A New Short
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
A great new short film about who InnerCHANGE is:
Watch Here.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 11:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
Retreat!!!!!!!!!!! (In the contemplative, not combative sense)
The Minneapolis InnerCHANGE community is getting away this weekend. We will be going to a cabin out in the woods by a lake (which could really be anywhere in Minnesota). We'll be MIA for three days to play, worship, relax, discuss, plan, and for the two new apprentices (myself included), to share our "timelines," a creative visual representation of our life story up to this point, with the rest of the team.
You can be praying that we come together in stronger unity, that we are refreshed, and that we will have clear vision and insight into where God is taking us this next year. You can also pray specifically that as I share my timeline, the team and I would be able to discern what paths God has been leading me down and where He might be taking me in the future.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 9:08 PM 2 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
"Walk in my shoes for a mile or two and you'll see...."
Saturday, November 18, 2006
A few weeks ago, out of the blue, I saw a poster up on the street for the Dakota Commemorative March. It said that many Dakota American Indians would be re-walking the 150 mile stretch where their relatives were force-marched by the US military in 1862 - many of them to their deaths. I felt this would be a great opportunity to literally "walk in their shoes" and spend prolonged time in their company to hear their stories. I didn't know if any other white people would be there, but I decided to go anyway.
Late on the evening of November 9th, a friend dropped me off in the small farming town of Mankota in southwestern Minnesota. I cautiously entered the church where the walkers were supposed to be staying. All I saw in the darkened church basement were masses of dark forms strewn all over the floor and couches, and the faint sound of snoring. I quietly laid out my sleeping bag and tried to sleep, unsure of what to expect the next morning!
At 5:00am the lights were flipped on and a booming voice shouted cheerfully for everyone to wake up. The whole floor of the basement started moving. People of every age and size started to rise and prepare to walk for another 20 miles before dinner - from young children to elderly men and women. I tried to follow the crowd and get a feel for what I was supposed to do. At some point someone yelled and everyone ran to the windows - 5 inches of fresh snow lay on the ground and it was still falling fast. "Looks like we'll have to walk in the snow - anyone need an extra pair of socks?" someone said. A makeshift medical station was set up where people's bruised and blistered feet were treated with ointment and moleskine to help the pain. (At the point where I joined them, they had already been walking almost 20 miles a day for three days.) After a quick prayer and song in Dakota and a light breakfast of dried meat, dried fruit, and hard boiled eggs, we began to walk.
The procession was always led by a medicine woman out in front carrying the traditional medicine bag. A few paces behind her were the relatives of the Dakotas that marched in 1862 carrying large decorated staffs to represent their different bands. Behind them came all the rest of the walkers including myself, followed by a long trail of support cars crawling along at walking speed. The lead car had a loudspeaker that played traditional Dakota drum and chant music. The caboose for this crazy, yet somber parade was a heated trailer with restrooms. At each mile post marker on the highway we would stop and pound in a wooden stake with two of the family names of the origional walkers on it. Then we each took turns sprinkling tobacco on it as a way of remembering and honoring their legacy.
By 11:00am, my feet hurt, my calves hurt, my butt hurt, and my back hurt. Then I looked at the 50 year old man marching beside me with a smile on his face and kept going. A man called Bear kept reminding everyone, saying "many of our ancestors didn't have shoes when they marched, and they didn't even get to sleep! Remeber that when your feet start to hurt." Wise words.
A young single mother let me push her daughter's stroller the last 4 miles of the day when the side of the road became muddy and almost impossible to push the stroller through. As I labored to keep up with the rest of the group with my new burden, I was struck by the irony and the beauty of what was happening – it was as if this woman had given me the opportunity to share in her trouble, and in a way, to share in the trouble of her people. I pushed that stroller with all the might and care that I could, as if baby Jesus himself were riding in it.
The local charter school floor was to be our home for the night, and the staff was very welcoming. I ended up having to leave that night to come back to Minneapolis for orientation at my new job, but I later found out that the marchers had been badly harrassed at the school that night by some townspeople, and some of the leaders had to be taken to the police station for protective measures. That made me very, very sad.
All in all, I feel I am a very lucky man to have joined these people in their march of rememberance. I was blessed by their willingness to let me share in their suffering, and to consider me one of their own as we marched. I have experienced in a very small way what it means to be a native in this modern world, and it breaks my heart.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 7:48 PM 4 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
A Job, Yes, But Is It On The Mark?
Thursday, November 16, 2006
That's right, I got a job at Target! You can find me working part-time in the electronics section, making the most of the Media Studies concentration from my Communication major.
Many people outside of the neighborhood refer to my store as "Tar-ghetto" because it is an older looking store and is located in an area of town on the edge of Phillips Neighborhood with a high percentage of minorities and historically higher crime rates than most other stores. On the other hand, most people who work there and shop there call it "home."
