So, I pretty much suck at this blog thing. I'm not going to give you excuses as to why I haven't written other than I honestly haven't known what to write about. I really thought I would be bursting at the seams this year with tons of stories and new things that I have learned. I have a few stories and I've learned a few things, but I just haven't written about them.
I think the first thing I've learned about myself this year is that I am rarely honest with myself. I tend to listen to what other people think I should do and run with that. Only if I think it's cool enough. I've also learned that this really isn't a great way to figure out what I should do with my life. Has it stopped me? I wish it had.
Expectations are another thing that I have taken some time to reflect on. I have a lot of them. And most of them aren't met. Why? Because I'm a perfectionist. Although you probably wouldn't guess it by looking at me. Or my room.
I've also learned that I do, in fact, get homesick. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling and adventures, but I had not experienced homesickness like I have this year. I love the people I have met here and I am very thankful for their presence in my life. I do not know what I would do with out them. Here comes the but. BUT, I feel like I'm missing out on a ton of stuff. I missed my parent's birthdays. My brother's birthday. I've missed babies being born, I'm going to miss Mother's day, graduations. I think you get the point. I'm missing a lot of important events in people's lives and I do not like not getting to participate. Is this selfish? Yes. Am I being completely honest with you and myself? Yes.
I guess the underlying message of this post is a prayer request. I need prayer. I know many of you are praying for me and I am thankful for your prayers. I guess this post could give you direction in how to pray for me.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Honestly,
~jenny
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Suddenly
Wednesday and Thursday mornings you can find me with first and second graders. We are in small groups perfecting their reading skills. One of the vocab words on Thursday was suddenly. The students had to read the word to me and tell me what it meant, then they had to use it in a sentence. Suddenly.
Recently at church we have been discussing the Sermon on the Mount. We looked at the Beatitudes and discussed how we usually read them as a list of if then statements. If we are meek, then we will inherit the earth. We also find ourselves reading this passage as commandments. We are commanded to be poor in spirit, and peacemakers, and so on an so forth. Is this really the way Jesus meant these verses? We didn't think so. Ryan, our pastor, said that another way to read these verses could be as a gift. This was something that I appreciated hearing and thought it made a lot of sense. We then went on to talk about how God breaks into our lives and our only reaction is to accept. The pastor used an analogy of how the Kool-Aid man breaks in to situations to meet the thirst needs of those in need. Suddenly. When we need God he is there. Suddenly.
How have you been suddenly comforted by God? Sometimes we need a reminder that God is always there, but he is always breaking into our oppression, injustice, and sin suddenly.
~jenny
Recently at church we have been discussing the Sermon on the Mount. We looked at the Beatitudes and discussed how we usually read them as a list of if then statements. If we are meek, then we will inherit the earth. We also find ourselves reading this passage as commandments. We are commanded to be poor in spirit, and peacemakers, and so on an so forth. Is this really the way Jesus meant these verses? We didn't think so. Ryan, our pastor, said that another way to read these verses could be as a gift. This was something that I appreciated hearing and thought it made a lot of sense. We then went on to talk about how God breaks into our lives and our only reaction is to accept. The pastor used an analogy of how the Kool-Aid man breaks in to situations to meet the thirst needs of those in need. Suddenly. When we need God he is there. Suddenly.
How have you been suddenly comforted by God? Sometimes we need a reminder that God is always there, but he is always breaking into our oppression, injustice, and sin suddenly.
~jenny
Saturday, February 5, 2011
First Giving! INTRSCT'S Annual Fundraising Event
For the entire month of February, INTRSCT runs a fundraising campaign. This campaign is when INTRSCT has been able to raise much of their funding for the coming year. This means that whatever we raise for this entire month is what will propel INTRSCT into the next urban dweller year. I know, I know it's early for me to be talking about the urban dwellers that will replace us, but it is inevitable.
Firstgiving.com is an organization that helps non-profits like INTRSCT raise money. This is where the donations can be given and the process is safe and well protected. INTRSCT has a web page and many others who chose to campaign with INTRSCT have a page where they explain the impact INTRSCT has had in their lives. I also have a page. If you would like to read what I have written and prayerfully consider giving, the web address is: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jennifer-hann/2011-Annual-Campaign.
That address will take you directly to my campaign page, but there are many others who have their stories as well. The principal of the school where we run our afterschool program has a page!
Thank you for all you have given and continue to give. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and are furthering the Kingdom.
