Tropical Steel benefit concert for Haiti

Today, we all came to church dressed in bright colors and tropical dress (me, and my Kenyan gear) and we worshiped to the Caribbean stylings of Tropical Steel. Our morning included a benefit concert for Haiti's earthquake recovery and I was pleased to be asked to deliver an update. I thought I'd go ahead and post my remarks here, just in case some of you feel moved to further support the effort.  Here goes:

Haiti is a tiny country on the west side of a small Caribbean island called Hispaniola. Haiti holds a rich heritage of culture, a long history of slavery, a hard record of poverty, and an incredible hero in the man of Toussant L'Ouverture, a slave who led an unlikely and successful slave rebellion in the late 1700s, mostly by sheer wit and diplomacy.

In modern times Haiti remains a complicated society and when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit in January 2010, it just got worse. The problem with natural disasters is that they always impact the poor countries, the poor neighbors, the poor people the hardest – because the poor usually live in the most vulnerable constructions and risky landscapes.

In that earthquake, nearly 250,000 people died, some 300,000 people were injured and more than 1.5 million people were displaced. Most are still living in camps.

Our Lutheran human service agencies are at work there, and in a big way. Thanks to the support of so many people like you.

Here’s a quick summary of what the ELCA is doing in Haiti:

·     About ten days ago there was a groundbreaking ceremony for a new resettlement village that will provide housing for 1,200 people

·     The village will include the construction of 200 solar-powered homes with indoor plumbing, a "green" sanitation system and community space that includes a children's playground and multipurpose community center.

·     Women-headed households and people living with disabilities will be among the village residents.

Other work includes:

·    Opening a vocational training center that will train in masonry, carpentry, and heavy machine operation and repair

·    The containment of cholera and the care for cholera patients

·     Increasing access to clean water and basic sanitation

·     Providing chickens to some 200 farmers to develop egg production coops

·     And plans are underway to build three schools and to train people to prepare for future disasters

But it’s not just what we’re doing. It’s how we’re doing it. We don’t just go into Haiti, or any county, as if we have all the answers. We’re don’t act like we’re “saving” people. Instead, we work through Haitians and Haitian organizations to bolster what they’re already doing. We work together, as if each other’s survival depends on working together. We work with both immediate and long-term needs. We don’t cut and run after media attention subsides.

I’ll close with a quote from Joseph Livenson Lauvanus, president of the Lutheran Church of Haiti: "We Haitians will not be defined by the rubble, but by restoration, for we are a people of the resurrection."

Thank you.

...

The plate was passed to benefit the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Haiti projects. You can still donate online. 

The boychild and his peace rally

So once, long ago when I worked on the 8th floor of 23rd and Park Avenue South in Manhattan, "in the city" as New Yorker's call it, a colleague went out for lunch and returned with an announcement: "I just saw the Dalai Lama." It was one of those New York moments, so casual, yet so, holy crap. I mean, she just took a short lunch break, maybe 20 minutes. And BAM, there's the Dalai Lama. When you live in a condensed population that is the center of the universe, tongue partially in cheek, you just see stuff like that, and it becomes kind of ho hum. (My bro-in-law has a meeting Mother Teresa story that would have you in stitches.)

I thought of that Dalai Lama lunch break today when my 12-year-old son announced that he'd bumped into a pro-Tibet rally with a friend in downtown Des Moines today after school. I'm like, wow, that's so cool. He's like, yeah, just another rally. I'm like, wow, I didn't even know you'd heard of Tibet. He's like, yeah, so what's the big deal. My son is not much of a talker, but wanted me to know that he was there. He wanted me to know that he's heard of Tibet, and he knows they need to be freed. Apparently he knows that, like, I dig that. (And maybe he's still trying to make up for the paper mache' bazooka he made in 2nd grade arts and crafts.)

If you haven't already heard, it's a big deal around here these days because the future prez of China is touring Iowa and a state dinner was in Des Moines tonight. Hense, the pro-Tibet rally. Des Moines is that kind of place -- big enough to be a city, small enough for a kid to bum around after school with a buddy. The boychild's school and Bob's office are both downtown, so the city has become boychild's playground. He's figuring out the public transit, the best place to get a sandwich, the skyways, the public library amenities, and how to best get from point A to B with the least amount of physical exertion. He's figuring out what it means to be free, to be who you are, to fly your own flag.

Wait, stop, I'm sure you're not thinking provincial thoughts about Iowa and Des Moines. That we're all about corn and quaintness. But if you are, I invite you to watch this short video. (Mom, heads up, there's a little bit of language in it.) That was a short diversion.

