Mans Wisdom

I promised myself that if I started blogging, I wouldn't journal... my journal is separate, and stored in my "concept81" folder on my desktop... but I am thinking about posting one of my journal entries in the future, just to see what kind of reviews it would receive, I like journaling because it tracks my headspace at a point in time. So this is a warning, I may post one of my journal entries in the future... not now though... originally I meant for my blog to be a medium for satire, since one of my greater loves is satire. Unfortunately I've drifted away from comedy since I left the States. But I had a discussion with myself, and resolved my blog issues by deciding: I will blog about what's going on where I am, what I'm doing, and what's happening around me... A climate as it were, of what's happening where I am. To season this, I decided to throw in intermittent artists that I'm a fan of. Today, I show case the art of Jack Handy. Earlier I posted some of my "deep thoughts" which were a shadow of one of my heroes of satire. It was during my early high school years, watching SNL when I discovered the literary works of Jack Handy, and my idea of comedy would forever be changed, without further ado:

Deep Thoughts

Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then, on the way out, slam the door.

I hope some animal never bores a hole in my head and lays its eggs in my brain, because later you might think you're having a good idea but it's just eggs hatching.

If I could be any bird, I would be a penguin. Because then I could walk around on my own two feet with a bunch of other guys who looked just like me.

I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.

If I ever do a book on the Congo, I hope I am able to bring a certain lightheartedness to the subject, in a way that tells the reader “we are going to have fun with this thing.”

To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kinda scary. I've wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad.

To us, it might look like just a rag. But to the brave, embattled men of the fort, it was more than that. It was a flag of surrender. And after that, it was torn up and used for shoe-shine rags, so the men would look nice for the surrender.

If you were a gladiator in olden days, I bet the inefficiency of how the gladiator fights were organized and scheduled, would just drive you up a wall.

We like to praise birds for flying. But how much of it is actually flying, and how much of it is just sort of coasting from the previous flap?

I guess the hard thing for a lot of people to accept is why God would allow me to go running through their yards, yelling and spinning around.

Perhaps, if I am very lucky, the feeble efforts of my lifetime will someday be noticed, and maybe, in some small way, they will be acknowledged as the greatest works of genius ever created by Man.

People think it would be fun to be a bird because you could fly. But they forget the negative side, which is the preening.

If you go parachuting, and your parachute doesn't open, and you friends are all watching you fall, I think a funny gag would be to pretend you were swimming.

I'm not afraid of insects taking over the world, and you know why? It would take about a billion ants just to aim a gun at me, let alone fire it. And you know what I'm doing while they're aiming it at me? I just sort of slip off to the side, and then suddenly run up and kick the gun out of their hands.

I bet the main reason the police keep people away from a plane crash is they don't want anybody walking in and lying down in the crash stuff, then, when somebody comes up, act like they just woke up and go, 'What was THAT?!'

I can't stand cheap people. It makes me real mad when someone says something like, 'Hey, when are you going to pay me that $100 you owe me?' or 'Do you have that $50 you borrowed?' Man, quit being so cheap!

I wish I could shrink down to the size of an ant. And maybe there would be thousands of other people shrunken down to ant-size, and we would get together and dig tunnels down into the ground, and live there. But don't ever call us 'ants,' because we hate that.

When the age of the Vikings came to a close, they must have sensed it. Probably, they gathered together one evening, slapped each other on the back and said, 'Hey, good job.'

If you ever go temporarily insane, don't shoot somebody, like a lot of people do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you'd really be surprised.

You know one thing that will really make a woman mad? Just run up and kick her in the butt. (P.S. This also works with men.)

Sometimes I think the world has gone completely mad. And then I think, 'Aw, who cares?' And then I think, 'Hey, what's for supper?'

If they ever come up with a swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, Then Jumping Off Something.

Coffee and Violence?

It's undeniable that coffee affects things, especially when you drink coffee, after all, it's one of our favorite drugs. Before I left the States, one pastor speculated: "what would happen if we took three things out of our diet: caffeine, sugar, and nicotine?" He went on to say we'd be a bunch of angry zombies walking around in a tired angry stupor killing each other. I found I agreed with the guy, after all I was sitting in my chair angry and tired because I didn't have my coffee. A recent study was done in here in Burundi on coffee season, and what goes on socially during coffee season. The results were a bit of a bummer.


Study Says Coffee Harvest Linked to Increase in Gender-Based Violence in Burundi.

The April-July coffee harvest period in Burundi has been linked to increases in gender-based violence and the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
It is not uncommon for women and children to be on the receiving end of both physical and emotional abuse during this period, CARE International, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in the country, said in a new report.
"Men were described as becoming more violent during this period as a strategy to scare women away from raising any issues related to money," the NGO said.
The coffee harvesting season is a period when men have extra cash in their pockets derived from the proceeds of sales to coffee associations, though it is usually women that do most of the coffee-picking.
CARE International in Burundi carried out research to assess the impact of the coffee harvest on families and women in particular. CARE said it would share the results of the study with development actors in the country in a bid to create awareness of the negative impacts of the coffee harvest on women.
Increased alcohol consumption
It said other negative impacts of the coffee harvest include: an increase in alcohol consumption; the interruption of school attendance; an increase in the workload of women and men, with little or not benefit to women; an increase in adulterous behaviour among both men and women.
The results of the study, CARE hoped, would help identify possible activities to mitigate these negative impacts on women, and also identify possible activities or approaches for preventing and reducing household conflicts.
The study - carried out in March in the provinces of Gitega, Ngozi and Kayanza - involved discussion with groups of women and men as well as individual interviews. Coffee is an important cash crop for many families in these provinces.
Ideas for improving situation
CARE said that through its in-depth discussions with women and men covered by the study, a number of ideas and opportunities had emerged with the potential to improve the situation of women, particularly in relation to coffee production.
These, CARE said, include partnering with local coffee associations - which are mainly made up of men - to offer training and support in gender sensitive approaches such as conflict resolution.
"Offering training and support in financial management and investment strategies would address the knowledge gap in these areas (something men pointed out during discussions)," CARE reported.
It said it would scale up peace and conflict activities such as supporting training in conflict resolution as well as supporting community level monitoring of conflict.

