Looking Back

Now that I've been back from Colorado for about a week, I've been able to enjoy time catching up with friends and family.  Since life was so crazy busy wrapping up my internship at eMi, the abrupt stop upon coming home felt a little bit like being thrown out of a tornado and landing on a couch.  All of a sudden it was over, and then I realized how exhausted I was.  This time has been much needed, not only for rest but also to process my experiences at eMi.

After spending several months in a tight community with the interns, we became a family.  And I don't mean that we felt we had to get to know each other because we worked in the same building.  We really did connect surprisingly well and simply shared life together.  I have so much respect for them and the ways that they have encouraged my faith, whether through simple words or powerful life examples.  God was teaching me through this group of believers: whether it was Stephen's steadfast self-discipline, Seth's continual application of scripture, Elena's wise insights, Jay's honesty, Janae's humility, Janine's selflessness, Mike's openness, or Susan's concern for others.  I will miss these brothers and sisters, they have had more of an impact on me than I ever expected and I love to see God continue working in their lives.

The eMi intern family

Trying to summarize the impact of an experience like this is next to impossible, but I can say that those four months were an incredible blessing in my life.  God's hand in orchestrating this opportunity became so evident as I looked back on how I got there.  It still amazes me that I was able to combine so many things that all worked toward God's plan for me:

• Technical skills
• Ministry to the poor
• Relationship with believers
• Spiritual growth
• Service
• Adventure
• Learning

Even though I was serving, I still felt selfish because I gained so much from this adventure.  It seemed that the blessings just kept pouring on.  When I think back on the work I did, the relationships formed, and the places I saw, I realize God has taught me so many lessons.  There are a few that stand out in my mind...

Not My Power, But His
I placed the burden of raising financial support on my shoulders - God took care of it for me
I worked so hard to try to finish the earthbag building in Thailand - God made it happen
There were many other times where I had to be reminded that God's work in me is not dependent on my strength or ability, but only on His power.

Not My Plans, But His
I decided I wanted to do a project in Kenya - God sent me to Thailand
I wanted to work on water systems - God had me work on new skills with structural design
This has been a lifelong learning process, and it continues.  I know that my own plans and expectations can be abruptly changed at any moment, but God always has a plan.

I Am Dependent
The desire to be independent, to not have to rely on others is hard for me to get away from.  God gave me an amazing group of people for support both at home and at eMi, and through building these relationships I knew I could not accomplish anything alone.  Missionaries on eMi staff were a great example of how it looks to depend on each other and the humility that is necessary for that to happen.

God is Not a Flag
Something hidden away in my subconscious has wanted to believe that God sends us out to the rest of the world, as if we are preparing the way for Him.  Traveling to a primarily Buddhist country on the other side of the world and finding faithful followers of Christ was humbling.  I found that God was already in Thailand working through people.  He is already in Africa, Central America, the Middle East.  I am tempted to think that the American Christian is the template, and that different views must be missing something.  While these other cultures have different perspectives on their faith and how to live it out, I know that God is not raising the flag of one nation.

So if I were trying to summarize my experience, I would say something like that.  It's been quite the adventure of trusting God and serving alongside His people.  I cannot thank my supporters enough for giving generously, building my confidence, encouraging me, listening to my stories, and just standing behind me the whole way.  God works in amazing ways.  Obviously there is so much more that I could write about.  If you want to hear more about my internship or have questions, comments, anything, just let me know, I would love to talk about it.

Jungle Hospital Design Complete

I am happy and relieved to say that during the very busy last couple weeks at eMi, we were able to complete the designs for the Jungle Hospital.  The building plans along with a construction manual are on their way to our ministry contact in Thailand.  With the project being somewhat more substantial than anticipated, it will take some time to prepare for construction.  The Free Burma Rangers plan to begin building in about a year, after funds are raised and supplies are gathered.  Results of the design are exciting and I think the hospital really is going to be a key component of the medical ministry in this remote area of Burma.

View of the finished hospital building design for the Jungle School of Medicine Kawthoolei

As much as I'd like to say the hard part is done, I know that's not true.  While we put a whole lot of work into the design of this hospital building, it's going to be no small task to actually build it.  The construction will definitely be labor intensive.  But the greater challenge is the fact that all off-site supplies will need to be carried on the backs of the Free Burma Rangers on a six day jungle hike through a war zone of Burma Army patrols and landmines.  It sounds like something straight out of a Rambo movie, but I promise I'm not making this stuff up.

