Leone Team Return

Dear Friends and Family,

 

First, thank you all for sharing your loved ones with the children and staff of the CRC.  I know that they have all been blessed by the experience.

 

They have begun their long trek home now and will be arriving tomorrow.  I wanted to share some information for their arrival for those who may be meeting them at the airport.  Attached are the different itineraries for their return home.  I have labeled them according to their final destinations.  Please remember that they will have to clear customs and immigration after landing which can take 45 minutes or longer.  For Albert, he will go through customs and immigration in Dallas before changing planes to Tulsa.

 

Virginia Families:

We have three team members from the Richmond area who left a vehicle at Galilee UMC.  We need to take them and their luggage back to collect their vehicle and send them on their way (another two hours after the long plane ride).  If you can help transporting them to Galilee once the team has arrived, please let me know ASAP so I can plan accordingly.

 

Thank you all and a blessed homecoming,

Linda

Update from Sierra Leone

Hello to All from Bo!

 

I'm sorry that this final update will need to be brief: the electricity is quite sporadic this evening (Wednesday) so our Internet connectivity is going off and on.

 

It's been another wonderful week on all counts (though we can tell that fatigue is catching us with us a bit).  The classes continued with each teacher sharing victories and joys as the children "connected" with different areas of the curricula.

 

Many, many songs sung, prayers prayed and smiles shared--we are so blessed and we bless our Lord to have been a part of this.

 

The skys opened up today and we finally got a full sense of "the rainy season"--clean, incessant rains making the dense vegetation in the surrounding area all the more green and gleaming (and muddy).

 

On Thursday evening we will have the send-off celebration with the traditional agenda of talent contributions from the children, comments from the staff, awards from the team and many prayers, hugs and tears.

 

Please continue to pray for the team as we depart very early Friday morning; we hope to enjoy stopping at a couple notable sites in Freetown before taking the ferry across to the airport--we will be taking buses, boats and planes for over 36 hours (separating into two groups in London) to get back home to our family and friends on Saturday afternoon in Virginia and Texas (and beyond, for Albert).

 

I know you are looking forward to having your loved ones back home--they are returning with pictures, stories, full hearts--and a lot of dirty laundry :)

 

Thank you for your support; you can all be proud of this team as, by God's grace, we have navigated through the most critical events this ministry has faced in its 10 year history.  I also know I speak for the entire team in having been honored to interact with and be ministered to by Bishop John Yambasu as he closed the evening Vespers prayer meeting on Tuesday.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Derek Reinhard

UMVIM CRC Team Co-Leader

 

Re: Leone Team Update

Fantastic! Thanks so much for forwarding the Leone news!

And by the way- what about those girls who want to learn guitar??
--
Kate Plummer
President, Katydid, Inc.
703-481-9444 business line
703-402-1311 cell
703-481-5657 fax

