Walking the Sea

Souls Such as These

2009-11-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a woman at the school I was working at today about a mutual aquaintance. (There are a lot of interconections in the district, especially if you grew up here.) During our conversation, she told me that just being in the same room as this person made her feel good. Even though she hasn't spent a lot of time talking with them one on one, this person's presence alone brings her a quiet joy. I recently spoke on Karl Rahner for my mystics class and one of his students said the same thing. He said that though he did not always understand what Rahner was talking about, just being there and hearing him lecture, this student went away feeling better about himself.

I don't know exactly what qualities it takes to be that kind of person. I know what it feels like to be around someone like that but I'm not sure how to become that kind of person myself. Warm acceptance, joy when you see someone, wisdom, and a focus on the positive in each person are many of the qualities you would find in such a one. Basically, they live love. I think that is one of the highest compliments you could give someone: that they live love. You can always tell a person like that because this woman was right, you just feel better when you're around them. I am deeply grateful God makes his presence known through souls such as these.

365-09 #324

Crystal Apple Awards

2009-11-12T23:10:00.000-08:00

The red carpet extended down the sidewalk, the banners were hung on the walls, the nominees were on the way and the Elsinore Theatre was nearly sold out. Those of us who came to support our friends were cheering as each teacher was interviewed in front of the cameras. Excitement flowed through the air.

This was the 13th annual Crystal Apple Awards for the Salem-Keizer School District, a prestigious teaching award and I was accompanying my friend, Kim, to cheer for our friend, Adria, who was nominated for one of the awards. This year, there were 55 nominations and 12 awards were scheduled to be given out.

Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long. After the entertainment and scholarship portion of the evening, they started handing out the awards. Adria was the third one announced and her cheering section, which was quite decent I must say, gave her a standing ovation, hollering and clapping wildly. The emcee talked about her many good qualities and what she has done for the school. In her hands they placed a crystal apple and she held it out to us, to the staff, parents, and volunteers with whom she wanted to share it. We were and are, SO PROUD of her. It is well deserved, she is a wonderful teacher who not only goes the extra mile, but the extra five miles beyond that.

They quoted her in the paper as saying, "“This is something that’s bigger than me,” said Adria Farina-Miller, a teacher at Richmond Elementary School, shortly after winning — referencing Richmond’s rich history in the community. “It represents all the hard work of teachers, staff, students, community members and parents,” she said. “This is for them.”"

Congratulations Adria, I am SOOO happy for you. You are, truly, an inspirational teacher.

365-09 #323

Are You a Sprinkler, Dunker, or Inward Fountain?

2009-11-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

Are you a sprinkler, a dunker, or the inward fountain? From what I know of all of you, the people reading this span across the whole baptism belief spectrum. Some people believe, not necessarily anyone reading this, that you have to be completely submerged to be saved, some believe as long as you are baptized in some form, you're good to go. Others believe baptism is a good and important ritual but not necessarily needed. The Quakers believe the change in the heart and the way you live your life is the proclamation needed, not an outward act. Then you have the differing ideas about whether it is okay to baptise children or whether the sacrament should be solely reserved for adults. Each of these beliefs came to fruition as a reaction to another set of beliefs that had lost it's meaning. For example, George Fox was of the opinion that the Anglican church was rich in rituals but poor in meaning and in the inward relationship with God. Menno Simmons, who founded the Mennonite movement, believed that the ritual of baptizing a child was not a real baptism as the child is not of an age to make a full conscious decision for Christ.

This evening at church we discussed this topic. One of the reason I have enjoyed going to Ecclesia is it helps me hone my own beliefs. Having a multifaceted spirituality, it has been interesting for me to learn how to put these rivers of faith together into truth that honors all the distinct traditions I love. Being Christian, I grew up being taught the Bible stories on flannel boards in Sunday School, sang the Christian camp songs, and wiggled through services. I still hold these beliefs, some deeper, some looser, some expanded, but I hold them still. I loved growing up in that church and it was a good experience for me. They gave me a solid grounding that cannot be shaken. I can still go there and feel very comfortable and welcome.

