Soul Survivor

Weather:  Last week brought unusual rains to Accra for this time of year, resulting in serious flooding in various places.  At least thirty persons died as a result of these floods.  Sunday night brought heavy rains again.

This week, the Building Bridges team from Madison Square Church in Grand Rapids, MI is visiting with us in Accra, and then will travel to Liberia. To see more about their visit, click here.

This summer, I happened across a book on my mother's bookshelf.  It was by an author whom I enjoy so I asked if I could borrow it.  The name of the book is Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey.  The subtitle of the book is, "How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive the Church."  In this book, Yancey says, "I have spent most of my life in recovery from the church."  This is not something that you would expect to read from such an acclaimed Christian author, and although I don't necessarily identify with that statement, it does resonate with me on a deep level.  Since God took hold of me in 1997, I have been in a non-stop wrestling match to understand Him, the church, His people, myself, injustice, the way nations behave, and so on.  Bob and I had countless discussions together as we questioned, challenged, found answers that made sense one day and not so much the next.  Living in two different worlds (North America and West Africa), between poverty and affluence, Christianity and other religions,  peace and conflict, and so close to death and life, feeds the questions and the search for answers.

I found the book to be inspiring, as he provided new insights into the lives and faith journeys of thirteen remarkable persons who have asked and struggled with these same issues:  Martin Luther King Jr, G.K. Chesterton, Dr. Paul Brand, Dr. Robert Coles, Leo Tolstoy and Feodor Dostoevsky, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. C. Everett Koop, John Donne, Annie Dillard, Frederick Buechner, Shusaku Endo, and Henri Nouwen.  Not only does he share insights into the lives and writings of these individuals, but at the close of each chapter, he gives recommended readings from each person.   I have decided to read through as many of these recommended readings as possible.

Dostoevsky

I have started with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.  Yancey starts the chapter about these two authors with this, "My deepest doubts about the faith can be summed up in a single question:  Why doesn't it work?"  This is a question that I struggle with as well while I see the Muslim faith gaining such momentum in West Africa, and the decadence and family breakdowns among Christians in the west; not to mention the Church's history in the Crusades, the slave trade, colonization, and the way we treat each other, both within and outside our own denominations.  Tolstoy and Dostoevsky address the tension that exists between Christian ideals and reality, not only in their writing but in their life as well.  Yancy expands his question by stating, "Christian ideals attract admiration even from unbelievers, yet what good are those ideals if I cannot put them into practice?"

Between these two Russian thinkers, we find an answer of sorts to the tension between the high ideals of the gospel and the grim reality of ourselves - absolute ideals and absolute grace - to accept that we will never measure up, but that we do not have to.  Jesus never lowered God's ideals, yet He offered a grace that is perhaps the greatest distinctive of the Christian faith.

Tolstoy

The following quote by Tolstoy is taken from a personal letter, responding to critics at the end of his life.  It is one that I appreciate, as I wrestle with my own falling short of the ideals by which I try to live:

"What about you, Lev Nikolayevich, you preach very well, but do you carry out what you preach?"  This is the most natural of questions and one that is always asked of me; it is usually asked victoriously, as though it were a way of stopping my mouth.  "You preach, but how do you live?"  And I answer that I do not preach, that I am not able to preach, although I passionately wish to.  I can preach only through my actions, and my actions are vile...And I answer that I am guilty, and vile, and worthy of contempt for my failure to carry them out.


At the same time, not in order to justify, but simply in order to explain my lack of consistency, I say: "Look at my present life and then at my former life, and you will see that I do attempt to carry them out.  It is true that I have not fulfilled one thousandth part of them [Christian precepts], and I am ashamed of this, but I have failed to fulfill them not because I did not wish to, but because I was unable to.  Teach me how to escape from the net of temptations that surrounds me, help me and I will fulfill them; even without help I wish and hope to fulfill them.


"Attack me, I do this myself, but attack me rather than the path I follow and which I point out to anyone who asks me where I think it lies.  If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side!  If it is not the right way, then show me another way; but if I stagger and lose the way, you must help me, you must keep me on the true path, just as I am ready to support you.  Do not mislead me, do not be glad that I have got lost, do not shout out joyfully: 'Look at him!  He said he was going home, but there he is crawling into a bog!' No, do not gloat, but give me your help and support."

In Tolstoy's book Anna Karenina, the major character Levin has a spiritual awakening as can be seen in the following quote:

I shall still get angry with my coachman Ivan, I shall still argue and express my thoughts inopportunely; there will still be a wall between the holy of holies of my soul and other people, even my wife, and I shall still blame her for my own fears and shall regret it; I shall still be unable to understand with my reason why I am praying, and I shall continue to pray - but my life, my whole life, independently of anything that may happen to me, every moment of it, is no longer meaningless but has an incontestable meaning of goodness, with which I have the power to invest it.

Yancy was able to resolve some of his restlessness found in this tension and it has been a comfort to me as well.  As I wrestle with the daily incongruity between my own behaviors and those for which I strive, as well as struggling with the behaviors of others around me, I am reminded that these are not new struggles, but go back for centuries.  And like Yancy, I can say, "Having fallen from the absolute idea, as Tolstoy did, we have nowhere to land but with Dostoevsky, in the safety net of absolute grace."

