Update – February 10, 2009
Follow-Up from Previous Update
* Follow-up from J Film Program/Story – a Small Group has been started in the area where local ‘Agape’ people have gathered to watch the film. Praise Him for using the Film and Story in the local language to draw His people…
Short Version
· New Pictures Uploaded- go to my blog (http://www.elizabethstories.blogspot.com/ and see links on the right hand side).
· Alien bug attack – you have to read further!
· You got it! – Seeing one of my teams are beginning to really grasp certain storying concepts! I live for moments like that!
· ‘Small Group’ Workshop (Feb 16-27) – teams will learn how to USE the Stories in small groups. Ask Him for clear communicating, and strength as it will be non-stop for 2 weeks!!
Flying bug attack?
“Wait, hold on a second…”
“What is it?”
“There’s some kind of bug flying around in here…wait…there’s another one…”
“What kind of bug is it?”
“I don’t know….what? Wait, there’s more, 3, 4…6….9…I’m gonna have to go…”
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, I’m being attacked! Ahh! I’m gonna get my weapons out…I gotta go…”
“Okay…have fun.”
The next 15-20 minutes were spent using bug spray and a flip flop to attack the intruders who had mysteriously appeared in my room around 7pm on Friday night. I swatted at them here and there, splattering them on top of notes sent from friends at home, and on the wall, the window, the door – everywhere. I then sprayed a bunch that had compiled in one corner. I opened my door to see if the phenomenon was occurring outside as well, and have to
say I can relate to the Egyptians and the plague of locusts- I could hardly see across the hall, the flying insects were so thick! Someone had turned a light on right outside my door, and they had congregated there. I tried to cover my head and dash to the light switch to turn it off- several flying into my hair. I got back inside my room and closed the door- only to have them start crawling under the door! Ahh!!! I kept up my frantic swatting and spraying. Eventually, after a few bug splatters, it seemed the alien invasion was over. Phew!
But wait…what’s that? What are these little bugs coming out of nowhere? Then I started seeing pairs of wings all over the place. I realized what was happening. The aliens had transformed, from wing creatures to a creepy crawly bug. Seriously! It was a flying bug at first, but after about 10 minutes, started losing its wings, and transforming itself into a crawling insect. So, I went forth and attacked them as well. Ew gross.
After a while, I had a nice pile in one corner, and it seemed like no more were coming in and the ones that had transformed had been destroyed. I had won the fight! Of course, I hadn’t noticed the sneaky creatures changing forms so soon, and so when I began sweeping my room to clean up the whole buggy mess, I found a lot more wings than bodies of bugs…which can only mean one thing. Unless the alien bugs just disappeared, they are either in my bed, or in luggage, or clothing!! And, as I walked down the hallway outside later on, I saw pairs of wings all over the place…hmm…where could they be?
Anyway, that was my adventure for Friday night!!
“You got it!”
For those teachers or parents out there, you can relate to what I’m about to share. For the most part, the teams are still really just grasping the idea of storying and how to do it in a accurate yet culturally relevant way. It’s harder than it sounds, believe me!! Anyway, I saw a light bulb go off in a few of them this week, and while my mind is too tired to remember the specifics, I remembering feeling really excited and proud to see the concepts begin got click. I praise Him for those moments, and the hard work and patience that is involved in getting there!
Workshop
From Feb 16-17, we will be engaged in the third storying workshop for these ‘Pan Town’ teams. The consultants will be visiting from America and we will all engage in teaching the teams more specifically how to use the Stories in Fellowship Groups. This is perhaps the most important training as it is the practical side of storying. After the nitty-gritty checking of making sure things are culturally relevant and accurate to the Book, the point is to actually USE the stories. While most of the teams are still working on their stories and are not quite ready to use them in a Fellowship Group setting, hopefully after this, they will begin a new kind of testing with their story set. What I mean is, going through the stories weekly- starting at the Beginning. This will serve two purposes – to give those people in the group a panoramic view of the Story. It will also be a good overall check to see if the stories all combined are communicating the Truth accurately (i.e. do the stories flow together, are terms like God, Sin, Forgiveness consistent).
I know from the last workshop, these two weeks will be non-stop (it has already felt almost non-stop since I got here!). I remember at the last workshop, it seemed like 100 people needed me at once!! I loved being available to everyone as much as possible, but also felt I wasn’t able to keep up with it all.
I want to ask for additional strength during this time, and wisdom to know how to divide myself between all the teams and consultants. Also pray for any teaching that I do- that in spite of my feeble language ability, that I would be able to communicate well.
P&P:
· Praise for a long, but very good week of meetings with teams.
· Praise for Sam and Manny – and their dedication to this work.
· Praise for health and a victory over the alien bugs (any battle I have with bugs, I really do praise Him for the successful outcome!)
· Prayer for caste/social class issues that creep into the work/team dynamics from time to time – can’t exactly explain it, but just pray for humility among all.
· Prayer for workshop (mentioned above)
· Prayer for the heartache/confusion of loving what I do and feeling I’m right where God wants me but missing home so much…
Also, I’m attaching a Chronological Book study plan to go through the Book in a year. I have tried to do this once before, and didn’t quite finish. I’m attempting to go through again- and this time in half a year (New Living Translation). So far, I’m ahead of schedule! I have never read so much of the Book in such a short amount of time, and honestly, I can hardly put it down. I almost cried when Moses died!! Anyway, I’d encourage you to check it out!! May you be blessed by the Story! [note- the part that says NLOC- scroll down to the end of the doc].
