So, how big is Workfest 2008?

We were at Camp Caleb there were other schools at Camp A. J. Our site for this week consisted of us, Valparaiso University, Park University (Missouri), University of Connecticut (long, long drive), Western Illinois University and Ripon College (Wisconsin).
Last week at Camp Caleb the teams were from: Bellarmine University (Kentucky), Aquinas College (Michigan), Fairfield University (Connecticut), St. Joseph College of Maine, St. Cloud State University (Minnesota), St. Richard’s Parish (Ohio), Michigan State University, College of St. Scholastica (Minnesota), and University of Notre Dame (Indiana). Next week Camp Caleb will be home to: University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Marquette University (Wisconsin), Salisbury University (Maryland), Murray State University (Kentucky), Georgetown College (Kentucky), University of Iowa and St. Norbert College (Wisconsin).
Camp A.J. was equally impressive. Over a three week period they will be the home to: St. Xavier University (Illinois) , University of Louisville (Kentucky) , Eastern Illinois University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania , University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Macomb Community College (Michigan), University of Pennsylvania-Altoona, Ashland University (Ohio), St. Michael’s College (Vermont), Millikin University (Illinois), University of Illinois-Champaign, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of St. Mary (Kansas), College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), College of Mount St. Vincent (New York), Canisius College (New York), University of Illinois-Chicago, St. Peter’s College (New Jersey), University of Cincinnati (Ohio), Caldwell College (New Jersey), Marshall University (West Virginia) and Campbellsville University (Kentucky).

Workfest is great. It is structured, clearly it is focused on service and allows students and all volunteers to be part of something far bigger than themselves. Father Beiting, you did good!

Workfest 2008: Day Two

I was up by 5:00, showered by 5:15 and at the lodge by 6:00. Now, none of the students and very few of the school leaders are up at that time. It just gives me time to think, write, read, pray and get ready for the day. It also gets me to the table by the fireplace. That is where the team leaders sit. I suspect I was not supposed to be there but it is a friendly group. I got to sit with these manly men who talked about construction and faith, oh and who told really lame jokes. Between their company and the smell of burning wood it was a great way to start the day.

We had a great breakfast and then we all had our safety orientation. Maybe not the most interesting part of the journey but clearly important. Then we had our first school lead devotion. After that we all separated into our work teams. Each team had a different family and home in a different area. I was a member of Blue One and our family was in a holler outside Salyersville.

We drove almost 45 minutes to get to the site. Once there we all gathered in a circle to pray. We had awesome team leaders. Jerry is from New York but moved to Atlanta. He is a retired Eastern Airlines pilot, he flew all different planes. They had to be all big because he is a mountain of a man. Dan was the long term volunteer. He is from Pennsylvania. This was his last week here. He was great. Mickey was a Texas-Wisconsin cheese head who is an engineer. We had great teachers all week.

Then we started to work. Our first day was modest. All we did was:

cover up water lines, wash half the trailer, put up tin flushing, square off the porch, build the porch for the trailer, construct the deck, tear up the floors in the two bathrooms and one bedroom, remove carpet and linoleum and bolt the porch to the trailer!

Yep, this was spring break.

In between we had lunch. Pam and I climbed the side of the hill to reach an old goat shed and we looked for the tree frogs that were singing. The hill was coal and you could find it everywhere. It was cold and it rained but not enough to stop us from working.

Supper that night was chicken, scallop potatoes, green beans and peach cobbler. We were hungry. Afterwards we had devotions. We heard a great poem written by one of the students and we sang Lamb of God.

Afterwards we had a presentation on Appalachian history. We learned about the area, the culture and the pride of the folks who live here. We learned how many of the folks are the descendants of soldiers in the Revolutionary War. We learned about the Native Americans and early settlers, about the feuding (Hatfield and McCoy’s) and about lumber and coal. We learned a lot.

The next speaker talked about Perspectives on Poverty. She distinguished between situational poverty and generational poverty. The area has a high degree of birth defects, deafness, blindness and mental disorders.

