2016 Permeate-Return of the King

Thank you to all the people who have donated to, prayed for, inquired about, and attended Permeate 2016. It was a blast. Let me tell you about some of the awesome things that Father did as well as some of the really fun things that we did!

This year, was very different for me personally. I had shared with you all in a previous post/newsletter that I was taking on a new role on the Permeate planning team. Since the two who have been more publicly in charge of Permeate are returning to the States in May, planning the next Permeate (Permeate 2017) will be much more of my responsibility. Therefore, this year we have begun to transfer many of the titles and duties to me. This is exciting and terrifying. Please lift me up.  So because of those new responsibilities, I did not have a small group this year. This was both sad and a blessing. I missed hearing the comments first hand from students who are encountering Father's work in their lives. I missed the enthusiastic excitement about candy or treats from the USA. I missed talking to Father with specific girls for specific things that are on their hearts.

However, I got to be involved in many areas that in the past I just thought magically happened. :) It is exciting to be in on the behind the scenes activity.  One of my favorite parts of the organization and preparation of Permeate was working on the games. Who would have thought games would take so much planning? I didn't. But the student leaders that we had involved did a fabulous job coming up with them.

The really great thing that happened in relation to playing games, was that Father changed the weather for us. The weather forecast stated snow. 

Thursday, the day Permeate started it was cold. Really cold. So part of my job included brainstorming how we could have all the games in doors. This meant that we were also brainstorming how to modify and change some of the games so that they no longer included water. 

 However, Friday afternoon came and the sun was shining and the grass was dry and so we didn't need to use the alternative locations or activities! What a fantastic show of Father's all powerfullness!

We had four different speakers this year, each one spoke on a different aspect of how the truth of The Son's second coming should impact our lives. As a planning team we were not sure how well it was going to go. It was one of the things I was praying for. Asking that Father would help all the speakers' messages to meld well together. Praise the Lord that one of His chief concerns is that His word would be understood and taken in by His children.

Spoke on: The way to the Father and his house: John 14:1-14 

Spoke on: Resurrection life and being anchored on Christ: 1 Corinthians 15: 35-58

Spoke on: Suffering and Future Glory: Romans 8:16-25

Spoke on: New Heavens and New Earth: Revelation 21:1-22:5

 I feel that Father used their messages to not only touch the students by me as well. It is exciting to remember that we have a King who is preparing a place for us. A place where there will be no sun because He will be the sun for us!


Every year we have one night where we have extended worship and prayer. We usually take the the theme of the year and do something related to it during the evening. Since our theme for 2016 was Return of the King we focused on Revelation and the prayers for the seven churches. We talked about what each church needed prayer for and encouraged them to see where their needs fit into one of those prayers. We spent time praying for ourselves and for one other student. Then we spent time praying for the nations. That since Jesus is the Hope of all Nations and that one day there would be people from all nations, and tongue, and tribe gathered before His throne we could be praying for His Kingdom on earth. One of the leaders posted on Facebook: "During our Permeate worship night, we prayed over our nations as a mixed group and one of the kids brought up the amazing fact that we as believers get to be united in every election. Not because we agree on the candidates, but because we agree we should honor, respect, and pray for our elected officials! Beautiful reminder from a great kid!"

This night is often one filled with tears and excitement. The planning team received a note from a student telling us that the worship night was hugely impacting her to see God's heart and that she would be forever changed by it. Another young woman chose to start a new start with her King that night. 

 

 

"The Band" was exhausted after 3 hours of playing Rock and Worship Music. Epic is generally how it is described. Songs like: My Lighthouse, God's Not Dead, Happy Day, and Forever were just some of the anthems we proclaimed late into the night. 

  

It was a weekend full of fun, laughter, growing, and experiencing the Holy Spirit. For those of you who donated scholarships to students I wanted to let you know that we were able to provide scholarships to 18 families. Thank you so very much.  


Thank you to all who signed up for prayer slots. Having it covered in prayer is very important to us and you partnering with us in this way is very precious. I strongly believe that our minimal medical problems is in part due to your faithful petitions. 

  

One thing that we got to participate in this year was a homeless ministry. Every year the conference center requires us to purchase a dinner meal that we do not use. This year, instead of just forfeiting that money, we chose to purchase the food and packaged it up and sent it to some individuals who carried out a homeless feeding ministry. We were able to provide food for 35 families, and 40 individuals. We were also notified that that night, one person who received food also received a new life in JC. PTL!!

The last night we had arranged to have a bon fire and s'mores. It was very lovely. When the guards lit the fire the anticipation was very high. We are very thankful that no one died. 

 

All in all it was a great success. We were tired but happy by the time we got home. 

Next year we will miss Nate and Mikayla. They have been wonderful examples of God's hands and feet to the ex-pat youth of Kunming. We have been blessed to have them in our lives and we look forward to seeing how Father uses and works in them in their next season of life. 

For those of you scrolling through these pictures and thinking-Wow that looks like fun! You too could be involved. We are also in need of some full time youth workers-so if you are or know someone who wants to work with youth feel free to contact me. These kids are precious and thirsty to know God more. 

Thank you for all that you have done to support this conference and to support me in it! 

Denise

March 2016 Official Newsletter!

Recently, I had the opportunity to open my home up to one of my friends. She called me frantically one morning and asked if her and her baby could come and stay at my home for a couple days. I automatically told her that she could, but after hanging up the phone I began to wonder if that was the right choice. My friend is a sister who has been struggling ever since her baby was born with loving her husband. 

We have had so many discussion the two of us regarding what does it look like to be a godly wife and how can she show her husband what she needs from him in ways that will be respectful and not challenge him. These biblical guidelines are vastly counter cultural. Her husband is a brother who from my perspective is just trying his best to provide for his family. This effort on his part takes time and energy away from his new family and it is precisely those two things that my friend resents. She feels unloved and uncared for by him. 

In my cultural experience, I would tell her to just talk to him about how she feels and if that isn’t enough maybe find a counselor. In this place and in this culture, those things are not very common. My friend told me that she texted her husband telling him that she doesn’t feel loved and did he know that she felt that their relationship was on its last leg. His response to her was to say that he thought everything was fine and of course he loved her. They didn’t talk about it again. This kind of communication lapse breaks my heart. 

So when she came to my house for an afternoon of escape I was glad that she didn’t take me up on my offer to stay with me. I had begun to worry that perhaps she was just running away from dealing with the miscommunication that was rooted in her home. My friend wants her family to be healed but she is very tired of trying so hard to fix it. 

This friend of mine is one I work closely with. Her interfamily conflicts affect my work in the schools. Please join me in asking our Heavenly Father to do a special work in her family. That the barriers of miscommunication would crumble, that pride would be laid down, that between the two of them they will find a way to put each other first. That both of them would seek Father’s will instead of their own. Please lift me up as well. I want to be a sister who encourages and uses godly wisdom instead of one who gets in the middle of problems she has no business in. 

This is the Eden Thanksgiving Party group photo. Can you find my little head? My friend and her baby are also in this picture. Please lift all these women up as they struggle to live more like The Son!

Thank you, Denise