This Incredible Gift

I blog retroactively. I came back from Kenya two weeks ago and hit the ground running. So much planning and collaboration and face to face sharing. I haven't been able to nab a few minutes to recount things on here. (That plus the fact that we don't have internet...).

There is so much about East Africa that I love. In some areas, I love the limitless wide-openness of it, like the tumbling grassland could stretch on forever and never end. I love rural villages, intrinsically connected to the good earth and free of all the unnecessary technological clutter we tend to tangle ourselves in. I love the song and dance, I love how big the sky seems. I love the cities, the dizzying ix of traditional and modern, the collision of the corporate and informal business networks, the historic struggle between foreign influence and maintaining a distinctively East African identity. I love the innovation and resilience of people, and the joy that I have encountered nowhere else in the world.

I spent a very quick week in the city of Nairobi - Kenya's capitol. I spent the week with a ministry partner, Grace Covenant Church Community Based Organization. GCC-CBO is located at the intersection of some of Nairobi's major slum areas. UTST is working with them to provide holistic ministry to individuals and families trapped in extreme poverty in these areas. Our first goal together is to set up a microlending system that will essentially enable families to build their income generating activities and small businesses, and access a sustainable source of income with which to provide their children with improved nutrition and education. This means taht families will be less vulnerable to challenges such as illiteracy, medical emergencies, and will be less likely to fall into traps of exploitation. Future areas of ministry through GCC-CBO include a rehabilitation ministry for street children and community home based care for those living with HIV/AIDS.

I spent a quick week in Nairobi doing nothing but building connections and friendships. We also spend time collaborating with leaders, casting vision and planning, but the vast majority of the time was spent going from one tiny home to the next, visiting, sharing and laughing with many of the people this ministry will serve. I can truthfully say that I was brought into a community during the short week I spent there - where my needs became theirs and their needs became mine. Where we made jokes and gave each other nick-names, and shared countless cups of chai tea.

I came back to the US because I want very badly to invite you into this community as well. (Yes, you. Even if you're a friend I haven't seen in years, or if I haven't ever met you at all. I came back, yes, to raise support and find sponsors like mad, but also because each time I am in East Africa I find myself wrapped up in this incredible gift, and I want to bring you into it.

I made this video to introduce you to my community in Nairobi. The community I hope to be journeying with for a long time, and I hope you will choose to as well. If you really want to make it official, go to the "Get Involved" portion of our website and sign up for Community Connections or become a sponsor. http://www.underthesametree.com/#!get-involved/c1scw


 Step into this incredible gift, my friends.






PS... Thanks to my epic friend, Sarah Julian (note that I never, ever use the word "epic," so I really mean it here) for travelling with me, making sure I stayed nourished, diving deep into relationships, making sure important questions were asked, helping keep records, late night brainstorming, and keeping us laughing 24/7. You're amazing.

Leaving for Kenya Tomorrow...

In the midst of endless to-do lists, fundraising, planning, etc etc etc, it just occurred to me that many of you may not even know that I am leaving for Kenya tomorrow. Oops.

It's important that you know, because it's an important trip, and we need lots of prayers.

I tend to dig in and try to get things done without asking for a lot of help. That's a weakness. And it's probably why I haven't broadcasted far and wide that I'm going to Kenya tomorrow. I need to be continually reminding myself how important it is to be surrounded by the support and accountability of my community (that means you).

So yeah, tomorrow I'm leaving for Nairobi, Kenya with my lifelong friend and adventure buddy, Sarah Julian. We're going to spend a week networking and planning with local church leaders in Nairobi, Kenya to launch Under the Same Tree's programs there. We're also going to be able to enter into Nairobi's vast slums and meet the families we will be working with in the future. Our future community, our future family.

It's an important trip because it is paving the way for everything that will be happening throughout the end of this year and into next year (and beyond). We'll be gathering the stories we need for fundraising, building the profiles we need for sponsorship, and building a plan with our leadership partners, all in one short week.

We need your prayers. Don't let me forget how important that is.

Pray for Sarah and I's safety and health, but more importantly pray that a strong foundation is built, important connections are made, and that a way is made to lead into the fundraising work we'll be doing throughout the rest of the year. Pray for the families in Nairobi. Soon, you will be able to know them by name.

I just sent out David and I's first monthly newsletter. If you're not on the mailing list and you want to be, let me know! 

Start by Doing What is Necessary

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -Saint Francis of Assisi

I've loved this quote for a long time. It makes sense, I think. After all, what we regard as impossible all depends upon our perspectives about possibility. I love that this quote breaks it down into practical steps, because I'm a "practical steps" kind of person.

