"I'm what the world considers to be a phenomenally successful man. And I've failed much more than I've succeeded. And each time I fail, I get my people together, and I say, "Where are we going?" And it starts to get better." - Calvin Trager
I've emerged from my whinny, "my room is gone" phase and gotten back to having a life ... and while doing that I checked out on sitemeter where people have been accessing my blog. Saw one in the Middle East and moused over it, only to see it say "occupied territories" -- which could mean only one thing -- Steph is in Palestine reading my blog.
Steph is Stephanie Rhodes, one of my former Wash. U. students who is now getting her master's in public health at Alabama-Birmingham. She and I were General Convention deputies together (where she famously and wonderfully wore a Vagina Monologues shirt on the floor of the House of Deputies ... Mike Clark still refers to her as "Pookie"), she's a huge U2 fan and just in general one of the coolest people I know. And she's doing a semester internship working at a clinic or hospital in Palestine.
You can read various things about her trip (and get a flavor for Steph in general) at her blog. (unfortunately, it's Xanga, the crypto-facist blog that will only let you comment if you become a Xanga member)
Anyway ... Hi Steph!
It reminds me that I've got a lot of former students doing quite cool things. In addition to Steph there is:
Liza Koerner -- who is teaching soccer (and other things) to kids in Costa Rica. She's got a blog, too!
Jen Coil -- working as an RN in Kansas City, but raising money for AIDS orphans in Tanzania through Project SY. Read a little bit about it here.
and then there's also Christiana Russ and Sarah Stanage, who are in medical residency and med school, respectively, and considering careers in international medicene. Current ECMers Landen Romei (who wants to work in Central and South America on development that is not only sustainable but preserves cultural integrity), Reynolds Whalen (my tukal buddy in Sudan who is working on Darfur awareness on campus and wants to go back to Africa ASAP). Wash. U. student Matthew Miller, who just got back from Guatemala and South Africa and has a job waiting for him when he graduates working to stop child trafficking in Africa.
Then there's all the other young adults I've met through ECM and EGR and other places who want to spend their lives making the world a better place -- people like Steve Scharre, Rachel Colson, Ranjit Mathews, Erica Trapps, Elizabeth Henry, Sarah Bush (from my old youth group at SMSG -- she's now working for a nonprofit in New Haven, CT. that gets young adults involved in global issues!), and many, many others. The risk of naming is that you leave someone out (this is off the top of my head, so sorry if I left you out!).
Anyway, lots of cool people doing lots of amazing things. Remember that the next time you think the world is going to hell!
| Mike at 2/20/2006 09:39:00 AM
EGR resources and connects the church to embrace what one person, one congregation, one diocese and one church can do to make this mission of global reconciliation happen.
Want to find out more ... check our our website at www.e4gr.org.
"Christ's example is being
demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy,
which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here.
If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest
of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't,
it will be irrelevant."
- Bono
Episcopalians for 