I have also come to really appreciate some of the core beliefs of the Quaker tradition, that what goes on in the heart and how one's faith is lived out is more important than an outward ritual. I agree with them that we can interact and communicate with God directly, that we can hear from God every day. I didn't look at Quakerism and decide to believe those things, I had already wrestled with such ideas on my own and with my fellow students and professors, and then while studying Quakerism for a school project, saw they believed many of the same things I did. Only later did I realize how diverse Quaker beliefs really were.

Even before that though, I'd already learned I was Jewish and I learned I was Jewish AFTER I had started attending temple services because something in them called to a deep place in me. My Judaism is an inheritance I am proud to claim, indeed, it has filled in a lot of holes Christianity is lacking such as community and sticking up for each other, treasuring one's roots, reverencing God while daring to come close, and valuing Torah. I don't know whether my belief came first or if I was influenced by temple, but my emphasis tends to be on God as one. "Shema Yisrael, Adonai eloheynu, Adonai ehad." (Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." I believe Jesus was God and came to bring us back to Himself, but instead of focusing on the divine trinity, I focus more on one God expressed in different ways. As we can never even come close to comprehending God, I am okay not "getting it".

So you can imagine baptism is a bit of a struggle for me. On one hand, I value both points of view on children and adults being baptized as a public declaration of belief. I also can see how it can be an outward ritual done for itself without the inward change of heart and how it is not necessary for salvation. In Judaism, as far as I yet know, there is no equivalent to baptism. Having a bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah at 13 years of age or later is more of a declaration that the bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah student has reached the age of maturity. They have studied Jewish history, beliefs, and are capable of leading the service in English and Hebrew and have the ability to handle adult responsibilities in the community.

Taking these traditions into account, listening to what my friends had to say, I have realized that there is no easy belief to hand out. Each community does what they do for God and I think God honors all of it when the heart is turned to Him/Her. Some people baptize their children as a formal acceptance into the community. Some only have adults who make that choice for themselves eligible for baptism. Some churches focus on the inward heart, and the Jews have a rich tradition of bringing a child into the adult faith world. Each belief has it's own strengths and weaknesses. There are pits they all fall into, things they can each teach to one another for the betterment of all.

So I would say whatever you do, do it based on a strong and open relationship with God. Where are hearts are at is first. If our hearts are there in love, our actions will be also. Any ceremony to symbolize that commitment, as important as it can be to some, is secondary.

365-09 #322

Happy Birthday Week Begins

2009-11-09T23:02:00.000-08:00

My 30th birthday is next Monday so the women's small group I am a part of celebrated tonight with cake and wine. (Carole knows me well, the wine was from where St. John of the Cross is from.) It was so much fun! We have been meeting for a year and a half now and these ladies have become dear to me as we've talked and shared our lives. Thank you Carole, Suzanne, Liz, and Jeannie for making it such a special time together, I am so grateful for you all.

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -- Abraham Lincoln

365-09 #321

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

2009-11-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

Many of these people I go to church with. They are a fun group, as you can tell. :) (I was at the Pentacle's 55th anniversary party taking pictures.)

365-09 #320

The Enneagram - Type 4

2009-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night I am meeting with my small group about what we've learned from the enneagram. In addition to our time together, I've also studied the enneagram at the seminary with Katie Skurja. I remember the first time I read the chapter on fours, it was actually quite embarrassing. It was as if someone was pointing out all of my dark places. Yikes! It was good, though, too, it was nice to have some things explained and written out. It was nice to see it there before me in black and white. The authors also gave some very good practical steps toward healing and becoming a healthy human soul.

In preparation for our discussion, I pulled out my book and looked again at the chapter on fours. Looking over the quiz as if I was answering for who I am today, I realized I would probably no longer test as a four. You never actually switch numbers, I will always be a four, and in several deep ways, it is still absolutely "me", but many of the unhealthy traits no longer describe me, who I am now. I have grown in so many rich ways, little by little, step by step, I have healed, grown, and changed my ways. I am now far more forthright, "no's" are much easier to say and stick to, and I don't dwell on the negative; I much rather look at all the positive things in life. It's so nice to know I am a "healthy four".

A while back, a friend who has that gift of seeing things that cannot be seen, said I had fear within me but that the fear was just like the fear everyone else has, that my spirit was strong and healthy. Self-growth is hard and I know it will always be something I work on, but getting to this point, having the core, the soul of me healthy and happy, is one of the greatest gifts given me. On this sabbath day, I stand on the cliff looking out to where I've been, and shout to the sky thank you to you, God, for guiding me and for all the companions you gave on the way.

