My friend, Katie Booms, wrote an incredible, humbling and honoring blog post about my work... It's so well written and real, I am deeply grateful!
Playing Yahtzee Under a Mango Tree by Katie Booms
http://white-bread.tumblr.com/post/85585615016/playing-yahtzee-under-mango-trees
"Development demands bold transformation." Joy. Kindness. Learn. Motivate. Need. Opportunity. Process. Quite. Read on...
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Reflections on Intangible
Words are a hard thing, trying to craft a picture, an understanding, a concept.
It's even harder when the thing you are trying to explain can't be held, or touched, or even seen. My work in Africa, and the work of many people I serve with there, is intangible.
It'd be so much easier to connect people to "stuff"; Give me these things and it'll all be great. But that's not how this works, that's not how I work. I don't think stuff matters, I know people do.
People
People: Their stories, their experiences, their choices, their dignity... this is what deeply matters to me.
Working with them, to form long term, transformational partnerships.
Loving people, so they know what family feels like.
Equipping people, to be the best they can be.
Laughing with people, so that, even for a moment, everything is beautiful.
Serving people, so that they go and change their world.
Singing, dancing, laughing, eating, learning, celebrating, crying, playing, sharing... it's hard to do those things from 15,000 miles away.
Present.
It's intangible. But I am going to Africa to be present with my people. As we say at Cornerstone Development: "Who we are is primary, what we do is secondary"
Somethings this feels impossible to explain, maybe you have to experience it.
It's intangible. It's not a snap shot or success story. It's a long, hard, dusty road. It's not a moment of glory, it many thousands of foot steps forward. It's not change in a day, it's transformation over a decade. It's not a quick fix, it's creating life long family.
It's their faces, their comments, the possibility that I see and hear in each one of them... that's why, it's my reason and my rhyme. It's intangible.
"You're already home when you feel loved"
It's even harder when the thing you are trying to explain can't be held, or touched, or even seen. My work in Africa, and the work of many people I serve with there, is intangible.
It'd be so much easier to connect people to "stuff"; Give me these things and it'll all be great. But that's not how this works, that's not how I work. I don't think stuff matters, I know people do.
People
People: Their stories, their experiences, their choices, their dignity... this is what deeply matters to me.
Working with them, to form long term, transformational partnerships.
Loving people, so they know what family feels like.
Equipping people, to be the best they can be.
Laughing with people, so that, even for a moment, everything is beautiful.
Singing, dancing, laughing, eating, learning, celebrating, crying, playing, sharing... it's hard to do those things from 15,000 miles away.
Present.
It's intangible. But I am going to Africa to be present with my people. As we say at Cornerstone Development: "Who we are is primary, what we do is secondary"
Somethings this feels impossible to explain, maybe you have to experience it.
It's intangible. It's not a snap shot or success story. It's a long, hard, dusty road. It's not a moment of glory, it many thousands of foot steps forward. It's not change in a day, it's transformation over a decade. It's not a quick fix, it's creating life long family.
It's their faces, their comments, the possibility that I see and hear in each one of them... that's why, it's my reason and my rhyme. It's intangible.
"You're already home when you feel loved"
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Back to Africa: 2 practicals!
So Noelle, why are you going back to Africa for 3ish week?
That's a great question!
Here's the answer:
I will be...
- Strategic Planning and Program development for the 2014-2015 Cornerstone Veritas and High school program calendar. This will probably include working on our leadership development curriculum to continue improving it and making it easier to teach to a variety of people.
- Connecting and mentoring the NEW 2014 Class of Cornerstone Veritas Interns!
- Offering continued training for the Cornerstone Veritas team, including some specific skill development. I also will be visiting our Cornerstone Leadership Academies and have time to work with many of our students there.
