A blog of her own

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

By Cindy Eschliman, CoCo Class of 2012

It is not often that I am put in a position of being in the minority. I am a young, white woman, who grew up in Hutchinson, KS – the center of the Midwest and I now attend college in Hastings, NE – an even smaller Midwestern town. The Midwest is typically considered to be sparce and without diversity (I can say from experience that although this is not necessarily true, in comparison to larger cities, there is much less integration and understanding). So, when I arrived at LaGuardia Airport on Friday, February 18^th, I was shocked to hear the loud buzzing city, to see the packed, busy, dirty streets and taste the difference in the air.

As it turned out, I was rooming with a young, Hispanic woman, who would describe her first language as Spanish. The other young Presbyterian women I was gathering with also spoke Spanish – I was the only one who didn’t. Respectfully, they spoke English with me and around me because they wanted me to be invited into their conversation. This consideration was a shock to me. English was the only language I knew, let alone was used to hearing. Throughout the week I was surrounded by women (and a few men), who were from all different communities, countries, cultures and spoke different languages. And just as one young woman spoke of her enlightenment to the realization that God is the God of everyone, not just people like her (or those who speak her language), I too was exposed to this broader understanding of God. Although, I had always knew in my heart that God is the God of all, this week I have been able to see it in practice.

I am entirely thankful to have been given the opportunity to attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The experience has opened my eyes to the wonder of diversity and how to advocate, specifically on behalf of women all over the world. Too often, I feel inadequate and uneducated as to how to even interact with people of different cultures, languages and race because I have not been exposed to such diversity.  This week provided me with a safe space to ask questions and open up about how I am so afraid of accidentally offending someone different than me. The women listened to my confession and welcomed me with open hearts; I cannot thank them enough for their support.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women was focused on providing women and the girl child with equal access to science and technology. Theologically, the theme of access was interesting to point out. During one of the Ecumenical Women orientations we took a closer look at Romans 5:1-5,

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Throughout the passage are words such as “boast,” “sufferings,” “endurance,” “character,” and “hope.” To society, about half of these words look negative and half positive, but in the context of this passage, they are all positive, leading to better things along the way.  And so, when I take this and apply it to women and women’s rights across the world, I see that women have taken a stand, a strong fighting stance, against violence, unequal pay, unfair conditions and anything that might oppress the woman/ girl child. So, although, women have suffered, we are enduring, and producing character – one that includes equal access and this gives us hope that one day, the world will reflect God’s love for all people.

Since I returned from the eye-opening trip, I have already begun to express my newfound appreciation for women all over the world. I have started to understand that I am a part of a great network of women all across the nations. And I have started promoting the increased awareness of women’s rights for all peoples.

So, I will forever be working for women’s equal access to science and technology (and in every aspect of life) here, because a vote for women here, is a vote for women everywhere.

Reflections from Summit 2010 Conference

 

Collegiate Ministry Summit Conference

July 1-4, 2010

Macalester College- St. Paul, MN

 

By Cindy Eschliman

 

I attended the Collegiate Ministry Summit Conference in early July not only as a representative of NNPCW but also as a participant interested in learning how to be a better peer leader at my college. I currently am a senior at Hastings College in Hastings, NE. I serve as co-chair of chapel committee, co-chair of the Religious Organizations Council, a leader of Common Grounds, and am an active member of many other religious groups on campus.  As a national leader I serve on CoCo, the coordinating committee of the National Network of Presbyterian College Women.

    The Summit Conference was a good integration for me to learn how I can better use my resources and mesh my campus ministries with the Church at large. The event began over a meal, meeting people from all across the country, hearing their takes on their interaction with collegiate ministries. From there we moved into worship and free time. The next days were packed with worship, workshops and keynotes, all based around the passage of Luke 4, the Woman at the Well. It was a powerful image to remember that our Creator wants us, just like Jesus wanted the woman at the well and a beautiful show of the importance of all ministry. We have all been called to meet our Savior, renew ourselves and share the Good News.

    I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and was most impressed and moved by the conversations with people who expressed their concerns, frustrations, fears, annoyances, joys, blessings, positive emotions and good of collegiate ministry. I benefited most from hearing how they deal with issues on their own campuses and what resources they use to keep programs moving.  Vocationally, this is a way the youth of the Church can stay connected to a church amidst all the changes of college years.

