Visiting the Nuru International Regional Training Center

Regional Training Center from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Monday morning I was able to visit the site of the Nuru International regional training center with our team here, and I have to say that I have been utterly blown away by the vision and the scope of what the Kenyan Nuru staff are not only looking to do in the future, but what they are doing now. Two and a half years ago, Nuru was an idea, a REALLY good idea, but an idea nonetheless. Now, to see what it has become is utterly amazing.

As my friend Jake talked to us a little bit about the center, I just kept smiling from ear to ear. I was nearly to the point of tears from the joy I was experiencing. The center is the headquarters for all of the Kenyan Nuru Staff (and the number of Kenyan Nuru staff significantly dwarfs the western staff.)

So, where to start. I could start with the crazy amount of construction that has already happened. Thereof a bank being built, a education resource center that is being built, a center for educating children and preserving the Kurian cultural heritage. There is a large meeting hall for regional training conference for Nuru Kenya staff across the district and province as Nuru expands. And there is a kitchen under construction as well as classrooms and two floors of sleeping rooms for guests. There's also a healthcare commodities selling station under construction.

I am amazed at what this training center is already becoming. I met dozens of Nuru Kenyan staff who are working in our five program areas. These people are passionate about bringing excellence into every facet of the work they are doing to empower their entire community out of extreme poverty. I'm honored to see it, and privileged to be able to share many of their stories with others. Together, we are ending extreme poverty, one community at a time.

Me and the Kerr's Marching Through the Crowd

Me and the Kerr's Marching Through the Crowd, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Yeah, i know. this is going back a bit, but this is a photo of me and the Kerr clan making our way through the crowd at the powwow. That's my hair in the foreground. ;)

So I decided against staying in a tent for now. Maybe it was the heavy rains over the weekend, or perhaps it's just the thought of dealing with the sand. I don't want to wake up in a windstorm or a tropical depression while staying in a tent. But maybe I'll try it later this week--time will tell.

Right now I am staying with 22 of the students who are involved in GCM's Leadership Training program. They have renamed their beach house The Soul Den, and it has been a pretty cool experience so far. Most of us don't do well with living in community like that, but there's something profound in the formation of our character that we are missing out on by not experiencing community in this way.

In my opinion, this is one of the best parts of the program. For me, it's also been cool sharing with the students and hearing what God has been doing in their lives this summer.

You know, as I was looking at the photo of my best friend and his family, I couldn't help but think--most of us spend our time navigating the crowd. We just kind of weave our way through. Maybe our real need is to stop weaving and navigating, and engage the crowd. We need to stop being passersby and get connected. With my frequent travel this summer, it has been challenging but possible to get connected with folks wherever I have been.

The sad truth is that many of us spend our entire lives in one place, and never venture to connect to the community around us. Take a step out today and make a connection with someone. Maybe it will simply be a gesture of hospitality toward someone else, or maybe, God will be doing something in you through the process.

Into The Piedmont

Into The Piedmont, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

While I do have plans to give a quick recap of some highlights from some of the last few weeks (it is always good to remember where you have been!), I will be attempting to keep some blog entries in the present as well.

Yesterday evening, I made the drive back to North Carolina, and had arrived at LT at about 2AM. Last time, it was because I left really late. This time it was because I included a couple of stops along the way, like going to see my friend Ricky Beamer who is keeping a blog here, and is quite a photographer. One other stop was at Pilot Mountain in North Carolina. If you've ever made the journey from Morgantown to WInston-Salem, you've seen this mountain.

Well, last night, after many trips past it, and with additional encouragement from my friend Brittani Kokot, I finally made the stop. It was AWESOME. It's right next to the highway, so it really doesn't take you out of the way on a trip--beyond that, it provided a great opportunity to stretch my legs, and take in some wonderful scenery. Although slightly hazy from the top, it really was breathtaking to look down upon the piedmont and the atlantic Coastal basin from this vista that sits 1400 feet above the rest of the plateau.

Today I am back at The Grind, not so much figuratively, but literally. I'm trying to take it easy today, and get re-oriented to LT, but I did stop by my favorite spot to hang out, grab a coffee, work, and just connect with people--The Grind at Carolina Beach. These folks are just getting their business started, and it's a phenomenal place. If you are in the area, you need to make a stop here! As I stepped into the space it felt like a reunion and an opportunity to catch up. What a great group of people!

Anyhoo, ironically, I feel like these next two weeks promise a degree of "normalcy" for my life. I may be living in a tent along the north end of the island for a few days while a family is using the place where I typically stay. It's a different world down here at LT, and there is a wonderful familiarity to the whole experience. I'm looking forward to savoring every moment to serve and to grow with students, staff, and community before I head back into Almost Heaven.