Luther declared outlaw on this day in history

If you're going to be a reformer, or a prophet in your day. I suggest you prepare yourself to be an outlaw. Especially if you are going to be a reformer of the church in any of it's current forms. Luther was one of the more fortunate reformers. I feel certain that in his day he didn't know how influencial he would be throughout history. Because of his life, I had to read many books in seminary, and I had to take many tests.

The Diet of Worms was a general assembly (a Diet) of the estates of the Holy Roman Empire that took place in Worms, a small town on the Rhine river located in what is now Germany. It was conducted from January 28 to May 25, 1521, with Emperor Charles V presiding. Although other issues were dealt with at the Diet of Worms, it is most memorable for addressing Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation.

The previous year, Pope Leo X had issued the Papal bull Exsurge Domine, demanding that Luther retract forty-one of his 95 theses criticising the Church. Luther was summoned by the Emperor to appear before the Imperial Diet. Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony obtained an agreement that if Luther appeared he would be promised safe passage to and from the meeting. Such a guarantee was essential after the treatment of Jan Hus, who was tried and executed at the Council of Constance in 1415, despite a safe conduct pass. Luther's DefenseEmperor Charles V opened the imperial Diet of Worms on January 22, 1521. Luther was summoned to renounce or reaffirm his views. When he appeared before the assembly on April 16, Johann Eck, an assistant of Archbishop of Trier (Richard Greiffenklau zu Vollraths at that time), acted as spokesman for the Emperor. He presented Luther with a table filled with copies of his writings. Eck asked Luther if the books were his and if he still believed what these works taught. Luther requested time to consider his answer. It was granted.

Luther prayed, consulted with friends and mediators and presented himself before the Diet the next day. When the counselor put the same questions to Luther, he said: "They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort." Luther went on to categorize the writings into three categories:
The first category was of works which were well received by even his enemies. These he would not reject.
The second category of his books attacked the abuses, lies and desolation of the Christian world. These, Luther believed, could not safely be rejected without encouraging abuses to continue.
The third and final group contained attacks on individuals. He apologized for the harsh tone of these writings, but did not reject the substance of what he taught in them. If he could be shown from the Scriptures that he was in error, Luther continued, he would reject them.
Counsellor Eck, after countering that Luther had no right to teach contrary to the Church through the ages, asked Luther to plainly answer the question: "Would Luther reject his books and the errors they contain?"

Luther replied: "Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe."

According to tradition, Luther is then said to have spoken these words: "Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen." ("Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.") Some scholars now question whether these famous words were actually spoken, however, since only the last four appear in contemporary accounts.

Private conferences were held to determine Luther's fate. Before a decision was reached, Luther left Worms on the 25th or 26th of April with a twenty-day safe-conduct. Edict of WormsAfter the safe-conduct had elapsed, Charles issued the Edict of Worms on May 25, 1521 (antedated as of May 8, 1521), declaring Martin Luther an outlaw, banning his writings, and requiring his arrest: "We want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic".[1]

The Papal nuncio at the Diet, Girolamo Aleandro, had drawn up and proposed the fierce denunciations of Luther embodied in the edict, which permitted anyone to kill Luther without legal consequence. The edict was seen as a divisive move that distressed more moderate men, in particular Desiderius Erasmus. AftermathDespite the agreement that he could return home safely, it was privately understood that Luther would soon be arrested and punished. To protect him from this fate, Prince Frederick seized him on his way home and hid him in Wartburg Castle. It was during his time in Wartburg that Luther began his German translation of the Bible. The edict was temporarily suspended at the Diet of Speyer in 1526 but then reinstated in 1529.

When Luther eventually came out of hiding, the emperor was preoccupied with military concerns, and because of rising public support for Luther among the German people, the Edict of Worms was never enforced. Luther continued to call for reform until his death in 1546.

Are all Countries birthed by battle?

Many locals are relieved that former chairman Radjabu is in jail. Radjabu is a devout muslim who helped get the current president, Pierre Nkurunziza into power before being ousted by Pierre Nkurunziza and his party. Many people I've talked with here (except muslims) suggest that Radjabu has been responsible for many people "disapearing" or being imprisoned. I've heard it said that Radjabu "inspired" various people in leadership positions that do not promote Radjabu's agenda to leave their posts. Heavily funded by Islamic nations, Radjabu was not short of resources. Since being ousted, rumor had it that he was planning a coup d' etat. But then all the sudden on my birthday (April 27th) he was arrested. I remember driving home to lunch with Sara and Trina as Police directed us away from our usual route home, at the time I didn't realize we drive right passed Radjabu's house on our way home. Later that day we discovered that Radjabu was arrested at his home. Then a few weeks later Trina and I were walking to French class, when we saw a bunch of police in riot gear, and large crowds of people. As we walked around the police and crowds we said to each other things like: "I wonder what's going on here" and "when our French improves we'll be able to ask some of these people." Later that evening we heard that Muslims were rallying for Radjabu to be released outside the high court, and riot police were put on damage control. Apparently two people were injured. I guess I feel very humbled and privileged to see with my own eyes the building of a country. Almost as if I were visiting America in the first hundred years of it's development granted this is on a much smaller scale. But I feel like I get to see first hand the people that will be written about in Burundi history books. I see the people who come out on top, the people who get thrown in jail, the people that flee the country, the people who suffer great trajedy, the people who are beginning to thrive, etc. Anyway, here's a recent article on Radjabu:

Burundi's High Court has ruled that a former ruling party chairperson will stay in jail for a month before the start of his trial, his lawyer said.Hussein Radjabu was arrested on April 27 on accusations of trying to destabilise the tiny central African country of Burundi. He denies the accusations, saying they were fabricated by government's intelligence services. Prosper Niyoyankana, Radjabu's lawyer, said he was disappointed by the court's decision, made late on Monday, and would appeal for a provisional release of his client.Radjabu was ousted as boss of the ruling CNDD-FDD party in February, and several of his allies have also since been sacked from the government. Early this month police dispersed about 200 protesters who were demonstrating in support of Radjabu outside a court.CNDD-FDD came under scrutiny after it said last year it had foiled a plan to overthrow President Pierre Nkurunziza. The party denies allegations it invented the plot to quash dissent.Emerging from more than a decade of ethnic civil war that killed about 300 000 people, Burundi was seen as an African success story. But claims of corruption and rights abuses have clouded that.