Reed Update - October 2011 edition

Weather - I left Grand Rapids on Tuesday with the temperature in the mid40s and arrived in Accra on Wednesday to a balmy 95F - it felt like going from the fridge to the oven.  As I write in Accra, it is 87F, with a humidity of 83% and dew-point at 72%.  And I see in Grand Rapids it is 34F.  I think I prefer warm to cold, after being so cold in Grand Rapids that my body hurt.  Noah prefers cold to warm because it is easier to layer up and warm up, but cooling down is difficult without AC.  And you? 

Some of you were surprised to see me in Michigan this past week.  I was there for just a quick visit for the Partners Worldwide conference. I had actually tried to get out of coming back for it, since I had just been in the US for the summer and had only been back in Ghana for about a month, but it was important to connect with the rest of the Partners Worldwide team and meet new members.  Even more importantly, I had to do some fundraising as I continue to be behind in my support, so the trip was necessary.  Noah went back to the home of his friend Armand, while I made the journey.  It was a very busy week, but there were good connections made, and good conversations had.

The big advantage was being able to see Hannah again, after saying goodbye to her at Calvin College a month earlier.  She picked me up at the airport and it was good to have a little time to hang out together and talk.  Overall she seems to be doing well - she just has to figure out the homework versus sleep versus social life issue that seems to plague many freshmen (and upperclassmen as well).  It's time for mid-term exams already, which is hard to believe.

Noah also finished the first quarter of his senior year and his teachers (and report card) indicate that he continues to do well.  He has taken some leadership roles this year and is currently serving as president of the Student Council, is on the debate team, working as a Teacher Assistant for two teachers, and has taken a leadership role with the planning and organizing for the senior trip.  In his spare time he is working out at a local gym, playing the electric guitar, doing homework, and continues to enjoy video games.  He recently took the SATs again and is happy to be finally done with that, as he now needs to begin applying for colleges next year.  He is pretty set on going to Calvin College as well, although some other colleges are beginning to catch his eye and attention.

The election in Liberia was peaceful, with high turnout, so we are thankful for that.  Unfortunately, no candidate carried 51% of the vote, so a run-off election has been scheduled for November 8 between the top two candidates, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Winston Tubman.   There were the usual declarations of election fraud by the losers, but other than a few minor incidents, the country seems to be preparing for the run-off.  I am planning to travel to Liberia on November 11 with two guests, so we pray that the run-off will not interfere with that trip.

The happy family.

This morning at 5 am in Adenta, Ghana, I attended a naming ceremony for the baby of Juliet and Nana Yaw Atuah-Mendoh.  Juliet is the Office Manager at Hopeline Institute and is a woman I have grown to love in over the past two years.  Her pregnancy was not an easy one and we are so thankful for this beautiful baby boy.  The naming ceremony (or outing) for the baby is traditional in this culture, following the Biblical example of Zechariah and Elizabeth with John, with the name being announced by the father.  The baby's tongue given butter and honey (and in some cases alcohol) so that he will know the difference between right and wrong (Isaiah 7:15).  This baby's name is:  Nhyiraba (meaning "Blessed child") Kojo (male born on Monday) Aboagye (Satisfaction of the Lord) Atuah (flying...on the wings of the Holy Spirit).  Most people have as one of their names the day of the week on which they were born.  For example, Hannah was born on Sunday, so her Ghanaian name would be Esi; Noah was born on Monday, so he too would be Kojo; I was born on Tuesday, so I would be Abena.  It was a beautiful ceremony, with everyone wearing white.  Afterwards, gifts were given to the baby, with people declaring what the gift should be for - his education, his first offering, his first Bible, etc.  You might be wondering why the ceremony was at 5 am?  It is typically in the early morning, but not usually this early.  Their pastor had a workshop all day so the time was moved up to accommodate his schedule.  So everyone arose around 4 am to get ready to come for this event.  I'm often amazed at the hours that people keep in West Africa - rising so early and working so late.

At the Partners Worldwide staff meetings this past week, the following YouTube clip was shown from National Geographic, which I thought was enjoyable and something you might enjoy as well.  It has to do with "how typical are you?" and gives some food for thought in this changing world.

Blessings to all of you this week!

Liberian Election

On Tuesday, October 11, Liberians will go to the polls again to vote for their next president.  It's hard to believe that six years have been passed since we were present in Liberia for the 2005 elections.  We had moved to Liberia about ten weeks before that election and it was a pretty crazy time.  Hannah and Noah were twelve and ten, and they had to file a report for their homeschooling homework (to read it, click here).  At the time, Hannah was not very happy being in Liberia and I remember that we had an opportunity to go out with an American working with the US army involved in doing some interviewing at the polls.  I made Hannah go and despite resenting it then, I think she now appreciates being part of that election process. 

This year there are 16 candidates - 13 men and 3 women, however there appear to be three front-runners.

