SORJ 2011 in pictures

Memories of the

 School of Reconciliation and Justice 2011 Harpenden UK

Browse through a few pictures of life in the school from January to April as we studied and lived together and sought to understand how to bring change to our areas of the world.

In London enjoying an amazing city

Studying hard and enjoying our time celebrating together

Nanzip and the Drum....Music and teaching...stirs our hearts to change.

Excellent Teachers lead each week during the school....and they challenge each one of us to learn new principles and to apply these truths to our lives.

Salim Munayer explaining principles of identity....
He leads the ministry called Musalaha in Israel and Palestine

Welcoming students to the University of Bedfordshire in Luton.

Getting ready to dance and make a joyful sound!

SORJ STAFF: Nanzip, Sodangi, Ineta, Olivier with Scott Tjernagel
Thank you, Scott, for your teaching that inspires us
to learn more about our Father's Kingdom.

more eating together

Michael, Innocent, Godfrey all from Rwanda.....
How does one change a nation? Work with men like these three!

Our brains are aching and our hearts are being stretched to have new vision for the future.

Sodangi leading the group

The name plates show our national flags and our joined hands symbolize that peace comes as we work together.

Encouraging one another

Ineta has so much wisdom to share from her work in Thailand and in Latvia

We were looking at power structures and trying to figure out how to make a difference in changing the dynamics

Nathan, UK, enjoying a time of fun celebrating a birthday

Lovely Ladies ....and world changers
Sarah, UK, Ashlee, USA, Zefanya, Indonesia, Zipporah, Papua New Guinea, Antoniette, Rwanda
and Ineta and Cathy

Sarah thinking and dreaming about God's justice for his hurting world

Zipporah and the Journey of Reconciliation...how can one small book have so much impact in our lives?

Thank you Dr. Jazz for inspiring us when you teach on Conflict and Reconcilation

Take one Desmond Tutu and one young man, Godfrey, and it is a recipe for new vision to develop on how to help his country

All serious study goes better with dancing and none does it better than Innocent

My favority place to be....
in a classroom with interesting students and lots to discuss

You can hear their brains thinking and thinking!
Henry is excited and ready to discuss the subject.
and...Ashlee is thinking, thinking, thinking.

Thank you Matthew for challenging Nanzip,
 and each of us with your wisdom and experience

Henry is going to remember these days of learning from you
when he is leading his sports ministry in Nigeria

Part of the process of learning is being able to lead others.....Nanzip and Olivier leading the joint worship time for the schools.

Ashlee and Antoniette ....
What are you planning as you talk about the future?

After 3 Months of lectures and work, it is time for Graduation. Each student designs a reconciliation project for their country or an advocacy project that could help change an issue of injustice.
The faces below show the relief of working hard and encouraging each other to give life their best.

Happy Staff pleased with the projects and the success of their students!

Nathaniel, Ghana, explaining his project. Well Done!

And finishing the school, means it is time to take what has been learned and to fly home! We will miss each one of you who made this year's school very special...thank you for the hard work and how you inspired us.

Saying Goodbye to Olivier who was leaving for Rwanda.....hopefully the SORJ will be following him to Rwanda Fall, 2011

Gather in the Nations and Let's Learn God's Heart for Reconciliation

When I was a child, I could hardly wait until the first day of a new school year, and I never lost that excitement when I was teaching middle school students, and it was just the same as I approached the opening days of the School of Reconciliation and Justice. We are now into our second week of the three month course, and it is pure joy getting to know this group.

Zipporah arrived first and travelled the furthest...Papua New Guinea. And then there is Zefanya from Indonesia but works in Lebanon, and coming closer to Europe, we have two Brits, Sarah and Nathan, and one lovely American, Ashlee and then three Rwandans, Antoniette, Godfrey, and Innocent, and finally one Nigerian, Henry. Add in five marvelous staff from last year's school and a couple of other Oval staff, Jon and Leah, taking the course part-time makes us a community of around 16 - 18 plus baby Caitlin.

