The story of Tim McKinney is an awe-inspiring one. He doesn't claim to be anything great, but perhaps that is revealing of the best kind of greatness. This guy is on the news - frequently - all because he took a drive through Bithlo and started asking questions. When he started doing something about what he saw, United Global Outreach was born. I don't fancy myself a reporter, so I'm not going to try and give you the Complete Life-Story of Tim and United Global Outreach. I can, however, share what I saw and experienced for myself.
United Global Outreach is an organization that is best explained by their own motto and mission statement: "To positively transform forgotten communities into places in which we would all want to live." That is exactly what they are doing in Bithlo, Florida. UGO has a model for community transformation that involves nine components - the key elements for building and sustaining a healthy community. They are Education, Transportation, Basic Needs, Health Care, Building A Sense of Community, Housing, Environment, Economic Opportunity, and Advocacy. Their vision is not for Bithlo alone, but for forgotten communities all over the world. It is so evident when you visit. Volunteer at any average organization, you would expect to be worked to the bone, giving every ounce of energy and ability for the duration of your time there. When we went to UGO, however, that wasn't the point. Tim insisted that, if we come and see what there is to see in Bithlo, we have the responsibility to open our eyes to the broken places where we live, and to be positive transformers there. Are we qualified? Heavens no. But, as Tim so often insists, neither is he. God is the faithful one. His provision is so ridiculously evident in Bithlo, on a daily basis. Who are we to say He can't work through us? If we are willing, God can use us in mighty ways. Cliche though it may be, I always need that reminder.
Transformation Village is the rubber-meets-the-road of UGO's Bithlo involvement. It's the home of the coffeeshop/library that is under construction. It's the basketball court that will soon be built. It's the ever-growing private school, Orange County Academy. It's the regular Spaghetti Feeds/Community Cookouts. It's the blueprints for a pet spa, a nail salon, a dental facility, and so much more. UGO treats the people of Bithlo like the VIPs they are. Nearly all the labor and resources to build this village have been donated. This is no small statement, as nothing you see looks like typical donation-quality work.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Quick Update from Bithlo
Hey all! I'm currently in Bithlo, Florida! I'll be posting more when I return home, but for the time being, here is the link to our team Bithlo blog. I posted last night's blog; feel free to check it out :)
adelphiabithlo.wordpress.com
P.S. My teammate Josh says he is awesome. Let it be known. ^_^
adelphiabithlo.wordpress.com
P.S. My teammate Josh says he is awesome. Let it be known. ^_^
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Bithlo: A History
After spending countless hours preparing for our trip, and many conversations during our time there, I like to think that I have somewhat of a grasp on the past and present of this town. In all reality, I know next to nothing, but that's closer to something than most things. Here's what I've learned.
Bithlo wasn't always the way it is now. Granted, that's the case with most towns, but Bithlo has changed drastically. It used to be the place-to-be, where things were happening, dancing, laughter, affluence.
Something happened... I wish I knew what... I've scoured the Internet, but it's not exactly the biggest priority on Wikipedia. Here's what I know:
Nobody really cares about a small, census-designated place in Florida, of barely 11 square miles. The people who do care aren't wasting time blogging about it; they're there: advocating, loving, sacrificing, doing, working hard on behalf of the people they care for. They're spreading the story to the surrounding communities - the communities that are supposed to be taking care of their own. The day is coming when Seattleites won't need to travel across the country to help out, because the people of Florida will have taken their own under their wing. It's coming. Bithlo is on the up and up.
But what can I say? I spent barely two weeks there. This post isn't going to tell you anything you couldn't learn by just going there. Loving the people. Talking to the ones whose hearts beat for Bithlo.
Kind of a fail history post, right here. I wish I knew more.
-----
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bithlo,_Florida
*http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bithlo
Bithlo wasn't always the way it is now. Granted, that's the case with most towns, but Bithlo has changed drastically. It used to be the place-to-be, where things were happening, dancing, laughter, affluence.
Something happened... I wish I knew what... I've scoured the Internet, but it's not exactly the biggest priority on Wikipedia. Here's what I know:
"For 20 years in the early 20th century, Bithlo was an incorporated town, but in 1929 ceased to function as a town due to economic hardship. The city was finally unincorporated nearly 50 years later in 1977 but was not finalized until 1982 due to outstanding bonds and legal problems."1The town is hurting. It's the butt of jokes. It even has a reputation on Urban Dictionary*, and not a flattering one. The influential people that could help often won't, simply due to the fact that it won't necessary benefit them come election time.
Nobody really cares about a small, census-designated place in Florida, of barely 11 square miles. The people who do care aren't wasting time blogging about it; they're there: advocating, loving, sacrificing, doing, working hard on behalf of the people they care for. They're spreading the story to the surrounding communities - the communities that are supposed to be taking care of their own. The day is coming when Seattleites won't need to travel across the country to help out, because the people of Florida will have taken their own under their wing. It's coming. Bithlo is on the up and up.