The hospital includes an operating room, ICU, lab,
sterilization area, and X-ray imaging room

This project has been a huge blessing, not just for the ministry but also myself.  Being given more responsibility  on the design than I expected was not always easy, but it allowed me to learn a whole lot more.  Even when the work got tedious, my motivation was always to think of the Karen medics we worked with in Thailand and the people we saw in the refugee camp in Burma.  It's a great feeling knowing that all the hours spent on AutoCAD, computer modeling, and writing the manual were for the purpose of showing God's love to a hurting people.

The Lab which will be used for medical testing

The Operating Room where missionary doctors will perform surgeries

From Intern to Project Manager

Looks like time is running out on my experience here at eMi.  With just a little over a week left in my internship, I find myself scrambling to finish our Jungle Hospital project.  Designs have been coming together quickly in the past few weeks, but there are a lot of loose ends to take care of now.  The Free Burma Rangers are depending on us to get the plans to them before I leave, so that they can hopefully finish building before their rainy season.

Needless to say, the next week or so will be very busy.  Especially since Rex, my project leader, has his hands tied with recruiting for his next project among other things.  Rex has joked that I have become the project manager, and should be telling him what to do.  Joking aside, I do feel the pressure of having all this responsibility.  I have to remind myself that God is taking care of everything and it's not all on my shoulders.

In other news, our project has been getting some publicity.  Owen Geiger himself, the world renowned earthbag expert, has featured us in his blog and website (I know, very exciting).  So I am officially famous... at least among people who are into building things out of dirt, and who go to that website.  The funny thing is I seem to have gotten all the credit for the project.  Actually one of the articles was from some guy named Ben Vander Pas... so I guess I don't get credit for that one.

Anyway here are the articles:

Free Burma Rangers Clinic

Earthbag Building Thailand Project

HyPar Roofs

A Good and Faithful Servant

It has been a difficult time for the staff here at the office in Colorado Springs.  On Monday morning Jim Hall, our CEO and leader of eMi USA, went to be with the Lord.  Less than a month ago he informed us that the melanoma cancer he had been battling before had spread to his vital organs.  It was a hard blow to the staff, who were very close to Jim.

With prayer and fasting throughout the office, we asked God to heal him.  It was hard to know how to pray in a time like that.  There seemed to be little hope, and yet we knew God could perform a miracle.  But nobody expected him to go so fast.  After spending time with his family in Florida for Thanksgiving, he passed away.  His family saw it as a blessing that he didn't have to suffer for very long before going.

For myself, as well as the other interns here, it has been a somewhat confusing time.  We didn't have much of a chance to get to know Jim, being here just a few months.  When the news came, the staff took a good part of the day to gather around and share memories of Jim.  Now I feel like I know him better and I realize what a great man he was.  So many stories told of how his heart was truly for the Lord.  He poured himself into the ministry of eMi, and really loved the people under his leadership.  The staff was so close to him, I could see how much pain they felt knowing he was gone.

While I didn't know Jim like people here at the office, I wish I had known him.  I know that he was an example for many to follow, and that he touched many lives.  I know that I want people to remember me for overflowing with love for the people around me, and for having a passion for God's work in my life, just as Jim is remembered.

His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" 

Matthew 25:21

Behind the Scenes

Overseas mission work is supposed to be exotic and inspirational right?

Well, the type of work that engineers and architects do here at eMi is not often very glamorous or noticeable.  The fact is, the people being served by our ministry partner overseas will never know what we did.  Most people don't want to know how a building was designed, they just want to see it built.  But that's quite all right, since we are not working for recognition from others.  The important thing is that more people in need can be reached with God's love as a result of our work.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us -
yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17

Ever since returning from our earthbag training workshop in Thailand, I have been working on designs for a new medical clinic building for the Free Burma Rangers.  The clinic will have an operating room, ICU, X-ray imaging, and laboratory.  With its location in a remote area of the Burmese jungle, it will likely be the only medical facility for many miles.  FBR doctors and medics will be able to treat victims of attacks by the Burma army and other displaced people who are sick or injured.

