http://www.clemsonwesley.comRSS feeds for Clemson Wesley60http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/80/News-from-Kelly-Simpson-in-Rwanda.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=80http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=80&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/80/News-from-Kelly-Simpson-in-Rwanda.aspxNote: Kelly Simpson (CU '08) has been teaching in Rwanda for the last six months.  This is her latest update.  CLG Hello Friends (and Family)! I can’t believe I landed in Rwanda exactly 6 months ago today! I hope that you have all been keeping up with my blog (http://kellyuosdwis.blogspot.com) and have seen a glimpse into my life here. Hopefully this email will catch you up as well as give you an idea of the exciting things that await me in this wonderful country. I have been teaching 7th grade English and literature at Sonrise High School in Musanze, Rwanda since January. I also work on SAT and TOEFL prep with the older students to prepare them to apply to universities in the US. I am also constantly approached by students to help them with various other things: posting their dancing videos to YouTube, helping revise an essay for a competition, advising them on typical teenager issues, even finding a place for one of my orphaned girls to live during school breaks. Every day is definitely an adventure! I have grown to know and love many, many students. I have also had the pleasure of developing relationships with many other people: other ex-pats who are working or volunteering in various capacities around the country, the teachers at Sonrise, the waiters at the restaurants we frequent, a colony of visual artists, even the Regional Police Commander! It is these relationships that have sucked me into the vacuum that is Rwanda. I know you were all expecting me to come home for good in November, but this beautiful country and its people continue to beckon me. I have been offered the chance to teach in Rwanda in a different capacity for the next school year and accepted the task wholeheartedly! Beginning in August, I will split my responsibilities between Sonrise High School and Kigali International Community School (KICS). KICS is an international school that serves mostly the children of missionaries and other cross-cultural workers but also admits Rwandese students. I am excited to teach English and PE to students from dozens of different countries! Upon the completion of the Sonrise school year in October, I will be full-time at KICS until at least June 2011. While it will be difficult to leave my precious children at Sonrise, I am very excited about moving to the “big city” and teaching very small, diverse classes. My sphere of influence will increase dramatically, and I look forward to learning even more about myself, Rwanda, and the world in general. Thank you all for your sweet emails, prayers, and financial support! It means a lot to me to know I have such faithful friends and family supporting my service in Rwanda. I hope that you will continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers and keep me updated on your own lives as well! Peace&love, Kelly SimpsonlaneglazeSun, 18 Jul 2010 13:25:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:80http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/76/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=76http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=76&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/76/Default.aspxTeam Bahamas 2010 and others, The 66 of us who ventured to Eleuthera, Bahamas had a great trip.  We spent our time working on two large construction projects, assisting in schools, serving in clinics and volunteering at a nation-wide philanthropic event for cancer awareness called Ride for Hope.  In the process, we enjoyed the beaches, the people, the churches, the food...and Vita Malt!  Check out the videos from our trip below: Team Video  http://vimeo.com/10421432 Gag Reel http://vimeo.com/10491966 Thanks for all of your support! lanelaneglazeMon, 29 Mar 2010 18:15:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/66/Spring-Break-Trip-to-the-Bahamas--March-2010.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=66http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=66&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/66/Spring-Break-Trip-to-the-Bahamas--March-2010.aspxClemson Wesley announces… Spring Break Trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas March 2010 Since the spring of 2003, Clemson Wesley has sent nine teams totaling over 300 students and others to serve beside, worship with and learn from the people of the Bahamas. Last year, 56 folks spent a week together in and around the fishing settlement of Tarpum Bay in southern Eleuthera.  These trips have been life-transforming for many (if not all!) of our team members, and real, meaningful relationships have been established with Bahamian families, churches and communities on the islands of Eleuthera, New Providence and Grand Bahama. As in the past, we will spend our week working with Bahamians in their schools, homes, churches and clinics, and we will experience their gracious and rich culture. Unlike with other typical American mission experiences, our goal for the week will not be to “fix” all their problems or even to “save” anyone.  The Bahamas is a very Spirit-filled place where God is alive and well and working in ways that is sometimes hard for us to see here in the States.  Our primary goal will be to “become a Bahamian” for the week: eating their foods, worshiping in their churches, listening to their stories, working alongside them and enjoying their customs.  While the Bahamas is poor in ways that we are rich, it is rich in ways that we are poor. As I like to describe it, these weeks in the Bahamas are always part mission trip, part retreat, part study abroad and part spiritual pilgrimage.  We are currently making plans to lead a team of 50 students and other adults to the beautiful island of Eleuthera for a week of worship, rest, study, fellowship, and reflection next March (15th-19th is our break). At this point, we anticipate this week in Eleuthera to cost around $900 per person (including transportation, housing, food and insurance). For CU and other students interested in receiving course credit for this experience, we will be happy to work with one of your professors to try and make this happen.   These trips to the Bahamas have been very popular in prior years, and we anticipate the trip filling up quickly. To reserve a space, we will need a deposit for $50 (checks payable to "Clemson Wesley fbo Bahamas") ASAP. By December 1, each person is expected to have raised a minimum of $250 (this includes the $50 deposit) on their own.  Over the holiday break, each team member will be expected to raise support through a letter writing campaign to family, friends, home church, etc. In January, we’ll schedule a series of fundraisers as in past years to make up the difference that we need. As in the past, we will work together as a team to raise the entire amount needed, with each person doing his or her fair share, whatever that might be. The first informational meeting about the trip will be held on Sunday, October 4th immediately following Evensong at CUMC (around 8:30 pm).  