Searching for the Way

Everything louder than everything else

2008-05-02T18:35:00.004-04:00

This one is a little hardcore, and probably requires some context I'm not going to include just now, so take it with a grain of salt. A couple of months ago in our bible study, we were looking at Hosea 5. Israel has rejected the Lord at that point, and He's pissed. Although some of the people purport to be seeking Him, we are told that they've fallen so far, that the Lord is hidden from them. Even though, in verse 6, they go to seek the Lord with their flocks and their herds, He has withdrawn, and they will not find Him. We decided that this was because they weren't coming to God with their hearts and their all, as He'd told them too. They were just going through the motions of ritual, not truly expecting to find Him.
It sounds masochistic, but I suggested that maybe instead of coming halfheartedly out to church and whatever, saying our trite little prayers and occasionally performing rituals that don't bring us closer to Him, that maybe we should be praying for the lions in verse 14, who rend and tear apart, until the people are broken of their arrogance, utterly humbled before God, and finally redeemed.
At that time, my prayer was that God would begin to lead me to the place where I'd be able to ask Him to send the lions. I wasn't ready yet, but I wanted to be someday. I think maybe He thought my schedule was a little loose.
It feels like in the last few days I've been utterly overwhelmed by

the volume of work involved in my job this week
the number of tasks still left to do for the yogathon tomorrow morning
supporting friends
knowing I have to leave for Tajikistan in less than a month and still not having the $ or appropriate equipment
deciding to move out of my apartment and probably home to Calgary, because
I just found out that my dad has cancer

I don't feel like I can handle much more right now. But I guess that would be the whole point, wouldn't it? I'll let you know how it goes.

Found the location!

2008-03-30T00:49:00.007-04:00

So the Yogathon is full speed ahead. It will be at McGill Sports Centre on May 3, 2008, in a huge studio close to the front entrance. I put the event up on Facebook and in the first few days, I think the response has been all right. Hopefully more people will sign up as the date approaches and participating teachers get the word out to their students. I also started an Spring Day of Yoga blog to help participants keep up on developments.

So far, I have Malcolm McLean on board, and I'm looking for 3-4 more teachers, depending on the format we go with. My Anusara teacher, Barrie, had agreed to help out, but she has a conference in Denver on that day! I'm a little crushed, as she's one of my favourite teachers and I'd hoped she'd be there. Ah well. She's referred me to two of her colleagues, so I'll give them a call this week.

Today I went to a class given by Marc-Joseph Chalfoun, who runs Montreal's yoga Meet-Up Group. His class included a lot of meditation, so not quite what I was thinking of for the yogathon, but I put up a poll on the event site, so we'll see what the participants want. He'd like to teach between 12 and 3pm.

On Tuesday, I'll go to a class given by Jen of Spa Zazen, and talk a little more with her about the whole concept. I used to take her Zenergy classes at Club Feel Good back in the day, and I really enjoyed them. I hope she decides to participate! Keep your fingers crossed!

Also this week, I need to make up a detailed budget and a summary of what I'll be doing, and take it to some potential corporate sponsors. Alison thinks I may have enough time before the yogathon to get their names on T-shirts, and I can wear T-shirts from sponsors in pictures on the job site as well. I'm just not sure about that. It seems...not very me.

I checked airfares this week and the costs really are astronomical. I just did an estimated budget of the trip, and I'm already up to over $6000, and I haven't even included vaccinations, spending money, equipment, etc.

Between the expenses, which I need to pay this month, and the yogathon, which I need to completely plan this month, I'm alternating between ecstatic and hopeless! I'm really excited about the prospect of doing a full day of yoga, but also terrified no one will show up and I'll make negative funds. A friend from River's Edge emailed me after she received the event invite on Facebook, asking if we can work something out where she just gives me money and doesn't have to do any exercise or work:) Man, if everyone preferred to just fork over cash, I wouldn't have to plan an event. That would be kind of ideal!

I also need to contact the Habitat Canada office, and find out what happens with donations. Can I use them for airfare, for example? How do I get them back in my account to pay for said airfare, if a supporter has donated to Habitat on my behalf directly? How do I make sure everyone receives a tax receipt? So many things to think about!

