April 30, 2008

Lisa Hermann

My name is Lisa Hermann, and I am a finishing up my second year of study in the M Div. Program at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I am originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and came to LPTS after teaching high school social studies and coaching women’s soccer for five years. I also served as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) through the PC(USA) in Guatemala in 2004-2005. I am under the care of the Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery, and a member of Santee Presbyterian Church in Santee, SC. When not devoted to my studies at LPTS I serve as the student intern at Briargate Presbyterian Church in southwestern Louisville, KY and a relief chaplain at the University of Louisville Hospital.

I look forward to the South Africa travel seminar as a way of taking advantage of the classroom without walls that has been created by our professors. For 20 days my classmates and I will be asked to get outside our comfort zones, placed in situations I can only imagine, and asked to just listen and be, more so than do. We are going to examine and wrestle with reconciliation, theology, justice and human rights – specifically apartheid and its dismantling. I can’t wait. The best part is going to be meeting the people of South Africa, and just listening to their story. Sometimes I wish I could go right now, but patience is a virtue, and January will be here before I know it.

Foreign travel, more importantly the cross cultural experiences that accompany it, are important to me because the world's backyard is getting smaller everyday. Our neighbors are no longer just those to our left and right. We have so much to learn from our neighbors across the globe and what better way to do that than meeting them where they are and learning from one another’s mutual experiences.

In 2004-2005, I had the privilege of working and living on the Southwestern Coast of Guatemala. I was a community development intern, and lived in a small town called Santa Fe, Retahuleu. I taught 10 first graders in spanish, served as a billingual bridge in helping to build a partnership between a church in Ohio and two of the churches I worked in. I also accompanied the Presbyterian Women of Guatemala to workshops and bible studies. For a year I shared a home with six other people. A home with no running water a latrine for a toilet, and cooking over an open fire. I will be returning there for the first time in three years this summer. It is going to be like going home again.

One of the things that excites me about going to South Africa, besides swimming in the Atlantic Ocean (on the other side of the world!!) is culinary exploration. I used food, specifically tortillas, to break down barriers and build relationships in Guatemala, I can't wait to see what will happen at a table of fellowship or in a kitchen in South Africa.

Just as living and working in community with the people of Guatemala helped confirm my call to a ministry of relationship building, pastoral care, and parish ministy I believe traveling to South Africa with my classmates will do the same. We will engage in intentional prayer, study, and a minstry of mutual exchange and presence which will only give me the opportunity to stretch and grow by getting outside my comfort zone, listening to people's authentic stories, and then returning to the United States and figuring out what to do with it all and how to tell the story.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many us, that I believe will leave us with a lifetime of visions and stories to tell. Stories to tell - that is my passion for justice and human rights, both here in the United States and abroad. To learn about both sides of the story and then tell it to those who have never heard it or perhaps need to hear it again. I have never been out side of the Americas so while the flight will be long, the anticipation for what is ahead will be great. I encourage all those who read this to hold my classmates and professors in prayer as we continue to raise funds, begin prelimenary study, and organize.

April 25, 2008

Gene Gee


Introduction
I am a supporting spouse and influential helper of my wife, Melissa, a first year Masters of Divinity student at LPTS. So far it has been an incredible experience and I love supporting, encouraging, and sending her off to class after a quick meal. After 5 years in the insurance industry and about 10 years in food service, I am currently working as a resident counselor with children ages 7-12 that have been temporarily or permanently removed from their homes. Most of these children come from homes where there was abuse, neglect, or addictions. Every day is a challenge and test of patience and understanding. It is a job that constantly tests my beliefs, breaks and fills my heart, and helps me grow in my relationship with God. I know my vicarious experience in seminary will be a true asset in my work.

Travel
O.K. this is where the selfishness comes to play. I love to travel and have been fortunate to travel a good bit in the last ten years. Only traveling with in the US growing up, I moved to Amsterdam for a 6 month externship after graduating culinary school. Living in Europe provided many opportunities to travel and my new friends have provided even opportunities. I have been fortunate to experience such events as the Northern Lights above Norway; running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain; and was even arrested in southern France (a case of mistaken identity, yet still a good story). More recently my travels have focused on mission work in Peru. The opportunity to work beside and share with the people in Peru has created my best memories of travel. Certainly observing the life along the Amazon River each morning on our commute was one I’ll never forget. Since traveling to Peru, I have worked with PCUSA’s Peru network as well as other groups to develop stronger and healthier relationships with our brothers and sisters in Peru.

This Trip
Melissa and I both are greatly concerned with justice and equality and look forward to this great learning opportunity. I do not know exactly how it will apply to my life and work with at risk youth, but know examining a Christian perspective of reconciliation will be beneficial to everything we do. With so much division and with so many barriers in our country and world today, a knowledge and understanding of Christian perspectives, actions, and emotions, in such an extreme case of abuse will help us in mending damaged relationships at home. Please keep our mission in your hearts and prayers and use this blog to grow with us and share in our experiences.