Anyway, just wanted to shout out to the free Tibet people -- Welcome to Des Moines! Thanks for coming. Thanks for educating my son.

With love, T

Dear Planet Earth

Dear Planet Earth,

Hello, how are you today? I understand that you are due to deliver the 7 billionth inhabitant today, according to U.N. estimates. That's about double the global population since I was born, a few years ago in 1962. Evidently, there's a bit of concern how you will sustain all these people. How will they all eat? How will they all stay warm? How will they all get from point A to B? How will they all not fight over things such as water and oil on your crowded space?

If you don't mind, I wanted to offer up a simple 10-point, 10-word solution to ensure sustainability for you, dear Planet Earth. Let's call it the 10-10-10 plan. Here goes:

10 ways to ensure global sustainability, in 10 words:

  1. Women.
  2. Women's rights.
  3. Women's safe healthcare.
  4. Women and girl's education.
  5. Women in key leadership roles.
  6. Women who vote, women in charge.
  7. Women empowered to make their own decisions.
  8. Women who make choices over their own bodies.
  9. Women who are not beholden to decisions men make.
10. Women working in tandem with men for a better world.

You're welcome. Happy 7 billionth birthday!

With love, T

P.S. Dedicated to my husband, who gets this. (Love you!)

Guest Post: Heba's Reflections on the Revolution

The Snake Charmer's Wife's favorite photo
from the revolution, courtesy of the Atlantic Magazine.
A protestor kissing an anti-protester police. 

I asked (begged) Heba to send me her reflections on the revolution and I'm so honored that she did. We would both be mighty grateful if you posted your comments of support. Thanks so much for coming over to the Charmer Blog.

...

"Do you think it's time to leave the country dear?" I asked Magdi anxiously.

"Honey, If I was out of the country, I would come back to be in Egypt during this difficult time" answered Magdi thoughtfully. I couldn't say a word. Magdi, to those who do not know him well, is very Egyptian.

"Take the kids with you tonight so they do their share in protecting the neighborhood and the country." I didn't realize how very Egyptian I am too until we were going through all this.

It is so hard to describe how my feelings were. There is alot in our lives we take for granted, one of them feeling secured. The horror we went through assured to us that our security is not in the government, the police, our properties or wealth because all this can change within a day and night. It is in GOD the only one who can protect us.

We all learnt valuable lessons. This revolution brought out the best in the Egyptian people. We never realized how much we love our country, or how civilized we all can be. The Muslim-Christian relationship was rediscovered again we learnt that there is a better way. We are stronger than what we think and can do better than what the old regime was trying to convince us with.

Before Jan. 25th I used to chat with those youth on Facebook. I realized how aware they were, but no one imagine the scenario of this revolution, not even the youth themselves. Mobarak was always late and his words were always provocative to everyone. On Tuesday Feb. 2nd everyone thought that his promise that neither him nor his son will run for elections again andthat he will reform the regime should be enough and finally we have a little hope, But Wednesday morning was the last straw when the young men and ladies were beaten to death for no obvious reason. Everyone was confused. This took the whole matter to a different detour, and the rest of the event you probably know.

I went to "Tahrir" square on Wednesday the 9th and saw a huge spectrum of people. It was so wonderful to see such diverse people gathered together for one cause, Bread – Dignity and Freedom. Some were cleaning, some were singing, some were looking after protestors needs, some were treating the injured ones, some were throwing jokes, but many were shouting protesting sentences. I joined the last group under the big flag circling the square.

On Friday Feb.11th Mobarak stepped down (most probably the military forced him to do so) celebration filled the whole country streets, songs, dancing, and fireworks. We have never seen Egypt celebrating in such way not even when the national football team wins one of the world cup matches.

This revolution was very healthy because it clears up many things, but this needs another blog my dear friends

We see Egypt now with new eyes. Even the air smells different.

Love to all,

Heba

"The spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words to express."

Once I heard a pastor preach that if you don't know how to pray it's Ok, because we all have things we're good at and things we're not. I always remember that because I do not consider myself good at praying. To be perfectly honest, I don't believe in it. I just plain don't see how human pleas can advise an almighty God of the universe. Plus, the outcomes seem so random.

And yet I am calling on you to pray.

Don't call on me to make sense, I'm just doing what my friend asked. Heba asked me to ask you to all pray. To enlist your prayer chains. To organize your prayer groups. To make your conversation with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Ghost. To call upon the spirits. To generate the positive energy. To caste out the demons.

