#Del

Jul 24, 2012
2 min

5 Cool SIA-related Things

1. Sharing the Gift: Five groups of women in Malawi received SIA grants in 2009 to start their own bakeries and grocery shops. Then in May 2011 the women chose to honor the gift they had received from SIA by SHARING THE GIFT with Ms. Mickness Msumba also from their village. They contributed flour, sugar and skills to help Mickness open a scone shop. After one year in business Mickness reports that her business is continuing and that the extra income has helped her family beco

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SIA Team

Jun 26, 2012
3 min

Why I Serve

I went to a great “story swap” last night, where I and other non-profit professionals heard and shared our personal stories about what drives us to work for social change. The exchange of such inspiring stories left me yearning for more time to contemplate my motivations, core goals, and professional “origin story.” So until I have more time to reflect (during my family’s backpack trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains next month!), I’ll take just a bit of time and space now to

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SIA Team

Jun 5, 2012
2 min

On Fear – From Del’s Journal

Del Anderson, SIA’s founder, wrote this meditation on the topic of fear in his journal on March 13th, 1999, at the age of 92. For me, Del’s ornate, rich use of language forces me to slow down and read each sentence, soaking up the message in the ruminations. We are greater than we know. As we keep on keeping on, with God-awareness, and conscious choice and actions, we open out a way for the inner splendor within us to come forth in clarity and focus. What is reality and truth

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SIA Team

May 15, 2012
3 min

Role models that inspire SIA

Preparing for the Spirit in Action 16th Anniversary earlier this month gave me a chance to reflect on the role models that are the foundation of Spirit in Action’s vision. Below is my reflection on three leaders that keep me encouraged and inspired: We spent three days with Canaan Gondwe in Malawi and it felt like we were there for weeks. People had told us to prepare for “Africa time” nothing happens quickly or on-time. But Canaan had everything in order; he kept us on a tig

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SIA Team

May 8, 2012
2 min

MAVISALO: A national model in Malawi

Donna Thomas had the winning bid on this beautiful piece of cloth from DR Congo. Wherever we go in the world, we will look for the persons in that area who can become a role model for their world. — from Del Anderson’s Dream for Spirit in Action, 2004 This past weekend we celebrated sixteen years of sharing Del’s dream with the world through Spirit in Action. The gathering of twenty-three people was a special time to celebrate our work, bid on handicrafts from SIA partners, a

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Options: Better than Teaching a Man to Fish in the Desert

SIA Team

Feb 21, 2012
2 min

Options: Better than Teaching a Man to Fish in the Desert

Today’s post is by Jerry Elmer, a long-time friend of Spirit in Action.* Glory Tembo, who received a SIA grant in 2006, sells boiled fish in the Manyamula market (Malawi). Most everyone has heard the old adage, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” It sounds very profound – until you realize that teaching someone to fish is relatively useless if he lives in the desert.Recently, I’ve been in a sort of desert, myself,

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SIA Team

Jan 31, 2012
2 min

Spirit in Action is International

Our work is in the world. Our mission is to be a “worldwide network” and sometimes, holed-up in my Spirit in Action home office in Minnesota, I forget the truly global nature of SIA. I choose to see the the wide national and international reach of SIA as a positive characteristic of our organization. We bring people together from across the United States, North America, and the world – each sharing their perspective, traditions, and experiences with our strong network. **To r

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SIA Team

Jan 2, 2012
2 min

“Yes, Lord, Yes!”

As a new year begins, I take a moment to rededicate myself to serve God and the world by serving others. This week I repost a writing from Spirit in Action’s founder, Del Anderson. How often we follow society instead of the call of the Divine, pleasing people, not God. I believe every Trustee of Spirit in Action should be aware they are purposed to follow the Christ and to say often “Yes, Lord, yes!” Living in the world a person can live a noble life without risk, and that i

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SIA Team

Jul 12, 2011
1 min

Happy Birthday, Del!

105 years ago this Sunday, on July 17th 1906, Del Anderson was born in San Francisco amidst the rubble and destruction from the 1906 earthquake and fire. “It seems that he was an incredible man who lived a very purposeful life to the end,” remarked Chingwell Mutombu of First Step Initiative, who recently learned about Del’s life and service through Spirit in Action. Indeed, Del was active in his prayer life and letter writing, with a goal to send several letters each day, unt

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SIA Team

Jul 5, 2011
2 min

Spirit in Action in India

The work of Spirit in Action, to serve God by serving others through economic empowerment projects, rests on the strong relationships we have with our many partners around the world. In our early years, we relied on the many connections that our founder, Del Anderson, had made through his tenure as President of Camps Farthest Out (CFO) International, an organization that seeks to spread peace throughout the world through prayer. One such connection was with Cecil Coipollai, a

