REAL Confidence

This week we discussed how we can show real confidence in others, not just a casual pat on the back that may have no basis in fact. Have you ever received a compliment that you knew was not true or that felt like someone was just puffing you up? Of course you have. Somewhere along the way we decided that positive statements were required in conversation. In efforts to be pleasant we have resorted to lying to one another. You may think that sounds harsh but it is not too far from reality. We seek to cover up our lack of real closeness by constantly saying nice things to one another. If it isn't true is it really nice? If it is said just to fill dead space in the conversation because you have nothing of substance to say, is it really nice? Real compliments are needed. Real confidence is needed. We need to build up one another, equip one another. But those things must come from truth and the spirit. I am beginning to sound like a broken record. You have to know someone to know their gifts. It is evident from the letters to Timothy that Paul KNEW him. He knew his history and family and was able to lift him up and encourage his personal gifts. Our friends and co-laborers need encouragement. Your acknowledgement of their gift may set them on a path of greater service. You may be the spark that begins much. Life is not always easy and confidence can do a great deal to keep us moving forward.

What did Paul express confidence in? First he expressed confidence in Timothy's faith. Faith that came from his mother and grandmother.

Next he expresses confidence in his gifts. Gifts that can be fanned into flame by the Holy Spirit. He reminds Timothy, and us, that we do not walk this road alone.

Some of us may need a confidence booth in our faith - there are valleys and peaks in all things.

Some of us may need a confidence boost in our gifts/abilities. It may take someone else to point out an effective role for our talents.

What can we do?

• Examine your speech this week. Watch for pleasant sounding remarks that may not actually be true. Attempt to speak only truth.
• Offer an encouraging remark to someone who is having a slump in their faith walk. Boost their spiritual confidence. Remind them of when they supported you, prayed for you, lifted you up.
• Point out some one's gift. You may be the first person, or the 100th, but all confidence helps. Give an example of where you see the gift. BE specific. Be truthful. Don't just toss out the compliment and run away.

We will not have class for the next two weeks, so look for the next Tuesday Teaser in the next year!

Tuesday Teaser for 12/17

This week we will be discussing confidence in looking at the letter to Timothy. I love the two letters we have from Paul to Timothy. I love the personal look at their relationship. It reminds me a great deal about the lesson on mentoring. Paul is intentional in his words of support and encouragement to Timothy. He succeeds where many of us fail. Why is that? I want us to think about these statements tomorrow.

• Paul knows Timothy well, knows his gifts and his faults.
• Paul expresses confidence in what he knows to be true. Timothy can do great things by fanning the flame of the spirit within him, a flame that is uniquely fired under his personal gifts/abilities.
• Paul does not encourage Timothy to be anything more than the best he can be. He does not tell him positive-sounding lies.

How can we truly encourage our brothers/sisters? How can we show real confidence?

REAL Support

Forgive the lateness of this post. I remembered last Friday but then it escaped me again. Can anyone identify with that? :) I truly enjoyed our class on support last week. We discussed many things but came to some fairly simple conclusions. You can better provide real support when you know what is actually needed. To know what is needed you need to walk alongside someone, real support can not be lobbed from afar. This presents some difficulties however...How do we walk along side someone? What if we have nothing in common, do not mesh, or otherwise do not fit? I have no good answers for this. My suggestion is to put yourself out there, be willing to get hurt, and most importantly ask God to show you who He has in mind. I do not think we can immerse in every one's life but we can do more than we are, and even when we think we can do no more, God will fill our cup again.

Another important part of our class was the idea of bad things happening because someone deserves them. While we can certainly be capable of digging our own holes and wallowing in bad decisions that lead to even worse consequences, bad things do not always come from bad decisions. Some people seem to walk under a dark cloud they did not bring through their own actions. Jesus tells us that blindness need not come from sin, but can be a way for God to be glorified. (John 9:1-3) Support is needed in times of stress regardless of the circumstances. Additionally, when someone is in pain it is not the time to preach. Learning/teaching should occur but it frequently should be preceded with something more supportive.

How shall we begin being supportive?

• Look at your past experiences - are there times when others supported you effectively? What worked for you? What did not work for you? List some concrete ideas.
• Ask friends about their struggles - what worked for them? We all have different circumstances, their concrete suggestions will often be different from yours.
• Ask a ministry leader if they know someone who fits with your experiences and capabilities. Have you learned tough financial lessons? Could you help someone with budgeting from a place of supportive experience rather than a judgemental preaching stance? Have you lost someone close to you? Can you sit quietly with those who are grieving with filling the space with useless platitudes? There is someone who needs what you have to offer. Ask God to lead you to them.

Tuesday Teaser for 12/10

This week we will be discussing the support we seek from others and the success and failure of that experience. We will first look at the book of Job in the Old Testament,a man who lost more than most of us can imagine. How did his friends respond? What did they do well? (There are somethings they did well - :) ) Comforting others in times of need is challenging. What to say, what not to say, when to come, when to go, what is truly needed? A band-aid over a gun shot wound will not help and provides no support. Telling someone to "go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" (2 James 16) Some emotional wounds need more than a pat on the back.

Real support will take time, energy, resources, and did I mention time?

I am reminded of a commercial a few years back. Some medieval lords and a king are sitting around a table. A thundering noise, maybe the sound of monstrous dragon?, is approaching. One knight shouts out that he has a solution. Get out the catapult and load it with bags of gold bars, etc and hurl it at the approaching beast. "Throw money at the problem?!?!?!?!" Hilarious commercial. Often we want to get a quick fix for some really big stuff. We want to send a card, write a check, take a casserole, and BE DONE. I am not diminishing the need for cards, casseroles and checks. The work of the kingdom is done at times through these means. What I want us to talk about is what real support looks like. The visit that comes with the casserole, the prayers that bathe the cards you send,.....

Real support will take time, energy, resources, and did I mention time?

See you tomorrow!

REAL Equality

Thank you to all the girls who made it to class last night. I enjoyed this topic, even if it is difficult since it speaks to the desire in each of us to be better than those around us. When we are young we can perceive the world as revolving around us - talk to any three year old and they will prove it. :) However God calls us to move beyond being spiritual three year olds and begin to see others the way He sees them - as wonderfully made and beloved by Him.

What is all came down to is that equality is not a word we can throw around. Equality will not be seen through words but in action. Do you treat others as equal to yourself, whether they have the same background as you or not? Our challenges this week...

• Smile and give encouraging words to EVERYONE around you this week. Even the painfully slow drive through worker and the annoying friend who does not know they are annoying.
• Ask three people how they see God working int heir lives. This may bring a few surprises and might be a much needed question for them as well.
• Listen to someone you would typically blow off - there are many people we breeze by in a weeks time.

Short post today - we need actions not words to practice equality.

See you next week...

Tuesday Teaser for 12/3

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. It is my favorite holiday, since it the only time I see some members of my family. I pray that we are all returning with more energy and desire for community. This week we will be studying equality. Another difficult topic. We live in a world that likes to rank things. There are top ten everything. What are your top movies? Top tv shows? Top friends? We are not called to be best friends with everyone, not everyone can tolerate my quirkiness. However we are equal in the eyes of God. Some are not more equal than others. That is in opposition to the very definition of the word equal!

This week we will be looking at the book of Philemon. A fascinating personal look at a very unique set of circumstances. It is almost a made for tv plot. Slave runs away from master, accidentally encounters another man who knows previous owner, learns the good news of Christ and now finds himself returning to the life he ran from - voluntarily. We can sometimes think we live in tumultuous times in regards to race and socioeconomic status. I think even the 60s could not hold a candle to the concepts that first century followers of Christ were asked to deal with as it relates to equality.

Gods definition of worth goes beyond our job, our money, our skin or hair color, our country of origin, our education, our physical abilities, or even our knowledge of Him. We are all loved by the same creator, and he wants ALL to be saved. In Him all are equal - period.

See you tomorrow!

REAL Mentors

I hope you all enjoyed the class on mentoring. We have so many great biblical models to follow, Elijah/Elisha, Moses/Joshua, Paul/Timothy, and Jesus/the 12. While I know many relationships happen "accidentally" where someone flows into our life at the right time, I want to also encourage intentional relationships. You may be in a place where you feel the need for a mentor. You may be thinking you could mentor someone else. OR you may think you have something to offer in one area but could use direction somewhere else. It is possible to mentor and be mentored at the same time. The suggestions for this week are...

Want a Mentor?