365-09 #319

A Sweet, Treasured Time

2009-11-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

What if this is as good as it gets? What if the life we are living right now is the best we'll ever have, ever experience? We spend a great deal of time in our lives telling ourselves things will be better when... (fill in the blank). For me, it is usually when this or that project is done such as uploading photographs, finishing a quilt, or when I'm done editing this or that book, then I'll have more free time. I've also told myself things will be easier financially when I make more money. Think about what you tell yourself. Do you ever use the terms, "when I'm older", "when the kids are older", "when I have another job", or "after we move"? I'm sure you have some variation of them somewhere in your psyche. Most of us do.

What is even harder is when we look at our lives and see what we think we are lacking. We look at what we've lost, what we've never had, and what we wish we had. We stare at these things, pretend we feel them in our hands, and are jealous of those who hold them in theirs. We see our own lives and think of them as inadequate, not enough, sorely lacking in what is essential.

For my main job, I do classified substituting with the local school district. I don't make much money and that can be difficult at times. I am trying to find a regular, full time job but quite frankly, with everything going on, it's hard to find the time. (Remember those "when" phrases?) There are things in my short sightedness I would like to change about my life. I say short sightedness because that is often the only way we can look at our lives. We don't see what we truly need, we don't see what is coming down the road. We don't see what is truly good, what is truly love in our lives.

Then yesterday as I was working, God asked me, "Do you think this is coincidence? Do you think this was by chance?" When he asked this, I was checking in books at a friend's library where I was filling in for her assistant, it is also a place I enjoy volunteering at when I'm not substituting at another school. The first assignment there was random, but, as we know, not so random. Since then, they request me whenever Kim is gone. I realized then just how random it wasn't that God has placed me there, that I choose to go. Like pulling one string on a web, me being there affects far more than I can imagine both in my life and in theirs.

The places we are at in our lives indeed are not random, they are part of a grand design we all are a part of. Life isn't in the end result, it's in the weaving together of our fabric. If I keep wishing for another day, I am going to miss the gifts in this one. I am going to miss the fact that God has placed me where he has for a reason. If I had a full time job right now, I wouldn't be able to help them and believe me, volunteering there adds so much to my life. Right now is a special time. Right now is a time I will cherish for years to come. The things I feel I am missing are missing for a reason, they make room for the blessings of today. And those blessings are abundant. It is a time full of growth, of seeing my passions come to fruition, of rich friendships, and fun times. It actually stuns me to think of all that I've been given. I don't want to wish away my time. I don't want to keep looking at tomorrow and miss today. It is a gift, a priceless, truly a treasure-gift. If life was a treasure map, the X would be underneath my feet. I just can't thank God enough for it. Today is a sweet time.

Is this as good as it gets? No, it gets better. But it is really great now and I am so happy I know that while I am still living it.

365-09 #318

What is Truly Precious

2009-11-06T00:45:00.000-08:00

The last few months I have been thinking how rich my life is with such beautiful friends. Life and what it is worth is not found in money or possessions but in love. As the musical Rent proclaims, "measure life in love."

Such thoughts have brought to mind those people in my own life who have seen both my great weaknesses and times I have been deeply broken as well as the times I shine. But perhaps it is in my brokenness when I shine. Perhaps it is those times that make them love us more deeply. Parts of me thinks of those relationships and wonders what they must think after seeing me in places like that. Having gone through those depths, some of these friends tend to be the quiet rivers of love I can feel but not name. They are the rocks I stand on but cannot see. Maybe they are like God, after all. Maybe our richest relationships have a sense of the mysterious about them that we cannot name and cannot see but whatever it is supports us and brings warmth to our hearts.

Perhaps the deepest depths of love is a Divine glow connecting souls, a depth only reached when we have descended into the murky mud and come up with what is truly precious in our hands.