Ma Ellen

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is one of the frontrunners, despite her promise to only run once, as well as her current age of 72 (should she win, she will be 78 at the end of the next six year term).  She has also survivied the recommendation of the TRC for her to stand down due to her early support of Charles Taylor (when ousting Samuel Doe), and most recently a constitutional provision that states that presidential candidates must have lived in the country for ten years - this was waived for the 2005 election.  Her award of the Nobel Peace Prize on October 7 gives her added publicity on an international level, but has brought a wave of fire at a local level.

Winston Tubman

The next frontrunner is Winston Tubman, the nephew of former President William Tubman, currently 70 years old.  Tubman ran in the 2005 presidential race, but emerged with just 9% of the vote in the first round.  This time he has merged his party with former front-runner and soccer star, George Weah, who is running as his Vice-Presidential Nominee.  He received his law degree from Yale and his graduate degree in Economics from Cambridge University.  Both Tubman and Weah have been very harsh in their criticism of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, stating to the BBC after the announcement of her winning the Nobel Peace Prize that she is a "war-monger."  Didn't win any points from me on that one - sounds like sour grapes.

Charles Brumskine

The third front-runner is Charles Brumskine, the youngest at age 60.  He also ran in the last election, and was the third most popular (after Weah and Sirleaf-Johnson), receiving 14% of the vote.  Brumskine is also a lawyer.

Results of this election will take two weeks to compile, so the announcement of the winner is not expected before October 25.  If none of the sixteen candidates receive 50% + 1% of the vote, there will be a runoff election on November 8. Please keep this election in your thoughts and prayers.  We hope and pray that this election will be peaceful and orderly, that the citizens of Liberia will exercise their democratic right to vote, and that the results will be accepted. 

By the way, the other winner of the Nobel Peace Prize from Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, is the woman from the video, Pray the Devil Back to Hell.  We have been promoting that documentary because of the great role of advocacy that these women played.  When we moved to Liberia in 2005, these women were still there praying every day, at the Fish Market, outside of Monrovia.  It's a great documentary to watch, if you get the chance.

Where Ivoirians and Liberians meet

Not too long ago, I was sent this news link from VOA (Voice of America) by one of our North American partners working with Cote d'Ivoire.  It was such a joy to receive it because so often the news we hear out of Africa is negative - famine, corruption, wars.  This story is about giving, loving our neighbors, and living in community.

As you know, Côte d'Ivoire suffered a civil crisis this past year, which hopefully has brought an end the ongoing split in the country since 2002.  From January - April of this year, approximately 150,000 refugees left Côte d'Ivoire and fled into neighboring Liberia.  The common border that is shared between these two countries is a political one - people on each side view themselves as from the same tribe, with a common tribal language.  It is also an area of Liberia that is not well developed or easily accessible by road, making it difficult for aid agencies to come in.  However, this video, which you can see below, shows how the villages there stepped in to welcome the refugees into their small homes, sharing their food, their farm lands, everything.  And why did they do this?  Because it wasn't too long ago that Liberians were fleeing from their civil crisis into Côte d'Ivoire, where they received similar treatment from the villagers there.  And we are not talking about being good hosts for a day, a week, a month...but in some cases fourteen years!

I know that cultural differences enter into this.  Here is an example of this cultural difference: if you are a man and you go to someone's house to visit by yourself, it may be that the host would say, "I have made arrangements for my two sons to sleep in your bed with you, so that you will not feel lonely."  Most Americans would say, "Thanks but no thanks."  But it does definitely make me examine how "turfy" I am with my own living space and stuff.  To have a one-room home with four children, and then to open it up to an additional four persons?  I don't think I will be able to make that change in this lifetime...but it does make me think.

Here is the video from VOA - about four minutes long.

So...what's with the ring?

Most people haven't said anything - only a couple people have asked - but I thought I'd write about it.  I am still wearing my wedding ring.  Not only that, but I am also wearing Bob's wedding ring.  Some people take their wedding ring off the day that their spouse dies.  Some people take it off after the funeral.  Some people remove it symbolically at the one year anniversary of their spouse's death.  So why, eighteen months later, am I still wearing mine?

Well, here's a little about the story.  When we said good-bye to Bob in the hospital, I took off his wedding ring and immediately placed it below my wedding ring, just to make sure I didn't loose it.  His ring was bigger than mine, so mine kept his in place.  I kept it there over the next week and after the memorial service, realized that I liked wearing both.  So I went to a jeweler, had his ring resized to fit my finger, welded the two rings together, and had the jeweler engrave a cross over the two rings.

I love wearing these rings because I feel like I am carrying on the marriage.  You see, for me, I still feel like I am married to Bob.  Our marriage was about more than just the two of us - it involved the children as well as our calling from God.  I still feel like we are raising our children - even though he is absent, the same principles, beliefs, and traditions are carried on in our home.  I am still living out our calling and trying to do the work that we were called to as a couple.

There is an additional reason to wearing the ring.  It does provide some form of safety and security through the implication that there is a man attached to me.  When I am asked by men in West Africa where my husband is, I tell them he is traveling - which is not a lie as I'm sure Bob is enjoying the vastness of heaven.