• List the qualities you want/need in a mentor. Think of your learning style, personality preferences, and desired skills.
• Ask someone in leadership(a pastor,etc) if they know someone who fits those qualifications.
• Meet with someone and talk about possible mentoring possibilities. Do not expect an answer right away. You may not even want to phrase it that way at the beginning. You could start with. "I admire......Could we get together and talk about how you manage that in your life...."

Want to Mentor?

• Ask trusted others if they see you as qualified to mentor, and in what areas. Consider a spiritual gift inventory (I know we have access to several, let me know if you are interested)
• Go to a leader or other knowledgeable person and ask if they know anyone seeking the skills you have available. Do they know anyone with undeveloped talents in your area of skill? This can be a youth or adult.
• Meet with someone to talk about your shared interests. Perhaps suggest doing something in that area together. Formalized structure may not be needed or wanted in the beginning, leave things open.

I hope everyone has a blessed next few weeks. Remember we will not be having class next week due to Thanksgiving and so the teasers will not resume until December 2.

Tuesday Teaser for 11/19

I am very excited about this week's topic - real mentors. We all remember writing the sad little essays on our heroes while in school. I always found that a challenging assignment. The societal heroes in the media - sports, movies, tv, etc - do nothing for me. Why acting skills equate with political and social expertise escapes me. We do not hear many stories on real heroes, except Mother Theresa and her story lost its power in its trite repeated retellings. (I have read the biography - it is a powerful story worth studying, but surely she was not the only person living an amazing life for a cause beyond herself?) We are a society in need of someone to look up to.

We have some amazing women at Farragut and I would no longer struggle to write that school essay. Mentoring can be such a blessing and I would love to see more of that going on (insert plug for the ladies retreat in February and Monday morning ladies class in general - those women will inspire you). I am grateful that I once participated in an official mentoring program while in grad school. It was the best thing I have done professionally speaking - EVER. I can only imagine what God could do with that program spiritually and emotionally.

Let's come prepared to talk about mentor. Why don't we "formalize" those relationships more often? God frequently uses others to teach us His ways - why aren't we more proactive in that process? When you have a mentor you are essentially saying "I like the way you do things - can you teach me your methods/way/thinking/style?" When you are the mentee (real word) you take on some one's "yoke" and follow in their footsteps. Wonder what that sounds like.....


Jesus was/is the ultimate mentor.

See you tomorrow!

REAL Change

Thanks to the girls who came last night to participate in the discussion on change. It seemed like everyone was well engaged and I hope you all are enjoying this experience as much as I am. I am so pleased that you have put thought into the lessons before we come together, even if I stray off topic and away from the questions you so thoughtfully completed. The highlights from last night...

• We, as followers of Christ, should believe in real change. Not through our own willpower but the transforming power of the Spirit within us. Remember the verses in Rom 13:12-14, Eph 5:3-8, and particularly 1 Cor 6:9-11. We are messed up people, but are washed and no longer what we were. We are changed. Does this mean we will be perfect? NO. Does it mean we have the power to be different? ABSOLUTELY. Let's not get in the way of the work of the Spirit in our lives. HE can do great things. Look at the lives of the first disciples - their witness was strengthened by the change that overcame their lives as they followed Christ. The change in our lives can be our most compelling witness to the reality of a living God.
• Christ helps us change by breaking the pattern of failure in our lives. The numbers of people suffering from depression in this country is staggering - we can find ourselves beaten down from the outside and from within. Feel the affirming love of God (Romans 5:7-8) Rely on His strength, not your own.
• In observing the separation between Paul and Barnabus we see a lesson on change. While Paul did not see a "changed" John Mark in Acts 15, we know that later they were working together in the kingdom (Col 4:10, 2 Tim 4:11, and Philem 24). Apparently both learned that change could occur. We can not force others to change, but we can trust that God has the power to do so.

Some suggested activities...

• Make a list of the positive changes you have seen in your life over the past ten years -this should give some perspective - sometimes changes move very slowly and we get discouraged when we don't step back far enough. Ten years ago would not have seen me writing this blog. :)
• Pray that God will open your eyes on the area of your life He wants to change next. Help Him in this, perhaps you need to get out of His way.
• Try something that you previously failed at. Make this a positive experience. Have you failed at keeping some resolution way back from January - dust it off and give it another go. Will it work for sure this time? No guarantees, but don't live your life assuming things will never change.

Lastly - when thinking of growth and change within yourself, think also that God's vision extends beyond you - what are you doing to strengthen the body overall?

Blessings.

Tuesday Teaser for 11/12

As we begin to prepare for a study on change I am struck again by the principles that we often apply to individuals and their equally powerful application to a body of individuals.

Tomorrow we will look at the change that occurs when we follow Christ. (First of all - was there any change? - Were you perfect before? Have you allowed the transforming power of the Spirit to work on you?) After reading 2Cor 5:17 where we learn that we are a new creation, the author asks what changes we saw in a friend that put on Christ. This made me think quickly to see if I knew anyone who had become a Christian during my knowing them. We often hang out in our circles, raising our children to follow Christ and they then get their own circle of Christian friends. Where are the friendships with non-Christ followers? Before I can see the change I have to know someone outside the camp of circled wagons. Thankfully I can think of some who came to know Christ after they were a friend, but not as many as I would like. I have seen softening and redirection in previously unexpected ways in these folks. The power of Christ to change lives is amazing, as testified by the effectiveness of the rag tag bunch of followers that spread Christ's message to the world in the first few centuries after His death on a cross. Do we stand in the way of this power? Individually? Corporately?

What can learn about the transforming power to change us - really change our inner self, not just a couple of check mark behaviors?

What change can occur in our fellowship if we get out of the Spirit's way?

See you tomorrow!

Dealing with REAL Conflict

Thanks to you all for your participation last night. We had a great discussion on conflict (along with a few tangential topics as well) I want to bring up again a few points

• The verses in Matthew 18:15-17 that talk about going to your bother refer to addressing sin that leads from Christ. It is not necessarily referring to having it out with anyone who disagrees or irritates you. However we can still get some good principles, such as trying to resolve issues one-on-one first if possible. Also it suggests we need to do all that is within our power to resolve conflict before dropping someone. Remember, as long as it is within your power, be at peace.
• Having a plan for how conflict will be handled before it arises is a good idea. Do you know how you would handle conflict in your family? Workplace? Small Group? Church? While we can plan for every contingency - it is not unwise to have a plan for reconciliation in mind.
• Many will talk about the beauty of diversity of ideas but the reality is far from what we had in mind. Difference is wonderful as long as you agree with me. :) However we need only look around to know that God crated a world full of variety. Working through conflict to create harmony will allow us to reflect God's character to others, and allow us to show that the church can be different from the rest of society.

Let's work to reflect Christ, even in conflict.

Tuesday Teaser for 11/5

Welcome back to the regularly scheduled teaser post. For those detail oriented persons you will notice how early I am getting to this. Really an unprecedented hour for me, the complete opposite of a morning person. However here I am, getting things done early today! I find it strangely satisfying that we will be discussing conflict this week, during the election day drama. Regardless of the outcome, many people will be upset. My years of political interest have been fewer than some, but even in my time I can see politics increasing in conflict. The other party is seen as completely and totally wrong and occasionally rather stupid or naive or hateful or mean or whatever. This is true no matter what "side" you are on.

In trying to explain to my son what election day is all about I realize how far we truly are from what I tell him. While he knows who I voted for (and announced it to the entire polling place, despite the signs on the wall that tell you not to mention a candidate's name within a certain number of feet) I also want him to know that other people may vote differently, and that they are not "wrong" for doing so. My simplistic explanation was that most of us want the same vision for our country - peace, prosperity, growth, freedom, etc. Where we disagree in on the methods to achieve those goals. Sadly I do know that is not what we see, hear, and say ourselves in political discussions.

In discussing conflict I do not want to hover around politics, I bring that up merely as an example perfect for today. Tomorrow is not election day so we will talk about other areas during our actual class. ;)

The verses in the preparing section were a mix for me. I expected the verses in Matthew 18: 15-17, the classic prescription for dealing with conflict with another brother, although I think that verse is misapplied at times, and we can get into that tomorrow. The other scripture again took me by surprise. Luke 10: 38-42 tells the well known story of Mary and Martha, one sister working hard in the kitchen, the other sitting at the Lord's feet. I have never labeled this as a "conflict" story but rather one about priorities, however I can see the potential.

Many people are turned off by "church" because it seems no better than society, just as full of bickering and other unpleasant emotions. They expect "church people" to act better. By not acting better they write off what we believe. This saddens me a great deal. People are not perfect, in or out of a church body. The scripture in Luke shows that even when Jesus Himself is present, conflict arises. In our fellowship we need not expect perfection, but acknowledge the realities of our humanness and work to resolve conflicts as they arise, as they inevitably will.

