In action

This is the second day for building the house. Nate and Gordon were working at the site most of yesterday and today.











Chris teaches pastors form 9am to noon, then he goes to the campus to teach for an hour. We have a lunch at 1 pm at the house, then he goes back to teach pastors from 2 to 5 p.m. He also preaches at 9 p.m at the university stadium.


I went to the campus, and taught professors from 9 am to 5 p.m They created iGoogle homepage, and today they are learning about blog and Flickr. They are really good.

We are doing well

Our day starts at 5 am and ends at 10 p.m. For example, mamas and children from neighborhood come to the CASA house for a morning devotions everyday except on Sunday. Even at 5 am, they praise with passion, and usually dance too. I get a good aerobics workout. There were about 45 people in the living room. We push benches to the side, and children sit down and adults sit on the benches. So many great testimonies were shared today. They all praise God with whole heart, and I see they are really glorifying God. When I see these children and also adults, I am reminded that how much they are richer than those who have so much material things in US. They are so grateful to God for what they have and they share them with others. They really don't have anything, but their heart is so rich and full.

Happy widow

We arrived in Rwanda last Thrusday, and our team and students have been building a new house for a widow who has five children and she has Aids. She rents a room in a house where three men also live. She told me that they give her bad time because she is a woman and also she is Hiv positive.

Last Friday morning, I visited her family.This is the place where she lives now.


Her new home site


Don is saying something to kids


10 feet hole for the outhouse

Faculty workshop participants

Faculty workshop participants
Originally uploaded by come and see africa

I will be in Rwanda from June 26 to July 12th. I had a great time meeting these wonderful professors at NUR last year. I went to Rwanda as a Fulbright scholar, and this year I am invited to give another faculty development workshop by the Center for Instructional Technology. This is a group picture of the last year' workshop participants. I hope all of these faculty members will be attending this year workshop. I can't wait to see them again.

African paradox

I have seen poor children in Africa, so I can't totally agree with Mr. Shikwati who is an economics expert. However, I agree with him a lot of things. I posted this so I can discuss this issue with my African colleagues when I am in Butare, Rwanda this summer.

PIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH AFRICAN ECONOMICS EXPERT

"For God's Sake, Please Stop the Aid!"

The Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati, 35, says that aid to Africa does more harm than good. The avid proponent of globalization spoke with SPIEGEL about the disastrous effects of Western development policy in Africa, corrupt rulers, and the tendency to overstate the AIDS problem.

SPIEGEL:

Mr. Shikwati, the G8 summit at Gleneagles is about to beef up the development aid for Africa...

Shikwati: ... for God's sake, please just stop.

SPIEGEL: Stop? The industrialized nations of the West want to eliminate hunger and poverty.

Shikwati: Such intentions have been damaging our continent for the past 40 years. If the industrial nations really want to help the Africans, they should finally terminate this awful aid. The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape. Despite the billions that have poured in to Africa, the continent remains poor.

SPIEGEL: Do you have an explanation for this paradox?

Shikwati: Huge bureaucracies are financed (with the aid money), corruption and complacency are promoted, Africans are taught to be beggars and not to be independent. In addition, development aid weakens the local markets everywhere and dampens the spirit of entrepreneurship that we so desperately need. As absurd as it may sound: Development aid is one of the reasons for Africa's problems. If the West were to cancel these payments, normal Africans wouldn't even notice. Only the functionaries would be hard hit. Which is why they maintain that the world would stop turning without this development aid.

SPIEGEL: Even in a country like Kenya, people are starving to death each year. Someone has got to help them.

Shikwati: But it has to be the Kenyans themselves who help these people. When there's a drought in a region of Kenya, our corrupt politicians reflexively cry out for more help. This call then reaches the United Nations World Food Program -- which is a massive agency of apparatchiks who are in the absurd situation of, on the one hand, being dedicated to the fight against hunger while, on the other hand, being faced with unemployment were hunger actually eliminated. It's only natural that they willingly accept the plea for more help. And it's not uncommon that they demand a little more money than the respective African government originally requested. They then forward that request to their headquarters, and before long, several thousands tons of corn are shipped to Africa ...

SPIEGEL: ... corn that predominantly comes from highly-subsidized European and American farmers ...

Shikwati: ... and at some point, this corn ends up in the harbor of Mombasa. A portion of the corn often goes directly into the hands of unsrupulous politicians who then pass it on to their own tribe to boost their next election campaign. Another portion of the shipment ends up on the black market where the corn is dumped at extremely low prices. Local farmers may as well put down their hoes right away; no one can compete with the UN's World Food Program. And because the farmers go under in the face of this pressure, Kenya would have no reserves to draw on if there actually were a famine next year. It's a simple but fatal cycle.

