DOOR San Antonio

Summer Turns to Fall

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:32:00 +0000

The summer ended with some “alternative” involvements. We hosted the MVS orientation at La Casa and SAMC and helped with food, and we ended the summer with our Trinity Plunge group that has come for the last 7 (or so) years to kick off the school year. Interestingly, while it is geared for first year students, almost all of last year’s students came as “leaders”. The focus might be shifting from kicking off the year for first years to kicking off the year for any student who might want to be involved in service. It was fun to have so many of the students back for a second year of service.

I finished up two grants to support our long-term discern program that we are attempting to kick off this fall. We will find out more information from them by the end of October. I have one more grant almost completed which is due the beginning of November. The best part of our search for funds is that we have a commitment from a partner agency to fund the youth entering the Discern program after finishing their program. This would provide some yearly income for the program without yearly grant writing.

Eduardo is taking the lead on the Discern program. It looks like we will have three participants this fall. He is meeting with folks weekly in an individual mentoring role and doing programming with the whole group monthly.

We have settled four new YAV/Dwellers into the house. It was a bit of a mad rush to get the house ready for them, but with the help of a new Dwell support committee member who has his own cleaning business and is an expert in house cleaning and organization, we pulled it off. I left at noon the day that volunteers arrived thinking that it could not possibly be finished by 10 p.m. I came back around 8 and it was absolutely beautiful. He had even rearranged all of the furniture in the house! What a gift!

We continue to have a steady flow of folks in La Casa – house guests, small retreats and one SOOPer. Dulce is a non-traditional SOOPer (much younger and a student just starting her PhD at UTSA), but she has been a tremendous help. She is handling almost all of the comings and goings at La Casa. She is very conscientious and so welcoming. She is a wonderful addition! We will be receiving two couples and two more individuals between now and March.

God's Hand in the Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:54:00 +0000

We have had some really meaningful and memorable Discover groups the last several weeks. We welcomed three Mennonite groups from Kansas in a row, and while they have all been different, they have brought an openness to learning and embracing the work that is handed to them.

Last week, especially, I was struck by the maturity of the group when put to the test. We had not realized that we would be working with the adult program at Mission Road Development Center as a last minute change necessitated moving us from the children’s program to the adult. Framing for Mission Road is everything, so when the group (and our staff person)walked in to a very different environment and expectations than what we had described, they got off to a slow and frustrating start. It happened to be the second week in which we were, in essence, pushed aside (in the nicest way possible) by another large volunteer group. So I spoke with the group to see if they would be willing to move if, in talking with Mission Road, this would be best. But the volunteer coordinator from Mission Road really expressed his desire to have them return and give the agency and its clients a second chance. Disappointed, I went back to the leaders with this request. Going to a different community center would have been an easy fix. When faced with the decision, they suggested that we talk with the youth and make a decision together. I grimaced, assuming that the youth would also choose the easy way out, but after a 30 minute conversation regarding the pros and cons of the staying versus leaving, the group decided the right thing to do was to stay – much to my relief and, quite honestly, surprise.

It was the right decision. Mission Road turned out to be the most significant and transformative work site of the week. Here is what the group’s pastor wrote to the volunteer coordinator at Mission Road following their week of service:

On behalf of our youth group, I want to extend my deepest thanks to you and your staff for providing a place for our youth to connect with persons you serve in the adult day services. While we got off to a rough start on the first day, by the end of the week, the two groups that had the privilege of being present at Mission Road had the deepest and most profound experience of connection and relationship with the persons who are a part of your program and ministry. In listening to the stories of their encounters I heard stories of love that brought transformation to those of us who were with you.

Thank you for listening to our struggles after the first day and for helping us through those struggles by talking with us and with your staff . Whatever you said and did with them and with us was a gift beyond measure.

As I heard story after story during closing worship about the group’s experience at Mission Road, I had to smile. It certainly is a good thing that I am not in control of making sure that these folks see God in this city.

Thanks be to God for the way that God nudges us in the right directions to be in the places we need to be the most.