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday Teaser for 10/29

For those of you who are checking in for the teaser today, I have really got one for you..........

We have no class tomorrow.

Total teaser.

Come and join us for the fall festival 5:30-7:30!

REAL Love

We had a small class last night, due I suppose to fall break. I expect you all to be back next week! Even with the small number I really enjoyed the time with my sisters and their input, youngest to oldest. :)
We tackled the challenging topic of loving the way God loves last night. We examined the story of Jacob and Esau reuniting. In it Jacob was able to see the face of God in his brother, through the love and forgiveness that was shown. It is humbling to think that I can show someone the face of God in my actions. The flip side of that is that if they are looking and it is not God that they see, then what ugliness am I showing? Yuck.
We learned that you can not grow in your relationship with God without subsequently growing in your dealing with others. We were made to live in community. God is a relational being and calls us to be as well. While one-on-one time with God is vital to spiritual growth, it is not all that we need. Jesus frequently withdrew to pray and be with the Father, but then He immediately went back into the trenches. We are messy people - all of us. I have used this image before but since it is mine I can use it whenever I want without plagiarism. :) Often in our dealings with others we put on protective equipment, think of the gowns, gloves, and masks in the medical arena. We do not want their germs, their "dirt," to get on us in any way. Jesus never wore protective equipment. Think of the hands-on approach He took with lepers! We need to remove our metaphorical PPE (personal protective equipment) and wade in. Be willing to get their dirt on us. Take off the gigantic waders and slog through. Your tennis shoes will never be white again, but your soul will. Practice unexpected grace. Show someone the face of God. They must see His face before they will listen to His word.

Two sets of applications for you - the first is from the book, the second is not.

• When there is conflict, take the initiative to resolution before the next worship gathering. Think of Mt 5:23-24 Do not offer anything to God without at least trying to resolve the conflict. You can not change the other person, but through God both hearts can be changed.
• Seek reconciliation between a family member by calling or writing. Be sure to show love, not blame.
• Fill your heart with passages on forgiveness. Mt 6:14-15; 18:21-35; Lk 17:3-4; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13

Thinking of Love -Choosing to give someone your time and attention, no matter what. These tasks will not necessarily be possible in one week

• Reach out to someone this week, either verbally or with the written word. A note of encouragement or support. Make this to someone who may not be expecting something from you. Reach outside of your normal box. Show unexpected love.
• Spend time with that person, one-on-one or very small group, within the next month. Invite them into your home, or to go for a walk or whatever. Give the gift of time and attention.
• Meet a need in their life over the next 6 months. Every one's needs are different. Only by investing your time will you be able to see the need. Even folks with tons of money have needs. You can not pick someone who doesn't have a need.

Be the face of God, show unexpected grace.

Tuesday Teaser for 10/22

For the folks who are checking in regularly for the teaser I apologize for the lateness. Long day. For those of you who come late - no apology, you didn't notice anyway. I am just glad you are here!

This week we will be looking at making God's love come alive through us. I am intrigued that the author uses the story of Jacob and Esau re-uniting to teach us a lesson on love. An unexpected story for me, but one I am warming to. Who else on earth do we love more easily and sometimes more difficultly(Is that a word?) than our siblings/families? Those outside our families can be dropped if they over-irritate us, however family is for life, creating an interesting tension if irritation occurs. How does this play out in God's family. Why is it that we can drop our Christian family members without much remorse? To be frank...Where is the love? Christ himself said "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (Jn 13:35)

Would anyone KNOW that I was His disciple if I didn't tell them? Would they know about you?

See you tomorrow!

REAL Forgiveness

Thanks to everyone who came and participated last night. I know the teacher was a little chatty, but that is what happens when everyone is so encouraging, it only makes me talk more! Forgiveness is something that I work on, I have a long memory and do not easily forget the offenses done to me, real or imagined. While some may argue that forgetting is not part of forgiving (and there is some truth to that), I think that the forgiveness modeled by God requires that we forget more than we have in the past, at least I need to forget more. Those who are walking a new road do not need to rehash old sins over and over again because WE can't let it go. Others may not be able to see a new road because WE are constantly reminding them of their old/current one. (Again I will state that we need not be stupidly forgetting things that would make ourselves or others unsafe, wisdom is something that God endorses.)

Let us model our forgiveness on God, the ultimate example. In Isaiah (43:25) God states "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Again in Jeremiah 31:34 He again states the wickedness will be forgiven and sins remembered no more. This concept is reviewed by the Hebrew writer in 8:12 and 10:17. God does not hold our past transgressions over our head waiting for us to slip up and go splat.

Forgiveness will take action on our part. We have to decide that they don't have to pay. What can we do when it is hard?

• Make a list of what God has forgiven you, big and small. This can help lend perspective.
• Talk with someone about your hurt. Make this a trusted, confidential mentor figure. Chatting it up with anyone you see is not a healthy purging, but only starting up the cycle of hurt and betrayal on your own.
• Pray for God's forgiving spirit to fill you. Sometimes we don't "feel" like forgiving due to our bad day or the fact that the offense is major(and sadly there are MAJOR offenses out there both outside and inside a Christian community). What we can not pull off alone, God can do through us.

Sometimes we just want someone to pay. We cry out for revenge and call it justice or fairness. Life under the sun is not always fair. Bringing kingdom living into our day to day lives is hard, but I believe ultimately worth it. Let's try forgiving like God forgives. If not, we are generally only hurting ourselves.

Tuesday Teaser for 10/15

I am almost afraid to do this post. It is possible that when checking in that I might scare you away! If we thought that authentic intimacy and trust were difficult, I believe they can not hold much of a candle to our topic tomorrow, real forgiveness. As many of you have heard me say, the church is full of regular people. And regular people are imperfect and likely to hurt your feelings. If your feelings have not been hurt yet in the church it is possible that you haven't been paying attention.

What makes church special is not that we avoid the imperfections of human relations, but that through Christ we strive to face our slip ups, confess them, and actively work on doing something about it. (That is repentance - an action word, not a thoughtful word) Forgiveness, we will discover, is a choice we make. Like our other concepts thus far, we need to choose to forgive. The way we chose intimacy and we chose trust. We will need to forgive even when we don't "feel like it." I would imagine that mostly, we won't feel like it. I want to share the definition for forgiveness with you, again this definition I am borrowing from the 252 basics curriculum. Mull this one over and let me know what you think. Forgiveness - deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn't have to pay.

The parable of the prodigal son is our text for tomorrow, and I know that many of us may have preconceived feelings about the characters in that story. Let's try to wash those away and look at the scene through fresh eyes. Jesus was the best story-teller ever. His tales were never just one layer thick. Let's get ready to dig in together. :)

See you tomorrow.

REAL Trust

Thanks again to all of the ladies who joined us last evening. I thought the discussion was good, even in spite of the fact that I felt like was doing most of it. Trust is such a difficult and personal topic. We can be surrounded at times by the image that you can trust no one but your self. Trusting others is a risk, but one that is needed to develop the relationships that are vital for the success of God's mission here on earth.

We saw in Joseph a time where trusting would be difficult and how his response showed something of his character. We saw how God stepped in and helped him trust, which ended with Joseph trusting in both his future wife and his God.

God does not ask us to live in a way that He did not demonstrate himself. Christ entrusted His disciples with the work of the kingdom, knowing that we would not always succeed. Which makes me think of a quote from Mother Teresa "God has not called me to be successful. God has called me to be faithful." As we trust in Him in this walk, He will strengthen us on our way. We can continue to trust in Him even if we are not surrounded by success.

We had two application paths this week. The first suggestions are for those who are currently facing an issue of trust with another person. (I will caveat this with use these steps with someone who may have acted "out of character," re-establishing trust with a habitual offender is a much more complicated process and not the scope of our discussion)

• Talk through the situation that is causing your mistrust. Be open with the person about where you were hurt. Try to understand potential influences to the situation that you may not have thought of before. How was the trust lost?
• Affirm something in that person. They may have hurt you now, but they have done other things that were beneficial. Affirmation will help rebuild confidence.
• Ask them to do a small task. Make it achievable to ensure success. Baby steps!