---- Linda Reinhard <lreinhard@florisumc.org> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
>
>
> Below is an update received from Derek this afternoon. I am also
> copying in the team members of the Sierra Team that they may share in
> the carry over from their own great work.
>
>
>
> Blessings,
>
> Linda
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Family and Friends of the Leone UMVIM Team and the Child Rescue
> Centre,
>
>
>
> It's incredible that it's been a week; before any more time flies by, I
> wanted to write an update to you all.
>
>
>
> First, the entire team is healthy and happy--our days are filled with
> time spent with the children and the staff, serving one another and
> making friends. In the evening team gathering, there is a devotion and
> a sometimes tearful, always laughter-filled time of each member sharing
> where they saw Christ in their day.
>
>
>
> To me, since I'm not teaching a class and can roam around, the day looks
> like herding cats; with T Butz and Carolyn Prillaman working crafts and
> storytelling for the younger set of children, and the other teachers
> rotating subjects with the middle and older youth, the CRC is a
> controlled buzz in the morning and a happy cacophony in the afternoon
> elective sessions.
>
>
>
> Up until today (Friday, July 31st) the children rotated between the
> various locations on the CRC facility, but with the coming of a rainy
> morning and the Great Hall being used for a local seminar for the CRC
> Foster Program, the children stayed in place and the teachers rotated.
> Heather Flor has been ubiquitous as she not only teaches her own English
> class, but is ever on the move to assist the success of each of the
> other classes.
>
>
>
> Erin Bennet and Jim Summersgill are working magic in the primary English
> block as they bring their contagious enthusiasm for the language arts to
> children who need to learn this second language in order to succeed
> academically.
>
>
>
> Jim is then doing double duty working behind the scenes in the computer
> lab to manage the equipment while John Petrosky and (our other
> ubiquitous helper, and photographer) Albert Johnson work with the
> children on basic computer skills.
>
>
>
> Matt Summersgill, with his youth and guitar skills has been a
> round-the-clock hit with the teenage boys. Besides working with Steve
> Dement to do basic math skills, Matt is carrying on guitar lessons begun
> by the first team, as well as helping to lead the entire UMVIM team in
> our contribution at the "Talent Show" the children put on for us last
> night (Thursday).
>
>
>
> Along with doing primary math with Jason Harris and geography and
> personal finance with Michael Bradstreet, Carol Bronick visited a parcel
> of land on the other side of the city with me which, we hope, will
> become a farm for the CRC--I could tell she was in her element as she
> and Amidu (one of the longest standing employees of the CRC) walked the
> land and took soil samples for her to test back at our base of
> operations, the Missionary Training Center (MTC).
>
>
>
> Both Jason and Michael have brought a high level of humor to the trip,
> both for the team and for the children
>
>
>
> All this activity is being undergirded quietly by Julie Spyres who is
> sharing her professional passion for coaching and life leadership skills
> through three different class sessions teaching the Stephen Covey "7
> Habits of Highly Effective People" material to the CRC staff, the
> secondary school students and the Mercy Hospital senior staff. Not a
> day goes by when both Julie and a staff member independently come to me
> to excitedly describe a powerful lesson/application they learned/saw.
>
>
>
> We will see more of this as the Partnership adopted the 7 Habits model
> to bring a common thread of independent and interdependent living to the
> way the Partnership conducts business, all future UMVIM teams reinforce
> with the staff and children, as well as how the staff at the CRC and
> Mercy Hospital live out this common mission we have before God with
> these children.
>
>
>
> Well, I can hear the next wave of rain starting up--that may it slow
> down but probably not put a damper on this afternoon's soccer match.
>
>
>
> I know I can speak for the entire team when I say we are grateful for
> your covering prayers and support. I also know that, for many, it is a
> sacrifice to have your loved ones so far away from home for so long; it
> is not only the team members who are working hard in their discipleship
> to be in mission. Thank you.
>
>
>
> I will try to keep the team in regular contact via telephone or email.
> I'll send out another update in the middle of next week.
>
>
>
> Blessings,
>
>
>
> Derek Reinhard
>
> Co-Leader, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
>
> UMVIM "Leone Team"
>
> Bo, Sierra Leone
>
>
>

Leone Team Update

Dear All,

 

Below is an update received from Derek this afternoon.  I am also copying in the team members of the Sierra Team that they may share in the carry over from their own great work.

 

Blessings,

Linda

 

 

 

Dear Family and Friends of the Leone UMVIM Team and the Child Rescue Centre,

 

It's incredible that it's been a week; before any more time flies by, I wanted to write an update to you all.

 

First, the entire team is healthy and happy--our days are filled with time spent with the children and the staff, serving one another and making friends.  In the evening team gathering, there is a devotion and a sometimes tearful, always laughter-filled time of each member sharing where they saw Christ in their day.

 

To me, since I'm not teaching a class and can roam around, the day looks like herding cats; with T Butz and Carolyn Prillaman working crafts and storytelling for the younger set of children, and the other teachers rotating subjects with the middle and older youth, the CRC is a controlled buzz in the morning and a happy cacophony in the afternoon elective sessions.

 

Up until today (Friday, July 31st) the children rotated between the various locations on the CRC facility, but with the coming of a rainy morning and the Great Hall being used for a local seminar for the CRC Foster Program, the children stayed in place and the teachers rotated.  Heather Flor has been ubiquitous as she not only teaches her own English class, but is ever on the move to assist the success of each of the other classes.

