This past month-and-a-half marked some anniversaries for us. August 15th was our 6th wedding anniversary! Falling on a Saturday this year, we had the chance to dine out in style on the actual day. It's fun to remember that for our 5th wedding anniversary we were in our countryside home stay, focusing on language learning and cultural immersion.

The rooftop lounge at the hotel we went to for dinner was snazzy, and here's a feel for the views at sunset!

We followed up our celebration the next weekend with a night in a tree-house and a fun pool day (more on this later.)

The month prior to our anniversary marked another important date for us: on July 15th it was exactly one year since we moved to Haiti! Very appropriately, we were at our annual all-staff retreat in Jacmel, getting to stroll the boardwalk together and visit the beach. 

This year has been filled with memories, and I don't dare try to recount them all. However, I will say that this year has been one marked profoundly by:

Grace: being in a new place, and at first hardly understanding any of the dialogue and customs, we needed and experienced a ton of grace. Grace for ourselves, to accept that we don't know much, and if we mess up it's okay. This kind of grace opens up your world in an entirely new way that I hadn't quite experienced before.

Joy: in discovering. New phrases in Kreyòl, delicious fruits, beautiful colors, a new mountain trail to hike. Friends and co-workers have been our teachers through and through (some gentle, some abrupt), helping us to carve out a life here in Haiti. 

Confrontation: as your experiences expand, so does your worldview. New realities, ideologies, press up against your own. It can clash with what you hold to be true, and lead to some inner dissonance and at times total confusion. But the wrestling process is a good thing, a toning and stretching of how you think about and process the world. This is one thing I am sure is going to continue into the next years; I hope it does, because this feels to me like a trademark of the active spiritual life.

Thankfulness: there has seriously been so much to be thankful for. The prayers of others, our home, the small beauties in each day. Grace. Recognizing the big and small things as the workings of God makes me a lot more thankful for each thing as it comes. 

Love. I claimed Ephesians 3:14-21 as a prayer for myself during our term here in Haiti, and as I'm writing these reflections I'm realizing how much God has revealed and is revealing about new aspects of His deep love for me. Wow, amazing!

One major gift and bonus of this past year has been two great visits from friends. Katie, dear friend for over 13 years now, came to see us in May. We had a beautiful, adventure-filled week! Katie is great with a camera, among other things, and did this impromptu photo shoot of Ted and me around our house and neighborhood. I thought sharing these photos now would be a great way to commemorate this ''anniversaries'' edition blog post. :) Cheers!

Photos compliments of Katie at Hope Photographie (Fullerton, CA).

Celebrating 5 years!

Our 5th wedding anniversary was commemorated in some unexpected and unforgettable ways :) It was August 15th, and we were still living with a Haitian family in the countryside. We were not expecting fireworks for our special day!

It happened to come up during the lunch the day prior. Our host sister, Lovely, and her cousin Rose-Angele asked what we were up to the following day and we mentioned it was our anniversary. Rose-Angele jumped on the news, "Oh, and what are you planning? What are WE going to do?" She instantly started planning something, in cahoots with Lovely, that we weren't to know anything about. All that was decided, was that we would all walk to a local river basin to swim, something that Ted and I loved to do under the hot, hot Dezam sun.

Friday came, and we were instructed to stay outside of the house for about 45 minutes. They were all like schoolgirls, coming in and out of the house with unrecognizable bundles in their hands. We had some idea of what they were up to. . .we could make out some flowers and fruits passing hands from the garden to the kitchen area.

At long last, they "let us in." Amazing! Our bedrooms was adorned with flower petals. They nearly stripped their hibiscus tree to spell out "Happy Birthday Ted & Katharine" on our bed (the covers for which they changed that morning to a silky, white sheet - perhaps their family's favorite). The petals continued to the floor, where a large red heart laid at our doorstep. So cute!

In the kitchen, a beautiful bouquet and an array of delicious fruits awaited us. Grapes, mangoes, avocados, bananas, kashima, and veggies too. They cut the fruit for us, as a hearty snack on our way to the basin. 