365-09 #317

Monster Mama

2009-11-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of spending time at my friend's library is to hear her read stories to the kids. Today while I was substituting for her assistant, she read "Monster Mamma" to the first and second graders complete with voices and lots of color in the telling. I took my work out in easy hearing distance and listened as raptly as the kids. I loved the story, how powerful the boy in the story, Patrick Edward, felt and acted even when bullied. I loved how Monster Mama acted with the bullies and how things were all turned around to good in the end. It gave me a great picture of not letting my sense of self or the power inside be shaken even in the face of people trying to push me around. He was so confident, even fought back. I appreciated that. (And I LOVED her voice for Monster Mama!) At one point, the boy says, "Strength is for the wise, not the reckless [and foolish as Adria added]." Strength is something that comes from inside, it's not power to be abused or being able to throw my weight around, it's the strength to stand in the wind knowing who is holding me up. "It's the refusal to fall and the power to look beyond it all." as a song on my itunes says. Strength shines from our hearts, hearts that know what real power is.

How to wield power was a great reminder to hear today, any day actually, but in the form of a story like that, with Adria reading it with all her wonderful voices, well, it was very sweet time and left me absolutely delighted.

365-09 #316

Silverton Friends Bazaar

2009-11-04T23:47:00.000-08:00

My photography, matted poetry, and books are being sold this weekend at the Silverton Friends Bazaar in Silverton, Oregon, Friday and Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm. I will be there working a shift on Friday late afternoon, from 2:30-5 pm. I love how they set this up, particularly from an artist's point of view. You deliver the items and they set it up like one large fancy boutique but with great prices. You wander through and drink hot cider to Christmas music and then buy everything you want at one register. It's great and I don't need to be there all weekend. What an awesome deal!!! I've done it for several years now and I love going as well and checking out all the other crafts. This year, it's one great big slice of Christmas pie for me and I'm going to treasure every moment of it. It's really fun, you should check it out! Their address is:

Silverton Friends Church
229 Eureka Avenue
Silverton, OR 97381
503-873-5131

If you want to check out what is for sale there, look at my website, www.SpiritWaterPublications.com. See you at the bazaar!

365-09 #315

Aelred of Rievaulx - You Paint God for Me

2009-11-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

This is for all those friends who's love warms me every day.

I recently heard my friend use a phrase that I love, "You paint God for me" and it has stayed with me ever since. Aelard of Rievaulx reminded me of this, how there are people in our lives that when we look in their eyes, we feel the touch of God embrace us. Last week I looked into a friend's smiling eyes and it felt like our souls touched, something deep that could not be seen. It can't be fully explained but there are some hands who reach much deeper than can ever be told. For me, these friends are like warm fires inside my heart. Whenever I feel cold from a frosty wind, I sit for a while by the crackling flames of my thoughts of these friends and warm my hands.

Though I have played around at the edges of Aelred's exploration into spiritual friendship, it hadn't occurred to me so plainly that loving a friend was loving God and that being loved by a friend was being loved by God. I liked this quote particularly well, "Therefore, not too steep or unnatural does the ascent appear from Christ, as the inspiration of the love by which we love our friend, to Christ, as the inspiration of the love by which we love our friend, to Christ giving himself to us as our Friend for us to love, so that charm may follow upon charm, sweetness upon sweetness, and affection upon affection." I like the last part especially as it illustrates for me what a friendship is like as it grows and deepens. It has been quite some time since I began to believe that such friendships are the most precious things to have in life. Such friends hold the paint brushes making wide strokes the color of love in our lives.

365-09 #314

Live the Question

2009-11-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

I went to two stores tonight and bought many things on my Africa shopping list including vitamins, a lock, various bathroom travel bottles, antiseptic ointment, stuff like that. I feel quite a bit more prepared than I did before. The safari is set, I've reserved my space at the hostel, and a local Friend from Nairobi is willing to take me into the Kibera slum, the densest slum in all of Africa. It will be eye opening to say the very least. I even got the tevas I ordered in the mail today.

One piece of good news for all of you is that the whole delegation might be staying at the hostel I will be at before my safari. They will all come in after I get back and this lovely hostel has computers I can get on and use the internet so you will be able to read how the trip to Nairobi went, what it is like in the slums, and what it was like for me on the safari. I don't know what access I'll have after that, but at least in Nairobi, I'll be able to let you know I'm alive and well.

My life is changing right now and I don't know what it's changing into. It's nerve wracking and I don't particularly like it. But as one student observed today, change does come and we have no choice in the matter. But, as I pointed out to him, we do have a choice in how we react to it. We have a choice to despair or to look at it all as a new adventure. There are so many questions I have right now and few answers. As Rilke says, I'm just going to have to live the question.