 

Erin Bennet and Jim Summersgill are working magic in the primary English block as they bring their contagious enthusiasm for the language arts to children who need to learn this second language in order to succeed academically.

 

Jim is then doing double duty working behind the scenes in the computer lab to manage the equipment while John Petrosky and (our other ubiquitous helper, and photographer) Albert Johnson work with the children on basic computer skills.

 

Matt Summersgill, with his youth and guitar skills has been a round-the-clock hit with the teenage boys.  Besides working with Steve Dement to do basic math skills, Matt is carrying on guitar lessons begun by the first team, as well as helping to lead the entire UMVIM team in our contribution at the "Talent Show" the children put on for us last night (Thursday).

 

Along with doing primary math with Jason Harris and geography and personal finance with Michael Bradstreet, Carol Bronick visited a parcel of land on the other side of the city with me which, we hope, will become a farm for the CRC--I could tell she was in her element as she and Amidu (one of the longest standing employees of the CRC) walked the land and took soil samples for her to test back at our base of operations, the Missionary Training Center (MTC).

 

Both Jason and Michael have brought a high level of humor to the trip, both for the team and for the children

 

All this activity is being undergirded quietly by Julie Spyres who is sharing her professional passion for coaching and life leadership skills through three different class sessions teaching the Stephen Covey "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" material to the CRC staff, the secondary school students and the Mercy Hospital senior staff.  Not a day goes by when both Julie and a staff member independently come to me to excitedly describe a powerful lesson/application they learned/saw.

 

We will see more of this as the Partnership adopted the 7 Habits model to bring a common thread of independent and interdependent living to the way the Partnership conducts business, all future UMVIM teams reinforce with the staff and children, as well as how the staff at the CRC and Mercy Hospital live out this common mission we have before God with these children.

 

Well, I can hear the next wave of rain starting up--that may it slow down but probably not put a damper on this afternoon's soccer match.

 

I know I can speak for the entire team when I say we are grateful for your covering prayers and support.  I also know that, for many, it is a sacrifice to have your loved ones so far away from home for so long; it is not only the team members who are working hard in their discipleship to be in mission.  Thank you.

 

I will try to keep the team in regular contact via telephone or email.  I'll send out another update in the middle of next week.

 

Blessings,

 

Derek Reinhard

Co-Leader, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission

UMVIM "Leone Team"

Bo, Sierra Leone

 

Leone Team Updates

Dear All,

 

I was able to get a little information from the Leone Team yesterday.  The phones were not working well, so it was difficult to get detail, however everyone is fine and excited to begin teaching today.  They all attended church yesterday and had a wonderful time.  It was Thanksgiving Sunday in the Sierra Leone church and service was very joyful.  The team has settled in to the Missionary Training Centre well and spent some time preparing their lessons for the week.

Thank you all again for sharing your loved ones with the children.

 

Linda Reinhard

CRC Partnership Administrator

703-793-0026

 

RE: Leone Team Updates

Dear Friends and Family,

 

I spoke with Derek this evening and the team has arrived in Freetown.  Their flight was delayed in London about 1 1/2 hours so they were late getting in.  They were met by the UMVIM Host, Mr Senesie who helped to gather them all together and get them to the hotel.  All of their luggage arrived except for one team piece, and all are well and in good spirits.  They will be leaving early tomorrow morning to travel to BO and the CRC.  We will be getting another update on Sunday when the team has settled in.

They thank you for your prayers and ask for continued prayers as they begin their time with the staff and children.

 

Blessings,

Linda Reinhard

CRC Partnership Administrator

703-793-0026

 

Leone Team Updates

Friends and Family of the Leone Team,

 

The Leone UMVIM Team has arrived safely at London Heathrow Airport. They had a layover for several hours before they boarded the next plane for Freetown, Sierra Leone.

 

Thank you for your support and for the sacrifices that you have made that have permitted your loved ones to participate in this mission trip to the Child Rescue Centre.

