Official Newsletter for December 2016!!

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"In the meadow we can build a snowman,Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.  He'll say: Are you married? We'll say: No man, But you can do the job, When you're in town. Later on, we'll conspire, As we dream by the fire To face unafraid, The plans that we've made, Walking in a winter wonderland."

Merry Christmas!

I hope that this year finds you surrounded by family and friends. But even if it doesn’t I hope that you have the hope that truly matters. A hope rooted on the life, death, and resurrection of the man whose human life we celebrate on Christmas day!!  

I am spending this Christmas with my family. It will be the first Christmas since 2011 that I have spent with them. I am so excited to be with them. I am excited to fill stockings for my two nieces and two nephews and to sing carols together. It is so exciting to contemplate being with those I love the most. 

This past year has been a very busy one. One that had so many surprises and changes. Last Christmas I was still going to the clinic that I thought may work out for me to be employed by. Last Christmas I was not dating anyone. Last Christmas I taught Biology at the homeschool co-op but I was not housing students. Last Christmas all five of my close women friends were still living in Kunming. Last Christmas I was on a team that was working on Permeate. Last Christmas if you had told me that I would be a year away from almost married I would have laughed in your face. 

This Christmas I plan to continue working with Eden and the Home School Co-op but don’t anticipate any medical work for the time being.  This Christmas I am engaged. This Christmas I am a teacher and a dorm mom. This Christmas all my closet women friends except one have moved out of Kunming. This Christmas I find myself on so many teams but there is no team for Permeate. This Christmas if you told that I would be a mother in a year I may actually believe you. 

There are lots of changes ahead-please continue to lift Luke and I up. I feel a little overwhelmed by all the possible changes. However, Celebrating the King of kings puts everything into perspective.  What changes are upcoming in your life? Please pray for me and Luke to continue to grow in favor with God and man, that we would seek Him first in all our ways, that we would trust and obey, and that we would walk humbly. Please contemplate what or who you are trusting in for your future. I pray that you also will trust in the King of kings to guide and direct your path. 

You will not get a newsletter from us until We have returned back to China sometime after Feb. 

Love and Merry Christmas!

Denise and Luke too!!

Official December 2015 Newsletter

Alleluia, we can sing it. Alleluia, heaven’s ringing. Alleluia!  Endless hope and relentless joy started with a Baby Boy.”

 Baby Boy by For King and Country

Merry Christmas! 

This is my first official newsletter after getting back into the swing of things here. (written Oct 27th) I had a wonderful time in the States. Getting reconnected with many of you was such a blessing to me. One of my favorite things I got to do with my dad on this trip was that I got to canoe down part of the James River. 

It just a good time in Father’s world, seeing His beauty, working hard, and being with my dad. We were doubly or triply blessed because we were visited by an Asian Big Head Carp. It just jumped out of the river into our canoe.  It was startling and exciting. 

This made me think about how much of that canoe trip is how I want my life to look like. I want to be sitting in the front of my boat (life) looking and acting like I am directing it’s way. While someone else (dad/Father) does the real paddling and actual steering. I want to appreciate all the lands and animals go by and just enjoy my ride. Then I want to suddenly have fruit, a giant fish in my lap. 

But usually, most of us, don’t find that this is how life works. Usually I am sitting in the front of my boat (life) feeling and sometimes acting like I don’t know which way is the way to go. Likely as not paddling against what the man behind me (Father) is trying to do. Causing waves and not getting very far. Sometimes, I see the world around me as Father’s handy work but more often I have critical eyes that find the things that need to be changed. And in reality-if I want to see a fish in my lap (fruit) I have to be patient with the right tools and with the right attitude. Sometimes it takes years. It can be exhausting all that waiting. 

This endless hope and relentless joy that is sung about in the song above is a great mystery that comes to followers of Father’s Son. It is a hope and joy that permeates our souls even when we are tired, worn down, troubled, angry, or saddened. It overrides our basic emotions and settles deep inside. If you don’t know the Son this all sounds rather strange-but I bet you have longed for that kind of hope, peace, and joy. 

This life of mine is good. I am blessed beyond what I deserve. But it can exhaust me. Before I came back to the States I was tired but I was not joyless. The beauty, familiarity, and love I experienced during my time in the States refreshed me and between the gifts I received from our good Father and the encouragement I received from many of you I regained energy for this upcoming year of service.