SPIEGEL: If the World Food Program didn't do anything, the people would starve.

Shikwati: I don't think so. In such a case, the Kenyans, for a change, would be forced to initiate trade relations with Uganda or Tanzania, and buy their food there. This type of trade is vital for Africa. It would force us to improve our own infrastructure, while making national borders -- drawn by the Europeans by the way -- more permeable. It would also force us to establish laws favoring market economy.

SPIEGEL: Would Africa actually be able to solve these problems on its own?

Shikwati: Of course. Hunger should not be a problem in most of the countries south of the Sahara. In addition, there are vast natural resources: oil, gold, diamonds. Africa is always only portrayed as a continent of suffering, but most figures are vastly exaggerated. In the industrial nations, there's a sense that Africa would go under without development aid. But believe me, Africa existed before you Europeans came along. And we didn't do all that poorly either.

SPIEGEL: But AIDS didn't exist at that time.

Shikwati: If one were to believe all the horrorifying reports, then all Kenyans should actually be dead by now. But now, tests are being carried out everywhere, and it turns out that the figures were vastly exaggerated. It's not three million Kenyans that are infected. All of the sudden, it's only about one million. Malaria is just as much of a problem, but people rarely talk about that.

SPIEGEL: And why's that?

Shikwati: AIDS is big business, maybe Africa's biggest business. There's nothing else that can generate as much aid money as shocking figures on AIDS. AIDS is a political disease here, and we should be very skeptical.

SPIEGEL: The Americans and Europeans have frozen funds previously pledged to Kenya. The country is too corrupt, they say.

Shikwati: I am afraid, though, that the money will still be transfered before long. After all, it has to go somewhere. Unfortunately, the Europeans' devastating urge to do good can no longer be countered with reason. It makes no sense whatsoever that directly after the new Kenyan government was elected -- a leadership change that ended the dictatorship of Daniel arap Mois -- the faucets were suddenly opened and streams of money poured into the country.

SPIEGEL: Such aid is usually earmarked for a specific objective, though.

Shikwati: That doesn't change anything. Millions of dollars earmarked for the fight against AIDS are still stashed away in Kenyan bank accounts and have not been spent. Our politicians were overwhelmed with money, and they try to siphon off as much as possible. The late tyrant of the Central African Republic, Jean Bedel Bokassa, cynically summed it up by saying: "The French government pays for everything in our country. We ask the French for money. We get it, and then we waste it."

SPIEGEL: In the West, there are many compassionate citizens wanting to help Africa. Each year, they donate money and pack their old clothes into collection bags ...

Shikwati: ... and they flood our markets with that stuff. We can buy these donated clothes cheaply at our so-called Mitumba markets. There are Germans who spend a few dollars to get used Bayern Munich or Werder Bremen jerseys, in other words, clothes that that some German kids sent to Africa for a good cause. After buying these jerseys, they auction them off at Ebay and send them back to Germany -- for three times the price. That's insanity ...

SPIEGEL: ... and hopefully an exception.

Shikwati: Why do we get these mountains of clothes? No one is freezing here. Instead, our tailors lose their livlihoods. They're in the same position as our farmers. No one in the low-wage world of Africa can be cost-efficient enough to keep pace with donated products. In 1997, 137,000 workers were employed in Nigeria's textile industry. By 2003, the figure had dropped to 57,000. The results are the same in all other areas where overwhelming helpfulness and fragile African markets collide.

SPIEGEL: Following World War II, Germany only managed to get back on its feet because the Americans poured money into the country through the Marshall Plan. Wouldn't that qualify as successful development aid?

Shikwati: In Germany's case, only the destroyed infrastructure had to be repaired. Despite the economic crisis of the Weimar Republic, Germany was a highly- industrialized country before the war. The damages created by the tsunami in Thailand can also be fixed with a little money and some reconstruction aid. Africa, however, must take the first steps into modernity on its own. There must be a change in mentality. We have to stop perceiving ourselves as beggars. These days, Africans only perceive themselves as victims. On the other hand, no one can really picture an African as a businessman. In order to change the current situation, it would be helpful if the aid organizations were to pull out.

SPIEGEL: If they did that, many jobs would be immediately lost ...