That Stereotype of “Homeless”

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:36:00 +0000

By ClareMarie Ferguson

As a support staff for DOOR San Antonio one of my roles is to accompany our volunteers to their work sites. The site I most often accompany groups to is the Catholic Worker House, a hospitality house in downtown San Antonio that provides breakfast and lunch, clothing, and a washer and dryer to visiting patrons. I realized when I first walked in this place that God is at work within these walls. The people who come to utilize services are not seen by the volunteers as clients looking for a handout. They are friends and guests who are welcomed with a hug and smile, appreciated for their company. The volunteers that keep the House running day to day exude a joy for their work and in their relationships with visitors. They exemplify the image given by Jesus in Matthew 25 when He says “…I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’” I think if Jesus had owned a house, he would run it a lot like this one.
I am most pleased when our DOOR groups discover that some of the visitors coming in to eat are also the ones helping to prepare meals, harvest vegetables from garden, wash dishes, and repair the House computer. The label of “us” and “them” get stripped away and it becomes easier to realize that we are no different than the ones we came to serve. In fact, the people on the other side of our serving line have valuable wisdom to impart to us as well. One such individual, John Wayne, has been coming to Catholic Worker House for several months for meals, but he also helps cook and wash dishes. He is always eager to greet the DOOR volunteers and entertain them with stories of his childhood as they chop vegetables for lunch. Another man, Fredrick, reminded me the other day of the ever existent hope we find in each new day. He told me, “It’s better to be a living dog than a dead lion.”
I sometimes wonder if our groups realize the significance when they lay aside that stereotype of “homeless” and open themselves up to a new friend at Catholic Worker. It’s the very nature of Jesus and his upside-down kingdom. The physical appearance comes second to the soul and heart of the person. Each guest visiting has stories and experiences to share, and Catholic Worker House gives our groups the opportunity to listen.

Reflection from mid July

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:52:00 +0000

From summer staffer, Caleb Regehr:

Psalm 139 holds extreme comfort for anyone who understands loneliness. This passage holds extreme comfort for anyone who knows they are a sinner. This passage holds extreme comfort for those who worry about what they look like (or what they don’t look like).

God is a God who is always with us, and knows everything about us. And STILL loves us, REGARDLESS of the fact that we fail to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength daily. He knows our thoughts, he is there with us when we wake up, he’s there when we are working during the day. He’s constantly with us. In fact there is no place we can go -not even to the deepest spot in the ocean, or the highest mountain peak where God will not be with us. He is everywhere!!

As I reflect on what I might write for a DOOR journal, I think this passage relates wonderfully to the work that DOOR is doing here in San Antonio. DOORs focus is on people that our society tends to marginalize. DOORs focus is on the least of these.

As DOOR sends groups out into the city, my hope is that the work being done and the relationships being built will constantly be a reminder to these folks in San Antonio that, regardless of their situations, God cares about and deeply loves them. And he is always with them.

Being Service

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:37:00 +0000

Here is a reflection from Kendall, one of our summer staffers. (She was a participant in both Chicago and Denver.)

"During my time here with DOOR San Antonio, I have worked with two different agencies, Presa Community Center and Mission Road Developmental Facility. While working with children at both, I have experiences many similarities but also stark differences that at first I could not fully understand or appreciate.

Presa hosts a day program for 80-100 kids per day charging parents $10 a week. As my first agency I was naturally nervous, but soon fell into step with the workings of the community center. Working with kids was something I was comfortable doing, playing board games and basketball would keep them content and something I was happy to do with them. The program had a set structure, but when dealing with the factor of how many kids we served, life was subject to surprise. Service was comfortable at Presa and we received complete, unconditional love from these kids. Everyday upon our arrival, they would run up and hug us, asking a million questions. Sadly though, after 2 weeks, I was assigned to go to a new agency: Mission Road.

I will admit that at first I was very skeptical of Mission Road in that I did not know what to expect and how to handle certain situations that I would encounter there. Board games and basketball would not be enough this time. The children we worked with in this facility were very different than those at Presa. Many cannot communicate verbally or physically and I was very unnerved heading into the situation. My first day was okay, I colored with kids and attempted to engage them as best I could, but I felt lacking. I was not knowledgeable on Developmental disabilities and therefore could not comprehend what I was supposed to be doing with these kids. I called my father that night after my first day to Mission Road and explained to him how lost I felt. He explained to me that these kids deal with things differently and so as volunteers, we needed to deal with things differently. We may not have the conversations with them that we had with the kids at Presa, but the time we spent coloring and giving high fives meant something even if it felt menial to us.

