Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
WAIT Interstate Trip: Kansas Report
On March 18th, the DC WAIT Team were met by Richard & Barbara Karnowski, Kansas WAIT parents, and treated to a special all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet dinner after which they sang “Reach Out” for the Karnowskis. They then drove another 20 minutes to the home of another WAIT family, the Thompson’s, who welcomed them warmly.
On March 19th, the day started early at the Douglas Community Center in Manhattan. KS WAIT members, Xavier Dowdell, and Elke Thompson, demonstrated Tae Kwon Do and krumping. The DC trainers taught the Kansas WAIT members the dance to “Desert Rose,” adding in new sections using step dance, break-dance, krumping, and Tae Kwon Do.
Following this, we attended the screening of “Cashing Out”at K-State University. The audience was truly inspired by this no-budget independent movie, and suggested another screening later in the semester.
At the performance at the Manhattan Public Library, DC and Kansas WAIT team performed “Desert Rose” with the newly added pieces and a whole performance with new WAIT members learning new parts.
The day went from a beautiful sunny day to a cold, windy, snowy evening. Driving to Kansas City, the van was struck by an 18-wheeler that had blown a tire. The WAIT members from DC and KS were miraculously protected from serious harm, and helped by many people, and decided to continue the training work.
While Aunt Kate contacted all families and insurance companies to report the accident, the training continued with the Kansas WAIT members learning “A Rose Is Still A Rose”, while the guys practiced “WAIT for Me” and break dancing.
After a delicious dinner, the group came together to review the internal guidelines of WAIT and the way we operate. To finish the night, “Cashing Out” was shown.
On March 21st, in the Kansas City Church center there was Sunday service. After lunch, Kansas members learned more of “Desert Rose” and Rose Is Still A Rose” The guys practiced the rap parts for “Wait for Me.” Meanwhile, Kate Tsubata shared with the parents the specifics of how adults provide the wisdom and ongoing guidance for each team.
At the closing of the training, a performance for the parents was suggested, with each dance or song presented. Besides the standard acts, we heard Xavier’s new rap about WAIT, and had an exciting final act where young and old showed their moves in a spontaneous dance off!
On March 22nd, the DC trainers navigated obstacles to rent a van, arrange the towing of their van to a salvage yard, meet insurance agents, and transfer equipment to continue their journey to Nebraska. Before leaving, the team sang “Reach Out” to the Saarnas, WAIT family, in thanks for their kind support at a tough time.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Day 2 in Atlanta, Georgia (Photo Update)
Day 2 of the Atlanta WAIT Training:
Powerpoint, Fundraising and Breakout Sessions
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
On the way home
Leaving Omaha, the team embarked on the next leg of our journey to Chicago, Illinois. Thankfully, Lynelle Curtin, the mother of Rachel Curtin, found it possible to accompany us, so we had an extra driver. Arriving in Chicago around 7:30, we decided to sing at restaurants and ask for food donations. To our delight, a Subway sandwich manager donated us all sandwiches, and a Chinese restaurant donated several dishes!
We slept at the Chicago family church center, and attended the Sunday service the next morning. We were amazed that there was a report being given on a recent medical outreach trip to Haiti, and we asked to sing the song we wrote: Reach Out. It was a beautiful experience to share this song with people who have done so much outreach themselves.
Back on the road, we drove all the way to Columbus, Ohio, where we were welcomed at Ilseuk Masuda’s home with a big pot of homemade beef and vegetable soup and some lovely baked potatoes and yams. Sleeping soundly after our long journey, we awoke ready for the next day’s trek to Ithaca, New York.
Since our funds were so depleted by the accident and van situation, some of the team members called restaurants to ask for discounts. A Ponderosa Steak House in Bath, NY, offered us a substantial break on our meals. We arrived, met the manager, and sang “Reach out” for the diners. One table of customers asked if they could donate, and then suggested we consider a trip to Puerto Rico. Others wished us luck in our work.
The staff of the restaurant asked for another song at the end, and we took a photo together. It was a special moment of grace and love to meet such loving people in the middle of our journey.
