going back

So I feel like its been awhile. The last couple hours I've been writing emails to language schools in Cairo, looking for a job/jobs there. I have a lot of info, if anyone else is looking at teaching English there, let me know!

I'm going to Cairo in June, pretty much nothing short of the clear Will of God is going to stop me. I'm really excited! I have been for awhile, but its now seeming like its within view and I miss Cairo a lot! It seems like everyone I know is gonna be there or around there or maybe there too! Pretty awesome.

So I think I'm living with Becca? And anyone else who's gonna be around? My latest plan is to work part time teaching English, part time copy-editing in English, and then part time taking Arabic class, hmmm. I figure that way no one thing will own my soul or anything.

It seems like everyone's looking at cool stuff, and whoever gets to work with Father Chacour in Haifa, I am really jealous.

Also, my host brother friended me on facebook!!! haha! Facebook really is taking over the world!

Otherwise in life I'm home for Christmas break and I feel relatively content, which is a big deal! I feel like everything's been working out well in life and even the crappy things aren't phasing me that much. So I miss u all a ton and wish I got to go to this reunion in Chicago, alas I am in California. All this talk of the Faith and International Development Conference though. I'm not gonna lie, the conference was kinda lame last year (I'm sure a bunch of you agree) but I know u all want to come to Calvin!

masalaama

Read Steve's email

Hey,

If you got Steve's email yesterday or today I recommend reading especially around the third paragraph. After the weather/work/school part.

Cheers.

Speaking of plans for next year...

I thought I'd pass this one on. The State department just posted their online application yesterday for "critical language scholarships."
They're available both for current students and recent graduates. Basically, it amounts to a free summer of intense language study in a handful of different countries. No obvious strings attached to it...but hey, it's the government paying, so I'm sure they'd prefer if in your application you mentioned how you wanted to fight terrorists with your new-found Arabic skills.
https://clscholarship.org/home.php

Any other takers for coming to my house after Christmas?
Alissa

Upcoming life

Hey y'all,

Ok, so I guess I'll jump on the whole..."and what does the rest of your life" bandwagon look like. Mandy and Tory, I'm jealous of both of you...it sounds like you're looking at some really awesome stuff.

I'm still very much in the "I have no idea" stage, at least long-term, but a couple of things look really interesting. I was really excited when I got that e-mail from Steve Byers about the volunteer position working for Sayeedna Elias Chacour...I feel like that's exactly what I've been looking for, a job that I'd be good at with a guy who I think really gets it, and in Israel-Palestine, which is really where I'd like to be. So I'm currently trying to get in touch with them to see about taking that position after I graduate.

I'm also thinking more and more seriously about MESP...I'd love to be back in Cairo, and I feel like the internship job would be a great next step. And that would work out well with the time-frame of the volunteer job in Haifa with Sayeedna Chacour, volunteer there until December and then move to Cairo. And Mandy...if you and I were interning at the same time...all I can say is il-hamdu lillah! That would be absolutely phenomenal. I don't know, what do y'all think?

After that...there's a big gray area. I had a prof sit me down a couple days ago for some life advice...well, we were talking about a research paper that I was working on, but we finished talking about that and he started asking me about what I wanted to do after I graduate. He thinks I should be an academic...not sure on that one. But when I told him some of my interests he told me about an interesting program called the Croc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame. It's a Master's degree program in peace and reconciliation which is really well-funded, so if you get in you're pretty well taken care of. I haven't looked into it a great amount, but what I know looks really interesting. But I'm taking it one step at a time right now.

More immediately...life's pretty good right now. I just flew home for Christmas Break yesterday, so I'm still kind of settling back in, but it's good to be back with the family. My little brother just finished his first semester at Covenant College in Georgia, so we're having fun hanging out...and of course it's just great to be with your family at Christmastime. Gotta admit, I will miss my great Anglican church back at Gordon...back among the Baptists, no advent liturgies...sadness...but oh well, what can you do?

My semester post-seeing most of y'all in Seattle was pretty good...some personal drama, as there always is in life, but overall not that much...I was too busy to have drama, what with work and school and honors thesis writing (Which is what I should be doing right now) and all that.

I've gotten to be really good friends with the two MESP spring '07 alums from Gordon...that's been a lot of fun, we talk about Egypt and processing and life post-MESP, and frustration with America, and all that great stuff. Hehe, their semester was very...different from ours. But they're great. There's nobody quite as cool as MESP alums.

I'm going to see if I can't get Gordon to pay for me to go to the Faith and International Development conference...I had a friend who got sponsored to go to that last year, and I think if I look into it early enough they might be willing to help me out.

Anyway, so that's what's up with me these days. I miss all of y'all...and Deakin, I'm sad I couldn't be at your wedding. Let's get the next MESP wedding scheduled so we can all make sure and be there!