The City Director, Danielle says that there is a difference between “Doing” service: preparing lunches or painting a fence and “Being” service. Presa and Mission road were both opportunities for me to “be” service. I realized that I was doing something worthwhile by coloring even if it didn’t feel like it right away. I was doing something.

Needless to say my second week at Mission road was much improved. The feeling of being uncomfortable had faded and I began to understand my purpose there. Many of the kids just needed someone in their lives to color with them and if that was all we accomplished in a day then that is okay because God has blessed us with the opportunity to learn from these situations, and to “be” service. We may not have the instant gratification, but overtime, we trust in our faith and our God that we have made a small difference. From Presa to Mission road I have learned how important it is to “be” service. Even if people think in different ways, we can get through with patience and faith. God is working in San Antonio through all the kids we have been blessed to work with. We have found God in them and ourselves by believing that we can truly “Be” service." -Kendall

Fourth Week of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:15:00 +0000

We are in our fourth week of Discover summer programming. We have had two of our three biggest weeks, and I am finding that the hosting church facility seems less capable of withstanding the large groups. In the first week with 67 volunteers, we dealt with a bathroom door that fell off, a broken air conditioner and a broken toilet. However, God works in even the little details and the big distractions.
All is repaired and we are thankful for a church community that values volunteers and the learning experience. We are thankful for the neighborhood and community of support of San Antonio. We are thankful for repair workers that hone their craft upon reusing and recycling. We are thankful to God that teaches there is enough as we care for one another in community. God's blessings are abundant.

Holy Ground Holy Summer

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:11:00 +0000

This summer we are exploring the Holy ground upon which God asks us to step when God reveals to us God's presence and Glory.

We have experienced so much in such a short amount of time. Last week hosted two church groups First Congregational of Boulder and Woodlands Community Presbyterian from TX. And as we had an wonderful week together we hosted a small weekend group from Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton.

Tonight we look forward to welcoming groups that will serve this week; Faith Christian Reformed, Sioux Center IA, John Calvin Presbyterian, local San Antonians and Trinity UMC, Gulfport MS.

Welcome Halstead, KS

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Today we welcome our first summer group. We're excited to be welcoming First Mennonite of Halstead, KS to serve and learn in San Antonio. May this be the first week of a truly amazing summer as we enter prayerfully and humbly onto the Holy ground God has prepared for us.

Blogs of our year long volunteers

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:35:00 +0000

As summer approaches rapidly, we are reminded that it is not a season set off by itself. While it may seem that it is to the many summer volunteers that are finishing school and making plans to come to San Antonio to serve in the coming months.
Summer is just another season in the year around ministry that happens here. God is alive and well in San Antonio. God has been present in our lives and works in and through God's people all the time. Summer seems like a culmination of that work, but it another chapter in the presence of God, who was and is and is to come.
Read the blogs of two of our year long volunteers and see the witness of God's work this year.
Grace- http://www.graceguyton.wordpress.com
Lauren- www.ldsyavyear.tumblr.com

Borderlands Course Leaves Us Excited and Proud

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:49:00 +0000

It has been a tiring two weeks as we have completed final preparations for and accompanied the Goshen College Borderlands course this year. With a new professor, we had the opportunity to take on a more direct role in scheduling, guiding and processing the experiences. Because of this, and because the students have been so thoughtful, aware and engaged, it has been a very rich experience for me.

We have visited a farm run by two Dominican sisters who believe in living lightly on this earth; learned about issues of domestic violence from Patricia who has offered her life and soul to protecting and empowering women; eaten with women who were part of the first group ever to protest the injustice of the Levis company in moving their factories to other countries; were enlightened by a city employee who is leading the way in making San Antonio one of the most environmentally conscious cities in America (who knew!); marched with thousands of people who are standing with those immigrants who have no voice and no power in this country; and so much more. I found myself beaming with pride.

It is wonderful to hear the best of the best of this city. I have always known they exist, but to hear their stories, their passion, their life’s work, is phenomenal and inspiring. And while so many of them named how monetarily poor San Antonio is, I am reminded of the incredible wealth of this city. I still cannot bring myself to claim the title of Texan, but today I am proud to be a San Antonian.

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:17:00 +0000

Taking Off Our Shoes

Our first step in approaching another people,

another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes,

for the place we are approaching is holy.

