new blog name

Hey guys,


Blog name changed. So I decided Developmental Adventures in the Philippines (or whatever I called it) was a really boring name (confirmed by the fact that I can't even remember what it was named). This new name comes out of my past week at the HOPE International leadership summit. Picture time:

This leadership summit was a meeting of many of the important people in the HOPE network/organization. This was basically a gathering of my heros. The people who actually formulate and implement all the theories and concepts that I study about in school. These are program coordinators, country directors, SCA (savings and credit associations) specialists, data analysts, etc. Awesome, right!?


Anyway, the theme of this conference was Selah. This term occurs 73 times in the Psalms. Other than that, the only other place is Habakkuk 3. It occurs at the end of poetic stanzas. There are many many theories as to what it means. Since it is quite an interesting word, I decided to study it a little more. These are the 3 main theories I have come across from rigorous study (actually, mostly just wikipedia articles):

1. It means to pause. The meaning of the Hebrew word selah is pause. Especially in the sense of waiting for a response from a congregation. This is a conclusion drawn from the call and response tradition of corporate worship.
2. It could also mean 'to weigh'. An indication for the reader of the text to pause and consider the import of what has been said. This is a call to stop and meditate.
3. It could mean to praise and exalt God. This meaning comes from an association of the word selah with the Hebrew word for lift up or exalt. This is a call to praise God for what is being said. Also applicable for the corporate reading context.

As I thought about this concept of Selah through the week, I realized this is almost exactly what I needed to hear before my internship. Throughout this whole internship process, I have been plagued with doubts and feelings that I will not be adequate for the immense job before me. I have constantly been worrying about things like how I will be able to access internet or what I should pack. I have spent very little time asking God how he wants to use this time in my life. I am going to be working hard and most of the results of my work are going to be completely outside of my control. I am going to need to stop. Praise him. Consider what is happening to me and how he is using it. I am going into a situation where it will be very apparent that I am not all that I think I am. It is going to be very important that I let my identity, my stability, my confidence rest in him. I need to use this concept of contemplative, praise-focused rest to quit making everything about me and my insignificant world. I think this idea of resting and watching the work God is doing in me (which will not necessarily be the work I myself am doing) is going to be the theme of my summer. So I renamed my blog accordingly.

The other part of the title is just as important. I need to rest from my need for achievement and reflect/look out for on what God is doing. This processes should produce hope. God is so much bigger and greater than I think He is. I can take hope that he will do what I so desperately want to do (help people). This last week, I also learned that HOPE International is actually an acronym. It stands for Helping Other People Eternally. This is indeed what I hope God will do through me.

Summary: This summer is going to be a summer of Selah. A summer of laying down my need for validation from my actions and achievements. A summer of actively resting in Christ. A summer of doing my work to the best of my ability and letting Him determine the outcome. A summer of having a great hope and assurance that He will indeed HOPE (help other people eternally) through what I do in some way. That is why I am calling my blog Selah and HOPE in the Philippines.

Now it's time to learn some com dev (community development) from my favorite teacher in the world, Brian Fikkert!


Part 1: Paternalism and Short Terms Missions [STM] (... I am just going to create a page of abbreviations). I know most of you already know all this stuff, but this is a good video anyway. Good to be reminded of.


Disclaimer: I think I can safely say that neither Brian Fikkert, nor myself, think STM is bad. I think it is often been misused and this video shows how. STM is how i first got interested in development and what set me on the course that I am on now. Still, there is much for all of us to learn from this video. This video shows Fikkert calls the distinction between relief and development (from When Helping Hurts).