Thank you to all of you who prayed that I would find a job. After I applied at the in-store kiosk, they literally wouldn't let me leave the store without doing two interviews right on the spot, after which they offered me the position! This job is only seasonal, so I don't know if this is where I will be for the long haul this year. Please pray that God would give me wisdom in deciding whether or not to stay here after the holidays, and whether or not I should attempt coming home for Christmas if it means quitting the job. The team I work with at the store is fantastic - pray that God would open up doors of opportunity for the presence of Christ in my life to affect others as I work.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 10:34 PM 1 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
Hail, Alma Mater, let me tell you what the Lord has done
Friday, November 03, 2006
Alma Mater - Nourishing Mother. It was hard for me to understand the meaning of this cryptic Latin phrase until I actually had one, and then the description of "nourishing mother" only scratches the surface on how formative those four years really are.
I have been given a special gift - an invitation by my own Alma Mater, Wheaton College, to come and visit with students and share about InnerCHANGE the order. I'll be on campus Saturday through Wednesday participating at World Christian Fellowship on Sunday night, and meeting one-on-one with students throughout the week. I am excited to hear the stories of what God is doing in students right now, and to be able to encourage them and pray for them.
Please pray that God would be speaking to students and using me to confirm where God has been leading them. I need wisdom and discernment as I talk and pray with people. Also, ask with me that God would raise up workers for his harvest fields, as Jesus described it; even that people would be inspired by this one visit to pursue InnerCHANGE or a similar vocation. I know God does this, because He did it for me a year and a half ago! InnerCHANGE shared at World Christian Fellowship on campus and it changed the course of my life.
It can happen.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 11:48 PM 4 comments
Labels: Wheaton
Loaves and Fishes
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. The he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 6:41, 42
Last Thursday I went on an ambling walk around the neighborhood without any particular goal. I passed by Holy Rosary Catholic church, which I had done many times before; however, this time I saw a side door open leading down to the basement. I approched the entrance and tried the door - it was unlocked. As I peeked my head inside, I found myself staring into the large basement kitchen of the church - red tile floors and lots of stainless steel countertops. A kind looking older gentleman asked me, "are you here for loaves and fishes?" I had no reason not to be, so I said "yeah, sure." He proceded to hand me an apron and point me to a stack of frozen turkey breasts that needed to be unwrapped and put on baking sheets.
Through the course of the next two hours I met the people of two methodist churches that prepare a meal a month at this location of Loaves and Fishes that serves a free dinner to an average of 350 families and homeless people four nights a week. After meal preparations were done, I left for about an hour and then came back when the meal was served to stand in line with everyone else. The food was terrific and healthy, and I realized that almost half of the people were Native, mostly children from Little Earth, the Native American housing project across the street from the church.
I've been back twice already to eat - I need the food and it is a great place to meet people. Yesterday I met Iner (pronounced as in "niner"), an older Native man from the neighborhood. After becoming sober himself ten years ago, he now works at Anishinabe Wakiagun, which provides housing for 40 late stage chronic inebriates. He told me to ask anyone along Franklin Street for Iner and they could tell me. "Look for the guy with the black hat and jacket on the silver bike. That'll be me." He also told me if there's anything I need, to let him know. Please pray that I could meet up with him again.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:49 PM 0 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
How To Bankrupt A Missionary, Or, How To Build The Kingdom of God
Sunday, October 29, 2006
As I was contemplating what I should share tonight on my blog, I had the shocking realization that I had unwittingly asked all of my prayer and financial supporters for my life in Minneapolis with InnerCHANGE to refer to this same blog for updates - the same blog that I post sometimes personal, sometimes edgy, sometimes controversial ideas, even if I don't own them 100% yet.
If I were "smart" I would have started a new blog entitled Benjamin in Minneapolis or something like that where I could post polished, successful, moderate stories and pictures. But that is not my life, and that is not the life of the church among the poor.
For that reason, I chose to use the blog format and include all of you. What you see is what you get, becuase that is the only way to enter a foreign culture group - with humble genuinness. My hope is that this sometimes daily, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes vulnerable blog sharing will in some way be a prophetic statement about what I want my life of mission here in Phillips to look like, and what I hope the people of Jesus all over the world will become. This kingdom venture we have embarked on is a journey into community and humility by transparency. The same respect I would give to my neighbors here I want to offer you, as my friends and partners along the way.
So here's to news straight from the horse's mouth - the good, the bad, and the ugly of life ministry among the marginalized.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 10:55 PM 1 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
Case In Point - More Shootings
If you just read the above post about honesty, you will appreciate this. After several drive-by shootings over the last few weeks in our neighborhood, another shooting hit closer to home.
A Native American couple has been attending the current house church with some of the InnerCHANGE team. Jim and Raquel (my teammates) had been making great strides in their friendship with this couple, and the wife had started attending a women's Bible study.