That night, we arrived at the home of Ann and Chad Hoover, a family who have often hosted WAIT when we traveled to Upstate New York. We were so happy to see their own work, and to feel the warmth of a loving family.
The next day, we arrived at the Lansing Residential Facility to meet one of our favorite people, Dee Cooper, who has a wonderful team working with many girls in crisis. We did a shortened version of the PowerPoint, and then the full WAIT performance. It was wonderful to feel the girls there responding, blossoming in response to the songs and dances.
We then began our final leg of the trip home. To our great shock, it began to snow! Soon, we were in a repeat of our recent experience in Kansas: snow flying everywhere, trucks backed up on an interstate, accumulation of the icy crystals on our windshield. We changed our route to avoid the mountains, and after crossing one mountain, the snow turned to rain! We stopped to make sure of the weather, but then confidently proceeded to do the final journey home.
We arrived to the gleeful welcome of Do Joon, our number one fan, and all the Tsubata family. It felt good to be home.
Now, there is one more part of our trip to complete: the training trip to Atlanta, Georgia. We are looking forward to bringing the WAIT model and message to our “southern cousins” after such an amazing journey to the Midwest. Many thanks to all who made this such an unforgettable trip.
Kate Tsubata
We slept at the Chicago family church center, and attended the Sunday service the next morning. We were amazed that there was a report being given on a recent medical outreach trip to Haiti, and we asked to sing the song we wrote: Reach Out. It was a beautiful experience to share this song with people who have done so much outreach themselves.
Back on the road, we drove all the way to Columbus, Ohio, where we were welcomed at Ilseuk Masuda’s home with a big pot of homemade beef and vegetable soup and some lovely baked potatoes and yams. Sleeping soundly after our long journey, we awoke ready for the next day’s trek to Ithaca, New York.
Since our funds were so depleted by the accident and van situation, some of the team members called restaurants to ask for discounts. A Ponderosa Steak House in Bath, NY, offered us a substantial break on our meals. We arrived, met the manager, and sang “Reach out” for the diners. One table of customers asked if they could donate, and then suggested we consider a trip to Puerto Rico. Others wished us luck in our work.
The staff of the restaurant asked for another song at the end, and we took a photo together. It was a special moment of grace and love to meet such loving people in the middle of our journey.
That night, we arrived at the home of Ann and Chad Hoover, a family who have often hosted WAIT when we traveled to Upstate New York. We were so happy to see their own work, and to feel the warmth of a loving family.
The next day, we arrived at the Lansing Residential Facility to meet one of our favorite people, Dee Cooper, who has a wonderful team working with many girls in crisis. We did a shortened version of the PowerPoint, and then the full WAIT performance. It was wonderful to feel the girls there responding, blossoming in response to the songs and dances.
We then began our final leg of the trip home. To our great shock, it began to snow! Soon, we were in a repeat of our recent experience in Kansas: snow flying everywhere, trucks backed up on an interstate, accumulation of the icy crystals on our windshield. We changed our route to avoid the mountains, and after crossing one mountain, the snow turned to rain! We stopped to make sure of the weather, but then confidently proceeded to do the final journey home.
We arrived to the gleeful welcome of Do Joon, our number one fan, and all the Tsubata family. It felt good to be home.
Now, there is one more part of our trip to complete: the training trip to Atlanta, Georgia. We are looking forward to bringing the WAIT model and message to our “southern cousins” after such an amazing journey to the Midwest. Many thanks to all who made this such an unforgettable trip.
Kate Tsubata
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Performing in Omaha Schools
Renting a van in Kansas City, we made our way to Omaha where we were welcomed to the beautiful home of the Curtin family. After a delicious dinner, some of us collapsed into bed, and others met Dan and Christella who had come from DC and were on their way cross country to California.
Waking early, we were out the door early to get to Ralston Middle School, where we did 5 performances in the 45 minute classes for kids of the 7th and 8th grades. Despite tiredness, the group really poured out their energy and hearts. The classes were more reserved than in DC, but the same response was there.
It was wonderful to have Christella join in and breakdance in several of the presentations, and Dan was a good tech supporter too.