Rolling Down the Highway

Rolling Down the Highway, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

So I've been on the go for a bit now. I've many stories to tell and many images to share, but it has been hard to find/make the time to get those images and stories out.

The photo above was taken on one of my professor's farm a little over a week ago. We had a mini-reunion as I was returning back from DC on the weekend of the fourth. Three of us went to the top of the farm and watched the sun set over the horizon. It was a beautiful tranquil evening, and one unlike any my friends had experienced in quite some time. It was a gift.

I'm scheduling time tomorrow morning specifically to blog and get caught up on somethings on here.

Last week, I made two trips to Parkersburg. My dad was having blurred vision, and I could tell it was bothering him. He was wondering if he might be losing his vision. He has macular degeneration, and if you take a moment to read that and say it out loud it just sounds scary. Thankfully, my dad's macular degeneration is barely visible and it's only in one eye. As long as he eats right, takes his vitamins, and wears sunglasses outside, he should have great vision for a long time.

But, his prescription for glasses had changed. His eyes are getting slightly more farsighted, so he needs to wear his glasses all of the time. His blurred vision was from not wearing his glasses, and his eyes were just straining to the point of exhaustion. He's getting new glasses this week, and he has been much better about wearing his glasses this week.

It was great spending time with dad while he was up in Morgantown, and spending a little bit of time with him, my sister, and my uncle this weekend as well.

Now I'm preparing for one last summer in a return visit to help close down the leadership training program GCM does in Carolina Beach, NC. Before I leave, my blog WILL be caught up though. So be looking for some posts, and have a great rest of your day wherever you are!

Snow's Cut Park

Snow's Cut Park, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I took this photo during my first week in Carolina Beach. Each week, we've spent a part of a day there having extended time with God. This cut off of the Cape Fear River is what separates Pleasure Island from the mainland.

Speaking of mainland, I'm back on the mainland again. I made the long drive to Parkersburg, WV so I could spend Father's Day with my dad, my sister, and my best friend, Willie and his family. Being in NC prevented me from being with my dad and sister on their birthdays, but we were all able to celebrate with a trip to the Texas Roadhouse with the Kerr's yesterday.

Today, I've spent the day getting reacquainted with the weather here, and simply recovering from the long drive. I was also able to visit with a few friends and relatives and share with them a little bit of what God has been doing in my life.

It kind of stinks to have left my friends in Wilmington so soon. Although I was only there for 3 weeks, they were three very rewarding and fulfilling weeks. One of my greatest passions is sharing with people who are passionate about following Jesus and learning how to walk with Him, and I had three weeks of doing just that!!! I am looking forward to being with those folks again real soon--I should be returning in Mid-July to help wrap up the program, and more importantly, to hear where God took these 31 students on their summer long journey to know Him better!

Younger Evangelicals

Younger Evangelicals, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This morning I read an article in the New York Times that was talking about a trend among younger evangelical Christians with regard to social issues.

For anyone who reads my blog, this trend should be no surprise, but to the New York Times writer, it was a bit of a surprise. Younger evangelical Christians hold to a pretty conservative theology, but their faith seems to involve issues of justice, environmental stewardship, and care for the poor.

Surprised? I'm not. I believe as more and more Christians are challenged to look at the world in which we live we will be challenged to put our faith into tangible practice not only in our own individual personal development with engaging scriptures and prayer and other spiritual disciplines, but also, we will be challenged to work toward finding solutions to the problems that exist in our world, for the glory of God.

The photo above was taken during our opening day of worship and prayer for the Leadership Training program I'm helping to run in Carolina Beach, NC. These students from Ball State, WVU, and Virginia Tech are interested in growing in their relationship with Jesus. They are interested in growing as leaders, and in changing the world for the sake of future generations.

Older evangelicals sometimes get concerned about this interest in shaping culture, but this has always been part and parcel of what it means to be the church.

In the words of Al Reis, "The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation." What it looks like to be salt and light among younger evangelicals, while fundamentally similar to older generations, may look drastically different.. It is easy to critique, but not always easy to listen and become a student of cultural trends.

When I look at these students at LT, or I think about the young people who comprise our church in Morgantown, I'm excited about the future, and the way these people can potentially influence the world and show people a bigger image of Jesus than maybe they have previously known.

I hope that previous generations of the church can give a measure of trust to up-and-coming generations who are attempting to reach out and influence for Christ.

