MCC Haiti Port-au-Prince staff: (from left) Joseph, Eclane, Fania (center), Muriel, Katharine, Rebecca with MCC consultant Josue (in back) hold our prayer for Haiti derived from a portion of the Lord's prayer.

In honor of Wednesday being Haitian Flag Day, our Tuesday morning staff devotional time was dedicated to praying for Haiti.

In following with the Lord’s Prayer, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, we explored together what that would look like in our own Haitian context.

I had been encouraged lately to look at the Lord’s Prayer and put it into my own words. In addition to repeating the interpreted words of Jesus that we find in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, why don’t we use Jesus' words as a guide, to help us explore what each phrase, each petition means for us this very today?

When we pray Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, what do we mean? What would it look like for the Kingdom to come here in Haiti?

Doubtless our list could have been much longer, but we started our Prayer for Haiti at the close of our devotional time, as each staff member shared prayer for the Kingdom to come here in Haiti.

Our prayer (English below):

Chè Papa Dye,

Ede moun k ap fè sa ki byen nan peyi a pou yo pa dekouraje,
Fè tout moun ki ap fè peyi a mal vini a la repantans,
Mete lanmou nan kè tout moun ki trouve nan plas kote y ap pran desizyon pou peyi a,
Mete tout moun ansanm pou elimine tout divizyon ant moun, pou yon sèl ak lòt,
Padonen pep Ayisyen e ede nou fè tout sa ki bon, kòm piti Bondye sou la tè,
Kenbe moun an peyi a ki plis frajile e ba yo esperans,
Pou rekonsiliyasyon ant moun ak Bondye, moun ak moun, moun ak anvironman
Mete SHALOM W an Ayiti

Dear God,

Help those who are doing good in Haiti to not become discouraged,
Bring to repentance those who are doing Haiti ill,
Place love in the hearts of those who are in a position to make decisions for the country,
Bring people together, eliminating divisions in society, to make Haitians one,
Forgive the Haitian people and help us do that which is good as Your children,
Sustain those who are most vulnerable and give them hope,
Bring reconciliation between yourself and people, among people, and between people and their environment,
Bring your SHALOM to Haiti.

Amen.

Vine-Living

The words pour over me like they haven't in a long time. I am the vine, you are the branches... Our oneness with Christ, His desire to Abide with us. We're finicky dance partners, aren't we? I'm always wanting to change the tune we're dancing to, or escape into the corner to hang out by the punch bowl, leaving my partner awkwardly alone.

John 15

The words soak in, barely reaching below the surface, but I am already transfixed, and amazed by His love. Ted read the words out loud, and we prayed to start the work day, the fourth day in a week that has felt particularly scarce. The desert has been moving in around me with me hardly noticing.

For over two weeks I haven't been feeling well. This has meant two visits to two different doctors, each visit requiring online research and asking friends and colleagues for referrals. After each doctor visit, a lab visit - one trip to get the tests done, and then another to pick up the results - often in traffic-choked parts of town. The symptoms have come and gone - I'm actually feeling on the mend now - but the process has been tiring and time-sucking.

''...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." The Lord is our doctor. As Ted and I prayed, the parallels and juxtaposition came clear. I have needed doctors these past two weeks, ones to help sort out the meaning behind my symptoms and prescribe treatment. One doctor was good, another was not-so-good. In the same way that my physical condition has needed a diagnosis, so has my spiritual condition needed one.

I'm reminded of a sermon I heard at our Philadelphia church over a year ago, where the preacher, Barb, talked about how we don't understand our needs; we need a doctor who can discern that for us. She was sure that her eyeglass prescription should be one way, but her eye doctor discovered it needed to be another. The same goes for our hearts and our spirits.

Christ is our tender, caring doctor. I don't need to drive across town to meet with him; write out checks awkwardly in French, navigate testing procedures that aren't what I'm used to. Nor do I need to wonder about His competence or reliability. He is perfect, always there.