But what can I say? I spent barely two weeks there. This post isn't going to tell you anything you couldn't learn by just going there. Loving the people. Talking to the ones whose hearts beat for Bithlo.
Kind of a fail history post, right here. I wish I knew more.
-----
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bithlo,_Florida
*http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bithlo
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Bithlo: In Pieces
Where do I even begin...?
More to come.
Well friends, we're back from Bithlo. Obviously. Confession time: I've been back for a month, actually. I know, I am ashamed. Feel free to leave all the much-deserved hate mail in the comments below. An experience like this is not the easiest thing to sum up in a blog post, so procrastination has been doing its thing, with great success.
However. This is me, overcoming!
As I mentioned, a single blog post would be far too lengthy to keep the average internet surfer's attention. Though I believe some of you are genuinely interested, and willing to take time to read a post of that volume, I want to make this enjoyable.
My scheme: To post a series of smaller, more manageable chunks of blog. They will each cover a different aspect of our journey to Bithlo. Such as the travel, the people of Bithlo, the city itself, the organization we worked with, the people we worked with, the things God did, the things that tried to undermine what God was doing, the things God is still doing, the future, and whatever else I can possibly rememner.
This is as much for my sake as yours. I hope to encourage you with the work God is doing in Bithlo and this testimony to His faithfulness, but alas, I am human. I know there is so much I've already forgotten; I want to remember. I want to be able to look back, and myself be encouraged as I remember how BIG my God is. The things He's done in the past, the way He works through our failures and weakness, the love He has for the broken... I need to be reminded of these things.
Joshua 4:1-9. This is my memorial.
More to come.
Karissa
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Speculating
We're getting close! Two months, pretty much. I suppose that's actually quite a while away. We had our first team meeting last week, though; that's likely why I feel it getting closer and closer.
I can't think of a single unique thing to say. I'm so excited, nervous, pumped, hesitant, doubtful, thrilled... All the usual adjectives that one would expect to be used in this situation. I expect it will be this way for a while. Until I've actually experienced and served, anything I say is just speculation.
With that in mind, here is what I know. Speculation, ladies and gents.
We watched a video in our team meeting last week. It was from the team last year, recorded on their drive/tour of Bithlo. I could see the trailers and the broken windows, and I could hear the pain and passion in the tour guide's voice.
Much of Bithlo is as close to homeless as one can get without actually being technically homeless. They live in broken, run-down trailers that are infested with cockroaches due to the lack of windows. Septic systems are broken, and the landlords don't care or bother to have them repaired.
Kids drop out of high school in their freshman year. They spend their days running around town, finding ways to entertain themselves. Most ways end up being illegal, just because that's how it goes.
The community center used to be a great gathering place for people to have events and just... come together. That's what community means. Now, however, the center was bought by a larger power and costs money to rent for events.
The city water is practically contaminated. It has caused huge problems for the dental hygiene of the children, and most of them don't even have toothbrushes or toothpaste to fight it.
Some local power built a beautiful baseball field in Bithlo - a sort of effort to make Bithlo look nice. The problem, however, is that Bithlo doesn't have a baseball league, so only surrounding cities use the park. Local Bithlo kids won't even go there to play because they know they'll be looked down upon by the more well-to-do kids. Looked down upon in their own city.
Domestic abuse of all sorts is rampant. I don't know the extent, but kids will come to school in terrible shape sometimes. I believe it's not unusual for the teachers to call CPS or Social Services.
The local school has about three teachers. That's three teachers total, for all the grades combined. Much of their teaching time goes toward basic life skills anyways. Hygiene, manners, etc.
However...
Bithlo has heart - HUGE heart. It has enormous pride in just being Bithlo.
People who have tried to improve Bithlo start out by suggesting a name change. That's really a first main step, in a marketing sense, in order to change the surrounding communities' perception of the city. The people of Bithlo won't have it, though. There's such a sense of pride, they just won't have it.
In the video, the tour guide talked about many different individuals that play important roles in the community. They encourage, inspire, and sacrifice for the betterment of the people around them, even though they themselves have nothing to give.
All that to say... God loves Bithlo, and I want to love Bithlo like he does. Because in the end, I want to look at everyone as part of God's family. We're all his creation, we can all be his family. That's just what I think.
Karissa here, signing out.
For now...
I can't think of a single unique thing to say. I'm so excited, nervous, pumped, hesitant, doubtful, thrilled... All the usual adjectives that one would expect to be used in this situation. I expect it will be this way for a while. Until I've actually experienced and served, anything I say is just speculation.
With that in mind, here is what I know. Speculation, ladies and gents.
We watched a video in our team meeting last week. It was from the team last year, recorded on their drive/tour of Bithlo. I could see the trailers and the broken windows, and I could hear the pain and passion in the tour guide's voice.