This year, Rev. Lane Glaze will be overseeing the fundraising aspects of the trip while Prof. Janice Lanham will oversee the trip preparation and group planning aspects. Should you have any questions, please contact Lane (glaze@clemson.edu) or Janice (janicel@clemson.edu).   Rev. Lane Glaze                                     Director, Clemson Wesley                    Campus Minister, Clemson UMC        864-207-9135                                        glaze@clemson.edu Prof. Janice Lanham School of Nursing Faculty Advisor, Clemson Wesley 864-656-1065 janicel@clemson.edulaneglazeThu, 01 Oct 2009 14:27:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:66http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/58/Summer-Service-Opportunities--12609.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=58&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/58/Summer-Service-Opportunities--12609.aspx Friends,   It is that time of year when I get numerous emails relating to summer service opportunities. Here’s a few things that have come my way in recent weeks:   Camp Collide (www.campcollide.org) – This will be their third year in New Orleans and first year in the Upstate. Our own Chris Conley will be the Camp Director in New Orleans. They are looking for staff now.   Students In Mission (formerly the SIP program) – Each summer 12-14 students serve as missionaries across SC on behalf of the South Carolina Conference in locations such as Camp Providence (Anderson), Rural Mission (Johns Island) and UMRC (Mt. Pleasant). Contact me for an application.   Asbury Hills Summer Camp (www.asburyhills.org) – Over the years dozens of CU students have served at this camp just 45 minutes from Clemson in upper Greenville County. A CW alum, Andrew Wolfe, will be serving as the Camp Director once again this year before he heads to seminary in the fall. Andrew will also be speaking at Evensong this coming Sunday night (2/1 @ 5 pm).   Project Transformation Internships (www.projecttransformation.org) – Located in Dallas, TX, this ministry “is making an impact in the lives of young adults from across the country. Every year, 100 college students serve in one-year and summer internships providing Christian programs for inner-city children and youth, exploring various opportunities in ministry, and developing leadership skills.  Project Transformation offers these young adults an opportunity to serve others in need, deepen their faith, and discern where God may be calling them in their next steps.”   SummerShine Resort Ministry (www.summershine.us) - Summershine Resort Ministry places Christian college-age young adults (and a limited number of mature high school students) in secular campgrounds to work for the summer.  Staffers are paid to do various campground chores, and also provide activities for families on vacation.  These activities include chapel services, skit shows, pool parties, tye-dye, and more.  Summershine hires young people who are willing to work hard and be a Godly example both on the clock and off the clock. The opportunities for evangelism are ample in this role.  Participation in this program gives students a way to develop and grow in their own walk with Christ, as well as gain real-world working experience.  Last summer, positions were available across the country in 10 different KOA (Kampgrounds of America) properties including: Myrtle Beach, SC, Cape Hatteras, NC, Cherokee, NC, Virginia Beach, VA, Williamsburg, VA, Mystic, CT, Boston/Cape Cod, MA, Mt. Rushmore, SD, Santa Cruz, CA, and Trinity Lake, CA. I'll forward others when they come to my attention in the coming weeks.  lane Rev. C. Lane Glaze Director - Clemson Wesley Foundation Campus Minister - Clemson UMC PO Box 1703 Clemson SC 29633 864-207-9135 (c) or 864-654-5547 (o) www.clemsonwesley.com laneglazeMon, 26 Jan 2009 14:09:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/52/Spring-Break-Trip-to-the-Bahamas.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=52http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=52&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/52/Spring-Break-Trip-to-the-Bahamas.aspxClemson Wesley and CU Gospel Choir announce… Spring Break Trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas March 2009 Since the spring of 2003, Clemson Wesley has sent six teams totaling over 250 students and others to serve beside, worship with and learn from the people of the Bahamas. Last year, CW partnered with the CU Gospel Choir to co-sponsor the trip, with 52 students and others spending a week together in and around the fishing settlement of Tarpum Bay in southern Eleuthera.  These trips have been life-transforming for many (if not all!) of our team members, and real, meaningful relationships have been established with Bahamian families, churches and communities on the islands of Eleuthera and Grand Bahama. As in the past, we will spend time working with Bahamians in their schools, homes, churches and clinics, and we will experience their gracious and rich culture. These weeks in the Bahamas are always part mission trip, part retreat, part study abroad and part spiritual pilgrimage.  Like last year, the CUGC will also have several opportunities to sing in churches and schools throughout the island. We are currently making plans to lead a team of up to 50 students and other adults to the beautiful island of Eleuthera for a week of worship, rest, study, fellowship, and reflection next March (16th-20st is our break). At this point, we anticipate this week in Eleuthera to cost between $800-900 per person (including transportation, housing, food and insurance). As in the past, we will work together as a team to raise the entire amount needed, with each person doing his or her fair share, whatever that might be. For CU and other students interested in receiving course credit for this experience, we will be happy to work with one of your professors to try and make this happen. To reserve a space, we will need a deposit for $100 (checks payable to "Clemson Wesley fbo Bahamas"). These trips to the Bahamas have been very popular in prior years, and we anticipate the trip filling up quickly. As in previous years, we hope that we'll be able to return these deposits to you as spending money after our fundraising is completed. The first informational meeting about the trip will be held on Thursday, October 2nd from 6:15 - 7 pm in Hendrix (immediately preceding the CUGC's normal Thursday practice).  Should you have any questions, please contact Rev. Lane Glaze (glaze@clemson.edu) or EJ Roberts (earlr@clemson.edu).laneglazeWed, 01 Oct 2008 18:07:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:52http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/47/Bahamas-Video-Online.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=47http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=47&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/47/Bahamas-Video-Online.aspxThanks to Andrew Wolfe for getting the Bahamas video up and running!  The video is about 17 minutes long and can be found at: http://www.veoh.com/videos/v15048672Wk4Hb3sh. Enjoy!katiebickersSat, 19 Jul 2008 02:53:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:47http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/39/News-from-Nicole--3308.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=39http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=39&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/39/News-from-Nicole--3308.aspxNicole Keen, a May 2007 CU grad and former CW Program Staffer, is spending the better part of the academic year serving as a missionary in Africa.  