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Johnson Intern Program
+ A Mission Trip Journal
+ Our Final Cross Roads Article
+ A Farewell from the Director
+ A Message from the Board Chair
Dania Ermentrout, Intern
During the spring, I spent 10 days in rural western Honduras with the Duke class I am taking through the Johnson Intern Program. I would like to share with you some thoughts from my Honduras Mission Trip journal:
The women keep asking me what it is like in the United States. "Are the men faithful to one woman?" they ask me. "Sometimes," I say. "How about here?" "The men don't like to be tied down," they say.
At the dusty, painted cemetery overlooking the village, I noticed headstones crowded together with the same dismal dates. It meant multiple deaths in one day and young deaths at that. "Lo mataron," Henry told me. (They killed him). Apparently a lot goes on here. Hold-ups. Knife fights. Death by cuchillo. Even though most people are family here? Yes.
There is much violence, and children eat sticks. Pica -- it is called. They crave the fiber, the minerals and the nutrients so desperately that they suck and chew on the fibrous stalks like candy.
Sometimes I wonder where I am. This place where you die by the hand of a distant cousin to be buried in a dusty, turquoise mausoleum to stand guard patiently on the hill for eternity?
I see the Johnson Intern Program as committed to plunging us into that world, forcing us to be conscious of and to care for the people of our world as well as we care for ourselves; I am hard pressed to see how our Church, our parish, our diocese -- even the Anglican Communion will grow without doing the same thing.
The Johnson Interns
Sadly enough, this is the last article from the Johnson Interns to grace the end pages of the monthly "Cross Roads." It is quite unbelievable that our time with the Chapel of the Cross is almost over.
At the commencement of writing this article, the Johnson Interns were wavering as much on future plans as they originally had with forming their community.
Dania Ermentrout, formerly known as the Duke graduate, now is enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue a dual master's degree in public health and social work. The Tar Heel fans among us are encouraged by her new loyalty.
Robert Cristobal, our lone 'Northerner,' will be returning to Illinois to study at Seabury-Western, where he will keep his sights set on some day wearing a bishop's 'hat' and purple shirts.
Marsha Hamilton, Amy Grizzle, and Jack Mitchell are still unsure of their pursuits. Marsha hopes to enter the 9-5 working world and possibly even support herself on a salary a little more attractive than the $500 stipend the Johnson Interns received each month. Amy Grizzle is still bouncing between graduate schools. Her decisiveness during our internship year is failing her these days as she seeks to know truly what the best decision will be for her in the next year. Jack Mitchell is caught between deciding to breeze through the discernment process in a matter of months with his home parish in Tennessee or putting it off for a year. Either way, he will be in the Triangle area until the process is completed. In the meantime, he has been as aggressive in job searching as Marsha has.
From the five of us, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude and thanks to Chapel of the Cross and all the parishioners who have supported us this year in our role as Johnson Interns. We have all found a wonderful community in the church, in our worksites, and among each other. The Johnson Intern Program is truly a unique and formative stepping stone for us as young adults seeking to discover our dreams and perhaps even our mission in life. It has been an invaluable experience, and we thank you all for the opportunity, friendship, and kindness you have given us.
Elizabeth Shows
I have just previewed the interns' goodbye article to the Chapel of the Cross and it occurred to me that it is time for me to begin to say goodbye as well.
For the past two and a half years I have worked on the Johnson Intern Program, building it from the vision of a small few to a strong program that affects many folks. When I came back from Los Angeles two and a half years ago and heard that the Chapel of the Cross was thinking about putting together a year-long service program for young adults with an intentional Christian community living component, I was excited and energized by the forward vision of this church. I felt that I had to be a part of it. I am very grateful that you all have allowed me to be the one to help lay the foundation for this program and lead it through the first two years of interns.
I have learned a lot during my time here about working with non-profits, about grant writing and fundraising, and about the church. All of this will serve me well in my future work. I am leaving the Johnson Intern Program to pursue my master's in divinity at General Theological Seminary in New York City. I wish you all well as you continue next year with a new batch of interns. I feel confident that the program will continue to thrive with a new director and a very strong and dedicated board. Thank you for all of your support and your well-wishes.
A Message from the Board Chair
Fred Irons
When Elizabeth Shows came to us in October of 1999, the Johnson Intern Program was in the early planning stage. Stephen Stanley, Andy Dobelstein, John Covach, and Syd Alexander were still formulating ideas about an intentional Christian community with a strong social service and educational component. Elizabeth had just completed a year of service in a similar program in Los Angeles. She came highly recommended by Anne Hodges-Copple, who was her college chaplain at Duke. She joined us on faith. At the time, the vestry had only approved enough funding (from the Margaret Johnson bequest) to pay Elizabeth for about three months. There was great uncertainty of financial support beyond that period. But Elizabeth believed, and the vestry believed, and the program began to take shape.
Elizabeth worked with a steering committee under the leadership of John Covach to develop a vision for the program. From the beginning, she was a powerful advocate for the centrality of the Christian community experience. She also spoke to the importance of hands-on, person-to-person service work. She was very respectful of the prospective interns' time limitations and helped the steering committee maintain reasonable expectations in schedule development.
When implementation time arrived, Elizabeth demonstrated remarkable competency and a tremendous range of skills. Working cooperatively with the steering committee (later the board of directors), Elizabeth has been director, administrative assistant, counselor, supervisor, travel agent, project coordinator, spokesperson, fund-raiser, cook, bottle washer, and much more for the program. She has been most attentive to the individual and collective needs of the interns, and she has earned their confidence and respect. She has effectively championed the program and its ideals, often operating on faith when others doubted. And she has managed to be a pleasure to work with in the process.
Elizabeth will be leaving us in July. She begins at General Theological Seminary in New York in August. She leaves the Johnson Intern Program after two very successful years of full operation. We are much indebted to her. We will miss her, and we wish her Godspeed. Thank you, Elizabeth.
© 2002: Chapel of the Cross
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