Posts Tagged ‘service sites’

Our Neighborhood Homework House

Karen Rouggly Friday, October 7th, 2011

Part of what we do in the Office of Ministry and Service is to mobilize students to serve in the local community. We offer 13 different ways for students to become directly connected to Azusa and Los Angeles through our office and each ministry as a Student Coordinator that works as a liason between MAS and the community partner to support them and students on campus. I’ve asked each Student Ministry Coordinator to write about their ministry sometime throughout the year to give us a picture of what each ministry is like.

This week – Tatiana Balcazar wants to share about her experience at Our Neighborhood Homework House. Tatiana is a Senior this year and majoring in International Business. She has been working at the Neighborhood Homework House as a volunteer for two years and is excited to be coordinating the ministry on campus this year. Some of her tutors have had a life-changing experience working at the Homework House and here’s one:

“One of my teens was beginning her senior year of high school when I stepped in as SMC [Student Ministry Coordinator]. I watched her struggle and stress over college applications and scholarship opportunities, and watched her cry when she was rejected by APU. But she never gave up. She retook the exams that she needed to get in, and she continued pushing and applying and working. I told her that if I could afford it, she could, and if I could get in, she could get in. To remember that tear-stained face breaks my heart, but I am pleased to say she was accepted to APU and accepted as an Azusa Scholar. Encouraging her and loving her through her pain and hard times was a privilege, and I will never be able to express how amazing it felt to witness her journey.” – Chelsea Burdick

 

To read about the Homework House and Brittany Fregoso, another tutor, click Our Neighborhood Homework House

The MAS office currently sends around 20 students each week to serve with the Homework House, but there is a need for more volunteers. If this story grabbed your attention and you want to partner with the Homework House – feel free to stop by our office and come see me or Tatiana and we’ll get you hooked up with a time to serve!

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Ministry Madness!

Karen Rouggly Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Hello! I am so excited to be a part of the Azusa Pacific family as a blogger this year! I graduated from APU with a degree in Theatre Arts and Communication studies in 2005. Since then, I’ve completed a Masters Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and spent the past three years working as a full-time missionary for an organization based in South Africa. This summer, I was hired as the Program Coordinator in the Office of Ministry and Service and it’s been a blast being back! It definitely feels like coming home!

Part of my job involves mobilizing our students through social media – and mobilizing I hope to do. Throughout the year, I’ll be posting different things about the MAS office and the ministries we work with, as well as the different perspectives of our students in the office.

One of the funnest things we do each year is the Orientation Fair, which was held on September 14th. It was a chance for students, mostly Freshman and Transfers, to get to know our office and the different ministries we work with. Breanne Lamphere, one of our Administrative Assistants wanted to share her perspective on the day with you all. Here goes:

“Dear Readers,

This previous week, APU welcomed over 1,000 first year, transfers and new students alike, to initiate them into the APU family. I had the opportunity to watch this whole process unfold when the ministry fair was prepared. I was able to pass out information on the Ministry and Service Office for students to unveil their passions for others. After the session, the students were invited on the walk to sign up for opportunities on campus and begin to develop their journey at APU. I stood at the MAS information table where I answered many questions regarding service credit requirements, ministry opportunities, and how to get involved. Even though the temperature that day was in the 100’s and just breathing took loads of energy, the students were still walking past the tables and signing their names to gain more information. This is my second year helping at this event and the intentionality of the students to follow their passions gets me excited. It’s that feeling I get when I see other people reveal how they want to serve God that keeps me motivated to do the same. After students started dwindling down, all the flyers were passed out, and sign in sheets were overflowing with signatures, the day ended. This day was just the beginning of my job. Every day I work, students come in with these questions about how to become involved. Countless e-mails are answered, reflections read, and experiences shared that impacted these students throughout the year. I am so blessed to be a part of this process.

Sincerely, MAS student Worker”

 

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The Day has Arrived!

Renna Nightingale Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Today, ladies and gentleman, was the day we have all been waiting for.

For today, my faithful friends, was a glorious day.

It was the day… that shan’t be forgotten.

T’was the day…

When service sites began!!! Haaaaaalelujah! Halelujah!

AH! The day of expectation!!!!

Actually, I had prided myself on not having any expectations for the service sites. “I am going in with a clean slate! I am a white board ready to be drawn on! A blank canvas ready to be colored!”

Today when my expectations were totally, utterly, and completely demolished, I realized that indeed, I did have expectations.

Bad foot!

(In isiZulu, the phrase “bad foot” is like shoot, darn, snap, sad day, etc.)

For the next four weeks, I will be serving at Ethembeni with the lovely Karissa, phenomenal Lindsay, irreplaceable Tyler, angel Shayna, and wonderful Aimee. What a team!

We began by writing down our goals for our four weeks at Ethembeni. What is awesome is that we have mostly the same goals! Convenient? I think so!

I love supervisor Claire. She’s from England! Claire has requested that whenever I am around her, I use my English accent because it is “so good it’s scary” and she misses hearing people talk like her. You don’t need to ask a theatre major twice to practice an accent!

At lunch time, all of the Ethembeni staff gathered. Out of nowhere, they began singing! In four part harmonies!

This was the moment I realized, this is where I belong! I finally get to live in a musical! SO glorious.

One of my friends has often asked me, “What is your favorite sound you’ve ever heard?” I didn’t have an answer for her. But now I do. Hearing Africans randomly burst into worship songs is definitely the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Not only are their voices lovely, but their hearts shine. They don’t sing songs like we do. They suddenly sing music that is on their mind right at that moment, and sing it from their hearts! They believe what they are singing! It is such a worshipful experience. I love it.

Each of us at Ethembeni are paired with one social worker in order to get to know the community. My social worker is very sweet, and quite quiet. Her English is about as extensive and polished as my isiZulu. Ahem.

That is going to be a serious challenge. She won’t talk unless I ask her questions, because she is so shy! Unfortunately, she doesn’t understand the words “how” or “what.” So… it’s a lot of me pulling out my extensive isiZulu.

This is hilarious because in isiZulu, we only learned how to make conversation about the garden and the kitchen. My teacher thought that would be the most practical. And work-wise, it is! We will be doing a lot of helping in the garden and the kitchen. But, my vocabulary is still very limited! Of course, however, what can you expect after a month of  a brand new language?

My winner sentences:

Uthanda yimba imigodi? You like to dig holes?

Uyakwazi ukupeka iqanda? Do you know how to cook eggs?

Ngithanda izimbali. I like flowers.

As you can see, I’m practically fluent now.

Just kidding.

When the kids arrived at Ethembeni in the afternoon, they taught me a beautiful lesson.

I want to have the love of a child.

The love of a child is quite extraordinary. Children blindly and fearlessly love. They don’t care who you are! They don’t care what you look like, what you do, or where you’ve been. They simply love you and want to be held and cared for.

That is the love of Christ! I need to love people simply because they are children of God, and that is enough. I want to love as Christ loves me. I am going to live life with the attitude of you need love and I’m going to give it to you.

That’s what I want my life to be about.

There was one boy in particular that I am in love with! He was about 8 years old, and he was wearing a yellow Batman shirt. Obviously great. For thirty minutes, all he wanted to do was play with my hands. I have never seen a sweeter smile!

I wanted to ask him if he had parents. Because if he didn’t I was going to take him home. Unfortunately, I only know how to say, Ngithanda ifosholo. Or, I like shovels. (I am kidding! I wouldn’t really take him home!)

On the way home, I got to be the DJ, as I was sitting in the front seat. We all rocked out to A Walk to Remember. Priceless.

I get to go on a retreat tomorrow with the Ethembeni team! I am so excited!

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