Dana Chepulis
December 8, 2011
I love the Christmas season, not just for the nostalgic feelings, time with family, or many reasons to eat fattening food. I love the Christmas season most of all because of Advent- a period of reflection and anticipation of Christ's birth. It's a time when I can count all the blessings that God has given me the past year- and I sure do have a lot from 2011! Here are just a few that come to mind...
1. Deeper Relationships. Throughout 2011, I have become closer to the youth in our neighborhood that has led to more trust between one another. More specifically, I've had a deeper mentorship with a few teenage girls on our street that has allowed me to pour into their lives full-heartedly and create long-lasting bonds.
2. Guidance. God has blessed me with incredible women in my life who have helped guide me through the tougher situations in life. Because of them, I have grown tremendously this past year and have become more of the woman God has created me to be (you know who you are :)
3. Stewardship. From being a good steward of my money, to the earth I live on, to the food that is provided for me, to the way I spend my time, God has taught me to worship him through stewardship in all areas of my life.
4. Safety. God has protected my family, friends, and neighborhood through physical illnesses, mental and emotional stress, violence, and everything in between.
5. Provision. In 2011, God has provided me with a new apartment, a new church, great friends, financial help, a supportive family, and a job that allows me to discover my God-given purposes. That's a whole lot of provision!
6. Community. The Boston Project community is a family like no other. My co-workers and their families have poured greatly into my life and mine into theirs, truly displaying a community that God yearns us to have.
7. Faithfulness. Often times I find myself not knowing how needs are going to be met or how I'm going to get myself through a situation. However, God always remains faithful and sees me through all situations, no matter the circumstances.
I praise God for everyone that has supported me this year through prayer, financial support, and encouragement. Thank you all for your faithfulness!
November 22, 2011
For the past few weeks, I have been involved in a women's Bible study that is focused on the story of Jonah through a book by Priscilla Shirer. Just like the Nor' easter storm interrupted a lot of our lives last week, God put a few storms and interruptions into Jonah's plans as well.
In the study, Shirer discusses how God calls us to follow his will and how we sometimes disobey that calling because it seems too extreme for our daily lives. How often do I do this in my life! Following God can be tough, especially when it goes against our plans for ourselves. Thankfully, God gives us second chances and creates beautiful things out of our ugly mistakes.
As I work through Jonah, I recognize that my life all too often mirrors his. I have a way of letting God know what I want and sometimes get frustrated when He does things His way. An example: At the Boston Project, we are currently running our Homework Center program. The numbers of students aren't as high as the end of last school year because another local organization started their own after-school program only two blocks away.
Annoyed that a lot our students were going to the new program, I was angry with the other organization. Little did I know that God was orchestrating greater things . Patrick*, a neighborhood youth new to the Homework Center, started coming faithfully every day. As I got to know him, I realized God was giving me the time I needed to get to know Patrick - something that would not have happened if our numbers were high at Homework Center. I then became grateful for the time I got to spend with Patrick.
God is good at interruptions. A little hiccup in my life can go a long way by taking my focus off my selfish desires and steering my heart into God's direction. He shows me that He is in charge and in control. God never gives up on me, even when I turn my back on Him. God only takes my ashes and makes them into beauty for His kingdom.
October 5, 2011
I'm officially done with my first year of AmeriCorps working at the Boston Project and am onto year number 2! As I swiftly transition into my second year, this poem by Wendell Berry lays on my heart.
"Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion -- put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go.
Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection. "
September 28, 2011
Well, now that fall is officially here, it's probably time that I update on how my summer went! There is SO MUCH to talk about that I decided I should just put everything in 2 different categories and list all the funness of Summer 2011. "The Boston Project Crazy Times" includes my work with Junior Park Patrol and my attempt of being the supervisor of 12 middle school-aged youth. The second,"Dana's Grand Adventures", is pretty self-explanatory. If any of you know me, you know it's so hard for me to not tell a huge long story with each bullet point- so if you want to know good stories, email me! I'll promise make them entertaining.
