Blog is traveling, just like me

Due to the future necessity of needing to password protect my blog, I unfortunately have to leave Stupendously At Sea behind, in favour of a more adult-sounding blog (with the ability to password protect). While I am sad about this, perhaps this is the internet gods telling me I am entering a new phase in my life.

All new posts will now be added to:

rebeccaflorenceisaak.wordpress.com

When posts become password protected, please feel free to message me for the password.

A Franciscan Blessing

The following is a prayer that was shared with us during a devotion this week. I love prayer that sounds like poetry, so I wanted to share.

May God bless you with discomfort...

at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger...

at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears...

to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness...

to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others cannot be done.

Amen.

The Welcoming Place

The MCC Welcoming Place reminds me of an eco-hotel. It is brightly coloured, chairs are made of wicker and rough fabric, and there are signs everywhere to remind you to save electricity. 

I enjoy it very much.

I am living in Africa House. The four Houses are named after the four regions where MCC works - Africa, Asia, Middle East/Europe, and Americas. They all look very similar, although their distinguishing features are the coloured patterns on the plaster walls outside, and the hand-made crafts from their namesake continents inside.

Even more exciting than the houses themselves, are the people living in them. My fellow SALTers (Serving and Learning Together) number just shy of sixty, with half of us from Canada, and the other half from the USA. There are fewer IVEPers (International Volunteer Exchange Program), but they represent many countries around the world. Many of them have been bravely fighting jet lag these past few days, while also being gracious enough to lead us in worship and eat strange new food.

We have been learning a lot. Our days start early, with breakfast, and then a devotional time before jumping into sessions. These sessions cover the history of MCC, logistics of our programs, and how to take care of ourselves. There are many more to come. We also have a surprising amount of free time, but that is quickly filled with card games or sports.

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I have never been surrounded by so many people who know what the word "Mennonite" means.

For me, it only meant my grandparents and everything they embody. Which is many things that I have encountered here- the importance of charity and volunteering, peace, and of God's presence in our lives.

Here, for others I have encountered, it is their lives, not only one part of it. It is languages, food, people they know intimately.

It is amazing sharing a common history with so many people. A MCC staff member dramatically recounted the history of the organization, and I found myself surprised by how much it aligned with the little I know of my Dad's family origins. Catherine the Great inviting German Mennonites to settle in Russia, the flight of many to North America, conscientious objectors to the Great Wars.

I knew I was signing up to work with an organization whose values I agreed with, but I did not know how much of MCC I am already apart of.

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The Warehouse

On Thursday, we went on a tour of Material Resource Centre (MRC), a few miles away from The Welcoming Place.

MCC has three main areas of focus - relief, development, and peace. The first is greatly illustrated in the MRC, where many items are prepared for shipment to international destinations that have experienced a disaster- either natural disasters or as a result of a conflict.

Top: A map detailing where MCC has warehouses and where they send goods. Left: Shipment information Right: Looms that turn scrap material into mats which are sold.

As I realized what we were walking into, I got excited. Very excited.

This was everything we had discussed in my Humanitarian Assistance class, and although we did a 3-day disaster simulation, we did not actually get to see this work in action. Here there were stacks upon stacks of canned goods, school kits, hygiene kits. There was a board detailing recent shipments.

Stacks of wrapped quilts & comforters.

There a few unique things about the MRC. I'm not sure how many contemporary humanitarian organizations have Quilting Rooms and functioning looms in their warehouses.

Many of MCC's supporters are traditional Amish or Mennonite, meaning that many of them feel the best way to support those overseas is through labour. Many hours go into making beautiful quilts to be auctioned off to raise money, or others to be sent overseas. We certainly did not discuss the logistics of shipping handmade quilts in my class.

I asked a lot of questions. Specifically, I was curious as to why MCC still ships food overseas, when that is generally now a frowned upon practice. The answers I received were promising- that is a controversial practice, but it is one that many of their constituents support.

