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My Journey of Self Discovery

April 29, 2021 by Cindy Angela

Ever have a pain in your body and you try to figure it out? You move your leg around to figure out the source. You stretch and you research your pain. Later you talk to the doctor, and it gets diagnosed. You are told what to do and what to watch out for. As we get older, there are more prescriptions for self examination. We are to poke and prod ourselves from time to time and make sure we are well. Get the blood pressure checked and other things: daily practices to keep us alive and thriving with our body.

It amazes me how many, myself included, do not do this when it comes to our spiritual and mental health. During these times of COVID, I have seen more and more talk about mental and spiritual health. Lamentations 3:40 tells us, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (NIV). I love this! (Lamentations, for the record, can be so deep and inclusive of so many things, I highly recommend the book to study during these odd times in life.)

Ok, back to this self examination of the soul and mind … I have learned over the past two years, through a mental breakdown, that it is very important for self examination and perspective.

Many times we view the world as it revolves around us. Try this exercise. Look forward and turn your body around. You will see how the world revolves around you! In order for us to self examine ourselves, we need to take a moment and move the camera angle outwardly and look at ourselves from an outside view.

This can be done in a couple ways. One is to just sit and pause. Take a moment to write or speak how you are feeling. For instance, at the time of this writing, my morning has not gone as I had hoped. I am having to be very flexible and focused on tasks at hand. My stress is rising. I am going to need some space to breathe later today and get back to a solid state of mind. I can tell you this because I have learned how to self examine.

Taking a pulse of how I am… looking at what makes me stressed or not stressed… how do I release all this? Self awareness is something I am learning more and more. Being vulnerable with others in how I feel and where I am at with life has been crucial in all this.

“Risking vulnerability and love is what takes courage.”

― from The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Cron & Stabile

Author Ian Morgan Cron has really inspired me on this journey. This quote has been a heartbeat for me. I am constantly being vulnerable with those around me so that they too can be loved the way I would want to be loved.

Today I am imploring you to take some time and sit. Sit with yourself and just breathe. Realize you exist and you are alive. God created you so beautifully. Do we not owe it to ourselves to tend to our soul and mind?

I do not have all the space to tell you all the tools and tricks, but try reading Lamentations or The Road Back to You. Of course you can also talk to me too. I am on this journey of self discovery. It has been fascinating to understand how God made me and how he gave me the tools to live an amazing life with HIM!

Whitehall Road Clean-up

April 22, 2021 by Cindy Angela

*Youth and adults from Whitehall (Whitehall, PA) Mennonite Church pose before their bi-annual road clean-up.*

Bob Walter, the pastor who helped plant Whitehall (Whitehall, PA) Mennonite Church, used to teach that “any church worth its salt” will get involved in the surrounding community. One of the small ways was to bless the community by adopting a section of Rt. 145 and participating in road clean-up twice a year.

The road clean-up coordinator, Marie Lesser, fondly known as our “Italian Grandmother,” would organize with the township for supplies and faithfully call folks on Friday night to participate (it was really hard to say no to Marie).

Early Saturday morning, she would bring donuts and coffee and babysit any children who were too young, while everyone did the clean-up. When Marie passed away, Mark Whitermore took over the organizing, but we made our start-time a little later.

The activity fits in with our desire to care for the earth and to bless our community through service. We work in pairs–usually an adult with a youth–so it’s an opportunity for relationship building too. We always sort of moan and groan when the time comes… but we continue to do it! And we like to share our “found” stories when we return.

Earth Day Thank-you Cards to Congress

April 22, 2021 by Cindy Angela

To express gratitude to politicians who are working to preserve Earth, children and adults from Ambler (PA) congregation gathered recently to write *Earth Day Thank-you notes*. Photo by Randy Martin.

Ambler (PA) Mennonite Church’s “Green Team” (a task force for creation care) invited church members to gather on the church lawn on Saturday, April 10, to prepare Earth Day thank-you cards. We wrote to thank legislators who are working to protect this earthly sphere on which God has planted us along with His other creatures.

We recycled leftover cards from our “green” Valentine’s Day care packages. The cards were made by our artistically talented children and youth, who also created some new ones for the event. The front of each card contained a picture of planet Earth with the message, “Your actions mean the world to us … Happy Earth Day!” Each of the eight adults and five children who came, hand wrote a brief message of appreciation for a specific initiative taken by one of our nation’s leaders on the inside of one or more cards.

