Krystle Blanchard, 3L
International Justice Mission, Washington, D.C.
My summer started out pretty
disappointing: I had plans to go with International Justice Mission (IJM), the organization of my dreams, to be a legal
intern in Kenya, the exact kind of place where I could see myself using my
education in human rights law. Those high hopes nearly crashed completely with
one call which bore bad news about the increasing security issues in Kenya and
IJM’s decision to pull all interns out (and refrain from sending more).
Needless to say, when I had the chance nonetheless to remain with IJM for the
summer in their Washington, D.C. headquarters, I could not be more thankful. At
least half of my hopes could come true!
There’s a reason for
everything. This summer, I’ve had the amazing opportunity not only to work with
a very successful organization doing exactly what I have a passion for, but to
see the ways that God uses ordinary people to accomplish his purposes in the
context of professional excellence. And while I was disappointed not to be
doing it from Kenya, I can see how God used my time in D.C. to grow me
spiritually and professionally in ways I don’t think would have been possible
while dealing with assimilation to a whole new culture.
I’ve always had difficulty
dealing with what seems to be a dichotomy between Christianity and excellence
in the business world, but my time working in IJM headquarters has shown me
exactly what that looks like. The most striking thing about this organization,
in my opinion, is the way that Gary Haugen, IJM’s founder and CEO, runs it. He
is the essence of a humble and professional leader who strives for excellence
not only in the organization he founded, but in his personal and spiritual life
as well. The best part is that his example overflows into every other part of
the organization, resulting in what I’m sure to be the most unique organization
in the world.
For one thing, he has chosen
to dedicate a whole hour of every working day to the Lord. Thirty minutes every
morning is given for each employee to practice stillness, a time to reflect,
pray, and be spiritually prepared for the day. Then, at 11:00 each day, the
whole office gathers together for 30 minutes to lift up praises and prayers to
the Lord for what He is doing in the organization. The humble leadership that
emanates not only from Gary, but from all leadership, is truly astounding.
A common theme in the office
is the intentional pursuit of joy. The concept of pursuing joy was new to me,
but it makes total sense in an organization that is fighting injustice day-in
and day-out, often standing in the face of the most grotesque perpetrators and
saddest stories. In this line of work, it is so important to pursue joy—especially
for those abroad working with victims. However, I have learned this summer that
the pursuit of joy is necessary even for those of us who don’t have any
first-hand experience with that pain.
For me, the pursuit of joy
has been necessary almost for the opposite reason. It’s hard sometimes to think
about the fact that I could be there, seeing the people affected by police
violence illegal detention and making the fight that much more worthwhile. It’s
difficult sometimes to remind myself that the research I do on my own, in a
small intern cubby in the chilly D.C. office, matters just as much as the work
they are doing in Kenya. I have to pursue joy, because otherwise I can easily
get bogged down with thoughts about how I should be working internationally
somewhere, seeing things first-hand… as if that would make a difference
somehow. I’ve learned how selfish it is of me to think in that way, and that
that kind of thinking is the thief of joy. While the kind of joy that it may be
stealing is completely different from the kind of joy that is drained from
every-day work in the trenches of a field office, my joy is just as much at
stake. And in reality, I think that’s just as much the case in everyday life,
when things are normal. It’s easy to start thinking, often selfishly, about how
things could be better, and instead of taking captive those thoughts and being
thankful for life and our own ability to offer up work as a form of worship to
God, we allow the joy to seep slowly out of us.
This summer I’ve been given
the opportunity to research and write memos proposing new procedures for the
Kenyan judiciary. These procedures, if put into place, will help ensure that
innocent men who are accused of crimes will be given necessary process before
being thrown in jail for years to await trial. They will help a person like one
of IJM’s current clients, who has been in jail for over one and a half years
for a crime he did not commit, all the while unable to provide for his wife and
children. It is people like these that make my solitary days of research and
writing worthwhile. So, even though I can’t be there in Kenya to see the faces
of those I want to serve, I won’t let simple circumstances steal from me the
joy that comes from working for the Lord and fulfilling his call to seek
justice and defend the oppressed no matter where I am in the world.
