Maximizer

Darbi and I attended the Grace Fellowship again this morning. The diversity among those who attend, yet who are able to worship together without discomfort, is utterly amazing. Seeking faith in the U.S.A., where it is so easy, involves so many impediments - social class, experience, denomination. In a distant land where the people in the room couldn't be more diverse if they tried, there is overwhelming peace with self and other that verifies the true love of God.

The visiting minister (who has been with Grace for the last three months) spoke about three "M"s - motivation, ministry, and mission. These are obviously very important to faith but they reminded me of three other "M"s that were the topic of conversation among some of us who went out with Susan Komives the other night. Someone had described the ex-patriots who come to Qatar as either missionaries, mercenaries, or misfits. From the moment I heard these terms I've struggled because my perception is that not one of these "M"s results in the kind of role and service that I see as worthy. I've searched my brain for days trying to figure out a fourth "M." Finally it occurred to me this morning as the pastor was describing his "M"s. The "M" that I hope I embrace and that I hope is characteristic of many ex-pats is maximizer. The maximizer is an individual who knows there is work to be done, looks for her/his and others' resources, draws all together, and approaches the task with optimism and conviction.
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Once I escaped the "M"s, I also started thinking about what it takes to become a maximizer. I thought of the sequence of humility, inclusivity, and affirmation as the keys. When you think of people whose motivation is to change others (i.e. mission) or whose purpose is to advance themselves (mercenary), there's not much that is likely to result in terms of the common good. For certain, the misfit will struggle. However, it seems that if we started with humility about who we are, coupled that with a commitment to include as much as possible, then we would have the kind of affirming environment that would maximize the potential of all.

I've seen a few unfortunate souls here who are missionaries, mercenaries, or misfits, but those who are making a difference and have the spirit to stick with it, are all about maximizing their own effectiveness and working with others so they can as well.

These images are of the Ceremonial Court at Education City at night. Tonight is a calm, warm, and beautiful night and I couldn't resist taking some nighttime pictures. In a few days, the Class of 2008 of four of our six Education City branch campuses will graduate. They will come to this Ceremonial Court to experience the passage into a life of purpose and promise.

Transforming learning in the Gulf

I've had a pretty eventful week - starting with a 2-day visit of Dr. Susan Komives. Susan joined us as our first Qatar Foundation Education Division Visiting Scholar. She set a very high standard for any to follow but the good thing was that she created an appetite in us all that will encourage everyone to participate in future similar events. We kept her very busy with a keynote, workshops, consultations, and guiding us in a retreat. Susan brought so much value to our community through her command of everything from the "Learning Reconsidered" model to leadership issues to her new role as President-elect of the Council for the Advancement of Standards. We're conducting an evaluation which will tell us how successful we were in helping everyone at Education City understand that student affairs work has a body of research and theory and that we can enhance our impact with students by joining together across academic and student affairs units.

It is obvious that Education City has a great deal to offer. Our facilities, the staff of Qatar Foundation and the Education City branches, bright and highly motivated students, and resources to help us do our work. We also benefit from not being inhibited by lots of history and routine. We have the opportunity to create rich learning for students by doing what makes sense, rather than being confined by old models. The only problem is that it's hard to build a team from a collection of people who are so diverse in education and life experiences. The diversity is clearly a strength but it does not make the process easier; in fact, it makes it harder.

The importance of creating shared understanding and language cannot be underestimated. We're in a stage where we are building meaning through every phrase we utter. I'm sure that much of my regular communication sounds like jargon to some. To me, it's just the way I think. However, I know that many words that I use do not carry the same depth of meaning that I intend. We're trying to create shared language that will eventually become the short-hand communication that will more quickly and fully inform each other.

Measuring life's experience

I've been involved in hosting my family in Qatar, returning for the ACPA Convention in Atlanta, and then visiting back in Oxford over the last couple of weeks. It was very fun but I had a lot facing me as I tried to return to a little more routine. I have now realized that my return included slipping into a rather frantic routine that denied the deep joy of the experiences I had - and then I remembered the following quote that I heard while at the ACPA convention:

"Life is measured not by the number of breaths we take but by the times our breath is taken away."

When things get a bit overwhelming, how true a statement. As I reflect on the opportunity to introduce the rest of my family to my new life in the Gulf, it brings such joy to my heart. We had some pretty incredible times together as we toured both in Doha and then in Muscat, Oman. Both of these cities are modern and comfortable cities but they do have elements that remind us that we are in a different area of the world. The first pictures here are of us as we took an afternoon/evening cruise on a Dowh (ancient pearling boat used in this area of the world). The skyline of Doha is behind us in the family picture and one of the other Dowhs passing by us has a closer shot of the skyline of West Bay of Doha.









The second set of pictures are of the Great Mosque in Muscat and of the Corniche in the older area of the coast, a short way from the Mosque. We were not able to go into the Mosque because we arrived too late in the day but the exterior was no less spectacular and was well worth seeing.








The Coniche at dusk reveals the bustling charm of what has been a prosperous sea-side community for years. All the way back to the shipping days of the "Silk Road," and later during the Portuguese occupation of this port, Oman has been a crossroads of the Arabian Gulf and a gateway between Europe and the far east. It is truly a beautiful area of the world and the people are as engaging and friendly as one could hope.

Once our touring was over, I returned with Diane, Devin, and Steve to the U.S.A. (hard to leave Darbi behind as she was undergoing shoulder surgery) to go to Atlanta for the ACPA Convention. I saw many colleagues and friends who I hadn't seen for a while and I told the story of moving to Qatar more times than I can count. It seemed that every one of them was a new revelation as I found a different way to express my delight with the experiences I'm having. Once ACPA concluded, I returned to Ohio for a few days before returning to begin the catch-up process.

All of this is to say that I've been on a whirlwind but one that has reminded me how deeply blessed I am. There are so many things about my health, the fulfillment of my career, and the closeness of my family that bring gasps of joy. Occasionally I get so wrapped up that I forget; it's in those moments when I have to remind myself to take a minute to reflect. When I have those little momentary gasps of realization, I am reminded that I've been drawn into something that is so very powerful. Powerful in potential, powerful in the challenge of my work, and powerful in relationships I have.

It is times like this that life's experiences truly are not measured by the number of breaths I take but the number of times my breath is taken away.