Finally we joined our school groups and ended the day with reflections. Our model was to share what we did in our teams and what one event from the day would we take back with us. Finally it was free time or sleep time. It was a good first full day of work .

Workfest 2008: We Arrive

Getting to Eastern Kentucky was not easy. There was a major blizzard in southern Ohio, Indiana and northern Kentucky. Cincinnati had 12 inches of snow and white out conditions. Columbus Ohio had 18 inches. Eastern Kentucky had snow. You were not allowed on the roads. I spoke with CAP three times the day before we left. They actually gave us permission not to attend. I called television stations and the police in Ohio for travel conditions. Finally it looked safe to go.

We left at 6:00 AM. The roads were slow going once we got to Dayton. Cars and trucks were on the sides of the road buried under snow. However, once we got into the hills of KY it was beautiful.

Camp Caleb had a beautiful conference center and a fantastic lodge. First we registered and had our first group picture taken. We also received our cabin assignments, our t-shirts and most importantly, our hard hats. The cabins were fine, if you were a leader. However, the students were packed, their personal space consisted of the space their bunk took up. It was good to be a leader! Still, we made it and we were excited.

Supper consisted of lasagna, corn, salad and great brownies. We spent time getting to know folks from the other schools, to find out what team each of us would be on and then it was time for our first devotions. Devotions were moving, we came from different faith traditions and yet truly reflected One Body. We were all in this beautiful wooden lodge on the top of a hill. Our voices made a joyful noise and we started to become Workfest 2008.

Afterwards we walked around looking at a sky full of stars, sat by the fireplace, some played games, others read or journaled and then went to bed so we would be rested for our first day of work.

Workfest 2008: The Beginning

Down to the River to Pray




In 2004 I participated in disaster relief in Eastern Kentucky. I was headquartered in Prestonsburg KY. I traveled and worked in Salyersville, Paintsville, Inez, Beauty, and Lovely KY. During my day off I also visited Pikesville and the home of Loretta Lyn, Butcher Hollow. I went to the Coal Miner’s Museum and to the Mountain Home Place which is a pioneer settlement. One night all of us volunteers had dinner in a wonderful lodge in Jenny Wiley’s State Resort Park.

I also drove down Highway 23, the Country Music Highway. Turn the radio on and listen, to Country, Country-Rock, Bluegrass and Gospel. The Country Music Highway was the home of Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, the Judds, and Dwight Yoakam. Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs.

I spent time in the towns, the farms and the hollows (hollers). I drove past shacks with fighting cocks and hound dogs, past fenced estates and coal mines. Between the music, the natural beauty, the people, the food and the constant sound of roosters I fell in love with Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia.

I started searching out opportunities to return to Kentucky and discovered Christian Appalachian Project, CAP. CAP was founded by Father Ralph Beiting. He was called to Eastern Kentucky to build Catholic churches. When he arrived there were four Catholics in the area! He felt drawn to helping the poor. By 1957 he had founded the Cliffview Lodge, an interdenominational volunteer organization to help the poor. In 1964 it became CAP. CAP has housing services for the poor, hospice, addictions services, youth camps, elderly services and educational services. CAP serves 29 of the 100 poorest counties in America.

We finally got registered to participate in Workfest 2008. Workfest is a three week period in spring, an alternative spring break for colleges. During that time colleges from all over the U.S. send students to one of two camps in Eastern Kentucky. They spend the next six days tearing down and rebuilding homes in Appalachia. We were finally doing our service mission, I was finally going back to Appalachia and I was the team leader. Needless to say, I was very excited.

So over a week, seven students, Dr. Pam Lord and I stayed at Camp Caleb outside of Flatgap KY. We divided into different teams and worked with students from five other colleges. We started the day with a great breakfast, had devotions and set off for our job sites. We worked with the families we served. We started off our work at the site by holding hands and praying in a circle. We prayed again at lunch. In the evening we had fantastic suppers, devotions and then fun. It was a highly spiritual, physically demanding and socially intensive week. We all grew from the experience. Over the following days I will be reflecting on our Workfest journey.