Our friends who were behind it all - Rose Angele in center, Lovely to her right;
Tadjini to he left and Lens in front (who was really just there for the picture :)

A lovely chalkboard design by our friend Rosie.

It would be hard to top that, but we definitely had some romantic dinner plans once we got back to Port-au-Prince! :)

Quartier Latin is one of the most unique spots we've seen here in Port-au-Prince. If you come visit us, we will probably take you! While there, you feel like you're on the bayou - mystical candle lighting, and chandeliers made from wrought iron and dangling silverware. We love their Saturday night jazz band and their amazing patio atmosphere, with kerosene lamps on each table and ornaments hanging from the trees. The singer dedicated a few songs to us, and the saxophone player kept making eyes at our table (I think he wanted to see some salsa action on our part buuut that didn't quite happen; not this time!). The chocolate desserts were amazing :)

Ready for our night out to Quartier Latin.

That same week, we even got to see a London Globe Theater performance of HAMLET, as a part of their Globe-to-Globe two year tour. I happen to be obsessed with this play. (More on this later.) You never know what you will come across here in Port-au-Prince!

Finally. . .drum roll please. . .Ted comes into our bedroom on Saturday night and presents me with this. Ted has never given a "regular" card in his life, and this one took the cake. As a final treat in commemoration of our anniversary, we got to play The Game of Oswald, 5th edition.

Opening the card, you are presented with a storyboard with special highlights from our 5-year journey marked along the way (I have showcased our three "homes" together below, along with the "game pieces"). :)

Behold:

As our pieces moved along the game board, different scenarios caused us to take steps forwards and backwards. It can feel that way in life or a relationship, but the point is that we are always hand-in-hand, and that God has us in His loving care.

Happy Anniversary!

I LOVE this story.

Last Friday, I witnessed something AMAZING, and I have to tell. My dear friend, M., has been sick for some time. In addition, she's been heartsick for her son, who was taken from her about 5 years ago, when he was just 1 year old. M. is a refugee from Liberia; her son's dad took him back home "for a visit" five years ago, but purposefully left him there, while using his passport to bring another child back to the U.S.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was at M.'s house. Her poor health, and her anxiety over her son, seemed too much to bear. She cried, and asked for prayer. We have prayed together a few times. Her chronic health condition - which is a mystery to her doctors - has taken her to the ER on a regular basis of late. We've prayed over the phone, while she sits in the hospital bed alone. Two weeks ago, when I visited her at her house, we prayed again. We prayed for a few things: 1) that God would encourage M., and 2) that He would watch over her son, and 3) maybe even provide a miracle...

What first brought M. & I together was Ted's involvement in filing her naturalization paperwork last April. After concluding the interview, it became clear that M. cannot read; she never learned. So, to prep her for her citizenship interview, she and I started meeting to review the basics of literacy, and also some facts of U.S. history. She didn't tell many people about her efforts, for fear that she might be teased by some family and friends. Though she has failed her test once, she gets another try this Spring, before needing to re-file her application.

Back to our meeting last week. Our typical Friday meetings had been cancelled this past month, due to the increased stress of her health problems. We met in other capacities (to pray, review her diagnosis with her doctor), but last Friday, we did make it a point to pick up our literacy review.

As I sat waiting in Starbucks - reading intently - I jumped as I felt her hand over my face from behind. But the biggest, most wonderful shock came when I turned around and saw this adorable, 6-year-old face next to hers. It was her SON! Just arrived from Liberia!

Friends, I cannot tell you what a wonder this was to me. Just two weeks ago, there seemed to be no answer in site, no tangible hope to grasp on to. M. has tried several times, with the assistance of the State Department, to get her son back. 

When M. sat next to me last Friday, laughing at the amazement of it all, the first thing she said to me was, "Remember how we prayed??"

And that's when I remembered... we had prayed. We had prayed for M.'s encouragement. We had prayed for her son, and we had even prayed for some kind of miracle... 

Wow... Thank you Jesus! It was a humble reminder that our God can do all things. It's also a reminder of how He pursues us with His love... I thank God that M.'s son is safe and now in his mother's care. Thanks to each of you who have heard pieces of M.'s story before and prayed.

