Time

At this moment, I am working on three computers. Typing this blog on my desktop PC, listening to Pandora and updating Five Talents golf materials on my desktop Mac, and loading software onto the laptop Mac that I'll be taking into the field. In the midst of this I'm fielding questions from co-workers, responding to emails and updating our Web site. I have also just created a "Do Not Disturb" sign for my desk in hopes of increasing my ability to multi-task.

Time. Right now, I'm not sure I have enough of it. And yet, regardless of what I do or do not get accomplished before I leave, I'll be on a British Air flight to London at 8:55 tomorrow evening. (That thought, I have to admit, provides both relief and panic! :)

One of our incredibly dedicated volunteers was just in the office. He prayed that Suzanne and I would be open to God's timing on this trip. To know that the Lord may have plans for us that are different than what we have organized or imagined and that we would be open to His leading.

There is definite reality in that volunteer's prayer. Yesterday, we received an email from Peter Macharia, who is the Sudan Country Director for World Concern and one of our consortium partners:

This is to let you know that the flight that was carrying Harun from [Kenya] was unable to land in [Sudan] today due to a very strong dust storm covering the area. They were forced to be brought back to [Kenya]. They will be leaving on Wednesday for [Sudan] and we hope the storm will have cleared. Kindly pray that we will not be affected and our trip will be as planned. Dust storms are common occurrences at this time of the year in Sudan.

This email was just a reminder that even with the best made plans there is always the possibility of change and alternate routes.

As Suzanne and I enter into our final 24 hours of preparation, I'd ask for your prayers that we be good stewards of our time before and during the trip and that would we would be open to the Lord's leading and His use of our time during the next three weeks.

OK, time for me to share my attention with the Macs sitting to my left... :)

Kelli

Six Days

Six Days. A little more than 144 hours. That's how much time I have before boarding a plane and heading east.

I'm not sure I can begin to explain how excited I am... It's been almost three years since I visited East Africa and almost a year and a half since I visited the Five Talents program in Chennai, India, and I cannot wait to get back in the field! Although, at the moment, I must admit that I'm feeling overwhelmed and tired with everything I need to finish in the next 100 or so hours (that is, if I'm taking time out to sleep and eat ;).

Anyway, I'll be traveling with Suzanne Schultz, our director of program, to Sudan and Kenya to visit our programs in both countries. We leave next Wednesday night (May 13) with a couple day layover in London for the Five Talents International board meeting prior to flying into Nairobi and then on into Southern Sudan. We'll get back into the states on June 3.

I'll be blogging my travels here as much as Internet access is available (and hopefully posting photos as well!). I'll provide more travel details in the days to come before my departure.

here we go...

Kelli Ross
Five Talents International, Director of Communications

Photos from Hannah's Time in Bolivia

Adiós, Bolivia

Did you know that 'adiós' means 'to God' (a Dios)? Those are fitting words for our departure from Tarija today. We had our final meetings with Sara and Eva yesterday and are confident in their abilities and this project. It will be exciting to see where things go from here!

Today is Maundy Thursday, and we remember Christ's mandate (which is where we get the word 'maundy' from) to us to seek his kingdom and righteousness and to take the posture of a servant as he did -- washing his friends' feet on the night before he died. The following collect on mission is appropriate for today and to reflect on in the work of Five Talents:

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanks for keeping updated. I hope that you may be brought more meaningfully into His fold this Holy Week... adiós!

~ Hannah

Blessings Upon Blessings!

The days are flying by here in Bolivia!

Yesterday, the 'equipo misionero de Five Talents' (mission team from Five Talents) was the guest of honor at the monthly meeting on the Evangelical Pastors' Association of Tarija. I did a brief intro on the mission of Five Talents and where we operate; Tom presented on poverty and holistic development; and Sara and Eva did a fabulous job presenting Semillas de Bendición and the different models for savings and loans groups. There was a lot of audience participation and laughter!

We were also treated to a professional guitarist as a musical interlude during a break. The exciting thing was that we were expecting about 40 pastors and leaders to come and 85 showed up!!! Clearly, there is a big interest and need for Christian microenterprise development here in Tarija!

During our snack break, we munched on salteñas, which are a typical food here -- like an empanada (meat pie) but with more hot liquid inside. Definitely burned my chin on spurting salteña juice the other night...

~ Hannah