My abiding and walking with Christ also isn't a ''doctor visit'' - a one stop appointment to get a prescription and then go on my way. Instead, He's our 24/7 doctor, always there to heal, to care, to ''diagnose.'' He is truly good.

He is the Doctor that I want.

''If a man remains in me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.'' Do we do the work, or do we just get to be a part of His work and enjoy the ride? This is a tricky one that affects my day to day and my posture towards my work and everything. It feels like a subtle difference at times, because He asks us to go out and actively love and bless others, to be salt and light in this crazy world. But Christ starts out this passage, "... my Father is the gardener."

Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Who is the Potter; who is the Shepard, who is our Life Source? It's all Him.

Days of Prayer for the Displaced

Ted has put a lot of time into fine-tuning the visual aspects of the prayer guide for this week's upcoming Days of Prayer. The guide is now available to download here. You can also sign-up to receive each day's prayer to your inbox for the week.

Here is some intro text for the campaign, and a little background information we wrote to help orient you to this ongoing, controversial crisis.

''In the Dominican Republic, thousands of Haitian migrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent stripped of their citizenship are living in fear of deportation because of recent, harsh changes to immigration laws. An estimated 66,000 people have already fled the Dominican Republic and entered Haiti, and many are struggling to rebuild their lives in drought-stricken communities with few means to aid their reintegration.

''We invite you to join us for a week of prayer and advocacy for our brothers and sisters facing an uncertain future. From August 31 to September 6, we'll share resources to help guide you and your church as we ask the Lord to provide for the suffering, protect those living in fear, and bring about reconciliation between these two divided countries.

Here is some further background information.

In the prayer materials, you will read brief stories and see photos that capture the lives of some of the victims of the recent deportations and threats of violence taking place in the D.R. against Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent. Here is a ''sneak peak'' of some of the photos you'll find there.

Andre Joseph, his wife, and son

Darlene and her son

Ketlen, and her 6-month-old baby

We are glad that MCC has been able to begin responding to the crisis. Learn about all of this and more through the Days of Prayer campaign starting this Monday. God bless.

Elections update, and more prayer.

A voting center at a school in Fond-Parisien. This is a commune near the border with the D.R., where MCC is now providing relief to families living in tent camps (read a little further.)

Election results have been posted.

Though the results did not come on the same evening I wrote our previous post, they did come the following day. And miraculously, the streets of Port-au-Prince saw no major disruptions, none of the usual post-election protests and road blockades.

The runners-up for senators and deputies were announced, and, partly because there are 100+ political parties represented in these legislative elections, it seems there weren’t any "losers" with enough pull and influence to cause the oft-anticipated mayhem.

Another positive aspect of the results: the electoral council announced that the first-round elections will have to be redone in 25 constituencies due to enough recorded instances of fraud and violence. That's right; this means that the electoral council responded to the vast accounts of irregularities seen with elections, instead of writing them off as the international community did by saying elections went "well enough.'' (The majority of Haitians disagreed.) Since voting day, a slew of candidates have also been disqualified for being involved in the election-day violence. Several more have been ''sanctioned,'' but not disqualified. 

The same concerns about the irregularities with elections remain. The electoral council continues to release its plans for how to improve the next round. On October 25, not only will second-round legislative seats be voted on, but local elections for mayors, kaseks and aseks will take place, in addition to first-round presidential elections!

Thank you for your concerns, interest, and prayers for Haiti.

Days of Prayer for the Displaced campaign via MCC

And speaking of prayer. Another issue that is just as relevant and pressing in Haiti today is the unfolding migration crises within and between Haiti and its neighboring country, the Dominican Republic. In other posts, we have discussed some of the recent policies in the D.R. that have stripped hundreds of thousands of people of their Dominican citizenship, an act that is illegal by international standards. In addition, migrant workers in the D.R. are facing uncertainty and deportations are becoming more frequent due to shifting immigration policies. Because of a major outflow of people from the D.R. to Haiti over the past two months - 66,000 people at least - tent camps are sprouting up along the Haitian side of the Haiti and D.R. border.

