I'm About to Embark on a Mission Trip!

I've had a dream, for many years now, to be part of a WAR mission trip.  Let me back up and tell you a bit about WAR and my experience with them so far.

Women At Risk is a non-profit organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan that aims to provide circles of protection around at-risk women and children through value-added intervention programs. 

The two years Chad was working in DC and then Pakistan, I had some time on my hands and really wanted to get involved with helping women in some way. Women are my passion.  I love a cup of coffee with a woman, I love Bible studies with women and I wanted to help women who had little opportunity in the world.  I don't even remember how I learned about WAR, but they were only a 15 minute drive from my house so I went over there to see how I could be involved.  About once a week, I would go over to the volunteer center and help inventory items that were returned, unpurchased, from home parties.  I began to learn how WAR was working with women around the world who had been slaves in the sex trade, or poor and at risk of being taken advantage of.  They were being taught to make jewelry or sew purses and clothes that were brought to America and sold at home parties and in the WAR store.  Before Christmas that year, WAR began a new program where they sold blown glass ornaments from Egypt in dental and doctor's offices.  I jumped on board and was given a route.  I first set up a tree, then decorated it with ornaments.  Every week I returned and added more ornaments and collected the money for WAR.  It was a great way to be involved in my community, and help women around the world.

When we began this job with the State Department, I thought it would be easy for me to find organizations to be involved with that were working in each country.  I really thought I would have the opportunity to help women and children where some of the problems were going on.  Quite the opposite has happened.  I've found it very hard to find organizations or be involved.  There are language barriers, nationals don't want help from outsiders, the host country may not allow foreign aid in any form (Russia) and a host of other deterrents.  It's been disappointing.  There have been many times I've asked God what He does want me to be involved in.  I've tried to follow those open doors and promptings.  I love the Bible studies I've led and hope there are many more on the horizon.  I loved rocking and feeding babies in the Colombian orphanage.  I enjoyed helping with the donation box at the embassy in Russia.  I love these things, but women and the oppression they face in this world, always come back to me.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I hurt for them.  I want to be able to do something for them.

This has led me to my strong desire to attend the WAR Circle Tour.  Every other year, WAR takes a group of women to Thailand to visit safe houses, encourage the rescued women and learn how we can help.  I signed up for the trip last spring, before we had even moved.  Life seemed to take over, leaving Russia, home leave, and settling into Taipei, and I didn't take the time to become excited about the trip.  Then I was med-evaced and given an MS diagnosis and I didn't even know if I would be able to go on the trip.  But everything has fallen into place, and I'm going!  

My trip is just around the corner.  I arrive in Bangkok on February 12 to meet the team at midnight.  We visit Bangkok and Chiang Mai then I will return to Taipei on Feb. 23.  

Why do I tell you all this?  Because I know that I need a group of people to be praying for me from now until I return.  I haven't know what to expect from this trip until recently.  I've been watching the orientation videos and what I'm about to embark upon has begun to sink in.  I'm hoping to share with  you the experiences I have.  I hope that through my eyes, you too can learn more about the needs of oppressed women around the world.

As you think of me, please pray for me.  I know what I'll encounter will be difficult.  I know the dynamics within my team may become frustrating at times.  I know that the devil doesn't want good to come about.  I also know that God is greater than all these obstacles.  

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Please join me in this journey.

About to Embark on my Journey with WAR
Days 1 & 2
Safe-house 1
Safe-house 2
Safe-house 3
Banquet Night
Outreach To a Bar
Lady Boys
The Partners
The Ones Who Walk Among Us
Safe-house 4

MPC Social Services

Just outside Saint Peter and Paul Lutheran Church is a door.  A turn of the key and a metal lock pops open revealing a flight of crumbling, narrow stairs.  The light flicks on to reveal an underground room supported by crumbling cement arches.  The floor sags as I tentatively step forward with my arms full of clothing donated by you, the U.S. Embassy.  A few tables are overflowing with t-shirts, children's clothes fill boxes, jeans are folded on shelves and a rack is jammed full of dresses and suits.   

