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

City Slideshow

The telephone wires have a bit of a communication problem.

This is my electric bike

Many people make their living driving others around and so when they are not working they nap on their bikes. This is my imitation of them. 

My city has a giant transformer statute. 

This is how our water is delivered. 

Rainstorms

We have had a lot of rain lately and I have been having a hard time of it. I am tired of rain. Ready for heat. I was riding in the rain the other day and arrived at my destination completely soaked to the skin. My rain coat had had no chance at keeping me protected. 

I feel a little overwhelmed-not only due to the rain but also due to the amount of drama that has fallen on my life. I am sure that many of you have also felt this way. Overwhelmed by life's trouble.  

I am glad that we are not alone in all this. I find comfort in the fact that My Good Shepherd is with me. I know that He withholds no good thing from His children. This momentary trouble pales in comparison to the abounding grace I receive from His sacrifice. 

Praise Him for this fact!!

Rainstorm

Please don’t try to shelter me from the rain.

You never understand that part of my life includes the rain.

Washing my face, my hands, my body with cold, clean wet holiness.

And I am alive again.

With Spirit and with love and with righteousness

I dance amidst the rain.

Splashing and laughing the water shimmers and the starlight gleams

And the air is transformed into a sparkling fairy world

Where I may meet Oberon and he will join my Rain Dance.

Pittering against my window

Trying to get in

Its hard round self chased me in and now I’m cold.

The harshness and gloom have surrendered me into my

Chair and blankets, causeing introspection with its chorus on the panes of glass.

The sins unconfessed spring to mind

As well as the other times this glower appeared in the sky.

My own blue tide sweeps across my mind and the flood gates open slowly.

Trickle by tear my prayers roll out of me.

My fears, my sins, my hopes, my fruitless dreams.

With each sob the load is lightened.

I have found a friend who is able to stand up beside me and join my Rain Song

What a life I have

See how I need this Rainstorm.

Which ever way the wind blows it teaches me how to appreciate my life

Rain Dance or Rain Song I long for you.

Rain down on me now.