WorldHope Corps

The Blunt Scholar: The Riley-Fitch - McKinney Scholarship for Free Thinking, Creative Expression and Independent Journalism This scholarship is directed toward students with an interest in creative writing and courageous reporting. Established by the Blunt Group of 1976 in honor of their faculty mentors, Noel Riley-Fitch and Michael David McKinney, the scholarship and annual lectureship seeks to foster free thinking and creative expression in the Christian college context. The "Bluntees" as they were known, were non-conformist, idealistic, cynical yet justice-oriented students who published an underground newspaper called "The Blunt" in 1975-1976 after the official student newspaper, "The Point" was censored and closed down by administration officials.  (More about the views and activities of this "radical student" group can be read in the book, For Zion's Sake: A History of Point Loma Nazarene University by Ronald Kirkemo Current and pas...

Today, Annie Allen and I commissioned 25 new Shalom Team members--from Camden, Montclair, Newark and Drew Theological School's Working Group on Race--who together had completed their 30 hours of training in Asset-Based Community Development.   The  Commissioning Service took place at Thornely Chapel of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, Ocean Grove, NJ.   Below is part one of my notes for the Shalom Inspiration I shared:  How long does it take to transform a community in the spirit of shalom? There's an old Sufi teaching story of the Watermelon Hunter which may shed some light on this question: “Once upon a time there was a man who strayed from his own country into the Land of Fools. He saw a number of people running in fear from a field where they had been trying to harvest wheat. They reported to this man that there was a monster in the field. Upon closer observation, the traveler saw that it was only a watermelon. The traveler offered to kill this m...

It was chaotic getting in the Port-au-Prince airport, waiting for and gathering bags among hundreds of passengers, and then struggling to get out to the Tap Tap truck and van that awaited us, which required navigating through the scores of self-appointed red hat baggage handlers aggressively insisting on helping you carry your bags to a taxie wanting your business.  I lost my money pouch in the process.   I was glad our mission was not in the city of Port-au-Prince which was devastated by the earthquake.  So many homes and buildings destroyed, a million people displaced, thousands now lving in tents--some new that were donated, most hastily constructed with whatever materials were available--on the both sides of the streets or in encampments set up by international NGO's. I was glad our mission was in Mizak--about 3 hours southwest of Port au Prince, and 45 minutes by motorcycle up the mountain from the city of Jakmel (where Angelina Jollie was reported to h...

After weeks of working the phones, blogging about the need for relief and development, and raising funds for projects, finally I’m heading to Haiti today to help with cash for food, tents, tarps, meds and a security wall around the Shalom Zone. Christa White, an anthropologist who speaks Creole and  teaches IT at Drew, is joining me to represent Communities of Shalom at Drew; and together we are joining a mission team from Texas comprised of a doctor, psychologist, nurses, physician assistant, and other United Methodist volunteers totally 20 for a week in Mizak, Haiti. Mizak, as you may know from previous posts, is a cluster of villages in the mountains with a total population of 35,000.  70% are living under the poverty level of $1 US per day.  63% are under the age of 18.  There's no hospital or doctor.  No educational opportunties beyond High School.  No jobs or vocational training.   There's no electricity, pluming, or water filtration.  T...

This morning I received Valerie's update on the situation on the ground in Mizak, Haiti.   She and her mission service team will leave on Saturday for Haiti with cash for food and some emergency supplies and help in time of need.  Paul Prevost, who lives there and deals daily with increasing needs and desperate demands for food and shelter, is trying to feed 500 kids 3 days a week in the "Peace Park" next to his house that still stands.  He needs cash now not only to buy rice and beans, but to buy materials and hire local labor to build a security wall around Peace Park to protect the kids in his care.  And there is a continuing need for tarps, tents, and sanitation for the children of Mizak.  Here's Valerie's update:  Paul called again today and if you could only hear!! the kids are so loud! He said they have more coming above the 500 that came last week, and he is unsure how to respond, given that he has no means to enclose the inscribed children from...

An appeal from Valerie for HAPI Community of Shalom.   The din of children in the background nearly drowned out Paul Prevost’s voice, as he explained to me that the 300 children to which HAPI has been providing food for 3 family meals per week has jumped to 500.   Paul told me that they distribute the dry food on one day and then organize the children’s activity days for the next 3 consecutive days rather than every other day because they know the children have food at home and will have energy to play. After the 3 days is done: they wait.   Aid is not reaching the countryside. Aid is not reaching into easily accessible points of PortauPrince. Linda Threadgill, director of Morning Star Christian Academy in Port-au-Prince (my former employer) face-booked:   "WE GOT FOOD YESTERDAY FROM THE MUSLIMS! Got to give some out. More people are eating for another week. Still do not see where all the donations are going! Please do not stop praying. We need all of yo...

After four weeks, we're starting to see some relief and hope in the horrific crisis in Haiti. However, incredible obstacles still remain in place. Our Shalom work in Mizak, Haiti, is stretched to its limits, running out of food, unable to provide emergency shelter, and asking for immediate help. Paul Prevost, Coordinator of HAPI Community of Shalom, called Valerie Nossman-Celestine, co-founder of HAPI, with the din of hungry children nearly drowning him out! He said they tried a ticketing system to hold the count at 300 for food distribution, but they have 500 there today. There are Food and Shelter provisions in Port–au-Prince, and available trucks for transportation, but security is a major concern and logistics are an overwhelming challenge…thus not much product is getting out of the cargo storage areas near the airport.   The only food and tents that get out to Mizak—3 hours SW of the city—are being brought in by visiting mission teams who are limited in their tran...