    Although the ministry is a difficult and challenging one at times, it is beautiful when done prayerfully and with room for the Holy Spirit to move.  I think this is an important reminder for all of God’s people to come together to prayerfully discern God’s will for them in their lives and the lives of those around us.  Personally, the importance of patience was emphasized. I often feel the need to be doing ten tasks at a time, in this culture where it is seen as a special talent to multi-task. Reading about the woman at the well reminded me that God wants to spend quality time with me and have dialogue.

    The same is true for all people, woman especially need to remember this, when in our society we are often told that we are worthless and our only purpose is to be used for the pleasure of men. However, we, along with all minorities, need to remember that God wants us to know our worth. I, as a young female, am capable of doing whatever God asks of me, with God’s help. I feel God has called me to work as a spiritual leader on my campus and in collegiate ministry settings, the conference helped remind me of this and the fact that our God, my God, will fill me up every step of the way.

I have been tried over and over and yet I still find that I am hopeful for a good conclusion.  Allow me to explain.  Saturday May 15, my household was instantly awoken by a loud clap of thunder, a flash of lightening, and sparks flying through the night sky outside the window.  The rain was pouring like I have only seen in the movies and the thunder was right on top of us.  As the storm raged on my brothers, my boyfriend, and I watched in horror from my balcony as the water level almost covered both of my brother’s cars.  Huge street trash cans were just floating down the street.  At one point I felt a buzz move up my spine and then lightening hit a tree three houses down the way.  That tree split in half and came down on the house and through the roof into my neighbor’s bedroom.  Talk about a rude awakening.  I also know that a few of the office buildings in Victoria’s downtown area had some major damage.  The entire roof caved in at a title company I used to work for.  So many official documents and files ruined.  

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of my church during the storm.  I live directly across the street so I get to take all kinds of pictures of this building.  This sure is an interesting one to add to the collection.  The water has risen to nearly the third step on the side door and covered the ground entirely.  Probably waist high water.

   

There are many mini stories involved throughout this past weekend that make the past couple of days some of the hardest I have been through.  However one moment has kept me hopeful.  Sunday morning I awoke to a beautiful sunrise.  As I stood outside surveying the wreckage an old green Volkswagen came puttering down the street.  I was so happy to see that my grandparents had come to see me.  Of course I started tearing up to them but my grandpa said to me, “C’mon man, relax.  It will be ok.”  Yup, he really said that.  And it so worked.  I remember to relax, look across the street at His home, and know that it will be ok. 

College Graduation

The end of the semester is quickly approaching for many college students and for me, so is the end of my undergraduate career.  As I sit here in a coffee shop, working on papers and counting down the days until graduation, I find myself struggling to stay present.  Times of transition are always hard as I balance feelings of sadness and fear of leaving the familiar with excitement and anticipation for the new and unknown.  

 

When I walk across that graduation stage on May 15^th, despite looking, and most likely, feeling the same, I am well-aware that I will no longer be able to able to live in the gray area of being somewhere between dependent child and independent adult. It’s a scary, and at the same time, exhilarating thought to think of moving into an apartment in a new city, managing my own finances, and finding new friends and favorite hang-outs. 

 

Despite the allure of living in a state of anticipation for things yet to come, my present goal, or rather, challenge, is to reclaim the energy I’m spending on thinking of the future and redirect it towards making the most of my time left at Macalester.  In this spirit, here are five things that beginning today, I will do before I graduate:

 

Watch the sunset over the Mississippi River.

Walking along the river, watching the sunset on the bluffs near the river’s edge, listening to the birds sing, and seeing the buds turn into blossoms are just some of the experiences that I have had at the river.  Before I leave, I want to reconnect with this place and relive these experiences anew.

 

Experience the Twin Cities.

Despite having a plethora of museums, art galleries, and artisan workshops nearby, I rarely make the time to see and experience all that the Twin Cities have to offer.  Macalester’s urban location was one of the reasons I chose to come here.  Before I leave, I want to make the most of the city life.

 

Eat cheesecake at Café Latte.

Birthdays, reunions with friends and family members, and major life events have all been celebrated with cheesecake at this local restaurant and bakery.  The vanilla cheesecake is both a sweet treat and a symbol of memories shared with other loved ones in other times. Before I leave, I want to make one more memory here.

 

Reconnect with a forgotten friend.

