TESTIMONY OF AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GRADUATE

Enid, me and Mai at Yvette's wedding
22 November 2008

Hellothere. There are so many reasons that I LOVE being called to this ministry to international students, and more particularly - being able to serve so many young women who are seeking to know Christ and grow in their relationship with God. One of the main focuses of the ISM vision is the emphasis on "helping international students become life-long followers of Jesus... (thereby) reaching their home nations for Him".

To give you a glimpse of one such "returnee" who is making a difference, I'd like to share a testimony with you that was received from on of my daughters and disciples, Enid. "Enido" as we referred to her on the mission trip to Japan in 2006, went through a lot to get her Aviation Management degree here in New Zealand. Without too much detail, due to some serious circumstances with family back home in 2005, she nearly failed out of the degree programme. But, several ISM staff and family got behind her and met with the academic board to support her committment to education, and her heart for aviation. This resulted in a one year leave of absence to care for family in Samoa, and the approval to return to complete her degree. Well, she came back and earlier this year completed her degree, and has started a strong career in Aviation Management. Enid is a blessing, who changes the character of a room by entering in. She's got a missionary gift and makes people from every culture feel like they are important. Here is a praise story from her. By way of introduction, she is a creative writer too, and has some poems published in a book:

Hello academics and friends,

This is an update on what's happening to our 'Raw Edges' book in Samoa. Last week at work (airport), I managed to secure a place to serve the Deputy Prime Minister (Misa.Telefoni.Retzlaff), politician, businessman, writer and family man, since he was the VIP of the day. I served him coffee and managed to sneak him a copy of our book, since he has a reputation for loving literature/any writing.

Mainly, I wanted him to endorse a scholarship to do a Postgraduate diploma with the Singapore Aviation Academy early next year, but remembered to bring a Raw edges copy along. Anyway, he told me he would get back to me about the scholarhsip. Friday of the same week, his secretary called for a meeting with him 2 days ago (monday).

I went along and we spent about an hour discussing poetry! which i don't read a lot of. He asked me if I had given a copy of the book to thier highnesses (Head of State , King Tupua Tamasese and his wife). It all gets interesting because I was a former English student of the Queen while i was in highschool. i told him I intended to see them but have been waiting for thier secretary to get back to me. DPM immediatly had his secretary call the king's secretary if it's possible for me to see the king straight away. God allowed it and so i went to see the king.

we chatted for a few hours and he was proud to have a youngster(me) come to see him about such matters. he encouraged me to continue writing and they (DPM) and King would be happy to endorse the book when it comes out. DPM then told me to go and visit the Prime minister since he is the chairman of the scholarship committe. Evening of the same day, I saw him and was told that his secretary will schedule a meeting for a scholarship interview, so am waiting.

But all things considered, our book has gone the furthest and highest it can go over here. So thank you for all your support and prayers, for God has shown such favours for me to stand in front of kings and leaders all in one day and with open doors.This is evident that coffee serving leads to Kings.

God Bless
Enid

Thankful, Grateful, Humbled, Blessed

As I pause to make this latest post, I imagine families in the USA travelling near and far to gather for Thanksgiving soon. I can almost smell the turkey and feel the after dinner bloating and snoozing during college football.

Despite all the craziness of this past year... losing loved ones, saying goodbye, new leaders in several nations, a national and global economic melt down, wars and rumours of wars - I am still beyond thankful for life and love.

As you read this... stop for a moment and think about what you can thank God for! Sure, there are circumstances and fears and tragedies in our lives that cause us to often be angry at God, or in extreme cases deny that He is loving or even exists. But put that aside for a moment and reflect on your life. Did you wake up today with breath in your lungs? Do you have food in your stomach? Do you have cloths for your back? Do you have indoor plumming? A refridgerator? iPod? Cell phone? Computer? TV?

I could go on, but over the past year I have been reminded that rather than being thankful, I am a whiner! Even though I've learned to make due on very little and my home is falling apart a bit like an old car that needs maintenance, I still hear my own voice saying, "I want a better house. I want a husband. I want a Lexus. I, Me, My..."

I am thankful that God has called me to this life. Every day I wake up in a beautiful place, in the comfort of my own home, with the sounds of the Tui bird haunting me. I am greeted everyday by the love and smiles of people from many nations. I am sorry that I am such a whiner!

So in keeping with the season, I encourage you to reflect on all that you have been given. And, if things have been taken away (and this year that has included 401K$, money, loved ones, jobs, etc.) stop for a moment and realise - you are still alive! Thank God for the strength He has given you to survive the hardships. I want to encourage you with this passage from the Bible (James 1:2-12):

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do. 9 Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements. God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Meeting the Grinch

October 15 may seem to early for a Christmas party, but not when you are ministering amongst international students. Over this past semester we have hosted News_Watch here in Palmerston North.

It is an English conversation programme that helps second language students learn Kiwi culture, English and increase their vocabulary and listening skills. They watch two pre-recorded NZ national news stories (two times), writing down what they understood from the story. Then we split into small groups or one-to-one and have them tell us when they understood, then define the words, phrases, talk about culture, etc. It is a wonderful programme founded by ISM staff, Rey & Liza Enriquez, in Wellington.

One of the stories early this semester was about the NZ dollar exchange rate, and they said, "don't let the Grinch steal your Christmas joy". That led to discussion about the famous (in America and the west) children's story and we decided early on to have a Grinch Christmas party as the last gathering before exams.

