First Day of Training

Our first day of official training started today at 7:45am. After we met the staff we made intern introductions. We basically told our story of how we became passionate about serving others and end up applying to HOPE. It was nice to hear the other input from the interns. It humbled me to know that there are qualified people that are willing to dedicate a whole summer at no pay like myself; I am not the only crazy one here! There are people in the process of receiving their MBA, some that are married, or have years of work experience, and they too want to dedicate as much time as myself. That is quite sacrificial on their part since they could be making money or spending their time elsewhere, yet they choose to serve.

Another great aspect of today that I really enjoyed was HOPE President, Peter Greer’s presentation. He seems like such a down to earth and passionate person. His mission and vision are so clearly defined and he serves with such enthusiasm. Even though he holds such a prestigious position in the organization he still takes time out of his day to come speak to us, sit in at presentations and really tries to get to know us. He shared that his passion started by wanting to combine both compassion and action, and the tool he uses for that now is micro-enterprise.

So what is the culture here in HOPE: well to sum it up check out their acronym: PASSION

Prayer: On your knees, please
Allegiance: Hope by choice
Service: We’ll wash feet
Stewardship: To whom much is given…
Innovation: We find solutions
Optimism: A cheerful heart is good medicine
Nurturing: Love one another as I have loved you

So their mission in their statement of faith is: We believe God calls us, and all Christians, to help people in need. We work to meet both practical human needs and eternal, spiritual needs.

So what makes HOPE different than other Christian based micro-finance organizations?
Well again to summarize I’ll use one of their acronyms:
Focus- Christ centered micro-enterprise
Intentional witness- an intentional witness to Jesus Christ
Stewardship- 100% of donations go directly to program expenses
Hard places- Emphasis on challenging and underserved areas

Okay so the real reason I am typing this is because I have a quiz…haha…not kidding, we get quizzed on this stuff :)

Deep thoughts of the day:
The reason I joined Hope this summer was because I wanted to bridge the gap between my charitable heart and long for a solution to poverty. I wanted to be a part of something that was helping people but also bringing hope to them, a sustainable way of living. I would not consider myself a pessimist but I am not entirely an optimist. Many times I question God’s promises and lean towards a Buddhist type of view on life “All life is suffering”. I don’t really understand why millions have to die of preventable diseases, I don’t understand why some faithful Christians in developing countries still see their children die of starvation, and I don’t think I’ll I ever understand that. But right now I am in the process of accepting that I was given more than others and that I don’t have to live with guilt because of it. But I also can’t turn around and ignore that extreme poverty still exists. And to be frank I think that as Christians we should be ashamed and offended at our gospel that we preach knowing that there is still an immense amount of people in need today. I still get chills knowing that half the population in the world still lives on less than $2 a day. I challenge you to live on that budget, not very comfortable, huh? There is no reason why we as a community of faith cannot come together as one and fulfill God’s mission to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and take care of the widows and orphans. Many of us have heard the phrase, “Live simply, so others can simply live”, I hope you can take this phrase and meditate as I am doing here in Lancaster. What are we doing to help those that are living in the outskirts of society? How are we living to impact their lives?

So as you can see, this is a journey for me. Please continue to pray for God’s guidance in my life, safety, and so that my work in the Dominican Republic can actually make a difference. And I too will pray that the difference doesn’t only come in the DR but also in the hearts of my local loved ones. I want you to be in this journey with me, learning with me, laughing, weeping, and hoping with me.

Warm regards,
Maira