Reminder of Truth

A beautiful day down by the Schuylkill. A perfect day down by the Schuylkill.

We sat and read for an hour by the sparkling water, enjoying the cool breeze. An amazing August day! Reading aloud - a silly mystery novel we're both enjoying - we soaked in the Goodness and thanked God for the beauty He permits us to enjoy.

Thank you, Lord!  Like every other day, this one is an invitation from God to appreciate how good and great He is, how good the gifts He freely gives. He is in our every waking moment, His presence constant. However, I do not often see or experience each day as this gift that it is. My day today was an incredible reminder to my soul of that Truth... that the gifts are Real! 

Today, I felt thankful for the grass, the trees, our lovely bike ride, for my husband, and... for all that is True [His Freedom, His Love] that I still just faintly - faintly - grasp.

Redeemed

Redeemed. I've been reminded this week how beautiful it is that we are redeemed in Christ, because of His love.

Ted and I have experienced the faithfulness of the Lord in our lives, and been strengthened by His steadfastness. It hasn't always been clear to us, or written boldly in the stars. Our weak, cataract-ed eyes have kept us from seeing in brilliant colors, only dimly, the vibrant faithfulness of God.

Yet His presence is real. It always has been, and always will be. We may not perceive it, only vaguely,   at times. Yet I am reminded now, this week, that His goodness runs deep. His steadfastness is never-ending.  I'm only now glimpsing the surface, lapping handfuls of water from a river that has no bed.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 

Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand - 

when I awake, I am still with you.

Psalm 139:17-18

Pro Deo: 'new friendships springing up right before our eyes'

I had to share this brief reflection from Pete Hileman on our second annual Pro Deo Conference. It was such a rich time. Thank you for holding us in prayer throughout the busy month of March. Indeed, God did wonderful things!

"The Work of God is Happening Everywhere, and Cannot be Contained!" 

Reflections from the Pro Deo Conference (March 22-23rd at Arch Street United Methodist Church downtown)

 By Pete Hileman, Executive Director
(Quotations from conference attendees)

The Pro Deo Conference was wonderful. We had over 40 lawyers, paralegals, law students, and friends in attendance over Friday night and Saturday. We worked hard to pull it off and as Ted, Katharine and I arrived at our offices and unpacked afterward, we were exhausted. But it was that good kind of exhaustion where you are spent, knowing you've served the Lord.

 

“I have a refreshed sense of God’s will in my career.” 

We caught a glimpse of how God is using us. We Christian legal professionals are being salt and light throughout the city, in the District Attorney’s office, working for the City Solicitor, in powerful Center City law firms, small firms, solo practices, and public interest legal organizations. We are all races, ages, and church backgrounds.

 

“I was hoping to be encouraged after a long week, and my expectations were exceeded!"

The highlights were many. Elizabeth Hernandez from Place of Refuge spoke of the heart of an advocate and described her love and compassion for the individuals she counsels in North Philadelphia, our neighborhood.  Kesha James, a staff attorney at Legal Aid Services of Southeastern PA, taught us how to help clients going through foreclosures and gave us practical resources we will use at our clinic sites for years to come. Timothy Welbeck, known by his stage name the Red Baron, performed his own Christian rap music with lyrics about pursuing Christ, lamenting the violence in our streets, and even surviving law school. New friendships and communities were springing up right before our eyes.

 

“I have a new mind toward the sensitivities of hurt individuals and my own brokenness.”

 

Throughout, the emphasis was on spiritual formation, how our devotional life leads us and prepares us to advocate. Each speaker shared how they express their faith in their work, and how hard it is. Ted and I shared a segment on the Spirituality of an Advocate and led out in repentance over our self-righteousness (Ted) and arrogance (me), professing the need to be sanctified every morning for our work to be of any benefit. One lawyer friend came up to me after the conference was over and said: “Pete, I expected to receive helpful information for my practice; I didn’t come expecting to be moved to tears.”

Indeed, the work of God is happening everywhere--including in the hearts of Philadelphia's lawyers--and it cannot be contained!

