Permeate Count Down!

We are getting so excited about Permeate. It is only 16 days away!  There are still so many things that has to happen before the 27th. 

This year we are having a pr8er maze that has the theme of Games. We will have Jenga blocks that they will use to write a pr8er regarding how to build the Flock up. We will have Decks of Cards that they will be instructed to deal themselves a hand of 5-7 and then use this to guide their pr8er. 

Ace-pr8 for themselves, King-pr8 for government authority, Queen-pr8 for personal authority figure, Jack-pr8 for a teacher or mentor, 10-pr8 for someone you normally wouldn't pray for because they escape notice, 9-pr8 for the person you most recently sinned against-pr8 for grace to forgive and forget, 8-pr8 for someone who is far away (in space or in spirit) but whom used to be close, 7-pr8 for someone who has not yet become a follower of the Rock but whom you have influence in their life, 6-pr8 for someone who works for you or you work with, 5-pr8 for someone you wish you knew better, 4-pr8 for your siblings or for someone who is as close to you as a brother, 3-pr8 for those whom you have a un broken three strand friendship, 2-pr8 for your parents. 

We will have Puzzle pieces that they will be encouraged to write their name on a piece and what they can do in the Big Picture of Father's Plan. We will have Scrabble game pieces and we will have them make a collective Scrabble word picture of what their relationship with Father looks like. We will have  paper chains that we will make and we will encourage them to pr8 for the person in the chain before them as well as those who have been pivotal in their walk with Father, as well as pr8 for the person who will come after as well as to think about those they can encourage closer to Father. We will also have a world map and encourage them to pr8 for their home country, the country we live in, as well as one additional country.  

We may choose to add additional stations as the time gets closer. I share all this information with you all because I know any communication from me is good. I hope you get a little glimpse into the Permeate Planning world. If anyone has any other good game themed pr8er stations we would appreciate it. 

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 Snow 2013

Happy Christmas!

These last few days I have experienced much joy by experiencing an epic snow here. The snow began to fall Sunday evening and by Monday there was a collection of snow that shocked and delighted many people in this city.  

One thing that struck me as people were frolicking in the snow fall and making snowmen was that there are many people in this city who are not used to such cold temperatures.  Of all the people I saw throwing snowballs and patting down clothing on little cold men, none of them wore mittens. Most of them didn't even have thicker coats than a light jacket. Some of the men and women driving in the snow were only wearing rain coats.  This city has homeless people who in the winter survive in part due to the moderate temperatures here. 

Please ask for enough supplies for the homeless this week. 

Shine School and Shine Course

Hello again. It is time to let you know what has been going on in my life. I have been in a very strange place here. As many of you know we took the Shine School Program into a rural area and began to the pilot run of the English Follow-up Program.

As the previous blog post will tell you, things went okay. It wasn't a failure but there were several situations that concerned the team.  The school we visited was a school we had been to previously. The administration's blatant disregard for the stipulations of the program along with the way the team was treated moved the larger team to spend a good amount of time re-evaluating the program and discussing different options.

This was a very frustrating and initially painful experience.  It also took a lot of time.  We finally had a time of resolution on November 18th.  Our first decision was to drop all pretense of English. Since every time we have been to this particular school we have been pressured to teach English, we had thought that giving them some English lessons in conjunction with our Shine value lessons would satisfy both our needs and theirs. However, we found that adding the English aspect to our curriculum actually made our situation more difficult.

We agreed that as a team we needed to sit down with the government official who has rubber stamped this project and re-enforce our intentions and the need for the help of the administrations we will work with. We want to ask him if he has other contacts who will perhaps understand our purpose better than the current administration does.  We desire to meet with him as a whole team, before proceeding.

However, meeting with our government contact has been difficult. So at this time the School Program is at a slight stand still. We are looking forward to pressing onward in the new year.

In-spite of this stand still for the School Project, we just finished a four day intensive of a Full Shine Course. This was very exciting and stressful. We taught all 8 sessions in four days and three of the women who attended we trained so that they could facilitate Shine in the future.  This was the first time I had been involved in training trainers.

I obviously love to teach Shine, but this time was a very special course for me because of some of the great behind the scenes things. The four of us who had gone to Vietnam to be trained (XC, myself, K, and R) all worked together on this course plus we had another woman who has been trained by R. The team work and cooperation really encouraged me and made working and teaching so enjoyable.  The group of women who I meet with on a weekly basis to study Father's Word also helped out by coming to my Christmas cookie making party-where we made cookies for one day of the Shine Course.

 I think this one was especially touching to me because it was a mix of women who were reasonably well adjusted and women who have lived part of their lives as victims. Seeing Father work through the course material as well as through each women was just very beautiful. One women really sought out the others who were vulnerable to pour into during each session.