In a little over an hour, we had cards ready to be mailed to Washington, DC, for 24 members of Congress plus one for the President of the United States.

An exciting part of the project for me personally was researching what was happening in Congress and which legislators we could thank. Before I started, I thought I might have trouble finding enough lawmakers to thank, but instead, the problem was limiting the list to a number we could handle. I had no idea until I started this research how much environmental work Congress is doing! It is impressive, given our often-polarized government, how much of it is happening in bi-partisan committees, task forces, and working groups.

The Laughter and the Dance

April 22, 2021 by Cindy Angela

Spring might be the season that I look forward to the most. I grew up in Indonesia where there are only two seasons: wet or dry. When I moved to Philadelphia, I learned to not take for granted the changes in the four seasons.

Spring, summer, fall and winter. As the seasons cycle through, I appreciate the significance that the earth is still rotating and time is moving forward. After the bitter cold of winter, spring comes to bring new warmth and light into our lives. After the sweltering heat of summer, fall comes to give a gentle breeze and falling leaves.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 (ESV)

This particular season for me has been a time to be sad, break down, and mourn. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and I am constantly hearing news and stories of people who died too soon.

Last month, I heard the news of the heinous shooting in Atlanta, along with the increasing amount of anti-Asian rhetoric and hate crimes toward Asian Americans in the US. I began to question my own identity and safety as an Asian woman living in the United States.

Last week, I heard news of a police shooting that took the life of a young Black man, a death that could have been (and should have been) prevented, but happened anyway. I am learning and lamenting that we have a broken system that is endangering people of color.

But just as there’s a time for me to be sad, break down, and to mourn, God reminded me that there’s also time for me to heal, to build up, and to find peace.

I choose to focus on things that I have control over.

I choose to find hope in overlooked places. I saw many communities organizing COVID-19 vaccination sites as an effort to keep communities protected. As I received my second dose of the vaccination, I was hopeful; I was healing.

As I unlearn harmful ideologies and educate myself further to become a better member of the community, I am hopeful that I am playing a role, no matter how small, to change things for the better.There’s so much work to be done! While it’s perfectly fine to be angry, sad, and disappointed at the situation at times, we need to focus on working toward healing, making small but tangible changes. As the cycle of weeping and mourning continues, I am hopeful that we as a community can come together and be the laughter and the dance.

Called to Hope

April 20, 2021 by Cindy Angela

After 20 years of pastoral service, is it surprising that the Salvatori family is answering the call to serve in the Dominican Republic as missionaries? Most of our friends have answered emphatically, “No!” Most people who know us well thought God might use us in intercultural ministry.

The Salvatori family: (L-R) Stacy, Talia, Franco, Micah (in back), and Anna. Photo provided by *Stacy Salvatori of Salvatori Photography*.

However, our ministry call story begins long before we met each other, as the legacy of serving others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ began in our families of origin.

For Franco, his story started as a young boy when Jesus radically transformed his family. His father, an alcoholic and addict, came home one day reporting a new faith in Jesus had changed him. It would only be a few short years before his parents began working in the local church and eventually became the executive directors of a local mission.

Stacy’s legacy of ministry runs even deeper. Her maternal grandfather was a Methodist pastor in rural Kentucky, and her father’s family spent two generations in foreign missionary service in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a martyred missionary, her grandfather’s legacy sent all three of his children into full time mission service and Stacy’s parents still serve in the Democratic Republic of Congo as career missionaries.

As a family, we have often prayed about opportunities to serve interculturally. For years, God led us to serve in local churches and pastoral roles. At this time, it is the training, education, and pastoral ministry experience that will be central to our role as missionaries. Bold Hope International has invited us to join their team in the Dominican Republic in three main areas: Development, Pastoral Training, and Advocacy.

Trains are used to transport sugarcane from the countryside to the central processing plant in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Photo provided by *Stacy Salvatori of Salvatori Photography*.

These three points of interest have led us to serve in the Dominican Republic:

There are migrant workers (primarily Hatians) who have found asylum in small sugarcane villages (bateys) that allow them to survive, but not thrive.
Approximately 85% of pastors globally have never received any theological training.
We believe the good news of Jesus Christ overcomes this lack of resources and we want to be part of the solution.