Let me give an illustration to this issue as it relates to children. . I believe all of us want our children to treat others respectfully, tell the truth , and in general "be good." Inevitably they will mess up - occasionally in a very dramatic fashion. Trust is lost. Do we abandon the relationship? Probably not. So we follow these steps, discuss the loss of trust and pinpoint how that came to be, affirm other actions they have done well (because we all respond better to praise than criticism), and them we give them a small task to succeed at, to get back on the road of trust. I have followed this path with my son as it relates to school behavior and I have seen it in parents of teens as it relates to curfew violations and the situations that some teens fall into by friend association. We walk this road of re-establishment with our children. It would be a worthy road to walk with our brothers/sisters in Christ.

For those who currently have no fences to mend right now I suggested another track. God calls us all to something. We must trust in Him sometimes to take a step towards that "ministry" - be it with children, teens, elderly, shut-in,impoverished conditions, mentally challenged, physically challenged, encouragement of the body, and I think you get the picture. Let this be a little push. TRUST GOD! Do something - don't wait for the perfect situation before acting - act anyway. For this track I suggest the following steps

• Talk with someone about where you feel you are being led. If you don't know, ask a trusted friend or mentor. They probably do know. Gifts in others are often easier to see than the ones in ourselves.
• Tell someone in a ministry how they have been an example to you. Everyone needs encouragement. Thank them for doing what they do and leading by example.
• Do something small in the area of your interest. This can be a phone call, an Internet search, some volunteer time, anything.

I hope you have a great week and be sure to check in again on Tuesday, where maybe I will write less and you can get done reading faster. :)

Tuesday Teaser for 10/8

I hope we are all ready for another great discussion on authentic relationships. This week we will be discussing trust. It is another word that we throw around at times without thinking too deeply about the definition. So in order to prepare for our talk tomorrow I want to ask:

• What is your definition of trust?
• What do you require from others in order for you to "trust" them?
• How is trust involved in following rules/commands?

I have recently been reading a biography of Mother Teresa and it is awesome. She was a great example of God's love to His people (all His people, even those who do not profess to follow Him). Many things have struck me in this reading but one which relates to this weeks lesson. Mother Teresa trusted God's direction in her life. He "asked" her to do amazing things and she did them without hesitation. When she said she would trust God to provide her food, she meant that - she walked out of the door of the convent without anything. She did not pack some provisions or arrange for food donations first - actions we would have considered sensible - she simply walked out. She trusted God. When we feel that God has "asked" us to do something, do we trust that it will work out, or do we arrange things to make it happen? Please do not think I am suggesting that we wander the streets waiting for divine intervention, because God does call us to action and wise decisions. However sometimes I think we plan and arrange and set up and discuss and rethink and I think you get my point. Where is the trust in that scenario?

This week I pray that we look to God and trust in His direction. I pray that we act on that direction and support one another along the way. See you tomorrow!

REAL Intimacy

Hello Girls! Thanks to everyone who is checking in on the blog. I enjoyed class last night and I want to give my appreciation to everyone for going along with my rambling about women at the well In our separated existence, in our separate houses, in separate neighborhoods, I do miss the image of female community that has existed in times past. Lets work toward having that community again, although lets keep the indoor plumbing and do something else. :)

Let's keep in mind the applications for this week:

• Share something about yourself that you normally wouldn't reveal
• Entrust one of your tasks to someone else this week
• Gift a gift to a friend that says something about yourself

Keeping true to the concept of intimacy I am going to apply one of our homework topics to this blog. When teaching and talking to groups I tend to stay as upbeat as possible, but that would not be authentic today. So I am going to share what I normally wouldn't. I had a bad day. Nothing bad happened, everyone is well and happy. We are looking forward to a weekend at the Zoe conference and a chance to worship with a ton of Christians at once. Life is good. Nevertheless I allowed myself to get overwhelmed and in a funk anyway. That was not what I originally intended to write, however it is authentically where I was today and it does fulfill homework number one. It is against my nature to say that in a group setting. Please note that I used the past tense when relating my funk. While not quite up to perky status, I have regained some measure of okayness. :) I know that we all have moments, hours, days, weeks, and sometimes even longer periods of what I refer to as general funkiness. It is ok to admit that. You need not look perfect all the time.

I pray for greater intimacy in our group and in our church. I pray that our closeness will mimic Christ as He related to His friends/family while here on earth and how He relates now to each who walks in His way. I am too comfortable with things being "nice." Intimacy will not always be easy or pretty and we may get our feelings hurt but I believe it will draw us on to greater things.

Have a great week!

Tuesday Teaser for 10/1

Hello girls! I hope everyone has been giving some thought to real loyalty this week. How many have written that vow? (See previous post) The next lesson will have us addressing some difficult topics, especially for those of us who like to wear masks and participate in foyer friendship. Since you have the books I hope you will read the verses to prepare your thoughts (1Sam18:1-9, Pr 17:17, 18:24, 27:5, & Eccl 4:9-12).

Let's come prepared to talk about intimacy/openness in our relationships. We often ascribe the word to a marital relationship but it has so much more to it! I want us to think of how we can grow this quality in families, friends, and particularly in our fellowship here at Farragut. We know authenticity when we see it, perhaps because it is so rare. To be intimate we must be willing to wade into new situations and perhaps come away a bit more mucky.

Ecclesiastes is full of wisdom, even when harshly stated. But the author notes how difficult it is to break the strands bound together. Think of the "intimacy" of the strands of a rope. They are wound around each other over and over, but their strength is greater than the individual by far. God calls us to that level of closeness in His family.

See you tomorrow!

Real Loyalty Summary

Thanks to all that could make it last evening to our ladies class. For those of you who could not and are checking in to the blog - YEAH for you. I would love for this to be a consistent place to check for thoughts. We really can communicate more than twice a week! :) I thought our discussion went well and I want to apologize for not yet having the hang of the difference between the student and leader books. I truly have never taught from a leader's book before - so maybe I was giving the wrong answers in the past, either way this is a learning experience for us all. I wanted to touch again on the ideas we went through last night on loyalty. You will of course recall that the scripture was from the book of Ruth 1:1-18. I thought our dramatic readers did quite well and even matched the ages too!

If we want loyalty that will stick by us even when it is not beneficial or fulfilling we have to show that loyalty to others. In this fast paced drive through culture we have to be willing to sit down through several courses, some of which you may not even find palatable (I refer now to the current trend of serving asparagus with everything at restaurants!). However, asparagus may be required of me if I am to walk along side those in my life in a committed and loyal way.

We discussed that loyalty sometimes breaks blood ties, cultural ties, and the bonds of self-fulfillment. Remember Christ's examples as He walked His life out for us to bear witness. He showed the willingness to show loyalty outside His blood ties (Mk3:34), outside His cultural ties (John 4:4-7), and to break the bonds of self-fulfillment (Luke 22:42). God does not ask of us anything He has not done Himself.

The practical home works were good again this week. For those who did not furiously write them down I will give them again:

• Make a list of instances when others stuck by you when not to their advantage - This should be motivating to us to return the favor
• Write a vow of loyalty to someone you are in a relationship with - this can be a spouse, friend, child, parent, sibling - you pick!
• Thank God daily for His faithfulness - The Bible is chock full of examples of His faithfulness, never a promise made that is not kept

Be sure to check in again on Tuesday for the teaser - although now that you have the books I may need to get a bit more creative....

Tuesday Teaser for 9/24

I hope you all enjoyed the lesson on real friendship last week and are ready for our next REAL topic - loyalty. When I opened the lesson this week I was thrilled to see that the example for real friendship that Ryan gave was our lesson for loyalty - Ruth and Naomi. One of the few times that female friendship is evident in scripture. We will spend time exploring this friendship and how loyalty to that relationship is seen through the actions of Ruth.

Prepare by reading Ruth 1:1-18 and ask yourself some of these questions

• What do you think about when trying to decide to end a friendship? Have you ever intentionally ended a friendship?
• Do you expect some side benefits from some of your friendships?
• How important is it that you share faith in God with your friends?
• How determined are you to have loyalty in your friendships?

The icebreaker questions are interesting again this week - no superheroes this time.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!!

Fall Quarter Wednesday Night Ladies Class Intro

Hello to all who have decided to check in on our ladies class on Wed nights. I thought this would be a different way to throw out ideas to think on during the week. Since I know that so many of you have extra time to devote to blog reading. However since it is different maybe that will be an inspiration and also something you can share with friends who are interested and can not make the class on Wed for whatever reason. You will learn that my writing is a bit like my talking - run on sentences and occasional tangents but eventually right back on track so hang with me.

Last night went really well I thought, despite the teacher being late. Which I think shows promise of good things to come. Please feel free to invite any other girls you would like to come along - again feel no pressure to study ahead, but boy would it help me with the discussion.