Peace,
Jon

My heart is missing you!!

...so here I am...sitting at a computer lab at Wheaton attempting to pound out my last paper of the semester...and I saw Mandy's post and thought, "why not?" So here's my update:

First exciting thing, I don't know if any of you have heard of "Hands Along the Nile Development Services," but they basically are a DC based development firm headed up by a Wheaton grad primarily focused on helping Egypt and developing dialogue programs. Anyway, I met the director of the organization here at Wheaton this semester and she knew of MESP--she had actually been a lecturer for Dr. Dave before, and connected me with a project they are working on. So it looks like I'll be doing a sort of informal correspondence internship helping to develop a grassroots dialogue thing for Americans and Middle Easterners to participate in. Cool, huh?

Second exciting thing, I have been in the process of applying for the Peace Corps for a while now and just last week some decisions were made. If I am lucky, I will be heading out in June to do Youth Development in either Morocco or Jordan. Cool, huh? I have no idea any details beyond that--I am still basically applying, but I wanted to let ya'll know because no one here really understands why exactly I would choose North Africa/Middle East over, say, Africa. But I'm sure at least some of you can empathize with the heart aching desire to return to the region to learn and experience more. I just can't get the middle east out of my blood--even though many of you will remember how Egypt and the Middle East wasn't always fun and games...but there it is. Morocco or Jordan. In June. AAAHHH!!!

Third exciting thing, if I AM over there, I will EASILY be able to visit those of you in, say, Cairo. In fact, you'd better expect it.

Fourth exciting thing, I am heading home by Greyhound (yay gas conservation!) tomorrow. I am going to miss seeing everyone here, but it will be a very welcome break nevertheless. One final and one paper left...

In terms of alternatives to the Peace Corps--there's a certificate program in Palestinian and Arab studies at Birzeit University that looks interesting (and relatively cheap) that I might check out sometime between now and the end of my educational career. I am also seriously looking at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies--they offer a REALLY sweet fellowship for returned peace corps volunteers (so that would obviously be conditional on me actually going to the peace corps). I could also stay on at World Relief for a while if I really had nothing to do. My internship with them is over, which is a great relief, I must say. It was fascinating and I learned a TON, but it was uber stressful and draining. I'm not sure local refugee resettlement is something I am really passionate about. Next semester I will be working for World Relief's counseling center--data entry, support staff sort of work...but there are a TON of middle easterners there. One of the counselors is one of the cutest Jordanians I have ever met.

Mandy, I would love to join you for either or both of those conference thingys. I hope you get the internship! I can imagine it now: Tory and Mandy in Cairo again = crazy metra experience number two! Fun stuff.

Ok well, I should stop trying to avoid my work. But know that I love all of you so much and wish the best for you. Remember it was only a year ago that we started writing on this blog? I remember I was in Africa, missing you all like crazy. Now here I am in Wheaton, still missing you all like crazy. I'm getting all excited thinking about what we are all going to be doing post-grad. Keep us all updated!!!

LOVE and PEACE!!!

Tory

a grey sky, a bitter sting

Today, I'm sitting in my kitchen, having just finished my seventh semester--look at the one semester I have left, and I have been missing you all terribly and freaking out slightly about entering the real world. But I thought I would write to my habeebs and tell them about some exciting things and some less than exciting things!

First exciting thing...I think I'm heading to Chicago the 27-30th! HORRAY! I missed out on buying an Amtrak ticket--they ALL sold out (lame), but am thinking seriously about the Greyhound--public transpo--I should live out this energy crisis I'm always freaking out about.

Second exciting thing...I have had my references send it stuff for the MESP internship--I finished my resume and now have to come up with a reason why they should take me--I should probably say something more/else than I JUST WANT TO GO BACK AND LEARN MORE!! Shouldn't I? We'll see.

Third exciting thing...you are reading the blog post of the Palestinian Affair Council f(or one of them)of Kuwait at the Michigan Arab League this February. I need some help on coming up with proposals, and I'll keep you posted! It's at Grand Valley sometime in February, so those of you who live near...COME!

Fourth...I'm repeat offending the Faith & International Development Conference--care to join me?

Fifth...I began reading this blog and you should too http://www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com/ I picked up this book in the library on Saturday called Baghdad Burning, and it is all excerpts from this Iraqi girl who has been blogging from Baghdad since August 2003. I'm only two months into reading her posts and have already been driven to tears, anger, happiness, nostalgia for Arab culture, etc. It's an emotional rollar coaster, and she really is a fabulous writer.

Sixth...I'm applying to jobs I am not nearly qualified for, and thinking about Tulane University for grad school---a Master's in Public Heatlth with a subject focus on Sustainable Development in Disasters and Crises...sounds great huh?