Besides drawings and calculations, much of my time has involved putting together a design manual with the help of my project team members.  This includes detailed instructions, diagrams, and explanations for construction that will take place in Burma, beginning as soon as January.  It's been a very unique and interesting project from an engineering perspective - a hospital made of dirt was not covered in any of my classes at Calvin, surprisingly enough.  Keeping everything sterile requires some innovative solutions.  But the biggest challenge has been considering the fact that every building material will have to be carried to the site, a 6 day journey by foot.  This means that not only is there a huge emphasis on minimizing these materials, but also everything from doors to counters will be custom made onsite in the jungle.

Structural modeling of the HyPar roof for earthquake and wind load testing

Communication has been a huge factor for the project so far.  I've been contacting several people in Thailand on a regular basis including our volunteer architect, FBR missionary doctor, and an earthbag building expert who coincidentally lives there.  The only problem is we are never working at the same time due to the 12 hour time difference.  I've also had a lot of help from our structural engineer in Arkansas, as well as the eMi staff here in Colorado.  

There has been a lot of thought and bouncing ideas back and forth for this seemingly simple clinic building.  I really think we will have a great design for them when all is said and done.  We are pushing to get everything completed by the end of my time here in December (which is rapidly approaching), so that FBR will be able to start and finish building during the dry season in Burma.  I'm excited to have the finished design to hand over to the FBR team.

But there's still a lot more exotic and inspirational work to do before then.

The floor plan, approved by the missionary doctor and the earthbag expert

Although a little strange looking, it will get the job done

In All Things

If there's anything I've learned in the past months it's that I can never predict how God will work through any given situation.  Usually the things that God puts me through in my walk with Him don't make much sense to me - at least not until later when I look back on them.  In fact, there's a lot I don't understand about how God makes everything work together.

Here's a little bit of news for everyone that I haven't told yet:

Starting in February 2012 I will be serving in the Peace Corps for 27 months as an Environment and Water Engineer in the Water and Sanitation Program in Honduras.  If you're wondering how that happened, let's back up a little.

Beginning way back in April, when I was still a college kid, I started looking into this thing called the Peace Corps.  At first it was just some crazy idea I had to avoid getting a normal job and to experience another part of the world.  As I went through the lengthy application process I started to think that this crazy idea just might become a reality.  Several interviews and mountains of paper work later, I realized that I had a pretty good chance of being accepted.  I started to wonder what I was getting myself into.  Interestingly enough, it seemed that things were working out perfectly: they had a spot available in a Spanish speaking country (I just barely qualified with my Spanish coursework), it started shortly after my internship with eMi, and they were very eager for environmental engineers with some international experience and a history of volunteering.  Very interesting indeed...

The official letter inviting me to sign my life away for 2 years

Then one day a large packet came in the mail; a letter inside congratulated me for being invited to serve in Honduras.  This was exciting but shocking at the same time.  Of course I had been thinking about this opportunity for quite some time, but right then it hit me: I needed to make a choice to accept or decline, knowing it would significantly impact the next few years of my life (if not all of them).  Making big decisions is not my forte.  Even though I had a lot of doubt come rushing in, I couldn't lose the feeling that God had been setting things in motion.  Unfortunately God does not always make one direction an obvious choice.

One of my reservations about the program was the fact that it is a secular organization, not to mention run by the government.  Working with faith based non-profits has been a huge blessing for me.  The good news is that I know God will work through my efforts regardless of where I work.  But the hardest part is knowing that I will have to leave my family and friends for this 27 month commitment.  They have always been a huge support for me, and I really don't like the idea of being so far away from that.  After talking with different people and a whole lot of prayer, I felt God's presence in it all.  I accepted the invitation, only by faith in God's perfect plan.  He has given me so much peace now, and I have faith that no matter what happens, God will use it all for good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Defend the Weak

So many people in Burma have been run out of their homes, having to leave all their belongings and any hope of a secure life behind.  Without food or shelter, there is no one to help them.  That's when the Free Burma Rangers along with Partners, a relief and development organization, come to give food, supplies, medical attention, and ultimately hope.  This is showing the love of Christ to the desperate, the poorest of the poor.