365-09 #313

Jesus Gets Me There

2009-11-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

On my way back from my aunt's house, I wanted to stop in Portland for a meeting. I had written out the directions on a post-it note but couldn't find where I had put it. So here I am, on I-5, unable to call anyone because it's illegal to use your cell phone while driving in Washington, and trying to remember the directions I'd written. As soon as I cross the Columbia River which divides Oregon and Washington, I call my friend, Julie, who gets into my e-mail and finds the address I had sent myself. On the phone with her, she gives me the directions to where I need to go but I get very lost anyway. Still on the phone, we try to figure out where I am at and where I need to go. Several times of turning around, the car dying, and several choice words later, we know I am nearby where I need to go. At the top of my frustration level, she gives me the number of where I need to be and I call them. My friend, who is hosting the meeting, picks up the phone and I try to relay to her where I am at. While I put her on hold for a moment to accept a substitute request call, she goes outside where I look up to see her crouched on the sidewalk waving at me. She tries to tell me where to go to park and I invite her into the car which she accepts. From there it is simply a turn around the corner and I park on the street. Relieved, we walk to her house together and she welcomes me inside where smiling faces are waiting.

I was thinking about the experience on the way home and thought that being on the phone with my friend was a lot like living under the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. You know where you are supposed to be but still feel rather lost and make a lot of wrong turns trying to get there. Then Jesus comes along side us, gets in the car with us, and no longer being alone, brings us right home, exactly where we need to be, with smiling faces welcoming us when we get there. And where is "there"? "There" is a life lived free and let me tell you, it is so much easier finding your way there when you listen to someone who has been there before.

365-09 #312

Waking Up to the Waves

2009-10-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

I love waking up to the waves lapping up on the shore. Up here on the island I look out the windows and as far as I can see north and as far as I can see south past the clear glass balcony railing is a mile of rolling blue water stretched out before me me and it gives me a renewed perspective of the eternal, of the regular rhythms of a grace-filled life. I am at home here on the island, it is a place of peace, love, and delight.

My aunt and I crossed the Narrows Bridge this afternoon to go shopping at the mall in Tacoma.

We had so much fun looking around together and doing womanly things. She saves the girly stuff up for when I come to see her. There were even lots of little tricker treaters to smile at.

Tonight we watched "Dirty Dancing" which my uncle actually stayed to watch with us. He doesn't quite understand how a person can watch that movie several times over. But we went out to see "The Stepfather" last night (his pick) which, of course, I yelped at. It would have been an outright scream but I already had my hands tightly clamped over my mouth. Then they brought up the movie, "Taken" which they had on their available movie list. I told them I'd already heard about it, that Peggy told me I shouldn't watch it until after I got back from Africa. Oops. We watched it anyway, and, well, lets just say if any of you wanted me to be super careful and ready to obey my "handlers" as Peggy calls them, you just got your wish. I was going to be careful anyway but now even more so. I hope I don't have any nightmares tonight. Last night I didn't and had a good friend in them instead. I hope she comes back tonight, I could use her there after a movie like that. It's a good thing I'm in a place with people who love me because this is exactly why I don't watch scary movies. They scare me.

I am going to step out on the balcony for a while and look across the water at the lights. Hi God.

Thank you God for these shoes!

365-09 #311

WOW...

2009-10-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at God's provision and attention to detail. Before coming here to Fox Island, my aunt mentioned her step-mother-in-law had given her a pair of new shoes she didn't want but they were a size 9 and too small for my aunt's feet which are also size 9. Me being a 9 1/2, there was no way they would fit me but we tried them on anyway. The shoes are 9 1/2. They fit me well. They are Sketchers, one of my favorite brands of shoes. They are good sturdy tennis shoes, good for walking. They are grey, white, silver, and sky blue. They will match the fleece pullover I'm bringing perfectly. The woman who bought them doesn't want any money for the shoes. She gave them to my Aunt Sharri months ago. The tongue of one shoe has something in it that makes a bit of a crinkle sound when I walk. The other tongue is silent. Therefore, as Quakers would say, one shoe is programmed, the other shoe is unprogrammed. I told you I loved diversity!