We just found out today that the woman's cousin, Wayne, was killed early this morning about a mile away from me by the police - shot 15 times! Wayne is the third person in four months to have been killed by the Minneapolis Police Departement - all have been minorities, suffering "multiple" injuries. Not only is this a terrible blow to the family and an attempt by the evil one to discredit the gospel that has been preached to them, but it is also a sign of the injustice that has been sustained in Minneapolis against minorities by those in power. To read the Star Tribune article written from the perspective of "the powers that be," click here.
Please pray for this couple that Peace would be with them, and that their new faith would remain strong through this trial. Also, pray for justice, righteousness, and equality to flow like a might river through Minneapolis. And as Jesus commanded, please pray for the six police officers who fired on Wayne: Derek Chauvin, Dante Dean, Brian Grahme, Shawn Kelly, Oscar Macias and Terry Nutter, all on paid administrative leave after the incident.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 10:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
Walking On Water, or Barefoot Waterskiing
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Doing church-planting in a new culture is a bit like barefoot waterskiing - it requires faith. There are many other similarities:
Seeing someone else do it, you say "I could never do that;" you get bruised and beat-up the first couple times you try; most people never try; it takes a good instructor; without help you would drown; you often almost drown even with help; but when you get up...ooooooohhhhhhh man!!!!!
This picture from waterski camp this summer is a sort of inspiration for me - if I can stand on water, God can totally plant a house church in Phillips with Native Americans.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 12:13 AM 2 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
A House!
Monday, October 23, 2006
I'm now on week three since arriving in Minneapolis, and after waiting, looking, praying, and networking, I found the perfect house with a room for rent! 2634 14th Avenue S. Minneapolis, MN will be my address for the next year starting November 1st. Thank you to those who have been praying for this specific request; this came at just the right time. This is probably the only open room in this whole part of the neighborhood that I could afford - and it is only blocks away from my other team-mates!
I will be living in a three bedroom flat on the second floor of the house with two other Christian guys. I found the house through Urban Homeworks, a group that works to offer affordable, dignified housing for low-income families. I've been told that the family that lives on the ground floor beneath us is Venezuelan - a Christian pastor who fled the country with his family. Funny thing, because I lived in Venezuela for two years.... Please pray that my first interactions with them upon moving in next week will be positive and that they will be open to friendship.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 9:20 PM 4 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
Welcome Yakima Alliance Church People!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
I am so grateful to Pastor Jim for making the phone interview and slide show happen this morning in church! Thank you for taking the time to check out this blog. A couple quick pointers:
- To get a better general idea of what I will be doing, scroll down two posts to see my first newsletter (It is also posted up on the missions board in the church).
- To learn more about InnerCHANGE, please visit their sweet new site, linked on the sidebar. -->
- To avoid having to keep checking back all the time to see if there are new posts, sign up for blogarithm to send you a quick e-mail whenever I update the blog with a new story. Just enter your e-mail in the box to the right. -->
- If you would like to support me financially, there is a link to an easy, secure, donation page on the sidebar too. -->
- To find out about my crazy times in San Francisco last summer with InnerCHANGE, scroll to the bottom of this blog and read your way up!
- I will be posting weekly prayer requests as well as more stories and photos. Thanks again for surfing by, and please come again!
Posted by Benjamin Washam 1:46 PM 0 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
A Tale of Two White Men and Two Cups of Joe
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Once upon a time, two white men came from opposite sides of a city and found themselves huddling in the doorway of a darkened building, trying to escape the icy blast. Neither one had ever met the other; neither one had made arrangements to meet the other. Both had picked up the Native American paper the previous day and had read this advertisement:
"Language Table and Traditional Teachings: Tobasonikwut Kinew, an elder from the Onigaming First Nation, will be presenting Ojibwe teachings and philosophy every Thursday at 7pm. Nawayee Center School, Minneapolis. Everyone is welcome."
Both expected to be the only non-native person there. However, upon arrival and after two hard rings at the doorbell, the two realized they were the only two people there at all. After a minute of awkward introductions and the shuffling of hands in pockets to stay warm, the one with the longer beard suggested a local coffee shop.
Within minutes, both were seated at a small table in the middle of an empty cafe called the Wolves Den; one with black, the other with a cream-colored decaf. It didn't take them long to discover some extraordinary similarities - both had gone to college, both were interested in electrical engineering, both played drums, both had published a zine, and both had started a sort of vision-quest that very night to explore Native American Culture in order to better themselves and the world.
After a lift home, both wondered at the strange meeting and the seemingly uncanny circumstances. Both wondered what the next chapter in their story would be like.
Don't you?
Posted by Benjamin Washam 11:58 PM 2 comments
Labels: Minneapolis