~jenny
Firstgiving.com is an organization that helps non-profits like INTRSCT raise money. This is where the donations can be given and the process is safe and well protected. INTRSCT has a web page and many others who chose to campaign with INTRSCT have a page where they explain the impact INTRSCT has had in their lives. I also have a page. If you would like to read what I have written and prayerfully consider giving, the web address is: http://www.firstgiving.com/
That address will take you directly to my campaign page, but there are many others who have their stories as well. The principal of the school where we run our afterschool program has a page!
Thank you for all you have given and continue to give. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and are furthering the Kingdom.
~jenny
Monday, January 10, 2011
One Week Down, 51 To Go!
Well folks, we made it through week one!
Our after school program picked up right where it left off. They were excited to be back and we were excited as well.
Things were a little different with the new schedule. Instead of having the students from 3-5 we only have them from 4:15-5:15. Since we only have them for an hour, we are alternating between Art and Homework. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have the 6th and 7th graders for home work help. Typically the older group has less students that the younger group. That has not changed as of yet. We are still getting new students! Two new students started coming last week. We are anticipating a few more as well. It is exciting to see students try us out and then start coming regularly.
With the change we have been able to meet many siblings of the students. That has also been fun getting to see more and more into their lives. There is so much that goes into childhood and learning and it is fascinating getting to be apart of that with these awesome students.
There was one little boy who came every day last semester. His name is Luis. He is a fourth grader. He has not returned since the school day has been extended. He is funny and smart, but has trouble sitting still to do his homework. When he would come to our after school program he would have one-on-one attention. He was so much fun to have around. If you think about it, say a prayer for Luis. It is our desire that he succeed in school and if that is through our program great, but if it is not, then we pray that he will still be encouraged to do well in his studies.
Week one was good and tiring. It is good to be getting back into the groove of things.
I have mentioned before about how I needed to raise $2,ooo in support for this experience. God had been faithful to provide this far and I know that he will continue to provide. I am about four hundred dollars short of my goal. I know that these are tough times, but God provides for his children! I ask that you would prayerfully consider donating to this cause. If you do feel that God would have you to give, you can send the donation to 1111 N. Wells Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60610.
If you would like your donation to be applied to me please make a note somewhere on the donation. Thank you so much for you prayers and support! I could not do this without all of your support!
~jenny
Our after school program picked up right where it left off. They were excited to be back and we were excited as well.
Things were a little different with the new schedule. Instead of having the students from 3-5 we only have them from 4:15-5:15. Since we only have them for an hour, we are alternating between Art and Homework. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have the 6th and 7th graders for home work help. Typically the older group has less students that the younger group. That has not changed as of yet. We are still getting new students! Two new students started coming last week. We are anticipating a few more as well. It is exciting to see students try us out and then start coming regularly.
With the change we have been able to meet many siblings of the students. That has also been fun getting to see more and more into their lives. There is so much that goes into childhood and learning and it is fascinating getting to be apart of that with these awesome students.
There was one little boy who came every day last semester. His name is Luis. He is a fourth grader. He has not returned since the school day has been extended. He is funny and smart, but has trouble sitting still to do his homework. When he would come to our after school program he would have one-on-one attention. He was so much fun to have around. If you think about it, say a prayer for Luis. It is our desire that he succeed in school and if that is through our program great, but if it is not, then we pray that he will still be encouraged to do well in his studies.
Week one was good and tiring. It is good to be getting back into the groove of things.
I have mentioned before about how I needed to raise $2,ooo in support for this experience. God had been faithful to provide this far and I know that he will continue to provide. I am about four hundred dollars short of my goal. I know that these are tough times, but God provides for his children! I ask that you would prayerfully consider donating to this cause. If you do feel that God would have you to give, you can send the donation to 1111 N. Wells Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60610.
If you would like your donation to be applied to me please make a note somewhere on the donation. Thank you so much for you prayers and support! I could not do this without all of your support!
~jenny
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year's Resolution: Update More Often
First of all I want to start off by apologizing for not being more consistent with updates. All I have are excuses for why I haven't written more, so I will spare you that agony.
Okay, now that I have gotten that off my chest, I will up date you all as to what happened at the end of the year and let you know what is expected for the beginning of this year.
