Statement of Support for the Evacuated Lumad-Mamanwas in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte

Reblogged from Beyond the Western Gate:

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Since 2011, the north eastern region of Mindanao known as Caraga has been a staging ground for increased militarization.  In February 2012, the Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP) began to use Lumad (indigenous) ancestral mountain lands as staging grounds for their increased combat operations ranging from live fire excursions to aerial strafing and bombing runs.

Caraga Region, Mindanao, Philippines…

Read more… 366 more words

The world needs to be spread about what's going on in other parts of world. Written very well by a dear friend Adam Shaw serving in The Philippines.

Weekend in Roundup, MT

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending some time in Roundup and Grass Range, Montana. These are two very small towns about an hour and a half north of Billings.  The pastor that serves both UMC’s invited me to stay the night in the parsonage and speak at both churches earlier today. I was totally welcomed with open arms by both congregations, and everyone seemed really interested in what I had to say and hearing my witness.

After the service in Roundup, Eloise, the pastor I spent the weekend with, showed me around town and showed me the damage from “The Great Flood of 2011″. On May 25th, 2011 the Musselshell River flooded and caused a tremendous amount of damage to the small rural community. Once the water had died down, and the residents of Roundup started to assess the damage and sorted their belongings, and put their belongings that would be able to be salvaged, alas, on June 9th, 2011 more rain. So much more rain that the Musselshell flooded again causing more damage. And the belongings that people had sorted that could have been saved were no longer salvageable.

Ten months later, there is still a lot of damage and testiments around town that show how traumatic it was. I am so grateful that I got to see this history while driving around.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_cd1e1a7a-62d4-5a7e-9a95-bde43acfdc94.html

 

Peace,

Brinna Kolitz

Advance (“project”) Number 3021354 .  www.advancinghope.org “give now”

In a nutshell

I’m pretty sure that this quote summarizes the past year for me, perfectly!

6 MONTHS!!!! .WHAT?

So I’m a little late with this, but the middle of February symbolized the 6 month mark of me and my class of YAMS being United Methodist Missionaries…

 

 

WHAT?  Where has the time gone!?!?!?

In some aspects it feels like it has be only a few days that my life has completely changed, some it seems like 3 years, and only in a few does it actually feel like it’s been 6 months.

I have learned so much in the past 6 months. I have seen so much more in the Social Services field than I ever thought I would have or wanted to.

I’m not going to lie, the past six months have been tough, and I have struggled a lot. There have been multiple days and weeks that I thought that I was done here, and was going to go home. Having an elderly grandmother who is very sick, and playing the waiting game hours away from any family has been very difficult for me. Having a sister who is pregnant with my second niece or nephew, has also been hard to swallow.  It took a few people to talk me down from quitting and going home. I can’t tell you that it’s not still in the back of my mind, but I now know that I can still do this, and I really do want to stay and finish out my 18 more months with my class.

 

So I ask for prayers for me so that I can continue to celebrate this amazing time in my life. I also ask for prayers for my family as we play the waiting game on when my grandmother is going to be called home.

 

Peace,

Brinna Kolitz

Advance (“project”) Number 3021354 .  www.advancinghope.org “give now”

6 MONTHS!!!! .WHAT?

So I’m a little late with this, but the middle of February symbolized the 6 month mark of me and my class of YAMS being United Methodist Missionaries…

 

 

WHAT?  Where has the time gone!?!?!?

In some aspects it feels like it has be only a few days that my life has completely changed, some it seems like 3 years, and only in a few does it actually feel like it’s been 6 months.

I have learned so much in the past 6 months. I have seen so much more in the Social Services field than I ever thought I would have or wanted to.

I’m not going to lie, the past six months have been tough, and I have struggled a lot. There have been multiple days and weeks that I thought that I was done here, and was going to go home. Having an elderly grandmother who is very sick, and playing the waiting game hours away from any family has been very difficult for me. Having a sister who is pregnant with my second niece or nephew, has also been hard to swallow.  It took a few people to talk me down from quitting and going home. I can’t tell you that it’s not still in the back of my mind, but I now know that I can still do this, and I really do want to stay and finish out my 18 more months with my class.

 

So I ask for prayers for me so that I can continue to celebrate

6 MONTHS!!!! .WHAT?

So I’m a little late with this, but the middle of February symbolized the 6 month mark of me and my class of YAMS being United Methodist Missionaries…

 

 

WHAT?  Where has the time gone!?!?!?

In some aspects it feels like it has be only a few days that my life has completely changed, some it seems like 3 years, and only in a few does it actually feel like it’s been 6 months.

I have learned so much in the past 6 months. I have seen so much more in the Social Services field than I ever thought I would have or wanted to.

I’m not going to lie, the past six months have been tough, and I have struggled a lot. There have been multiple days and weeks that I thought that I was done here, and was going to go home. Having an elderly grandmother who is very sick, and playing the waiting game hours away from any family has been very difficult for me. Having a sister who is pregnant with my second niece or nephew, has also been hard to swallow.  It took a few people to talk me down from quitting and going home. I can’t tell you that it’s not sti

6 MONTHS!!!! .WHAT?

So I’m a little late with this, but the middle of February symbolized the 6 month mark of me and my class of YAMS being United Methodist Missionaries…

 

 

WHAT?  Where has the time gone!?!?!?

In some aspects it feels like it has be only a few days that my life has completely changed, some it seems like 3 years, and only in a few does it actually feel like it’s been 6 months.

I have learned so much in the past 6 months. I have seen so much more in the Social Services field than I ever thought I would have or wanted to.

I’m not going to lie, the past six months have been tough, and I have struggled a lot. There have been multiple days and wee