Following is her latest entry from Swaziland, where she will be serving through the spring.  Please keep Nicole and others serving in Africa in your prayers...along with the people of that beautiful yet so often broken land.  CLG Hey Everyone! This week has been my first official one as a cook for our team, but I am only assisting.  This means that I did not pick the meals, but I help cook every night. Let me tell you, we have had some pretty tasty meals! Tuesday night we had teriyaki chicken, corn, steamed broccoli, rolls, and peach cobbler for dessert.  Wednesday night was chicken pot pie and fruit salad with congealed salad for dessert.  Thursday night was pork chops with a mushroom and sour cream sauce, peas, carrots, and rice.  Friday night was roast beef marinated in Worcestershire, salt, and pepper (my idea!) with mashed potatoes (literally potatoes that I mashed with a fork), green beans, and homemade biscuits. This week has also been interesting at school!  We have a new rule that we are supposed to be out of the house from 10-3, so I cannot come home until 3 even though we leave the house at 7.  This is per AIM apparently.  We are still walking the little girls to school, but now there are about 5 of them that we walk.  And they do not speak English! Their new favorite thing is to be held, so we spend much of the time trying to explain that we do not have enough arms to hold them.  Each time they see us, morning and afternoon, they smile and run into our arms…it's so cute! My students are still pretty bad. It is hard to make them care when the adults and teachers in their lives do not care.  I work at the worst of the worst school, it is very corrupt and even the teachers do not send their kids to this school. What makes it worth doing every day, no matter how much my throat hurts from yelling or how tired I am of trying to make them do their work, is connecting with them.  They are not used to someone caring and wanting to get to know them, and it has been such a blessing to see them open up.  Outside of class they all say hey and want to talk to me…in class is a different story.  Some of the boys like to call me "Nicole Keen."  It is hard to balance between being a friend and being a teacher. One little boy gave me a letter the other day wanting me to pay his school fees because his parents cannot afford it.  It is hard to tell who is being legit and who is just trying to get money from white people.  Just one more reason that being here is very difficult…sometimes it seems that relationships are based on what the Swazi is getting out of it.  The difference in this little boy, his name is Vukane, is that he is very smart and wants to learn and finish school. Thursday afternoon was one of the highlights of my time here in Swazi.  Since we were not allowed to be home until 3, Allison and I walked the little girls home from the care point around 1.  There are 5 of them that walk with us now because their mothers work at the Mahlanya market.  We came back to school to watch running, and the students were practicing for a track meet.  They have a competition on March 14.  I struck up a conversation with the coach, and told him that I ran track in high school.  He said, "Okay! You can help with the girl's team."  So apparently I am coaching the girl's team at Mahlanya Primary School!  It is so funny, they do not have proper running attire and they do not run in shoes.  Most of them do not even own tennis shoes!  I am really excited to get started in helping them and then going to the meet. After track practice, Allison and I walked home with some students from the school.  The walk was about 20 minutes down a dirt road with the most beautiful scenery I have seen in Swaziland yet.  I did not get any pictures this time because it was hazy and about to storm, but I hope to the next time we walk home with students.  The girls took us to their homestead where all of their relatives live.  We met their mother, aunt, grandmother, uncle, and other siblings.  They gave us some corn to take home with us! I felt bad because we could not stay long (and Swazis like to visit) because there was a storm coming and we had to get home to cook.  It was cute because the next day at school the girls told us that their grandmother just loved meeting us and wanted us to come back! I think we are going to try and walk home with students more often in the afternoons. Saturday was family ministry day and we bought a tarp and made a slip-n-slide for the kids at my school! They LOVED it.  We brought soap and kept pouring water on the tarp and they were tireless of running and sliding down the tarp.  I have some great pictures and video of it.  We also painted nails with the girls (and some boys) and made masks and colored with them.  They never do crafts of anything of that sort in school, so being able to make masks out of paper plates, markers, and popsicle sticks was incredible to them.  The boys played soccer and we threw Frisbee with some of the boys and girls. This week has been pretty good, very tiring, but good overall. Working with these students at this particular school has been much more challenging than I ever thought it could be, but at the same time it has been worth it.  My kids are really funny, they will try any excuse to leave the classroom.  One boy, named Philani, wanted to go to the office the other day and he was like, "Nicole, I have a headache. My mother will cry if I die, please let me go get some tablets."  He was laughing while he said this and there were like 10 minutes left in class, so I said no.  He was relentless!  He kept telling me that his mother would be sad and cried if he died.  I said, "Philani, you are not dying, go sit back down." Meanwhile the other students were like, "This boy, he lies!"  It was funny. The same day, one boy named Samkeliso wanted to go get some water.  I said he could when another student came back, and he started fanning himself and said, "But Nicole, I am faint. Please let me go get some water."  We went to church on Sunday and it was really good, Pastor Ken continued the series on Abraham.  I think we are joining a Bible Study on "How to be a real disciple" that is on Wednesday nights at a couple's house that we have met.  This morning (Monday) Carrie and I woke up to do Tae-Bo and then we showered.  Allison got up a little later and showered, and when we three were in the kitchen eating and getting ready…a bird flew in one of our windows! Allison immediately hits the deck on the tile floor, and Carrie and I start screaming.  The bird hit our kitchen window and dropped into the sink, and we thought it had died.  Allison ran to get her camera and the bird flies out of the sink and hits our living room window and falls behind the couch.  So Allison begins filming this scene on her camera, Carrie tries to find the bird and it flies and hits another window.  We finally got the bird outside, but it was so funny being the only 3 in the room and having all of this happen.  I have a funny video of the entire thing as well! Never a dull moment in Africa. I hope you all have had a good week…I am headed to South Africa on Thursday and staying until Monday for a mid-semester debrief at Alabanza (where we stayed last semester).  