MCC is responding with material aid for vulnerable families. For the past few weeks, Ted and I have put a lot of time into planning for the Days of Prayer for the Displaced campaign. Through this campaign, we hope to encourage individuals and churches in the U.S. and Canada to spend time each day, for one week, lifting up a different aspect of this crisis in prayer.

It starts this Monday, August 31. If you are interested, please sign up through the links above, or look for our posts on social media starting on Monday. We are confident that prayer makes a difference, and we are excited to be sharing these materials with you guys.

Look for future posts on our recent trip to the border to visit a tent camp, or find photos and stories from our trip in the prayer guide.

Elections: an occasion for prayer for Haiti

Tonight would be a good time to send out a prayer request for Haiti. This evening, we expect the election results – the first election results in over four years - to be announced for all eagerly awaiting parties. These are the first-round legislative election results, tallied from voters’ choices two Sundays ago, August 9.

On that day, Ted and I participated in elections monitoring with a longtime MCC partner and a top Haitian human rights organization, RNDDH. RNDDH trains and mobilizes hundreds of elections monitors to disperse throughout Haiti’s ten departments, keeping a close eye out for irregularities in voting procedures. With RNDDH team leaders and drivers, we each traveled throughout the Port-au-Prince region, checking in with fixed elections observers at dozens of voting centers and reporting information back to RNDDH headquarters.

Our 15-hour day, roving around localities as diverse as Fond-Parisien, to Leogane, to Cite Soleil, felt like a major initiatory experience into the political process in Haiti.

Our fearless team leader, Minerve (on the right) with our driver/experienced observer/co-boss of MCC Haiti, Kurt (left)
(Not pictured: our third team leader, Nixon Boumba.)

The feedback from Haitian elections monitoring teams after the fact was unequivocal: the elections proceedings were rife with irregularities and instances of corruption. Of 1,500 voting centers in the country, 54 had to be closed on elections day due to violent disturbances. (We visited one such site after it had closed. Ballot boxes were toppled and torn ballots spread everywhere.) And just because a voting center was not closed does not mean there weren’t clear problems with how voting proceeded. Lack of voter confidentiality, intimidation, and general disorder within voting centers was documented at centers all over the country. An estimated 6 individuals lost their lives. Some groups felt that the results from this first round of elections should be disregarded, but that option has since been thrown out the window by Haiti’s electoral council.

The explosion of political parties since Haiti’s last election is one factor that led to so much chaos on election day. Candidates represented over 100 parties, and each party technically had the right to have an elections mandataires in place, to prevent fraud at voting stations. Instead, what we saw, is that squabbles among party mandataires kept many voting centers from opening up on time, and party representatives were very active in campaigning for their candidates within voting center boundaries. From several accounts we heard, the elderly were especially targeted in this way. (At one center in far, southwest Haiti, young men working for political parties offered to drive elderly folks to the voting center if they would vote a certain way.)

Entering a voting center - see all the campaign posters on the gate that aren't supposed to be there.

I don’t share all this detail to discourage people – though I will say the experience was profoundly discouraging, mostly so for our Haitian co-workers and colleagues at RNDDH – but to paint a picture of what this means for further elections planned for this year, and even for how it implicates international donors.

These first-round legislative elections were funded by international donor countries, and the next two rounds planned for this year (October 25 and December 27) will also largely be funded by foreign bodies. It’s a large investment by outsiders, but it cannot be forgotten that this is Haitian business and should be determined primarily by Haitians. When international donors and monitoring groups like Organization of American States - who sent a couple dozen representatives to observe elections - said that things went “well enough,’’ or “as best as could be expected,” it felt like an insult to Haitians, who have seen something better. The general feeling was "why set the standards so low?" when, clearly, these irregularities would cause much more concern and consideration if they occurred in richer countries. 

Of course no one wants the elections to have to be re-held. It would jeopardize the plan to hold second-round elections, first-round mayoral, and Presidential elections later this year. But Haitians also want to see a process that makes sense, that doesn't just pass as "good enough."

