My dearest ones,
As I write this I am back in Colorado, going through what is called Transition Training, looking out from my cabin onto a mountain that is covered with pine trees. They declaim God’s creative and artistic heart. I have met one of my teammates and reconnected with another family who are on my team in Asia. It has been good to bond and ask them all my crazy questions. I came here not wanting to open my heart to any more people because it is so hard to say goodbye, but I am so glad and blessed that I continue to interact and desire friendships. I am learning how to best manage crises, what my personal culture style is and how it will or will not fit with the culture I will be entering, and that the number one way to be successful is to be continually connected with my Heavenly Father.
As you read this though, I have hopefully already departed for and landed in Asia. I imagine that as I unpack and get settled I will be going through many emotions. Transitions are never easy but ones to a different culture are even harder. Let me share with you some of my prayers.
*That God would provide an integral national woman who would befriend me-to assist me with cultural questions and to give me emotional and language encouragement.
*That I would quickly learn in culturally appropriate ways, how to say no, so that I don’t become overwhelmed and over stressed by doing too much.
*That I would strive to be Holy and not just Happy.
Your continual and faithful prayers for me are greatly appreciated and needed. As I begin to look for school, house sit, look for apartments, determine if I do or don’t want a roommate, discover where to buy vegetables, what places sell good quality meat, and get used to eating sea weed again; the knowledge that there is such a cloud of witnesses interceding for me when I am sleeping and when I wake will give me strength when I feel afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.
Yet, let us rejoice in the Goodness of God our Father !!! He has taken me in and out and around to bring me to this right place at the right time with the right people doing the right thing to glorify His name and bring His kingdom come. Through out the years that He has been preparing me for this time I was nawing at the bit wanting to be there, doing the work I knew I could do for Him. However, I look back on the years and I see that He orchestrated and guided me in ways that at times felt like crawling, to bring me to this place now. For had things been done in the swiftness that I wanted to go out into the world many of you would not know me let alone be a large part of this ministry. Praise the LORD for fulfilling His promise to give me a hope and a future using you.
Love, Denise
P.S. For the safety of those I work with and myself I will no longer use Christian-ese. God=Father, Church=family, prayer=think or talk to, Holy Spirit=helper, Jesus=Teacher, Bible=the Book. Any future communication with me in anyway, needs to avoid Christian dialog and phrases. Thank you for your sensitivity and support. Please change my mailing address to oci. They will get any personal notes or letters to me in Asia. My skype name is denise.jasmer. My email is now DeniseJ@worksmail.net xoxo Dj
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