Ms. Denise Craig, the teacher who hosted us, heard the team mentioning wanting to visit the zoo, and arranged for a special discount for us. Another staff member, hearing about our work and our accident, gave an anonymous donation for the team to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo the next day to see a good part of the huge number of exhibits.
After our Ralston performances, we headed over to Sakura Bana to sing for the staff, who were between their lunch and dinner hours. We sang “Reach out” to Mr. Yamagata and Jin, who were looking very serious while listening. Then, Mr. Yamagata said “Okay, come back at 5 for dinner.” When we returned, we were shocked. Not only did we get our pick of the combination dinners, but a huge boat full of sushi, about 3 feet long, with every type of sushi in it.
This was a huge gift for the team, who were a bit tired of the uninspiring diet of a roadtrip. There was so much food left over, the team boxed it to eat the next day at the zoo!
While the team viewed the animals, the adults were busy trying to work out a way to do the return leg of the trip. It seemed that most rental places would not allow us to travel one way, and even those that would did not have a large enough van available.
That night, we drove over to the Eagle’s Nest, a huge church family in the Northern area of Omaha. We were surprised to see the extent of their preparations for us: sound and video personnel were on hand to help set up our levels, and other than the mats and linoleum we really didn’t need any of our equipment.
After a few praise and worship songs, the ministerial team introduced WAIT. It was an amazing performance; full of energy and heart, and the congregation (of mostly young people) was so responsive, especially to the message of abstinence. Several youth from other churches were also in attendance. After, the pastor gave an inspiring message about value determined by God. The pastor’s words rang throughout the room and tears ran down our cheeks. All the frustrations and fears that had been residing in our hearts faded away as we were all reminded that God is taking care of us.
The pastor, along with members of the congregation, prayed over us. With our hands and hearts connected there was so much of God’s love flowing throughout the room. After the service we enjoyed the company of the other youth, eating dinner, break dancing and getting to know one another as brothers and sisters.
Driving back to Rachel’s we began to share about our experiences, and decided to open the white envelope the Church had given us. To our great surprise a $1000 check was inside! We were so grateful for everything and immediately prayed to offer it up to God.
The next morning, we performed for two different eighth grade classes at La Vista middle school. The teachers and students alike were inspired by our message and our new and different approach to AIDS and abstinence education.
After some much needed naps, walks in the sunshine, and phone calls to home, we decided to blitz fundraise to car dealerships in hopes that that someone might be inspired to help us out with the van situation. After a disappointing one, we passed by an Enterprise rental car place, and saw a 15 passenger van! We went in and sang them “Hero.” They were pleasantly surprised, and called a more central location where several vans are available. We went there, and did a combination performance of “Wait for me” with breakdancing and beatboxing. The rental and sales personnel were so great, helping us find several solutions. The team went performing at nearby businesses and got several donations including a pie from Village Inn!
Back to the house for a potluck dinner with Omaha families, we showed “Cashing Out,” and shared a bit about how it was created. Then we sang “Reach Out” and “Beautiful Ending,” while Kuniyaki Sugiura was able to watch by skype!
The next day was all-day performance fundraising while Aunt Kate and Aunt Lynelle drove to Kansas City to return one van and pick up another. The team had amazing experiences in Downtown Omaha.
Our final adventure: going back home through Chicago, Ohio, New York and DC is about to begin. Please keep us in your thoughts!
Waking early, we were out the door early to get to Ralston Middle School, where we did 5 performances in the 45 minute classes for kids of the 7th and 8th grades. Despite tiredness, the group really poured out their energy and hearts. The classes were more reserved than in DC, but the same response was there.
It was wonderful to have Christella join in and breakdance in several of the presentations, and Dan was a good tech supporter too.
Ms. Denise Craig, the teacher who hosted us, heard the team mentioning wanting to visit the zoo, and arranged for a special discount for us. Another staff member, hearing about our work and our accident, gave an anonymous donation for the team to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo the next day to see a good part of the huge number of exhibits.