Else we may find ourselves

Treading on another’s dream.

More serious still, we may

forget that God was there before we arrived.

-author unknown

This year in San Antonio, we will invite our participants to figuratively take off their shoes. We want you to discover the Holy in our city. We want you to discover God in the expected and unexpected places of San Antonio.

We hope that you will find God in the people who appear to be (or should be in our limited view) most downtrodden. We want you to discover and rediscover the paradox which is God’s kingdom: Blessings come when you are at the end of your rope. Because it is then that God can find the space to enter your life. Luke20: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

We will visit the same questions at the end of each day. Where and in whom did you meet God? What God-truth was revealed through them? What strengthened those who seemed to be at the end of their ropes – the poor in spirit? And our prayer is that you are strengthened and that in your weaknesses, God can enter and bring peace.

Living the Hard Lessons

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:20:00 +0000

I believe in the power of intentional community living. If I didn’t, I would have quit my work with volunteers living communally years ago. When I interview potential Dwell candidates for San Antonio, I tell them that I can almost guarantee that the most personally challenging part of their time in service in San Antonio will not be at their agencies (even though we have had many challenging placements), but it will be in living intentionally with their housemates. I say this with such confidence because it was living communally in a Mennonite Voluntary Service unit for three years that stretched and molded me in the most agonizingly profound ways.

Year after year when I spend time processing with individuals at the end of their terms, I hear volunteers say – you were right. I have learned more about myself and about relating to others through the discipline of community living. Even though it was really hard, I wouldn’t trade the lessons for anything.

While I do like hearing that I am right every once in a while, I am even more grateful to know that the time and energy that we have poured into the Dwell community has enriched the lives of the volunteers in ways that will serve them and all they encounter for years to come. And I am confident that God’s work is being done.

-Danielle

Re-routing Trips to San Antonio

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:09:00 +0000

We have received a number of calls this week from groups looking to change their summer plans. Due to the increased violence in Mexico, many groups are considering their cross-cultural options within the United States. We do have some room left in this summer schedule but please make your arrangements soon.
Call our national office, Marie, for availability. 303-295-3667. We will accommodate as many as we can but our space is limited. You can register online and use a Visa/MC for your deposit or you can print out and send in your registration to our office. If you have specific questions about our program in San Antonio, call Eduardo at 210-363-9947 or Danielle at 210-534-2064.

However your summer plans are being affected, please join us in prayer for peace and reconciliation between all parties. Pray for a stop to the violence and an end to the drug trade.

Preparations for your Summer Experience

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:33:00 +0000

As your group prepares for your week in San Antonio, please,

Pray for open hearts as you hear the stories of God's work in the lives of our neighbors.
Bring your own water bottles to save on disposable consumption.
Gather items they may be distributed through our agency partners; books, food, socks, underwear, clothing, etc.
Take the time to learn a bit of our history and culture. How is your home community similar or different from ours?

Our own Maricela is featured locally and promoted nationally

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:56:00 +0000

Anyone who knows Maricela Alarcon knows that she is dedicated to education. Mari serves our local community as a 5th grade teacher. She was recently featured in the San Antonio Weekly Magazine!

In addition to her service locally, Mari has been selected as the new chair of the DOOR National Board of Directors.

Mari has served as support staff for many summers, host at La Casa, local board member and currently serves in San Antonio as board chair.

Thanks for serving our city and the DOOR network, Mari!

Now accepting applications for support staff

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Support staff positions with DOOR San Antonio are all about leadership development. Staffers are constantly preparing ahead, leading groups of volunteers, adjusting when things aren't working, deciding when to take the lead and when to let others and reflecting upon the experience. It is one of the best jobs you'll ever have.

If you're interested in applying, go to the support staff page and see the complete job description. Download the application and return it to us as soon as possible. You'll also need three references. Preference is given for being a resident of San Antonio and applying early, so either way get your application in soon.

Life in the Yearlong Volunteer House

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:20:00 +0000

This time of year is turning out to be a very busy time for the year long volunteers. In addition to the increased roles and responsibilities in each placement, the next few weeks will see; going to the rodeo, a Young Adult potluck/get together at their house, gala for House of Neighborly Service, Super Bowl party, family visits, camping trips, beach weekends, and lots more.