 

 

See our Pro Deo photo album here:

Pro Deo 2013!

 

Details: for Friday's prayer request

Presenter Keith does a role play 
with our host Jonerik

"That was great! I wish more people could hear about this." 

This came from an enthusiastic participant, Jeane, at the close of CLCP's community legal education workshop today. Keith Brown, Esq gave an excellent presentation on wills, estate planning, and trusts. Responses like Jeane's are just what you want to hear after the inaugural workshop of a four-part legal education series to be rolled out this year. We'll be offering the same four-part series at partner sites throughout the city. Many thanks to our host, Cornerstone Community Church in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, for promoting and providing the hospitable space for this special event.

Next up in our Community Legal Education series: Two presentations this Thursday on custody and support, and landlord/tenant law in the North and Northeast sections of Philadelphia.

Flier for Thursday's workshop
in Northeast Philly @ OCCCDA

What a week. And it's not over! Ted will be co-leading Drexel Law's Alternative Spring Break trip at our South Philly legal clinic site, the Aquinas Center, during the afternoons and evenings. CLCP and the Aquinas Center are their official hosts! Ted and Daniel Colbert (pictured left) have been working hard to prepare an educational, practical, and hopefully inspirational week for this group of students.

The Drexel group at their first meeting in South Philly tonight!
Click here to read the blog they'll be creating.

Thanks so much for your prayers.

Did you know?

Did you know how Ted has been spending his spare time for the past year?

He's written a book!  Yep -- it's a mystery novel set in Haiti, in the particular neighborhood of Bwa Nef where he worked during our semester in Haiti in 2010.

Last Monday, Drexel Law invited Ted to speak at a Working for Justice in Haiti event, in part to discuss what his law school co op looked like in Haiti, and also to share about the release of his Haiti-based novel: Because We Are!

Picture: check out the poster they made for this event -- that is Ted's book cover in the bottom left corner :)

A Drexel student wrote an article on Ted's presentation and took some a great picture of him as well.


The short but sweet article is here: Alumnus Ted Oswald

Finally, if you haven't heard about Ted's book via Facebook, watch this great two-minute video he made that explains the background and his reasons for writing the book:

Because We Are video

The book will be released in December. E-book copies will only be $3. Stay tuned!

Connections are made

Sometimes amazing connections are made, and you just know that God’s fingerprints are all over it. If nothing else, it serves as a great encouragement to us that God is active is the lives of His saints.

Last week, Pete met with an attorney at a big downtown law firm; they had been connected by a personal friend. This attorney, a Christian, has a passion for turning his law work into something more than a job; he wants to treat it as his vocation. Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia, he speculates, could be just the organization to help him do that.

Having gone to school right across the river in Camden, New Jersey, this attorney has a particular interest in serving that community – one of the lowest-income and highest-crime cities in the area. Pete was so encouraged by this attorney who has a passion for getting involved in ministry and using his legal skills for the public good.

The very same week, Ted receives an e-mail via the CLCP website – another enthusiastic attorney who wants to volunteer his time to “give back” to the city. He was actively involved in leading the Christian Legal Society chapter at his law school and, with significant private practice experience under his belt he is poised and ready to jump in to serve! And get this: he is only barred in New Jersey and New York, and he has particular ties to Camden, New Jersey.

Hm! Could God be moving His attorneys to adapt the CLCP model to the city of Camden? Ted and Pete experienced some similar "wow" connections while at a lawyers lunch in Delaware County (the county just west of Philadelphia) last month. Christian attorneys we meet are getting excited about copying CLCP’s model to “do justice” in the communities in need closest to them.

And this is good!

Pro Deo 2012

Thanks to all of you who prayed for the 2012 Pro Deo Conference that happened last weekend (3/17 - 3/18). The Conference was hosted by Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia (CLCP), and it brought together about 30 law students, lawyers, paralegals, and even a few undergrads who were passionate about exploring their role in bringing justice in ways that reflect God's crazy love for this world.

Our church, where the
conference was held.