So here it goes, my summer in Boston:
The Boston Project Crazy Times
Pulled weeds out of the Lee Academy almost every day (and lost most of my youth in those weeds because they were too short to be seen above the jungle of green)! We were fixing up the outdoor classroom so the students at the Lee can use it come the fall to learn about the environment.
Helped the production of the Children's Community Garden at 106 Norfolk Street with the Senior Park Patrol and Junior Park Patrol. So exciting!
Showed the youth what a zucchini is and that vegetables can taste delicious if you bake them in a loaf with a lot of sugar and call it zucchini bread haha. It was awesome watching them learn to love vegetables, even onions, once we prepared them in a healthy way for them. 
Attempted to "krump" (a type of dance) at The Spot (an anti-violence teen cafe the Boston Project hosts once a week in the summer), thus proving that 1.) I cannot dance and 2.) I am old (if you didn't know what krumping was, you're old too.) Don't worry, I won't put a picture of me dancing pathetically. Just a picture of me at the Spot with my friend Romaine!
Created incredible relationships with the youth in our neighborhood, which has only furthered my passion to see these young people grow into leaders in their community 
Dana's Grand Adventures
Helped rescue a baby seal on the Cape Cod shoreline while hiking the Great Island
Hiked many foothills, including Mount Major, which looks over all of Lake Winnapasakee in New Hampshire. I barely made it up, but I did it.
Took lots of boat rides and learned how to water ski with my family
Went to numerous Red Sox games (although I'm a Yankees fan, in my opinion, you can never go to too many baseball games.)
Had some incredible visits from my family, including my little sister, Leiloni, and her best friends, and a sisters weekend with both my sisters, Jody and Leiloni.
Made LOTS of new friends and was able to grow closer to the ones I had made before the summer. We spent a lot of time dancing, running through sprinklers, floating on rivers in New Hampshire, kayaking, and eating way too much food (as usual.)
There's a whole lot more that could be added to this list, but that's a few highlights to help you get a visual. This summer was incredible and by far the most memorable for me in Boston. I'm excited to see the many adventures I'll be taking as I enter into my second term in AmeriCorps with the Boston Project. I just moved in with Liz and Ben Cressy, Homework Center will start next week, and I don't have to sweat anymore because it's finally getting cold out- I'm feeling good!
May 25, 2011
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Psalm 65:9-13
Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, you don't really get to see a lot of farms, large gardens, or harvesting. Sure, I grew up with a small family garden in my backyard that had zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and other veggies, but I never had any interest in learning how to grow things. I always just got annoyed when my parents made me water the plants before I went to hang out with my friends. I knew the importance of taking care of God's earth and how he appointed us as the authority over all other living things. But I wasn't really sure how that played out.
There's this big buzz word going on right now: "green". My generation has taken lead in acting towards a more environmentally and justifiably sound society. We are the hippies like in our parents generation, but in the middle of a recession and with an overload of student loans to pay off. Things like bike riding, veggie-oil fueled cars, community gardens, DIY clothes, composting, and communal living are just a few examples on how my generation has turned green during a time where the world is at a stand-still financially. If there should be a fad that everyone wants to be apart of, I think this one is it.
However, when I take a step back and read what God says about his Earth, I think to myself, "Shouldn't have I been living like this all along, not because we have limited options right now, but because it's what God has asked of us?" I read this passage in Psalm and realize the divine artwork that is our planet. God did such an incredible job when he created the world- why wouldn't we want to live an environmentally sound lifestyle?
Yesterday, I interviewed a 12 year old boy for our Junior Park Patrol staff. JPP is a leadership program we offer in the summer for 12-14 year old's to teach them about green space and environmental justice in our neighborhood. I asked him the question: "If I gave you $1000 to make a change in our neighborhood, how would you use the money?"