Shikwati: ... jobs that were created artificially in the first place and that distort reality. Jobs with foreign aid organizations are, of course, quite popular, and they can be very selective in choosing the best people. When an aid organization needs a driver, dozens apply for the job. And because it's unacceptable that the aid worker's chauffeur only speaks his own tribal language, an applicant is needed who also speaks English fluently -- and, ideally, one who is also well mannered. So you end up with some African biochemist driving an aid worker around, distributing European food, and forcing local farmers out of their jobs. That's just crazy!

SPIEGEL: The German government takes pride in precisely monitoring the recipients of its funds.

Shikwati: And what's the result? A disaster. The German government threw money right at Rwanda's president Paul Kagame. This is a man who has the deaths of a million people on his conscience -- people that his army killed in the neighboring country of Congo.

SPIEGEL: What are the Germans supposed to do?

Shikwati: If they really want to fight poverty, they should completely halt development aid and give Africa the opportunity to ensure its own survival. Currently, Africa is like a child that immediately cries for its babysitter when something goes wrong. Africa should stand on its own two feet.

Interview conducted by Thilo Thielke

Translated from the German by Patrick Kessler

Africa Mission support team

Africa Mission support team
Originally uploaded by come and see africa

We had a yard sale to raise funds for Rwanda. People donated all kinds of things. About 20 volunteers came together to work on Saturday, June 4th. I never knew how much works are involved with yard sale. We collected stuff for almost 3 months, and for two days we sorted, marked a price to each item, set up tables with goods, and made sales. We made $1450. There has to be a better way to raise funds than this!

Al bought this tool because no one was buying

Al is buying tools
Originally uploaded by come and see africa

Anna trying to sell this stuff to me

Anna or Jan?
Originally uploaded by come and see africa

Can you guess what this is?

Jan or Anna?
Originally uploaded by come and see africa

It is a hair dryer

Wednesday Fellowship

“What is for the dinner?” someone shouts during announcement time. "Ham, salad, and potatoes!", Bob shouts back from the choir. About a month ago, we started a Wednesday dinner and mid-week service. While most churches are cutting back on services, First Southern is adding them.

There is old saying that the “family that eats together stays together”. How true it is! Eating is the most family-oriented activity in every culture. By serving a dinner on Wednesday, we are accomplishing three goals: First, we stay close to our church family by touching base in the middle of the week. Second, we reach out to people in our community. Often it is easier to invite people to a meal than to a Sunday service. Third, we get a delicious meal.

Bob Shaw has been our lead chef. He has been coming to church on Wednesday morning, spending many hours to prepare food for 30 people. A full course dinner is served between 5 to 6 p.m. – with all the fixing’s. After an enjoyable meal in the dinning hall, we gather in the sanctuary for a “word of the week”. After that we break up into smaller groups to practice choir, pray, or study the Bible. As we share food and fun with one another, our love for one another grows.

It’s so much fun to belong to the family of God. I find myself looking forward to Wednesday evenings. I invite everyone who receives this newsletter to attend our First Southern mid-week dinner. I am reminded of the scripture, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” [Hebrews 10:24-25]

my birthday

my birthday
Originally uploaded by come and see africa.

I got a real dog for my birthday. I never had a dog in my life, and I thought I would try one. A Korean dog came to live with us, but she did a very bad thing. We had to send her back to the owner. She killed Chris' bird, Paco. I think I am going to stick to this hot dog for now, rather than real one.

simon's apartment

simon's apartment
Originally uploaded by come and see africa.

Here I am with my son and my daughter-in-law.

Uploading a movie to your server account

Dave Hicks created an instruction for itec 830 class. Here it is:

Once you have completed your imovie, then exported it as a Quicktime for the web(File>Export>Quicktime>Web) you are ready to post it to your blog.
Here is how:
1. Loading your movie to your server account.
2. Taking a picture of your movie screen.
3. Linking your blog to your movie.

Immculee from 2001 to 2005

Jean Min and Immaculate
Originally uploaded by come and see africa.

I met Immaculee in 2001 in Butare, Rwanda. She was a freshman at NUR at the time, when my husband and I went to Butare. My husband was giving a Christian leadership seminar at the National University of Rwanda, and I was teaching school teachers how to write lesson plans. Since 2001, we have been going to Rwanda every year, and we see Immaculee every year. She was a freshman when we first met her, now she is graduated from the university and works as an accountant for Rwandan government. She is also a board member for "Come and See Africa", a non-profit organization which my husband and I established.

How can you tell this is taken in the different year?

DSC00804.JPG

DSC00804.JPG
Originally uploaded by come and see africa.