After our Ralston performances, we headed over to Sakura Bana to sing for the staff, who were between their lunch and dinner hours. We sang “Reach out” to Mr. Yamagata and Jin, who were looking very serious while listening. Then, Mr. Yamagata said “Okay, come back at 5 for dinner.” When we returned, we were shocked. Not only did we get our pick of the combination dinners, but a huge boat full of sushi, about 3 feet long, with every type of sushi in it.
This was a huge gift for the team, who were a bit tired of the uninspiring diet of a roadtrip. There was so much food left over, the team boxed it to eat the next day at the zoo!
While the team viewed the animals, the adults were busy trying to work out a way to do the return leg of the trip. It seemed that most rental places would not allow us to travel one way, and even those that would did not have a large enough van available.
That night, we drove over to the Eagle’s Nest, a huge church family in the Northern area of Omaha. We were surprised to see the extent of their preparations for us: sound and video personnel were on hand to help set up our levels, and other than the mats and linoleum we really didn’t need any of our equipment.
After a few praise and worship songs, the ministerial team introduced WAIT. It was an amazing performance; full of energy and heart, and the congregation (of mostly young people) was so responsive, especially to the message of abstinence. Several youth from other churches were also in attendance. After, the pastor gave an inspiring message about value determined by God. The pastor’s words rang throughout the room and tears ran down our cheeks. All the frustrations and fears that had been residing in our hearts faded away as we were all reminded that God is taking care of us.
The pastor, along with members of the congregation, prayed over us. With our hands and hearts connected there was so much of God’s love flowing throughout the room. After the service we enjoyed the company of the other youth, eating dinner, break dancing and getting to know one another as brothers and sisters.
Driving back to Rachel’s we began to share about our experiences, and decided to open the white envelope the Church had given us. To our great surprise a $1000 check was inside! We were so grateful for everything and immediately prayed to offer it up to God.
The next morning, we performed for two different eighth grade classes at La Vista middle school. The teachers and students alike were inspired by our message and our new and different approach to AIDS and abstinence education.
After some much needed naps, walks in the sunshine, and phone calls to home, we decided to blitz fundraise to car dealerships in hopes that that someone might be inspired to help us out with the van situation. After a disappointing one, we passed by an Enterprise rental car place, and saw a 15 passenger van! We went in and sang them “Hero.” They were pleasantly surprised, and called a more central location where several vans are available. We went there, and did a combination performance of “Wait for me” with breakdancing and beatboxing. The rental and sales personnel were so great, helping us find several solutions. The team went performing at nearby businesses and got several donations including a pie from Village Inn!
Back to the house for a potluck dinner with Omaha families, we showed “Cashing Out,” and shared a bit about how it was created. Then we sang “Reach Out” and “Beautiful Ending,” while Kuniyaki Sugiura was able to watch by skype!
The next day was all-day performance fundraising while Aunt Kate and Aunt Lynelle drove to Kansas City to return one van and pick up another. The team had amazing experiences in Downtown Omaha.
Our final adventure: going back home through Chicago, Ohio, New York and DC is about to begin. Please keep us in your thoughts!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Update on the accident
Dear Families:
Okay, follow up news. The kids seem fine, and continued teaching and training Kansas team members yesterday and this afternoon. We have all had a bit of a headache and stomach bug or something, but other than that, we seem to be okay. I contacted the insurance company: a representative may be calling the parents of Insung, Xavier and Rachel, but we gave all information and the representative will call all the others (as they are over 18).
I was advised to rent a van to replace ours while the insurance company has it evaluated and either fixed or otherwise covered. Our insurance agent will deal with the other driver's company, and will make sure that the towing, medical, van or other costs caused by the accident are taken care of.
We located a 12-passenger van for rent, and will pick it up Monday at noon.
I finally mustered up the courage to go out and look at the van. I'm glad I waited. The damage was much worse than I imagined. This was a miracle on so many levels. We were truly carefully and completely protected by God.