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.  Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 82:3-4 

Thailand Flooding

Flooding in Thailand is worse now than it has been in over 50 years.  What we experienced right before leaving from Chiang Mai was just the beginning stages.  Over 500 people have died nationwide now.  The water may not go down for weeks yet.  If you have a minute please pray for people who are struggling through this.

Children of Burma

Not So Different
This video stirs up a lot of emotions for me after seeing firsthand the way that children in Burma are suffering.  It's no longer just another social justice issue on the other side of the world.  Being in a refugee camp and seeing their faces makes it much harder to put these children out of my mind.

Thailand Highlight #1: Co-workers with the Creator

About a week ago we had the opportunity to share about our project trip in Thailand with the rest of the Colorado Springs office.  It wasn't a time to tell about how design objectives were met or all the things we were able to get done.  This was a time to share how God was working and what He taught us during our time on the trip.  We had plenty to talk about.

For eMi project trips, and I'm sure most other trips like them, the thing that stands out the most is usually not the actual work that is accomplished.  The most impactful part is the relationships formed with people.  I definitely experienced this while we were in Thailand.  Close relationships are formed when you work with someone day in and day out.  And everywhere we went it seemed we met people who were full of life and plenty of interesting stories; people like missionaries with the Free Burma Rangers who left the comfort of their home countries to serve, guys volunteering to come help with our build project at the last minute, medics who risk their lives for others, refugees who can still be content, and travelers just passing through on an adventure.  Many of these people came to us only by God's perfect timing and according to His plan.

In our intern Bible study at the office we have been looking through Ecclesiastes and wrestling with Solomon's words of wisdom.  Some of the main themes point to the idea that the physical work we do in this world does not define us.  It does not carry the weight of God's glory.  But when we work with God, He blesses us in our labor and builds a relationship with us through that process.  It's incredible that God allows us to accomplish His purpose, to work alongside our Creator.  When you combine this with working side by side with other followers of Christ, I think it's a real picture of how God wants us to live.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever... 

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

These are some pictures of my co-workers in Christ.  They are people we built relationships with, bridging gaps between cultures and languages.  I loved seeing how God brought all these people together for His purpose.  God is working in the lives of of many all over the world in this way, and the experience was a huge encouragement for me to strive to continue working at building Christ-centered relationships wherever I go in life.

I took a few pictures during the trip of the build project, Chiang Mai, and Korea.

 

 

             

                                                           

                                                         

                         

                                             

                                                             

Thailand Highlight #2: Building From the Ground Up

There's something about working with your hands and seeing a tangible result that is very satisfying.  Working outside on our earthbag building reminded me of all those good times with Habitat for Humanity.  The purpose of our build project was to provide training for the Free Burma Rangers in earthbag construction methods that are sustainable and use local materials.  On top of that the building is resistant to bullets, fire, and earthquakes.  The ultimate goal is to equip them to build their own medical facility in the jungle of Burma.   The actual location of the hospital site in Burma is confidential (if the Burma Army found it they would likely try to destroy it), so it's a little strange to not know much of anything about the site we are designing for.  But with our time in Thailand, we basically wanted to teach medics to be builders.

There was an excellent backdrop for our work site

A great work crew of FBR medics was ready for us when we arrived on the site.  I think at first they expected us engineers and architects to basically supervise the project and tell them what to do.  When we worked beside them from sunrise to sunset it seemed that they gained respect for our team.  We originally planned on working for eight days, but we decided to stay at the village an extra two days so that we could finish enough to complete the training.  When we  finally got to see the finished product, all our hard work through the hot sun, downpours, bugs, and humidity was worth it.    Although exhausting working about 12 hours each day, it was a great experience of teaching and learning at the same time.

The hard working team couldn't go very long without smiling and laughing

And while the earthbag structure was basically a practice building, it still had quite a significance for the team.  Everyone worked so hard and the FBR team asked lots of questions because they wanted to learn to be able to do it themselves.  One great moment was when everyone got together and lifted the roofs up onto the building.  In the end we handed the work of finishing touches off to the medics and the building became theirs.  After this project the FBR team became confident in their ability to build whatever we end up designing for them in Burma.  And that was our goal, so praise God for that.

It takes a village to raise a roof

My earthbag laying team; we became a well-oiled machine

The build from start to finish:

Click here for more pictures... Monkey's House