Yes, my Christmas tree is up! It is beautiful! And the students LOVE it. A great time was had by all. 7 mainland Chinese students, an Iranian PhD couple, and two firey Brazilians along with our helpers had a great time. One of the Massey University International Student Office members came (Olive) and her hubby (and previous ISM intern) Denis. What a blessing. It was fun to talk of our Christmas customs, as well as explain more of what Christmas means to the follower of Christ.

They particularly enjoyed a look at some of the lines in the song from the Grinch. Whether Dr. Suess wrote the song, or someone else - whoever wrote it had a pretty strong grasp on the condition of man's heart!

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch. You're the king of sinful sots.

Your heart's a dead tomato splot with mouldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch.

Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with

the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable,

mangled up in tangled up knots.

Just as the Grinch's heart must have been two sizes two small (and the heart of man is really just a stone), so understanding the Way, the Truth and the Life that Jesus brought into the world in His birth, life, death and resurrection - changes the heart and definitely makes it grow three sizes on the day when faith enters the new heart of flesh.

They are all looking forward to attending News_Watch next year. Please pray for this special ministry, and for our relationships to grow, that they may come to know the love of Jesus personally - not just through us.

A Time for Everything

If September was a time to grieve, a time to cry, a time to die, and a time to be quiet... Then October is a time to heal, and to be born, and to dance, and to dance, and to speak up. The 'Teacher' in Ecclesiastes 3 says:

1 There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. 9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do.
11 God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose in this is that people should fear him. 15 Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the past. For God calls each event back in its turn.

It is only the 14th of October and I have seen God replant and harvest so many fresh beginnings. We've seen birth (physical and spiritual)... praise God that Minami-chan (with the guitar on the right), one of Mai's disciples, confessed Jesus as Lord on October 9th... And later that same day, Mai and Daniel Meyer became engaged to be married!

The J2 camp over October 4th weekend focussed on "Worship"... at one point over 30 attended the camp - including some Kiwi's who are learning Japanese or interested in Japan missions. It was a wonderful time of exploring not only 'forms' of worship, but getting to the heart and point of worship - that our entire lives should be an offering of worship to God (Romans 12:1-2). We sang, we played instruments, we prayed, we danced and we wrote poetry - all to the glory of God. What a blessing to see the J2 students leading - Masa, Mai, Koyo, Yuki, Nobu, Atushi, along with Greg and the Doi's... Please pray for Nonoka, Miyumi and Asami. Mai continues to disciple them and each are at different places on their road to faith.

Earlier in the month we received the great news that Nozomi (one of our grads back in Osaka, Japan and my dear sister and former flatmate) had just been accepted to study for a masters degree at Westminister Seminary in Escondido, CA (yes, I wish I were going with her). Lord willing she will begin in July 2009 (Nozomi & I in Japan last December).

The Bible college ministry internship is winding down for the year, and I have enjoyed this year's classes so much. Jing Xiu and Lewis will complete their 2nd year diploma in November! Please pray for them as they face their future. Lewis will return to Japan, where he hopes to study graphic art and design. He is a talented artist.

Jing Xiu (in the NZ jacket) is exploring options. She'll remain in NZ and get a full time job, and remain involved in ministry to international students. At the same time she hopes to find a good school of dance for ministry in the USA. If anyone has ideas, let me know.

The year one students have been such a delight for me too! This semester's "Making Disciples" course has been a learning process for each of us. For me in preparing the course and making sure they understand and can apply it in their own cultural and ministry contexts, as well as being able to discern whether they are living the life of a disciple by example. Which means I must do the same as their lecturer and mentor.

One of our interns, Ken from Taiwan really touched my heart with this comment: "Spending daily time with God is like having personal one-to-one discipleship with Jesus Himself, where we can talk to Him through prayer, hear from Him through His word, and follow Him according to what He is showing us."

What more could a 'teacher' ask than to know their student is "getting it" and that what we are doing is making a difference in their relationship with God! Pray for Ken. He returns to Taiwan at the end of 2008 to begin his required military service. He has been captured by God's love and in turn is so passionate in his love for others. May he be protected in Taiwan, and lead many to know Jesus!

One thing that struck me in our discipleship course is that there are five of us sharing... from five different nations (USA, Scotland, Taiwan, Mexico and Japan)... and the five of us are discipling people from Viet Nam, China, Japan, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Mexico... reaching the nations from our doorstep!

So, October is only half way through and already I've had a lot to share. Thank you so much for your love and support. I look forward to being in the USA over the holidays. Most importantly to spend time with family as we deal with the loss of Carey... please continue to pray for Bruce, Sean & TJ. Pray for my dad too, as he considers whether to undergo hernia surgery. I am also looking forward to my "Sanju" high school reunion (if you know Japanese, you know how many years it's been, hee hee).

This weekend is another reason to celebrate as I throw a bridal shower for Yvette Koo (one of our internship grads... I'm her maid of honour).

Before I forget, thank you also for praying for Grace City Church. God has been blessing us this year. Pastor Richard Tien (from Singapore) has really settled in as our senior pastor. Both of our congregations (English speaking & Mandarin speaking) are growing and involved with discipleship. It is so exciting to see some of our Chinese internship graduates (in this photo) serving in leadership amongst the congregations!

I have been praying for the world a lot of late. With the politics, the economics, the ecological, and the social turmoil... I am all the more convinced God's timeclock is winding down. It is during these times that I am grateful that my trust is not in riches or in man, but in God who knows all things, has written every day in His book before even one of them came to be, and history is really HIStory... put your trust in heaven's KING of kings, not in the things that surely will pass away.