Another women who was training to be a facilitator is the wife of a man who is laboring to bring in a great harvest and to be able to give her tools in order to open doors for his work was really lovely.  Each woman began to see that she was valued by Father.  

We also had some ladies who were really broken. It was really amazing to see their countenance change from day one to day four. At the beginning some would barely meet your eyes and by the end were seeking you out for hugs and holding each others' hands.  Father is so good. That the truth of His Word changes lives!!!

Session One: You are Valuable. Your Value doesn't change from the day you are born to the day you die. No one can make your value less by the way they treat you. Nothing you do adds to your value. These are truths that these young women have never heard.  Thank you for your part in helping these women have more of life!!

September 2013 School Visit

I am pretty glad that I can be reporting to you that our September 24-26th trip to the town of Tan Dian went reasonably well.  

My team of 5-left the big city on Tuesday around 6pm. On the way to the town we discussed the plans for Wednesday.  This was stretching for all five of us, because we already had a plan, but the government official had different ones for us.  So the bartering began. We finally bargained down to 150 students to attend an assembly on Wednesday, then the five of us would be spilt into three groups and each given five sets of 50 students at 45 minute intervals, then we would get the same 150 students from the assembly back for our original English Corner program. During this English Corner program we would separate the 150 students into three groups of 50.  

This altered plan was not ideal and not in any way what we thought we would be doing but it would work.  

Thursday morning we went to a new school and spoke in an assembly to an additional 300 students. 

I really struggled with all the last minute changes. But when we tried to explain to the school officials and teachers why our original plan would have been the best plan we were told that since it was only our second time visiting the Tan Dian school, once we had been there a couple more times we would have some say in the program details. 

Had to really talk to my Father and finally be willing to have another four or five crazy visits to Tan Dian before we are allowed to run the program the way it is intended to work. 

Please keep the program and my sanity in your thoughts to Father. 

October's Official Newsletter

[An update regarding the last few weeks is soon to be posted-this post is not that update.]

Teaching English is very hard, which is why I had determined to never try to do so again. How our Father must laugh at our plans. He tells us in Proverbs 16 that many men plan out their life but that the Father works every step out. I have been encouraged by many people this month to not be afraid to begin to do something that I do not feel equipped to do. I have been extorted to remember the promises that He has made to you for He has not forgotten them. I was also told to not be afraid to ask for what I need. So, because of these words of inspiration I am pushing forward with our Shine School Follow Up English Corner program. 

In the midst of all this planning I have moments of minor freak outs. When I look at the task ahead and the skills needed to accomplish the task; I feel so small, inadequate, insufficient, and lost. I keep telling people that I need a partner, someone who is skilled in teaching English, someone who is organized and full of good ideas and plans to implement these activities.  Do you know someone like that? Are you someone like that? Wanna come and be a part of something great?  

I am only kidding a little bit, because I would love someone to help me in this journey. But I am also so very thankful for the people and resources He has already given me during this journey. I also realize that IF He doesn’t provide anyone to help me during this process of developing and implementing this program that I MUST lean on Him in every step. I believe that He has given this program to us and that He has great plans for it. So, because I know that I am weak and unable to accomplish it all on my own I will trust, lean, walk, and petition Him through every moment of planning, every web page I search for information and every time I step in front of the classroom.  In this way I will only have Him to glorify when the program is effective. 

I have a few needs.  One of them I think many of you would be able to meet: I am need of photographs of various beautiful things. Any kind of beauty will do. If you are willing to let us use them in our teaching or in our decorating for the Full Shine program please email me the photo files: denisej@worksmail.net.  My second need is that during my budgeting this past month I discovered that I am about 500 usd short every month. I know that many of you are unable to give financially but even 5 dollars a month would be helpful.

Psalm 16

Denise's personal version:

Protect me, O God, for I have come to you for rest. 

I hold firmly to the fact that you are my LORD and Master. 

Everything good I have comes from your hand

My sisters and brothers are my true example, whom I will look to. 

Those who follow other god's will have trouble and I will not join them in any kind of activity.

Father, you are what I hope to inherit: a true cup of blessing. 

For you keep all mine safe.

This place you have led me to is beautiful and No one could be happier than I to be here. 

I praise and give the Lord glory for He has guided me to this place and even in the dark He gives me insight. 

I know He is always beside me and so I will not waver to and fro but instead boldly go forward. 

It is no surprise that my heart is always joyful, my body is always safely resting and my mouth is always praising the Lord. 

You have preserved my soul and have sealed it onto the path of eternal life. 

Granting me the joy of Your presence and living with You from now till all eternity