In the midst of papers and projects, I have lost contact with many friends from my first-year of college. My goal is to reconnect with at least one of these friends before graduation.

 

Write thank you notes.

Since arriving at Macalester, I have blessed to have wonderful role models, mentors, and friends. There are so many people who have given me the space to explore who I am, the support to pursue my passions, and the strength to reimagine the world. Too often, I don’t take the time to thank these people for who they are and what they have done.  Before I graduate, I want to say “thank you” to these individuals.

 

Two weeks left, and millions of moments left to live and experience.  As I prepare for transition, I hope to be able to find peace and presence in this time and place. Friends, cheesecake, and a walk along the Mississippi River are just a few of the ways in which I hope to experience and re-recognize the richness of my life.

 

-submitted April 2010 -

Sawubona!

Sawubona means hello in Zulu, a frequent greeting in Durban, South Africa where I studied abroad last fall. I studied with the School for International Training (SIT) with a community health program in Durban. We stayed with Zulu-speaking families for about seven weeks, and also conducted independent research. (Here’s one of my favorite pictures with my host-niece and nephew, Ayanda and Sandile). The people I met and became close with have truly touched my soul, and I pray with all my heart that I can someday return and reunite with them.

 

After an amazing and life-impacting time away, I am excited to be back, especially to continue working on CoCo. The Nominating Committee just nominated me to be one of the Co-Moderators for my final year on CoCo, and I’m extremely excited for this position. With a great passion and zeal for the NNPCW’s ministry, I hope my leadership abilities will assist in our work that seeks to empower women in the church. I pray that Christ’s guidance will keep our energies alive for balancing this work with the busyness that is oh-so-much the life of a college student.

 

During the second weekend in April, CoCo met at the beautiful campus of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and I’d like to share some updates on the work of the Leadership Development Committee. Jackie, Carrie and I (the members of the committee) met to discuss projects and ideas for leadership. We heard about some of LEPT’s (Leadership Event Planning Team) plans for the next Leadership EContact me vent, which will be Aug. 4-8 at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Spread the word! It’s going to be fantastic! We’re looking at ways to help advertise this event, and other ways to help build leadership within CoCo and NNPCW. Some CoCo members will also be attending GA this summer and we’re working on plans to help network and reach out to more people about the great support NNPCW has to offer young women at GA.

 

CoCo’s spring meeting went very well and we’re all enthusiastic to have Jackie Spycher on board. We are encouraged by her energy and support, inspired by her devotion to Christ’s ministry, and looking forward to getting to know her. Thanks so much for all of your hard work Jackie!

 

Thanks for reading, and if you have any comments or suggestions for NNPCW, feel free to contact me. May the peace of Christ be with you!

CoCo Member on Networking Committee

By Cindy Eschliman

 

NNPCW - National Network of Presbyterian College Women - is a beautiful sisterhood and holds a powerful connection between diverse women all across the country.  The beauty of God's Creation is evident within each woman. 

 

This was the second CoCo meeting I have attended. I became a member after applying for the NNPCW scholarship and seeing the application online. As I researched the network and the Coordinating Committee I knew this was something of which I wanted to be a part.  The passionate women I read about where exactly where I was – of college age, dealing with women’s issues all across the U.S.  When I arrived at my first meeting last fall I was struck by the intensity each woman brought to the table. Although we were all very different in ethnicity, region, sexual orientation and life experience, we were all unified by the common thread of womanhood. Just as can be read in 1 Corinthians, we were part of the body of Christ, each of different parts.

 

At this meeting Jackie Spycher, our new staff member helped us recognize each of our personal gifts by taking a spiritual gifts inventory. Truly we were all very unique (even though most of us had low scores of vocal music). As we progressed into the meeting, I could see the passion in the faces and voices of each woman around the table.  We have big dreams and I am sure there will be many big and small challenges ahead but we will push forward.

 

The subgroup of which I am a part, the networking committee, voted to resume this blog and work for more public relations with all women. We hope that through this connection and many more to come you will feel a part of something large – God’s Creation, something strong – sisterhood, and something diverse – womanhood. Whether you are a female or male, young or old, native or not, you are a part of this world and you too can advocate for women and be a part of a network to connect young women across the country. Whatever your gifts – being a mentor, ally, writer, trainer, teacher and no matter where you are – Houston, Minneapolis, Seattle, work, or home, you are in this world and you hold unique gifts. Let those shine and join the larger body.