Don't ever tell me God does not know exactly what we need and provides it exactly when we need it. I am amazed, humbled, and sooooooo grateful. My aunt didn't even know I had been looking around for shoes. THANK YOU GOD!

365-09 #310

How Do You Make Them Listen?

2009-10-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

I was working at a school this afternoon in the pass room which pretty much means I get to read and tell the kids to stop talking. I only had one student most of the day so I got to do a lot more reading than telling kids to be quiet. Most of my reading was in a book about Burundi and the violence and reconciliation there. At the same time, I have lunch detention duty and have separate talks with two students about the long-standing conflict they've had for a few years. "Stop staring at me!!!" was angrily thrown several times. It's stupid, stupid stuff- suspicions, labels, stereotypes, anger, the same thing I was reading about that led to widespread massacre. How that all starts was giving glaring looks at each other before my eyes. How do you help teach 12 year olds to look past their prejudice and at the heart of a person? How do you teach them to put down their "weapons" and reach out? How do you make them listen to what is true? We have enough killing in the world.

365-09 #309

Safe as Can Be

2009-10-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

While planning this trip to Kenya, I have heard repeatedly about the steriotype of any white person oozing money wherever they go. On one hand, I'm not rich. In some ways, I'm financially poor but I also know there are a lot of people who even live nearby who make it with a great deal less than I have to work with. Then, when I think about it internationally, over half the people in the world live on less than $400 a year, including those in Kenya. So part of me wants to argue the stereotype and tell them I am not rich, I am only able to go on this trip because others believed along with me it is worth taking. The other part of me wants to completely agree with them that I do have a lot materially and comparitivly, ooze money wherever I go. It's a hard truth to swallow. It also surprises me to know that even just being with me can put native Kenyans in danger as well. I feel like a highly sought after prize and an enemy of the state at the same time. It will be a great trip, but there will be a lot of challenges, discomfort, and even danger as well. (Though I will try very hard to stay safe as can be.) I should also tell you that Eden assures me Kenya is quite safe for travelers.

365-09 #308

Fundraising Letter

2009-10-27T00:46:00.000-07:00

This is the fundraising letter I am sending out to help raise the rest of the funds for Africa. THANK YOU to everyone who has helped out thus far; I am truly humbled and grateful for you assistance.

Sarah Katreen Hoggatt
PO Box 7522
Salem, OR 97303

Monday, October 26, 2009

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, I have been invited to be a speaker and workshop leader in Kenya for the African Young Quaker Christian Association Conference this December of 2009. I am really excited about this opportunity to minister with and spend time with the people of Kenya! While there, I will also speak at a youth conference, visit the mission in Turkana, and promote the Quaker Youth Book Project.

When I first received the invitation from my friend, John Lomuria, in September of this year, I took the trip under careful consideration; I thought about why I may or may not be called to go. I reflected on my long-standing interest in the church in Kenya, in my passion for the African people and the issues they face, and on my longing to let other young adult Quakers know they do not stand alone. I considered my God-given gifts as a speaker, as a spiritual director, and as someone who can listen without judgment, someone who loves to learn about other ways to live and to see the world, to explore other cultures. I then realized these are exactly the gifts John was looking for: someone who can speak well, share her story with fellow young adults and listen to others with an open mind, someone who respects other cultures and who would fit in well helping with various ministries.

For me, Kenya is no longer some distant country, it is my friend’s home and by ministering there, by speaking my story and working alongside the African people, I hope they will also come to understand that despite our differences and sometimes because of them, we can stand together in God. Through the Quaker Youth Book Project Editorial Board, I have seen what power cross-cultural relationships can wield and the African young adult Quakers are eager for such experiences with those from other cultures. Through my ministry there with them, I will be giving them this by honoring who they are and who we are together.

All told, the trip will cost about $4,000.00 between airfare, room and board, conference fees, vaccinations, and other miscellaneous expenses. Four-thousand dollars is an amount way beyond my personal budget so to meet this goal, I applied for and was awarded three grants totaling $2,675.00 from three Quaker organizations which have largely made this trip possible. The rest of the money I am fundraising through donations and what I can set aside out of my own income. I would greatly appreciate any help you could give whether that is financial or holding me in prayer as I undertake this ministry. You can make out any checks directly to me. Specific prayer needs include smooth travel and adjustment, safety, good health, and most importantly, that the words I bring to this group of African young adults are blessed and used by God.

