Rainy Day Redemption

How do Oregonians accomplish anything during the winter? Once fall arrives so begins the rain that only ceases come spring. In my psyche a rainy day equates guiltlessly relaxing with endless mugs of coffee and nostalgic works of fiction (Read: "I'm engrossed in Harry Potter for the 6th time") or watching hours of television shows, only pausing to snag blankets and extra salt for the popcorn. 

In order to redeem this particularly lazy, luxurious Saturday (though I am not really convinced it needs redeeming) I addressed envelopes for fundraising letters. Yes, one of *those* letters. The "I'm doing something spiritual and exciting so I need your prayer (oh and some money too)" kind of letters. Writing the letters was more than banal, it felt downright tawdry.

It is not that anything I wrote was untrue or insincere; I can honestly say that I agonized over how to communicate honestly and engagingly. I do not even mind receiving letters similar to mine, I first heard about International Justice Mission through a support letter! Perhaps embarrassment in asking for money engenders such distaste for my own letter? But I'm a 23-year old, recent college graduate and no one, including myself, expects me to have $20,000 of disposable income. Pride, then? Do I feel that my "independent spirit" is a slight sham when I clearly depend on dozens of people? Definitely some vulnerability is involved as I share with hundreds a cause and pursuit which clings deeply in my heart.  What about fear? Fear that few people will respond, that they will think I am only using them or, worst of all, they might think I am one of those idealist types delaying the responsibilities of adulthood by taking unpaid positions in Africa.

Lean close, I will let you in on a secret... It's a combination of all those reasons. Yikes. Time for a mug refill.

 
Still, I choose to follow the joy. Through these support letters I choose to share myself and my needs and leave my hesitations to just deal with it. A former intern encouraged me with the advice that I am not just asking for myself, but sharing the work and giving people an opportunity for blessing.

With that said, I am going to post a copy of my letter. If you would like to receive a hard copy feel free to email me your address.

And hey, thanks for listening.

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Dear Friends,

God carves unique niches in each of our hearts for things we love and are passionate about. My heart comes alive when I see God’s love and justice displayed to the weakest and most oppressed of His creations. In January 2014 I have the opportunity to pursue that joy to Nairobi, Kenya for a year-long internship with International Justice Mission. I will serve as an Executive Administrative Intern aiding the office in their mission to bring rescue and restoration to victims of child sexual assault and police abuse of power.

 
IJM is an international human rights agency composed of Christian attorneys, social workers and investigators whose mission is to protect people from injustice. National IJM staff investigates situations of abuse and partners with officials to free victims from danger, provide ongoing legal support and facilitate restoration through aftercare. Additionally, IJM pursues bridge-building relationships to empower communities to prevent future abuses and ensure that public justice systems actually work for the poor.

My dream to work with IJM began in high school when I first heard about the extent of modern day slavery and violent oppression. In fact, my introduction to IJM came from a support letter just like this!  This spring I was privileged to serve a 6 month internship with IJM in Washington, DC—an experience that nurtured my wish to continue pursuing justice as I learned more of not only injustice in the world, but of God’s redemptive heart. While I now know more about the darkness that exists, what inspires me is the good news. The hope and power of Christ displayed by seeing people rescued from physical slavery, restored from vicious abuse and shown the heart of God is greater than any darkness that exists.

I want to invite you to see that hope by partnering with me, and I am writing for your support in two areas.

Donation Ideas!
$45	The approximate cost of living for one day in Nairobi
$87	The current USD to Kenyan Shilling exchange rate is $1/87ksh
$117	To remind you of Isaiah 1:17, declaring God’s heart for justice

Financially – As an unpaid intern, I need approximately $15,000 for my year in Kenya. This amount covers all of my transportation, visa, rent and living expenses. I leave in mid-January but any donation at any point during the year is gratefully accepted! I have enclosed information on how you can donate online through IJM or directly to me.      

Spiritually – Prayer support is not just an afterthought for me. Not only would I love prayer for the work in Nairobi, as well as my personal needs and safety, I crave prayers of encouragement, that my spirit would be strengthened as I am faced with violence and abuse, that I would remain tender-hearted to the work and that my hope and joy would be sustained by Christ.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or for more information! I love to speak about IJM and would happily do so, if possible, with your church or friends. Stay updated by reading my blog www.onetimeinyuma.blogspot.com, adding me on Facebook or emailing me at hv.beckett@gmail.com.  

I am excited about this next year and thankful for your support!

With joy,

Hannah

http://www.ijm.org/getinvolved/internshipsupport
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Kitchen Gnomes + Roommates

Tonight I found the coffee scoop that went missing from the kitchen weeks ago. I blamed the kitchen gnomes, but truthfully, I lost it down the sink and then forgot. As I fished it out triumphantly, Joel yelled from the couch, “I should keep a journal of all the ridiculous stuff that has happened since you’ve been living here!”(Really, Dad, he said “stuff”)

Joel and I are alike in a lot of ways. We’re both introverted and too intuitive; we like to watch documentaries, listen to public radio and leave dishes in the sink for days. But he is practical, precise and incredibly detail oriented. He just shakes his head when I use his “beer glasses meant for pouring Belgian beer” to drink almond milk, set off the fire alarm cooking at 10 pm, dry the laundry on high heat and (most grievously of all) load the dishwasher inefficiently. Still, he is still pretty patient as I’ve bleached his towels, dumped coffee beans into the couch cushions and nurtured an entire colony of fruit flies in the kitchen.

It is somewhat rare for two adult siblings to live together and a lot of people assume we’re a couple. Talk about awkward. Standard introduction: “Hi I’m Hannah, this is Joelheismybrother.” He says I kill his vibe with the ladies. I would like to point out that is a two-way street.  

It’s been really great having my brother as a roommate though. Not only is it nice to have a roommate after living alone for 6 months in DC (and one that shares my love of bacon and Star Trek!), but connecting with him as adults without the elements of parents, home or the other siblings has been good.
 

Joel moved out when I was 13 and has done dozens different things all over the country and the world in the last 10 years. He’s always been the trail-breaker in our family, encouraging the rest of us to break rules and question norms. The image of him as the sometimes-troublemaker-but-really-cool big brother lingered for years; conversely, I was the excruciatingly annoying pre-teen little sister. Joel never takes the easiest path and I always looked up to that.  True story: The essay prompt in one of my standardized tests in 9th grade was to write about a hero of mine—I wrote about Joel.

Now that we have both settled more into our identities, his personality challenges me to question why I think the way I do, believe what I do and act certain ways. It can frustrate me since I am still more of a black-and-white thinker and don’t like lingering dissonance in my thinking, but I value highly the challenges he presents. He has encouraged me to communicate more honestly, to value people where they are and look for the hope in every situation. These are all good things.

I am grateful to live in Oregon these months before Kenya, and connecting with Joel is definitely one of the reasons why.

I may never be able to park his truck straight and we'll always have to agree to disagree on the Bourne trilogy, but I’ll always have some invaluable memories with family.

Come on, people, we are *clearly* related!