We talked a great deal about how Jesus can be our model of an ideal friend and what we can do in our own lives to imitate Him. Remember the four qualities we looked at -

• Revealing our true thoughts and feelings
• Respecting the desires of others
• Sacrificing for others
• Encouraging the talents of others

(For those of you who are interested, and also so that I do not plagiarize anything, most of the good stuff can be found in the book Authentic Relationships: being real in an artificial world. It is a Life Connections study from Serendipity House)

I want to encourage each of us to try the application suggestions of setting aside three hours of friendship building, sharing something new with a friend, and identifying two talents a friend has and encouraging him/her in those. I also promised some other questions to ponder from the book. Let's re-look at the verses from John 15:9-17 and ask...

• Verse 9 - How has Christ shown His love to you this week?
• 10 - What command do you need to focus on obeying more?
• 11- In what way has your faith brought you joy?
• 12-13 - Have you ever sacrificed something for a friend?
• 15 - How can you open yourself to the idea that Jesus is your friend?
• 16 - What fruit are you bearing right now?
• 16-17 - What do you need to ask for to strengthen your friendships?

This was a great lesson for me who enjoys my small circle of friends with little natural interest in pursuing more. God has pushed me many times to broaden my horizons in friendship. If it were up to my instincts I would hide behind others whenever possible. Many of you know that I do not hide much. This is totally a God Thing. He has convicted me that if I feel strongly enough about something - ie church fellowship and the family of Christ- then I need to be willing to do something about that. Unfortunately for my instincts, that something is opening myself up to new relationships and actively pursuing those if necessary. I hope we can all feel the hand of God on our back propelling us forward in relationship with others.

I want to thank all the ladies who came and those who may be joining us digitally. I hope that you will find a new passion for authenticity in your friendships and your life. On Tuesday I will post a teaser for the Wed night class. I am not promising something dramatic each week but you never know. :)

News from Charles Dial in Albania

I'm still on the other side of the big pond. However, I will begin my journey home Saturday night. It has been a wonderful time here in Albania. I have had the opportunity to travel around much of the country. So I suppose you could say I have seen more than the typical new first year teacher. My students have been amazing. They have learned much and taught me much as well. I know that two of my students will obey the gospel near the end of their lessons. Their parents have indicated that they also desire this. Then there is a possibility that four other students may. This is very encouraging. The Word of God is powerful when it is planted in hearts that are open to His Word. I hope to see you Wed. or next Sunday. Your brother in Christ,

Charles Dial

Day 12 in Albania

One of my students could not come this morning so I am using the time to send another email which may be my last before I leave this weekend. Charles will continue to keep us informed if he can get away from his students long enough. He will be here another two weeks. He is happy since he got his lost bag on Sunday and his PIN.

Anna - please forward this email on the other elders and to John Harris who will forward to the ECHOS. I know a lot of prayers have been said for us and they are working. You might also put a note in the bulletin that everyone can read these Albania reports from us on the church web page blog. Thanks for posting them.

I forget to mention in my last email that there was a baptism here in Tirana on Sunday. Of course Charles, Gwen and I were in Lushnje visiting with Tom Bonner.

Paul. tell Jason about Tom Langley's foot (cracked heel at swimming pool). Jason knows Tom from his interview at Maryville. Pray that Tom makes it home OK this weekend on his crutches. He has an overnight in London that he is concerned about. He also fell on Sunday on a slick surface at the hotel and broke one of his crutches. But he is still teaching!

Tirana is a a very populated city. In the early evening between 7:00 and 9:00 I believe all million residents are on the street walking or in the parks or bars along the streets. I remarked to Gwen that walking down the street is like going to or from a UT football game or walking in New York during rush hours. The difference is the people are not in a hurry. They are all talking to each other, about what I do not know, but they certainly like to socialize with each other unlike most Americans.

The traffic in Triana continues to increase even more than last year, again like going to a UT football game but there is no game just people interacting with people. There is still much construction in process here, roads, streets, and buildings. The money changers on the streets have all been replaced with ATMs to Tirana is looking more like any big city in any developed country, but outside the city it's another story.

Our students are getting more and more interested in the Bible, and we are gradually trying to get them connected with some of the members of the church here so when we leave and the campaign is over they will have friends at church still here. Yesterday Gwen took one of her student to have coffee/tea with a member of the church here her age. When Gwen had to go meet with her next student, the two Albanians continued to talk making a good connection with each other.

I could say more, but I am going to stop while you are still interested. Ask me more when I get home.

Woody

Albania Teaching - 1st Week

Well, after the first week we know our students pretty well. I hope they are enjoying it as much as we are. Charles and Gwen are really excited about their students. Some of the students are a little concerned at first but really into it by now. Some are learning about God for the first time. Some do not believe yet, some are finding out that we did not come from monkeys as they have been taught in school. A few are in the class for English but are already getting very interested in the Bible.

We went to Lushnje yesterday and visited with Tom Bonner. We road the bus and it took three hours getting there just in time for the morning service. Tom brought us back to Tirana in his van. Work is slower there but Tom is doing well.

Electricity is staying on this year and the A/C units keep the church and school space very cool. Thanks to all who contributed to this fund last fall. Tom Langley got a cask on his foot this morning and plans to stick it out for the remainer of this week.

I must return to the church building now to meet with a student. Will write more later.

Woody

Day 3 - Teaching in Albania

Day 3 - 7:45 p.m.

Tired and drained physically, but fulfilled spiritually - that's the way we feel now. Ecomonists, Radio Engineer, Banker, Accountant, Pizza Factory Worker, Teacher, High School Senior, High School Freshman, University Law Student, Health Worker, Financial Analysis, Travel Agent, --- Those are some of the students we have this year. Most believe in God but profess no religion and know very little about the bible. Questions such as "Why did God place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden?" are asked. Most of my students are first time students this year. I only have one that is in the Advanced Lessons from last year. Gwen and Charles have a few more advanced students this year.

One mishap last night. Tom Langley from Maryville went swimming with some of the students last night and cracked a bone in his foot. He is not sure he will be able to finish his two weeks here, but is planning to resume teaching tomorrow and see how it goes. Please pray that he heals quickly. Otherwise I will have to preach Sunday. For the sake of the Tiranans, I are not sure that would be a good thing.

I must close for now. Air conditioners are working well here and the electricity has not gone off a single time so far this year so all is cool, inside that is.

Later,

Woody

Teaching in Albania

Monday, July 7, 2008

Farragut Brothers and Sisters,

Well, the Tirana teaching campaign began today. Charles, Gwen, and I each have seven students with very different backgrounds, ages, and levels of understanding. That's what makes teaching the bible interesting and challenging. It is warm here again this summer, but the facility and accomodations are better than ever. They also have 50 more students on the waiting list so if more teachers can come they will have students. One of my students did not show or call today so the WEI secretary dropped him and told me I would have another student to take his place tomorrow.

Besides the three of us from Farragut there are teachers here form California, Organ, Arkansas, and Maryville. Charles made visits to several of the churches in Albania last week, but his suitcase from his trip over here has not showed up yet so he is now going out to buy some clothes.

More later..............

Woody

Arrival In Tirana,Albania

Saturday, July 5, 2008
Greetings Brothers and Sisters,
Gwen and I arrived in Tirana, Albania today (Saturday afternoon) after a short visit to Athens, Greece at the Acropolis where the apostle Paul made his speech describing our God. We also toured some of the other Greek islands and had a wonderful visit there. Artan and Reomia met us at the airport, and we checked in our hotel with no surprises. Looking forward to church tomorrow to see my friends from previous visits here.
Charles Dial has been here all week visiting other churches throughout Albania including Tom Bonner at Lysthusia. He has made some video of several areas and will have documented work on each congregation visited.
The WEI teaching starts Monday so we will have more to report next week. Until then thanks for your continued prayers and thoughts of us.
Later,
Woody

Sounds

The tracks have been off the link as the CD's will be available Sunday.

James E

Even more sounds

The initial version of the Ghana 2008 audio CD is available. There are 22 tracks grouped in the order of the week's events. They can be found at the site referenced in the earlier blog entries.

Since I've renamed some of the tracks and added track numbers to the album, you may wish to download the whole set. The old versions have been removed.

I will leave this online for a week or so, as I make the CD's. If you want a CD let me know. Contributions to the Ghana expenses will be accepted.

Someone interested in designing a label for the CD?

---------------------------------------------------

The following is not necessary the opinion of anyone other than myself, nor has it been approved.