I will be posting to my blog as I travel, www.WalkingtheSea.blogspot.com. I invite you to check in with me there to see how the trip is going; I leave on Nov. 28th and return on Dec. 22nd. Thank you for your consideration in helping me minister in Africa. Please contact me by phone or by e-mail at katreen16@hotmail.com with any further questions. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Sarah Katreen Hoggatt

365-09 #307

Africa Update - Yay!

2009-10-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be time for a new Africa update:

I now know which safari company I'm going with. Now I just need to work out the details of sending her the deposit which Eden, who is in Kenya, is kindly going to help me with. I also am pretty sure which hostel I'm going with for at least two nights of the trip, possible more depending on how much a guest house costs.

Now that some of the big stuff is taken care of, I am now working on arrangements to see one of the slums (which some of you won't like me doing but I want to see it for myself if possible, safely of course), and getting the things I need to take with me all together. Today I bought a good pair of sandals that look nice enough to pass at church as well. I also found a good day pack at the army surplus store for really cheap.

Fundraising efforts are coming along. Writing a formal letter is one of my next tasks. I'm planning on getting those out this week and will be posting it on here as well.

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement as I get ready to go.

365-09 #306

The Blue Jay

2009-10-23T18:10:00.001-07:00

One day in early autumn, a blue jay was flying past a house. As the blue jay flew by, he saw a lovely chimney and he decided to stop and talk to it. “I was just flying past when I noticed what a lovely chimney you are. Your bricks are so red and you stand so tall and proud above all the other chimneys around.” The chimney was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to chimneys. After a moment’s thought the chimney replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it’s the roof that supports me so I may stand so tall, and it was the bricklayer who made me who picked my bricks so red.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that chimneys do not talk to blue jays but decided to go talk to the roof instead. “I was just talking to the chimney when I noticed what a lovely roof you are. Your shingles are so straight and you protect all that is beneath you.” The roof was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to roofs. After a moment’s thought, the roof replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it is the walls that support me and the roof builder that laid my shingles so straight.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that roofs do not talk to blue jays but decided to go talk to the wall instead. “I was just talking to the roof when I noticed what a lovely wall you are. You stand so upright and must be so strong to uphold all that is above you.” The wall was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to walls. After a moment’s thought, the wall replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it is the foundation I stand upon and the construction worker who made me so strong.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that walls do not talk to blue jays but decided to go talk to the foundation instead. “I was just talking to the wall when I noticed what a lovely foundation you are. Your cement is so thick and your sides are so flat.” The foundation was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to foundations. After a moment’s thought the foundation replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it is the earth upon which I sit and the one who poured me who made my cement so thick.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that foundations do not talk to blue jays but decided to go fly away instead. As the blue jay was flying, the sun stopped him and said, “I was just shining here when I noticed what a lovely blue jay you are. You go so quickly and fly so well.” The blue jay was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that the sun does not talk to blue jays. After a moment’s thought of thinking about what the chimney, roof, wall, and foundation had all said, the blue jay replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it’s the wind that pushed me along so quickly and the one who made me who gave me the gift of flying so well.”

365-09 #305

Places of Illumination

2009-10-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

I needed to hear this today, I thought you might too.

"Darkness is really not so different from places of illumination, it's simply that the light hasn't touched it yet. In essence darkness and light are the same in that God is fully present in both, and that is the most important reality. The other is that the everyday ups and downs, the emotions, the good news, the bad, the triumphs, failures, frustrations and even boredom, while these things are the essence of daily living, i.e "life", they are not Life. Life is below the surface of activity. So no matter if there is a raging storm or placid calm, the true substance of Life is always deep below where it is quiet, and it is peace. I was grateful to be reminded of this, and was reminded also that even these moments of illumination are grace, are gifts not earned by our own efforts. Thank-you, God." - Christine Welch-Elder

365-09 #304

Thomas Merton

2009-10-20T23:55:00.001-07:00

I loved this quote by Thomas Merton: "He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others." I have been thinking a lot lately about the importance of service and of taking care of myself at the same time. I tend to do better on the service than self-care. I particularly resonated with Merton's use of freedom. Freedom, real freedom, is deep and all-encompassing. We can't really serve until we are free. We can't love until we love from freedom. It's important to remember to nourish ourselves as we nourish each other. If we don't, we would not have anything of real value to offer if we don't have it ourselves.