How beautiful

Love endureth all things

Zach, Simon and Dillia,

I love you and miss you so "manta" on this V-day.
mom~

Iraq War is Real

Can you imagine that someone who you don't know will come to you and announces the death of your son? This happened to one of our church family, Annabel. Annabel has been asking for our Church to pray for her grandson Michael who was serving in Iraq. We have been praying for him every Sunday, and asking Annabel when he is going to be at home. He is at home, but not the way you expected. He died when a humvee that he was in it was blown off. He was caught in a war zone. He was only 23 years old. Why? We are at war. But I didn't think about it, or I should say that the war didn't seem real to me until today. The war is real and our soldiers give their lives for this country. Michael gave his life for you and me.

It was so hard to face Michael's father, mother, and his only brother James. As I think of Michael's death, I can't stop thinking about my own children. Michael is only 23. I never had a chance to know him in person, but through Annabel I have been praying for him and his safe return. Rest in Peace, Michael.

New semester

School started on Wed. For me, school started last week. I have been busy with conferences and workshops last week and this week. Grant workshop was very helpful. I hope to apply for faculty development for Africa and community based curriculum development.

Simon and Dilia are in Venezuela. I have not heard from him for a week, so I am little worried. Zach made a safe journey from SF to Washington via Dallas. My old car was faithful to him, he made to DC with that old car in the mid winter.

Letters from a father to his son--Iraq

Read this, weep.

Surprise visit

Jungwha and John came to the church and surprised me. I can't believe Jungwha has two kids already. I introduce them six years ago, and they got married a year later. I have not seen them for four years! It is so wonderful to see these two.



Lelia's visit. I pray that she will stay healthy while she is in Africa.

Zach came and gone.


We celebrated New York New Year. This means we embraced the year 2007 at 9 p.m, New York time. While we are waiting for the dawn of new year, we played pictionary, had a time of reflection on 2006 and shared dreams for 2007. We prayed as we step into the year 2007. I am excited to see what God is going to do with our church, my family, and myself. I am so excited, I can't contain my joy.

Adventure? or Trouble?

Chris is in Africa. He left on Dec. 28 with Lelia to London. They will meet with Frank in London, then Lelia will travel alone to Africa then meet Chris and Frank in Kigali.
Zach left on Dec. 28th to go back to D.C via Dallas . He called me from Dallas and told me that he is having trouble with the car. I tried to persuade him not to drive the old car during this time of the year. Zach insisted, and Chris encouraged. It is so hard to understand him and Chris. They think this is an adventure. To me it is a trouble. I wouldn't mind having an adventure, but I want to avoid troubles. How do you distingush an adventure from a trouble? It is time to let him go. Zach is an adult, and he can take care of himself. I did my best to help him not getting into trouble. Fixing the car, which cost me $1000, and helping him with gas. It is now out of my hand, I need to let him be an adult. I am trying very hard to distance from his adventure. Now it is his adventure that he needs to experience the consequences.

Christmas Cantata

Our choir was fantastic! We had great turn out, and the mix of music was informal at the same time reverenced. I met so many new people; they seemed to be friends and family of choir members. We had about 100 people. I am praying that by next Christmas,our membership will be 100. After the cantata, we had a candle light service and refreshment. We made a circle along the wall, then lighted candles. While each candle is lighted up, we sang, then we touched the shoulder of the next person in order to make the complete circle (we could prayed or blessed that person we touched). When we made the complete circle, we walked to get back to our seat. The moving crowds with lighted candles were really neat to see from the sound booth. I took several pictures as people sang and walked.

I learned how to embed slideshow

Learning from children

It was a rainy Sunday. When I saw Tim and his little brother Chris, I was looking at the seat where Annabel sits every Sunday. I didn't think Annabel would be here since Jane and Al will not be at the church this Sunday. But she was sitting pretty in her Sunday pink dress. I turned my head toward to Tim to tell him to say Annabel is here. Before I open my mouth, I saw Tim was walking toward Annabel, then he gave her a big hug. His brother Chris followed him and sat next to Tim. If Annabel is his grand mother or he knew her before, this may not be anything that I would think about.

I was pleasantly surprised by Tim a few weeks ago when he wanted help Annabel to Jane's car. He seemed to be restless, and a typical 10 year old boy who has lots of energy. But when he helped her out, he was so gentle to her. I had to stop what I was doing, and watch those two walked out from the church. How kind and sweet he was to Annabel. Most kids, I thought, they don't pay attention to old people, even to their own grandparents. But I was wrong. Some kids pay attention to even to strangers. Annabel was a stranger to Tim. Sometimes, kids teach older people how to love others while adults just talk about it.