Burundi is coming to you!

Some 8,500 Burundian refugees who fled their country in 1972 are to be resettled in the United States this year and the first batch of 88 flew from Kibondo Camp in western Tanzania this morning to the Kenyan capital Nairobi en route to their new US homes. Some 3,000 of the "1972 Burundian refugees" - about 35 percent of the number accepted for resettlement - are expected to leave Kibondo for Nairobi and then travel on to various US cities, such as Atlanta and Phoenix, over the next 15 weeks. The whole process is expected to be completed by the end of this year. refugees will undergo an orientation workshop organized by IOM. This will help prepare them for a new life in the US and ease their integration. The "1972 Burundians" represent one of the world's most protracted refugee situations and resettlement is the only viable durable solution for most of them. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians fled to neighbouring countries that year to escape ethnic violence which killed an estimated 200,000 people. Children of these refugees born in exile were also being considered for resettlement in the US. Some of the refugees have been displaced several times in the Great Lakes region. In 1972, thousands of the Burundians fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. But they had to move to Tanzania when conflict erupted in these countries in the 1990s. At the same time, some Burundians returned home after several years of exile but had to seek sanctuary in neighbouring countries once more when a new wave of violence swept their country. While repatriation of Burundian refugees remains a priority, we believe that successful repatriation and reintegration of this particular group is not possible. After nearly 35 years in exile, they would face complex and unresolved land issues. Moreover, some refugees believe they are viewed as outsiders and would never be able to fully integrate in Burundi. Those born in exile identify closely with their host country, Tanzania, but it cannot offer them local integration. Tanzania still hosts some 276,000 refugees, mainly from Burundi and the DRC.
Relevant LinksCentral Africa East Africa Tanzania Refugees and Displacement Burundi

out sell

Arguably America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Arguably Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world. An interesting dance happens when an American (myself) goes to the market (anywhere outside my house) and buys an item from a local merchant. You immediately have one of the richest people in the world bartering for an item from one of the poorest people in the world. Some people call this a moral dilemma. I'm not one of them. Although I do feel really bad when I get a good deal. Where as in America, I feel really good when I get a good deal. But those are emotive responses, and i don't know how much they have to do with conscience. Sometimes I get bad deals, and I don't worry about it because I think to myself: "these people are really poor, good for them, they ripped me off this time, I hope they spend the money wisely (who really spends money wisely?)." Sometimes I get a bad deal and I think: "Lame! I shouldn't get ripped off just because I'm of the richest people in the world! Plus, I'm among the middle/low class of the richest people in the world! And I'm always livin' paycheck to paycheck, with meager savings at best!" Then I breathe heavily for a bit, and kick a rock, and think... "I'll show them next time" (as if they need more problems to deal with). I think my average right now is 50/50 but I have no way of confirming this. I'm pretty sure, I'll end up getting more and more good deals. Often times, I'm not even looking to buy something: usually Burundians will see a white person and immediately ask for money or try and sell something. On this particular sunny Saturday, I was heading to the "bucherie" to get some chicken with the belle and friends, and the vendors had already surrounded the car before I even turned it off. We looked out our windows only to see vegetables, wine, door beads, cell phones, cameras, flowers, clothes, shoes, fruit, etc... ad infinitum. The items were plastered against the window amidst smiling faces of Burundians shouting out prices. The price war had begun whether we were interested or not. The girls peeled out and headed into le burcherie. I decided to stand amidst the vendors and practice my french. After a few seconds it was clear my french was horrid and so was theirs, and I was having a blast! I only had about 6000 BF's in my pocket ($6.50) and nobody was trying to steal it. I didn't want to buy anything, but this one guy was getting visibly upset that I wasn't buying his wine. He started at $28 US. Oyah! I said, $2.00! The crowd erupted in a thunder of laughter. The time passed, many items shoved in my face, constantly I felt my pocket to see if my money was still there. I shouted numbers to the wine vendor, he shouted numbers back. A cheese vendor shoved 3 big blocks of cheese in my face... I checked my pocket. I pushed the cheese aside. I was up to $5.00's for the wine. He came down to $18.00. A small boy grabs my shorts and shouts "give me money." I look down at him: "why should I give you money, what will you buy!" He gets scared and steps back... more english than he could handle. He was immediately replaced buy a bag of pink toilet paper with a small man shouting behind it: dix nuit mil franc! The wine guy shouted at me again, he was down to $12. I was now stickin' firm at $5.oo and wondering about the repercussions of pink toilet paper. I stumbled into a deep pot hole as people pressed items against me for me to grab. As I stumbled back and the crowd stumbled in perfect sync with me. I was loving every second. Pocket check... cash still there. Smells were becoming more potent... possibly the wind blew some sewage smell in the direction of our bartering. The BO was mixing with the sewage smell producing an aroma that would never be bottled. The shouting all blended into one tuneless melody, an aggressive sountrack to all the food and materials shoved in my face. If only I could film these interactions I thought. I knew from previous experience, people get really ticked off when you bust out a camera. The venders were crowding in more loudly, for me it was linguistic cultural fun... for them: life and death... at least it was their livelihood. The girls came back and got in the car I told my friend: "The wine vender is down to 9,000 BFU. " "I'll buy it if you get him to $5.oo" she said (we were making chicken tikimasala, and wine makes the spicy sauce irresistible). We were on the same page, plus we didn't even know if wine was really in the bottle. The vender shoved the bottle into my stomach: "6,000BFU! Tis a good price!" He shouted. My friend agreed. We paid the vendor and left the scene. We did the dance, we fought the price war: did we both loose? Did somebody win? Cultural entertainment or survival? A bit of both to be sure.