 

Anna Rediger

CRC Partnership Intern

Well, the time has come

In a few hours Jenny is taking me to the airport. I am interested to see if the update emails that give the status of the trip get posted on this blog like I have attempted.

I do not plan on having access to the internet for a couple of weeks. Updates and stories will be posted after I get back on 8/8.

If you are reading this, please pray for me.

T minus 24 hrs and counting

Well, the clothes are treated with bug spray and the bags are packed (thanks to the help of my beautiful wife). As far as I can tell, I am ready to go. It is hard for me to express the mixture of excitement and anxiety I feel right now. This time tomorrow I will be settling into my seat to go to VA. The next day, we are bound for London, then Freetown. Then a lengthy bus ride to Bo. I am about to embark on my own version of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".

"That wasn't a pillow!!!"

2 weeks from today...

I will be departing Dulles for Sierra Leone. I am starting to battle nerves a bit.

Never say God has no sense of humor

So, I have made it almost 20 years of my "adult" life without ever
being called for jury duty. This is probably due in large part to my
semi-nomadic lifestyle up until now.

This morning I had a summons for jury duty in the mail. The date?
July 21, the day I depart for Dulles airport (the first leg of my trip).

I suppose if there were ever a good excuse for missing jury duty, I
have it. I would prefer not to have to mess with this, though.

Exactly three weeks from now...

I will be in the air on my way to Bo (via London and Freetown). I am very excited and just a tad nervous.

Though I don't usually place much stock in the messages I get in fortune cookies, one I got recently grabbed my attention.

"A visit to a strange place will bring you renewed perspective"

Less than a month away...

It is hard to believe that I am just a little over 3 weeks from heading to Africa.  The anticipation (and nerves) are building.

Recent events:  Our golf tournament fundraiser fell through due to lack of sign ups.  I tried to sell that more than I have ever tried to sell anything to no avail.  I always stunk at selling fundraiser candy bars.  I suppose that is why I am in design engineering and not sales.  This will not put a damper on my trip, though.

I have an idea for an "out of the classroom" activity to show an application for similar triangles.  I hope the weather cooperates enough for us to go outside and measure some shadows one day.

I have continued to embrace the metric system.  I even have my garmin in my car set as metric.  My wife thinks I'm crazy.  The other day, she commented "That seems farther than 500 ft".  I replied "That is because it is 500 meters."

I am very happy with how the Sierra Leone flag ended up looking on my ankle.  As I feared, my skin pigment pretty much ate all the white color in the center stripe, but I am still pleased with how it turned out.

I am going to endeavor to update the blog more often. 

God bless.

I am really getting into this metric thing.

First off, I have found out that my group is teaching geometry. This is good. I really love geometry and all the practical applications in measuring and sketching. I hope the weather permits getting out of the classroom.

So anyway, the plan is to get some meter sticks, metric tape measures and graph paper and do some angle calculations and similar triangles. I love that stuff. Proportions...cross multiplications...fractions...it all ties together.

I have gotten a very nice hickory meter stick and I am seriously immersing myself in the metric system. My GPS now gives me info in kilometers. They told me in the '70s that we were going metric. I'm calling their bluff.

Math geeks of the world, take note...

Today is 6/3/9. Not as mathematically interesting as 3/6/9, but I wasn't blogging then, so sue me.







Really, please don't.

Ahhh, sweet symmetry

As I alluded to in an earlier post, I have felt some uncertainty how my various tattoos are going to be received. So, given that uncertainty, which strategy would you choose?

A) Wear long pants while teaching and avoid the subject.
B) Ignore the issue unless pressed to discuss it.
C) Get the national flag of Sierra Leone tattooed on your left ankle.

If you chose C, you and I have a lot in common.

All sorts of math goodness has come out of the experience. First and foremost, I am now symmetrical with my tattoos. I feel better already.

Of no less import, while measuring the dive flag so I could come up with the size, I saw this blurb online.