No results announced this evening could please everyone. Obviously, with 100+ political parties, quite a few people are going to be disappointed either way. Some amount of protests and roadblocks are expected in the streets – it’s just a matter of how many.

Please pray tonight: 

--For safety in the streets as results are announced; for no violence or targeting of parties.
--For peace, for minimal disruption of people's lives.

--For results that are somehow beneficial and  truly helpful for the country moving forward. 

--For good governance, international partnerships, and the participation of the population in further election activities. 

--That people would trust the potential good in the process enough to continue voting and working for the good of their country.

A finger being marked to indicate a completed vote.

I personally admit that prayer in light of big, complex processes can feel simple or inadequate at times. But it's a major way to deepen our engagement, to demonstrate love, and affirm Hope, isn't it?

January 12th: five years after Haiti's earthquake

Tomorrow, January 12th, marks the five-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti, killing over 200,000 people and leveling much of the capital. So many people lost loved ones, neighbors, homes. A co-worker pointed out to me last Friday that some entire families were lost. There is also a mounting political crisis in Haiti that comes to a head tomorrow. Please be in prayer for this country this week.

In honor of this difficult anniversary, we'd like to offer a couple brief reflections and specific suggestions for ways you can pray for Haiti.

First, a short meditation. I think this is a very important way to frame our approach to the many challenges in Haiti. It also serves as a prayer request for us, specifically in our day-to-day policy and advocacy work, which is often focused on crises and injustices in Haiti.

"Surprised by Joy"
by Henri Nouwen

Are we surprised by joy or by sorrow? The world in which we live wants to surprise us by sorrow. Newspapers keep telling us about traffic accidents, murders, conflicts between individuals, groups, and nations, and the television fills our minds with images of hatred, violence and destruction. And we say to one another: "Did you hear that, did you see that... isn't it terrible...who can believe it?" Indeed it seems that the powers of darkness wants to continue to surprise us with human sorrow. But these surprises paralyze us and seduce us to an existence in which our main concern becomes survival in the midst of a sea of sorrows. By making us think about ourselves as survivors of a shipwreck, anxiously clinging to a piece of driftwood, we gradually accept the role of victims doomed by the cruel circumstances of our lives.

The great challenge of faith is to be surprised by joy. I remember sitting at a dinner table with friends discussing the economic depression of the country. We kept throwing out statistics that made us increasingly convinced that things could only get worse. Then, suddenly, the four-year-old son of one of my friends opened the door, ran to his father, and said, "Look, Daddy! Look! I found a little kitten in the yard...Look! ... Isn't it cute?" While showing the kitten to his father, the little boy stroked the kitten with his hands and held it against his face. All at once everything changed. The little boy and his kitten became the center of attention. These were smiles, strokes, and many tender words. We were surprised by joy!

God became a little child in the midst of a violent world. Are we surprised by joy or do we keep saying: "How nice and sweet, but the reality is different." What if the child reveals to us what is really real?

(Here and Now, Henri Nouwen, pgs 33-34, 1994)

Haiti Post-Earthquake

The statistics are out there, and they are startling. High percentages of extreme poverty and income disparity in Haiti. But here we would like to share a couple of stories with you.

Our boss and the MCC Haiti country representative wrote a beautiful reflection, posted by mcc.org this week, in the form of a letter to his baby daughter. He shares about Haiti right after and 5-years after the earthquake, as well as his love for the country. 

Haiti: Beauty in the Unfinished

Ted and I wrote a blog post that was posted to MCC Ottawa Office site this week. It's a reflection on what we see as the direction of our work dealing with advocacy in Haiti, as being "bridge builders" across some of Haiti's social divides.

Bridge-Building in Haiti: Creating Spaces for Dialogue

Politics

This January 12th also marks a crucial political juncture for the country. Much of the political stalemate from the past several months comes to a head, as we see whether U.S. influence, and negotiations among opposing parties in Haiti will have led to a solution to Haiti's pre-electoral crisis. Tomorrow, without a resolution, Haiti's legislative branch will become defunct as all remaining senators' terms expire. NPR offered brief coverage of the crisis just a couple of days ago: Haiti's political crisis expected to come to head next week.