Swaziland has been really hot this week, but we have had some rain.  My tan lines are really nice, I can't wait for you all to see them when I get home! Hope you have a great week! NicolelaneglazeMon, 03 Mar 2008 15:29:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:39http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/37/News-from-Nicole--21808.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=37http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=37&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/37/News-from-Nicole--21808.aspxNicole Keen, a May 2007 CU grad and former CW Program Staffer, is spending the better part of the academic year serving as a missionary in Africa.  Following is her latest entry from Swaziland, where she will be serving through the spring.  Please keep Nicole and others serving in Africa in your prayers...along with the people of that beautiful yet so often broken land.  CLG Hey everyone! Well another week has gone by, and I have survived being a teacher!  It is still hard getting up before the sun is up, but it is worth it.  We leave the house around 7 and were able to come home earlier this week because school was getting out around 1:00 for sports and running.  Most of the time the kids are still pretty bad, but I like them and we have some fun in class.  I played hangman with a couple of classes and they loved it. We are also learning the period (they call it a fullstop), the question mark, the comma, and capitalization.  Sometimes it gets frustrating to start with the basics, but most of the kids do not know it.  It is also hard because the kids are at many different levels within one class. This week I found the list of repeaters, promoted, and passed kids in my class.  Repeaters are those who did not pass at least 4 subjects, promoted are those kids who passed 4 subjects but failed English, and passed are the kids who passed all 5 subjects. So you can imagine what I have to work with! This week has been fairly uneventful, I am starting to tutor at the library on Tuesday afternoons for an hour.  I still walk the little girls to and from school each day, along with about 15 other kids!  One day I got done with classes early and so Allison and I went to play games with the kids at the care center and they loved it.  We played an interesting version of Duck, Duck, Goose and had relay races. We had a fun night for Valentine's Day this week- most of the people on the team made Valentines for each other.  For dinner we had spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad.  Our leader Cassie had made us goody bags with American chocolate and treats in them, and all of the girls got V-day socks!  One girl on our team got us necklaces from the Market where she is hanging out.  They had also made a heart-shaped cake for dessert with pink icing.  It was a great way to spend Valentine's since none of us were at home! Throughout the week I have been telling my classes that our team would come hang out with them on Saturday, and they were so excited!  Allison told her classes, and so on Saturday our whole team came to play soccer and other games with the kids.  There were so many there! The boys played soccer, and the girls played netball.  We played tag and Sharks/Minnows with the younger boys and girls.  We also taught some of the littler boys how to play volleyball, since they were too small to try and play soccer with the older boys.  It was really fun, and the kids loved having us there.  They do not get much attention, so being able to spend more time with them outside of class was really neat. I have also become pretty good friends with the secretary at the school named Busi.  She wants me to help her exercise to lose the fat she says is on her stomach haha.  I go in the office and talk to her frequently throughout the day because I am not always in class teaching. On Monday we have to go to South Africa to get our visas renewed, so we are going to hang out at a mall in Nelsprit.  It is supposed to be really nice with a movie theater, so I think I am going to relax and watch a movie there for the day. I hope everything is going well in the States, can't wait to hear from you! Nicole PS…I found out my Praxis scores (the test you take to become a teacher) and I passed with flying colors! Dad called me to tell me my scores yesterday.laneglazeTue, 19 Feb 2008 16:51:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:37http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/35/News-from-Nicole--21308.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=35http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=35&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/35/News-from-Nicole--21308.aspxNicole Keen, a May 2007 CU grad and former CW Program Staffer, is spending the better part of the academic year serving as a missionary in Africa.  Following is her latest entry from Swaziland, where she will be serving through the spring.  Please keep Nicole and others serving in Africa in your prayers...along with the people of that beautiful yet so often broken land.  CLG Hey Everyone! After some of you got my pictures last week, I want to clear something up.  First of all, I do not live on a golf course. One of those pictures was taken from a golf course, but I just wanted you to see the beauty of the scenery in Swazi.  Sorry if that confused any of you! We are near a golf course and we do occasionally go swimming, but we are not living the high life over here although it is pretty nice. We just got a refrigerator on Thursday…it is so nice to finally be able to have cold food, cold MILK, butter, etc.  We are not allowed to keep personal items in the fridge because there are so many of us, but we can keep a few goodies in the freezer if we want. This has also been a really long week even though I emailed on Monday.  I have gone to the school everyday…meaning I wake up between 5-5:30 in the morning, leave the house at 6:50, and return around 3:00.  This also means that I have been going to bed between 8-9 every night because I am so tired! On Tuesday I taught in the 6th grade classes again and in the afternoon Allison and I went to teach in the 7th grade class.  The 7th graders LOVED us, we ended up staying in there for 3 hours and hanging out while the teacher sat in the lounge and did nothing. They kept asking us if we know people like Jean Claude Van Damme and David Beckham. Tuesday afternoon we went to the library to talk about volunteering there, or actually to tell them that we could not, but the librarian conned us into volunteering on Tuesdays for an hour.   On Wednesday I taught in the 6th grade classes again and we hung out in the 7th grade class again in the afternoon. Apparently the teacher was at a workshop all day long and so the students simply did not have class.  Swaziland has not implemented the "substitute teacher" concept yet.  Allison and I stayed afterschool on Wednesday to hang out with some of the girls who wanted to get to know us.  We sat in the shade of a tree and talked for an hour.  The girls were trying to give us Swazi names and were teaching us Swazi phrases…it ended up being really fun.  Wednesday night we went to the Manzini house for dinner and hanging out. Thursday was spent at the school again, but I only taught in the 6th grade class.  We take public transport to the school everyday and they drop us off in the same spot.  