There are some that say that wearing the ring beyond one year means that I am living in denial.  I don't know how that could possibly be true (of course, that's exactly what someone living in denial WOULD say:-).  I am VERY well aware that Bob is no longer here.  One would have to be severly mentally or emotionally disturbed to think that wearing a wedding ring is sufficient to delude oneself that one's spouse is alive.   

My decision to keep wearing these rings may change when both of the kids are out of the house or maybe when I move to a different place completely on my own without Bob's input. Maybe I'll never take them off.  I don't know.  I know that when it feels right to take them off, I will do so.

[FYI - I lost the diamond from my engagement ring after nineteen years - just three months after we moved to Ghana and six months before Bob died.  After searching all over for it, Bob concluded that it probably was appropriate that it returned to the dust of West Africa, since that may be where it came from.  Sad though.]

A Widow's Plight

Afeerah, receiving her certificate after our training.  

A few days ago, I met with a woman named Afeerah*.  She is a member of the Village Savings and Loan (VSL) program with Hopeline (if you aren't familiar with VSLs click here), as well as a graduate of our Second Batch of Small and Medium Size Entrepreneurs (SMEs).  I have known Afeerah for over a year and have enjoyed her so much - she has a smile and a passion in her that is inviting.  She runs a strong, growing business and is a leader in her village.  In fact, many of the members of her VSL were so proud of her for attending our SME class (she has not had any formal education) and they felt she represented them.  She understands my English well, but isn't able to speak it very well, so she will often speak in Twi and it will be translated for me.

Afeerah's husband died of a kidney disease on August 8, while I was in the States, and I went to visit her to extend my condolences.    I know that to be a widow in Ghana is difficult as there are many cultural widow rituals that one must go through (I wrote about that shortly after Bob died - if you want to refresh your memory click here).  Additionally, Afeerah is also a Muslim, which has its own customs for widows.

Sitting on her mat in her house.  Note the comfy couch behind her.

I met Afeerah on the floor of her humble home, sitting on a mat - she could not come out to greet us, as hosts normally do.  She explained to me that she is not to go out of doors for 130 days and must spend her time on a mat on the floor during that time.  The first forty days are for mourning; the next 90 days are to be sure that she isn't pregnant by her husband nor sick with the same illness as her husband (if she were to go out, she could get pregnant by another person or contract a different illness).  She is to spend her time in prayer. Sitting on furniture is not allowed - she told me how her body is aching from sleeping on the cold cement floor.  Being seen outdoors is not allowed - she may only go outside for her bath.  Running her business (her only source of income) is not allowed.  "Men do not suffer these punishments," she told me, "only women.  Men may go out the day after their wife's death and marry again."  Not so for women.

To add insult to injury, her husband's family came to tell her that she had no rights to the family home.  Additionally, they wanted to carry her to the Volta region, where she would have to undergo some other widow rituals, which would probably conclude in her being found guilty for her husband's death, thereby ending any rights to property or children (Afeerah has three sons and two adopted daughters).  Afeerah refused to go.  [She said that the training we gave at Hopeline taught her to stand up for herself - maybe she was just being kind, but one of the classes we teach is on boundaries and how to say "no".]  She thinks that even though she refused to go, this issue will not go away.  She will have to go to court with them, but what they don't know is that a wise person told her husband to legally register their marriage after their wedding (something that is not often done in traditional marriages) and so she has the papers she needs to claim the legal rights to the property. 

Prior to going to Afeerah's house, I met a woman in our new SME class, whose name is Nana.  In the process of all the business owners sharing about their business, Nana informed the class that she had taken on her husband's business after his passing away this past January.  After class, I sought her out and spoke with her for a while.  She informed me that she is 32 years old - her husband was 42 - and they have five children.   The oldest is 13 years old, the youngest is two years old.  Her husband's family is not helping her at all - she said that she is a Jehovah's Witness and it is her church that has been a help to her.  She is trained as a nursery teacher and could go back to that, but the pay is very low for supporting five children, so she is trying to pick up from what her husband was doing (marketing, farming, and exporting).  Unfortunately, her husband had received an investment of $20,000 US from a Ghanaian-American who wanted to partner with him in his business.  Since her husband's death, there was corruption and stealing by family members and the business has suffered greatly.  She is left with this large burden in addition to putting food on the table each day for six.  She is hoping our class will help her learn how to run the business.

This is why I need to live in Africa.  When I begin to feel sorry for myself, I think of Afeerah or Nana.  Perspective is everything.  I thank God for the work of Hopeline Institute and Partners Worldwide, where we get a chance to reach these widows, to help them through training, mentoring, and access to capital, to develop a sustainable income to provide for their family, to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them, and pray with and for them. We need to continue to pray for the customs and the rights of widows in this country to be changed.

[*Names have been changed and pictures blurred to protect the identity of the women featured in this story.]

It's time for a word from Yers Trooly...

Weather:  This is the best time of year in Ghana in regards to weather.  The highs are in the low 80s; the lows in the mid 70s.  Despite humidity in the mid-70%, there is a constant breeze, which actually makes it feel cool at times.   Very enjoyable!

Thankfully 4 of these 7 puppies have homes.  Any other takers?

