What are we going to do when you die?

Victor Hugo Martinez, former Chairman of CCI/LA's International Board of Directors

Testimony from Victor Hugo Martinez, Monterrey, Mexico:

“I looked around the room as our team of professors assembled and a memory came to mind: It was Fall of 2008 and we were in CCI/LA’s International Board of Directors meeting. Lisa had just given us her annual report as director of leadership development and in private I asked her: What are we going to do when you die? Somewhat surprised by my question, I challenged her to build up a second string for when she and Bob Sabean were no longer around. In Feb. of 2009 she invited my wife, Gloria, and a number of other key CCI/LA leaders to serve on the fledging team of professors-to-be for an Institute for Forming Instructors. I never imagined, four years later, I would be invited to form part of that team of professors as well.”

Bob Sabean, missionary with Christian Camping International for the last 48 years!

My part in the written curriculum is complete.

This is the testimony of Safwat & Pearl Habashi, long-time friends of George & Bobbie Anderson, and faithful supporters of Lisa and her family.

“The day you presented the entire curriculum you and your team have written over the last 30-years I was stunned. I have tracked with you over the years, carefully read your newsletters, and yet had no idea of the breadth and depth of writing you were involved in. I am impressed with the professionalism of the materials. It is like you have an entire university curriculum completed for Christian camping, with college level professors prepared to teach it as well. These folks have chosen to belong to this team, they each have full lives, have their own jobs and families to take care of, but here they are with a long-term commitment. It’s obvious they look beyond themselves to the next generation of Christian leaders these materials will help them shape. They came as learners, with a vision to impact their sphere of influence in Latin America. They are not one-time camp counselors trained for one summer of service, they are being trained for a lifetime of service.”

The team of professors who are assuming the responsibility to teach instructors how to use these training materials to develop leaders in Christian camping all over Latin America.  

“Lisa, regarding your particular role in CCI’s publications. I see it like this: Once a house is built, the residents often celebrate with a house warming. That is what we did during the party held at North Way Christian Community—we celebrated. In a manner of speaking, you have built the house; the curriculum is completed. Now it is up to the residents of the building to maintain it. Let them make corrections, tweak, and improve it. Beware of the tendency to dependence, don’t become a nanny to the professors. Keep coaching them but don’t hold their hands, let them fly.”

This trip to Pittsburgh granted me many opportunities to listen to wise counsel like this.

You can view a series of 4 video clips on youtube.com where I present CCI/Latin America's written curriculum:

Publications CCI/LA English 1

Publications CCI/LA English 2

Publications CCI/LA English 3

Publications CCI/LA English 4

Steps of faith to get to Pittsburgh

Before we bowed our heads to thank God for this momentous occasion, I looked into the eyes of each of the team members and images flashed through my mind of all they had sacrificed just to be here.

Gloria’s father had just spent one month in her home convalescing from a sickness and returned recovered to his home the day before Gloria and her husband Victor Hugo flew to Pittsburgh.

 Carlos (Honduras) took out a loan to pay for his airfare. His mother had passed away just 2 months prior and this trip was serving as a time of comfort and solace.

Rixy had been back home in El Salvador for just 3 weeks after having been gone for nine months in Niger, Africa as a short-term missionary teaching CCI/LA’s training courses. She was still recovering from dysentery. 

 Evelyn’s mother had just had surgery for cancer of the mouth and daily Evelyn was in contact with her siblings who were taking care of her. (Evelyn’s mom passed away one week after she returned from Pittsburgh.)

Karina left her four young children in Argentina with her husband and got a friend to help in their family bakery while she was gone.

Robert arrived to Pittsburgh in the throes of having to raise missionary support for a severe shortfall he and his family are experiencing.

Each team member had taken a step of faith and had seen the hand of God move mightily just to enable them to be seated there in front of me.

Henri Doren, Pittsburgh-Lisa's partner in ministry

Tears blurred my vision and a hush came over the group as we breathed a collective sigh: Whew, we finally made it. We are here. We have dreamed of this moment for 3 years. I looked over to see Henri Doren’s smile lighting up her face, without whose help this Summit would never have taken place. As I have toiled in Latin America for this trip to become a reality, so has she toiled in Pittsburgh.

After we prayed, Karina approached me and said:

“As a mother of four children, my own needs for new clothes takes a back seat but once I got my US visa, I knew I needed to remedy that. I began to make up my packing list starting from a suitcase to the little shampoo bottles to shorts and tee shirts. God is a God who cares about the little and big details.  One by one the women of my church began to call me asking: Karina, what do you need for your trip? At first I gave them a polite answer that all was fine but when they insisted I finally showed them my list. Look at my list, every item is crossed off! One additional need I had was for US dollars which under the current Argentian government are illegal to have much less acquire. When my great-uncles found out, they went to their stash of dollars that they literally had under their mattresses from years ago and gave me exactly what I needed.”

What steps of faith have you taken recently and where has it taken you? 

Please share your comments in the space provided on the blog below.

How do you know if an IFI has been successful?

One day, during a meal we shared together, my boss Robert Bruneau was asked: How do you know if an IFI has been successful?

I was close by so I took notes.

• Success is measured by the depth of the lived community we experience. God Himself blesses us with His presence as we begin to intentionally walk together and share life.

• Success is visible through the discoveries we listen to and see people make: Ah! Now I understand! I just realized… I never knew…Wow, this is new to me.

• Success is apparent by the progression we observe of the guided-supervised practices. After watching you teach several times, we get a handle on how well you are grasping the concepts and able to teach them to others.
• But we recognize, that we can only see the outward signs, God knows what's going on in the hearts of us all and He defines success by His means and standards!
  
  

What exactly is Lisa working on in her studies?

What exactly will I be studying and reading and thinking about during my last several years of PhD studies?

Glad you asked!

Here's a presentation of my research topic which is Leadership Development in Latin America, the format is a new "anti-powerpoint presentation" program called prezis.

If it feels a bit academic, press on (literally you press the forward arrow and off you go!), I invite your thoughts and comments!



Any thoughts? share them with me in observations below!