. This is still a small local church that is slowly growing into an independent big circuit, and the congregants worship in an incomplete building. l was happy to see dedicated congregants, who despite economic hardships are striving to finish up the church. May we remember them in our prayers for God to continue give them strength and resources as they labor in his vineyard.

This has made me to reflect how more often people ask why they should give thanks to God when faced with trials and tribulations. Sometimes I also reflect and ask myself whether amidst all the social challenges people are facing nowadays–from poverty and global diseases such as cancer, H.I.V./ AIDS, and malaria; to violence, terrorist attacks, and civil wars in which people of the same nation wage war against one another; to natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and hurricanes, which have become the order of the day–are we able to find something to be thankful about? Do these challenges mean that God has turned his back on us during these trying times?

Absolutely not. Job, a man who was blameless and upright before God, who feared God and turned away from evil, was tempted. He was a great man of worth who possessed all the wealth in the world, but when he was tempted he lost everything–his children, wealth, status in the community, and health–and yet he didn’t turn away from God. In the midst of trials and tribulations, give thanks to God for who he is, for the mighty works he has done, and for what he continues to do.

Of all the reasons for giving thanks, we see the gift of salvation as the most important one: “For God so loved the world that he have his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Since we have received such love and mercy, let us thank him for his dear life, “the bread of life,” which has come down from heaven for the salvation and strength of our immortal souls. This becomes the root cause of thanksgiving to every Christian who has received Christ as his/her personal Savior.

Let us be thankful as well for the service of creation–that God created us in his own image and sent us into the world to live for his Glory. Psalms 95:1-6 says:

O come, let us sing joy to the Lord; let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation! Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms! For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all Gods, in whose hands are the depths of the sea; the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His for it was HE who made it, and his hands formed the dry lands. Come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker!

Let us render thanks, not only with our lips but through our lives as well. As Christians we can show thankfulness to God through a proper enjoyment of his gifts to us. If God blesses us with the good things of this life, we are not going to be selfish where we think of ourselves only. Rather, by all means let us try to be good stewards by showing compassion to others, ministering especially to those who through tiredness, sickness, poverty, violence, and adversity are in need of our help.

Lynnette Hlatywayo

GMF International, Class of 2016-2018

Mozambique

JustaPaz Center of Study and Conflict

#3022221

Reflections on my Cross-Cultural Experience

Whither is my destiny? My hope, at the end of the day, is to inspire myself and others to realize our sole identity and vocation. Lately, I have been doing some reflections on my cross-cultural experience. I realize that people are awesome. We are amazing, but we are also oblivious of this truth. I give thanks to people who’ve been so good to me. It’s a good feeling to be surrounded by friendly people. On the other hand, I have also struggled with some differences. I have a dilemma between acculturating and focusing on a single task in my limited time.

In a cross-cultural context, having a good support system is of utmost importance. Just imagine, as a foreigner, living in a community where locals rarely see or know anything about people of your kind. Regardless of this fact, you still have neighbors who come to give you food literally every evening. Isn’t it amazing?! I’ve seen people who like to give, not because they seek some favors in return but because it is inherently part of their culture to give and to offer.

However, in my personal reflections I’ve also come to realize the roots of some misunderstandings in the communities. In a culture that is hierarchical, overlooking or undermining certain procedures can make you unpopular. Young people who want make choices–anything from small to life decisions–may seek direction from an elder, or women may seek direction from men. Consequently, this had led me to ask questions such as, “To what extend should I learn my new language?” “When should I eat local food?” “How should I contribute my views and opinions concerning social issues, etc.?” Ultimately, what brings us closer is what matters the most.

With that said, I believe successful acculturation in a cross-cultural context may include being humble and engaging in dialogue. There is no way focusing on a single task is going to work.

Edmund Makowa

GMF International, Class of 2016-2018

Cambodia

Community Health and Agricultural Development program (CHAD)

#3022202