There are many opportunities to help. One opportunity I'll take liberty to point out. The people of the Village of Hope and Ghana in general are capable, educated and talented. On top of that the Village of Hope adds love and caring for their children and their neighbors with the support of churches across Ghana.

What they lack are the resources to do what needs to be done. It is like they have the people and the organization to launch for the moon, but lack rocket fuel to reach orbit and beyond. Your long term sponsorship of a child will provide the rocket fuel to launch.

Why not start with sponsoring a preschooler for as little as $30 per month?

It is one of the best ways of helping you'll find.

For more information, check out the VOH website at:
http://www.thevillageofhope.com/

Blessings and peace,
James E

More sounds from Ghana

I've made five more tracks available at the same address used in the last blog.

http://cid-dfaab286228081f7.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Ghana%202008

These provide variety.

• "Knock Knock" is a second song from the preschool


• "We Love You" by the Traverse City House


• "Devos" is a soundscape, recorded from the middle of the compound capturing the ambient sounds of the early morning, including the sounds of the children's chores, crickets, birds and singing from the houses drifting in. This is one of the more talked about experiences of the trip is waking up to these sounds. It's long, about 25 min.


• "Happy Birthday" was sung in honor of those having birthdays, in dis-organized chaos.


• "Drum Practice" was recorded as they warmed up for the performance

Let me know what you like. I only leave these up for a few days. The plan is to make a CD from the favorites if interest remains.

Songs recorded in Ghana

During our recent trip, I made several audio recordings. Some of the songs I sent back by email and I received positive feedback. I am attempting to make these recordings more generally available through this blog.


I've made three files available.

• The first is a song recorded during Sunday morning worship at the Fetteh Church. It is "When We Walk" sung in the Fante language.
• The second is "Big Big" recorded in the pre-school class
• The third is labled "Ghana Song" as we didn't learn the name. It is about Elijah and Hannah. It is written and sung in Fante.

Click on the link:
http://cid-dfaab286228081f7.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Ghana%202008


If this first attempt is successful, more will follow as I am able to make the raw recordings into individual tracks suitable for the web and MP3 players. These are all ambient recordings and are not recorded in studio like environment, so if you hear a cough or a kid (either goat or child), that is just the way it was...

Let me know if this works for you.

James

Sunday from Knoxville

All our flights were on schedule. We arrived to shouts of glee from our children and spouses.

We are indeed blessed.

Saturday, 7:30pm

This is James writing.

We are at the airport, checked in and waiting for our flight. I just heard the flight from Amsterdam has arrived, so I take it that our plane is here to wing us northward over night.

The drum and dance program given to us by the children from the homes was a special treat this morning. We heard that they practiced most of yesterday's school holiday to get ready. With the holiday and our waiting to leave on Saturday, the children had more free time to spend with us, and that they did. One just had to make oneself available and it wasn't long till the children surrounded you to touch and ask questions. The most difficult was: do you remember my name? Maybe if I had a few years I could get their names straight.

After a last minute eye exam was given by Dorian, we headed out to Accra. We had lunch at a popular resturant called Freddies where they serve, in an airconditioned environment, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza and other choices we might find at home. (However, Eric's choice of tuna omelette was a selection new to us) From there some of us went to the Art Center Market and others to the National Museum before heading to the airport. We had planned a dinner at a restaurant next to the airport, but the group chose to go ahead and chill out at the airport. For some reason, chilling out has a strong appeal to this group.

Time: 8:00 pm
This is Jean. I'll just add a little note to tell you that the dance program the children did for us this morning was the first time they have done it for an outside group. We are very honored.

Glynn, I didn't know the phone only had one minute left until it told me so when you were about to answer. When you could finally hear me the time was gone. I know you wondered why I called, said "Hi. I love you. Got to go." and then I was gone. I could just hear you saying, "What was that?" It was like a tease.

It has been an awesome trip. Now I'm ready for Home Sweet Home.



=========

Friday night

It has been a long day. We traveled three hours NW from Fetteh to the Kakum National Park where we took the Canopy Tour through the tops of the trees. The rain forest was indeed an example of the wonder of God's creation.

On the other end of the spectrum, we visited the largest and oldest of 80 forts along the Ghanaian coast. They started out as trading posts, but through the years became point of embarkation of slaves to the new world. Here we saw an example of man's cruelty to man. It was a sobering experience.

Tomorrow, we begin our journey home. We are now thinking about our families and friends, and realize how much we miss them. Our day starts with a demonstration by the VOH children of traditional music and dance at 9 AM (5 am EDT). I've seen videos of the practice and it was good. (Last night I got some of the boys drumming with their ice cream cups and spoons, imagine happy boys full of sugar and something to drum). At 10 AM we depart the VOH and go into Accra for lunch, a little shopping and site seeing before dinner and our 10 PM flight. Our schedule gets us into Knoxville about 4 PM Sunday.

We're tired and our cups overflow. We are indeed blessed to be able to demonstrate our thankfulness in this way.

James, Midnight Fri

Posted Friday 6:45 Ghanaina Time

Wednesday

5:45pm
Greetings this Wednesday afternoon from Jean. Today was a great day. I was really excited! Fred Asare (who runs this place) arranged for a driver (Benjamin) to take Adam McCall (who is on this trip with us) to a nearby city to buy supplies to build shelves for the preschool staff room. They were on their way, when the power went out here, and Fred called Benjamin and told him they needed to come back. Benjamin is their “fix-it” man. So, Adam spent his day rebuilding the generator. If he hadn’t been with Benjamin, it just wouldn’t have happened. He normally would have been in the pharmacy. I love it when God does those things! I even accept that this was more important than the shelves. However, tomorrow is another day! Glynn, don’t you just love someone else being subjected to what I want done in preschool?

This morning, I told the story of the resurrection to the preschool. We used one of the crates on its end as the giant stone in front of the tomb. Christy and Emily came in as “the Marys” wailing on their way to the tomb. The earth (and trunk) shook, and Stephanie came out of the tomb and the kids eyes got huge! It was fun.

This afternoon, I gave the teachers purple aprons with deep pockets. They loved them. Stephanie and I went early this morning and set out things for the kids to play with. That went over very well.

The teachers here have such a hard job. It’s hot. The day is long. The classes are huge. The supplies are limited and they don’t use what they have. They are so used to doing without. They are such sweet ladies. It also makes me thankful for our preschool. One of the teachers said she wanted to come home with me. Her passport was ready and she was ready to come teach in my school. I told her my teachers never leave children unsupervised. She said, “I can do that. I will follow all rules.”

Tomorrow is the last day with the kids, as school is out on Friday. Thank you again for all your prayers. We are seeing God’s hand in so many different ways. If any of my teachers read this, I really, really appreciate you!!!!!!!

Michael or Amanda, tell Logan I miss him and will see him very soon!

Jean/Mom/Grandma

9:45pm
Okay, I am adding another note. Tonight some of us visited the Village of Senya. Others went last night. Wow! Are we ever blessed. I visited with the man who spends the night in the church with the 5 disabled children, the woman who comes early in the morning to bath and get the kids ready for school, and the teacher of the children. The teacher has a 3rd grade education. He is a smart man who wants an education but has no way to pay for it. They are stuck in a cycle. They need an education to better themselves, but without funds, they can’t get the education they need. They kept saying, “We need help!” I asked what they need most. They said, “A computer, clothes, shoes, school bags, and money for an education.” I won’t quickly forget the sights I saw. It made conditions and the school here at the Village of Hope seem fabulous in comparison. This kind of poverty is just too sad to believe. Glynn, I love my home!
Jean


10:00pm Wednesday – Michelle

Another great day in Africa and more moments of awe and amazement. As Jean said we returned to the village this time with more folks. The children streamed out of everywhere and played with the teen girls outside, such unrestrained joy from such poor circumstances. On our way home we were driven through an old Portuguese settlement and smaller slave castle. The view to the beach was one of the most amazing I have seen. Very little material abundance here but God has lavished this country with beauty and His presence is clear.

It was great to talk with you Judah and I was sorry to miss David and Abigail but understand you were out having great fun with the Smoaks in Knoxville. Loving you and looking forward to McDonald’s. J

Michelle/Mom

8:30 a.m. Thursday - - Eric Bonner

In trying to convey my thoughts and feelings, I feel like one of those little paper-cup funnels that’s getting a bucket of motor oil poured into it. I just cannot process it all, and I certainly don’t know how to get it all into words.