I asked so many questions, and continued to ask them the next day, that a staff member remarked that I was very interested. When I explained I would love to work in this sector, he offered to set up a lunch meeting with someone works in MCC's relief work. I am amazed what simple curiosity has done.

- - -

Orientation has been a lot of sitting & listening, but in the best way possible. Everyone is brimming with excitement and patience for each other. The heat here in Pennsylvania is suffocating, but our houses and the Meeting Place provide sanctuary from the heat, but also a sanctuary in each other's presence.

Here's where you can support me sweating in Pennsylvania!

career vs. mission: understanding what I’m doing with my life

I’m leaving in 2 days.

In 2 days I will be traveling to Akron, Pennsylvania. I will be there for 18 days for training + some extra time and then traveling to Beirut, Lebanon. From there, I will be settling into a Program & Educational Activities Assistant role with MCC’s national partner Popular Aid for Relief and Development (who look super cool!!).

Packing is hard.

Since the beginning of my program at Humber College, I have been searching for an internship (although I would laugh with classmates about procrastinating about job searching – I lied, sorry guys). I was very nervous about finding a placement, which is required to graduate from our program. I had heard about Mennonite Central Committee’s Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program, but I had dismissed the thought, wanting a ‘real job’. As it turns out, it is awfully hard to find a ‘real job’ when the only thing you have ever been is a full-time student.

Through a series of coincidences (and looking back, divine luck), I applied and was accepted to SALT. I had my eyes set on the position in Beirut, which seemed to fit perfectly with what I have been studying this past year at Humber. I was delighted to be offered the role, but then given about a week to decide, which at the time, felt like the fastest week of my life.

I’ve known of MCC my entire life. My grandparents and parents both speak very highly of the organization, and I knew that I could find no better organization to serve under. They are well respected for their work, attitude, and their emphasis on peace-building is unique and speaks to me.

Career vs Mission

I didn’t plan, or really, didn't want to, be in a ‘missional’ type role coming out of Humber. Mission tends to refer to a calling or vocational role to go out into the world and share the Good News about Christ. Not that I didn't want to be employed by an agency that had similar values to mine, but I dreamed of the elusive paycheck, as all new graduates do. Further, the goal of my program was to provide employable skills, and I was looking forward to putting those into use. However, I was convinced by many peers and mentors that perhaps I should think more closely about SALT.

SALT is described as a “year-long, cross-cultural service experience”. The three goals of the program are to experience personal, professional and spiritual growth; help foster international goodwill and understanding; and finally gain personal experience with, and commitment to, the global church. And I am excited for all these things, I am!

However, there are also many reasons why this is a very smart career move for me! Here are a few:

• Proof of the ability to live abroad long-term is often necessary to be hired by an international NGO, this is something I lack on my resume.
• Hands on experience with a national organization.
• Language lessons! My French/Spanish attempts have not been great, so I’m setting the bar high for Arabic, but I remain positive.
• Working in an area of the world that is very ‘employable’ right now, especially for relief and emergency work.
• Short of the donation I have to raise, there will be little personal cost to myself (to put it bluntly, I get more out of it than I put in).

Packing is easier with friends.

To summarize, I have struggled feeling guilty about doing a God-centered, God-focused program (and fundraising for it) while also knowing that this could possibly be the program that launches my career.

When I spoke with a pastor recently and brought up my concerns to him – as well as my uncertainty about fundraising for a ‘smart’ career move - he asked me for a definition of the word ‘mission’. I fumbled for an answer, and he encouraged me to think of my life as a whole. There doesn’t need to be my ‘career’ in one box and ‘mission’ in another. They can overlap and not detract value from each other. This was encouraging and something I still consider often, and something I’m sure I will continue to think about.

That being said, this is the link to my registry. I’m grateful for those that have given already to me, as well as the generous support from Humber College. I have little less than two thousand to raise, which I will hopefully find over the next year.