Redmond, WA – 9pm
It’s been a dreary day in the Puget Sound area. I (Kyle) arrived back on the west side of the state late last night after driving over here right after graduation. After a couple weeks of great weather in Spokane, the pouring rain between George and Ellensburg made for a rough reminder that Washington is known for its rain. But on that note, we needn’t worry about precipitation, as we’re heading to the desert southern Arizona tomorrow!
We haven’t received our itinerary as of yet, but we will in the next couple of days. When we have that in hand, we’ll be able to more accurately tell you what all we’re doing. John talked to the CPT delegation coordinator in their Chicago office today and she mentioned that we’ll be in Mexico for half of the trip and then in Douglas, Arizona for the rest of it.
John and I split our time today between reading the pre-delegation material, writing up press releases, and running some last minute errands. It still hasn’t sunk in yet that we’re actually going on this delegation. This past semester was especially intense, so we haven’t had a ton of time to devote to preparing ourselves for what we’re getting into. I don’t think any of us are exactly sure what sort of mentality you’re supposed to cultivate for a trip like this; the most similar trip I can think of was that of Mike (my roommate!), Zach, Nicola, and Eric (who is going on the Migrant Trail Walk at the same time we’re in Arizona) to the Christian Peace Witness in DC. But this is longer and more in-depth, and we’re not quite speaking to the powers that be as they were.
I don’t think the mission trip mindset works for this either, although maybe this is more like what a mission trip should be like. I recall hearing one of my professors who has much experience in Africa lamenting that mission trips often go into a situation assuming that they know the needs and solutions of a particular situation without taking time to sit back and listen to what the community itself has to say. I hope that these ten days will be characterized by such an attitude of curiosity and humility in us. Likewise, I hope that we are patient, diligent, and humble when it comes to dealing with people who might be opposed to what we are doing or learning.
Enough rambling. Tomorrow John and I fly to Denver at noon (which means we miss the Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan—ARGH), and then hang out at Tyler’s house until Wednesday. Then we’ll get in the car and drive through the night to Tucson, where the delegation starts. It’s a 12 to 16 hour drive, so we’ll be on the road for bit. Every bit of prayer regarding safety (and other things too, of course) is much appreciated!
If you have any questions, feel free to email any of us or Mike Vander Giessen, as we’ll be keeping him as up to date as anyone. John and Tyler will both have their phones with them, too.
Monday, May 21, 2007
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Support Letter
Hello friend,
This summer (May 24-June 4) John Williamson, Tyler Schroeder, and Kyle Navis will be going to Arizona to participate in Christian Peacemaker Team delegation that will seek to gain an understanding of the issues facing migrants and residents in the region. We will meet with representatives of human rights groups, government officials, and individuals on both sides of the border as part of the delegation.
Our itinerary is not yet fully determined, but at this point we will spend at least half of our time in Mexico, visiting three to four different cities and meeting with migrants and those with whom they work in each of those places. According to our delegation leader, we'll also try to do at least a few days of a “border watch” in which we do a public witness where migrants are being detained in the desert. The goal of the trip is to learn about the situation on the border and to bring attention to the level of violence in the region.
The motto of Christian Peacemaker Teams is to reduce violence by “getting in the way.” CPT says that it “embraces the vision of unarmed intervention waged by committed peacemakers ready to risk injury and death in bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through the nonviolent power of God’s truth and love.” CPT is an ecumenical organization solely focused on the working of peacemaking around the world. For more information, go to http://cpt.org/publications/history.php.
In order to go on this trip, we collectively have to raise $1600 to cover transportation, food, and other expenses on the ground. Any financial resources that you would be willing to contribute would be highly appreciated! [Financial contributions can be directed towards individuals or the group fund, which will be split evenly among the three of us.] Even more so, we might be putting ourselves in situations of violence and conflict, so prayer is absolutely vital and central to our work. Please keep us in your prayers as we enter into this unfamiliar and possibly dangerous environment. We will work to keep you updated during the trip via Michael Vander Giessen, a friend who will be in Spokane during the trip (mvandergiessen09@whitworth.edu).
We approach this trip with the utmost humility that we can muster. We do not claim to have the answers to every situation, nor even the experience to inform such answers. Rather, we seek this trip to be a time of growth and learning based on the conviction that nonviolence and peacemaking are more Christ-like alternatives to systems of violence.
We are thankful for your support, in whatever form that takes!
1 comment:
Yes if the truth be known, in some moments I can say that I agree with you, but you may be in the light of other options.
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