The past few days this older woman has asked us to buy mangos from her, and today she asked us to walk her grandchild and her friend to the carepoint that is right beside the school. The little girls are between 3-5 and are so cute!  We went to the care point afterschool to say hey and hang out because we finished teaching around 1:00, and when we walked up, the little girls got their bags and were ready to leave with us!  We ended up walking them home about half an hour later, along with 10 other kids who decided to join.  The kids have to cross a major highway and accidents are very frequent here, so Allison and I walk the kids across to make sure that they are safe. Many parents just send their little babies to the care point and the school walking by themselves.  It is really unsafe for these kids. Afterwards we came home and went to the pool that is right down the street from our house, called the Timbali Lodge.  We all hung out there for about 2 hours and then came home to eat and relax around the house before going to bed. On Friday we also walked the little ones to the carepoint and went to the school to teach. On Fridays the kids get out at 1:00, so we were done with school early!  We came home and hung around the house. Some people went to the International Church for youth group on Friday…many of us stayed here and made cookies and watched movies. It was a nice end to the week. Saturday is our family ministry day, and it was raining and cold on Saturday so we went to the hospital.  I hung out in the children's ward again, saw Thandela and colored with some kids in the next room over.  Two girls on our team have spent most waking hours this past week at the hospital with a little boy who was found locked in a house by himself.  He is about 3 years old and looks as if he is 1.  He weighed 10 pounds and was extremely malnourished.  Melissa and Amber took became attached to this little guy, we hung out with him last weekend at the hospital but he took a turn for the worse this week.  Since he is abandoned, no one is there to make sure the nurses take care of him. Melissa and Amber fed him every 3 hours and just sat by his bed.  On Saturday he was very unresponsive, I was sitting with them for about 45 minutes and he was on oxygen the entire time.  We all left at about 11:30 to go to the grocery store and they were going to meet us in Manzini for dinner. About 2:00 Melissa and Amber came home; the little boy had died.  They were really sad and upset, but we all know that the little guy knew more love in the past week from them than he has his entire life. That is the hard part living in Swaziland…one out of every two people will die from AIDS.  Most people we meet will die from AIDS in the next few years, or at least in our lifetime.  It brings a sense of urgency to the Gospel but also a new meaning to loving your neighbor and pouring yourself out. If you want to read more about what I am learning, my blog this week is about that! By the way, AIM is using my blog to send to new recruits for FYM and it will also be in the AIM newsletter…..haha. On Sunday we went to Mbabane Chapel again and the service was so good!  We are starting a study on the life of Abraham and this week was an intro to what we are getting into.  We read Genesis 11:27-12:3 about the call of Abram and Pastor Ken talked about what we were going to learn through Abraham.  We also had Communion this week. Sunday afternoon we went to the Royal Swazi to swim for awhile and then we had a special dinner because it was Michelle's 21st birthday.  We has fettucini alfredo, garlic bread, and a really good salad. We also had ice cream sundaes for dessert!  A couple of us then watched "Without a Trace," one of my favorite television series.   This week has been very tiring but also pretty fulfilling.  My schedule is pretty intense for school and it is very demanding.  I brought each of the kid's journals home this week to read and correct their essays about themselves….let me tell you that many of them have not grasped English in the least. On the other hand, some of them are extremely good at English.  Each class is all over the board in their abilities, so this makes it hard to prepare lessons that will accommodate everyone.  Not to mention that they have many behavioral problems…there is no standard of discipline other than getting a beating! I think that is about all I have for this week, let me know how you are all doing and send me some recipes if you have the chance! NicolelaneglazeWed, 13 Feb 2008 13:15:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:35http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/34/News-from-Nicole--2508.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=34http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=34&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/34/News-from-Nicole--2508.aspxNicole Keen, a May 2007 CU grad and former CW Program Staffer, is spending the better part of the academic year serving as a missionary in Africa.  Following is her latest entry from Swaziland, where she will be serving through the spring.  Please keep Nicole and others serving in Africa in your prayers...along with the people of that beautiful yet so often broken land.  CLG Hey everyone! This week has been exhausting but also very good at the same time.  I realize that I will probably come home with an amazing tshirt tan after being in the sun for maybe a day and now my arms are brown. You don't realize how much sun you are getting! On that note, I also have a heat rash from being out in the sun as well. On Sunday we went to the International Church where they have a mix of Americans and Africans with an American pastor.  The doctrine was a little off and we did not go back.  We are not going to Mozambique anymore because we do not have enough extra money, but I am okay with that. Monday we were supposed to have family ministry day where we took some local kids to a gamepark and had a cookout, but we could not.  Cassie (my leader) went to pick up the kids in the van while we all stayed at the house and on her way home, a semi-truck full of sand ran a red light and totaled our car.  Luckily no one was seriously injured, one of the little girls had a cut on her head and had to go to the hospital, but she was released the same day.  We just got a new vehicle, a Previa van for those of you who remember those.  Actually if you have known our family for very long, my mom owned 2 consecutive ones because she liked them so much! Tuesday a couple of us went to a care point near the primary school where I think I will be helping out.  The distance education classes do not start until May and right now they are doing supplemental instruction and homework away from the classroom.   At the care point we met many of the children who are orphans and get fed there twice a day.  There are 17 caregivers that work at the care point and they help to send these children to school. I also got roped into writing a support letter for funds for this organization to be typed and sent out.  So if you get anything from the Children's World Orphanage, I wrote the letter! But don't worry, I did not give out any names or addresses. Wednesday morning Allison and I had a meeting with the headmaster of the Mahlanya Primary School and she wants us to come on Monday at 7:45 to begin teaching English and assisting in the library.  We are also going to provide additional tutoring for those students needing help.  