Final Words from the Directors

Greetings to all

I know I speak for my Co-Director Tom Sharp when I reflect upon the virtues of this year's New England Global Issues Internship.

First of all, we had a exceptional group of IV Staff and New England Students on this trip.  To travel with the daily challenges without a complaint is close to miraculous.  Joy and hope were hallmarks of the team.

We feel that each of our objectives were accomplished in exceptional ways in the past 5 weeks.  Our goal was to expose our students to Global Issues of our day with academic "heavy weights" speaking to us and by experiential opportunities to learn on the ground in Africa.  Throughout our five weeks together we heard from worldwide experts such as, Betty Begumbe, Lamin Sanneh, and Antoine (Chair of Rwandan reconciliation commission), and many other national leaders.  

At the same time we traveled to the slums of Kampala, IDP camps of northern Uganda, and the center of the Rwandan genocide.   We interviewed and worked alongside of former child-soldiers, survivors of the Rwandan genocide, former HIV AIDS carriers, and street kids in Kampala.

Being in the middle of such pain and suffering was debilitating at times but in each case the common theme was hope in the middle of suffering.  The character of the God we knew, expanded each day,as we saw resurrected Christ being the only Hope to pain and suffering and reconciliation and forgiveness in the world.

We learned much from our partnerships with local NGO's (Child Voice International and Come Let's Dance) and FOCUS Uganda (the Student ministry on college campuses).

Thanks to all who followed our journey and for the power and encouragement of your prayers and interest.

God Bless

Tom Brink (for Tom Sharp)  Director