For months, demonstrators have been crowding the streets of downtown in frustration over the president's administration. This week, more demonstrations are expected.

Prayers

 Here are specific ways you can pray for Haiti:

• Sincere commitment on behalf of Haiti's leaders to reach a peaceful consensus to this electoral crisis.
• Healing across social lines. Most Haitians feel very alienated by their government and the business-owning "elite." Fairly rigid social divides have been in place for centuries in Haiti. Pray for peace and reconciliation in this area.
• There are still 85,000 people lives in camps since the 2010 earthquake. They are vulnerable to poor sanitation, lack of drinking water, inclement weather, and even forced evictions by landowners and police. Pray the Haitian government will ensure their safety and come up with durable housing solutions for the very poor.
• Education is highly valued in Haiti, yet access to quality education is a challenge for most children. The adult literacy rate is 49%. Pray for greater, more widespread, educational opportunities for Haiti's poor.
• For the great work being done across the country to improve Haitian's access to preventative and curative medical services. Pray for greater access to these services in each part of Haiti.
• Food security. Environmental, economic, and climatic factors have made Haiti's agricultural sector unproductive. Pray for healing of the land and new abundance. 

God bless.

Christmas prayer

We have enjoyed following the Advent calendar this season, with the aid of readings and meditations from a guide given by a friend. Taking us through the troughs and peaks represented in the cycle of this holy season, this time has reminded of the darkness, yet the joy and anticipation inherent in the daily living of the Christian faith.

It starts with a recognition of the brokenness of this world, and the brokenness sometimes hidden in our lives. We realize that we need a Savior. We are then filled with joy in thinking of a future where every pain and heartache is extinguished, and a deep gladness and wonder as we think on God's promises embodied among us. Emmanuel. The baby Christ came to us in an utter miracle, born to humble hands to serve us all. The pages of Scripture are thick with this testimony.

In the backdrop of this particular Advent season, we have known of the protests playing out across the U.S. The streets of Port-au-Prince have also been protest-ridden. People are angry, crying out for something better than the current political gridlock and historic antipathy from those in power. 

Will you join us in prayer this Christmas? Let us pray, in this season of Light and Hope, for God's peace to be evident, binding up the brokenhearted, turning hearts towards Him, and creating a way forward where there seems to be no way, a way that bears witness to His Kingdom and Truth. Amen.

I'm including here a picture of a Christmas tree we saw in Port-au-Prince this month; a symbol of the season.

And here is a picture I took yesterday of the beach. Something about the beauty, constancy, and rhythm of the waves makes me think of the cycle of longing, anticipation, and joy we experience this season.

Haiti this week

It could be said that our blog posts up till now haven’t been very informative but have given you a glimpse of some fun pictures and stories from our near 11 weeks in Haiti.

Now that it’s Friday evening and I’m sitting in our living room while my poor husband lays sick in our bedroom (stomach bug perhaps?) I think I will take this opportunity to share about some of the important events from Haiti this week and our work. Within these updates, I think you will find some specific ways you can be praying for us and for Haiti.

'Baby Doc' Duvalier

Last Saturday, Haiti’s infamous dictator from 1971 – 1986, “Baby Doc” Duvalier died of a heart attack. He returned to Haiti in 2011 and almost immediately was charged with crimes against humanity, though he has been allowed by current President Michel Martelly to “roam free” even with serious charges pending. Public anger here and abroad mounted as word leaked from the National Palace that President Martelly was considering giving the ex-President a national funeral. Baby Doc Duvalier is charged with having stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the State and having up to 30,000 of his opponents tortured and killed during his reign. How could the State consider spending more funds to “honor his memory” in such a public way? The Palace decided to not fund the funeral – which will take place tomorrow morning.