Who the flip knows what I'm going to do!!!?!?!? What about ya'll? Anything good on the horizon?

love you, miss you, can't wait to see you.
Mandy

Hey Men You might want to check this out. it is an opportunity to teach english in Saudi Arabia. it's paid

http://www.esljobfeed.com/forum/index.pl?noframes;read=139

MESP reunion, for real this time.

Ok! Updated reunion info. Here's the deal. Anyone in, near, around, or willing to travel to Chicago is welcome to stay at my house anytime between the 27th and 30th of December. Come for an hour, a day, 3 days, whatever. There will be room at my house for whoever would like to come.

My address is:
930 Willow Walk Dr.
Palatine, IL
60067

Tory, no worries, I'll be home the 15th and you and I can hang out!
Let me know if you're thinking about coming!
Love you all.
Alissa

Just a quick note to thank you all for your support in the past few weeks. Thank you for the messages, cards and phone calls. Really and truly these have meant so much to me and I can't really say how much I appreciate you all! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Update: The three girls who survived the crash are all going to be ok. two are now at their homes recovering and at least one will be able to return to school in January. The third girl is still in the hospital due to a bleeding liver.
I am still struggling to get my mind around the fact that my roomate was here and then just like that...gone. It has been a process.

Once again thank you all so so much for your support and love. Your encouragement has really blessed me in ways I cannot even explain.

Oh yes...

... and I'm also taking beginner violin lessons from a friend, in an attempt to work towards fulfilling my lifelong goal of becoming a world famous fiddler and playing for Riverdance (I truly wish I was Irish, but that can't be helped).

"Life or Something Like It" (horrible movie by the way)

Well friends, I had this lofty goal of somehow communicating individually with all of you, and telling you what I was up to, and finding out how you were doing, but... let's face it: that's just impossible. I will still attempt to send letters and cards by mail as much I as I can, but in the meantime, I thought I would finally get around to posting. I'm trying not to become one of those people who only communicates via one Christmas/holiday card a year, but if you do end up getting some kind of "seasons greetings" from me in your mailbox, know that I still deeply respect you, I just haven't had the chance to send anything else.

Now on to my life in short form: At the moment, I am in Edmonton, Alberta, sitting on the computer at my parent's house, trying to stay warm. I'm currently living with them again after a 5 year absence, and I have been here since I got back from Egypt in June. It's been interesting, being "home" again, but interesting in a good (if challenging) way. My parents are pretty relaxed and always have been, so I've not felt restricted, but it certainly has been interesting to be living with a mom, a dad, and a sister, after living with friends since high school.

After arriving back here in June, I did a little travelling, spent some time with friends, attended some weddings (although sadly none of yours) etc., and in July I started working at a little place called "The Mustard Seed", which has kept me here until now, and will keep me here at least until summer 2008. TMS is, to put it in dictionary terms, an "inner-city humanitarian organization." It used to be called a "street church", but thankfully has changed its name, due to the negative connotations (particularly in terms of evangelism) that have been associated with that type of term. We have evening meals, a clothing bank, a Food Bank, recreation activities (baseball team, bingo, karaoke, art class, "Hockey Night in Canada"), afternoon and evening drop-in, and so on. Essentially it's like a community centre, and it's located in the inner-city - the "ghetto" if you will - so the community is made up mostly of those who operate on a lower income scale than the rest of the city. My official position is "Volunteer Development Coordinator", but I find that I do a little of everything, and I'm loving it. I came on temporarily in July to fill a 6 week opening, but ended up becoming invested in the people and the place, and I'm still here, 6 months later.

TMS has had its own learning curve and set of challenges, but really, I would highly recommend the "ghetto" to anyone trying to continue the processing of the ME and the issues encountered there. One of the most fascinating things for me has been to observe the parallels between the inner-city community and the Egyptian community, and the similarities between the issues faced by each. If we talk about Western imperialism messing up matters for those in the ME, we can definitely talk about it messing up things for those on the lower end of the social scale in Western countries (I think about this especially in regards to Native Americans/First Nations, who unfortunately make up at least 50% of those living in Canadian "slums").

I've been lucky to work with a lot of great people, who have a lot of great vision for what "change" looks like, and how we invest in the inner-city, as opposed to just shoving money and donations of used clothing at it. I've had my frustrations with the broader community and their attitudes towards the people I've come to know over the past few months, but I've also seen plenty to be hopeful about. Sometimes I think that working at a place like this goes against my socialist tendencies, but perhaps I'm becoming more of an anarchist anyways (particularly in regards to the current Canadian government).

I didn't imagine last June that I'd still be in Edmonton at this time (I thought I'd be back somewhere in the Middle East) but things didn't work out like that, and that's been fine with me. I don't intend to stay at The Mustard Seed (or in Edmonton) much past next summer, but in the meantime, I'm happy to be here.