We are currently waiting on our government partner to guide us to our next school but I do get to meet with some partners of Eden this upcoming week. It is shaping up to be a good and busy year.  

I hope that your year is filled with things that bless you. Mostly, though, I hope that you can find the endless hope and relentless joy that comes from knowing and loving and serving Christ Jesus. 

Christmas in February!

Merry Christmas from the Small Group that meets at Denise's house every Wednesday! 

Okay, it doesn't always meet at my house, sometimes it is at other people's house. And I know that it is already February. I am going to be busy writing newsletters and posting blogs today. I hope that this 2014 day finds you free. Free in many ways to which I will elaborate more on later.  Today I submit to those of you who didn't get it in your mail box-Denise's Christmas letter.

Oh such Amazing Grace/A divine conspiracy/This Savior in a manger changes everything/That's why we sing/Noel, Noel, Jesus is alive-Jesus is Alive by Josh Wilson

In 2011, I was blessed to get to spend Christmas in the United States.  While I was home I heard a lot of Christmas music. Many of the songs I heard were classics. Some were new. The one that struck me so significantly was the one I have quoted above. My favorite line was not the line I quoted.  The reason it was my favorite because it speaks of the fact that when we have reached heaven all the evil and horrible things will be made right. 

The old will pass away

And we will become new (Jesus is alive)

This baby boy is making all sad things untrue

This year that last phrase is extremely potent because of all the wrong things we are battling against.  Since September we have been going into schools and sharing with the students, teachers, and administration the different risks of trafficking.  

While working with these people I have been able to see how important it is to have people in places of influence who understand and are cooperative with the goals of a project.  

Because at this time we have hit many road blocks to this kind of cooperation. The school administrators do not hold as a high value the protection of their students or that those who are struggling in school are just as valuable as those who excel.  Not that these adults want harm to come to their students or that they didn’t wish that the students who don’t excel would excel. It is more a matter of job pressure and the amount of time in one day. 

They are mostly concerned for themselves. What will help their job security and gain them more favor from their co-workers and their bosses. To do this they must help the students who do excel to SHINE to their most potential.  Although this mind set is understandable in the culture and the climate that permeates China, it is not conductive to our project or our purpose. 

Many times I have felt very angry at these school leaders and their self centered mentality. Thankfully I know that these people are suffering from the same sickness that I do.  Sin is a pandemic that affects us all. The only way we can start to live in a way that is focused on the good of others is to get the cure. Jesus is the cure.

As of yet these educators do not have the cure and so I need to give them grace. The same grace I have been given. So I intend to continue to model the love of Him who loved me first to those who don’t have that love. I am going to lead by example to care for those who are overlooked and underdogged. I am going to press on when I want to give up because I know that the joy of showing this kind of love is one that cannot be matched.  For truly Josh Wilson said it well when he sings: This Savior in a manger changes everything!!

My deep thanks and gratitude for all of you who faithfully and continually petition for me and mine. I am planning to be in the States for about four months this 2014. Mostly I will be in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska. But I will have some opportunity to be in a couple of other States for quick trips or visits.   If you would be interested in seeing me or having lunch please email me at: DeniseJ@worksmail.net.   I will let you know when I will be available.   

Christmas is coming!!

 

 The adventure of launching the School Program was quickly over shadowed by the excitement of the Christmas Fair that comes to my city every year. Angela and I went directly from the number 12 middle school to the site of the Christmas Fair. It was packed with people. 

Since I have been involved with the Youth Group I had to help man the face painting booth. It was a blast and exactly what I needed to keep my mind off the burning question of Why did Mr. Lee not come to watch my presentation? So we worked hard at the Fair by painting 400 faces and we made $320 toward the Youth Group's rent. YAY!!!

While we were there the group of ladies that I see on a weekly basis to study Father's Word decided to have Christmas pictures taken. It was a blast. You can tell how much fun we were having. This is often how we feel when we are all together. I feel so very blessed to have these women in my life. Without them and their constant encouragement I would feel less at home here in this place so far from where the rest of my family and friends live. :)

So, while I am busy telling you about my Christmas preparations I thought I would take some photo's of my decorations in my home as well. Last year when I was in the states I was introduced to Scentsy. When I came back I brought with me some of their products but until now was unable to use them because of the difference in outlet voltage. But this month a dear friend moved to a different city and she gave me her voltage converter.   So the scents floating around in my house right now are of cinnamon and cloves. A most Christmasy smell.

