Some Things I've Been Thinking About...

So over the past while, God has put a few things on my heart that I would like to share and invite discussion over. One of the big topics roving through my head is the idea of advocacy vs. empowerment. To explain, advocacy is when usually Westerners come into a place, see a need and do something to fix it. Empowerment involves building relationships with locals and helping them to identify needs and ways to accomplish them that will work well in the context of that community. From my limited view, many organizations and relief efforts practice more of an advocacy attitude that can sometimes be rather ineffective. I do think that in the case of people in need of immediate relief effort, such as in the aftermath of a natural disaster, this method does fill basic need. I feel that the idea of empowerment is a much more Christ-like perspective. It is also much more costly, causing the person desiring to help to humble herself and recognize that she doesn't have all the answers and to pour into and partner will the people she is trying to help. It has been really encouraging for me because this idea first presented itself after my work with OCCCO over the summer and a similar idea was introduced at a talk during our eMi training. I was really encouraged by this because the work we do at eMi utilizes Western learned skills, eMi emphasizes working with and listening to the ministries we serve that have been a part of the communities they are in for many years.

Another thing I have recently appreciated is fellowship with Godly women. One of the wives of the eMi dudes is very pregnant and due in September. We had a baby shower for her yesterday and getting to meet many of the other wives there was very encouraging. This wasn't your typical baby shower, we didn't play silly games, but we listen to Jessy's(the pregnant one) testimony of how God brought her husband into her life and listen to the other women express their appreciation for them as a couple and their excitement to see them as a family. We also prayed over her for health and God's guidance in little Faith's life. It was a beautiful time and I hope I get to know these women better.

I am now a Golfer (sort of)

This week is our first week of actual work here at eMi. The funny thing is that it started with a golf tournament/marathon. Every year eMi has a golf marathon fundraiser where people sponsor the golfers and they usually raise upwards of $30,000. One of the board members pays for the course for the whole day and the interns play caddy and golf cart driver. I really enjoy driving golf carts... especially at the slightly offroadish course that we were at. Many golfers aim to do 100 holes in one day. Some shoot two balls on each round in order to get to 100 in decent time. For most of the day I drove a man named Rex around, he is really fun and relaxed and we had a good time. After the intern director, Danna, finished her 100 holes, one of the other interns (Josh) and I borrowed her clubs and played 14 holes. This just happened to be the first time either of us had played golf so you can imagine it was pretty slow and painful, but I did get a few good shots. All in all a fun 12 and 1/2 hours on the golf course and only a little sunburn.

On another note, I found out today that I will be going to Uganda for 3 weeks starting September 22, two of which will be our project trip to Mbale and the last week we will be at the eMi office in Kampala. I am really excited to be there and to see some of the interns that we met at orientation again. Peace out.

Update from Colo Spgs

I'm back to blogging! A quick update for anyone who I haven't told yet: I am currently in Colorado Springs CO starting my internship with Engineering Ministries International. We just finished Orientation week in a place called the Hideaway. I am so excited to be here and learning more about engineering and God's heart for the world. I will be going to Uganda in September and working on a school/medical clinic in Mbale. Info about the project an be found here. God has been doing so much already and I have had a great time getting to know the other interns (10 of us in CO). We are all going to Denver today to drop off the international interns at the airport (3 to India and 3 to Uganda). I love and miss everyone from home and would love to hear from you! God bless!