The Reed family has settled into what will be the new routine for this next year.  Hannah has started classes and her new job, and seems to be adjusting well to Calvin College.  Noah is adjusting to being the only child at home, being a senior, and balancing homework with extra-curricular activities.  Renita is adjusting to being without Hannah (thank God for Skype!), and entering what will most likely be the last year in Ghana, with a lot to accomplish before leaving.  This was a busy week of "resettling" in after being gone for ten weeks, and hopefully this new week will feel a little more normal for all three of us.

As we approach the eighteen month mark since Bob's death, I figure it's time for a word from him. Recently, I ran across a number of writings that were in a file on his computer - I'm so thankful that he was a writer and I can keep hearing his voice through these words.  He was the primary writer of the blog and would occasionally ask me to write an entry, so quid pro quo. He wrote this in June of 2009 - I searched the blog and didn't find it there, so hopefully this isn't something you have seen before.  He wrote about six disciplines - I will only put three here and save the other three for another time.  Enjoy!
 
Disciplines we need to remain in touch with our souls—and God’s 

The Discipline of Sacrifice

(Phil 2.3-8) Ironically, discipline itself requires sacrifice— for instance, physical exercise requires that we experience the pain and boredom that sometimes accompanies it, or the discipline of scripture memorization requires that we take time and effort that we could use elsewhere.   But here I’m thinking of the discipline of sacrifice itself-- that is, intentionally making sacrifice a part of our spiritual activity.  More than anything else, when I think of sacrifice I think of Kenosis, the Emptying of Christ.  As Christ emptied Himself, so we too are to empty ourselves-- sacrifice ourselves—on the altar of love.  Giving ourselves away, giving ourselves in His service, making choices to deny ourselves for what is best for those around us—this is the discipline that Christ modeled for us. As I think of it, it seems that true sacrifice brings on suffering, so perhaps it’s not so much as the sacrifice but the suffering that is the mechanism here.

While I’m at it, I want to make another point.  Giving—even big-time giving—out of abundance is not really sacrifice.  Oh I know, if I own ten thousand cows and I sacrifice a cow on an altar, that cow is a sacrifice—but not to me. It’s really only a sacrifice to the cow.  Something given is not a sacrifice unless means something, unless I lose something in sacrificing it.  A billionaire who gives millions to some cause may be a hero, but he’s likely not making much of a sacrifice.  If he gave 900,000, he’d still be a millionaire a hundred times over.  No, Jesus was amazed by the widow who gave everything she had.  If our giving of time or self or money doesn’t hurt, it’s not sacrifice.  Sacrifice, particularly of those things to which we find ourselves attached, free us from fear and bring on new opportunities to see God afresh. 

The Discipline of Suffering

(Lk 9.23; Rom 5.3-5; 2Cor 1.6,7; 2 Tim 1.8-12; Jas 1.1-4) There are two kinds of suffering that I think of here—one is suffering that we have no control over, and therefore is not a discipline that we impose upon ourselves.  This suffering remains important however, because it still gives us opportunity to exercise our faith.  So we need to receive it and “count it all joy...”  The other kind of suffering is suffering we enter purposefully, knowing it will yield fruit.  There is a great deal written on this, and when I think of suffering as a discipline, I don’t necessarily think of asceticism or self-flagellating activity. I think of the suffering that might come when we choose a better behavior, or it may come by our choosing to deny certain behaviors.  I think of the hard choices God calls us to that we tend to automatically say, “I can’t do that.”  I think the fact that we say “I can’t do that” probably suggests that we suspect the thing is a good thing to do in the first place.  I believe we are constantly called to do things we don’t think we can do—like give up some distraction, or enter into a fast, or follow His leading to a new level of obedience, because through this, as Paul and James and others remind us, suffering strengthens us in our spirituality.  The entire season of Lent is, I think, supposed to be an extended time of self-imposed suffering by self denial.     

The Discipline of Silence (with Solitude)

(Psalm 46.10, Isaiah 30.15) I probably don’t need to write much here.  I believe most people would benefit from intentionally seeking extended periods of quiet. Most people are pretty noisy, I think by nature. By noisy, I don't necessarily mean verbally, but rather noisy internally, as if our minds have no "Off" switch. There is a steady stream in the mind, asking, "Now what is there to do?" or "What's next?" For some of us, quiet is unacceptable, and for others, it is downright terrifying. Most of us literally do not know how to quiet down for more than a few moments at a time, and even if we did, we'd choose not to.

Among my greatest mentors of silence are the Desert Fathers. The Fathers-- and Mothers-- were groups of Christians who lived in the 4th and 5th centuries in the deserts of Egypt. They are remembered today for their extreme asceticism and their remarkable words. Some of their sayings are like Zen Koans, beyond rational analysis or critique, at once inaccessible and yet immediate and powerful. Other sayings speak directly to the heart and mind, and refresh the soul. They spoke about holiness, sacrifice, true spirituality, love-- and the deep wisdom found in silence. Here are two of the thousands of their sayings, and two of my favorites: 

A certain brother went to Abba Moses in Scetis and asked him to speak a word. The elder said to him, “Go and sit ‎in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.”‎ 

Abba Theophilus, the archbishop, came to Scetis one day. The brethren who were assembled said to Abba Pambo, 'Say something to the Archbishop, so that he may be edified.' The old man said to them, 'If he is not edified by my silence, he will not be edified by my speech.'