Ex-President Aristide

Meanwhile, ex-President Aristide – who was the first democratically elected President in Haiti in 1991 – has faced charges of corruption and embezzlement of government funds during his Presidency. A couple of months ago, a judge with a questionable record summoned Artistide to court. When he did not show up, the judge placed him under house arrest. Two weeks later, the armed guards protecting Aristide’s house were “secretly” ordered to move, thereby leaving Artiside’s home unguarded. Outcry came from Haiti and the U.S., from big names such as actor Danny Glover and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Today, crowds gathered outside of Aristide’s home again as the judge ordered Aristide’s immediate arrest.

Many people saw this as President Martelly’s attempt to “get rid” of Aristide, and also to distract from the biggest political news in Haiti, which has been the government’s failure to hold important elections for the past 4 years. A bipartisan group from the U.S. Congress has urged President Martelly to ensure that elections are held before the end of this year, but this does not seem likely to happen. Six opposition senators in Haiti are refusing to vote for a new electoral law, which would allow elections to go forward. Many people here feel that President Martelly is corrupt and has a vested interest in not holding senatorial elections, which could allow him to consolidate power in early January 2015 as the senate would be rendered ineffective.

MINUSTAH troops in Haiti

In 2004, after President Aristide was ousted from power a second time, the UN’s peacekeeping force established a mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), and they have been here ever since. There is much public discontent over MINUSTAH’s presence. Their mission is costly (it is about to be renewed for $500 million for another year), and there has not been a recognized conflict in Haiti for the past 75 years. In addition, MINUSTAH’s troops, over the years, have faced hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation. There is no formal complaint mechanism established for victims to file claims. Most drastically, MINUSTAH’s Nepalese troops were responsible for introducing cholera to Haiti in 2010; the epidemic has killed over 8,500 Haitians since, and the UN will not claim responsibility. 

Photo credit: theguardian.com

MINUSTAH’s mandate is up for renewal again this coming October 15^th.

On top of this, October 19^th is the 4 year anniversary of Haiti’s cholera outbreak. The outbreak started when sewage leaked from the UN Nepalese soldier’s base camp into Haiti’s main river and water source – the Artibonite. Various scientific reports have concluded that MINUSTAH’s base camp was the source of the epidemic.

On October 23^rd, a court in NY will hear oral arguments concerning the UN's "immunity." This is one success in a long-standing effort by human rights groups to hold the UN accountable and seek reparations for families who lost loved ones due to the cholera outbreak.

Photo credit: theguardian.com

All this to say, people are sad and tensions are running high. It’s easy to feel the outrage in the public discourse, both here and in the U.S. Yesterday, the UN held a donor conference in Washington DC, to plead for funding for their 2.2 billion dollar Cholera Eradication and Sanitation plan for Haiti. The results of the conference were not promising. Only ten percent of their plan has been funded to date. Many people balk at the large sums being spent to keep MINUSTAH in Haiti, while funds are lacking to actually improve health and sanitation systems in the country. 

As you can see, there is a lot going on this week. And this doesn't touch even touch on other issues we are engaged in such as: mining in the north of Haiti, and Haiti's housing crisis, around which we are working on planning a conference in Washington DC. 

It would mean a lot to us if you took note, and took the time to pray over some of these areas, as well as our presence and work here.

(I am happy to report, that by the end of my writing this blog post, Ted is feeling much better.)

Change is afoot: your prayers

Early this month, Ted and I started to look for a new place to live. Back in February, we decided that it would be good for us to move out of Hunting Park, at least for this next season of our lives. It felt big for us to make this decision, so then we started searching and awaiting what God would provide. This past Sunday, we found our new place, an apartment just about 3 miles away :) Praise God!

This decision was a long one in the making. I have been contemplating it for some time. After some good conversations following the Christmas break, we both decided that living in a lower-stress environment would be good for both of us for now. It's a good decision for us, one that will challenge us not to find our value or justification in the things of this world (in this case, how challenging our neighborhood living environment is for us.)