Reason for the Season--Born is the King of Israel

We decorated our house with Christmas lights and a rain deer on our rooftop. I love this
season, and this year is such a special year. We are so blessed to live on the same ground where our church is. It is so wonderful to see the beautiful church several times everyday. Christmas season started right after the Thanksgiving. We decorated the church and the parsonage. Last Friday (Dec. 1st), we went to Assoc. Christmas party, and on Saturday (Dec. 2nd) was our church party.

My favorite season is Christmas season. This year, my joy has been multiplied with so many many blessings. The first blessing is our church, the second blessing is also our church, and the third blessing is again our church. What a joy to serve God in this way! We went out for caroling Monday night (Dec. 5th). Last time when I went out for caroling was in Korea in 1969. What a joy to experience it again.

Driftwood Nursing Home visit

We sang hymns and old classics. There were about thirty people who are in wheel chairs. Some were singing along with us, some were sleeping during the service. It reminded me the time when my mother was in a nursing home. I am sure that no one here in this nursing home chose to be here. What can you do when you are struck by strokes, and no one to take care of you. How do you respond to this kind of event in your life? When they were young and healthy, I don't think they ever thought they would end up in a place like this. Surely I don't think that way now, but what do you do when you need full time care. I wanted to hug everyone, but I didn't. I went around and reached out my hands to those who reached out to me. Wouldn't it be nice if I could bring in children from a Korean church to sing and dance for them? Children can learn to serve older people, and these wheel chiar bound people can enjoy children's singing and dance.

Visiting Homeless Shelter on Thanksgiving day

We went to a shelter on Thanksgiving day. It was so hard to see their faces straight from the place where I was sitting. They avoided and I avoided their eye contacts. They look so tired and beatten from cold, rain, and sun. On my way out, I said "hello" to a young family, and baby waived goodbye to me. It is so hard to say "God bless you or Happy Thanksgiving" to those who are really suffering. What do you say when you see someone who lost all hopes?

Joyce played piano, Linda is holding cup cake box, Ken and Mike in the background.

Anna and Enyoung

I had a surprise visit--Anna and Enyoung visited us. I have been praying for two directees for several months. I need to give the names to SDI on Dec. 9th. Whenever I asked “how should I get directees”, Sister tells me, God will send right ones, just wait. Now I know what she is talking about. These two showed up at my doorstep and surprised me. The way God works is always amazing. These two young ladies are the ones God sent to my way as I am getting a training to be a spiritual director.

This baby is so cute. Every time I hear his laugh, I laugh too.

So cute.

Why can we laugh like this any more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HttF5HVYtlQ

Baptism service

Baptism service--Jeri

We had a grand time on Sunday 19th. Two people were baptized and one person joined the church. What a wonderful day it was! We had a chance to keep two ordinances that Jesus ordained for the church to do. In the morning, we had a baptism, and in the evening we had a communion.

Burden and York are lifted

We have been moving since October 1st, and our aim was that we rent the Mill Valley house out by November 1st. But it didn't work out that way. We just sign a contract to rent the house on Dec. 1st.

Chris got the senior pastor position on Oct. 1st with FSBC. Since Sept 24th, we have been moving things out from MV to Sl every time we came to the church from MV. We rented a UHaul twice andd Ken and Al used their trucks to help us to move. Al went to the house several times and repaired rotten steps. I thank God for his talent and willingness to help.

Chris focused on moving and I focused on cleaning and renting it out. I advertised the house and many people came by, but no takers. I asked a man to provide me with his honest fee dback about the house. He (and also Chris) pointed out that we need to paint and update the house. After we moved our furniture, we started painting. Chris hired Stacy and John to help us paint. But the painting job was getting bigger and bigger so we needed more people to paint and also more experienced ones. I hired Luis and Milquin right off the street. They worked really hard also they were experienced painters. We paid them close to one grand for painting, but it would have been much more if we had hired a professional painter. The house looks really clean and nice.

Now we need to update the kitchen. Barry referred me to talk to Peter. I wanted to put new cabinets and floor, but I learned that we need more than ten grand. So, we will not have any new cabinets or new floor this time. Peter put a black granite counter top and fixed all plumming for three grand.