Last week each one shared their life story with the group, and I marveled at how God had shaped each person: Some have lived very normal life experiences, and others have lived through difficult circumstances, but in both cases, this is a group wanting to learn how to live out God's heart for justice and reconciliation in their countries.

Strategy session - Ineta, Sodangi, Simplice, Olivier and Nanzip

On our first day as I welcomed everyone, Jon and Leah's little girl, Caitlin started smiling at me and then came to me asking to be picked up. This was a first, and she was insistent that she was going to open the class with me. As I stood there with this precious child in my arms, I thought about how secure and loved each of us is in the arms of our God. And in this security, we can trust Him to teach us how to overcome evil with good.

Some want to understand more about peacebuilding; some want to enter politics and make changes in their governments, others want to tackle social problems through advocacy. In each case, my prayer is that we will let God strength us with his love for this world and to be able to see beyond the corruption to the beauty that God originally designed for this planet.

Opening dinner at my house



Sodangi teaching us from his life story



Welcome to SORJ and taking notes...lots of thinking going on!



Final tip: Learning how to be the change you want to see in the world has to include music!

2010: What a Year!

A Year of Blessings and more to come....

As I look back on this year, there is no way to give thanks for all the blessings I have seen. If you have a moment, travel with me through some of my favorite blessings from this year:

Harpenden and The School of Reconciliation and Justice  How does one sum up what incredible blessings flow when we learn how to build a community that seeks to work together with a heart for moving out to train others to solve community problems.

For part of the group, we went to Belfast to work in area of the city where YWAM NI has been working in the midst of various other organizations that are helping to make a difference in this war-torn area. There are still walls that separate Protestants and Catholics, but often those walls are in the minds and attitudes of people that live in the inner city. But gradually the Church and agencies are making a difference. The team started a sports club and worked with neighborhood kids. Sports and reconciliation issues go hand in hand. As the youth of that neighborhood gathered together, we learned a lot about the issues that need to be changed in the lives of this youth. In an area where each family is defined as Catholic or Protestant, we found most of these young people had no concepts about who God is.  

One draws a crowd with the team is from Rwanda, Nigeria and India...and they have lots to share about how to live together peacefully. More than football was being learned. As we sat together and started talking about life, hopefully hearts were also learning new values that will bring change.

Another blessing of this year: Our Journey of Understanding group that went to Israel/Palestine in July. A mix of Americans, Irish and Brits makes for a lively trip of learning about each other's views on the world at the same time tackling learning about the people of Israel and Palestine. The trip is designed for each participant to meet people who live in the midst of this conflict and to ask more questions about how can we pray and how can we help to see transformation happening. Always challenging to one's own journey of forgiveness and concepts of what this conflict is all about. Lots to learn from the people of the Middle East. If you have time, come with us on one of these trips.

The posts below have also been a part of the blessings as I so enjoyed seeing Yan Yan lead her first School of Intercultural Studies. You can see more on that story in the last post.

The Fall saw me heading home and the blessings of the fall have been the friends and family who have seen me through this crazy career. Living with so many different cultures this year, it was also a blessing to go home to Texas and to soak up a bit of my "Texas" flavor. It was a blessing to see my Father and to have time with him after many years as well as to meet my first "great niece". I could keep going on this blessing list.

So finally I ended 2010 with two wonderful Christmas celebrations. One ranged from a party for Chinese students in Luton to celebrating with my friends here at the Oval and watching Facebook for new pictures and events at home.

celebrate, celebrate, celebrate



So a new year is coming and new friends will join us for the next School of Reconciliation and Justice very soon. As I have worked this year in areas of conflict both here and with my friends from around the world, there have been days when I have seen more of the sorrow of living with the challenges of this life, but there has always been a way forward with God's mercy and grace leading the way. And so I've also experienced so much more joy seeing what our God can accomplish through us. So be encouraged in these days, God is able to teach us how to live with hope.

I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for you love and concern through the years. I am so grateful for you as well. May your days be filled with new revelations of God's love for you and for this incredible world we have been given. Keep praying!

And to all a peaceful new year