Fund Raising Ideas

2008-03-05T21:34:00.003-05:00

Suddenly I feel like I have so many things to think about, in my boring day-to-day life and also in terms of planning for this trip!

I'm trying to get a facility for the yoga-thon, which will hopefully come together on a Saturday in late April. A few teachers have agreed to help, depending on the final date, and I've emailed events bookings at Concordia, McGill and the YMCA.

I still want to get in touch with Rotaract, Rotary and Lions clubs, and also some corporate sponsors who have supported Habitat in the past. Waiting to hear back from my local Rotaract branch.

And I need to find out if there are any Canadian media arts programs that would subsidize me purchasing a digital video camera, and whether that's even kosher with Habitat.
Whew!

On the bright side, I finally figured out how to attach pdfs and Word docs to this blog, and I got the trip code from Mary, so people can make tax deductible donations now.

I have to get this Buy-a-brick group up on Facebook, in the event anyone at all will be able to help out in any way!

Decisions: do I still try and make up an educational kit and get schools involved?

That's enough for tonight. Time to punch out.

Solidifying intention

2008-02-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

It's been a big weekend. On Saturday, I spoke to Mary, who is organizing the Habitat trip to Tajikistan, over the phone for an hour. She told me what sorts of things we'd be dealing with and how the trip would run, and tried to get a feel for how I'd fit into it, I imagine. She sounds experienced, intelligent and personable, with no illusions about what we'll able to accomplish in the short time we'll be together in Nurek.

We'll be there to offer grunt homebuilding support to 20 families who are being relocated after a landslide wiped out their homes. The government has provided the land, but the problem is getting the new homes built with no supplies or money. And that's where Habitat comes in.

Mary stressed that we're not there to do the job FOR these people, but to work alongside them to help them improve their situation. We'll also likely be taking orders we may not understand, we'll be slogging through red tape and mucking around hauling bricks in punishing summer heat (around 35 degrees!) on a poor diet (likely with meat). It does not sound like a picnic. But at least after discussing it, I actually feel less daunted. Because the goal is not actually to build 20 houses in a week, but to offer human support to the Tajik people and share in their struggle, if only for a short time.

I feel like this is the opportunity I asked for, and I don't feel like I should throw it away just because I don't have the money to do it. That being said, where on earth am I going to come up with this kind of cash? I need roughly $2000 for the trip, and about another $2000 in airfare. I talked to Sally, Julie and Sasha about it though, and each said it would come from somewhere. So that's the next big question: fundraising.

I've found suggestions on the Habitat for Humanity site, Canadian Heritage, and others. ideas so far:

Get friends to donate art (live music, photographs, paintings) and have an art show in a cafe or at River's Edge, proceeds to the trip
Write to all of the companies that sponsored Habitat and the Montreal affiliate last year for support
Ask for help from River's Edge congregation. Maybe I can make a video about what we'll be doing and show it.
Apply for grants from Canada and Quebec art boards. Wouldn't it be amazing to get a camera and be able to film our experience?
Write up some educational materials about Habitat and about Tajikistan for schools and ask them to help me with fundraising ideas. Last year Beaconsfield elementary raised $1200 for the Montreal home build project!

Speaking of the Montreal home build, I'm not sure if there's one planned for this year. Everything I found about it was for the 2007 one. I'm still waiting to hear back from the Montreal Habitat office about how I can get involved there. I'll have to give them a call Monday.

Snowballing!

2008-02-07T01:13:00.000-05:00

As you know, I'd decided to contribute to local efforts in the immediate future, as it seemed like a hopeless task to do anything substantial for strangers in a new culture, far away where I wouldn't be able to carry on our relationship after a project. I was also beginning to worry that without health care skills or knowledge of the infrastructures necessary to say, bring clean water to an area that needed it, I wouldn't have any skills to offer in this field. But after talking with my aunt's colleague, I felt much more encouraged. He reassured me that there is a great need for people with skill in communications in NGOs. He also told me that of course you're not going to spawn a revolution or anything on a two-week trip, but that every little gesture from you makes a small difference for someone. A smile, some encouragement, chipping in with whatever help you can give; it's those tiny steps that help elevate people.