We are grateful for all your prayers and support and encouragement. The Kansas families are incredible: so decent and warm and loving. We are sure that there will be a good outcome somehow from the difficulty we have experienced. Many, many thanks to you all,
Love and Blessings,
Kate
Okay, follow up news. The kids seem fine, and continued teaching and training Kansas team members yesterday and this afternoon. We have all had a bit of a headache and stomach bug or something, but other than that, we seem to be okay. I contacted the insurance company: a representative may be calling the parents of Insung, Xavier and Rachel, but we gave all information and the representative will call all the others (as they are over 18).
I was advised to rent a van to replace ours while the insurance company has it evaluated and either fixed or otherwise covered. Our insurance agent will deal with the other driver's company, and will make sure that the towing, medical, van or other costs caused by the accident are taken care of.
We located a 12-passenger van for rent, and will pick it up Monday at noon.
I finally mustered up the courage to go out and look at the van. I'm glad I waited. The damage was much worse than I imagined. This was a miracle on so many levels. We were truly carefully and completely protected by God.
We are grateful for all your prayers and support and encouragement. The Kansas families are incredible: so decent and warm and loving. We are sure that there will be a good outcome somehow from the difficulty we have experienced. Many, many thanks to you all,
Love and Blessings,
Kate
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Report on WAIT team accident
Dear Parents, Family, Friends of WAIT:
As most of you know, the WAIT year of service trainers are on a tour of the midwestern states of the US. I am driving, and we have arranged for several parents to accompany us along the way, for various legs of the tour.
Last night, after finishing our last performance in Manhattan, Kansas, we learned that a snowstorm was coming, and that by getting on the road immediately to our next destination, Kansas City, we could probably stay ahead of the snow and make it there for the next day’s planned events. Aunt Barbara Karnowski and Rebecca, Clareen O’Connor and Gabriel O’Connor were in another minivan, coming separately. We got on the road around 8:30 p.m.
Along with the WAIT Year of Service members, (Il Seuk Masuda, Insung Harbour, Kensei Tsubata, Rakim Muhammad, Jasmine Roth, Wendy Wang, Rachel Curtin, Harmony Becker) we had Sarah Karnowski, Kansas WAIT leader, and a new WAIT member, Xavier Dowdell of Manhattan, Kansas in our van. The snowstorm was much more heavy than predicted, and we battled hard, going about 20 to 30 mph for the entire trip. Thankfully, everyone was very focused, all were wearing seat belts, and we had to stop several times to de-ice the windshield wipers and even the headlights. Also, our new tires were a boon, as we were able to navigate despite very snowy conditions.
After about 4 hours, we were nearly to our final destination, on I70 east, right before Exit 415a for College Parkway when a semi-truck that was behind and to the left side of us (going faster than us) blew out its tire. It went out of control, hitting the rear of our van, breaking the window, and then hitting the driver’s side area and taking off our mirror. We fishtailed a bit, but thankfully I could keep control of the van, and we were able to steer over to the side shoulder of the road, right in the V-shaped area between I70 and the exit ramp.
We immediately checked to see if people were okay, and called 911 at 12:45 a.m. who responded immediately. As the operator was on the phone with us, getting details of the accident, a trooper was already knocking on the driver’s door window. In minutes, the ambulance was there. We had plenty of emergency personnel interviewing and assessing each passenger. Initially, we were worried about Xavier, who was a bit groggy, due to being asleep at the time and just waking up in a shocking way. Kensei and Wendy had some cuts, so those three were transported to the emergency room, and afterwards, we took Rakim and Jasmine in to get checked out for some muscle soreness. Wendy does have some glass deep inside, but the doctors said removing it would have disturbed the tissue more, so they gave antibiotic cream and to the others, prescribed normal painkillers (Ibuprofen or Tylenol types).
Peeter Saarna, our host, and Aunt Barbara Karnowski, came to pick us up, and helped us deal with the hospital, tow truck, etc. The van seems to be driveable, but has substantial damage: one window is gone (driver’s side rear) and the back door and the drivers’ door are messed up, and the mirror is gone.
The policeman made sure we got a copy of the trucker’s accident report and insurance, which I will be contacting today.
On arriving in the Kansas home center where the Saarna’s live, we were surprised to see everyone else had waited up for us. The van is here too, everyone is okay, and nothing else seems damaged.
