I just want to write a quick praise report from today. As I wrote earlier, my new assignment became official towards the end of last week. Today I had the opportunity to go out to a new campus of the university I will be workinig at when I return to Asia from the US in mid-August.
The summer project for that campus arrived on Friday, so they also went out to the new campus. Because there were so many of us, it was really easy to meet new people, and I also got to meet some guys whom I will be working with in the fall. The afternoon (and night) out there really helped me to get some vision for what the Lord is doing on that campus and I walked away from the experience with a greater sense of peace about being there in the fall. Thanks to all of you who have been praying about the upcoming change, and I would like to ask you to continue in your prayers for smoothness in the transition.
One other praise is that one of my guys has really stepped up and started leading one of the new guys through the follow up material for new believers.
Here are a few more (updated) things that you can be praying for during this week...
*Some of the students from fellowship group are coming over for a goodbye party on Thursday night and I will be studying with the guys here one last time before everyone comes over. Pray that our last study time would go well, and that we would all have a good time of fellowship at the goodbye party. Pray that the students will understand about me moving to a new campus as there is much that I cannot tell them relating to reasons for the change.
*An advanced training class this weekend. The class will teach students how to effectively lead new believers through follow up material and Bible study, and generally how to encourage the new believer to grow in their walk with the Lord. Pray that students would be able to attend and that the teaching would help them to help new believers here.
*I need to make a decision about moving in the next couple of days. I won't write out all the details, but please just pray for the Lord to reveal His will in the situation and also to give me wisdom about the decision I need to make.
*Finally, please pray that I will be able to get all of the little details wrapped up (like paying bills, stopping my phone for the summer etc.), and continue to make plans and have wisdom for using the time I am in the US well.
I leave in one week from today. I'll look forward to seeing some of you soon!
PS. Sorry I haven't put any pictures up lately, I am having trouble with the software used to post the pictures. Hopefully I will have it resolved soon, and then I'll have more pictures for you (there were some cool ones from this afternoon of a chopstick usage competition!)
5.23.2005
Dumplings and peanuts
This isn't a prayer request, but just a fun story I thought I'd share with you. Tonight out at the new campus, the students had a party for us. One of the guys that Logan has been working with is the class president, so he has some connections at the university. He arranged to reserve the whole upstairs section of the cafeteria for the party. He also thought that a fun activity for the party would be to teach the foreigners how to make dumplings, which are something of a specialty here. He invited his whole class and some other friends to be our teachers (which also provided a really good time for the summer project people to meet a lot of students who speak English there).
There were four tables with nine people at each table--three foreigners and six students. It was fun to watch the students as they made the dumplings. Then they started getting us involved in the dumpling making process. I told the guy beside me that mine weren't turning out so well. He kindly responded that it was ok because it was my first time to make dumplings. That's when my face turned a little red and I had to sheepishly admit that it wasn't my first time making dumplings and that the ones I'd made before hadn't turned out so well either.
After that, the students planned a little relay race to see who could carry the most peanuts from one side of the room to the other in two minutes using chop sticks. Hopefully I'll put some fun pictures from that little race on this page soon.
There were four tables with nine people at each table--three foreigners and six students. It was fun to watch the students as they made the dumplings. Then they started getting us involved in the dumpling making process. I told the guy beside me that mine weren't turning out so well. He kindly responded that it was ok because it was my first time to make dumplings. That's when my face turned a little red and I had to sheepishly admit that it wasn't my first time making dumplings and that the ones I'd made before hadn't turned out so well either.
After that, the students planned a little relay race to see who could carry the most peanuts from one side of the room to the other in two minutes using chop sticks. Hopefully I'll put some fun pictures from that little race on this page soon.
5.20.2005
A few things to update you about...
1. I got a call yesterday making my new fall assignment official. Steve, whom you have been reading about in the last few posts will be my director when I get back. The move is bittersweet, as I will really miss the students with whom I have been working for the past year. I know that the Lord is sovereign over all things though, and I do believe this move will be the best thing for the ministry in the city in the long run.