Hannah @ Calvin

One side of her dorm room...

Hannah moved into Calvin College last week.  For those of you who don't know, I am an alumnus of Calvin, class of '90.  Bob worked at Calvin for 16 years, starting as a Resident Director of the dorm, "Noordewier-Vanderwerp", where Hannah is now living (not a coincidence:-).  Bob's leaving of Calvin College was not easy, as it was not his choice.  In 2001 we felt called to send our kids to the local public school, which had been slated for closing, and act as parent advocates for this school, labeled as "failing". 

...and the other.  (Roommate had not moved in yet.)

However, faculty are required to send their kids to Christian Schools, and despite our explanation of following what we believed to be God's call to join with our neighbors, Calvin College denied our request for an exception to this requirement and Bob left.  Bob had appreciated the way that Calvin handled this dialogue and even though he disagreed with the decision, he felt that he had been treated with respect.  We had discussed, prior to his death, what we thought about the kids going to Calvin.  I was actually not in favor of it -
Calvin is strong academically and theologically, but I wasn't sure that it would help her grow spiritually.  Bob, on the other hand, thought that Calvin would be a good experience for them.  Hannah wanted to go to Calvin, especially because it was in her home town and was therefore a familiar place, but I had been urging her to check out other options.  Shortly after he died (in fact, on the plane ride home for his memorial service), I told her that I would definitely support her if she chose Calvin.  Being around familiar people who love her and being close to her church will be good for her.  I'm so glad that Bob and I had discussed this before he died - it's great to know that Bob would be okay with that as well.

Getting ready to learn about Calvin, with our friends, the Steenwyks.

It was very different to be back at Calvin and to hear things through the ears of a parent, 20 years after graduation.  I was encouraged by what I heard and how they care about the character development of the students, not just the academic development.  I was encouraged at how they challenge students to ask questions and think through all aspects of life, and not just float by giving easy answers.  It was also good to see so many faculty and staff that have fond memories of Bob and promised to care for Hannah.  She is in a good place.

Calvin's beautiful campus (almost uncomfortably beautiful!)

I made it back to Ghana on Saturday and was very thankful to be reunited again with Noah.  He weathered the last couple of weeks pretty well, with the help of his friend, Armand, and their family.  He is enjoying being a senior, as well as being a Teacher Assistant, working on the yearbook, and is getting into debates wherever and whenever he can.  We again have seven new puppies to care for - pictures later!

Toy Story

Many children play with these wheels...

 Last week, Hannah and I drove to Wisconsin and then to Iowa to visit some of the North American partners who are working with us in West Africa.  (News flash:  Hannah got her drivers license!)  While in Iowa, I had the opportunity to share with a great group of people from various businesses and churches about the work of development and partnerships in West Africa.

...running them through the streets, guiding them with sticks.

One of the things we discussed is the perception of poverty.  I shared a story about a time when we were in Liberia and were traveling through a village.  We rounded a corner and there was a small boy, sitting in the dirt, playing with a rusty soup can that he had turned into a car, using cutouts from a used "slipper" (we call them flip-flops) for the wheels, and a dirty string to pull that car.  I remember the immediate sense of sadness that this young boy was playing with this rusty "car".  Later on I reflected on that feeling and I wondered where it came from.  The boy looked happy.  He was smiling as he played.  He was not wishing it was a Fisher Price or Tonka Truck.  He was content.  But because of my perception of how toys are supposed to look, I projected a dissatisfaction onto this boy.  That night I received the following email from Rich Haan, one of the members of the Global Business Affiliate of Partners Worldwide for Côte d'Ivoire (printed with his permission):

Hi Renita,

I had an immediate flashback to January 2008, Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire when you told your toy story this afternoon.  I've attached a pair of photos I took of a boy and his "truck."  The boy was having such a blast with his truck --- who would have known a kid could have so much fun with a truck that didn't run on batteries!

Although I only spent a few weeks in Côte d'Ivoire, it became more obvious than at any previous point in my life that possessions or material wealth are not keys to happiness.  I "knew" that to be true, because it's "the right answer", but I didn't really thoroughly understand it until I was taught by some of the folks in Côte d'Ivoire.

So many people think the connection with the Ivorians is a one way street --- the North Americans give --- and the Africans take.  A lot of people look at me like I'm from Mars when I talk about it being a two way street.  There are things North American have to offer Africans --- but there are just as many things they have to offer us.

I could talk with you for at least a good three days about Côte d'Ivoire, the 18 Mountains Region and the incredible people there. 

It's been very difficult the last year watching what went on with the whole election fiasco in Côte d'Ivoire.  Horrendous things happened to such beautiful people --- and for what reason?  My continued prayer is for healing, reconciliation and restoration.

Rich

I love that Rich took the time to share this with me.  It reminds me of why I like the mission of Partners Worldwide - it's not about "us" helping "them" - it's about us growing and learning together - discovering new perspectives, which can only happen when we work at being true partners with each other.  While speaking at a lunch about Business as Mission in Sioux Center with about 18 business persons, one person exclaimed, "We need that here!".  Amen.