In December, I looked at the Habitat for Humanity Canada site for a trip I could do this summer, but nothing was posted yet. I've been praying that God would provide an opportunity for me to serve away from home this year, and I've been checking the trip schedule ever since in the hopes of finding a trip over my birthday in June. Well today I found one! The only trip running at that time is going to Tajikistan, and it sounds absolutely brilliant. See for yourself. The area has a complex history and is facing some major challenges right now. I emailed the team leader today an she got back to me to set up a phone interview. Fingers crossed! It sounds like everything I was lining myself up to try and do. And the Habitat connections get even better...

Last year I got involved with a small group at Impact church that focused on the issues of homelessness and social justice in Montreal. We started going out individually to speak to people on the street and start developing relationships with them on a one-to-one basis. Since then, the group has dissolved back into the congregation because we want to involve the entire church in our efforts, rather than just a few individuals. In preparation, for the last week or so, we've been looking for projects we can get involved in as a larger group. On the Habitat site, where I had decided to volunteer locally as well as for the Global Village program, I came across a home build for families in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood, right here in Montreal! I've emailed the coordinators at the Montreal branch and am waiting to hear back about what they need in terms of group involvement. Coincidentally, it runs in the last week of May, right before the Tajikistan trip would depart. Also coincidentally, we're meeting with small group leaders this week about ways we can be involved in social justice issues. Guess what I'm going to bring up:)

2008-01-27T01:08:00.000-05:00

Remember there is no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
-Scott Adams

It is said that once you frame an intention, and commit to it, then the universe conspires to help you make that intention a reality. The other day, I told some family members in Calgary that I might not be able to come home this summer. I've been thinking of using my vacation to do a short-term aid trip, perhaps with Habitat for Humanity building homes in New Orleans. Ultimately I'd like to transition my career to include more of a humanitarian bent, and I think that jumping in and seeing first-hand what disaster survivors are dealing with would be a good way to find out how I can contribute in those types of situations. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed at the number of areas in the world that don't have access to basic health services or clean water, due either to lack of development, or disasters. It's hard to know where to start! But my aunt's just put me in touch with her colleague who has experience with NGOs in several areas, and will hopefully be able to help me navigate the fray a little.

I've been keeping my eyes peeled for career opportunities with NGOs, and so far nothing viable has come up for my particular brand of skills. I'm looking specifically for an opportunity in a country where French is spoken (particularly Burkina Faso, Chad, Benin) and where my presence won't constitute a risk. I had ruled out the Red Cross, as they didn't seem to be looking for volunteers in my area or have any career opportunities I would be qualified for. But I must have somehow overlooked the position of international Aid Worker.

It's a little iffy; you have to be able to leave on a mission at any time with only two weeks' notice, so I'd have to see how my boss would feel about it. But to me, it seems like I'm in an ideal place in life to be able to do this sort of work. I haven't started a family, I work for a tiny organization that can adjust easily to the absence of an employee, I speak two languages, and I have a desire to help. The only qualifications I'm missing are that I can't drive standard and that my basic first aid isn't up to date. Easy to fix. The Red Cross would be a serious step up from my brilliant idea to join the Canadian reserves and then use my skills for good.

In the meantime, I'm still looking for a way to get involved more locally. I may be able to volunteer with the Red Cross for accident relief in my area. I'll email the coordinator (Benevolat@croixrouge.ca) and see if they're taking people on. I'm also going to look back into Habitat for Humanity and see if they have anything here in Canada. I feel like there's a lot I can do here, too. I'm reluctant to get involved with an organization and a group of people unless I can sustain those relationships, and I also want to consider the environmental impact of traveling.