In the mornings, just as the sun is coming up, this little village of hope begins to come alive. My first encounter with life each morning is the sound in the distance of children laughing, playing, chasing each other around. They have gone outside to play after their 5:30 a.m. devotional and before their morning chores. For all I know, maybe they are doing all that laughing WHILE they are doing their chores. I don’t really know. I never see them this early in the morning. I just hear them and the worshipful sounds of their life and laughter.

Hearing these giggles and songs (Yes, I also love hearing them sing.) at 6:00 every morning is my first prayer here each day. A prayer without words. Just the thought that this joy, the from-the-heart zest for life that these precious little guys have in the midst of all their struggle is the same way that I want to be and feel all the days of my life. Of such is the kingdom of Heaven.

Going to Senia Village (which is about a 15-minute ride from our village) last evening with a group of 8 or 9 of us was something that has to be seen to be believed. I think Jordan got some video there. To get any kind of sense of that place at all, you’ll just have to see the footage that he shot. In a word, there is a church there that is trying to run a school, for many if not most in that village are illiterate, that according to the preacher of the Senia Village Church.

Old wooden benches. The church building is kind of a stone warehouse / barn. Chickens, goats and sheep just running around everywhere. Dirt floors. Dark. No lights as the non-paid teacher labors to teach her mostly shoe-less children as the sun goes down on the coastal village. And yet the kids just keep on singing and playing.

Back at the VOH, I set up a standing broad jump contest with the teenage boys on the dusty ground. We marked our starting point with a palm leaf. We would designate the length of our jump with a deteriorated mango fragment. From that to a “push-ups” demonstration. Then I showed them how to do “dips,” sit-ups and “crunches.” Their favorite was when I took some big rocks (I’d say they weighed 15 pounds or so) and lifted them up in front of me in what is called a deltoid raise. They just went nuts over that one. So there you have it, a muscle building clinic for the young boys of Senia Village being headed up by a skinny white preacher. Only God would work through something like that. But the rapport that I felt with these young men was intense and instantaneous. Can you tell that I have fallen in love with this place?

It’s always great to hear from you, Paige, Reilly and little Reagan. I love you all and miss you all. Christin, your message was read to the whole group. You are a great encouragement to me and your words uplifted us all.

I must go. There is so much that has to be done today, but I will revel in every single second of it. . . . . Eric



8:30 pm Thursday

This is Jean again. Today was an unbelievable day. I learned 2 new preschool songs and a fun new game to play with a group. The day started with Stephanie and I in classrooms and the teachers disappearing-okay that’s not new-but we could find NO teachers. I finally found them in the nursery. They have a devo once a week and just leave the other 100 children totally unsupervised. Some things you just can’t believe. Anyway, school ended at 12:30 today and I finally got away for lunch at 1:30. I went back a little later and there sitting in front of the director’s office…a bookshelf! Within minutes, here came another one! Then one more! I spent the next several hours trying to put the room back in order to surprise Faustina in the morning. She gets back in late tonight. Glynn, I promised Adam a dinner out when we get home. He wants a big steak! I am in awe that he was able to accomplish all that he did today. In case you don’t know, Adam’s first day at Farragut was our “fundraising” Sunday and he just went up to James and said he’d like to go!

I gave all the preschoolers sunglasses right before they went home today. I had children popping in the preschool office until I left at 6:30 wanting glasses. Then I gave the rest of them, plus leftover candy, and a bunch of Beanie Babies to the preacher in Senya.

Tonight we served ice cream to all the children in the homes. It was so much fun. They were all so excited and thankful. It was a great day and I am excited about spending tomorrow with Faustina.

I miss you, Glynn!


Jean


6:00 AM Friday

This is James. Yesterday, after I got through my duties, and a visit to a second French class, I found myself in the computer center and accessing the internet to upload the Blogs and down load the comments. If the power is to go out, it generally happens at 6 AM. In Africa there are exceptions to everything, the electricity stopped when I needed it the most.

As a result of visiting the French class, I’m now greeted in French by the students and we get to practice our French together.

Last night we had ice cream for the kids. What joy! There was even enough for seconds. I found a lot of tummies full and smiling faces. I don’t know who enjoys this the most, the kids or us.

6:44 there is power in the Computer Center, and I can log on to the internet so here goes.

James

Tuesday #1

Tuesday night 7:40 pm

Hello from Jean. Today was an unusual day for this Preschool Director who is used to following tons and tons of rules and regulations. Well, here there is no DHS! The director is out of town, and the teacher in charge left and went to the clinic! Before she returned, another teacher left. So, that left 57 children with no teachers! Stephanie had them all until I came out of a classroom and found her looking a bit glazed and a tad frazzled. No teacher, no plan, and children who are very difficult to understand…yeah, it was an experience. We each took a class and tried to get them through the lunch routine-not totally simple. “I need a spoon.” “I buy my lunch.” “My mouth hurts.” Plus a few requests or questions I never did understand. One was trying to ask me if they could change into their uniform.” Huh? I had no idea where food was, spoons were, or…well, get the picture? Anyway, during that time, another teacher told me she was going to the clinic when the other teacher returned. I asked, “Who is going to watch your class?” Her response…”YOU!” We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto!

Joyce came up to the school to help me some late this afternoon, and a boy named Eric came and asked to help. He was great. Then Wisdom came over and helped Joyce and I do some work in the playroom-well, what they call a playroom. This evening shortly before 6:00, a house mother came to get a key from me to open the director’s office. They have a Bible study in the “staff room.” Well, I had pulled stuff out of the closet and unloaded all sorts of things and had the whole room in a total wreck! Oops They graciously moved to the playroom. (And I only found 1 lizard lurking behind some books.)

I talked to Glynn today, and yes he knew about the blog. By the way, Glynn, the sunglasses you found for me were a hit! The teachers were very happy. I also gave a pair to the bus driver and the boy who keeps the school clean all day. After school some of them were outside proudly wearing their new glasses with the little plastic stickers still on some of them. We removed the stickers, but it was a bit funny.

I have really enjoyed having Stephanie in the school to help the Kindergarten kids (all 57 of them.) We are going to do the Bible story in the morning for the whole Preschool (here it includes Kindergarten.) but she doesn’t know it yet. J Stephanie is awesome with the children. They begged her to read more and let them color more.

Tomorrow is a new day and I can’t wait for more new adventures.
Jean

Tuesday PM Post

Tuesday’s Blog
Hi from Teresa!
It’s about 1pm on Tuesday and I’ve just finished gobbling down Leticia’s delicious tuna and corned beef sandwiches. We were fairly busy in the clinic this morning and I was grateful to have time to rest a bit. Working with Mike,Guy, Michelle and everyone else has been awesome! My interpreter, Leticia, has been a joy to work with and get to know! I wish my words could do her justice. Don, It was good to here from you- tell the kids mommy loves them and I wear their pictures to the clinic and talk about them a lot( as usual) This trip is an incredible experience and I’m grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers. I am learning so much! I see God’s hand in everything!
Teresa


Hey everyone (Christy here)! So far, this experience has been one of the best ever. When I got here, I realized it would be hot, but I NEVER imagined it could possibly be this warm in any part of the world! Besides the heat, everything is like something from a fantasy for me… It still hasn’t just well ‘clicked that I am on a mission. I am a missionary right now. It’s crazy to think that all of the fun I have been having, and acting like an 8 year old has been for God. I miss all of you desperately, and hope that you all are having a great time at home!I love you….Christy

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This is James writing. As I sit recovering/cooling down from the visit to Senya church and school, Eric and Jordan are on the porch just outside the window in a Bible study with two young men ages 19 & 20. The clinic is on going; Beth and crew are putting up bulletin boards.

Several of us went to Senya this afternoon to assess the situation. Senya is the next town west of Fetteh along the coast. Even with its fabulous view of the Atlantic Ocean, it is a community where the people scrape out a living at the most basic level. Just outside the building was a woman bending from the waste preparing food in bowls on the ground. Next to her were two open fires in little clay fire pits in the shape of an horse shoes. The real purpose of the visit was to see six or more handicapped children inside the large room with rough concrete floors and windows without screens. I’ll let Beth, Teresa, Stephanie and Michelle fill in on what their professional and caring eyes saw. Watching these three in action will be one of my most powerful memories of this trip. It was like I was living a “Save the Children” commercial.

Christy, Emily, Jordan and myself visited with the school children, entertained them cameras. I gave English lessons which my family will find amusing. We had fun with: head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arm, elbow and so on.

On the way back to the Village of Hope, we were filled with emotion as we were overwhelmed with what we saw. We said a prayer of thanksgiving for our own lives, we asked for understanding of what we witnessed, and we asked that we may find ways to help these children, their families and the community.