In the bateys, our family will work alongside the child sponsorship and educational initiatives to help bring hope in these villages. We will work to strengthen and develop the pastoral networks to provide the training and resources that pastors and churches need to further the gospel. And we will help partner individual bateys with churches and organizations in the Dominican Republic and abroad to offer long term investments and impact in these communities.

*Bateys* are villages that house sugarcane workers. This half-court basketball court serves as a central gathering point for the young people in this *batey*. Photo provided by *Stacy Salvatori of Salvatori Photography*.

We believe in the hopeful news that God offers humanity through Jesus. We believe in the work of Bold Hope International. And we believe God has been preparing us for this for a long time.

We are excited about the opportunity God is calling our family to and ask you to partner with us in prayer. If you would like to offer financial support or become a partner organization in a batey, please visit our website at The Hopeful Endeavor.

Interconnectedness During a Pandemic

April 14, 2021 by Cindy Angela

The world-wide spread of COVID-19 has reminded us of our interconnectedness. Unlike other pandemics in recent history, COVID-19’s devastating impact has been wide-spread. The number of lives lost, the inequity and injustices revealed, and the economic toll our world-wide community has experienced supersedes what many of us have experienced in our lifetime.

World leaders have responded differently to this crisis. Some have acted independently of other nations. Other leaders have drawn upon the wisdom and experiences of other nations when rates of infection and deaths increase or decrease. We have witnessed world leaders coming together for the well-being of all nations to fight this virus.

It took a world-wide effort of scientists, medical personnel, and drug companies to develop, manufacture, and distribute several different vaccines. A willingness to work together for the common good, transparency with mis-steps and failures, and giving and receiving counsel is essential when dealing with a deadly virus impacting every continent.

In our faith communities, religious leaders have responded differently. Some have acted independently. Some have drawn upon the wisdom and experiences of other leaders and the medical professionals to make decisions for the common good. Some faith communities have suffered greatly while others have discovered new, creative ways to connect and support each other and the people in their neighborhood. Members of some faith communities are disconnected, lacking access to the Internet. Some feel more connected and able to attend an online service they could not attend in person. Some have disconnected from the church, disillusioned by the conflict over how to respond to COVID-19 protocols. Some are more connected to the church and energized by discovering prophetic ways to promote justice in their neighborhood.

Some new ministries have begun through online formats reaching across our nation and around the world. Bible study, prayer, or support groups have formed. Participation in worship services, ordinations, and memorial services include people living close-by or at a distance.

Some local ministries have expanded to provide nutritious meals, Internet service, tutoring, and support for children unable to access their virtual school programs.

Thinking of our worldwide interconnectedness in the past year reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:24b-26, “But God has arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member (of the body) suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it” (NRSV).

Paul is reminding the early church to recognize each member’s value, perspective, skills, and spiritual gifts. In the church, there should be no inequity or dissension among the members if we are living into God’s intention that all are valued and receive care to meet their needs.

Modeled after the interconnectedness of the Trinity, the church is called to honor, value, and care for all members. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each contribute to God’s mission, all members of the church are invited to use their special gifts to serve the whole body. Especially in times of suffering, we are reminded that dissension has no place. Our call is to focus on caring for one another for the common good of all people near and far.

Living into Our Mosaic

April 14, 2021 by Cindy Angela

As I write, I am in Ohio, sorting through my father’s old letters, clearing out his old office at Wright State University, and helping my stepmom pick up the pieces of a world that was upended by COVID-19. I suppose I am not quite done processing yet, either. Two months ago, my father became a statistic; he is one of the 562,000 people who died from COVID-19 in the US, and 2.94 million in the world. I never thought it could happen to us.

Salford’s Luminary Walk of Remembrance and Hope, where each luminary represented the deaths of 1,000 people in the US and the deaths of 5,018 people around the world due to COVID-19.

There is a surprising sense of solidarity when losing a loved one in a pandemic. My family and I were touched as we recently walked through the Salford Luminary Walk of Remembrance and Hope, where each luminary represented the deaths of 1,000 people in the US and the deaths of 5,018 people around the world due to COVID-19. We are not alone, both in the fact that we share a sense of loss with others, but also that there is a deep sense that God is sustaining us, even when I feel a void within myself.

Despite my loss, I have much to be thankful for: my job is steady, my housing is secure, and my wife is available to help our school-age kids to thrive in virtual school. My son will only remember what he lived through by reading it in history books many years from now. The toughest decision I had to make is whether to refinance my house. First world problems.

