Tuesday, January 23, 2007
So what do you do, exactly?
I hate when people ask what I do. It happens often when church teams come.
But the problem is with that one word. No, not "strategic." "Contributing!"
The problem is not that I don't do important stuff. I know I do. I'm more comfortable with my role now than ever before. I'm contributing to a number of really strategic efforts here in Senegal.
But the problem is with that one word. No, not "strategic." "Contributing!"
I don't have a title like "Director" or "Professor" or "Pastor" or even "Church Planter". Immediately, when people hear a word like that, they feel like they know what you do. They don't, of course! Titles unexplained are just ways to reinforce preconceived ideas.
In the end I am forced to explain a number of the things I do and just describe myself as a "general missionary" or some other made-up term! Any title, of course, is better than "administrator". That conjures up images of shuffling papers all day and making no substantive contribution to the enterprise.
In the end I am forced to explain a number of the things I do and just describe myself as a "general missionary" or some other made-up term! Any title, of course, is better than "administrator". That conjures up images of shuffling papers all day and making no substantive contribution to the enterprise.
Let me give you some examples from yesterday. Perhaps you can think of a good term.
Balla came to the Phare in the morning. He works for UWM now, since the first of January. We are founding a discipleship program, a three-month intensive, live-in deal where he will be our "rabbi" for 6 young potential leaders sent by their church or mission. This is a dream coming true for our UWM team, an effort that began in discussions 3 or 4 years ago.
So when I got back from the regular DA Board prayer meeting / Exec Committee consultation at around 10:30, I found Balla and Rodney both in the office. I wanted us to talk about the school before either of them got away! But first I had to make my rounds. Patrice is following up on the work done by last week's team. The ladies painted our Chambre H, but we still need to rewire the room. He is putting in the surface channel. I'll go in today and wire it up. So I went to consult with him on how to make the channel look better by mitering the corners and following the center line of the room.
Then I checked on Jean and the new restroom. He wasn't there! And he hadn't called. After a deep sigh, I moved on, figuring he was stuff in traffic from the Dakar Rally. I found out later that he spent the whole day in the city trying to find enough of the tile we picked last week. As of late last night, he hadn't found it and was going to propose a different tile.
The guard, Mbaye, also filled me in on the day's crisis, a death threat the night before from a jealous fiance of a co-worker here. I won't explain all of that. Poor Herve was intervening. At least the fellow came asking for forgiveness.
Then I went down to the house to check in. I remembered the piles of stuff left by the North Way team that are filling the living room, waiting for Jane and I to distribute and sort. Some is for us personally, wonderful gifts from the States (like Jif!!!). Some is leftover medicines and vitamins and toys for the talibe ministry. Others is food supplies that we'll hold until the next team visits. Other stuff is to distribute to families here. I made a quick cut at handing the medicines to Antoinette to put in the talibe pharmacy.
Then I got back to Balla and Rodney. Our committee (the three of us plus Jose) has come up with educational objectives for knowledge, character and skills. We've organized the school days into two blocks of time in the morning for teaching and one in the afternoon for activities. Balla and I have been working on putting together a twelve-week plan of topics for those teaching times to cover all of the list of objectives. We've also been making a list of equipment and materials we'll need. So yesterday, I wanted to update Rodney and get some decisions made to keep moving forward. So we looked at the educational stuff, as well as the financial. We settled on the start date for the school (February 19th!) and discussed cooking arrangements. Today I'll type up all of that as minutes (in French) to and we'll continue to move forward.
Now I was the one who led that meeting. I didn't have more authority than the other guys. But I had the fire in my gut and a list of topics in my head and I took notes and I pressed for clear decisions and made sure someone was designated to follow-up each item. Yet, it all happened with mutual respect and collegiality. I'm not the chair of the committee. I wasn't forcing anything. We all are eager for this thing to advance. It was very natural and fulfilling and fun work.
But what title do I claim to explain things like that in a word or two? Beats me.
Balla came to the Phare in the morning. He works for UWM now, since the first of January. We are founding a discipleship program, a three-month intensive, live-in deal where he will be our "rabbi" for 6 young potential leaders sent by their church or mission. This is a dream coming true for our UWM team, an effort that began in discussions 3 or 4 years ago.
So when I got back from the regular DA Board prayer meeting / Exec Committee consultation at around 10:30, I found Balla and Rodney both in the office. I wanted us to talk about the school before either of them got away! But first I had to make my rounds. Patrice is following up on the work done by last week's team. The ladies painted our Chambre H, but we still need to rewire the room. He is putting in the surface channel. I'll go in today and wire it up. So I went to consult with him on how to make the channel look better by mitering the corners and following the center line of the room.
Then I checked on Jean and the new restroom. He wasn't there! And he hadn't called. After a deep sigh, I moved on, figuring he was stuff in traffic from the Dakar Rally. I found out later that he spent the whole day in the city trying to find enough of the tile we picked last week. As of late last night, he hadn't found it and was going to propose a different tile.
The guard, Mbaye, also filled me in on the day's crisis, a death threat the night before from a jealous fiance of a co-worker here. I won't explain all of that. Poor Herve was intervening. At least the fellow came asking for forgiveness.
Then I went down to the house to check in. I remembered the piles of stuff left by the North Way team that are filling the living room, waiting for Jane and I to distribute and sort. Some is for us personally, wonderful gifts from the States (like Jif!!!). Some is leftover medicines and vitamins and toys for the talibe ministry. Others is food supplies that we'll hold until the next team visits. Other stuff is to distribute to families here. I made a quick cut at handing the medicines to Antoinette to put in the talibe pharmacy.
Then I got back to Balla and Rodney. Our committee (the three of us plus Jose) has come up with educational objectives for knowledge, character and skills. We've organized the school days into two blocks of time in the morning for teaching and one in the afternoon for activities. Balla and I have been working on putting together a twelve-week plan of topics for those teaching times to cover all of the list of objectives. We've also been making a list of equipment and materials we'll need. So yesterday, I wanted to update Rodney and get some decisions made to keep moving forward. So we looked at the educational stuff, as well as the financial. We settled on the start date for the school (February 19th!) and discussed cooking arrangements. Today I'll type up all of that as minutes (in French) to and we'll continue to move forward.
Now I was the one who led that meeting. I didn't have more authority than the other guys. But I had the fire in my gut and a list of topics in my head and I took notes and I pressed for clear decisions and made sure someone was designated to follow-up each item. Yet, it all happened with mutual respect and collegiality. I'm not the chair of the committee. I wasn't forcing anything. We all are eager for this thing to advance. It was very natural and fulfilling and fun work.
But what title do I claim to explain things like that in a word or two? Beats me.