-Meetings with our partner organizations and facilitators to schedule the 10 Principles of Leadership training courses, offer ongoing training, and organized programs for our interns to attend
- Celebrating and serving with friends in Kampala, Masaka, Luwero and Gulu
- (very possibly) Visiting the newest Leadership Academy, recently opened in South Sudan!
I am excited beyond words to get real TIME to work, in person, with my wonderful team and partners. They have done such an incredible job this year, I am very glad for this chance to see and document all the wonderful work they have done!
How can you afford this?
Through the generosity of my monthly donors, and the kindness of friends in Kampala, I have enough money to cover the plane ticket, basic life on the ground, and have found a wonderful place to stay (when in Kampala).
I would like to raise a little more money for this trip to cover costs like travel insurance, accommodation outside of Kampala, and also so that I can cover the costs of our team and partner meetings.
Please consider donating so that I can spend time with this wonderful family and continue to work with them to spread the great work of leadership development happening throughout Eastern Africa!
That's a great question!
Here's the answer:
I will be...
- Strategic Planning and Program development for the 2014-2015 Cornerstone Veritas and High school program calendar. This will probably include working on our leadership development curriculum to continue improving it and making it easier to teach to a variety of people.
- Connecting and mentoring the NEW 2014 Class of Cornerstone Veritas Interns!
- Offering continued training for the Cornerstone Veritas team, including some specific skill development. I also will be visiting our Cornerstone Leadership Academies and have time to work with many of our students there.
-Meetings with our partner organizations and facilitators to schedule the 10 Principles of Leadership training courses, offer ongoing training, and organized programs for our interns to attend
- Celebrating and serving with friends in Kampala, Masaka, Luwero and Gulu
- (very possibly) Visiting the newest Leadership Academy, recently opened in South Sudan!
I am excited beyond words to get real TIME to work, in person, with my wonderful team and partners. They have done such an incredible job this year, I am very glad for this chance to see and document all the wonderful work they have done!
How can you afford this?
Through the generosity of my monthly donors, and the kindness of friends in Kampala, I have enough money to cover the plane ticket, basic life on the ground, and have found a wonderful place to stay (when in Kampala).
I would like to raise a little more money for this trip to cover costs like travel insurance, accommodation outside of Kampala, and also so that I can cover the costs of our team and partner meetings.
Please consider donating so that I can spend time with this wonderful family and continue to work with them to spread the great work of leadership development happening throughout Eastern Africa!
Africa: A Sudden Surprise
I've been content with stability. I'd embraced this way of life: present, stable, American.
But then life became a snow globe of transition, over and over again, and it was time to see what this all meant.
When the snow flakes stopped falling it was clear that this is a new season. Not just spring, not just warm, but a chance to do something new... or perhaps something very old.
I didn't expect to travel internationally this calendar year, but here I am headed back to Africa, yet again! Through the generous donations of my monthly donors, I had enough money saved for a plane ticket. So with some time on my hands and people to serve, I can't help but go back to visit my dearest of families in Uganda!
If you've followed this blog, you know I'll write, add pictures, and tell you about this unexpected adventure. I do have the money to do this, in a basic way... but could use a little more to help along the way.
Please consider making a tax deductible donation towards my trip! Click the donate button on the right! ->
But then life became a snow globe of transition, over and over again, and it was time to see what this all meant.
When the snow flakes stopped falling it was clear that this is a new season. Not just spring, not just warm, but a chance to do something new... or perhaps something very old.
I didn't expect to travel internationally this calendar year, but here I am headed back to Africa, yet again! Through the generous donations of my monthly donors, I had enough money saved for a plane ticket. So with some time on my hands and people to serve, I can't help but go back to visit my dearest of families in Uganda!
I'll be leaving May 19th from Chicago, and arriving back June 8th.
If you've followed this blog, you know I'll write, add pictures, and tell you about this unexpected adventure. I do have the money to do this, in a basic way... but could use a little more to help along the way.
Please consider making a tax deductible donation towards my trip! Click the donate button on the right! ->
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