We are grateful, beyond words, that we are all safe, and very thankful for the families and emergency and hospital services who took immediate and effective care to ensure we were okay. We slept soundly, and just woke up, and everyone is eating breakfast. Everyone seems to be in good spirits, and were concerned for each other and their families, immediately calling and alerting them that things were okay.
We are going to meet now, discuss what to do regarding our planned outreach and trip, and will keep all of you informed as soon as we have more news. Many thanks for your care and prayers,
With love,
Kate Tsubata
As most of you know, the WAIT year of service trainers are on a tour of the midwestern states of the US. I am driving, and we have arranged for several parents to accompany us along the way, for various legs of the tour.
Last night, after finishing our last performance in Manhattan, Kansas, we learned that a snowstorm was coming, and that by getting on the road immediately to our next destination, Kansas City, we could probably stay ahead of the snow and make it there for the next day’s planned events. Aunt Barbara Karnowski and Rebecca, Clareen O’Connor and Gabriel O’Connor were in another minivan, coming separately. We got on the road around 8:30 p.m.
Along with the WAIT Year of Service members, (Il Seuk Masuda, Insung Harbour, Kensei Tsubata, Rakim Muhammad, Jasmine Roth, Wendy Wang, Rachel Curtin, Harmony Becker) we had Sarah Karnowski, Kansas WAIT leader, and a new WAIT member, Xavier Dowdell of Manhattan, Kansas in our van. The snowstorm was much more heavy than predicted, and we battled hard, going about 20 to 30 mph for the entire trip. Thankfully, everyone was very focused, all were wearing seat belts, and we had to stop several times to de-ice the windshield wipers and even the headlights. Also, our new tires were a boon, as we were able to navigate despite very snowy conditions.
After about 4 hours, we were nearly to our final destination, on I70 east, right before Exit 415a for College Parkway when a semi-truck that was behind and to the left side of us (going faster than us) blew out its tire. It went out of control, hitting the rear of our van, breaking the window, and then hitting the driver’s side area and taking off our mirror. We fishtailed a bit, but thankfully I could keep control of the van, and we were able to steer over to the side shoulder of the road, right in the V-shaped area between I70 and the exit ramp.
We immediately checked to see if people were okay, and called 911 at 12:45 a.m. who responded immediately. As the operator was on the phone with us, getting details of the accident, a trooper was already knocking on the driver’s door window. In minutes, the ambulance was there. We had plenty of emergency personnel interviewing and assessing each passenger. Initially, we were worried about Xavier, who was a bit groggy, due to being asleep at the time and just waking up in a shocking way. Kensei and Wendy had some cuts, so those three were transported to the emergency room, and afterwards, we took Rakim and Jasmine in to get checked out for some muscle soreness. Wendy does have some glass deep inside, but the doctors said removing it would have disturbed the tissue more, so they gave antibiotic cream and to the others, prescribed normal painkillers (Ibuprofen or Tylenol types).
Peeter Saarna, our host, and Aunt Barbara Karnowski, came to pick us up, and helped us deal with the hospital, tow truck, etc. The van seems to be driveable, but has substantial damage: one window is gone (driver’s side rear) and the back door and the drivers’ door are messed up, and the mirror is gone.
The policeman made sure we got a copy of the trucker’s accident report and insurance, which I will be contacting today.
On arriving in the Kansas home center where the Saarna’s live, we were surprised to see everyone else had waited up for us. The van is here too, everyone is okay, and nothing else seems damaged.
We are grateful, beyond words, that we are all safe, and very thankful for the families and emergency and hospital services who took immediate and effective care to ensure we were okay. We slept soundly, and just woke up, and everyone is eating breakfast. Everyone seems to be in good spirits, and were concerned for each other and their families, immediately calling and alerting them that things were okay.