Fruits and veggie venders up country

You wouldn't know it by this pick but Trina loves banannas

Peace talks

Here is a local news update concerning the present peace talks. Interestingly, on our hike up country a few months back we encountered a faction of the FNL group that recently decided to support the current Government. Consequently, I had a very positive experience with the FNL, this is mainly because Dan has "incredible native skills" to quote Aaron Brose, Dan's son. Dan talked with, offered food, and mainly just got to know the soldiers. I found the commanding officer to be paticularly nice. We conversed in my limmited french, and used some english. Though at the end of the day. He didn't want any pictures with me (understandably). Here's the article

CENTRAL REGION NEWS

South African to broker Burundi peace talks again

BUJUMBURA, May 14 -- A senior South African government official is scheduled to travel to Dar es Salaam this week to talk with leaders of Burundi's rebel group Forces for National Liberation (FNL) about the stalled peace process in the country.
South African Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, who was in Bujumbura over the weekend, is to meet NFL leaders in the Tanzanian city.
The FNL quit a joint ceasefire monitoring team last month, complaining that the government troops had not withdrawn from areas under the group's control. The withdrawal was one of the terms of the truce signed in September last year in Dar es Salaam.
Though the rebel group and the Burundian government have both said they were ready for discussions, they have not yet agreed on when and where to discuss the problem.
The South African minister said that he had planned to travel to Dar es Salaam while FNL leaders said that they feared for their safety in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi.

Cornerstone offering well received!

In response to the famine in Burundi, Cornerstone church took an offering just a few weeks ago to feed some of the starving people in the Kayanza province. I have begun to edit a video I am putting together for their church so they can "taste and see" those people who recieved grace from Christ and the church of Cornerstone. Here are the facts:

Cornerstone raised over 30k to give away to the people of Burundi.
This provided 23kilos of beans per family, and over two thousand families trecked to the food distribution point... which tends to be as far as the big dump truck can make it into the country. This time it happened to be a school a few miles south of the city of Kayanza.

One of the ways World Relief works is from Church to church (this time from Cornerstone to eleven local churches in Kayanza), so we networked with the 11 local church pastors in Kayanza to determine who gets the beans. We also feed one "commune" or group of hills at a time in order to bring the communities up together so that there is little-to-no jealousy or inequity as to who recieves food and who doesn't (much different for sponser a child/individual model). It is one of our goals to feed as many of these faminished people as possible and we continue to distribute food as money is committed (Mars Hill and a few other churches will also provide for future distributions). This particular "commune" consisted of 11 hills which are home to these two thousand families... so the 11 pastors who made the lists of who recieves beans, tend to list responsible people who are generous, mature, people, who will plant and work hard. That way, the whole commune will hopefully support each other as they endure the hardship together. Food distributions can get ugly, riots, starving people, opinions flying about whose not being treated fairly, poisonings etc... but this distribution had no violence. I did see one lady get hit with a stick by a soldier while she picked up beans that fell to the ground... this was because she was in the path of men carrying 220lbs bags of beans to put in a pile, and she could have tripped them up and people would get hurt, and if people get hurt... there are no decent doctors in the country of Burundi, so suffering ensues, and more violence may result. All this to say that the cornerstone food distribution went extremely well. No riots, no injuries, and the people were very grateful. It was very humbling, and you never get over this sort of experience, and when you're at one of these events, what you see most glaring is your own materialist wealth. We are incredibly blessed, we just are. I met the governor of the region as well as the administrator, and I gave a short little schpeel to the governor and administrator and all the people (this is a must, you have to give a word if you are white...plus they assumed I was from cornerstone). So I pretended I was Dave Degraaf (without the french skills), and I told them of Cornerstone church in Oregon, the people and Pastor Barry, and fortunately I researched cornerstones website so I was very familiar with all the goings on as well as the philosophy (they love hearing about the churches in America who help them). So thank you Cornerstone, your gift was very well recieved. Below are some pics of the food distribution that you provided for. (click on the pictures to enlarge, and a video will be available soon)


Below is a pile of beans that will get distributed to the families that reside on one of the hills














Pastor Pierre hands out gospel tracks and bible info in Kirundi











A few of the people who trecked to the distribution (some walked for several days)

A note from me Mum

As you've read in my previous post "mums the word," I really do love my mum. So since she's like Trina and I and can't remember passwords and such anymore (we're each on our third blog because we've forgotten passwords). I thought I should post her response to the Mothers Day Blog. She's so funny

Re: Happy Mothersday‎
From: margie chase
Sent: Mon 5/14/07 11:04 PM
To: seth chase

seth, thanks so much for the nice blogspot you did on mum...i just loved it so much and those flowers were amazing in the photo...i look forward to reading both your blogs and i can't remember what my password was to respond to your blogs under comments ...bummmer..i've tried so many times after writing such goood comments...know how to redo a password on those bloggs? I've been so amazed at what you and trina have been doing there it seems a perfect place for you both with your talent and skills.. we are both so proud of you and the work that you are doing in africa and the people you are connecting with, what an adventure of a lifetime for sure... it probably won't be as much fun returning to the states after living there in that culture, an all the traveling that you've been doing over there. boy that rafting trip was a terror... i don't think i would of been up to doing that at my age....i'm slowing down and like being a grandmum now... it's too bad that trinabelle can only stay a girl in africa....what if you adopted a baby? then can she be a woman and you a man? it's sad to keep the belle a girl don't you think???? she needs tobe a woman....what do the others there think ofthis???? ...luv ya lots,MUM

To answer your question mum. Locals here would be a bit confused if Trina never had any children, but of course it's not problematic, and would never negatively effect relationship or our work/serving here. Educated Burunians are not very concerned with what bazungu do, but certainly people "up country" (a local term that means "the sticks") will always be curious if Trina didn't have children but that's the extent of it... though as all of Africa is becoming more westernized, different ways of doing things are becoming more and more accepted. Here it's a matter of survival, and it's culturaly expected to have large families traditionally, though it works against them as well because often they can't always feed their families, and there's the ever growing problem with overpopulation and rescourses in Burundi, and Rwanda especially (hot topic amongst evangelicals). Rwanda has recently instituted a policy similar to China to limit the number of children families can have. It's likely that similar legislation will be passed here in Burundi in the not too distant future. Time will tell.