Primary schools go from first grade to seventh grade here, and education is not free like in America.  The headmaster told us today that they have to send children away because they cannot afford to go to school and have not paid school fees. After our meeting, we decided to stop by the care point and AS SOON as we walked in the director told us (did not ask, TOLD) us to go into a classroom with children ages 6-13 and to call roll, assess where each student is, and teach the alphabet and numbers.  I think that these children cannot afford to go to school and their knowledge of English and math is remedial.  Allison assessed the alphabet knowledge while I took the kids outside and had them read the numbers and do simple counting.  The problem is that the method of teaching in Swaziland equals memorization and not understanding.  The children can recite the alphabet, but cannot recognize the letters if they spell a name or word.  Some of the children I tested could count how many fingers I held up, others would simply repeat numbers and I could tell it meant nothing to them. Finally we told the director we had to go, because she would have volunteered us to do much more and sucked the energy out of us.  We were just stopping by to say hey! Thursday Allison and I went to Mbabane and met the National Director for Campus Crusade for Christ - he absolutely loved us. He was making phone calls and helping us get into contact with other people in the area.  He also took us to the Mbabane Chapel, which is a place he suggested that we go to church on Sunday. We also managed to find our way to the Salvation Army center in Mbabane and met with the director. He is excited that some people may want to volunteer there.  They have a youth center where children from rough backgrounds come and hang out before and after school. On Saturday we went to the hospital in Mbabane for family ministry.  I went to the abandoned babies' ward and hung out with some of the kids.  They have mentally handicapped children there who live at the hospital because no one wants to adopt them, along with younger babies that people just dropped off. I also went into a children's ward and held a little girl who has TB and AIDS for 2 hours. Her name is Thandela and I am not sure how old she is, but she is very tiny and you can feel her ribs, veins, bones all over her body.  She was pitiful and her mother had gone to town, so I just rocked and held her for a long time.  She fell asleep for a little while (as did my arms!), but she was so precious.  She did not want me to put her down and had her little fist clenched around my shirt the whole time. I don't think she has much longer to live.  Her mother was very grateful to me for holding her and thanked me many times when she returned. Saturday our team was also in charge of making dessert for dinner with our 2 teams here, so most of us girls came back to the house after the hospital and made 2 peach cobblers, 1 apple cobbler, 1 apple and pear cobbler, rice krispy treats, and peanut butter cookies.  We are becoming quite the pros at cooking!  By the way, if you have any easy recipes for dinner that would not require too much cooking/prep/materials, I would appreciate some!  We have access to most everything that you can get in the US, but sometimes we do have to substitute. Carrie, Allison, and I went to the Mbabane Chapel on Sunday morning and it was AMAZING. The preaching was some of the best that I have ever heard.  The preacher is Scottish and the congregation is a mix of Swazis and other nationalities such as British and Scottish people.  He talked about Psalm 23 and the church has been going through the psalm verse by verse. Today he was talking about verse 6 that says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Rev. Jefferson told us to "apply yourself wholly to the text and apply the text wholly to yourself."  It was very encouraging.  The people at the church came up and talked to us, invited us have coffee and dessert after the service with them, and one couple drove us home after church. It was a very welcoming place and I am excited to get involved there. Sunday afternoon was spent at the Royal Swazi, a resort that has a pool and wireless internet!  It is funny thinking that we are laying out in very hot weather while it is cold in the US.  Sunday night was girl's night because the boys went to a leader's house to watch the Superbowl and stay there for the night. Most of the other team members have Monday off, but I opted not to because Monday is our first day of school. I hope you have read this entire email - sorry for the length but it has been one packed week for me.  I miss you all and hope you are doing well. I got word that my college roommate Leigha's mother is very sick in the hospital. She has been battling cancer, so please be praying for her healing and her family. The doctors have not given very good word for them and have suggested hospice, but I know I serve a God that can do miracles. Please pray with me for one right now! If there is any way I can lift any of you in prayer, please let me know, I do a lot of praying here in Swaziland! Talk to you all soon! Nicole nicolelkeen@gmail.comlaneglazeTue, 05 Feb 2008 23:25:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:34http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/33/News-from-Nicole--2408.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=33http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=33&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/33/News-from-Nicole--2408.aspxNicole Keen, a May 2007 CU grad and former CW Program Staffer, is spending the better part of the academic year serving as a missionary in Africa.  Following is her latest entry from Swaziland, where she will be serving through the spring.  Please keep Nicole and others serving in Africa in your prayers...along with the people of that beautiful yet so often broken land.  CLG I thought that this feat in itself required a separate email...I am officially an English teacher in Swaziland!  I am teaching 6th grade at Mahlanya Primary School, and I have an age range in my classes from 11-18 years.  There are two 6th-grade classrooms and I taught English today for an hour and a half in each one.  First of all, we did a reading comprehension exercise where the students read a story and then we answered some questions.  I went around and made a seating chart because their names are hard to pronounce and even harder to remember! The next thing we did was to talk about composition and I had them write me a composition about themselves for homework.  We worked on it a little while during class and so I got to read some of their writing.  One little boy wrote, "Thank you so much for teaching me English Nicole Keen."  It was precious. Another one wrote that he wanted to be my friend haha. There are 42 kids in each class and I have to say that the first class I had was much better behaved. The teacher simply left me in the class to teach while she went and did whatever she wanted to.  One of the problems is that the kids do not understand English completely and another is that I do not understand Siswati at all!  I made it clear that I do not tolerate talking while I or another student is talking and that we would respect one another.  After this talk, however, I had to make one of the older boys bring his chair to the front of the classroom and face the blackboard while I taught.  