sip-james:

Using privilege

5 Aug 2007 17:00 EST

I got a comment from a reader of this blog, asking how I dealt with some of my privileges, specifically the ability to hop on a plane and go to Central America, while some immigrants living in the US have not been able to see their families in years. Here's my response: It's true... we can move about more easily, really without any problems. I guess...

Back Home

27 Jul 2007 10:37 EST

Well Tuesday I flew home to my house in PA. The flights were fine, but the in-flight entertainment was the same as my trip to San Jose, mostly. I mean, how many heart warming stories about dogs that change a town can there be? I'll be staying at home while editing the video, which should start early next week. My brother's also getting married, so it should be a fun and busy time!

Trip to Tegus

17 Jul 2007 22:32 EST

Last weekend I got to take a trip with my host brother, Nelson, to Tegucigalpa, the capitol of Honduras. Definitely a fun experience. Left early Saturday morning on a new bus line that cost 50 Lempiras, about a third of the regular price. I'd heard stories about passing on curves and other stupid bus maneuvers, but now I can say I have experienced ...

Why church is loud

16 Jul 2007 21:46 EST

Church here in Honduras is loud. Well, it depends. There seems to be a continuum between Catholic and Pentecostal. The closer to Catholic, the quieter. The closer to Pentecostal, the louder you need to have that mic. I was in a service with about 20 people, in a small room, and yet the pastor was yelling into the mic, with the sound system at full...

Back from San Jose

10 Jul 2007 22:10 EST

I just got back from San Jose, where I had a great time at the Mennonite Church USA National Convention . I was there writing for mPress, the daily newspaper of the convention. I also gave two seminars with a mission organization on a video I did last year in South Africa, and also showed Fuerza , a documentary on immigration I edited/produced. So...

San Jose

5 Jul 2007 11:39 EST

Well I'm out at San Jose, waiting for Goshen College President Jim Brenneman to give the morning youth speech (homily, sermon, I'm not sure what it's called). I've been writing for mPress and not getting enough sleep. Anyway.. staff meeting. Seeya!

Mennonite Convention

2 Jul 2007 10:43 EST

I'm spending the next week in California, on a short break from my work in Honduras. I'll be at the Mennonite Church USA Convention , doing a couple things. First, I'll be showing Fuerza . I'll also be presenting two seminar on the film I helped out on, on how churches are acting as agents of change in post-apartheid South Africa. I'll also be writing...

Money as a Blessing

2 Jul 2007 10:40 EST

"A man got to heaven, and saw the richness of other people there. He asked Jesus, 'Why didn't I recieve these riches?' Jesus replied, 'Because you didn't claim them.' That's why Honduras hasn't recieved the blessing of other countries, like the United States" -Honduran Pastor Theology like this makes me shiver. ...

My Developed eyes

27 Jun 2007 10:39 EST

I've done videos in four developing countries: churches overcoming apartheid in South Africa, immigration from Mexico, poor coffee producers in the Dominican Republic, and currently a woman's group doing education in Honduras. This trend (as well as some articles I've read) have led me to think about who am I, a middle class person from the United ...

Olancho, the Wild West

22 Jun 2007 13:04 EST

Just thought IÂ´d share a fun experience from the Young Retreat I went to a while ago. We left Friday night at 8:30 PM, 11 people in a very small van. We got to this little town in the middle of nowhere around 4:30 AM, where I slept in the hallway of someone's home until 7:30 AM. Played a lot of soccer in the afternoon. That night, we were exhausted...

Why I'm here

19 Jun 2007 11:45 EST

I'm here in Honduras with the SIP program, but this is also counting for my Communications internship. I want to see if Missions Video work is something I would enjoy doing. Here's a bit of my background: Last year in the spring, I had the oppurtunity to do a documentary with the Peace and Justice Journalism program here at the college. I...

What I'm up to

18 Jun 2007 12:24 EST

Hello, and welcome to this SIP blog. IÂ´m in the tropical paradise/complete mess called Honduras, working through Mennonite Central Committee with El Proyecto MAMA. El Proyecto MAMA, which stands for Women, Friends, Miles Apart, works with education, health, and commuity development in a variety of towns, with the majority of them rural. My specific...