I think for quite a long, long time I've been working on doing what's necessary in life, and now I'm just barely barely, starting to be able to move into the realm of what is possible. I'm discovering that it's the months and  years of long, hard work on what is necessary that opens up new possibilities. Without the tedious, boring, agonizing hours of work on what is necessary, possibilities remain impossible. 

So if that's where you are right now - in a place where you feel like you are forced to do what is necessary, what is dreary and repetitive and tiresome, be encouraged. I know how it is to feel like you're spinning circles, wasting time, when you really want to be running hard into where you feel called, or what it is you dream of. The impossible.

Remember that it's only through sowing a seed in the ground - the necessary - caring for it though it is small and seems it will never grow -the possible- and waiting for years for the plant to develop do you get to hold that beautiful apple in your hand. The impossible.

24

Tomorrow is my 24th birthday.

To be honest, this number has always kind of freaked me out. I was born on my mom's 24th birthday, 24 years ago. I really love a band from San Diego called Switchfoot, and they have this song called 24 that Jon said he wrote when he was 24 years old and broke his leg while skateboarding and trying to impress a girl. One time I went to their show in St. Louis and was talking to him after the show. I was driving to Kansas city the next day to see them play there too, and he asked what song we'd like to see them play at the show. We said 24. The next day they played it for us, really pretty, and with an accordion. I love accordions. I used to listen to that song, as a teenager, and think about how much time in life I still had. I always thought something really awesome should happen during this year of my life. Yikes.

So what is going on in my life this year?

A lot of things that are tedious. A lot of sitting in front of my computer. A lot of making calls to strangers. A lot of things that are calling me to face my fears. 

I'm in grad school; International Relations at Webster University. But that doesn't scare me.
I have a job, and that's fine.

I'm working to help launch a ministry in Sub Saharan Africa. In the slums of Nairobi Kenya. Am I afraid of going there? Not at all. I love being there.

Right now, though, I'm having to trust in God's provision more than I have ever experienced in my life. I am having to make phone calls to strangers and invite them into the mission and vision that has been entrusted to me. I am having to raise support. This is what is terrifying for me. In a lot of areas of life, I am crazy and afraid of nothing. When it comes to this, though, I am incredibly self conscious and full of anxiety. I hope this year is full of mountain climbing and ocean diving (literally), but this is what I'm facing most days. This year is about learning to trust and to do what I truly am afraid to do.

I was trying to have a fundraising dinner for my birthday, but I couldn't get a venue in time. Instead, I'm just going to give you this donation link for now - - - http://www.underthesametree.com/#!donate/clg6


What exactly am I fundraising for? Well, we are working in the slums of Nairobi to provide holistic care for 10 families so far. We are beginning with a combination of food supplements and micro-loans. We are training parents to start their own small businesses so that they are able to earn a sustainable income to support their families. This is exactly where any money I raise right now is going. You can meet the families here.

And because it's my birthday, I don't feel bad about asking you to tell absolutely everyone you know about this. Get them to like our Facbook page. Get them to sign up for our email list. Ask them to get us in contact with their churches, their college groups, etc etc etc. Please, I really need to be connected with all of your social circles. Plus, it enables me to make some great new friends along the way, that that's always good anyways.

So... what else is happening this year?

Oh yeah, David and I are going to become homeless. Hopefully.

We live in a little apartment with no internet and almost no running water. We are trying to be frugal in the extreme. As soon as it warms up outside, we have decided we're just going to live out there. We're going to let our lease end, and live out of a tent at various Stl campgrounds. For how long? We don't know yet. We still have some time to keep planning, because it keeps snowing, and seems to never stop. We'll see what happens.


Here's a little look back on year 23:

By the way...

My mom was born on 2/12

Abraham Lincoln was born on 2/12
Construction began on the St. Louis arch on 2/12
The Atlantic Charter that would eventually end European colonialism was signed on 2/12
And Nelson Mandela walked out of prison the day before I was born.

Just some trivia that makes me feel special. ;)

That great sweeping wind

A pretty November quote.

I'm already ready for spring to come.

Progressing

Haha, back at the end of the summer, David and I came up with a plan to visit and blog about all of these things to do in Saint Louis. It was a great plan. But I've (as usual) managed to figure out how to fill every minute of every day with some form of productivity, and that plan kinda died out...

Maybe we'll manage to pick it back up sometime.

In the meantime, starting next week, Under the Same Tree (or UTST, as I like to call it), will be selling official t-shirts! It's going to be a really great experience for anyone who buys one, because they will be able to choose an individual and a specific need that they want the proceeds of the shirt to go to. Here's what the logo is looking like..