It was probably a welcomed punishment because the teachers use a switch on their hand. Allison is in the 5th grade class and we are thinking of combining together to teach more effectively. Her background is not as strong in grammar and the periods for us to teach take up about 3 hours a day, so we are thinking that we could teach 6th grade and then 5th grade, taking up most of the day.  We also think that classroom management will be better with 2 of us. We have to leave our house at 7am each morning, which means getting up at 5 to do quiet time, breakfast, shower, etc.  We have to take public for about 1/2 on to the school in the morning.  The good thing is that most of the student like us and I am excited to get to know them.  I know they want to learn English because it will help them in the future, many of them told me their favorite subject in school is English. I am sure that I will have some crazy stories for you after this week...education in Swaziland is a totally different story than America!  We are going to meet at the public library tomorrow to see if Allison and I will be able to tutor in the afternoons.  If anyone has some educational materials that you could email me to maybe help, the resources here are lacking and much of what I will teach I will have to make up.  Hope to talk to you soon! Each Monday will be my day off, so that will most likely be when I check my email and write you back. By the way...Swaziland is still one of the most beautiful places I have ever been and seen. God is good! Nicole nicolelkeen@gmail.com PS - Don't forget to send me some recipes!    laneglazeMon, 04 Feb 2008 23:21:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:33http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/31/News-from-Nicole--12608.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=31http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=31&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/31/News-from-Nicole--12608.aspxNicole Keen, a May 2007 CU grad and former CW Program Staffer, is spending the better part of the academic year serving as a missionary in Africa.  Following is her latest entry from Swaziland, where she will be serving through the spring.  Please keep Nicole and others serving in Africa in your prayers...along with the people of that beautiful yet so often broken land.  CLG Hey everyone! I am writing this email from the Royal Swazi, which has wireless, so I am able to mass email!  This past week has been very interesting...we have been without water and power for 6 days.  Luckily, Allison and I were on patrol yesterday waiting for the trucks to come and both of them came within the same hour!  So we were able to take the first showers. This week we have just been hanging out, getting adjusted, and finding our internships.  The other day Allison, Michael, Chelsea, and I went to visit a couple of schools and a church. We found the school where Allison will be teaching English, and it seems very nice. The head teacher was really excited for her help.  She and I might also be tutoring afterschool for the children that need some extra help.  We then went to the International Church that also has a theology school and got to meet the pastor (He is American!) and the youth pastor (who is from Zambia).  They were so excited to have us come on Sundays, and I think a few of us are going to help out with the youth group.  The pastor also told me of a literacy school that is located across the street from the church.  Allison and I visited there after we talked with the pastors and it was really cool.  The secretary, whose name is Nicoline (sounding like Nicole Lyn), absolutely loved us!  I got to talk with the principal, and he said that I can probably teach a class during the week and that they would love my help.  I am supposed to meet with him this week to figure out more details.  When we came out of the principal's office, Nicoline says, "How are my girls?!"  It was really funny. Our team has the opportunity to go to Mozambique next weekend for about 1.5 weeks to feed refugees in a camp.  We have asked permission to go, but have not received an answer as to whether or not we have the money to go yet.  I will keep you updated.  We get up early in the mornings here and only stay up until about 10 pm.  Actually, the only time you can get any alone time is in the mornings, so it has become my favorite!  This morning Allison and I got up at 5:30 to go running.  We are in a place with higher altitude, so it was kinda hard to breathe while running haha.  When we got back, Allison was going to take the first shower and I was going to do some crunches.  She gets in and a few seconds later I hear, "NICOLE!"  Of course everyone in our room wakes up and Allison comes out in her towel....water everywhere on the floor and continuing to shoot against the shower door.  When she turned on the hot water, the knob shot off and water went everywhere.  We had to go wake up Micheal to come in and try to fix it...Allison is hiding in the closet in her towel in the meantime.  This was all happening at around 6:30 in the morning...needless to say, everyone was pretty much up after that.  And our shower did get fixed! I cannot begin to describe how beautiful it is here...we are surrounded by mountains and the countryside is gorgeous.  It has rained every day we have been here, but today is beautiful and sunny right now.  Luckily it has not been too hot for us.  I am looking forward to starting our ministry, school does not start until Tuesday so we are pretty much just exploring until then.  The mall is about a 15 minute bus ride, so it is convenient to go there and we have plenty of shops and markets to visit in the area that we can walk to. I hope everything at home is going well...keep me updated!  I don't know when I can use the internet again, but hopefully I will be able to send word of whether we are going to Mozambique or not.  I do have my address now, so you can send me MAIL!  Here it is: c/o Julie Anderson Nicole Keen team K PO Box 5526 Mbabane, Swaziland   (there is no postal code, so I did not forget it!) Hope to hear from you soon! Nicole nicolelkeen@gmail.com laneglazeSun, 27 Jan 2008 21:48:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:31http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/27/MLK-Day-of-Service.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=27http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=27&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/27/MLK-Day-of-Service.aspx Students and others connected to CU,   Once again this year students, faculty and administrators will be invited to take a "day on" rather than a "day off" in celebration of the MLK holiday.  This year's Day of Service will be held on Monday, January 21.  The DOS has been growing in its presence and impact in the community since its inception a number of years ago, with volunteers exceeding over three hundred folks in recent years.  Over the holidays, I hope that you will log on and sign up to serve on that day.  The link can be found at:   http://stuaff.clemson.edu/app/gic/mlk/day_of_service/   The opportunities that day are wide and varied and include giving blood, helping with food and clothes drives, working with children and teenagers, making home repairs or visiting with the elderly.  