I hope you're all doing well, wherever you are, and whatever you're doing. CONGRATULATIONS to all those who have gotten married over the last few months (wish I could have been there!) - I'm celebrating for you from a distance. Good luck to those of you who graduated last year, or are looking towards graduation this spring - leaving school is sad, but outside the campus bubble is a great place to be (not that I don't miss the bubble sometimes...). And hooray for those of you who are thinking about returning to the ME - beaucoup blessings and maybe I'll see you there in the next couple of years.

Cheers and much love always,

-Dena

Teaching ESL

I have had the amazing opportunity to teach ESL in several different distinct settings. Each one tells me two different things about the world we live in today.

Setting number one: I teach mainly Asian students. In this setting all that Thomas L. Friedman speak of in his book "The World is Flat" is confirmed by what I see in my students. Their ambitious. They are more technologically advanced than Americans. The are evidence that the world is flattening. Everyone is being given the same opportunities. Everyone can change their lives. America better prepare itself, for it will soon loose its status if it does not change its ways.

Setting number two: I teach mainly Africans, refugees. In this setting everything Friedman speaks of is dispelled. The world is obviously not flat. Instead, it is cruel, harsh, disgusting. it is more reminiscent of the world in which the prophets of the Bible lived in. Yes, they are fortunate to have survived, to have made it to a different country...but they are fortunate. They are the lucky few. They are plagued by disease, by memories. They are happy people, but their eyes are filled with a deep and dark history. They are just as smart as their Asian counterpart, but they do not have the same opportunities.

I am slowly beginning to recognize that some type of the Modern World System is true. The idea that there are core, semi-periphery and periphery states. The core dominate and control the market to benefit themselves and keep the other states out of the core. I do not think I agree with the structuralist solution to this problem, but I recognize there is a lot of truth in this theory. the more I learn about the world, the more I see that the evils that are discussed in the Bible are not exaggerated. They are real, and they are a live. It makes me feel so hopeless. I guess I need to go back and read the whole story, so I can remember to always hope.

MESP reunion, Midwest Style

So I'm going to go ahead and call it: Anyone who is in Chicago, near Chicago, or willing to travel to Chicago (and welcome to crash at my house), we're getting together sometime between Dec. 15th and 23rd. Tell me what day works best for those of you that will be around. My cell is 847.890.5837 for those who don't have it.

Also...I have a new website up for my slam poetry. There are a bunch of recordings posted on there from performances and competitions i've done. http://spu.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5854757869
Just thought I'd pass that along. I got to perform with two of my friends at a big SPU Christmas festival kind of thing--they played electric guitar while I did this poem about Jesus. It worked out surprisingly well!

I can't wait to see you all soon. Seriously, if anyone wants to travel down from Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa...I've got lots of room in my house!
let me know when would work best for you all.
Take care, my loves.
Alissa

Dordt

A lot of things have been happening here recently.
We had Tony Campolo visit as well as a few big time environmentalist Christians. It was pretty cool.
Emily has been organizing some pretty cool things. She spearheaded a protest on campus against poverty. 160 people showed up. We made the local papers and the next morning's news. It was pretty sweet. Emily also organized a trip to help distribute Thanksgiving dinners to some people in the area who might not have been able to afford it otherwise. Also, she and another MESP alum (from the semester just before ours) are organizing a fair trade Christmas sale. It is really sweet. I just thought that you would want to know. :)
Our Justice Matters club is also trying to organize a bunch of things. We are trying to get some dialogue going with the administrators about environmental things and some social justice things. Things are really happening.
In terms of my personal life, I am still really messed up. Everything seems so pointless. This is really scary for me. I have always been relatively passionate. That passion has always been directed and focused. There was purpose to it. I’m feeling quite adrift. The things that once motivated me are fading away or else becoming impossible to deal with and nothing is taking the place of these things. It is scary. Am I going to become just one more of those disillusioned college students who doesn’t care about anything because it just hurts too much? I’m getting a lot of professional help, but it is becoming less and less effective.
I think that I just need to get away from Dordt and everything that it represents to me. Maybe then, I can refocus my life and start over from scratch.

Here are the lyrics from a song that I like by Pedro the Lion called Rejoice:
Wouldn't it be so wonderful?
If everything were meaningless
But everything is so meaningful
And most everything turns to shit
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!

There is an internship offered through my denomination where I would go overseas to do relief work for two and a half years. It looks really cool. It might be just the thing for me... distance and meaning. I think that that would be a good thing to do before seminary.
Also, I was curious, is anyone interested in a MESP gettogether at my house this Christmas break? If you are interested, shoot me an email so I can pick a time. Or, we can pick a place more central to the Midwest... or even Chicago itself. Start brainstorming.