During the conference, an elder from our church, Barb Weidman, spoke vividly on the meaning of shalom and the depth of our world's brokenness as a result of the fall; three women from our church and one from CLCP's board shared about being women of faith in the legal profession; a young attorney spoke on how she prayerfully responds to the injustices experienced in her firm surrounding issues of race and gender; CLCP's executive director, Pete Hileman, shared about mediation and Christian peacemaking, a powerful ministry of which he is a part; Dr. Ron Sider also came and gave a talk on the Biblical meanings of justice.

From what I heard, it sounds like participants left invigorated, stimulated... and exhausted! :) Most everyone indicated on their conference evaluation forms that they would come back for a Pro Deo Conference next year - what great feedback!

On the opening day of the conference, I had the opportunity to help with many last-minute preparations, hear Barb's opening talk, and listen with anticipation to Ted's address on "a vision for pro deo lawyering!" (see links under the photos) He was filled with enthusiasm and gusto as he gave his talk, and I was so happy to see him well-received by all.

Another big event for Ted, and for CLCP! Thank you for your prayers!

 

Ron Sider's talk

 

Ted's talk

   

Pete's talk

You can also listen to the Women of Faith in the Law panel here.

Pro Deo time!

Tomorrow night, 6pm, marks the start of CLCP's first ever Pro Deo Conference.  One of Ted's dream projects since he was in law school, the Pro Deo Conference will be "a place for lawyers, paralegals, students and friends to gather, celebrate  and articulate answers to difficult questions. Questions like “What is my calling as a Christian in the law?”, “If Christ was a lawyer, what would his practice look like? and “How is a Christian attorney different from any other?”

The name is a play on the Latin pro bono, meaning "for the public good." What if we saw our work primarily as pro deo, for God, instead? How would that drive our sense of work and vocation differently?

Talks include, Shalom, Biblical Foundation for Justice, Biblical Peacemaking, Contemplating God at the Law Firm, Women of Faith in the Law, Corporate Social Responsibility, and A Vision for Pro Deo Lawyering. Phew! And guess who is giving that last presentation?  None other than Mr. T.A. Oswald himself! ;)

It is set to be a monumental event, but we desire your prayers! Please pray as 40+ participants gather at our church for fellowship and discussion. Pray particularly for the speakers, as they prepare to share wisdom and cast a vision for young and seasoned lawyers alike who want to utilize their gifts and skills to be salt and light in this earth.

www.clcphila.org/wp/pro-deo-conference/ 

Hope @ Joy in the City

Ted shared a story with me last night that I loved hearing.  Recently one morning, while at his office (see CLCP), he had a few visitors from the neighborhood. A loving leader in our community, Adela, brought in one young woman and her mother to seek legal advice.  Though several hours before the official start of "clinic time" (4-7pm every other Thursday), they found someone to talk to in Ted.

I don't know the details of the young woman's case (as rules of confidentiality require), but I do know that she had burdens overwhelming her, and the tears flowed freely as she broke down and shared her story for Ted.   The legal issues were entangled and complex (as is frequently the case in difficult situations), but what this woman clearly needed as much as legal advice was hope and help to withstand the current trials she faces. 

So Ted shared Truth with her: truth of God's love and His ability to redeem all situations; the truth of His strength and His power to sustain us and overcome the troubles we face - not necessarily by taking them away, but by walking with us through them, if we believe and acknowledge Him.   They prayed together, and Adela ended the time in song, holding the crying client and kissing her forehead, communicating that God is Love, and He cares for us.

God is a Comforter. Amen!

Mural at the entrance to Ted's
office building, Joy in the City.

Celebrations!

The Open House celebration at CLCP last Thursday was a great success. After weeks of hard work planning the event (on Ted’s part), sending out invitations, and hoping for a good turnout, I can say it paid off in a lovely way – many people came, and they didn’t seem to want to leave!

I don’t know why I have a tendency to sit in the background and worry about things. Two months ago, Ted and Pete decided to throw this Open House party, at the suggestion of a CLCP donor. Neither of them had experience in planning an event like this, but they put their heads together – along with  the Ayuda clinic coordinator Pam, who does have extensive experience in this – and sweat through the details involved in making any four-hour “open house” event a success.