 I have lights up and my advent calendar hanging on my wall. 

 

The tree is set up and the ornaments are merry and bright. I have my favorite Christmas albums loaded on my ipod and I have been watching many classic Christmas movies when ever I am able.  

 

 I have my traditional Christmas tree topper on the top of my little tree. I have had this Christmas tree topper since my first Christmas tree. It makes my tree feel like home. I love my little aluminum star. My dad made it. It is a reminder that even though Christmas celebrates the birth of Our Saviour it is the traditions we use to celebrate it that make every year special. 

 

 

This red bird is a tradition in my family and this year we have had some delightful discussions regarding how it started and what is keeping the tradition and what is breaking it.  I hope that you have some Christmas traditions that make every year celebrating special.

 

 

Christmas Cookie Exchange!!

So this lovely Friday I have been preparing for this evening's event, a cookie exchange. It has been a very very trying adventure. I usually only bake one of about five different items and although they are delicious, none of them would be classified as Christmas. So I searched high and low for Christmasy cookie recipes. So technically it is my own fault that this day has been so hectic for everyone knows that you never use a recipe for a public event that you haven't tried at home first.

So my first great disaster was the Easy Coconut Macaroon recipe. The only ingredients were shredded coconut, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and almond extract. Mix and spoon drop on to greased pan and bake. Sounds so very easy. So I followed directions and instead of the beautiful light brown mounds emerging from my oven I got flattened out gooeyness with burned bottoms. No one wants to eat those, so I made an emergency call to Kristi and she suggested I add an egg white to the remaining mixture. I did and the remaining mix made 6 beautiful macaroons. Not really enough for a cookie exchange, but enough to take and eat.

The second almost disaster was a Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookie. It was so runny that I had no hopes that it would solidify into cookies that one could actually eat, but they sort of did. Each cookie is a little more sticky than I had hoped, but they will do.

The third disaster slash mistake was my Oreo Snow Balls. Everything was going well until I began to melt the white chocolate to dip them into. This is when you realize that shelf life of products does matter. For when I tried to melt the first package of chocolate in the microwave instead of melting it sort of crumbled into a pile of white crumbly stuff and then proceeded to burn. It was really gross. So I used the other package on the stove this time and had a relatively good amount to use for half of the balls I had made. Once it was all used up I had to use the baker's chocolate. I forgot that it was unsweetened. So the other half of the snow balls are very dark chocolate flavored. I will take them to the party but will have to warn everyone regarding dark dirty snow balls.

My fourth disaster, Mocha Crinkles, will be the least noticeable at the party. Something went terribly wrong with the dough. It was supposed to be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours until firm and able to mold into balls. I kept it there over night, assuming that more hours would mean firmer dough. However, it was the most sticky dough ever and it was disgusting. I had to put it in the freezer for several hours and then could only roll four cookies at a time before re-freezing it. It was a very slow process. The end result isn't too bad though.

I am finished and awaiting the time to go to the party and I am tired. And my baking self esteem is a little low. Tragic.

Weirdness Come to Life!!

So, I put up my little Christmas tree last week and it is so sparkly and happy and bright. I know that many of you have huge, beautiful, real Christmas trees and I am so very happy for you. Each ornament I placed on the tree had special significance to me. Most of them were from my parents. But some of them were gifted to me from very dear friends. As each one found it's own little resting place the tree became less and less a tree and more and more a reminder to me of how wonderful life is and how beautiful each one of us is to make our life, by adding our own little characteristics to what would be an ordinary life. Our little quirks and idiosyncrasisms are God's way of making each one of us special and beautiful. I am so very blessed to know so many weird and lovely people and I know that it is because of the weirdness around me that makes me happy.

Yesterday, I was walking down this little street and two little girls were standing on the side of it and as I got nearer to them one of them said hello to me. This of course is not an unlikely thing to happen to me, but this day it tickled me pink and so I said hello back and I smiled to them in my best friend smile. I continued to walk and when I got about ten paces past them I turned around and both girls were giggling and still watching me, so I waved and both little girls smiled and covered their enormous grins with their hands and as I turned back to continue on my journey all I could be was happy. Each of us giving a bit of brightness into the others life-but this would never have happened if we hadn't let in or out our weirdness.