For the Friday community days they are doing a book study on “The Heart of Christianity” with our pastor, Rob from Divine Redeemer. According to participant, Grace Guyton, "The author, Marcus Borg, puts ideas and concepts into such accessible language that has opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the Bible, God, and faith. I am finding words and explanations to thoughts and beliefs I have had but have never been able to articulate."

Welcome New Year and Welcome SOOPers!

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:01:00 +0000

The new year is upon us and we are thankful for the volunteer service of the SOOPers. It's a program that offers flexible short term mission assignments for adult volunteers. Most participants have found that using their life experience, skills and general gifts is personally rewarding. We find that their help is invaluable! Each year we look forward to new and returning volunteers. They've certainly helped to make La Casa the amazing place that it is. SOOP is a joint program of Mennonite Mennonite Network with Mennonite Association of Retired Persons and Mennonite Central Committee Canada. SOOP is Service Opportunities for Outstanding People (not the official title but we think they are all outstanding!)

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:08:00 +0000

From all of us here with DOOR San Antonio, we wish you all a special time in celebration of all that Christmas represents. From Las Posadas and their reminder of rejection of Christ and new life in this world to El Dia de Reyes Magos and its reminder of Christ's reign as diety and our opportunity to offer our gifts to Christ's service, may the many celebrations of Christmas renew our strength and our faith.

Excited to have hosted the DOOR National Board

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:01:00 +0000

We were happy to host the National Board members of the DOOR Network. We opened our time together by sharing the many stories of God's work and presence here amongst us in San Antonio. It was a beautiful time and we are thankful for their service to us.

Living in Expectation

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Advent is the season in which much of the Christian church celebrates the expectation that Christ is born unto this earthly world in human form. Liturgically this begins four Sundays before Christmas. For the US, this nicely coincides with the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Retailers have managed to remind us even sooner as they replace Halloween decorations and related items with the Christmas paraphernalia.
Our staff in San Antonio are expectant. We are always looking forward to the next arrival of volunteers, helpers, participants. Today we expect to receive board members from each of the DOOR cities to gather here for the DOOR Network National Board Meeting. Sometime we are expecting the birth of a new child. And we constantly expect to see God's presence and work in our lives, in our program and in our city.
To live in expectation of God's love is to know the hope of Christ.

Great to Host the other DOOR Staff here

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:07:00 +0000

It was a great week. We prayed, laughed, planned, learned, ate and laughed some more. Having the DOOR staff together is a special thing and we don't take it lightly. It's a lot of time, money and energy but it's a wonderful thing to gather together with the other people that love God, love serving others and love to make it better every way while giving God all the credit. Even though each the City Directors love their own city the most, we were glad to show off our favorite city of San Antonio.

We are Thankful for God's Protection, Our Mechanic & the San Antonio Fire Department

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:23:00 +0000

The saga of our community van continues and our Dwell team had a very eventful Community day. To make a long story short, on our way to community day this week, we stopped to fill up the van with gas as it was very low. As soon as I placed the gas cap on, I noticed gas streaming out of the bottom of the vehicle. We cleared out of the van and Eduardo contacted the shop. We then contacted the fire department. 2 ½ hours, 3 fire trucks, about 8 firefighters and some good laughs later, the river of gas was cleaned up, the van patched so that no more gas would leak out until it was towed to the shop, and the shop was on their way to tow the truck. We had to, of course, get pictures with the trucks and firefighters to share. I told the volunteers that we were rigging the van so that it created more opportunities for group bonding and to ensure that they fully understood the bus system. By that time, we were all hungry and so we ate together and chatted about work and life.

Exciting Beginnings and Collaborations!

noreply@blogger.com (DOOR San Antonio) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:44:00 +0000

Last week, we welcomed Kaley, Lauren and Grace to San Antonio last week. We spent the week getting them oriented to the city, their work places, the bus system, the church and more. It was a very full week, but I think a good start to the year. They seem to be quite settled and will start work tomorrow morning.
This coming Sunday, folks from Divine Redeemer will host a welcome potluck for the volunteers. I am very pleased with how they have already been welcomed, and am excited to be a part of this relationship.
In other exciting news, we will continue to work on a joint collaboration between American Sunrise, MCC and D.O.O.R. in placing one of our discern participants in a summer placement throughout the year. It would be the kick off to what could develop into an on-going year-round local leadership development.