As for me –  I prayed for them.  I refilled coffee dispensers and set out dessert displays during the event. I made nametags. And that’s about it!  Oh yes … and I worried!  I didn’t know how to make this event a success. How do you plan a program for a rotating crowd, not knowing when the peak traffic times will be?  I didn’t know how best to dive in and be a part of the planning committee, so I watched some of the planning unfold.

When I arrived two hours before the kick-off to help with set-up, I saw that Ted and Pete had already arranged the tables and chairs, and skillfully displayed artwork from Ayuda’s youth art program around the room. It looked great. But not as great as when 40-50 people filled the room at the peak of the party! J

So many people came: volunteer clinic attorneys and their spouses, law school friends of Ted’s, pastors, teenage volunteers from HPCA, and other key community members. We had a diverse food spread for a hundred people – Thai, Mexican, and Puerto Rican; Susan Post gave a tour of the newly opened Esperanza Health Center next door; and half a dozen ministry partners shared their excitement and vision for the legal clinic’s work. You can hear what the speakers had to share, here.

So I didn't really need to worry - just trust. Ted and the team did such great, hard work to pull this off. Thank God for a great event! And for an opportunity to share and celebrate with so many the work  CLCP is doing. 

The theme for the year at CLCP. Ted helped design this
concept, and a graphic designer from church prepared it.

A great crowd of folks.

Yummy spread with Ayuda artwork in the background.

Ted sharing his story of why he works at CLCP.

Fellowship @ Temple

Ted has had some wonderful opportunities this fall through his involvement with CLCP. In early November, the Temple Law chapter of CLS invited him to be their lunchtime guest speaker, to share about his ministry and calling to North Philly. Temple’s CLS has had a great volunteer relationship with CLCP for the past three years, through sending students to assist during clinic days in the North Philly site. This lunch was a great opportunity to get to know their group better (and for me to meet many new faces.)

Ted’s central question for his talk – “what kind of lawyer would Jesus be?” paved the way for some personal reflection and good discussion at a later point. To me, Ted's words revealed that, if we are to go beyond the quirky answer offered by one attorney at the CLS conference, “Jesus would not have been a lawyer!” and dig into the implications of the question,“what would Jesus do?” for the legal profession, there is much rich territory to explore.

Ted’s reflections centered on some of the same thoughts he expressed in his support letter on what a legal missionary would be:

Someone who… is committed to a place… directs others to a relationship with Christ; his work and life would be spent in pursuit of justice, peace and reconciliation while calling all people to love, compassion and simplicity; he would disciple others and equip them to continue building God’s Kingdom.

Bottom line… his work would be a ministry.

It was so great to be received by the Temple students. We left invigorated by our time and the people we met there!

CLCP

Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia (CLCP) is a legal ministry that operates “neighborhood clinics” bi-monthly throughout Philadelphia. For ten years now, lawyers (mostly Christian) have committed time each month to offering free, hour-long consultations to people in need of assistance, but who cannot afford standard legal fees. CLCP operates their clinics through partner organizations, who both offer space for the clinic to run and promote the clinic within their neighborhood. The model has worked for these several years, and now, God has prepared the setting for CLCP to strengthen and expand its efforts.

In North Philly, CLCP partners with the Ayuda Community Center, a faith-based organization started by members of our church in Hunting Park. Every other Tuesday, three to four attorneys gather in the Ayuda clinic, and each one meets individually with two to three clients. The attorneys’ aim is to offer expert advice on the client’s legal issues, and also to extend compassion through a listening ear and prayer. In some cases, the attorneys may even be able to take on a client’s case pro bono. In these poignant situations, the Gospel enters as a way to console and encourage oft-distressed clients, and each attorney’s ultimate aim is to minister to everyone who walks in the clinic’s doors.

Now, because of God putting the right people and processes in place, and one particularly generous donor, CLCP has hired their first ever employees, established a head office, and is prayerfully looking to expand their services to other neighborhoods in the city.

TED is their first full-time hire! And we’re so blessed by that J Read more about what Ted will be doing  here.