Chris painted steps and fixed things outside. I cleaned inside. It took almost for 2 weeks to clean. On November 18th, I had an open house. Six people wanted to rent the house, and they gave me a down payment. I think I put the rental price too low. But I am not sure if we charged more money, then we may not have an opportunity to choose the best from many applicants. We found a family; Vernonica and Nathan are so happy with the house, and I have good feeling that they will take care of the house.
\
Thank God we are done with Mill Valley house now. Our body and mind were at SL, but the unfinished business in Mill Valley pulled us from the behind, we could not run as we should and as we wanted. It was almost like I was running forward but my head was turned backward. it was a tough two months. Now we are free, it is over! We can’t wait to visit our congregation and start a real work that matters to us the most.

We are welcomed!

Pastor Installation--Nov. 5th

During the morning service on Nov. 5th, the church family welcomed us and gave commitment to support for the pastor. Lyman welcome Chris to the association, Jeanne (Chris’ sister) introduce her brother to this congregation and also tried to talk about him as his sister, Jane talked about the pastor search process, Al asked Chris about his commitment to the church, Jean prayed for Chris and me, then Craig talked about Chris as a friend and a colleague. Craig spoke so well; about teaching (Thursday Men’s Bible Study), compassion (SanQuintin ministry), and leadership (CASA ministry). I was told that 84 people attended the morning service. Jeanne came down from Portland, Valerie, James, and Jael came from Sacramento. Ted came form San Jose.

In the evening, Chris and I gave testimony. Chris showed pictures of our family, and he shared his three different time callings. The last one he answered. I shared my encounter with God, which I termed as my holy mountain experience. Lisa and Drew came, they want to come to our church from San Francisco, well we will see. Brian, Lili, Doo San, also Shirly from Chinese church came. Several area pastors came and welcomed him to the association. What a joy to serve our God with brothers and sisters in Christ.

My New Church Family

We moved from Mill Valley to San Lorenzo, well, almost. We spent last night for the first time at our new house. I slept on a couch, because our bed is still in our Mill Valley. Al and Ken came to the house at 6:30 a.m. We started early to beat the traffic at the toll plaza. We made pretty good time to get to Mill Valley house. Brian was there already. He came last Monday and also this Monday to help us. We loaded our bedroom furniture and computer room stuff, then came back to our SL house around 10:30 a.m. We finished unloading around noon, had a lunch from last night's party. Here is our Fifth Sunday Night gathering. Also we celebrated Al's retirement.


The secret is out. We love to eat.



See what we played. Look we are are singing and dancing, sort of. We sang "deep and wide" with motions. If that counts for dancing. Al is showing us what wide means, "This is Wide"

Can you guess the theme for tonight? Who says Southern Baptist people don't know how to have fun. We just don't get drunk to get a good time.

Moving

We rented U-Haul last Monday, and moved furniture. Brian and Doosan helped from Mill Valley end. When we arrived at San Lorenzo, Ken D, John and Roberta King, Carol, Don, Joy, Lisa, Joy's son Rufus, Don who cuts our lawn, Bob came. Don and Joyce's grandson came to help as well. What a great group to work with. MV house is getting emptied as SL house get filled. I ask why we need so many things. I really enjoyed this empty house.

Spritual Direction -part II

Oct 18th Mercy Center:
As we listen to each other's Holy Ground experience, we are told to pay attention to our inner thoughts, and notice what is happening within us. My partner shared his brother's death last week, his experience of witnessing his brother's passing from this world to the next world, he experienced the presence of Holy spirit, the comforter was with his brother and his family who were at the death bed. Watching his brother leaving this world and embracing the next world was so satisfying because there was such a peace and grace in that place. They all felt that the presence of God. As I listened my partner's story, I felt like I was right with him because the way he shared about his sacred experience. Then he shared another incident when he experienced God. He was walking on the beach one time; there was breeze, and he knew that was the breath of God. I can totally understand what he is talking about. I too had the same experience with breeze. I call it "God's breath experience".

I was going to share about my new church being a holy ground for me, but first I dovetailed on Bill's story of God's breath. I shared my Uganda experience. God's breath, morning breeze that I felt in that morning in banana field in Uganda, I will never forget. That was my encounter with God, my holy ground experience in 1998. I shared with my current holy ground that I saw in my mind tonight.

After we shared our experience with each other, we met in a large group again, then the facilitator asked about our dyad experience. People said "easier to keep going, became sacred as I tell the story, thinking about and telling about the experience made our experience sacred, trust" The activity took only 30 min. The next 30 minutes, the facilitator read Speech Therapist, how she saw God on the face of a handicapped child. She read it, and then asked what happened to the ST. There are so many great comments were made, as always, I learn a lot from my classmates.