As many of you know, INTRSCT's after school program had some trouble getting off the ground at the beginning of the school year. We kept praying and God was faithful to hear us. We were all taught a little patience as we waited to hear what God had in store for us. When it was clear that the summer arrangements that had be made with a different school fell through, a door opened up at an indoor soccer facility. Our team did our best to get the word out to the community about the after school program that offers homework help and art classes. We had no students show up that first week. We were not discouraged, we knew it would take time. In an effort to get the word out, we gave information to the two elementary schools that were within walking distance to the soccer facility. One of the schools was the school that INTRSCT had previously been in contact with and had stopped responding to communication. The other school, however made copies of our fliers and sent them home with every student that was eligible. Through the course of a week, a meeting had been set up with the principal and our program was moving to that school. God had his hand on us the entire time. This is the first time in INTRSCT's history as an organization that they have been able to run their after school program directly from a Chicago Public School. This was a huge break through and one that only God could have orchestrated. From the beginning of November to the last week of school in December INTRSCT offered homework help and art classes to students ranging from fourth to seventh grade. To our surprise, we found out that the art class that INTRSCT offers is the only one in the school. There is no other art class besides what the teachers have time to teach, which sadly, is not that much.
It has been awesome to see how this relationship has formed with this public school and INTRSCT. The school embraced INTRSCT with open arms. It has been so much fun serving in such an accommodating environment. The school accepted us so much that we were able to attend with the teachers to a Christmas dinner. It has been great to see how God stays true to his Word by our prayers being answered in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams.
Needless to say, INTRSCT ended 2010 on a good note. Tomorrow we start again with some minor changes. In order for Walsh Elementary to raise their test scores, they are extending the school day. Last semester the school day was 9-3. Now the school day will be 9-4:15. Before the extended school day our after school program ran from 3-5. With the change, we will be running our program from 4:15-5:15. We are hoping this does not change the attendance of the students. That is one thing that we are praying about. We want the program to help as many students as possible, but with the extended day, some students may not be able to say that long. This is not stopping us. God has provided thus far, he will provide now.
This up date is fairly long. I wanted to give a brief over view of what happened last year and what we are expecting for this year. There are always surprises with any program, but we are trusting God for his perfect plan and timing.
As I stated earlier, I apologize for not updating more consistently. As part of the new year, my resolution is to update more often. This is an invitation to help keep me accountable. If I haven't updated in one week, please email me and tell me to get my act together :) (my email is jehann87@gmail.com)
Once again, thank you for all of your prayers and support. If you feel led to give financially to INTRSCT you can mail a check to 1111 N Wells St, Suit 305, Chicago, IL 60610.
Happy New Year!
~jenny
Okay, now that I have gotten that off my chest, I will up date you all as to what happened at the end of the year and let you know what is expected for the beginning of this year.
As many of you know, INTRSCT's after school program had some trouble getting off the ground at the beginning of the school year. We kept praying and God was faithful to hear us. We were all taught a little patience as we waited to hear what God had in store for us. When it was clear that the summer arrangements that had be made with a different school fell through, a door opened up at an indoor soccer facility. Our team did our best to get the word out to the community about the after school program that offers homework help and art classes. We had no students show up that first week. We were not discouraged, we knew it would take time. In an effort to get the word out, we gave information to the two elementary schools that were within walking distance to the soccer facility. One of the schools was the school that INTRSCT had previously been in contact with and had stopped responding to communication. The other school, however made copies of our fliers and sent them home with every student that was eligible. Through the course of a week, a meeting had been set up with the principal and our program was moving to that school. God had his hand on us the entire time. This is the first time in INTRSCT's history as an organization that they have been able to run their after school program directly from a Chicago Public School. This was a huge break through and one that only God could have orchestrated. From the beginning of November to the last week of school in December INTRSCT offered homework help and art classes to students ranging from fourth to seventh grade. To our surprise, we found out that the art class that INTRSCT offers is the only one in the school. There is no other art class besides what the teachers have time to teach, which sadly, is not that much.
It has been awesome to see how this relationship has formed with this public school and INTRSCT. The school embraced INTRSCT with open arms. It has been so much fun serving in such an accommodating environment. The school accepted us so much that we were able to attend with the teachers to a Christmas dinner. It has been great to see how God stays true to his Word by our prayers being answered in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams.
Needless to say, INTRSCT ended 2010 on a good note. Tomorrow we start again with some minor changes. In order for Walsh Elementary to raise their test scores, they are extending the school day. Last semester the school day was 9-3. Now the school day will be 9-4:15. Before the extended school day our after school program ran from 3-5. With the change, we will be running our program from 4:15-5:15. We are hoping this does not change the attendance of the students. That is one thing that we are praying about. We want the program to help as many students as possible, but with the extended day, some students may not be able to say that long. This is not stopping us. God has provided thus far, he will provide now.
This up date is fairly long. I wanted to give a brief over view of what happened last year and what we are expecting for this year. There are always surprises with any program, but we are trusting God for his perfect plan and timing.