We are going to meet now, discuss what to do regarding our planned outreach and trip, and will keep all of you informed as soon as we have more news. Many thanks for your care and prayers,
With love,
Kate Tsubata
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
WAIT Training and Testimonies in Ohio: Day 2
Dear Everyone,
Monday we slept in--I didn't wake up until about 9:30, and it was from a deep, deep sleep helped along by a session of warming and aromatic essential oils on my back. We met up at the church and laid out the mats and linoleum so the kids could figure out a breakdance act with girls and new guys, and work on Desert Rose. I went to do some shopping at some health food stores and the target here (very clean--I realized I was in the midwest.) Several Ohio team members were with us, and a few more joined for the fundraising, which was in a rich and artsy area, where we did performance fundraising. We had a really good experience--made about $200, which we offered to the Ohio team, but they gave to us. We got back to the church, met up with Sonshine who presented to the team the idea of WAIT chapters in the schools, and getting youth pastors or others to step up to help us. Although some of the Ohio team members looked daunted and a bit doubtful, others were completely called by the idea. They stepped up to take responsibility for the implementation: a few on the design of approach materials, several on meeting with pastors and others on meeting with school administrators. After, we had a spaghetti dinner lovingly made by Aunt Yoko, and then we shared testimonies.
Each Year of Service member just shared their realizations from the year. It was pretty tearful--Rakim started us off describing how important it is to be a brother, be a sister, cause it really did help save the life of a friend of his which he only found out recently. Harmony talked about how our thinking creates our reality: when we believe we are powerless, we become powerless, when we know we can affect change, we suddenly have an amazing impact. Wendy talked about coming as someone who is an only child, and experiencing a family, and giving that to others. Rachel described realizing that people need us, that the world is desperate, and that when we just go to respond to that need, we just automatically grow. Insung described how his initial motivations changed, and how he developed a deeper sense of who he is really, what his true character is, rather than some external ideas. Jasmine shared about how she thought she could go out and save the world, but felt weak in her home community, but has realized that WAIT is something you do everywhere, that you can always affect others, always be saving lives, even when you don't realize you're having that impact. Kensei shared about how it was growing up this way, where in our house people are irritated if someone knocks at the door because they should know they can come right in, and how we just live a public life all the time, as our normal state. Il Seuk shared about how after finishing the year of service, he just felt he wants to always move forward, develop things in Ohio, commit to growing the team.
I told the backstory: all their hard work, heroism in the face of grouchy people, cheerful generosity even when I would think they were totally exhausted. I shared how they sang in the cold and grimy warehouse, melting the hearts of all the other workers. How they had melted the hearts of our neighbors and moved the churches and kids in the schools.
When we all finished talking, and stood up, I looked at the little stage platform where we were sitting, and saw it littered with crumpled wet tissue balls. You could see from where the damp crunched up kleenex was where each person had been sitting, from all the crying.
We're on our way now. See you all soon!
Monday we slept in--I didn't wake up until about 9:30, and it was from a deep, deep sleep helped along by a session of warming and aromatic essential oils on my back. We met up at the church and laid out the mats and linoleum so the kids could figure out a breakdance act with girls and new guys, and work on Desert Rose. I went to do some shopping at some health food stores and the target here (very clean--I realized I was in the midwest.) Several Ohio team members were with us, and a few more joined for the fundraising, which was in a rich and artsy area, where we did performance fundraising. We had a really good experience--made about $200, which we offered to the Ohio team, but they gave to us. We got back to the church, met up with Sonshine who presented to the team the idea of WAIT chapters in the schools, and getting youth pastors or others to step up to help us. Although some of the Ohio team members looked daunted and a bit doubtful, others were completely called by the idea. They stepped up to take responsibility for the implementation: a few on the design of approach materials, several on meeting with pastors and others on meeting with school administrators. After, we had a spaghetti dinner lovingly made by Aunt Yoko, and then we shared testimonies.