Carolina Shores

Carolina Shores, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Although I was extremely exhausted after a long day of gardening and a longer drive into the wee hours of the night, I began the GCM Leadership Training program with a group of others from Ball State University, Virginia Tech, and WVU early Sunday morning at a park near Carolina Beach, NC. That's where I took this sweet photo of the grass and sand along the intracoastal waterway down here.

People were catching some fish while I was there. Among the types caught were perch and sheepshead. Kind of made me regret not having a rod to join in the action.

But that's not why I was walking along this waterway. Nor was it to snap photos. I was asked to ponder a passage from Luke 18 about a blind beggar. I don't know if you've ever read it, but I know I've never meditated upon it like I did Sunday morning.

The synopsis goes something like this. A crowd was following Jesus (as per usual), and a blind beggar asks folks what's going on. They tell him that Jesus is in the area. So then this guy starts crying out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" People try to shut him up, but he just keeps getting louder. Then Jesus cuts through the crowd and walks up to him and says, "what do you want me to do for you?"
You should read the rest and find out what happens at the end of Luke 18.

After hearing the story, we were encouraged to ask the same question. What do I want Jesus to do for me this summer? What is it that I really want God to do in my life? What do I want Jesus to do while I'm away in Carolina Beach? While you may not be able to join us on the Atlantic coast, you can ask yourself the same question.

What is it that you really want God to do in your life? What is it that you are desperate for Jesus to do in your life? May you zealously seek him this summer, and may you be radically transformed as a result of your seeking.

Life Lessons from Hezekiah

Over the course of the summer in FL we will spend some time looking at life lessons from various kings of Israel. This past week we talked about Hezekiah, and how he was a man who trusted God, and lived a life of prayer. In a discussion the next day with a couple of students, I saw a need for people to think a little more deeply. It seems like a no brainer that people should live lives that reflect a deep trust for God, and to be consistently praying.

A couple of students started talking about whether an elected leader who was of a faith should bring their faith into their work, or check it at the door and focus on accurately representing what the constituents wanted to see done in leadership. The students philosophized over the pros and cons of both sides (a good exercise in itself). When I suggested that they might look at Hezekiah's life and see what they might glean from examining the lives of leaders in scripture for a clue.

What emerged was that if Hezekiah gave the people what they wanted, there would still have been idols in the temple, and altars in the high places. But he could have been really good at praying still. Instead, Hezekiah made decisions based on his faith, for the good of all people. He couldn't check his faith at the door. After all, is it really a consistent faith, if it is merely based on circumstance, and isolated to become the private compartment of our lives. If what we believe about anything is true, then it should impact all of our lives. Not just an isolated area.

Jesus Indians

Two days ago, I had a really great conversation with a girl who is a part of the Leadership Training program I am doing here in Orlando. It is a Christian based Leadership program that stresses character centered leadership, and a deep and enriching relationship with God as the center piece to leadership. Anyhoo, the girl I was talking to is a Rappahannock indian from Virginia. It is rare to connect with other Indian people with any regularity it seems like, but it is especially rare for me to connect with many other Native people who are passionate followers of Jesus.

Living in the Tension

It's been a while since I have written on this blog, but this week's talks have been interesting at LT. Maybe LT could stand for Living in Tension. Anyhoo, there seems to be a tension we live in between being yielded to God's grace, and living out big dreams for God. Without the proper perspective we can end up trampling the grace of God by wanton-ness. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we can get so works based that WE become the center of the universe, and not the God who gives us us grace. We end up believing it is up to us to live out big dreams and not up to God.

So...the important thing seems to be living in the tension. Motivated by grace, we walk in the works He has laid out for us, the purpose of our lives, the calling of God, to the end that we glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I'm reminded of a passage in Ephesians tonight.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Connecting with Staff and Preparing for Students

OVer the last four days, my time in Orlando has been extremely busy. I have had a hard time connecting with people back home because of limited access to the internet, and my time has been extremely filled with preparations for the arrival of the students. Tomorrow about 100 students from all over the country will be arriving in Orlando for GCM's Leadership Training (LT) program.

The number of staff in attendance here is much lower than in years past, and it has made for ma much busier time for everyone, but the time has been a great period of connecting with one another and hearing how God has been at work in each of our lives to bring us here together.

I have been living in temporary housing for the last four days, and I am looking forward to having a little bit of time tonight to get moved into my new home for the next three months.

Although I have had my camera all week, I haven't been taking many pictures. Over the past week, it seems i have developed a knack for forgetting to take pictures along the way.

Well, it is back to work getting ready for the students' arrival tomorrow. Much to do and little time to do it!