Peace and all good,
Carl

Praying for the Chaldean Archbishop

Mosul Iraq continues to be the focus of prayers by Christians throughout the Middle East. The whereabouts of the Chaldean Archbishop who was kidnapped earlier in the week continues to be a mystery. What is clear is that the kidnappers are demanding money and political concessions the church can not agree to. The bishop has health problems and requires daily medications. He has not been heard from since the kidnapping took place.

The attacks underscore how violent Iraq is today. However, what is also clear is that it is dangerous to be a Christian in many parts of the world.

In Nigeria a police officer was killed and two Christian teenagers were injured when Muslim youth went on a rampage after rumors of article defaming the Prophet were spread. In the town of Balaghat in India Hindu Extremist attacked Christians in their home. When the President of Balaghat Christian Association defended the victims he was then attacked. Last spring extremist entered a Christian publishing office in Turkey. The intruders tied up three people in the office, tortured them and then killed them. It is not safe to be a Christian in many parts of the world.

However, at this time much of the world is focused on Mosul. A special Chaldean Mass was said in Rome. Eastern Christians, Catholic and Orthodox are united in praying for the safety of the Archbishop. He represents the precarious position of these ancient Christians in their homeland. Let us join our prayers with our brothers and sisters around the world for the safe return of Archbishop Paulus Faraj Rahho.

Miami Fort Wayne

Well, there was still too much snow on the ground for Reese and me to park at Headwaters Park. So my dog and I had to park at Kids Crossing. As soon as we got out of the car my dog knew where to go!

Over the bridge she ran to the Civil War Memorial. This is a large statue dedicated to the men of Allen County who fought in the Civil War. On both sides of the statue were old cannons. A few blocks from the site was the grave of Chief Little Turtle. We had visited the site a couple of weeks ago.

Reese than ran back over the bridge, crossed the road and we were heading for the Old Fort. This is a reconstructed fort. Fort Wayne had five forts, French, English and American. Across the river was the site of Kekionga, the original Miami village. The area had been Miami, it had been part of French North America, British North America, the colony of Virginia, today, just home.

The park has a great statue of Little Turtle. Not far from there is a statue of Mad Anthony Wayne, the Revolutionary War hero who defeated Little Turtle. Fort Wayne is rich in Miami history. Not far from my home is the home of Chief Richardville. He negotiated peace with the Americans. He became the richest person in Indiana. His home has been restored.

So I write about exotic places in Africa, Asia and South America. However, Hoosier history quickly becomes Miami and woodland Indian history. It becomes more ancient than our brief 200 year old nation. I live in Indiana and I like it.

The Dance of Tolerance in Kyrgyzstan

The former Soviet Republic of Kyrgyzstan continues to balance tolerance, order and freedom as it deals with religious pluralism. This is a nation of two main “traditional” faith traditions, Islam and Orthodox Christianity. It has tolerated Catholicism, Protestantism and has a tiny Jewish population. In fact there are over 300 different Protestant groups represented in the country.

Still, the vast majority of the citizens are Muslim or Orthodox. These two groups have learned to live side by side and do not attempt to convert one another. So why the problems now? In short, it is a reaction to missionaries from the West.

Evangelical Christians are converting citizens of Kyrgyzstan. Their attempts at converting members of the Islamic community or the Russian Orthodox community are seen as insensitive at best and offensive at worst. So now the politicians are involved. The State Agency for Religious Affairs is supporting a change in the law governing religious classification. If the law goes into effect a religious organization would not be recognized unless it had at least 200 members. This would offer far less protection to smaller denominations.

The effect may be far reaching. It may affect what religious colleges can teach, where religious material may be distributed and when and how public worship would be scheduled.

The government would state the need to maintain order and especially peace between religious and ethnic communities is of primary importance. Other Central Asian Republics are resorting to lynch laws, switching from one faith to another can cost a person their life. Uzbekistan has officially banned missionary work. Human rights must be supported while working to reduce tensions whenever possible. Perhaps it is time for Western religious groups to work with the existing Christian groups in Kyrgyzstan instead of trying to replace them.