His response: "I would plant a lot of gardens and parks to make things easier for all living things. Humans need a place to see God's Earth, and animals need a place to live. Everyone has a role in life and when we hurt the environment, we are making it harder for all creatures to live their life the way God intended them to."
If a 12 year old can realize that God gave us this Earth as a gift so that we may peacefully live our lives the way he had intended, than why do I have such a tough time living my life environmentally justified? May we as Christians continue being an example of God's love and justice to a hurting world by taking care of the home he gave us and the creatures within it by being environmentally conscious and actively aware.
April 5, 2011
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
My whole life I grew up loving the outdoors. Being born on Earth Day, my parents always said God purposely did that because he knew how much I would end up loving nature.
So when I say to you that I've been wandering in the wilderness lately, you might think that I'm enjoying myself on a nice vacation. Unfortunately, it's not! I've been journeying through the wilderness that the Bible discusses in Exodus when the Israelites were sent into the desert and commanded to wait for the Lord. It's the kind when God doesn't seem visible to the person crying out his name. This kind of wilderness is deep and emotional, and it hurts.
Although I am physically stable in Boston, my heart has been on a journey of discovering who I am in Christ and the responsibilities that come with that. Over time, I started to feel more discouraged when realizing my imperfections that have come into focus lately. I felt like there was no relief from the constant battle within myself. It felt like God didn't have any plans to help me out any time soon, either.
Last week, the Boston Project hosted a spring break trip of college students for a mission's trip. I had the privilege of watching each person learn in-depth God's love for the least of these. I witnessed a college student struggle with the injustices of homelessness when he met a 17-year-old boy who lived on the streets. Others were deeply moved while interacting with a 60-year-old woman dedicates her life to rescue expired food, only to redistribute it to those in need.
At the end of the week, I felt more encouraged than ever before. By simply watching God move the hearts of 16 college students, my heart was moved as well. I had a renewed love for the city, a deeper appreciation for my community, and refreshed eyes to see that God never once left me stranded.
God never leaves us- sometimes he's not where we are looking. I had to learn to search for Christ in whatever situation we are in and focus our eyes to wherever he may be. Once we can do that, we will be led out of the wilderness and into his glorious light!
October 25, 2010
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12-13
For two years, I have dedicated my summers as a staffer to The Boston Project Ministries. In 2008, I was a part of the Summer Mission's Program as a staff counselor. Then at the end of my academic year in 2010, I completed a communications internship for my degree from Liberty University. Paul (our Executive Director) graciously offered me a job as the first Summer Communication's Director for The Boston Project. I had an incredible time each summer, learning from other staff and the youth about the love of Christ and discovering who I am as a woman of God.
However, once I finished my internship in August with The Boston Project, I thought my time with the ministry was over. I had a sincere desire to move back to Virginia, where my college was located, and start some ministry work of my own much like The Boston Project. I think Boston is great, but I couldn't deny the love I have for the Blue Ridge Mountains, my close friends, and the comfort of my old life, which was all stationed in VA. So, I tried my hardest to move back to the South. Little did I know what God was preparing for my life!
Through many closed doors, it was apparent that it wasn't the right time to move to VA. This realization put me in a place of complete discomfort. This whole time I was mentally prepared to move to the South. Now what was I going to do? A few weeks of desperation and depression entered my life in the month of September. I couldn't find a job and couldn't find peace.
Than, through a short conversation with my friend Liz Boyd, the opportunity to move back to Boston came into perspective. A position opened up through AmeriCorps that would allow me to work with the ministry and pursue two of my passions; communications and working with youth. I had three-to-five days to decide whether or not to take the job with The Boston Project. A conversation with my family and three days of non-stop prayer made it obvious that God was working out where I should be this whole time. I just had to open my stubborn eyes to see that.
So here I am! Ready to work, learn, love, and play. I'm very excited to see where this year will take me. I know God has tons of things in store for me as a new Bostonian. Please keep my safety, health, and future in your prayers. I can't wait to share my adventures with all of you.
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