Mums the word

Where would we be without moms said the pastor? "Unborn" I thought to myself as I stared at a line of ants crawling uniformly on the concrete flooring (our church is an outdoor church with no walls, I love it... especially when it rains violently with thunder and lighting). I love "mums" as the Britts say. I love me mum. Me mum spoiled me growing up. Me mum helped put me through college, and me mum helped me start our little video adventure that resulted in me being in the heart of Afrique. These are the flowers I would give you if I could mum. Trina did some negociating and got them for a little less the $3.00 U.S. We did have the pleasure of giving these flowers to our African American mum here in Burundi whom we love dearly, the amazing Mrs. Tambry Brose. I've never met her like. God has truely blessed us to put us in the hands of such a fabulous woman. I hope you can meet her someday mum. I know you'd love her. In Burundi, you are a girl until you have a child. Then at the moment you have the child, you are a woman... a woman and a mom at the same time. Also, moms in Burundi are named after their first born son. So for example, Tambry Brose, would be called: Momma Andrew. If and when you comes to Burundi, you will be called: Momma Jesse. Moms in Burundi enjoy a higher status, than girl. If a woman never marries and she's 55years old, or she married and never had a baby she would still be called a girl by everybody in her tribe/hill. If you are male, and you are not married you are a boy. The moment you marry, you are a man. But that's a post for another time. So, as far as Seth and Trina are viewed by the locals concerning our status in Burundi: Seth is a man, and Trina is a girl (I'm robbin' the cradle mum). Most likely Trina will not enjoy woman status in Burundi. I love you mum. Cheers

So good

These are not the Congo Mtns









The Congo mountains command my eye, more out of grace than pride. The handiwork of a master creator. The sun beats down unrepentant, perspiration is predestined. I walk to french class excited. A four mile commute with Burundi foot traffic. Why drive? Bikes, cars, trucks, and mottos fight for pavement, but the pot-holes always win. Walking is a lost art. We exchange looks, bazungu and murundi. I have yet to win a local starring competition. Dust in all and through all, more than enough to go around. Should I describe the smells? Nah, won't even try. A local murundi says hi in Italian. A student to talk to. He speaks Kirundi, and french and english besides . What's that? Your brother is in Sweden? You only need 3000 US dollars and all is well? Not this time. Where do you work? Sounds good to me. See you around. What a town. What a culture. What a place. The people, the Country. So beautiful. So tragic. I love this place. Life is good.


So good.



Love the yard monkey












Sara, Tambry, and Trina walk with the locals

Perspectives on the short term mission movement

Dan Brose writes: "In a recent article in Christianity Today, Pastor Oscar Muriu from Nairobi Chapel gives a very interesting interview that contrasts, compares, and advises northern and southern churches. The following excerpt is worth discussing as our partner churches prepare for trips to the AGL region this summer to learn, engage, build relationships, and minister."

Now, if you're an American and you read this try not to take offence, after all, self criticism is of much value. It is important to see how we are viewed by those outside America in order to get a reference point for how we should start relating in cultures outside the states. If you are intensly pro-short term mission feel free to send me a thesis on why you are, and I'll be happy to post it, I have been on a couple of short term teams myself. Here's the Interview with Pastor Muriu, and his opinion is shared by many Africans in all 52 nations.


"Your church has a huge vision. How can churches in the West help? We're used to sending short-term mission teams over to paint walls …


Yes, and after you leave, we repaint many of the walls that you painted! (Laughter.)

Okay, seriously, do short-term mission trips help?


They work for the West; they don't work for us very well. We don't call them "short-term missions" any more. We call them "short-term learning opportunities." The problem with calling it a mission is that it implies an agenda. There's something I need to come and do for you, or to you, to better your life. In reality that doesn't happen in two weeks. Life is far too complex for that.

The greatest benefit is that you come and you learn. Unfortunately, not enough short-termers are listening to the two-thirds world, who receive them.

Americans tend to be very poorly informed about the world. America generates enough news on its own that its news organizations don't have space for international news. Yet America exports so many movies and so much news that everybody around the world knows about America, whereas American knows about nobody.

So what happens when there is an interchange?


As a Kenyan I was quite familiar with American long before the first time I came here. The culture shock for me is minimal. But Americans know almost nothing about Kenya. And so the culture shock when they come is very deep. Some of them see destitute poverty for the first time ever.

When you see poverty in America, on your television, it is sanitized. But the first marker of poverty is that it smells. That's how you know real poverty: the smell. I have watched short-term missioners come in, and I've realized, Oh boy, we need to go and debrief quickly. Because they're weeping, they're broken, they have an immense sense of guilt. This is more about them than it is about what they came to do.

Are such "learning experiences" the best use of our resources?


The problem for Americans is that if a church isn't doing these things, it isn't cool, and the youth program isn't cool. So there's a lot of pressure for all youth programs to do this. Short-term experiences have their place, but they need to be more carefully constructed. All too often a church says, "We'd like to come for a short-term experience."

Then they say, in so many words, "We're going to do A, B, C, D, and we're in charge."

We want to say, "Guys, you're coming as our guests."

Do you know that when the President of the United States travels, his people take over all the security of the nations he travels to? When he came to East Africa, the airports were completely taken over by Marines. The local policemen were moved out. The attitude was We don't trust you. Your people could be terrorists. We'll do things our way.

Short-term missions tend to be like that: they come and completely take over the agenda, the programs, the life of the church. But that's not the way you visit a friend.