Circle of Life
Spiritual direction is to be in God's presence, nothing is excluded, everything is important to God, assurance from God, God manifest himself. When we touch a person deeply, we touch God. When we have relationship with God whse name is "I AM"- it changed to I - thou relationship to I - I relationship. God is interested in my everyday, ordinary affairs. When I am with Him, my ordinary life comes alive. glory of God is human being fully alive.

Art of listening

Listen to others as though the person is speaking his last words. What a great warning or prompting. If I listen to Chris, Zach and Simon in this way, what would be like? We took a dinner break from 6 to 7 p.m. We had fish, salad, and soup. I sat with two other women whom I have known them since the first meeting last year. We convened at 7 p.m and continued with the listening experience. We broke up with a team of three and practiced Spiritual Direction. Frank was the director, I was the directee, and Louise was the observer. I told about my forgetfulness. I forgot totally about the last month homework, and I cannot even remember what was talked about last month. A few times, I had blacked out experience. Bill caught the word "scared" and asked me why I was scared. I was little agitated that I am not scared, but I am frustrated. It was amazing that Frank's question helped me to sort out the feelings of "scared and frustrated". Frank was very comfortable in his role as a director and I felt his empathy toward the directee was the key for me to open up. He listened to me, gave his undivided attention. I knew that because he was leaning forward to hear what I have to say. Louise debriefed and gave some feedback. We met as the small group, Bill, the mentor for our group debriefed about the today's lesson.

I learned a lot. I am so glad that I came.

Spritual Direction -part I

Thursday 18, 2006 at Mercy Center.

I am in a 3 year Spiritual Direction program at Mercy Center
We meet once a month, I am learning so much about myself and God, and my relationship with God. Tonight's topic was Holy Listening. We started out the session by singing "This is Holy ground, We're standing on holy ground, For our God is present and where God is... is holy" Sisters read sacred words by taking turn. In between the readings, we sang Holy Ground. As I get involved in this process of singing and listening to sacred words, I noticed myself that I was calming down and become more centered within a minute time span. As we sang, we were prompted to go to the time and space where we had an encounter with God. We were prompted to reflect on our Holy ground experience.

The text read (Gen 3) was about Moses and his encounter with God. God appeared in burning bushes. What is my burning bush? Moses took off his shoes when he sensed God's presence. Shoes have message and meaning. Taking off shoes has meaning. Moses took off shoes in the presence of God. When and where should I take off my shoes? Am I sensitive enough to know when and where? We struggle to be holy. Knowing when and where to taking off our shoes on the holy ground is not easy. When did I have that experience? I when I am in the presence of God. I am alive.

During the reflection time, I thought about my holy ground. With my surprise, I saw the parking lot of our new church, then the house and church. How cans the parking lot to be my holy ground? I might ask. How the parking lot can be the holy ground. The word "serve and love" Mabel, Ken D, Barbara D, Jane & Al and many members of the church showed up in front of me. Is God saying to me that at this space and time, I serve and love these people? I thought my duty is to reaching out to the lost, but somehow my assignment seems to be different than I expected and imagined. I used to think, "reach and teach" others about who God is the primary importance of my Christian duty.

From the first time we were called to this church, we never ask God why we are here at San Lorenzo, because we know that is what He wanted for us to be at this time. I am just thrilled that he included me in his work; I am so jazzed about our new congregation. God showed me my holy ground where I need to take off my shoes. As I take off my shoes at my house, I think about our church.

Once I saw clearly what is my holy ground is for now, I feel much better about our move. I was blessed tonight how God show my holy ground, where I will meet God everyday. My Holy ground at this time of my life is this place, right in front of me. The place, our church, where I will commune with God.

September CASA Report from Robina

The CASA-Rwanda house is busy as you can see the activities below. Please pray for the House Activity Director, Robina, as you can see her plate is full with many different ministries. I thank God for her faithfulness, creativity and hard work. Please e-mail Robina and encourage her as she toils in the harvest field.

The following numbers are people who are served by the CASA house during the month of Sept. Every morning at 5:30 to 6:30, there is morning devotion at the house every morning except on Sunday, and there is a small prayer closet where people can pray as they fast staying there overnight. The house is busy day and night, and the retreat rooms are booked solid with different Christian student groups. Students and mamas come to the house to get counseling; also pastors and evangelists stay at the house when they come to Butare to preach the Gospel to students.

