I am excited and a bit apprehensive about finally beginning this blog. I am excited to be able to share with you this time of learning and adventure in my life. However, I'm a little apprehensive because there's something very vulnerable about putting your thoughts and experiences out there for others to read and comment on. One of the greatest lessons that I've come to learn is that courage is not the absence of fear, but doing something in the presence of fear. So let's do this blog thing!
Why am I blogging?
Firstly, to share the amazing things I've been learning during this 6 week hands-on community development learning journey that I've embarked on. Secondly, to highlight some of the amazing people that I've met and the awesome community development work that I've witnessed or heard about during my travels. Lastly, to share a bit about myself. My hopes, my dreams, my feelings, my thoughts, my musings, hey and even some of my failings. I am a firm believer in keeping it real so this will be a space for me to share my realities. My hope is that if you're reading this you'll feel free to share you own hopes, dreams, musings, failings so that we can build a community of mutual learning and sharing.
Sooooo let me tell you briefly about what I've been doing over the last three weeks...
What I've been doing?
I traveled to North Carolina for 10 days to obtain Race Equity and Racial Righteousness training. I also attended two national conference/gatherings for community developers. The first was organized by CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) and the second was a gathering for CFA (Communities First Associations) members. You will hear more about those gatherings in later posts. Now for the last 12 days I've been in Southern California. Where it's been crazy hot! Sorry my Canadian friends :). In California I have had the invaluable opportunity to shadow a woman by the name of Terri Larson. She is the Director of Catalytic Leader Development for an organization called City Net (www.citynet.org). Terri has been doing the work of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) for over 25 years and she has graciously allowed me to walk alongside her as she coaches, trains, leads strategic planning, facilitates spiritual formation (soul care) and builds capacity for leaders and their organizations in various neighbourhoods. I will be in So Cal, as they call it here, until the first week of November. I figured this would give me enough time to shadow Terri and visit community based and development focused agencies that are doing the work of ABCD. I'll give a brief overview of this ABCD that I keep referring to in another post.
Why am I doing this?
Simply put, I am passionate about facilitating and supporting positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. Over the last 2.5 years I have been on a journey that has lead me to drastically reorganize and reorient my life and priorities. I have spent the time equipping myself with various tools and intentionally exposing myself to various learning experiences so that I can be an active catalyst of transformation. Terri and I are both members of CFA and she was willing to have me come out and do some experiential learning with her...so here I am! The timing has been especially important because Terri is in the midst of launching a city-wide training for neighbours in the 26 neighbourhoods of Riverside, California! So I get to be a witness and even assist with all of that awesome goodness!
How am I doing this?
I set some money aside for this learning opportunity, but it is through the generosity of friends, family and other supporters that this dream has been made a reality. If you are interested in supporting this learning journey, please feel free to donate via my GoFundMe account (http://www.gofundme.com/ebxgxs). If you can't donate, that's okay, your prayers, well wishes and messages of support are just as appreciated too!
My gift to you... :)
In the spirit of ABCD, I am eager to offer a gift back to you. I invite you to follow my journey via this blog and through my Facebook and GoFundMe posts. This will probably be the hardest part of my journey, committing to blogging regularly :). However, I am committed to sharing the stories of life, love and laughter with you, so that you too can be a part of the journey!
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