In recent weeks, I have been saying the Lord's Prayer a lot. Over and over. The repetition relaxes me. The hope reassures me. And if it does unleash some kind of a supernatural power for good, well that would be a bonus. Maybe I'm just tired and I don't know how else to resolve my daily thinking but to repeat a mantra.

It's actually ironic that I hold such doubts about prayer because I'm basically writing a book about it and the surprising ways I have utilized it. My book, that I attempt to write a half hour a day. (Not lately, though.) We were seriously living on a prayer when Bob was sick (I keep bringing that up lately) and even though it was a true blue miracle he survived, how can I say it was due to prayer given all the people who do not survive tragedy? I can not. But I can say this -- prayer always made me feel better. It made me feel better when I was alone with an evil presence. And it made me feel better when neighbors came and prayed on our behalf.

Will prayer assure a peaceful resolution in Egypt? All I can say is that question is not mine to answer. And it is not my call to ask you to pray. I ask because Heba asks. And Heba believes in prayer with all her heart, mind and soul.

Today I actually panicked and took my recent posts offline. I deleted all my facebook references. I asked my editor to remove my post on LivingLutheran.com. I worried that my words would implicate friends. I envisioned myself as fanning the violence. Only after triple checking with Heba that it's OK, did I put it back online. She said that this blog is "a great support." But it's not because of me--it's because of all of you, dear Charmer Readers.Thank you for coming here. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for promoting peace.

Pray for Egypt.

With love, T

The Spirit Intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words to express. Romans 8:26

The Fantastical and Tonight

I keep thinking about the Egyptian men and boys doing night patrol to protect their neighborhoods. It's about 4:30 a.m. in Cairo as I write this, and I can't wrap my brain around the idea that two boys, Rafi and Wasim (see pics two posts below), are doing night patrol along with their father and other boys and men.

I think about when 4th-grade Wasim first knocked on our door to invite 2nd-grade Amanda to ride bikes together. He was so polite and smiley and elementary-school-handsome, it made us instant believers in the merits of an arranged marriage. It was the first time we let Amanda outside without parental supervision because there is a quality about Wasim that makes you trust him. They rode bikes a lot that summer, the first taste of independence and freedom. The two rode around the perimeter of family housing: through the playground, across the parking lot, up the hill, behind the building, and then circling the same route again. It was almost like their legs peddled in sinc. When I think of the two bike riding together, it plays slow motion in my mind, with a sappy happy soundtrack. It's how you imagine the perfect kind of childhood.

I think about Rafi and Aidan potty training together. Not that it was purposefully together, but we just spent a lot of time together and it happened to be that time of life for both boys. We used words like poo poo, pee pee, poopie or some other brilliant parenting phrase. Rafi's word was kaka. So we also heard that word and in fact, Aidan used all these words interchangebly. But it gets better. Our next door neighbors were from Tanzania and so Swahili was spoken in that household, where Aidan also spent alot of time. Apparently, the Swahili word for brother is--you guessed it--kaka. Aidan thought this was fantastical! How could one word be so naughty yet so nice? And perfectly acceptible to say in front of adults. So Aidan got to work with his bilingual skills, trying out linguistical tricks with his friends such as, "Where is your kaka? Do you have a kaka? Can I see your kaka?" and you get the idea. He considerred himself clever, and to be honest so did I. Still, we instructed him that he could only use words in a way that made sense to the family he was with. "Oh," he said.

If you know me, you know I don't understand how prayer works, why it seems to work sometimes and not other times. I can't help but to ask why would an all powerful God needs human advise to do the right thing. Yet I lean on prayer when I don't know what else to do. Heba and Magdi are full believers in the power of prayer. When Bob's liver failed, they were already back in Cairo, and they told me later that when they heard the news they instantly got down on their knees and prayed for healing.

Tonight, I don't know what else to do. But I do know that I don't like the idea of Wasim and Rafi doing night patrol. I don't like the idea of what could happen tomorrow, given the violence today. And so I pray that Mubarrek would accept a dignified and speedy departure from his position. That this country can start to rebuild. That the forces of goodness will prevail in the short run, the long term, tonight, tomorrow and forever.

And I give thanks for all of you who join me in this call for peace.

With love, T

Heba and Magdi ask. . .

Just heard from Heba and Magdi. . .

First I wanted to thank everyone who has asked about them because today when I got a suprise  phone call (evidently the internet is back on in Egypt) it was wonderful to tell them that "everyone is worried, everyone is praying, everyone is asking about you."

Our connection was not clear at all, but I wanted to convey what I heard from Heba:

They are OK.