I also was intrigued by his discussion of emptying ourselves and being open to whatever God would say to us and however he chooses to say it. It feels like God speaks to us in ways our soul can hear but our ears cannot. Sometimes, I close my eyes and try to listen for his song, the one that connects us all together as one, the song of life humming around me. I haven't heard it often, but I've heard it enough to know it's there and that, as Thomas Merton says, hearing it changes everything else. Hearing that song changed my perspective of who we are and what we are connected to. I am grateful he sings it; It is a song worth listening for.

365-09 #303

Words I Remember

2009-10-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what you can learn in the schools. Last week I was listening in on one of Adria's lessons with the kids in the library. I often listen in on what she is saying for I have found there is much wisdom in lessons to third graders. That lesson was no exception. The kids were sitting at the tables somewhat attentively as she explained what they were about to do in the computer lab and what she said, though not intended, struck a chord in me. Adria told them, "Some questions will be easy and some questions will be hard. But that's okay. Don't worry."

Her words are a great paraphrase of a deep truth. In life, some questions are easy and some questions are hard. But that's okay, that's the way it's supposed to be. We get both, it's part of our humanity so we needn't worry if we can't answer the tough ones. Not all questions need to be answered. Sometimes, it's the search for the answer that is the answer. Both kinds of questions, and every question in between, is okay to ask. Ask away and answer what you can. Don't worry, leave God the rest.

Thanks for the reminder Adria and for the lessons you gave me on that topic so many times in years past. They are words I remember.

365-09 #302

The Deeper Dream

2009-10-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

Today turned out to be quite different than I had been planning on. I was going to go to church and women's group. That was it. But God, as he often does, had different plans. I did go to church and I did get to come back home, edit for the book project and take a nap, but that's where the similarity ended. After speaking with a friend last night, I found out about a baby shower for a woman I used to be friends with along with many mutual friends I hadn't seen for a long time in attendance. The shower made for an interesting contrast of who I used to be and the life I led versus who I am and the life I lead now. The journey between the two has held some very unexpected turns, plans failed, dreams birth and realized anew, and new opportunities seized. After the shower, I headed to the theatre to take some pictures of scenes I couldn't get during a normal dress-rehearsal and ended up staying for the whole show (which by the way, sinks in deeper and deeper every time I see it), after women's group was canceled. Not what I planned on, but I am so glad I got to see the play again tonight and got to hang out afterwards with my friends in the cast and crew.

Life doesn't turn out the way we plan. It's a simple fact. Often, what we plan is not the best for us, there is something better on the horizon. Like pulling a plant out of the ground to make room for something else, there may be a gaping hole in our life but we can rest assured that God has something in mind to put in it. Some of the richest friendships are the unexpected ones, the ones when we are looking for one thing and find a special soul instead. Sometimes we loose a dream which then makes room for a much bigger one we would have never dared to imagine. I could never have imagined I would be going to Africa this fall. I had very different plans for my time. But between those plans not working out and me being willing to give up the others, God had the holes required in my life to plant a very big dream.

It is always hard to give up something you've hoped for, had faith in, and dreamed about, but I challenge you to keep looking and keep searching for what God is bringing into your life instead. It may just be exactly what you really needed, your deeper dream come true.

365-09 #301

A New Glory

2009-10-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Though already a few hours into the morning, the forest is still seemingly cloaked in barely lightened dawn. A lone bird quietly sings the day's arrival as we make our way through the eerily silent trees. Muted yellows and puddles of red mixed with the green trees among the hills, autumn slipped in among the leaves. "BOOM!!!" thunders through the clouds, wave upon wave of drumming rolls through the air followed by a flash of bright light. Across the swinging bridge, over the creek, the heavens open, keeping their whispered promise of poured out buckets upon our heads. Every drop releases a fresh breath of forest air into our lungs as if God was in the air, in the rain, and he wants to infuse our bodies in baptism, close to his spirit. His waters of renewal run down our faces, soaking through straight to our souls, to join us with the bird singing his name. Out of the forest, our baptismal pool, we arise with a new glory, a new moment to cherrish for the eternal gift such moments are.

365-09 #300