It is painfully clear how this pandemic has not hit all people equally. I am so thankful that the Mosaic Conference Shalom Fund exists to, in some way, give opportunities for people like me to give to people who need help in a tangible way. I see the ways in which the Shalom Fund has enabled congregations like Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia, PA) to serve 40 bags a week to neighbors in need, and Ripple Inc. in Allentown, PA to serve 600 meals a week. I see how Crossroads Community Center creates safe Learning Pods for North Philadelphia youth. Still, I hear the words of Pastor Jaye Lindo, “Could we do more and are the needs being met?”

Reflecting on our conference retreat last year, our facilitator Calenthia Dowdy appreciated our conference’s new name, Mosaic, but also warned us that we have to live up to that name. As Steve Kriss and others have shared, “We are living into our new name. We are still becoming Mosaic. We are still becoming.” I feel like we are seeing glimpses of this coming into fruition as we continue to support each other as different pieces, in our multi-faceted conference community.

Youth Share about Racial Discrimination: Essay Contest Winners Announced

April 14, 2021 by Cindy Angela

Having 20/20 vision is the best vision someone may have. But during 2020, people around the world had seen so much that they began to question their clear vision: brutality, negligence, discrimination, xenophobia, division, children in cages, and the killing of black men on video. We also witnessed beautiful scenes of whites and Blacks marching together, chanting “Black Lives Matter.” That was very hopeful for many.

My 11 year-old son disagreed with the slogan, “Black Lives Matter,” asking me, “If people think it’s only Black lives that matter, what about the lives of your white friends, Daddy?” That interrogation triggered my thinking process. I gathered my friends from Solidarity Christian Community Development Association (SCCDA) to brainstorm around my son’s question.

SCCDA is a not-for-profit organization that exists to bring hope to people in despair through advocacy, immigration support, scholarships, and direct assistance. In our work, we discover a virus more dreadful than COVID-19. It is hate, discrimination, xenophobia, and bias. No one is exempt. Love is proven to be the only antidote. Yet, love can be a long process.

In partnership with Mosaic Conference, SCCDA organized a Racial Discrimination Essay Contest, with cash prizes, to offer young people across the Conference a platform to freely express their experiences with racial discrimination in a safe environment. There were submissions from the Asian community, the Black community, and the Hispanic community. One bi-racial person shared her experiences of racial discrimination.

The judges were electrified by the content, courage, and resiliency of the essayists. Brilliantly the young people shared their experiences with racial discrimination in a way that elevated the spirit of the judges and made their choices difficult. The participants wrote maturely of how they see themselves in light of the attacks directed toward them because of their origin, language, and skin colors. They are also observing who will support them and whom to trust.

The winners of the Racial Discrimination Contest are:

1st place ($1,000 prize): Syerafina Himawan from Philadelphia Praise Center
2nd place ($600 prize): Lisa Noel from Haitian New Testament Church (Philadelphia, PA)
3rd place ($400 prize): Victoria Noel from First Haitian Baptist Church (Philadelphia, PA)
4th place ($200 prize): Chanelle Zorilla Arias from Centro de Alabanza (Philadelphia, PA)
5th Place ($200 prize): Faith Davis from Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life

The judges were ChiChi Oguekwe, MCC Program Coordinator of Philadelphia, Professor Jill Petty from Chicago, IL, Karen Lyon, a retired teacher from Doylestown, PA and Pastor Bernard Sejour.

Our takeaway from the contest was clear: Our young people are silently facing racism in schools. They are being influenced by peers; they are so afraid of being different that they accept stereotypes and bullies as if they were normal. Sometimes they can be ashamed of their own heritage in order to embrace the one of the majority. This identity crisis is very present among adolescent immigrants. We hope to continue this contest and these crucial conversations.

SCCDA believes that it is about time for the church to really represent the historical Jesus. In Him we find the Loving Father, the Compassionate Savior, and the Kind Comforter. We have a hard time understanding the white Jesus that many churches are offering. We are not sure he understands the outsiders’ accents. Should we still sing together in harmony the song that is entitled “Strangers No More?”

Read the Powerful First Place Essay:

“That year was the first time I participated in International Day; I wore my batik clothes for the first time in years. After suppressing my cultural identity for years and idolizing the need to become like my friends, I started to become more proud of being Indonesian.”

– Syerafina Himawan

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Read the Powerful First Place Essay:

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