* Follow-up from J Film Program/Story – a Small Group has been started in the area where local ‘Agape’ people have gathered to watch the film. Praise Him for using the Film and Story in the local language to draw His people…
Short Version
· New Pictures Uploaded- go to my blog (http://www.elizabethstories.blogspot.com/ and see links on the right hand side).
· Alien bug attack – you have to read further!
· You got it! – Seeing one of my teams are beginning to really grasp certain storying concepts! I live for moments like that!
· ‘Small Group’ Workshop (Feb 16-27) – teams will learn how to USE the Stories in small groups. Ask Him for clear communicating, and strength as it will be non-stop for 2 weeks!!
Flying bug attack?
“Wait, hold on a second…”
“What is it?”
“There’s some kind of bug flying around in here…wait…there’s another one…”
“What kind of bug is it?”
“I don’t know….what? Wait, there’s more, 3, 4…6….9…I’m gonna have to go…”
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, I’m being attacked! Ahh! I’m gonna get my weapons out…I gotta go…”
“Okay…have fun.”
The next 15-20 minutes were spent using bug spray and a flip flop to attack the intruders who had mysteriously appeared in my room around 7pm on Friday night. I swatted at them here and there, splattering them on top of notes sent from friends at home, and on the wall, the window, the door – everywhere. I then sprayed a bunch that had compiled in one corner. I opened my door to see if the phenomenon was occurring outside as well, and have to
say I can relate to the Egyptians and the plague of locusts- I could hardly see across the hall, the flying insects were so thick! Someone had turned a light on right outside my door, and they had congregated there. I tried to cover my head and dash to the light switch to turn it off- several flying into my hair. I got back inside my room and closed the door- only to have them start crawling under the door! Ahh!!! I kept up my frantic swatting and spraying. Eventually, after a few bug splatters, it seemed the alien invasion was over. Phew!But wait…what’s that? What are these little bugs coming out of nowhere? Then I started seeing pairs of wings all over the place. I realized what was happening. The aliens had transformed, from wing creatures to a creepy crawly bug. Seriously! It was a flying bug at first, but after about 10 minutes, started losing its wings, and transforming itself into a crawling insect. So, I went forth and attacked them as well. Ew gross.
After a while, I had a nice pile in one corner, and it seemed like no more were coming in and the ones that had transformed had been destroyed. I had won the fight! Of course, I hadn’t noticed the sneaky creatures changing forms so soon, and so when I began sweeping my room to clean up the whole buggy mess, I found a lot more wings than bodies of bugs…which can only mean one thing. Unless the alien bugs just disappeared, they are either in my bed, or in luggage, or clothing!! And, as I walked down the hallway outside later on, I saw pairs of wings all over the place…hmm…where could they be?
Anyway, that was my adventure for Friday night!!
“You got it!”
For those teachers or parents out there, you can relate to what I’m about to share. For the most part, the teams are still really just grasping the idea of storying and how to do it in a accurate yet culturally relevant way. It’s harder than it sounds, believe me!! Anyway, I saw a light bulb go off in a few of them this week, and while my mind is too tired to remember the specifics, I remembering feeling really excited and proud to see the concepts begin got click. I praise Him for those moments, and the hard work and patience that is involved in getting there!
Workshop
From Feb 16-17, we will be engaged in the third storying workshop for these ‘Pan Town’ teams. The consultants will be visiting from America and we will all engage in teaching the teams more specifically how to use the Stories in Fellowship Groups. This is perhaps the most important training as it is the practical side of storying. After the nitty-gritty checking of making sure things are culturally relevant and accurate to the Book, the point is to actually USE the stories. While most of the teams are still working on their stories and are not quite ready to use them in a Fellowship Group setting, hopefully after this, they will begin a new kind of testing with their story set. What I mean is, going through the stories weekly- starting at the Beginning. This will serve two purposes – to give those people in the group a panoramic view of the Story. It will also be a good overall check to see if the stories all combined are communicating the Truth accurately (i.e. do the stories flow together, are terms like God, Sin, Forgiveness consistent).
I know from the last workshop, these two weeks will be non-stop (it has already felt almost non-stop since I got here!). I remember at the last workshop, it seemed like 100 people needed me at once!! I loved being available to everyone as much as possible, but also felt I wasn’t able to keep up with it all.
I want to ask for additional strength during this time, and wisdom to know how to divide myself between all the teams and consultants. Also pray for any teaching that I do- that in spite of my feeble language ability, that I would be able to communicate well.
P&P:
· Praise for a long, but very good week of meetings with teams.
· Praise for Sam and Manny – and their dedication to this work.
· Praise for health and a victory over the alien bugs (any battle I have with bugs, I really do praise Him for the successful outcome!)
· Prayer for caste/social class issues that creep into the work/team dynamics from time to time – can’t exactly explain it, but just pray for humility among all.
· Prayer for workshop (mentioned above)
· Prayer for the heartache/confusion of loving what I do and feeling I’m right where God wants me but missing home so much…
Also, I’m attaching a Chronological Book study plan to go through the Book in a year. I have tried to do this once before, and didn’t quite finish. I’m attempting to go through again- and this time in half a year (New Living Translation). So far, I’m ahead of schedule! I have never read so much of the Book in such a short amount of time, and honestly, I can hardly put it down. I almost cried when Moses died!! Anyway, I’d encourage you to check it out!! May you be blessed by the Story! [note- the part that says NLOC- scroll down to the end of the doc].
[For Facebook/blog viewers, see the document here: http://elizabethasia.googlepages.com/OneYearChronologicalBPlanPDF.pdf] - It may take a minute or two to open...]
In Him,
~ Elizabeth
In Him,
~ Elizabeth
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