Legal Description

The flag was last confirmed by Chapter One, Article 3(1) of the Constitution (Act No. 6 of 1991) dated 1 October 1991 as follows:
3. (1)
a. The Flag of which the design is described in paragraph (b) hereof is hereby declared to be the National Flag of Sierra Leone.
b. The design of the Flag shall be from the top of the Flag to the bottom thereof, three horizontal stripes of green, white and blue.
c. The normal size of the Flag for official use shall be in the proportion of nine units across to six units down.

Christopher Southworth, 25 April 2009

I thought to myself that the numbers were sure easier if I used 3cm by 4.5 cm and I am now drawing the line in the sand that I am going metric. I can't do it at work, they pay me to do stuff in English units, but for all my personal stuff, I am going metric. I am in the market for a good meter stick right about now. (Side note: my friend just called me insane)

As it turns out, the three stripes of the flag in this proportion are exactly (or pretty danged close anyway) to one cm. It is so handy to have this point of reference tattooed on my ankle. Also, it has been well established that three is the magic number.

One part about cultural sensitivity that concerns me.

During our last teleconference, the group leader urged us to think about a couple of issues. No tank tops for the ladies, one earring per ear for the ladies and none for the men. No problems.

The one area that no one brought up is visible tattoos. I've been told that casual dress is the norm: Shorts and T-shirts. Normal T-shirts will keep Vader and my other arm tattoo hidden...mostly. As for my calf tattoos, I really don't want to wear long pants in Africa at the end of July for two weeks.

Maybe I can pitch it as an ice breaker explaining the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee state flag. I may treat this as one of those "beg for forgiveness rather than asking for permission" moments.

Somewhere my father has to be smiling that my tattoos are causing me some heartache.

Cross-Cultural Servanthood

I started reading this book recommended by our trip leaders. Cross-Cultural Servanthood

I hope that I am able to avoid having an air of superiority. It will be inevitable in the sense that I am going to teach math and will (hopefully) project a firm knowledge of subjects they are struggling with. I just hope that I can connect with the kids without coming off like a snotty American.

I have a lot of reviewing to do

And I am not just talking about Algebra II...though that is part of it.

I now have pictures and names of the 70 children and young adults that I will be spending two weeks with. Remembering names is not one of my strong suits, but I am going to do my best to learn them all. Heck, there are people in my church that I have known for three years now where I am like, "Hey...YOU!!!"

As to the math, I have to dust off some books and review. I am also going to brush off some deeper dust on my statics book and find some applications in Engineering for what we are learning.

I know there are some things in Electrical Engineering that would apply, but talk about the blind leading the blind... Those electrons are magic, I tell you.

I got the tires kicked today

I went and got a physical and some blood work done. The doctor did not hesitate to sign off on my going to Africa. One more minor hurdle cleared, even though it was one I never really worried about.

I also got my tetanus and MMR boosters in addition to my blood draw. My left arm is doing its best pin cushion impression.

Eeesh, I had forgotten how much tetanus shots hurt.

About the whole "Donate" button

Trust me, I am not poor mouthing here. I understand that I have been blessed and continue to live a blessed life.

That said, the cost of serving of this mission trip is in the ballpark of $2,300 dollars per person.

The team has been talking about fund raising ideas to help defer the cost. In the absence of any tangible skill that I can offer, I thought why not appeal to the generosity of my friends and loved ones while regaling them with my musings on the mission process.

Everything sent to me using the Donation button I put on here will go directly toward the cost of the mission trip.

For those who would like to give to the cause, but would prefer not to use paypal, there is the option to send in a check. Check out the directions to the right.

If this works, cool. If not, add it to the long list of "seemed like a good idea at the time"...like those acid washed jeans.

A long way gone

I just finished this book written by Ishmael Beah about his life as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone. See my links for a jump to his site.

It is not what you would call a "light-hearted romp".

It is so hard for me to imagine what the young people of Sierra Leone have lived through.

I was surprised to find out that there has been some controversy regarding the veracity of Beah's account.

http://www.slate.com/id/2185928/

Regardless, even given the possibility of some artistic license, it is a gripping, thought provoking book.

Wait...you said Polio with an "I"?