Much of Bithlo is as close to homeless as one can get without actually being technically homeless. They live in broken, run-down trailers that are infested with cockroaches due to the lack of windows. Septic systems are broken, and the landlords don't care or bother to have them repaired.
Kids drop out of high school in their freshman year. They spend their days running around town, finding ways to entertain themselves. Most ways end up being illegal, just because that's how it goes.
The community center used to be a great gathering place for people to have events and just... come together. That's what community means. Now, however, the center was bought by a larger power and costs money to rent for events.
The city water is practically contaminated. It has caused huge problems for the dental hygiene of the children, and most of them don't even have toothbrushes or toothpaste to fight it.
Some local power built a beautiful baseball field in Bithlo - a sort of effort to make Bithlo look nice. The problem, however, is that Bithlo doesn't have a baseball league, so only surrounding cities use the park. Local Bithlo kids won't even go there to play because they know they'll be looked down upon by the more well-to-do kids. Looked down upon in their own city.
Domestic abuse of all sorts is rampant. I don't know the extent, but kids will come to school in terrible shape sometimes. I believe it's not unusual for the teachers to call CPS or Social Services.
The local school has about three teachers. That's three teachers total, for all the grades combined. Much of their teaching time goes toward basic life skills anyways. Hygiene, manners, etc.
However...
Bithlo has heart - HUGE heart. It has enormous pride in just being Bithlo.
People who have tried to improve Bithlo start out by suggesting a name change. That's really a first main step, in a marketing sense, in order to change the surrounding communities' perception of the city. The people of Bithlo won't have it, though. There's such a sense of pride, they just won't have it.
In the video, the tour guide talked about many different individuals that play important roles in the community. They encourage, inspire, and sacrifice for the betterment of the people around them, even though they themselves have nothing to give.
All that to say... God loves Bithlo, and I want to love Bithlo like he does. Because in the end, I want to look at everyone as part of God's family. We're all his creation, we can all be his family. That's just what I think.
Karissa here, signing out.
For now...
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Burr
So much has happened.
The few bits and facts I know about Bithlo are nagging at me, like a burr under a horse's saddle. I, of course, am not a horse. Nor do I actually understand what a burr is, to be honest. (Other than Aaron Burr. I know who he is.) In any case, I would suppose it to be rather uncomfortable. Such is my plight with this town.
The truth is, Bithlo isn't even a town. It has been unincorporated since 1982 due to economic issues. It has a population of less than 9,000, and only takes up 11 square miles. There are two sides to Bithlo - I've heard that the only distinguishing factor between them is that one side has glass in the windows of their trailer homes, while the others don't.
There is so much to know, so much to experience, so much to give. I don't know what the future holds. God holds it in his hands, though. I have faith in his plan. By his grace, I will surrender to it.
If you have been praying for Bithlo, or for our mission team, please continue to do so. Our deadline is approaching rapidly, and we remain drastically short of our financial goal. Prayer.
I hope to update again soon, with a considerably more cheerful post! Thank you for reading, nevertheless.
Karissa
P.S. I looked up what a burr is. According to Wikipedia, there is a plant native to the Americas and East Asia, called the Cocklebur. The spiny thingies from the plant get stuck under saddles, causing discomfort to the poor four-legged troopers. Who knew.
The few bits and facts I know about Bithlo are nagging at me, like a burr under a horse's saddle. I, of course, am not a horse. Nor do I actually understand what a burr is, to be honest. (Other than Aaron Burr. I know who he is.) In any case, I would suppose it to be rather uncomfortable. Such is my plight with this town.
The truth is, Bithlo isn't even a town. It has been unincorporated since 1982 due to economic issues. It has a population of less than 9,000, and only takes up 11 square miles. There are two sides to Bithlo - I've heard that the only distinguishing factor between them is that one side has glass in the windows of their trailer homes, while the others don't.
There is so much to know, so much to experience, so much to give. I don't know what the future holds. God holds it in his hands, though. I have faith in his plan. By his grace, I will surrender to it.
If you have been praying for Bithlo, or for our mission team, please continue to do so. Our deadline is approaching rapidly, and we remain drastically short of our financial goal. Prayer.
I hope to update again soon, with a considerably more cheerful post! Thank you for reading, nevertheless.
Karissa
P.S. I looked up what a burr is. According to Wikipedia, there is a plant native to the Americas and East Asia, called the Cocklebur. The spiny thingies from the plant get stuck under saddles, causing discomfort to the poor four-legged troopers. Who knew.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Well hello!
Welcome, friend!
My name is Karissa, and as you may know, this is where I'll be posting updates on my upcoming mission trip to Bithlo, Florida.
Further information to come, so stay tuned! Even if you just happened upon this from a random search engine, there might be some things to pique your interest... And if not, continue on your merry way!
I do hope ya stick around though, and that God's glory will be evident through my feeble attempts at stringing words together.
Here we go!
Here we go!
Karissa
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