SEPTEMBER 2006
Activity
By Robina

Morning Devotion

1st wk 206 people
2nd wk 107 people
3rd wk 83 people
4th wk 83 people

Prayer Room
1st wk 3 people
2nd wk 2 students
3rd wk 4 students
4th wk 2 students

Student Retreat
1st wk 36 students from GBU
2nd wk 14 students
3rd wk 8 students
4th wk 10 students

MaMa Counseling
1st wk 5 mamas
2nd wk 20 and above for two days seminar on “Lady at
home , Lady in the ministry”
3rd wk 2 mamas
4th wk 4 mamas

Student Counseling
1st wk 45 students due to deliverance service done a
pastor from kigali invited by GBU hosted by CASA 2nd
wk 7 students
3rd wk 4 students
4th wk 3 local people

Student Luncheon
1st wk 5 students
2nd wk 5 students
3rd wk 10 students
4th wk 7 students

Pastor Hosting
1st wk None
2nd wk 4 pastors
3rd wk 3 pastors
4th wk None

Helping Hands
1st wk 1 person
2nd wk 1 person
3rd wk 1 person
4th wk 1 person

Host guests
1st wk 1 pastor from kigali
2nd wk 2 ladies that were teachings the mamas
3rd wk 2 ministers from Mutara
4th wk None

Equipment check-out
1st wk 1 guitar
2nd wk 1 guitar
3rd wk 2 guitars
4th wk Wires microphones for one day.

Schedule activities
1st wk A talk on January Conference
2nd wk Work on the statute and annual report
3rd wk Talk on January conference
4th wk Work on the statute and annual report

Conduct monthly meeting
1st wk Small meeting for CFH Staff with Frank
2nd wk Small meeting with CFH Staff
3rd wk A talk to Pascazia and Scovia
4th wk 1 CASA Staff meeting with pastor Paul and
Pastor Musoni James.

Visit churches/homes
1st wk Visited 2 homes
2nd wk Visited 2 homes and one church
3rd wk Visited 3 homes with 1 church
4th wk 1 home

Robina --House Management
Supervise Pascuzia
1st wk As usual
2nd wk Measuring and sowing the curtains
3rd wk Curtain hanging
4th wk As usual

Supervise Jack
1st wk As accustomed
2nd wk As accustomed
3rd Curtain hanging
4th wk As usual

Maintain inside house
1st wk Bought new cartains
2nd wk As accustomed
3rd wk Curtain hanging
4th wk As usual

THE ABOVE IS THE REPORT OF ACTIVITY DIRECTOR.
Frank --Academic
Schedule classes
Teach classes
Available for students
Visit campus
Frank--Property Mgt
Pay bills-utility/phone/rent
Maintain Library books
Maintain Music Equipment
Maintain Electronic Equipment
Maintain house running

Hectic time

Willi came to visit from Rwanda. He helped us moving to from MV to SL, Chris, Willi, Simon, me worked all day long,packing,loading,unloading. In between, I check e-mail to answer inquiry about the house. Then I read my nephew, Josh's blog about what Not to do when we witness.


There are four aspects of evangelism that many Christians get wrong.

1. The Motive of many Christians for witnessing is simply guilt. They know the Bible tells them to, so every once in a while the guilt builds up enough for them to try to do something about it. Our motive should be compassion. We should be leading people to Jesus because we love them and want them to be saved from their sins. Without this motive, everything we do or say will simply be a clanging symbol.

2. The Goal of evangelism is not to win an argument or prove that you are right. The Goal should simply be conversation. God's love comes through us when we are in a relationship with others; not a competition. People can tell when you just want to win an argument rather than build a relationship.

3. The Perspective we should not have is that our interaction needs to bring a person to salvation. We need to understand that each person is on a Journey. And our job is to help them along. It helps if you picture a scale from -10 to +10, with 0 as salvation. -10 would be absolute hatred for God and +10 would be the best relationship with God that is possible. Now everyone can be charted on this graph. When you encounter a -7, your job is not to get them to 0. It's to get them to -6. That's what the Bible means when is says some sow the seeds, others water them, and still others reap the harvest.

4. The Response that you give to their objections to Christianity needs to be appropriate. There are 3 kinds of barriers to accepting Christ. Emotional, Intellectual, and Volitional. Emotional barriers are caused by bad experiences from church or Christians. Obviously the best way to deal with these is to simply demonstrate love to these people. Giving them statistics and charts won't heal their heart. Intellectual barriers are issues like science versus religion, or logical contradictions. This is where facts and figures can actually help. Someone who thinks that all Christians believe the world was made 6,000 years ago doesn’t need a hug. They need facts. And finally, every person has a Volitional barrier. This is simply a matter of God not having revealed Himself to them yet. There is nothing to do about this except to pray.