Think back over your life and picture those you love the most the ones who have placed superior knowledge into your mind, the ones who have made you laugh so hard you almost peed your pants or had food squirt out your nose, what about the ones who know you so well they can tell when you are not doing well just by looking at you, or the individuals who you don't really know very well but stick out in your memories as one who knew who he was, and lastly those who made you realize that you were not insignificant. Each group made a very important impact in your life and why was that? Because they embraced what was special and let it out into the world to make it a better place.

Just like my little metalic green pickle ornament, it is special not only because it is a pickle and those are my favorite food but also because of the weirdness of it and because it was given to me by one of my favorite people, it has character and makes my tree a more beautiful species because it is hanging there.

Or take my tree topper, possibly the most simple of all tree toppers, a star cut out of cardboard and wrapped in smooth tin foil. WEIRD right? But I will let you in on a little family secret, we have always topped our Christmas trees with tinfoil covered stars. They are beautiful, in such a simple way. Every year my daddy writes the year on the back and every year my momma says that we should get a new topper. We always disagree about it and daddy always places the star in its rightful place. Our family star was made my my daddy and so was mine. My star is much smaller than our family's but it suits my tiny little tree just fine.

I am thankful for the weirdness of my Christmas tree and the things that it reveals about me, my family, and what is important to me. I am proud to exhibit my weirdness here in China. Where everyone values the ideal of being exactly like everyone else. But although there is something to be said for the ideal and value of conformity I must say that what my heart desires is to be known in all my uniqueness, even if it is weird. Because I know that the one who made me this different is pleased with my little weird bits and He wants me to live joyfully.

I was once accused of hiding myself from the world and although the bleakness the world often exhibits can be quite daunting I hope that in my desire to make each day I live in a more beautiful thing that I embrace the bleakness and instead of hiding from it I give my all to it.

May that be Chinese classes, volunteering at the rehab clinic, or interacting with the neighborhood children-my all.

Official December Newsletter!!

“And I pray on Christmas, He’ll get me through another day.” Harry Connick Jr

The climate in Kunming is considered Mild and compared to you all in Chicago, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Colorado, Missouri, and Nebraska it is. However, having no in-door heating does take a toll on a girl and so I have finally turned on my heated floor. It is a genius piece of technology. A very thin patch of plastic encases a heating element and it lies directly on my marble flooring and when I plug it in and turn it on it can heat my floor up to 45 degrees Celsius. I am also debating on whether I will take a heated pillow to school to sit on or not. It is so much fun to bundle up in winter coats, sweaters, socks, boots, and such. Once the weather began to cool down I began to have the Christmas jitters. Anxious to listen to Jingle Bells, drink hot chocolate, bake cookies, and celebrate the life that gives True Life.

I have been feeling recently that my contributions to the world are vastly inferior to what they should be. In fact, going about my daily life of school, language helper, homework, the occasional social lunch or dinner I have felt that I have or am letting you and my Father down. I am not an asset. I suck air. I give nothing back into the larger whole. Life constantly gives me struggles and I am only just getting by. I have seen the Goodness of His hand in the lives around me and even in my own life and feel unworthy of it all.

Sharing those feelings to my small group of close friends here I was reminded of a few very important points. 1. My feelings are not always a reflection of what is real. 2. I am not just getting by, I am being prepared to be more successful in the future. 3. Father cares and thinks the day to day activities in our life are important. 4. When I continue to be obedient to what He has asked of me I cannot be a failure.

This time of year is one in which we all look back over the year and give Thanks for all the wonders that have been done for us, ask for Forgiveness for the failures that we have been a part of, and Request that our future may be in step with His will for us. Maybe you have been feeling like I have; that you are not fulfilling the expectations you had had and you never will, or perhaps you are also overwhelmed by the goodness He has showered on you but cannot accept that He wants those good things for you. Have you too forgotten Whose you are?

Those are Lies.

So this Christmas, please walk with me back to the Stable where an infant lies in a feeding trough and lets gaze at Him there. He is lying there because He desires us All to be free from all those lies and to be filled with a Joy that announces that we are free from sin and in every moment of every day we will cling to the Truth that He Lives so that we may also Live.

Joy Joy Joy is what I wish for you this lovely Christmas Season. Thank you for all your faithfulness in regards to me, whether in material or emotional support. You are truly a blessing to me.