If you have never participated in this event before, 2008 is the perfect time to start.   In the spirit of Dr. King's quest for the Beloved Community, I invite you to consider signing up with a person of another race, creed, or nationality that you might know.  This day will be a great time to get to know that someone better, especially someone who is different than you.   May God be with you all over the holidays, lane Rev. C. Lane Glaze Director - Clemson Wesley Foundation Campus Minister - Clemson UMC PO Box 1703 Clemson SC 29633 864-207-9135 (c) or 864-654-5547 (o) www.clemsonwesley.com laneglazeSun, 16 Dec 2007 02:09:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:27http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/20/Spring-Break-08-Eleuthera-Bahamas.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=20http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=20&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/20/Spring-Break-08-Eleuthera-Bahamas.aspxClemson Wesley and CU Gospel Choir announce... Spring Break 2008 Trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas Since the spring of 2003, Clemson Wesley has sent five teams totaling nearly 200 students and others to serve beside, worship with and learn from the people of the Bahamas. These trips have been life-transforming for many if not all of our team members, and real, meaningful relationships have been established with Bahamian families, churches and communities on the islands of Eleuthera and Grand Bahama. Last year’s team of 42 included seven members of the CU Gospel Choir, and their presence on the team made last year’s experience one of the most memorable. Since returning last year, CW and the CUGC have been talking about co-sponsoring a return trip in the spring of 2008 that would include a mini-concert tour for the choir. As in the past, we will all spend time working with Bahamians in their schools, homes, churches and clinics, and we will experience their gracious and rich culture. These weeks in the Bahamas are always part mission trip, part retreat, part study abroad and part spiritual pilgrimage. We are currently making plans to lead a team of up to 48 students and other adults to the beautiful island of Eleuthera for a week of worship, rest, study, fellowship, and reflection next March (17th-21st is our break). At this point, we anticipate this week in Eleuthera to cost between $700-800 per person (including transportation, housing, food and insurance). As in the past, we will work together as a team to raise the entire amount needed, with each person doing his or her fair share, whatever that might be. For CU and other students interested in receiving course credit for this experience, we will be happy to work with one of your professors to try and make this happen. To reserve a space, we will need a deposit for $100 (checks payable to "Clemson Wesley fbo Bahamas"). These trips to the Bahamas have been very popular in prior years, and we anticipate the trip filling up quickly. As in previous years, we hope that we'll be able to return these deposits to you as spending money after our fundraising is completed. The first informational meeting witll be held on October 7th at Clemson UMC around 8:30 pm, after CW's weekly Evensong gathering.  Should you have any questions, please contact one of us. Rev. Lane Glaze                              Juston Brown Director, Clemson Wesley               Director, CU Gospel Choir glaze@clemson.edu                        justonb@clemson.edu  laneglazeThu, 04 Oct 2007 03:38:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:20http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/12/Team-Bahamas-2007-An-Amazing-Spring-Break.aspx#Comments0http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=58&ModuleID=382&ArticleID=12http://www.clemsonwesley.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=12&PortalID=0&TabID=58http://www.clemsonwesley.com/News/tabid/58/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/12/Team-Bahamas-2007-An-Amazing-Spring-Break.aspxOver Spring Break this past March, Rev. Lane Glaze led a team of 42 to the beautiful island of Eleuthera for a week of mission and retreat.  Since 2003, Clemson Wesley has sponsored six teams to the Bahamas, with over 200 different students and others participating over the years. “People often say to me with a puzzled look, ‘Why are you going to the Bahamas? I want to go on THAT mission trip!’ as if the Bahamas is one big Garden of Eden,” Glaze noted.  “What most Americans do not realize is how Madison Avenue has trained us to feel certain emotions when we hear words like ‘Bahamas’ or ‘Caribbean.’  Sure, the Bahamas is a beautiful place with beautiful people.  But outside of the key tourist areas of Nassau and Freeport, visitors experience a way of life totally unlike what you find on a cruise.” When arriving in Clemson six years ago, Glaze had the goal of creating a long-term relationship with an agency or mission outside the U.S.  Through the UM Volunteers in Mission office in Atlanta, Glaze met Shaun Ingraham, a native Bahamian from the island of Eleuthera.  Glaze and Ingraham have formed a strong friendship over the years, working together to create opportunities for students and others to discern God’s voice and call while serving others in need. This year’s team was based at Wesley Methodist Church in the fishing village of Tarpum Bay.  Throughout the week the group helped build or repair several homes and a new building at a local school, in addition to spending time volunteering at the local primary school and clinic.  In the evenings the team spent time experiencing the local culture through visits to churches, sharing a meal and Holy Communion with the Haitian community, and enjoying the local Fish Fry in Governor’s Harbor.  For nearly a quarter of the group, this was the first time that they had ever traveled outside of the Carolinas or Georgia. “Since our first trip in 2003, Shaun and I have been intent on creating an experience much different from what many American Christians know,” Glaze added.  “We have begun to describe these trips as part mission trip, part retreat, part study abroad and part spiritual pilgrimage.  Our hope is that after a week disconnected from cell phones and the familiarity of home students will be able to experience the Spirit of God in a new way.  The Bahamas is a very Spirit-filled place.  The average native Bahamian does not have 10% of the material possessions that the typical American has, yet in many ways they have so much more.  Their life is rich in family, rich in community – indeed, rich in God and the things of God.” “Since that first trip over four years ago, dozens of students have either heard their calling or been affirmed in their calling during our time in the Bahamas,” Glaze noted.  “As a 40 year old, I know so many folks my age and older who are still trying to find their path in life.  I can’t imagine a greater gift than to find that path in your early twenties, before choosing a spouse, a job, and a home.  For this and many other reasons, CW continues to lead groups to the rural islands of the Bahamas.  It’s a place where true transformation takes place.” Rev. C. Lane Glaze Director - Clemson Wesley Foundation Campus Minister - Clemson UMC PO Box 1703 Clemson SC 29633 864-207-9135 (c) or 864-654-5547 (o)laneglazeTue, 26 Jun 2007 22:19:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:12