More Disclaimers

I recently read a good post here from service workers in Haiti, and it reminded me that it has been awhile since I have given a disclaimer for this site. So here goes...

1. This site was designed by us as a way to communicate with our supporting congregations, our families, our friends, and as a way for us to journal or document our family's experience in Colombia.

2. We do not have special expertise in Colombian culture or heritage. We are foreigners who are finding our way, exploring the newness, and appreciating what we find as it is discovered.

3. Our thoughts, reflections and experiences are our own. They do not always reflect the opinions or philosophy of Mennonite Central Committee, or Mennonites in general, and they are not edited by either entity.

4. Many times we are posting reflections which we know are not rooted in research or data. This is not an academic site backed by objective data. There are other places to go for that.

5. If we offend any person, Colombian or not, by our thoughts, we apologize deeply, and we welcome dialogue with you about this offense.

6. Most of the posts are written by Jen. That means they are her perspective, based in her thoughts and feelings. It is quite possible I have misrepresented a member of my immediate family in a post, and for this, I am sorry.

7. One of our favorite things is to receive comments on our blog. Each time, it is like a little present, knowing that someone is reading and is interested in our time here. We have occasionally received offensive comments, which have been deleted. Please leave us comments, and please be kind and thoughtful in the process of doing so.

8. I have received feedback that people would like to read more about my work. I understand that completely, but there are also security factors that prevent me from talking too specifically on a public blog about my work. I will reflect on work issues in general, but I cannot put the people I am accompanying in any additional risks by publishing more details here.

9. Faith. Each member of our family, and each volunteer with Mennonite Central Committee has a unique faith. And while there are things that bind us together, the varied part can cause discomfort and misunderstanding. Please understand that our faith journeys are complicated and much deeper than the little that can be expressed in this venue.

10. Feel free to link to our posts, if you feel called to do so. We would love to know about it so we can know who is reading about our journey here in Colombia.

Thank you for reading!