Christmas at MCC -- Life-Changing Gifts, and Cards, and Firelight Aglo -- December 2014 -- Month 5 at MCC in the United States :)

It's December already!  The months have flown by and though there's so much to tell about MCC (Mennonite Central Committee,) and also about the work still going on in the D.R. that I'm involved with, I've once again gotten behind on my blogging!

This coming New Years I will  "resolve" to do better! :)

 COMPUTERIZED CHRISTMAS FIRE COMES TO MCC

So what have I been doing at MCC? There are many things.  My position puts me in daily conversations and meetings with MCC workers and volunteers in countries and places from Lebanon to Guatemala to Israel to Philadelphia, to the Democratic Republic of Congo to New York City, to Canada, to California, to Vietnam, to Sudan, every day! There's so much great humanitarian, disaster relief, and community development work going on at MCC that I get to be a part of supporting (both around the globe and in the U.S. and Canada too) that it's hard to pick and choose what to write about.

So, this month -- since it's December -- It seems reasonable to focus on the Christmas stuff!  What happens at MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) around Christmas time?  Well, I can tell you, it's a great time of year!

 
1.)  First, here's a story (click the name of the story for the link):

CHRISTMAS MEAL STARTS MINISTRY TO NIGERIAN DRUG USERS



This (above) is just one very small story of the work that MCC supports local individuals (in-country nationals) in doing all around the world.  Part of my job is helping small organizations like Home Makers learn how to find sustainable income to keep their projects running and going strong.

2.)  The second thing that happens shortly before Christmas at MCC -- something I've loved for many years when I would see it show up at various churches I attended, long before I ever came to work at MCC -- is that the MCC Christmas Catalogue shows up! It's a great way to learn more about the work MCC is doing this year, and a great opportunity to give a gift that will truly change lives, not just fill someone's stocking with a gift that they'll recycle or return, or throw away tomorrow.

The MCC Gift Catalogue can be found here online,
although
I like this link over here even better because it gives more specific examples and ideas.

I would love it if some of you would consider a donation to help one of the projects of MCC this year, if you're interested!

It's one of many great ways to GIVE A SMALL GIFT THAT CHANGES LIVES.

Below are some of the categories you'll find in the catalogue.  Of course, since MCC does relief and development work in countries with ever-changing needs (including the U.S. and Canada too,) giving a gift labelled "WHERE NEEDED MOST" allows MCC to use your donation to help those in greatest need!






               HOPE                                            HEALTH                                    JOBS/LIVELIHOODS


3.) One last beautiful moment of Christmas at MCC actually happened already, way back in early-November!  It's something that most organizations in the world would never have the opportunity to stop and do, I don't think, and it was a beautiful moment that really touched me.  MCC, you see, has almost 1000 staff members (large numbers of them unpaid volunteers from the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, all serving 3-5 years terms, in countries far from their extended families.) They don't generally go "home" for Christmas.  So in late October the email goes out at the MCC U.S. Main office in Akron, Pennsylvania, and at the MCC Canada Main Office in Winnipeg. "It's time to sign the Christmas Cards for the International Program teams!"   In Akron, they pop a CD into the computer (the one usually used for international skype meetings between "main office" where I work, and the international programs staff abroad,) and a computerized fire blazes on the screen, and the Christmas carols play.  And the staff at the Akron PA office stop their typing at their computers, set aside their phone calls and skype meetings, they stop balancing budgets, and sending out Thank You's to donors, and preparing for that next training they'll be giving next week to new staff, and they meet in the room with the "fire" blazing, in shifts, to sign Chistmas cards -- lots of Christmas Cards.  They're cards that will then be sent next to the Winnipeg, Canada office, and then on from there, cards for the volunteers and staff serving in each country program of MCC around the world (and MCC serves in 60 countries.)  The cards have to be signed in November, so they can get to the proper countries, through all kinds of postal systems and transportation arrangements, in time for Christmas!  The most beautiful thing to me wasn't the laughter as folks pretended to warm themselves by the computerized "fire," or the chocolate candy and cards and Christmas songs and cameraderie around that card-signing table. No.  It was listening to my co-workers -- most of whom have been at the MCC main office longer than me -- chatting about the people who would be receiving the cards.  They said things like: "Oh yeah, did you hear, Sonya's baby is cutting her teeth.  Yeah they've really been losing sleep over there in _______ (name of country)."   "Oh yeah, it sounds like their program teaching job skills to the teens there is going really well, but did you hear his story about how that crazy goat busted in in the middle of their class last week? That was hilarious! ..." or  "Oh, you know I was just talking to them yesterday and they were super excited to get that package of books that you sent... Jenna's in fourth grade now you know..."

                                      "Hey, who's got the stack of cards for the Asia Programs?"

It was another one of those amazing moments at MCC when I was reminded that MCC, no matter how huge it is (an organization with country offices supporting local workers in 48 countries and partnering with local humanitarian leaders in at least 12 more,) still has all of it's people on speed dial.  Everyone knows everyone.  Everyone at that main office in Akron cares about the MCCers and staff serving in the other country programs. The international staff send their own care right back to many at the main office as well.  They care about each other's kids, and hobbies, and the last book they read, and the work that they're all doing -- in 60 countries around the globe! As a new person in the main office I was thrilled to come across names that even I knew on the Christmas cards we were sending out, people I've already had the chance to work closely with -- people who are in Sudan, Columbia, Israel, Haiti, and more.  It was another one of those great moments -- moments that seem to happen basically daily at the main office, I've noticed -- moments of being reminded that MCC cares enough about it's huge extended staff and volunteer team to plan more than 2 months in advance, to stop the "work" for awhile just to remind everybody "We love you this Christmas! We're a team -- like a family (though we're definitely not perfect!) Even if you're far away serving this Christmas, we know you and your family and we're remembering you this Christmas, by name!"


So, herre are a few photos of the Christmas Card signing in Akron:

     Sending a photo of a Peaceful Holiday Moment from an MCC country program in 

     Latin America to MCCers working for "little  

     steps toward Justice, Peace, and safety" in the Middle East, Europe, and around the globe.

               

      My colleague Lynn (he works with MCC education programs globally,) testing the "warmth" of the computerized fire! :)

May you all have a Joyful Christmas Season!