The decision was not finalized in time for me to get a new apartment before I leave for the US, so please be praying with me through that this summer. The undergraduate student body at the new campus is gradually being moved to a new location about an hour outside the city and a couple of us are talking about trying to move somewhere close to that campus. The good thing about that would be being closer to the students and having more flexibility in doing ministry there. The not as good part (opportunity, as we used to call it when I worked at the bank :)is that all of our team meetings and language classes would still be in the city.
Please pray for wisdom about this decision. Either way, it is going to mean a lot of time commuting next year (the team assigned to that campus this year lives in the city and has been going to the new campus for six hours a day three days a week, but that really limits possible interaction with students). If the Lord would have us stay in the city next year, please pray that He would lead us in making an effective ministry plan for this new campus, and give us quality time with the students there.
**Please also be praying for me during the next week as I will not only be saying goodbye to the guys I have been working with for the past year, but also trying to meet some students at the new campus so that I will know some people there in the fall.
2. There are a lot of things that I need/want to get done in the next week. I am in the process of making/editing a video testimony, would like to make a slideshow, and also need to buy a lot of gifts (which is more difficult than it sounds, at least for me). Pray that the Lord would help me to use the time I have efficiently and be able to get all the little details taken care of before I leave.
3. Pray for our summer project that is coming in this morning. We have a packed schedule for them this weekend, so pray that they will have energy and not suffer from too much jet lag. Pray that they would have the opportunity to get on campus quickly after they get here and start meeting students, and that they would find students who are receptive. Also pray for an event that they will be planning to meet students during their first or second week here.
4. Pray for students from the May Break trip who are applying for a summer project here. They will need to go through an interview process and raise support for the project which will start in July. Pray that they would be committed to going and to the process even with final exams looming for many of them.
5. Pray for a level 2 training that we will be happening this weekend. It has been a while since we have done this training and we have a lot of students who are ready to attend. Pray that the Spirit would lead in the planning of the time, and that nothing would get in the way of students being able to go. Also pray for the teachers that they would be filled with the Spirit as they teach these students about leading new believers.
The decision was not finalized in time for me to get a new apartment before I leave for the US, so please be praying with me through that this summer. The undergraduate student body at the new campus is gradually being moved to a new location about an hour outside the city and a couple of us are talking about trying to move somewhere close to that campus. The good thing about that would be being closer to the students and having more flexibility in doing ministry there. The not as good part (opportunity, as we used to call it when I worked at the bank :)is that all of our team meetings and language classes would still be in the city.
Please pray for wisdom about this decision. Either way, it is going to mean a lot of time commuting next year (the team assigned to that campus this year lives in the city and has been going to the new campus for six hours a day three days a week, but that really limits possible interaction with students). If the Lord would have us stay in the city next year, please pray that He would lead us in making an effective ministry plan for this new campus, and give us quality time with the students there.
**Please also be praying for me during the next week as I will not only be saying goodbye to the guys I have been working with for the past year, but also trying to meet some students at the new campus so that I will know some people there in the fall.
2. There are a lot of things that I need/want to get done in the next week. I am in the process of making/editing a video testimony, would like to make a slideshow, and also need to buy a lot of gifts (which is more difficult than it sounds, at least for me). Pray that the Lord would help me to use the time I have efficiently and be able to get all the little details taken care of before I leave.
3. Pray for our summer project that is coming in this morning. We have a packed schedule for them this weekend, so pray that they will have energy and not suffer from too much jet lag. Pray that they would have the opportunity to get on campus quickly after they get here and start meeting students, and that they would find students who are receptive. Also pray for an event that they will be planning to meet students during their first or second week here.
4. Pray for students from the May Break trip who are applying for a summer project here. They will need to go through an interview process and raise support for the project which will start in July. Pray that they would be committed to going and to the process even with final exams looming for many of them.
5. Pray for a level 2 training that we will be happening this weekend. It has been a while since we have done this training and we have a lot of students who are ready to attend. Pray that the Spirit would lead in the planning of the time, and that nothing would get in the way of students being able to go. Also pray for the teachers that they would be filled with the Spirit as they teach these students about leading new believers.
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