Besides bringing an agenda, what tends to distinguish the American personality?

Americans have two great things going for them culturally. One is that Americans are problem-solvers. Every time I come to the U.S., I like to spend a couple hours in a Wal-Mart. I find solutions to problems that I never thought of!

The rest of the world, even Europe, isn't so intent on solving inconveniences. We tend to live with our problems. In America you almost never go into a house where the sinks have two taps, a cold water tap and a hot water tap, because that means you have to mix the water in the sink to get it to the right temperature. You have these single faucets that mix the water before it comes out. It makes perfect sense. But that's a problem the rest of the world wouldn't even think to solve.

Americans don't easily live with a problem—they want to solve the problem and move on. The rest of the world is more willing to live with the problems.

The second great thing for Americans is that your educational system teaches people to think and to express themselves. So a child who talks and asserts himself in conversation is actually awarded higher marks than the one who sits quietly.

How are these traits seen, say, in Africa?

Those two things that are such great gifts in the home context become a curse when you go into missions. Americans come to Africa, and they want to solve Africa. But you can't solve Africa. It's much too complex for that. And that really frustrates Americans.

And the assertiveness you are taught in school becomes a curse on the field. I often say to American missionaries, "When the American speaks, the conversation is over." The American is usually the most powerful voice at the table. And when the most powerful voice gives its opinion, the conversation is over.

So what should talkative, problem-solving Americans do?


I tell Americans: "We're going into this meeting. Don't say anything! Sit there and hold your tongue." When you sit around a table, the people speaking always glance at the person they believe is the most powerful figure at the table. They will do that with you when you're the only American. And at some point, they will ask you: "What do you think?"

Don't say anything. If you say anything, reflect back with something like "I have heard such wisdom at this table. I am very impressed." And leave it at that. Affirm them for the contribution they have made. Don't give your own opinion.

Americans find that almost impossible. They do not know how to hold their tongue. They sit there squirming, because they're conditioned to express their opinions. It's a strength at home, but it becomes a curse on the field.

In a sense western missions has been marked by that. But isn't it strange that Jesus not only entered society incarnate at the weakest point, as a defenseless child who needed the care of his host community, but he also told his disciples: "Do not go with money; do not go with a second pair of shoes; go in a stance of vulnerability; be dependent on the communities you visit"? Isn't it interesting that for 30 years he doesn't speak out; doesn't reveal himself; he remains quiet, and only after 30 years of listening and learning the culture does he begin to speak.

So how can Americans communicate well with Africans?

When we communicate in Africa, we are very guarded in what we say. We don't want to offend. Westerners say that Africans never tell you what they really think. They tell you what you want to hear. And yes, that's true! Because from our perspective, every engagement between two people always has the potential of leading to a lifelong relationship, or preventing a lifelong friendship.

Africa is a very relational continent. It's the relationships that make society work.

In the U.S. things work irrespective of relationships; in fact, if you have a relationship, it can sometimes work against you. In Africa it's the opposite. So we are always guarded and gracious in our communication. We want to guard the relationship. When the Bible says, "Speak the truth in love," we err on the side of love. The possibility of a relationship means I cannot tell you the total truth until I am secure in this relationship with you, until I know that the truth will not hurt this relationship.

You do it differently. Speaking the truth has a higher premium in your context, so you are unguarded. You speak the truth, call a spade a spade, at whatever cost. And if the relationship suffers, well, that's too bad, the important thing is that the truth was spoken.

We never do that. I've had to learn to be more assertive in my dealings with Americans just so they would hear me! I have had to learn to speak truth more directly. Americans have to learn to listen to the relational side of things."

hey Chase Fam

So this is a little flick mainly geared for my family. The humor is geared toward them, and so is the content. Once again, this trip was a 30th birthday celebration, it was funded by Trina and myself, and it's just a little fluff piece of our road trip from Bujumbura to Uganda to raft the nile. We had to do some work in Kigali, so the Nile is just an 8 hour drive north from kigali... it was meant to be. It also was celebrating the last big brose family adventure before they return to the states, so their kids are in the video and their great friends the Vintons from Congo, who are new Congo friends of ours now. I'm sure Trina and I will be spending more time with them in the future. If you are not my family, you may still watch the video, but the video doesn't deal with any of the work we are doing here, which is why it's not on Trina's blog. Also, the names of some of the rapids on the nile, may be a little out of the ordinary for those not in the Chase family, but as far as names of rapids go, they are pretty middle of the road. I would also like to publicly let my fam know how excited I am about the newest member to the Chase family "baby Jane" and when she get's old enough she can watch this video and learn of her quirky uncle seth. Love you Baby Jane.

New Life

I've been here for over a month, and it's been great. It feels like a whole new life. Starting over to a great extent in many ways, yet bringing so much self to my new life that it's still me... which isn't fantastic news, but it is barely newsworthy. Every day here is like a movie and the genre would be comedy/trajedy. Somethings I see are so crazy they seem fake, or fiction. And some things I see are hilarious. When I first arrived, I slepted in boxers on top of the covers every night with no shirt, and I sweated profusly even though we had a fan. Now I sleep under the covers because I get a bit cold. The human bodies adaptability is quite profound. I had a head cold for about 4 weeks, I thought it would never go away, because I thought it may be related to pollution in the air, dust, and tropical plantiness. But it's gone. The human bodies resiliancy is fantastic. Of course I can't yet speak the language so you feel like a little child dependent on parents for survival, and of course the currency is different, so you have to up your math skills. The cars are right hand drives and you drive on the right side of the road in Burundi, and there are no traffic rules, so it's always crazy fun behind the wheel. Food can tend to be the same thing as it would in my old life, yet very very different in texture and flavor. There's enough new to really lend itself to a new life. And there's enough me, to make it still a bit of a bummer. Too much self in every life. There's also enough bandwith in my life, that ties between both lives are maintained... still starring me in both lives. So I don't know really what I'm talking about at this point... it's more of a feeling that I have.