The seminary is OK.

They are very worried with how this situation will resolve.

The kids are scared and they're trying to avoid watching too much news.

They are holed up in their apartment and running out of supplies.

Yet they have received deliveries of food and blankets. Heba says she has no idea who is providing these supplies and how they are making deliveries. (>>Please see Heba's clarification in the comments section.)

Magdi and the boys join the men on night patrol to protect the building.

Evidently, Mubarrek is telling people that they must go back to work tomorrow. (I believe Heba is an English teacher and also a host to visitors from outside the country.) She's worried because her commute is through the square and things have turned violent. (Mubarrek has called out his thugs--my words, not hers.) She's trying to decide what to do. Mubarrek says that people who don't report to work will be docked pay.

Heba asks this: She asks if we would all pray. If we could arrange prayer groups and prayer chains. I told her that I would convey this message.

Thanks so much to all. If you'd like to leave a message here that shows your support, I know it would be greatly appreciated.

Peace . Love . Joy . Blessings . Change . Do the right thing . Be kind . Help one another.

Love, T

Heba, Habibi

A couple weeks ago I got lectured on my facebook wall by my friend, Heba. It was after the church bombing in Alexandria, Egypt, and "you usually call to check on me in such times and you did not call!"

She was right. I didn't call. And I almost started facebooking back all my excuses, I'm very busy, I'm really stressed, I'm so sorry. Lame. All I wrote was, I'll call you.

Heba is Egyptian. Raised in Sudan as the daughter of Christian missionaries, she now lives in Cairo as the wife of an Old Testament scholar. But Heba, who graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Masters in Educational Curriculum, is a force all unto herself and I must be careful in the stories I tell lest the revolution be over and she gets back on the internet and reads my words. :-)

These adorable children are the same ages as our children, plus they
used to all play together constantly, hence the intensity of our friendship.
Obviously, the kids are all now teenagers (Wasim has graduated
from high school!), but the rest of us never age.

Heba was the family housing administrator at Luther Seminary and ran that place like she lived there forever. Heba's kids and my kids are the same age so we potty-trained together, we picnicked together, we vacationed together, we cried together and mostly, we laughed together. (photo left: lifted from facebook, taken while in seminary--adorable!)

When they departed Minneapolis, we drove them to the airport and madly helped repack their bags at the baggage check in desk thanks to newly changed poundage limits. Actually, my job was to run after Rafi and Aidan who were playing tag in the terminal. The airline gatekeeper gave Heba and her family the third degree for "having one-way tickets to Egypt." (Um, its called going home.) Bob implored the airline worker that he didn't understand, he was talking to a Doctor of Philosophy and his family. Leave them alone.

Heba has a phone number that connects overseas like a local phone number. And so I was determined to keep my promise to call her, lest I get publicly whip lashed on facebook again. Keep in mind this was all before the popular uprising started last week. Keep in mind that she commented right here on this blog just one day before everything broke loose.

So, a week before the revolution, Heba and I played phone tag and when she finally got through to me I was driving through a snow storm and couldn't pick up. "Call me again same time tomorrow," I facebooked her. And then Mubarrek had to go and shut down the internet so I have no idea how she and the family are doing. It's kind of nerve wracking.

But today I got a sign. The news coverage said today that people of all sectors are showing up to the protests. Teachers, professors, "they're bringing their children," said the coverage, "They're bringing food."  

That's it, they're OK, because that's what Heba would do. She would bring food. She always served food. When we went places we would squish into our minivan, which was one seat short of our two families. This made me crazy as I am a firm believer in one-person, one-seatbelt. No, we gallivanted around the Twin Cities, Cairo-style. I saw bloody accident scenes in my mind's eye. I saw red lights of law enforcement in my mind's rear view mirror. I saw lawsuit papers in my mind's mailbox.

And what did Heba see? Food. She pulled out a tray of Middle Eastern delights and passed it around the van--front seat, middle seat, back seat, another round. I kid you not.

I sat stiff with the assurance that we would crash and die. Everyone else just sat and ate.

"Got any baklava?" Bob asked Heba, as he scarfed down the hummus, pita, feta, cucumbers and what have you, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Oh Bob, I sure do!" and Heba pulled out a party plate of sticky, sweet, flaky treats.

I offer just this one story of Heba's hospitality.

Apparently, according to the news coverage, people are bringing food to the revolution.

I pray everyone is OK. I pray they are safe. I pray for Egypt, for democracy, for peace, for the people who watch over each other. I pray for change.

Heba, Habibi, if you read this, please call.

With love, T