No wonder they looked at me funny when I showed up for my polio vaccine with a mallet and pony. [rimshot]

Anyway, I got the polio and typhoid taken care of a lunch today. It also turns out that I can get my hepatitis follow ups there for 55 bucks as opposed to 85 at the passport health place.

So, getting into the mindset of a math teacher, getting my hep shots at the other place is a 54.5% increase from the health department price.

Hmmm, you don't really have to be a math major to figure that one out, do you?

If the nurse at passport health is hurting for a gig, she should look into selling used cars.

I've been shot.

For yellow fever, anyway. I had to get immunized for yellow fever today and I went ahead and threw in Hep A and Hep B for good measure.

After the nice lady at Passport Health ran down all the potential risks involved with traveling there, I started wondering: Would a space suit be THAT hard to get?

Hmmm, the missionary in the plastic bubble...

Blood Diamonds

I am watching a documentary that the History Channel did about the civil war in Sierra Leone. It is hard to wrap my head around the horrors that were happening there only 10 years ago.

I am not feeling very good about the engagement ring that I bought my wife right now...

About me and my decision to participate in a mission trip

I am a husband and a father of 3. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering but I work as a structural designer in the aircraft industry. For a couple of years after I met my wife, I took a sabbatical away from engineering to teach high school mathematics. She had a well established career in Tennessee and I had always wanted to work with children. I always felt that my background in engineering lent itself well to teach math. I enjoyed my time in education, but my wife’s job situation grew unsteady, so I returned to engineering to better support my family.

In my free time, I am generally taking my children to one of their many activities. Gymnastics, swim, dance and soccer keep us fairly busy. My main hobby lately is Karate. I just earned my brown belt in American Kenpo. I also enjoy water sports, particularly canoeing. As my children get older, I hope that is something we can enjoy together.

My family and I are very active in our church. My wife sings in the choir and my two oldest children are in the children’s choir. I am a member of the lay leadership committee and my wife and I co-chair the Witness and Hospitality committee at our church. I would like to serve in a more tangible way through missions.

I have never had the pleasure of serving in missions. I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church. I was active in youth choir and other youth activities, but I never really had the opportunity to participate in a mission trip. Our small church really did not stress mission activities. I regret that it was not a part of my early Christian experience.

Throughout college and my early adult life, I found myself straying from being active in a church. The freedom of being out on my own was the beginning of it, but I then I unexpectedly lost my mother to meningitis my last year of college. I did not handle her death well. Instead of relying on God to comfort me during that hard time, I blamed Him for her sudden death and let that distance me from Him.

As I aged and matured, I came to realize that blaming God for tragedies such as that was misguided. I longed to renew and strengthen my relationship with God. My wife grew up in the Presbyterian Church and we decided to look at some of the different denominations in the area. We lived in Knoxville, TN at the time and after some looking around, decided that the Methodist Church had a doctrine and environment that appealed to us.

When my family and I moved to Texas, we were blessed to find First United Methodist Church, Colleyville. It is there that we learned about the Child Rescue Center. I was particularly touched how the children in Sierra Leone were able to maintain their faith in the face of all the tragedies they had dealt with. I have always admired the work that is done at the CRC.

When I learned of the upcoming mission trip and that someone with an education background in math might be useful, I really felt moved to respond to the call. I have prayed about it and discussed it with my wife and I feel that it is a situation where I can use the education and the talents that God has given me to help the children in Sierra Leone. I have no doubt that they can teach me about faith and dealing with adversity.

The Child Rescue Centre

This is a website describing the Child Rescue Centre (It was a British Colony, hence the "re")

http://www.childrescuecentre.org/index.html

My first foray into Missions

In what would probably be a shocking development to those who have known me in the past, I have decided to go on my first mission trip this summer. It is still striking to me how much my life has changed over the last few years.

I will be spending 2 weeks in Bo, Sierra Leone helping to teach summer school to middle school and high school aged children. These kids have witnessed atrocities in their young lives that I can only imagine.

Anyway, one of the missions coordinators suggest keeping a journal of our experiences during the trip and I felt this was a natural extension.

More to come...