SMP alumni e-news - Crcna - Christian Reformed Church

SMP alumni e
e--news
Fall 2009
www.crwm.org/smp
Imagine, if you will, that you have agreed to serve on a team that would be providing HIV/AIDS education in schools.
The only catch? You weren’t expecting that you would land the starring role of “HIV” in the presentations. Grandma
would be so proud! And speaking of Grandma, you may have already decided that you would not tell her how God
blessed you through encouragement from one of your newest friends, an incarcerated Central American gang member.
SMP is about stretching your horizons, gaining a new perspective, and seeing God’s world in new ways. Some of the
changes can stretch an SMPer to the breaking point, while others (at least in retrospect!) are good for a laugh. Every
experience, however, is part of God’s larger plan to work in the lives of the SMP participants and in the lives of those
they serve. Read on to learn more about the unexpected blessings that this year’s teams experienced!
Finding beauty in
unexpected places . . .
At left, a Guatemalan man works on
a mural that will decorate the walls of
a prison in Guatemala. SMPers often
learned about ministry happening in
unexpected places.
Experiencing a new culture means new experiences with food
as well. Above left: Cody Zuiderveen, SMP West Africa, tries
his hand at pounding yams. At right: SMP Asia team
members participated in a traditional tea ceremony.
Breaking down stereotypes
In the Philippines, some of the young people that the
team worked with expressed surprise that, contrary to
the stereotypes they had seen on TV, their North
American counterparts were committed Christians.
In return, SMPers were impressed by the level of
commitment shown both by and towards the young
people of the Christian Reformed Church of the
Philippines. SMPer Nicole Weesjes noted that
“young people within the CRC-P churches are
challenged at a younger age to consider and take
personal responsibility for their faith.”
SMP 2009 Team members: (front row, left to right) Eric
Stehouwer, Nicole Weesjes, Cody Zuiderveen, Daniel
Laninga, Tiffany Gosselink, SarahJo Hoogendoorn, Nikole
Voss. (Above, left to right:) Bettina Keyzer, Karlynn Vis, Lisa
Kaastra, Erika Colyn, Allison Meyaard, Kelly VanSligtenhorst.
How has God worked in your life in unexpected ways since your time in SMP? We’d love to hear from you!
The 2009 SMP teams learned this truth in a variety of ways. Two team members were accepted on a team going to
West Africa, only to find out a few days before departure that they were actually going to the Philippines. More than one
team had their ministry plans disrupted due to concern over Swine Flu. No matter what the challenges they faced, this
year’s SMPers learned very quickly to expect the unexpected!
To update your contact information, send an email to lwoodward@crcna.org or write to us at the address on page two.
SMP 2009—Expect the Unexpected!
When you participated in SMP, you probably remember being told that it was important to be flexible, and to be ready
for anything. Often, though, it wasn’t until well into your summer that you were able to fully appreciate that advice.
Expect the une
xpected
SMP Guatemala team
member Allie Meyaard
(in photo at left) had some
advice to offer future SMP
participants: “Don’t expect it
to be easy right away”, but
added, “Even when it
seems impossible and you
feel weak, God is strong.”
At right: In West Africa, the
SMP team members
learned to follow God’s
leading for every step they
took, practicing listening
prayer before embarking on
prayer-walking journeys
and visits to different areas.
Team member Cody
Zuiderveen remarked,
“I went to Africa with God,
not vice-versa . . . it just
took me a little while to
fully understand what that
meant.”
Above: Teaching English in Asia, SMPer Erika Colyn
quickly learned to adapt to fit her students’ needs.
SMP participants are often stretched beyond their
comfort zones as they serve in new ways and places.
Above: Eric Stehouwer (second from left) participates in a skit to
promote HIV/AIDS awareness in the Philippines.
At left: CRWM missionary Joel Van Dyke shares theological reflections
with SMP 2009 Guatemala team members while visiting a local
garbage dump. Joel’s ministry, Strategy of Transformation, looks for—
and finds—God’s grace in some of the most unlikely places.
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