Apparently I'm a "reliable guardian."

I'm taking off my "activist" hat now and replacing it with my "self-analytical" one. Over the last couple of days the Well team has gone through a gifts assessment using Myers-Briggs, Gallup StrengthsFinder, Leadership Matrix, and Character Matrix. In sum, these were my results:

ISTJ - Introversion (clear), Sensing (moderate), Thinking (moderate), Judging (moderate)
StrengthsFinder Signature Themes (in ranking order): Intellection, Connectedness, Analytical, Input, Harmony
Leadership Style: Missional - meaning I lead best when I am doing work and organizing things
Character Trait: Courage - with the caution of falling into a sense of pride (thinking too lowly or highly of myself)

When my colleague noticed that my introversion measurement was nearly at the end of the chart (out of 30, I got a 24), her response was, "Ohhh, I'm fascinated by you!" And when someone tried to explain that he thought I might be more of a "passional leader," I explained that my sense of urgency and drive towards my goals often emerge out of a feeling of duty rather than a feeling of compassion, which resonated with other folks in the room who were struggling with placing themselves in a category. In fact, I struggled to avoid "boxing" myself throughout all of the exercises.

However, this process did solidify and reinforce that I am primarily introverted, introspective, and find hanging out in large groups of people exhausting rather than enlivening. What else is new? :-)

I'm off Sunday to Slovakia and Hungary for Easter vacation. It's supposed to be lovely and springy next week. As we're flying in and out of Amsterdam, we'll also sneak in a few sights there. I'll post pictures upon my return.

I support Stop the Traffik

In their efforts to prevent the sale of people, prosecute the traffickers, and protect the victims. People shouldn't be bought and sold.

Freedom Day

200 years ago yesterday, the transatlantic slave trade was abolished in Britain. William Wilberforce MP, an evangelical, led the charge in parliament. It was a move that had a ripple effect across the world. Naturally, evangelicals have been marking him as a hero in light of the anniversary. But different groups are also using the opportunity to call attention to the modern-day slave trade, more commonly known as human trafficking. Estimates say that 800,000 people, many of them children, are trafficked each year into forced labour, servitude, and prostitution. But the numbers are only a guess. They could be much larger.

For the past month or so I have been planning our church's program as part of international "Freedom Day" events with Stop the Traffik. It took place last night and it was long, but each part was valuable. We had two women, who used to be prostitutes but are now Christians being vocationally trained by a pastor in Antwerp, sing for us. We learned more about Wilberforce and the fight to end the slave trade. We watched a clip about a TV personality from Holland who got himself arrested for "knowingly purchasing a product (chocolate) that was made by slaves," which is punishable by Dutch law. We had a word from an MEP's assistant who is working on trafficking legislation in both the European Parliament and back home in Ireland. Lastly, we got folks to fill out response cards for different ways that they can be involved with the campaign. Afterwards we had a meal together and then worshiped as a response to what we had just learned. (We even sang "Thine be the Glory," which I was excited about, since we rarely sing hymns!!)

In my next entry I will post a picture of myself with a "Chaga mask," which is Stop the Traffik's iconic representation of a modern-day child slave. They want folks to take pictures of themselves wearing it and then post the pictures all over flickr, blogs, youtube, etc. The goal is to create a movement that people will begin to recognize and that will change public perception about the issue. Go to the website and download a mask of your own.

Tapas, Mojitos, and Jesus Paradise

Went to a funk-adelic bar tonight called the "Jesus Paradise" for Carlton's birthday party, and let me tell you, it was quite the groovy place. Bright oranges, pinks, and greens made up the color schemes, and the tapas and drinks gave an exotic touch to the atmosphere. A good time was had by all.

Sunday warmth and stillness

Today, not a single thing caused stress in my life. Makes for a perfect Sunday, no? It was the first truly warm day of the season. As I waited for the bus I could feel the sweat building underneath my superfluous winter coat. But in March, you can never be too sure, so I left it on.

As we walked around the Schuman neighborhood, the sun beating down on our heads (what a glorious thing), there was an uncanny stillness in the air. It was as if the warmth caused people to hush their voices and listen for the wind and rain that we had gotten so used to. But thankfully, they heard nothing and went on with their quiet lives.

People's demeanors change when the sun is out. They are more relaxed and do not hurry from one place to the next. As we walked we felt no urgency to find a resting place. The whole neighborhood became our house, the rays of sunlight our curtains. After lunch we fell into a deep springtime nap, with nary a sound outside the window other than the occasional moped or group of children playing on the street.

We walked again later in the afternoon through the park and past cafes. A sidewalk culture is slowly emerging out of the winter habits of fireplace gathering. The brasseries have put out their outdoor tables and chairs, and old men sit down and read their papers cheek by jowel with chatty, eager youths excited to be socializing outside again.

The whole day I felt listless and carefree. It must have shown. Someone at church told me I looked tired. I told him no, I'm just relaxed. I had taken my burdens from the week and laid them to rest.