05.14.06 Tuesdays Reflection

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=220 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="13eb8750.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="117" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>"We, who have received the love of Christ through the Spirit must not contain it..."</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMMUSA)"><U>Home Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tuesdays Reflection"><U>Tuesdays Reflection</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission Statement"><U>Mission Statement</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vision Statement"><U>Vision Statement</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ways You Can Help Us"><U>Ways You Can Help Us</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All About VMM"><U>All About VMM</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Application Qualifications"><U>Application Qualifications</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Discernment Process"><U>Discernment Process</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="application.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Application Form"><U>Application Form</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U>Related Links</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bridges Newsletter"><U>Bridges Newsletter</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Letters from the Missions"><U>Letters from the Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Adobe Printing Instructions"><U>Adobe Printing Instructions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp?ein=36-3153581" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networ"><U><IMG SRC="1887e300.gif" border=0 width="126" height="48" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div>  <form method="get" action="http://search.atomz.com/search/"> <input size=15 name="sp-q"><br> <input type=submit value="Search"> <input type=hidden name="sp-a" value="sp10020180"> <input type=hidden name="sp-f" value="iso-8859-1"> </form></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM-USA)</B></I></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMMUSA)"><U>home</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >                            </FONT><B>05.14.06   </B><A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tuesdays Reflection"><U><B>Tuesdays Reflection</B></U></A></div> <div> "We wish rather, to ground our own personal and spiritual growth in striving</div> <div> to become fully human within the context of our work and service in the</div> <div> world."</div> <div>                      Spirit and Lifestyle</div> <bR> <div> Being a VM has a way of pushing us in that direction! I am always impressed</div> <div> by our missioners' letters. Here is an exerpt from Beth Kloser's March/April</div> <div> letter.</div> <bR> <div> "The beginning of March brought a group of lacrosse-playing high school</div> <div> students from an exclusive boarding school in upstate New York. According to</div> <div> the headmaster, (who was a chaperone), the students come from quite</div> <div> privileged backgrounds. Their parents pay around $35,000 (US) a year fro</div> <div> their child(ren) to attend this school. Furthernore, most of these parents</div> <div> pay in full without the help of scholarships or other financial assistance!</div> <bR> <div> "I wondered how these teens - who have every luxury and privilege available</div> <div> to them - would react to the poverty around the garbage dump. Would they</div> <div> feel pity? disgust?</div> <bR> <div> "The students ended up being wonderful mentors to the children in our</div> <div> Project. They taught them not only lacrosse skills, but gave encouragement</div> <div> and motivational talks. This was so important for our kids to receive the</div> <div> poor support, especially the girls who are not always respected by this</div> <div> society. At the end of their stay, the group rented a professional stadium</div> <div> where the national soccer team plays. All the kids participating in the</div> <div> lacrosse "camp" had the opportunity to play there. It was pretty exciting.</div> <bR> <div> "It was interesting, too, to watch the awareness and transformation of the</div> <div> students from New York. I could see the "wheels" turning in their brains as</div> <div> they were presented with new realities. One student remarked that he</div> <div> realized that "having money is bad." This led to a thoughtful discussion</div> <div> over the fact that money is neither good or bad; its value depends on how</div> <div> one uses it. On another occasion, a group member remarked that these kids</div> <div> are "just like the kids I know at home" and that it was easy to "hang out"</div> <div> with them.</div> <bR> <div> "Before they left, I challenged them to stay connected with our Project and</div> <div> to make responsible choices. Every decision they make - from the clothing</div> <div> they wear, the food they buy, the resources they use - affects others on a</div> <div> global basis. As future leaders, they will have a great responsibility to</div> <div> take positive action, but they can also make a difference now."</div> <bR> <div> You can write to Beth by snail mail at:</div> <div> Beth Kloser</div> <div> Camino Seguro</div> <div> Calle del Hermano Pedro #4</div> <div> Antigua, GUATEMALA</div> <bR> <div> You can also write to Marty and Elly Jordan. They will be in El Salvador</div> <div> until mid-July.</div> <div> Porticos de San Ramon</div> <div> Pasaje 5 Poniente, 33 H</div> <div> San Salvador, EL SALVADOR</div> <bR> <div> These VMs are very busy. Please reassure them that they do not have to</div> <div> respond. They will put you on their newsletter email list if you wish.</div> <bR> <div> Cecily</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>