A soccer ball (football in Wes Africa) made from plastic bags.

Ahh.  The joy of creativity...

Hannah Reed's Summer 2011 post

                As I write this, it’s hard to believe that it is already mid-August.  This summer has flown by in anticipation for college, concentration on work, and missing my friends in Ghana.  From June to July, as many of you know, I worked full time at an architectural firm in Grand Rapids, AMDG Architects.  I was filling in for a woman who originally was going out on a mission trip to Russia, but she ended up leaving the firm for another opportunity and so my work has continued, but only part-time.  It has been a great learning experience for me, as this was my first foray into the ‘real world’ of business and it has been difficult but good.  I am an Administrative Assistant and work to help and assist the architects and staff of AMDG.  The team I work with is great, and they have been very patient as I learn the ropes of the position.  AMDG Architects is a Christian firm, and they work on projects with schools, churches, business, and houses.  I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from these amazing men and women of God.

               The imminent approach of college has done all it can to unnerve me and it has been mildly successful.  To be perfectly honest, I am not too scared or nervous yet- it just feels very surreal.  I’m more focused on the more daunting prospect of my mom and brother being 5000 miles away from me.  We have grown very close over the past couple years and my mom and brother are my best friends.  I have other best friends, the non-family kind, but I feel very close to my mom and brother.  They know me, I know them, and we trust each other with a lot.  My talks with my mom over the past couple years have kept me sane and have drawn us closer.  It will be hard to have her be so far away.

               One of the hardest things for me to come to terms with is the fact that I’m not going to be leaving again.  I am here.  I’m not going to leave after another month, not going to move, not going to leave on any permanent basis… for the next four years at least.  I’m so used to this being a temporary home and it’s hard to think that I’m here for a long time.  I miss West Africa, my friends in Ghana, and the culture and pace of life in West Africa.

               ‘College’ is merely a concept at this point.  It is something that gives me a great opportunity to either fail or succeed; it is (apparently) difficult and fun, stressful and joyful.  It seems to be contradictory and confusing at this point, and I actually have no expectations.  I have heard so many things from so many people, and all the different opinions have balanced each other out and I know only vaguely what to expect.  Since I’ve never experienced anything close to college, I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself in to.  I do not want to fail, and I do not want to go deeply into debt.  At the same time, I partially expect to fail and to go deep into debt.  It’s a conflict of emotions and expectations that, instead of making me more nervous and frustrated, actually calm me by balancing each other out.  I am curious and nervous to be sure, but not fretful, anxious, or terrified.  I am very thankful for that.  It’s got to be a God thing.

               On that particular subject, God has been a present force in my life recently.  To my great frustration, however, I have not felt His presence as much as I would like.  Not being as close to God scares and frustrates me more than anything.  Part of me wants to blame being back in the States- the busyness of the States, all the Stuff, the food, the movies and books- but I know that is unfair.  As much as I’d love to have an excuse for my distance from Him, I have to realize again and again that God is not looking for my excuses.  He acknowledges when I sin, understands why I sin, and expects me to do better in the future with Him as a guide.  He doesn’t need to hear me justify and excuse my sin.  Despite the distance I feel, I have seen His love and blessings and trials in my life, and I have been very thankful for that.  The distant felt is emotional, but my mind is still close to Him, acknowledging His presence and love as a fact, not with an emotional response.  I miss that.  But that’s the way faith goes sometimes.  It ebbs and flows, and God sees my heart is still His and my life is still focused on Him. 

               So that’s the ‘me’ update.  I just want to thank everyone, since this feels like an ending.  My trip through middle school and high school has been hectic to say the least.  But there are few girls who can claim as much love as I have received.  It is overwhelming, and a testament to God’s grace in my life.  I will still write occasionally for the blog, so this hopefully won’t be my last chance to say ‘hey’ to everyone.  However, one of the biggest changes of my life is coming up and I wanted to say how deeply I appreciate all the love and support I have received before I got too swept up in this change.

Thank you and God bless.

Hannah Adriana Reed     

Reed Update - August 2011

Where has the time gone? It's already August and time for a Reed Family Update.

Summer Academy Class:  Noah is barely visible in the back.

Noah completed his Summer Academy course at Calvin College and was very pleased to have a college credit to his name, prior to his older sister.  He took the Intro to Film and Media class, which he enjoyed, although did admit that it was challenging.  He is pretty sure that he would like to attend Calvin College next year and is looking forward to college life.  He has had the last couple of weeks off and was able to join me for a week of vacation at the cottage of some friends (Jeff and Jennifer Keessen) on Big Star Lake, where he very much enjoyed driving the jetski.

There he goes again, often at full speed.  It was a joy to watch him.

He returns to Ghana in about a week (August 16) where he will have already missed a week of school, as they are starting especially early this year.  He will return by himself and will be staying with the family of his best friend, Armand, who is from South Africa.  This is his last year of highschool, even though he is 16, because he skipped the first grade.  He isn't particularly looking forward to returning to Ghana, and would rather go to the Potters House High School, so please pray for him!