Two or three times a week this little room becomes a busy center as people come to rummage through the clothes, looking for the right size or something appropriate for the season.  They arrive empty handed and depart with their needs met.  They pay only with gratitude towards the people who donated items so that in their time of need they would be clothed.

The donation bin we have next to the commissary in the embassy is given to two groups, one being MPC.   Every six to eight weeks the bin is unloaded into a hired AECA van and the items are delivered to MPC who relies on donations from the U.S. Embassy, German Embassy and individuals to fill its center.  Students from AAS routinely volunteer to help sort and fold clothes.

MPC Social Services has several programs meeting the needs of a variety of people here in Moscow.  Refugees from Africa, Afghanistan and Central Asia come to Russia through UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, who then refers them to MPC.  When refugees arrive they are given no assistance by the Russian government.  UNHCR is supposed to help find housing. MPC then takes over providing clothing, household supplies and food.  The refugees are left on their own to find jobs.  MPC may work with a person for five to six years, meeting their most basic needs as they strive to become independent.   Another group of people that MPC helps is African migrants.  There are many scams enticing people in the Congo, Ivory Coast and Cameroon to pay a company to transfer them to Moscow with the promise of a good job and a better life.  Of course when they arrive with a  one month tourist visa and no money, there is no one to help them and no job to be had.   They turn to MPC Social Services as they try to collect money from family to return home or establish a new life here in Moscow.  A typical job they are able to get is passing out ad flyers at metro stations.  We have all met them and brushed away their hand or ignored their offer of a coupon.  It's a little thing to smile and say "spasibo". 

Other services MPC provides are a medical center where a local doctor sees patients two times a week, bi-monthly food distribution, language classes to teach basic Russian, computer classes and a computer lab for participants to use.  

The Russian pension system has holes leaving citizens in need when a medical emergency happens.  MPC Social Services runs a soup kitchen several  times a week to provide a meal for pensioners who have applied to the food program.  I was surprised while volunteering at the high education level of some of the participants.  Hard times have fallen on them and they have found a place for help.  Currently the soup kitchen is not open and bag lunches are distributed instead as they look for a new location.

There are many ways you can help.  We have the donation bin located between the commissary and garage.  All items are needed.  Please take care to wash your items and only donate what is in reasonable condition.  Please put your items in plastic bags and tie the top.  It helps so much when we are transporting things not to have loose clothes and shoes.  Help is also needed with folding, sorting and organizing clothes and packing food bags.  If you are part of a group, it is a great way to spend an afternoon!  To volunteer please contact Daniel Ekat at  pc@mpcss.org  

Compassion International

Organizations that are doing a good job helping people are very, very important to me, but sometimes I just don't know who I can trust.  I go to a concert and the artist talks about some little kids at intermission and encourages everyone to pick-out a card with a child staring out from a photo and send money every month to support him.  My heart is pulled at and my pocket book opens up.  But sometimes I get a bit jaded and wonder “is my money really helping this person out?”.  

One Sunday my pastor went around the room and picked on people to share what they were doing to be missionaries in their world.  One woman talked about how she worked for Compassion International helping children in Bogota and throughout Colombia.  I cornered her after church and peppered her with questions.  I wanted to write an article for The City Paper about Compassion International because they are doing something that I am passionate about and I want more people to hear about the good being done in the city.

On Fri. I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with the people at Compassion.  As I learned about this organization, all doubts quickly flew from my mind.  I feel I was given a unique opportunity to talk with a woman who went through the program and now works with Compassion.  I sat in the country director's office and asked questions that many people struggle with concerning charity work and talked heart to heart.  I went to a project site and danced with the girls, laughing and sharing in joy together.

Compassion International was started by Rev. Everett Swanson from Chicago in 1952.  While visiting Korea during the war he stumbled upon piles of rags with orphaned children sleeping under them.  His heart broke with compassion as he gazed at this tragic situation.  Upon returning home he started Compassion International to help meet the desperate need.  Today Compassion works in 26 countries with 1.2 million children.  

During a difficult time in Colombia's history with drugs being trafficked at the expense of human life, when government corruption was at a high and in general it was just dangerous to be here, Compassion began working with the most forgotten and the most vulnerable – the children.  