Maybe something a little closer to home

2008-01-09T23:57:00.000-05:00

It seems like there are wide-scale disasters happening all over the world right now. It seems like, now, more than ever, there should be opportunities and needs to help those who find themselves suddenly deprived of shelter, food, clothing or even a modicum of personal safety. I spent most of the afternoon trying to find an organization abroad that was looking for volunteers to come in and help with...anything! Cooking, driving, cleaning up; the basics. I was particularly looking at the camps for displaced persons in Chad and Darfur.

Many of the sites I looked at, like this one for the American Red Cross, said fairly bluntly that there was no room for more bodies to take care of, especially foreigners inexperienced in the languages, customs and realities of the location and disaster. I have to concede, it seems like a pretty valid point. Every body that comes in must just add to the chaos, until they can get their bearings. And even then, unless they're highly specialized, they're probably just depriving the people there of work, a share of food, and one more bed.

So maybe I should be looking at either disaster relief efforts that fall closer to home, OR just trying to be a better neighbour, individually, on an everyday basis. I shouldn't even have needed to intellectualize this. How can I be light to the people I am already surrounded by? Someone told me recently that homeless shelters, orphanages and seniors' residences are evidence that Christians are falling short of their God-given mandate to feed the hungry, care for the poor, and defend those who cannot defend themselves.

The more I think about it, the more I feel like intentional communities like the Potter Street Community make sense as a way to help others and be helped on a daily basis. I'm not ready to commit myself to anything like that for the moment, but now I remember that I wanted to volunteer with a local women's shelter. It's already up, and providing for a need with people in my area who need help in all sorts of ways. This is where I'll start.

As for making a career with an aid work organization, I'm just not sure that's where my passion lies. Yes, the outcome is very important to me. I want health and security for everyone. The issue of homelessness, in particular, really hits me hard. But I am coming to believe that by following my passion for film, which God has given me, that I will eventually be able to use the skills I develop to the ends of helping to alleviate those problems. How? That's not yet clear to me. But I have faith.

Med Tech?

2007-08-06T12:41:00.000-04:00

The Medical Technician (Med Tech) is trained as a primary care paramedic (PCP) with additional skills in clinical procedures and basic nursing care. Med Techs are integral members of the military health care team who assist Physicians, Physician Assistants and Nurses in the treatment of the sick and injured across the full spectrum of operational settings and static units of the Canadian Forces.

I've recently started looking for a way to do some volunteer work. Last week I was talking with Esther about her experience volunteering overseas in a rehabilitation clinic. She mentioned how frustrated she was with the fact that her skills as an occupational therapist didn't necessarily apply to life-and-death situations. That if she would have had some nursing experience, and been able to administer shots, for example, she would have felt like she was benefiting people more.

This Med Tech thing would give me some pretty good basic skills in providing primary care. And not only would I NOT have to pay for the training, but they'd actually pay me to do it. Would it cut too much into my real job? I do still need to make my student loan payments, and hopefully have some sort of subsistence to come back to between trips and training courses. I wonder what my boss would think about this. I'm going to have to start thinking long term.

You have to meet the entry requirements and do the basic, first, and then do a phase in Borden, ON, then another in Chilliwack, BC. I'm still not sure I could ethically justify working for the armed forces, and I'm not so great with wounds gushing bodily fluids and tissues. But I feel called to volunteer overseas in basic care, and this sounds like a good way to start making myself useful. Further thought required...

I just emailed Chez Doris about volunteering there, doing anything, but also offering my services as an editor or translator if people need help applying for jobs, etc. Maybe they need people to help tutor kids, too...

Last night I chatted with a guy named Tags outside the Pharmaprix in Westmount. Tattoos swirled around the features on the left half of his face and his dog, Cyborg (after an obscure character in a Dark Horse comic), was amazing. She kind of shied away after sniffing my hand. Tags prompted her ("go introduce yourself, Cyborg") and she instantly stood up and came over to be petted. Dogs who live with street people are some of the best-behaved animals I have ever met. They are so attentive to their owners, and so genuinely affectionate and faithful. How does that come about so consistently?
Mental note to see if Tags wants to borrow my Broccoli Agenda comic. Maybe I can find Cyborg a treat, too.