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SIA Team

Jun 21, 2011
1 min

The Journey to Success

Bwima Brigitte sells tomatoes in a Rwandan marketplace. “Success is a journey, not a destination.” When I am need of some inspiration and deepening of faith, I often turn to the writings of our founder, Del Anderson. He was a dedicated journal writer and processed many musings about Spirit in Action this way. For those who receive Spirit in Action Small Business Fund grants, the journey to success becomes a bit easier. The $150 micro-grant is not designed to get the group mem

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SIA Team

Apr 19, 2011
2 min

Gratitude from Marsha Johnson

*This is a guest blog post from Marsha Johnson, SIA Advisory Board member and retired SIA Administrator. ************************************************************ Today I received my Spirit in Action (SIA) Spring/Summer Newsletter, 2011. What a celebration of hope and accomplishment! I feel such deep gratitude for these last fifteen years of SIA’s prayerful unfolding. A BLESSED 15TH ANNIVERSARY TO SPIRIT IN ACTION! Joy and gratitude to all those who have been part of SIA

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From Del’s Journal: "Our Goal: To Please God, Not Men"

SIA Team

Mar 29, 2011
2 min

From Del’s Journal: "Our Goal: To Please God, Not Men"

A writing from Spirit in Action’s founder, Del Anderson. Written sometime before 2004. How often we follow society instead of the call of the Divine, pleasing people, not God. I believe every Trustee of Spirit in Action should be aware they are purposed to follow the Christ and to say often “Yes, Lord, yes!” Living in the world a person can live a noble life without risk, and that is okay for the world, but Jesus has overcome the world and He has challenged us to go and do l

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SIA Team

Dec 21, 2010
2 min

Christmas Traditions Around the World

From Del’s Journal: Christmas Day 1998 “To love our own soul opens us to receive the Divine. Praying without acting is a spiritual procrastination, a process of waiting for a miracle outside ourselves. This is a denial of our own empowerment, power of choice, and personal responsibility. God can do no more for us than God can do through us.” ******* I asked some of SIA’s international partners about how they spend Christmas. Their traditions are perhaps not all that differen

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From Del's Journal: Receiving God's Gifts

SIA Team

Nov 9, 2010
2 min

From Del's Journal: Receiving God's Gifts

I am learning, “the great power of prayer is not in asking, but in learning how to receive.” Receiving requires acceptance and willing obedience. It requires us to fasten our gaze on the Christ and let (allow) God to re-make us in His image and perfect pattern. This process of cooperating with God requires us to know ourselves, to appreciate and respect ourselves and to be true to ourselves. We learn to be aware of God’s All-Presence (Lo, I am with you always) to give Him o

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SIA Team

Sep 28, 2010
2 min

From Del's Journal: Peacemakers

From this day in Del’s Journal – September 28, 2002 “God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons and daughters of God.” (Mathew 5:9) Being and expressing this peace and participating with God in bringing peace here on earth as it is in heaven (in the invisible) is an activity of being a co-creator with God. Bringing peace on earth is being in God’s grace activity and also bri

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SIA Team

Aug 10, 2010
2 min

Daily Inspiration

When I look at the world around me I sometimes get overwhelmed by the sadness, hopelessness, and violence that are ever-present in some people’s lives. I see the great need and wonder how I can possibly make a change. Also, how can I continue Spirit in Action’s important work when it seems to make a small dent in the overall need? First, it is important to think of everything as making baby steps towards progress. Each relationship I build is an opportunity to encourage peopl

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“There must be a sharp focus on compassion”

SIA Team

Jul 27, 2010
2 min

“There must be a sharp focus on compassion”

Del Anderson, the founder of Spirit in Action, was a prodigious and dedicated journal writer and here in the SIA office I am lucky enough to have many of his actual journals. He seemed to use his writing time as a moment to let his thoughts flow, allowing time to explore his ideas about God, our purpose, love, and anything else that came up. He used regular 1-subject lined notebooks and a four-color pen, wildly switching colors and adding emphasis and extra words to his sente

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SIA Team

May 31, 2010
2 min

Nonviolence and the Promotion of Peace

I have long been intrigued by the connection between peace and prosperity. When people are safe and free I believe they are better able to participate in their local communities and economies. As they become involved, they create prosperity and security for themselves and those around them. It all starts with peace. Del Anderson, Spirit in Action’s founder, wrote often about finding peace within oneself and sharing it with others. In 2002 Del wrote, “Being and expressing this

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SIA Team

Jan 18, 2010
1 min

SIA Office Moves to California!

The Spirit in Action office has recently moved from snowy Minneapolis to settle in rainy Santa Cruz, California! Our new address is: PO Box 3384 Santa Cruz CA 95063 Behind the desk are file cabinets with several of Del Anderson’s notebooks and journals. I pulled one out the other day and read this great piece of insight from Del, dated May 14, 1989: “God is limitless, all limitation is in our consciousness. Our work is to express God in all aspects. As we choose to believe an

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