Openhanded

Here is the short video of the food distribution that we did. Many of you have seen it but many have not. This was one of the more intense days for me here: seeing this degree of poverty and knowing how many more million are not represented. This is slightly higher quality, and "receives" is spelled correctly in this version. The footage is compressed, and I don't know why google changed the aspect ration, but that totally urks me. I plan to have a much better, and slightly different version on sermonspice soon. There is a version with the english translation of what pastor Pierre is saying in the video as he speaks to the suffering people in Kirundi, but that is not this version. But the synopsis is that he is saying to the people "please except this gift of love from your brothers and sisters in America, who love you, and care for you." I didn't put the translated version out for several reasons. I feel guilty about that message personally and I don't want to mislead the people of Burundi, and the people of the States. That's all I'll say about that for now. I know I didn't explain myself well in this little diddy, but... well, yeah, I don't know what else to say about that on a blog post. This video is approx 26megs, so make sure you have a fast connection before you try and play it.

Heroes

I think everyone should have heroes in life, and I thought I should share some of mine. I have so many heroes, and some I can't mention because they have to keep their identities secret but some I can mention. I'll start with Pat Thurman. More than a friend has Pat been to me over the years. My buddy Tony (who is also one of my heroes) said that he believes Pat is an angel. If so, Pat is one of the more cuddly unintimidating angles I've ever encountered. My buddy Andy, Nathaniel, and I think that Pat may be of the same stock as the Apostles of the first century, and we have had several pub discussions throughout the years and though we haven't arrived at any definitive conclusions we are convinced that he is something phenomenal. Allen Hlavka has suggested that when the Thurmans enter a room the presence of the Spirit can be felt. I've noticed this myself: that whenever I see or spend time with Pat, I feel a peace the whole time I'm around him. I've not noticed this with anyone else I've met. Numerous times Pat has been an answered prayer for me on numerous occasions. Paul has said to his readers "imitate me as I imitate Christ" I often attempt to imitate Pat. My brother Jesse, and my Dad. These guys are incredible. My dad has been through the ringer; life has not been easy for him. There are countless stories of Captain Bob Chase enduring hardships. He's survived three shipwrecks, he's ministered on the streets, in prison, on the job, at home, and in the church. My dad is a constant reminder that no matter how tough it gets, don't whine, just keep pushing forward. My brother is one of the brightest and diligent people I know. Jesse, is a living example of "following your dreams." Jesse took huge risks, and worked harder than most, and has one of the most successful companies in the state where he operates. He also gives more money away than almost anyone else I know. I think Randy Alcorn has him beat but that's about it. Jesse also has character. He's a straight shooter, and he raises his family with Christ like morals. He's honest, and he continually challenges himself. I'm super proud of Jesse, and I'm honored to be his brother. He is a hero of mine. I have a few friends that are heroes of mine: Tony Whipps, and Dan Franklin. Tony is humility manifest, he's a good steward, he's self aware, he loves unconditionally, and he can predict a song that will play on whatever radio station your listening to right before his predicted song plays. In fact this is one of his super powers. He also has great hair. It doesn't matter what kind of hair cut he gets... it just works on him. Dan is a fantastic thinker, he's self aware as well, and he has critical thinking capabilities that rival histories most critical thinkers. He also runs his own think tank, and is the only one in it as the thinking capacity of the tank itself is at its max with his thinking capabilities alone. The tank simply can't handle any more thinkers. He's also got a dry unmatchable delivery on most of his jokes, which place him among the funniest people I've ever known. He's a great movie companion and father... but not to me (he's not a father figure to me, that is) he's a father to Mathew... and that's okay with me. Dan is a great teacher, and he's also great at watching 24. I can't mention all my other heroes on this post, lest the villains get to much info and try to exploit their weaknesses. I suspect Dan is probably already under some sort of villainous attack. I will mention Jeremy Pietzold. He has the super power of laying fibre, and speeding up peoples Internet connection. Unfortunately he can only do this in the state of Oregon. He's not national, or global, but we hope one day he branches out. He's also persistent, thorough, and bright. As a child he set a world record for most pull ups in a row, at his local Sandy elementary school. He's very good at building houses without being a professional builder. He's really quite incredible. There are 12 other heroes I'd like to mention but I simply don't have the time or energy. I will mention their public identities; supertuck, greasyboy, burundius maxiumus, festidious flabb, crazy bowels, frickis, Dane the sharp, Jenuin the wise, flower girl, munchius, frenchy the bagel, and last but not least, concave chest. Thank you men and women, for all you are, and for all the service you provide for humanity.

Are you Egalitarian or Complimentarian?

New Translation Prompts Debate on Islamic Verse

Laleh Bakhtiar had already spent two years working on an English translation of the Koran when she came upon Chapter 4, Verse 34.
She nearly dropped the project right then.
The hotly debated verse states that a rebellious woman should first be admonished, then abandoned in bed, and ultimately “beaten” — the most common translation for the Arabic word “daraba” — unless her behavior improves.
“I decided it either has to have a different meaning, or I can’t keep translating,” said Ms. Bakhtiar, an Iranian-American who adopted her father’s Islamic faith as an adult and had not dwelled on the verse before. “I couldn’t believe that God would sanction harming another human being except in war.”
Ms. Bakhtiar worked for five more years, with the translation to be published in April. But while she found a way through the problem, few verses in the Koran have generated as much debate, particularly as more Muslim women study their faith as an academic field.
“This verse became an issue of debate and controversy because of the ethics of the modern age, the universal notions of human rights,” said Khaled Abou El Fadl, an Egyptian-born law professor and Islamic scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The leader of the North American branch of a mystical Islamic order, Sheik Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, said he had been questioned about the verse in places around the world where women were struggling for greater rights, but most of all by Westerners.
Women want to be free “from some of the extreme ideology of some Muslims,” the sheik said, after delivering a sermon on the verse recently in Oakland, Calif.