As I stated earlier, I apologize for not updating more consistently. As part of the new year, my resolution is to update more often. This is an invitation to help keep me accountable. If I haven't updated in one week, please email me and tell me to get my act together :) (my email is jehann87@gmail.com)
Once again, thank you for all of your prayers and support. If you feel led to give financially to INTRSCT you can mail a check to 1111 N Wells St, Suit 305, Chicago, IL 60610.
Happy New Year!
~jenny
Monday, October 18, 2010
Let the Program Begin!
The moment we have all been waiting for happens tomorrow at 3 o'clock! Yes, that is right, the after school program that we have been waiting to start starts tomorrow! Thank you all for your prayers. We have felt and feel them as we have been waiting and planning for this chance to serve our neighbors.
When Rachel (the other Urban Dweller) and I arrived here we thought the after school program was going to run directly from inside the walls of one of the local elementary schools in the neighborhood. After time, the communication between the principal and INTRSCT's executive director completely stopped. We did not know for sure what was happening, so we prayed and waited and waited and prayed. There were phone calls made and emails sent, but we still hadn't heard any word. Recently, there was a meeting held between the principal and other influential people from the community. At the meeting, it was decided that we would run our program from a local indoor soccer facility. This facility is well known in the community, so we are hoping this will be a positive thing for our programs.
Once again, thank you for your prayers and support. We have all felt your prayers and know that God is in everything we are doing. Please continue to pray as we embark on this part of the journey.
When Rachel (the other Urban Dweller) and I arrived here we thought the after school program was going to run directly from inside the walls of one of the local elementary schools in the neighborhood. After time, the communication between the principal and INTRSCT's executive director completely stopped. We did not know for sure what was happening, so we prayed and waited and waited and prayed. There were phone calls made and emails sent, but we still hadn't heard any word. Recently, there was a meeting held between the principal and other influential people from the community. At the meeting, it was decided that we would run our program from a local indoor soccer facility. This facility is well known in the community, so we are hoping this will be a positive thing for our programs.
Once again, thank you for your prayers and support. We have all felt your prayers and know that God is in everything we are doing. Please continue to pray as we embark on this part of the journey.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Greetings from Pilsen
I am writing today from Cafe Jumping Bean in Pilsen. Pilsen is a neighborhood pretty much right smack dab in the middle of Chicago. This is the neighborhood where INTRSCT will be running it's programs from. From the moment that we stepped into the neighborhood it felt right. There is a sense of change here. We are excited to see what God is doing and join him.
The executive director of INTRSCT has been communicating with one of the local elementary schools about running an after school program on school property. Recently, the principal has stopped responding to communication. This means that we do not know if we will be able to run the after school program out of the school. As the founder of INTRSCT often says, "this is creative tension." We are now praying for God's direction and guidance to see where we need to be. Tomorrow morning, there will be a meeting that will decide if we are in this particular school or not. Please be in prayer for our leader to know God's voice in this situation.
Even though it is up in the air about where we are going to do the after school program, there are a few other options. Through the connections of previous Urban Dwellers, we have access to an indoor soccer (or futball) facility. This facility is very well known in the community, so it would also work very well. Still, we are prayerful for what God wants.
On a lighter note, I am getting to know the city fairly well. With public transportation being so readily available, it is almost foreign to ride in a car. My roommate is super funny and we get a long very well.
Also, for a fund raising update, I am about two hundred and fifty dollars away from the goal of $2,000! Thank you all for your support and prayers! I am so grateful that you have chosen to partner with me on this journey! I pray that God will bless you!
~jenny
The executive director of INTRSCT has been communicating with one of the local elementary schools about running an after school program on school property. Recently, the principal has stopped responding to communication. This means that we do not know if we will be able to run the after school program out of the school. As the founder of INTRSCT often says, "this is creative tension." We are now praying for God's direction and guidance to see where we need to be. Tomorrow morning, there will be a meeting that will decide if we are in this particular school or not. Please be in prayer for our leader to know God's voice in this situation.
Even though it is up in the air about where we are going to do the after school program, there are a few other options. Through the connections of previous Urban Dwellers, we have access to an indoor soccer (or futball) facility. This facility is very well known in the community, so it would also work very well. Still, we are prayerful for what God wants.
On a lighter note, I am getting to know the city fairly well. With public transportation being so readily available, it is almost foreign to ride in a car. My roommate is super funny and we get a long very well.
Also, for a fund raising update, I am about two hundred and fifty dollars away from the goal of $2,000! Thank you all for your support and prayers! I am so grateful that you have chosen to partner with me on this journey! I pray that God will bless you!
~jenny
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