Much Peace,
Gene Gee

April 16, 2008

Jamesetta Ferguson



My name is Jamesetta Ferguson, and I graduated in December 2006 from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I am pastor of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, which is a renewing church located in urban Louisville, KY. This 160 year-old church is located in the Russell community, directly across the street from the largest public housing community (Beecher Terrace) in Jefferson County, KY. There are approximately 743 head of households living in this community, with an estimate of 5,000 persons, primarily children and youth under the age of 18.

I am so excited about going to South Africa. This trip has been a life-long dream of mine, and I am so grateful to God, my family and friends for helping to make this dream come true. When I was a teenager, I read and looked at anything I could get my hands on about the African continent, so to actually be going is just so overwhelming for me.

I believe this trip will be a most transformative experience for me, because it will confront my understanding of human rights and social justice in this part of the world from a western culture prospective. The United Church of Christ has a tremendous Global Ministry that addresses human rights and social justice around the world and I hope that I will be challenged to participate more fully in its efforts, as well as lead the St. Peter’s UCC congregation to be more concerned about our brothers and sisters beyond the borders of the United States. The prophet Isaiah reminds us in 1:17 to “Seek justice, and to encourage the oppressed” not for some but for everyone and that’s a difficult task for many in our St. Peter’s faith community, because of the oppression that many of them experience right here in Louisville. For us to realize that even with our little we have more opportunity than many South Africans will be a powerful awakening. When I return, I hope to do a series of presentations about our trip to help communicate these benefits not only to our church community, but to other local faith communities. Also being an African American, this experience will give me an opportunity to share our rich African heritage with those in the community.

I’ve traveled to several foreign countries and have always enjoyed adventuring off from the tourist routes to come together with inhabitants from the country. I’ve been blessed to go to Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Grand Cayman, various other islands in the Caribbean and Spain. The city I enjoyed the most was Barcelona, because the people were so hospitable and made such a concerted effort to include me into their culture. I believe that this radical hospitality will be present in our voyage to the Motherland. Asa’

April 14, 2008

Reconciliation and Christian Mission

Thanks Josh for setting up the map feature on our blog. I'm so impressed that we've had hits from so many places--and now one from South Africa! Reconciliation isn't passe--it's news! I think what we will gain from this trip will be shared not only here at LPTS but around the world. What better way to pursue Christian mission!
Frances S. Adeney

April 8, 2008

LPTS Community Worship

Last Sunday, April 6th, the LPTS Seminary Village came together to worship and give thanks for the community in which we work, learn and live and it was concluded with a shared meal at the Winn Center.

During the worship, an offering was taken up for the travel seminary to South Africa in which $168.27 was collected.

This is a most generous contribution and we thank all who planned the worship and considered our upcoming mission.

The worship was planned by Claudio, Karin, Becky, Christi and Dave.

Our fellow South Africa travelers Melissa (pictured) was invited to give an offeratory prayer and Gene was invited to give testimony to how God has been at work in his life.

April 4, 2008

Daniel Stillwell

I was born in Ft. Worth, TX, moved to Michigan, Georgia, back to Texas, and to Lexington, KY. Lexington is what I consider home because I spent most of my life there and my family still lives there. I am the oldest of four children to two fantastic parents. My dad is a Southern Baptist minister so I grew up in the church. I went off to college at the University of Virginia and loved nearly every minute of my brief time there. Isn't it amazing how brief things look from this side of them? I became a Christian at the age of 12 and have spent my life pursuing Christ and the Truth He is.

As a first year counseling student at LPTS, I often feel like there is tradition and protocol to be followed in nearly everything I'm a part of here. Fortunately, that is not the case for this trip to South Africa. Since this is the first year we are doing this, new traditions and ideas are floating around and creating hopefully a wonderful and different environment for many. This blog is itself testimony to that. Thank you Johnny and Frances for encouraging such creativity and embracing the flow of newness.

I LOVE traveling and as such am looking forward to going to not just another country and continent, but an entirely different hemisphere! I have road tripped to 46 of the 50 states by now, a small portion of Mexico, and some of Canada. I've been to Guatemala a few times and but there isn't really any jetlag for that (central time zone). I'm looking forward to water spinning the opposite direction, to hear people speak in Afrikaans, and to see two oceans at once. I'm excited to meet people, talk to them, and learn how faith works in their contexts. I am aware separation of faith and secular doesn't work the same there as it does here in the states and am fascinated to see it in action.

As I mentioned, I have been to Guatemala a few times and one of those trips was a summer long. This more than anything has confirmed my desire to follow God's call on my life to be an international missionary, perhaps long term. I have some idea of where I am to go, but the time is not now and I only pray God will grant me wisdom to know when that season of my life will begin. Experiencing God's work in South Africa will undoubtedly open my eyes even further to the great plans He has for this world and maybe what small and gracious role I might play in it.

Anyone who reads this that might think about supporting us, just stop and pray. That more than anything is what we need. If you are able your monetary contributions will of course help us tremendously, but this world lacks serious prayer warriors. Only when our hearts are set to receive God's blessing can we use it to in turn bless others. That begins and is maintained through prayer. Thank you so much for everything you do and mean to each and everyone of us.