Online language test for Calvin...

Hannah has been very busy this summer, working full time at AMDG architects up until last week when she dropped down to part-time.  She has enjoyed her time at AMDG and has learned a lot about architectural work and also about herself in the process.  She has also been learning to drive, driving every chance she can get, with the hopes of getting her license before I leave for Ghana. Hannah will be moving into the dorms of Calvin College on August 29, prior to her orientation, and has been communicating with her roommate as to how to decorate the room.  At this point she plans to get her Bachelors in Social Work (BSW), hoping to continue after for her MSW.  She is dealing with some "third culture" issues - if you are unfamiliar with that term, Hannah and Noah are considered third culture kids (tck - they even have books out on this stuff, especially for military kids) because they don't exactly fit in the US culture anymore having lived six years in West Africa and being exposed to a completely different culture and world; on the other hand, they don't exactly fit in the West African culture, because they are American and were 10 and 12 when they moved there.  So they are third culture kids, not exactly fitting anywhere.  So she is dealing with some adjustment issues, which is to be expected, and frequently talks about wanting to go back to Ghana.  [Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence - Noah, who is going back, doesn't want to go; Hannah, who is not, wants to go.  :-) ]  She is not looking forward to being so far away from Noah and I; and we are not looking forward to being so far away from her, so please keep her in your prayers as well!

The Kranenburg kids and mom (l to r:  Liz, Yvonne, Janette, Renita, Henry)

As for me, this summer has been just what I needed.  The silent retreat was the highlight of the summer, followed by good times with family, a vacation, good reading and learning time - I had set a goal to learn more about the Muslim faith this summer and was able to do that during my vacation.  Work has been very busy as well, with trips to many and various places, meeting with different churches, businesses, and individuals who are involved in West Africa.  I have one trip to go yet to Wisconsin (for the Rural Empowerment Initiative in West Africa) and Iowa (for our partnership in Cote d'Ivoire), from August 17-24.  Hannah will be my chauffeur and I'm looking forward to that alone time with her in the car.  A couple of highlights from my work this summer:

Fields in Sunnyside; note dry hills in background.

1. My trip to Sunnyside, WA.  The Christian Reformed Church there supports our work in West Africa but is very involved in the farmer to farmer program in Zambia.  Sunnyside was an amazing place to visit - maybe because I'm such a city girl.  They call it a desert (who knew a desert was in Washington!) and have fully irrigated it themselves from the hills.  The place was lush with at least 80 different types of crops growing - you could see many different crops as you drove down the road, full and green, while in the distance dry brown hills surround them.  It felt like the Garden of Eden there, which was great, but what so impressed me is that this place was lush and green by the sheer will and ingenuity of the people who decided to make it that way.  It gave me hope for Africa and agriculture, in spite of the conditions.
2. My time in Grand Rapids is filled with meeting with members and friends of Madison Square Church, specifically with those who are involved in Liberia.  One of things that the LEAD Grand Rapids group does is a prayer call every Tuesday morning from 7-7:30 am for Liberia.  Mary Springer has been a faithful prayer every week since we started this about two years ago - often it is just Dave Graf, Mary, and I on these calls.  Last week, Mary found out that she has ovarian cancer and today (August 6) she will have surgery to remove the cancer.  Dave Graf and I had a chance to visit Mary yesterday at the hospital

   

   Mary

   and pray together in person (a rare treat).  Mary made the comment that these Tuesday morning calls have helped prepare her for this day.  I pondered that for some time after I left her.  Who would have thought, that as we gathered and prayed for Liberia and its people every week for two years, that we would be the beneficiaries?  But isn't that often the way it works?  We think we are doing something for someone else, but we end up benefiting (if we are paying attention).  The relationship I have with Mary and Dave because of these prayer times is deep and real and powerful.  Very interesting. 
3. The last couple of days, Partners Worldwide has been giving their orientation for the new interns who are about to go out on the field for a year of service.  I had the privilege of meeting our intern for Ghana, Emily Daher, who hails from Ohio and is a recent Calvin College graduate, with a BA in International Development and Political Science.  She participated in the semester in Ghana during her senior year and therefore is familiar with Ghana, has studied the culture, and knows more of the local language there than me because of taking a class in Twi. 

   

   Emily Daher

Emily will arrive in Ghana just a couple of days ahead of me (I leave on September 2).  Her time will be focused on continuing to work with the Hopeline Institute staff on developing the Small and Medium Entrepreneur program, specifically the training and mentoring portions. If you are interested in learning more about Emily, her blog can be found at http://emilydaher.wordpress.com. 

Megan Fraga

We also have an intern going to Liberia, Megan Fraga, who hails from Florida and is a recent graduate of Florida State University with a BS in International Affairs.  Megan is currently working in Sudan for the summer and was unable to attend the orientation at Partners Worldwide, and will leave directly for Liberia from the Sudan on September 7.  Megan's blog can be found at http://meganfraga.blogspot.com.

We are still looking for an intern for the research farm in Liberia.  If you know anyone who has knowledge and experience in agriculture and would like to spend some time in a tropical country, please email me at renitar@partnersworldwide.org.

That's it for now.  More next week!