"How are things going with all that?" You may be asking me in your head. My answer is that we are continuing to make slow progress towards actually getting things started! (We need to raise some initial money, so these t-shirts are a step towards that goal.) We have had specific things we have been prayerfully asking for for the past several months, and are beginning to see our prayers answered in exciting ways. I've been in need of other people who are committed to helping me with planning, logistics, etc, and I've had a few very good friends who have decided to plunge in recently, and that is so, sooooo good.

A large piece of what planted the vision for this work was time that I spent several years ago in Tanzania with Grace and Healing Ministries (supported by an absolutely incredible US based advocacy organization called Lahash International). They released this video at the beginning of the year, and it played a part in really pushing me forward to put thoughts/dreams/calling into action. Since then, things have come together in really unexplainable ways.

Watch this (I know many of these precious people):

http://vimeo.com/57953861

Here's some exciting news...!

www.underthesametree.com

For the majority of the year, something really exciting has been coming together, and I'm finally ready to "throw it all out there," so to speak, and see where it all goes...

I've been able to play a part in developing an organization that is focusing on micro-development in Sub Saharan Africa by partnering with local churches. We want to build on the resources that people in this region already have, and the local church is an incredible, yet often overlooked resource. Over the past century or so, local churches, planted and run by African people have spread throughout this part of the continent, and have withstood civil unrest, national impoverishment, epidemic disease, and a host of other hardships. Many churches in these areas long to care for their communities in sustainable and holistic ways, but simply lack the resources. Our vision with this organization is to partner with churches who have this desire, and to work together with them to create community based programs focused on sustainable microdevelopment (in other words, helping to provide income generating opportunities, nutrition, health, education, and spiritual growth while empowering them to become self sustaining contributors to their societies/communities).

Our goal is to create opportunities for individuals and community groups here in the United States to hear the stories of the individuals in these programs and be able to connect with them in a unique and powerful way. As we provide information about an individual's story and specific needs that they have, individuals and groups will be able to respond in a variety of ways. We provide opportunities to really connect with these people by corresponding with them through writing letters/messages of encouragement.  For those who would like to respond through prayer, we provide specific ways to pray for the individual. We also provide a unique was to respond by providing for needs. We make information about each individual's specific needs available, and those who wish to respond by donating can give directly towards these needs (rather than money going into a generalized fund).

The organization is being called "Under the Same Tree" based on a quote by a Rwandan archbishop: "In Africa, we say that we are all coming together under one tree. The African way is that the extended family comes under the ancient tree... to celebrate and pray for our next season.  Through Christ, we have all become a world family, and we need to come together under one tree." Our vision is all about coming together and taking care of each other, growing as one community.

We have partnered with a church in Nairobi, Kenya, who works in three of the city's huge slums: the Soweto district of Kibera, Mathare Valley, and Korogocho, so our work is currently focused on the slums of Nairobi.

Last but not lease, this organization is being launched as a branch of the Saint Louis local 501-c3 nonprofit, Love the Lou, which is a fantastic organization focused on gospel centered restoration in the city of StL.

Here is why you NEED to know all of this:

We are currently entering a launching phase in which we are pushing outwards and working to raise awareness, raise support, and raise excitement (!) about what is going on.

We really need your help.

Here are some areas in which we are currently looking for help:

• We are looking for resources in the way of skilled and talented people. For example, I would love to make awesome, inspiring promotional videos and graphics, but I simply do not know how. Maybe you do. I would REALLY love to design an engineering project that would provide clean water for slum residents, but I am not an engineer. Maybe you are. Please let us know what your skill sets are, and how you might be able to use them to help!
• We are looking for people who are interested in joining our leadership team, and who would be willing to step in and help with all of the groundwork that is going on.
• We are looking people who can invite us into their social circles. We are basing a large part of this organization on a program designed to be implemented into community groups. So if you are a part of a Bible study/small group/student organization/community of any type, we would really love the chance to come and share what we are doing with your group.
• We need you to SIGN UP! It's so simple. Just sign up HERE and either once a week or bimonthly we will send you information about an individual from our programs and ways in which you can make a difference in their life by connecting with them.

Our website, www.underthesametree.com, is still partially under construction, so if you see anything that looks weird or is missing, it's probably because we are still working on it.

Our "donate" function is also still in the process of being set up, so I'll let you know when that is ready.

Please send us any questions or resources that you might have... underthesametree@live.com

Phew, that was a lot.

Stay tuned, friends.