We are going to miss it here. There is sadness in leaving, as in any big transition. Thankfully, we will still be here almost every day, but internally, I know this will feel like an entirely new phase for us. We will now be coming in to Hunting Park from the outside. Some good friends and ministry partners are here. Please pray for our transition, for our new apartment in a tranquil, tree-lined block in Mt. Airy (Philadelphia), and for our rootedness to ever be in Christ!

To commemorate the years we spent in our 4225 home, we made a riveting video "tour" of our space this past Sunday, where so many memories have been made. (And by riveting, I mean kinda boring! hehe.) I've spared you the link and just posted a few pictures from it here. In the bottom photo, Ted is explaining how his love of coffee developed in this home, lol. So you see, you're not missing much by my not posting the video :)  Love you all.

Prayer update

Family and Friends:

A lot has changed since our update 2 months ago, not the least of which is the weather! Today, I (Katharine) am writing you from a cool café in the Fishtown section of North Philly (very "hip," for being overrun by "hipsters" and their cool cafes and eateries!) The sun is streaming in from the glass-front café, and I am loving it.

 

We also have some personal transitions afoot, as Ted and I are looking for a new place to live.Yes, back in February, we decided that it would be good for us to move out of Hunting Park, at least for this next season of our lives (which we see as the next, final year of Ted's fellowship at Christian Legal Clinics.)

 

This decision was a long one in the making. I have been contemplating it for some time (some of you may remember, that a shooting incident on our block last April caused me to question and reassess - in a healthy way - my current reasons for living here.) After some good conversations following the Christmas break, we both decided that living in a lower-stress environment would be good for both of us for now.

 

That being said, our housing/apartment search began 1.5 weeks ago, and there's nothing to show for it quite yet! We told our landlord that we'd like to be out by May 1st, so we have a deadline for our search, but it's not so inflexible that we'll be in a total lurch by then :) Our current housemate would like to continue living in 4225 N. Franklin, so we may stay on another month, by her good graces :) It's a funny situation we find ourselves in!

 

Please pray for peace, for God's provision of a new home - He knows just what we need - and for God's loving Spirit to fill us from the inside out.

 

We encourage you to check/follow Katharine's blog for some more updates/photos. There are many events to report on including: Pro Deo 2013, Drexel Spring Break, and a Winter Trip to Orlando.

 

Our boss, Pete, has his surgery scheduled for April 30th, a one-week hospital stay in Pittsburgh (about 5 hours from here), and an expected 6-8 week recovery time. Thank you for your prayers for Pete and his wife Wendy as well.

 

More stories from the legal clinic to be coming soon!

With all our love,
Katharine + Ted

Drexel Law's spring break project

A few pictures from CLCP's week with the Drexel Law's alternative spring break group:

A slideshow design by Smilebox

Also, take a few minutes to skim the blog they produced that week, to hear about what they did. Reading their posts seriously gave me chills, as they describe what some of their interactions from the week meant to them.

Yet again, please be in prayer for this week's BIG EVENTS: the Pro Deo Conference '13. This is CLCP's 2nd Annual conference designed to gather Christian law students and lawyers to discuss the possibilities of working in the legal field to advance God's Kingdom. This is another one of Ted's projects he has been very enthusiastic about. Check out the details for it here.

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.

Please pray for our legal clinic

This month, we have two special programs we are launching: community legal education seminars and the Drexel spring break trip. We also have our regular, bi-weekly clinics, one "tour" of our ministry, and the second annual Pro Deo Conference. Pray that the clinic (CLCP) will be a place where Christ continually abides, where we will lean on Him, and take joy in the many ways we see His hand at work. More details to come this week!

Thanks for your prayers

Thanks to you all who have prayed for our boss and friend Pete and the legal clinic over this past week. We have good news to report, and we ask for your continued prayers.

Two days ago, Pete and his wife Wendy found out that the treatment he will be needing should not be as invasive as they were expecting. The time in the hospital will also be cut in half. This is great news! I won't share the details here, but please continue to lift us up in prayer as we prepare for a full month of legal ministry in March, and then Pete's surgery at the end of the month. Please pray for a smooth surgery and uneventful recovery for Pete.