Tourist Destinations

This is an interesting article I found. I don't know exactly how people find this out, but i thought it was interesting at least that GSCC has had or still has it's people in at least 4 of the worlds most dangerous destinations for 2007 which I think is very healthy, and I hope GSCC will send people to all of these destinations in time:

The World's Most Dangerous Destinations for 2007
Somalia
Iraq
Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Pakistan
Burundi
Sri Lanka
Haiti
Chad
Lebanon
Liberia
Of course, you probably don't think of these places as vacation destinations, unless you're a whacked-out Robert Young Pelton. However, employees of governments, oil and mining industries, and telecom industries are increasingly being dispatched to these locations. If you work for one of those groups, be certain to ask about insurance, hazard pay -- and a bodyguard.
Interestingly, the piece argues that the world is NOT getting more dangerous right now. Rather, globalization and the attendant "shrinking" of the planet is largely responsible for making the world APPEAR more dangerous now than before.

Okay, so that's the article. In a related topic however, Dan told me the other day, that Bujumbura, Burundi, in addition to being one of the most dangerous locations, also is the second to least preferable tourest destinations in the world. At the bottom of the list is Chad, I believe.

the title of this post goes here

I am drama. I am me. Me that I am. I feel like I have to post, yet I don't know what to post about. I guess, just some new things. I take my french dictionary with me in my pocket everyday, and I like using it, but it made me realize how tight my pockets are, and my pants possibly, I guess I could be in an 80's rock band if my pants have their way. It's really uncomfortable and it's got to look obnoxious. Also, I went to register at the U.S. Embassy the other day, and realized I had a pocket knife in my pocket, as I approached security I wondered if they would take my knife. They increased security here the last few days do to some things that would take me too long to explain and it would also worry Trina's parents. But this is my favorite knife, and I didn't want to part with it. So I decided to try and sneak it into the embassy without getting caught. I was recently educated in the art of "slight of hand" by my favorite magician Sir. Kevin Holzer (I recently had him knighted). So phase one of security, I simply held the knife clenched in my fist and put both hands above my head. But since I was so much taller, the guard didn't check my hands, he was to concerned with my clothes and pockets. The second gaurd post, same drill different gaurd. Now we were in the embassy compound, I thought about putting the knife in my shoe. The last phase approached. I didn't have time for the shoe maneuver. I went inside the embassy door, and there was a metal dectetor that you had to walk through. I didn't try to sneak it through. I gave it to the guard on the condition that he would give it back. But, I realized, that there is alot you can get away with here, conversely, there is many ways you can get into trouble here. It's been a fun learning experience so far. We did go to a peacemaking seminar, and learned techniques on how to educate and resolve conflict. It was an informative seminar, that was highly relevant and we all hope to put the info into good practical use in our lives, and while we are here. I'm meeting a lot of people and forgetting their names. So that's a bummer, but I'll be visiting some local burundians at their home, and I'm gonna go to church with one guy that I met yesterday. I'm quite sure it will be an adventure. These are just pop corn sentences, with different thoughts I realize, but it's something. I can't get over how hot it is here. I think it's just for the next two months, then it will cool down. But lot's of people are commenting on it... not just me. Granted most of the people aren't locals, but... there is some empathy... oh, I got a cell phone, and I'm learning how to text finally, I feel like a swanky european, who sweats all the time, and takes forever to text a simple message. We hope to start French Lesson's soon, so that will help me feel like a swanky european, who sweats all the time, and speaks french... which is a slight improvement (depending on your point of view). Anyway, that's something I guess.

Cheers my Dears

I just want to say to all our supporters, that we are not using our support money for our time in England, I had a bad dream last night that everyone was furious with me, because they worried about this... so I thought to act on my irrational fears, which I do from time to time, which usually result in humiliating myself, and wreaking havoc on friendships, but irrational habits die hard. I know it's taboo to talk about money, which is why we should talk about it as much as possible... money, money, money... mammon! We are using our own money, because this trip has nothing to do with Africa, and well, when I support people, I worry about things like this, and of course I have all sorts of opinions. Plus, England is so spanking expensive that coming here at all is a bad financial decision. Thank goodness for Amyr and Sogol, who are graciously letting us stay in their apartment. They are also giving up their bedroom... which is crazy. So we are really taken care of here. I should say that they have silk sheets, pillow cases, and comforter, and it's dark purple. Every time I go to bed, I feel like I'm in a sexy velvet music video. Or maybe I feel like a sultan. But I don't know what a sultan is really, or where they are from... sultans, sounds good. I know I may regret this post later, make sure and comment about how offended you are then we can get in the first ever comment argument... well maybe not the first. Oh well. Our trip thus far has been really great. And all the people we've met, and hung out with, have been amazing. On a separate note, I feel like everyone in England, drives really cool expensive cars... and they are all new cars, and they are all like cars you'd see in rap videos. I keep waiting for people to throw all sorts of money around and walk in slow motion, and rap in their swanky British accents when they get out of their super sweet cars. The last time I was in England, I thought the same thing about the cars, but I thought... nah, it's just like the states. But I was wrong to doubt myself last time, because I am correct on this matter and I shouldn't doubt myself. The English all have super cool, swanky, posh, cars, and there's nothing you can do about it. There have been some super funny moments on this visit... too many to blog about. I wish I could phone you all on a conference call, and tell you, because I know I'll forget them all in time. I'll journal about them tomorrow maybe, if I feel up to it, then in two years we can all go camping, and tell stories around the fire. Tomorrow we leave for Kenya, and I imagine, I will start using our support money... but don't worry, I'll be very frugal. If only you could have experienced my dream with me... but that would also be very weird and sci-fi like and even I am not willing to go there yet. I should let you all know, since I am speaking about money, and my paranoia, that our two latest films are on sermonspice, and one of them is about money. If you want to access them, possibly talk to Ruth King (my cult following) and she can tell you how. I emailed Nancy, and told Nancy to tell Ruth how to access our sermonspice films. I love this type of communication because it is extravagant and prone to much error. Until next time, and remember, talk about money as much as possible, maybe tell everyone how much money you make a month, and your cost of living... see what happens.