Today Compassion works with 49,300 children in 180 project centers.  

I sat down with Carlos Escobar, the country director to ask him some difficult questions that seem to surface within the skeptic.  Colombia is a country that had great need in the past.  Compassion came to Bogota to help address that need.  But President Santos has been working to improve the situation for the poor.  He has built apartment buildings and worked on education.  Things are changing so the question arrises “Do we need NGO organizations when the government is providing houses and food?”.  

The GINI Project gathers data on economics, education and social factors to rank countries in the disparity of wealth distribution.  Colombia received a 0.539 ranking it the 4th lowest country in Latin America.  Across the board, Latin America is improving, but Colombia is still staggering along.  

Another statistical measure is the HDI, Human Development Index.  Within Colombia the HDI shows that major cities are improving, but the rural areas are struggling.  Government programs have not reached these areas because there is still a struggle with the FARC, para-military groups and illegal miners.  Money is not distributed to the poor and opportunities for educational improvement are not looked upon as positive.  It is a life of living day by day under the tyranny of illegal rich rulers.

So Compassion looks at these two indexes and tries to target working in the neediest areas.  Currently Bogota, where much time and attention had been focused, is no longer considered a high need area, whereas the coastal areas have great need.  Because Compassion is first dedicated to the children, they take a long-term approach to moving out of an area.   The transition process takes 11 years as they stop accepting new children into the program and focus on completing a good work with children in the program until they graduate at age 17.  

Luz Anibal took me to a project site in the Simon Bolivar neighborhood.  This area of Bogota is known for it’s poverty and cramped living situations.  It was the first time I have been there.  We entered a non-descript building to be greeted by happy children enjoying one another.  A group of early teenage girls shyly came up to me wanting to share their dance class with me.  It only took a small amount of encouragement before they had the music playing and other kids were crowding into the room to get in on the action.  I soon recognized the song as one I had sung in church.  The motions soon began to make sense and after a while of watching I joined in.  Each room I visited was filled with children attentive to their lesson - music, art and dance.  

T.V. has made me believe that poverty is sad and leaves a soul empty.  Compassion has worked hard to fill that soul with the truth of Jesus.  With focus on four areas of development and need - spiritual, physical, social and economic - they look at the child with a holistic approach.  Time is spent on each area of development.  Such love is put into these children that as Ana Ibanez, the facility director, notices a concern in a child she visits the home.  When she has found home situations that she believes she can help to improve she requests funds for repairs, or even a new home.  She offers classes for the parents as well to help them improve life and work skills hoping to help their economic situation.  

As children get older, Compassion strives to provide them with life skills that will help them succeed in this world.  Hair dressing and mechanic classes are offered to give kids a skill that will be useful.  Children that have shown outstanding leadership, academic and spiritual skills are given the opportunity to apply for a “Leadership Scholarship”  upon completing high school.  Luz was one child who was given this opportunity.  She was placed with a sponsor who funded her university education.  In addition to the financial help, Luz developed a relationship with her sponsor as she went through the university years.  The love for her sponsors over the many years in elementary school through university could not be missed.  She spoke passionately about the letters she received as a child.  She still has them today, tucked away in a special box.  The letters provided her with “love and motivation”.  She had the opportunity to meet her university sponsor on a lay-over in America.  Although it was only a short meeting, Luz claims “It was the most important day in my life.”.  Luz has deep desires that run through her blood that are being made possible because Compassion and some sponsors have given her an opportunity.  She hopes to become the mayor of the town she grew up in.  She has finished university and is now working at the Compassion Colombia headquarters to gain more experience.  Carlos, the director, told me that “Compassion is raising potential leaders for this nation.”  I saw this coming true in Luz as she told me her story.

Compassion partners with the local church to provide these programs to the children.  The site I visited was located in a local church.  This church has such a desire to help the neighborhood that they had even funded building a new home for one of the student’s family.  I began to see how unique and beneficial this partnership is.  Two groups that have the same passion are able to combine their different resources and expertise to better help the children.

If you are intrested in supporting a child from Colombia, please visit:  www.compassion.org.co