Each Year of Service member just shared their realizations from the year. It was pretty tearful--Rakim started us off describing how important it is to be a brother, be a sister, cause it really did help save the life of a friend of his which he only found out recently. Harmony talked about how our thinking creates our reality: when we believe we are powerless, we become powerless, when we know we can affect change, we suddenly have an amazing impact. Wendy talked about coming as someone who is an only child, and experiencing a family, and giving that to others. Rachel described realizing that people need us, that the world is desperate, and that when we just go to respond to that need, we just automatically grow. Insung described how his initial motivations changed, and how he developed a deeper sense of who he is really, what his true character is, rather than some external ideas. Jasmine shared about how she thought she could go out and save the world, but felt weak in her home community, but has realized that WAIT is something you do everywhere, that you can always affect others, always be saving lives, even when you don't realize you're having that impact. Kensei shared about how it was growing up this way, where in our house people are irritated if someone knocks at the door because they should know they can come right in, and how we just live a public life all the time, as our normal state. Il Seuk shared about how after finishing the year of service, he just felt he wants to always move forward, develop things in Ohio, commit to growing the team.
I told the backstory: all their hard work, heroism in the face of grouchy people, cheerful generosity even when I would think they were totally exhausted. I shared how they sang in the cold and grimy warehouse, melting the hearts of all the other workers. How they had melted the hearts of our neighbors and moved the churches and kids in the schools.
When we all finished talking, and stood up, I looked at the little stage platform where we were sitting, and saw it littered with crumpled wet tissue balls. You could see from where the damp crunched up kleenex was where each person had been sitting, from all the crying.
We're on our way now. See you all soon!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
First Day in Ohio
We left at almost 5 p.m. and immediately found that our old nemesis, the straps binding the hamburger to the top of the van, were going to hum throughout our trip, unless we did something. By Frederick, we stopped to check the tires, add and reduce pressure in tires, and (thankfully) re-tied the straps. So, we actually stayed sane throughout the trip!
The driving was adventurous: rain, fog, mountain roads, and a van full of crazy WAIT members. We played "radio roulette." (We made it up.) We named a certain musical genre, and people had to create original songs in that style. We had a great reggae number by Kensei, some J-Pop by Harmony, and opera by Rachel.
We arrived at 2:30 a.m. and it was daylight savings, so we had to sleep quick. At 10, we were at church service. We did a song (Reach Out) and showed the first WAIT webisode and I gave a short talk on love. Aunt Joy Masuda, an Ohio WAIT parent, introduced me to a powerful and God-inspired person, Sunshine, who wants to bring WAIT to the schools and churches, and who gave a really strong talk of encouragement. Then we had marriage education (and powerpoint) in the afternoon, and later, Ohio WAIT performed for us and we did for them, then we did more radio roulette challenge with folks from both teams. Very funny. Dinner at the Beckers, and arrangements for tomorrow's events. Also, Ohio did a great Pure Talent Showcase on Saturday, with three acts and about 45 people there. I think that made a great foundation.
Il Seuk is doing a great job, and is supported by Andreas, Alan, and a bunch of other really good members. Aunt Joy is great, and the
Beckers have organized things very well too, so we are being well taken care of. We're tired (very) and aren't making much sense right now, but miss you all. Please send this on to others.
Much love,
Kate
The driving was adventurous: rain, fog, mountain roads, and a van full of crazy WAIT members. We played "radio roulette." (We made it up.) We named a certain musical genre, and people had to create original songs in that style. We had a great reggae number by Kensei, some J-Pop by Harmony, and opera by Rachel.
We arrived at 2:30 a.m. and it was daylight savings, so we had to sleep quick. At 10, we were at church service. We did a song (Reach Out) and showed the first WAIT webisode and I gave a short talk on love. Aunt Joy Masuda, an Ohio WAIT parent, introduced me to a powerful and God-inspired person, Sunshine, who wants to bring WAIT to the schools and churches, and who gave a really strong talk of encouragement. Then we had marriage education (and powerpoint) in the afternoon, and later, Ohio WAIT performed for us and we did for them, then we did more radio roulette challenge with folks from both teams. Very funny. Dinner at the Beckers, and arrangements for tomorrow's events. Also, Ohio did a great Pure Talent Showcase on Saturday, with three acts and about 45 people there. I think that made a great foundation.
Il Seuk is doing a great job, and is supported by Andreas, Alan, and a bunch of other really good members. Aunt Joy is great, and the
Beckers have organized things very well too, so we are being well taken care of. We're tired (very) and aren't making much sense right now, but miss you all. Please send this on to others.
Much love,
Kate
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