Talking to HIM

Most of the years we lived in the USA, our job was to start something new ourselves or to look around for specific places for someone else to start something new. Our job overseas really isn't that different. Today, we headed out to another part of our island to walk around and talk to HIM about starting something new in this area.

The location is a village in a nearby county, so it was great to spend the day outside in a fairly rural setting.

In order to see what work might be needed, we hit the streets to see what kind of folks lived here. It was evident as we walked that the area had lots of elderly people (cared for by foreign domestic workers) and lots of working class adults. But, the area also had schools which means students should also be a target group.
The area had kindergartens, so preschoolers and elementary kids should also be a target. It was great to hear the sounds of so many children laughing, singing, and reciting in their little classrooms.
Outside at the park, we saw moms and grandmas with toddlers and babies. All of these people need to know HIM.
We only saw one church on our walk, a pretty large Catholic church.
But, we did see quite a few temples. One woman even invited us inside to bai4 bai4 (worship). We declined but did have the opportunity to chat with her granddaughter a bit.
Soon, we saw that others were also walking on the street. A god parade marched along, buckets for donations in hand.
We felt privileged to spend the morning talking to HIM about this specific village in this specific county. We are asking for HIS guidance about starting something new in this location.

Do you ever look at a new area in your city or county and ask HIM about starting something new? Sometimes, it's good to go for a ride or a walk in a new area to get a fresh perspective. The USA still has many places that need something new started. Join us as we remember this small village. May HIS LIGHT shine brightly here soon.

Waiting for His Perfect Timing

For three years, volunteers have been coming to our island to do a Holiday English Camp each June. This Holiday English Camp is in a small village outside of our city. It has one elementary school. Each year, we have been privileged to teach ALL of the sixth graders in the elementary school for four days. We have used the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s to tell the complete Creation to Chr+st story to approximately 100 children each year. We have also been able to send into every home a BOOK and a Son film DVD. So, after three years these 300 students are now 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. A complete generation of young people in this village has heard HIStory.

Our contact in this elementary school is a national sister that attends the Big English Clubhouse in our city. She is a wonderful national partner and an incredible M in this school. Next door to her elementary school is a VERY small, old Wesleyan Clubhouse. Since 2009, we have pr@yed that this clubhouse would provide a vibrant weekly event for the children and teens in the village. (They had been providing a weekly event, but it was weak and not well attended.) We, ourselves, had pr@yed about driving weekly to and from our city to the village to host such an event, but the details had never worked out in conjunction with our other responsibilities. We so wanted someone to work with these students more than just once a year for four days.

So, we have pr@yed and waited for three years. This week, an answer came. Our national sister shared this story:

Two weeks ago during a social studies class, she and the children were discussing public places to go and learn new things. One student gave an example of the Saturday afternoon “camp” held at the Wesleyan Clubhouse next to the elementary school. Other students were interested and wanted to go inside the clubhouse with her and have a look for themselves. They made a plan to go the following Saturday afternoon.

On Monday, our national sister asked the students if they had attended the Saturday afternoon “camp”. They said, “No.” Their parents and grandparents had told them it was only for Chr+stains, and it was not appropriate for them to go inside. So, the students asked if our national sister would accompany them the next Saturday to the event. She agreed. (That week, however, she received a phone call from the Wesleyan Clubhouse shepherd’s wife stating they were considering closing the weekly event because of low attendance.)

On Saturday afternoon, our national sister waited at the school gate under the Sakura cherry blossom tree to see if any children would come. Three boys, three girls, and two older children with their younger brother and sister arrived first. Another girl came with three younger boys. Our national friend stayed with the fourteen children, and they sang, listened to a BOOK story, played memorization games, and ate a snack.

On Monday, the students who attended the Saturday camp talked about their good experiences in the clubhouse. Their enthusiasm caused more students to want to attend.

Please remember our national sister and the workers in this Wesleyan Clubhouse. Please remember us as we prepare to lead the Holiday English Camp again this June. Please remember these children and teens as they learn more and more about HIM. May we all wait on HIS perfect answers in HIS perfect timing.