James 2:50 PM

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Hello again from Michelle
Many who know me have heard how I love my job and my profession and always intended to work in some capacity again in the future. I had no idea how much my professional training could be used in God’s kingdom. Truly God can be used in every profession and wherever you are. You read above that we took a trip outside the village today to another community some miles away. I can not imagine a more base way of life yet the children were as adorable as they could be. Surely the Lord was present in that place. I feel humbled that God called this not very well traveled pediatric PT to a remote village in Africa because there were precious souls in need of my very specific training. May I also say that the church family there was humbling – their devotion to children not their own but in desperate need of love and care was overwhelming. We could not give much in our short time but I believe that the greatest gift we gave was hope. Hope that the children can do more and grow in their independence, hope that their efforts can benefit some child of God, and hope that others in the world love and care for them. The Village of Hope could not have a better name. I have treated many children in my years of therapy and it is powerful to see a personality emerge from disability and it is powerful to help give a voice to a speechless child, but truly I am moved to tears at seeing some “voices” emerge today. God is so Good.

To Judah, David, and Abby I am loving you much and hope to get to speak with you soon.

Michelle 4:PM

Monday and Tuesday Morning

Monday

Eric Bonner here. WOW! Just beyond words. I feel like I’m having an out-of-the-body experience. I’ll save all the superlatives for later, though. On this post, I’ll just give a brief review of what I have done so far, and what my schedule looks like in the days to come…..I preached at the Fetteh Church yesterday morning. On the walk back to our cottage, there was a group of young men from the church who followed Adam and me home. Three of them in particular asked me numerous questions about my sermon. I have NEVER in 13 years of preaching had such a response to / such an interest in anything I had said from the pulpit.

I have arranged to meet with these guys at 3:00 this afternoon. They are all around 20. The one young man wanted to know if it was alright if he brought a couple of friends with him. Actually, all three of these individuals are Christian young men, and apparently want more Bible knowledge. The one says he wants to be a preacher and he wants me to teach him how to prepare a sermon. I have it on my schedule to meet with this group at 3:00 p.m. every day through Thursday. I am going to give them a 3-point basic outline on the text of 2 Timothy 4:1-2. I’ll pick another sample text for Tuesday, another for Wednesday, and so forth. Just basic homiletics stuff.

I preached at the Village of Hope Church last night. I preached on Barnabas.

Just now, I finished speaking to the teenagers at the Village of Hope at their chapel / devotional. There were about 125 youngsters in attendance. I will be with them every afternoon from 12:30 – 1:00. We talked about Philippians 1 today; Philippians 2 tomorrow; Philippians 3 Wednesday; Philippians 4 Thursday. I’m doing an extremely basic assessment of each chapter, and also some q&a with them.

I get the little kids in chapel at 2:30 this afternoon, and every other afternoon at 2:30 this week. That will be quite an experience I am sure.

Again, a sprint down to the cottage at 3:00 after the “kiddies” devotional to meet my young men with that 2 Timothy 4 study.

At 6:00 each evening this week, I will be spending 30-45 minutes in each of the Village houses. I had a great meeting and prayer session with the woman who is the head over the house-parents, and she set this up for me.

Then around 7:00 tonight it’s back to Fetteh where I preached yesterday morning. They are having services there every night this week. Celestial singing! I cannot wait to hear those angelic voices again tonight. Preaching there yesterday morning was the highlight of my 13 year career in the pulpit, and preaching with an interpreter was not as scary as I imagined it might be. God always makes a way.

I will sleep well tonight, but for now, “miles to go” before I can even begin to think about that. Thanks to those of you reading this who made this trip possible for me. I am just trying to make myself totally available to God to be used by Him in whatever way He sees fit. The opportunities here are limitless.

Praise be to God!

Eric Bonner - - 1:41 p.m. Ghana time, Monday, March 17, 2008

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Monday 6:43 Ghana Time

Greetings to all of my family,
(Shafiyq, Corey, Karisma, and Shafiyq) How is everything at home? I miss all of you from the bottom of my heart. It is very HOT here, but I am enjoying the interaction with all of the children (some come from surrounding villages). Karisma, I have not been able to e-mail you because the computer lab has been closed. I will try again tomorrow (Tuesday) or I will call. I was in one of the kindergarten classes today and children are all the same no matter where you are. I taught them some educational songs w/ movements and they thought I was so funny. I love all of you and I can’t wait to get back home to see you. Stay sweet!

Love,
Stephanie
6:55 p.m.


Blog beginning 7:17 Ghana Time

Hi from Ghana to Kaye & family,
First, Kaye, it was wonderful to hear your voice last night. Technology is amazing—it was like I was in the backyard with you—so clear. We do have to go to a specific spot next to the preschool to have the phone work properly. Also, Austin, sorry to hear you have been very sick. I hope that you are feeling better today. This was the first day at clinic. It went very well for us. It was particularly helpful to have Dorian there to take the “hard” cases for eyeglasses. We managed to keep up with the crowd pretty well. The people we serve are amazing. Friendly and appreciative . We have made a point to learn a few phrases of the tribal language, Twi (pronounced chree). It has been well received & helps to instantly build a bond between ourselves & the people we are trying to serve. A great & totally rewarding day. Praise be to God!!

Love to all. David 8:30

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8:28 Ghana time – Michelle

Hello to all from Africa – It continues to amaze me that I am here. I woke up this morning and I was STILL IN AFRICA. What was even more amazing is that I woke up shortly after 6 am and was not grumpy about it. Walking to the wells and seeing the young children getting water and cooking food for the day was a humbling yet joyous event. I was privileged to work in both the school and the clinic today and can not express the multitude of moments that God reminded me how precious each of the souls here are to Him, and that the privilege we live in does not compare to the passion they have for their God.

Love to my family and thanks for allowing me this time to give of myself to God. Abigail I can not wait to color with you and David I am looking forward to watching you scooter around. I love you much, take care of your Dad.

Michelle/Mom


9:30pm
Hi to our Church Family!

The preschoolers were just as adorable as I remembered. What a thrill it was when the teachers saw me and came running to hug me…tight…real tight!!! I am so thankful to Michael and Timothy for their help so that I could come again and buy as many new toys as the trunks could hold! It seemed like I brought so much. But when I looked at the bare rooms that house 110 preschoolers, it didn’t look like much at all!

I really wish we had some shelving in the office to organize things enough to be usable. If someone could just UPS several large bookshelves over here before we leave, that would be great! heehee

Yesterday, when I opened my Bible, a saw a note a little boy wrote to me last year. His name was Wisdom. (I sat with Knowledge this year and Wisdom last year….) After church I asked several kids if they knew where Wisdom was, but no one could find him.

Tonight Joyce, Gail and I went to one of the houses for their evening devo. We just picked one. As the closing they sang to us, “We love you with the love of the Lord.” Then the house mother said she knew we wouldn’t remember everyone’s name, but maybe we’d remember one or two and went around the circle of 20 or so kids and told us their names. One child was named Wisdom. Yep! It was him. He was quite pleased that I still had my note. I got another note from a girl-Honam-today. However, several in our group did. Bill Bryant’s note had 5 hearts colored in and David Gentry’s only had 3 and they weren’t colored in. Guess we know who is attracting the girls more! (The older ladies still love David!)

Thank you, church for your support, your prayers and your help in getting us ready to go. Thank you to those who came to the airport to see us off. This is really an incredible place. Watching the excitement of the “first-timers” has been so much fun. Thank you for keeping us covered in prayer

Hi, Glynn! I love you! Would someone call Glynn and see if he even knows to check the blog? Thanks.
Jean Ragland

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7AM Tuesday
Good morning everyone!

I just wanted to THANK everyone again for all of your help in supplying, counting, and repackaging all of the medicine!! They were very busy in the pharmacy yesterday, and it would have been unbelievably HARD if you all had not done so much of the work ahead of time! David and I had a great day in the eye clinic and were ever so grateful to be able to send anyone we needed over to Dorian!

One of the highlights of my day was getting to attend the devo at one of the homes last night. It’s pretty amazing to hear the prayers of the children and to know how sincerely they
praise and thank God for their home, food, and water and for peace in their country. It’s definitely not just something they say by rote! We love and appreciate all of you and thank you again for all of your prayers and support!

Joyce Phillips


8:00 a.m. Ghana time, Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Last night I walked up the hill to the Church of Christ that meets in the Fetteh village. The walk is about a mile each way. I walked up there in the dark. I could hear voices as I walked along the road to the village, but faces were impossible to see. An occasional flicker of fire light here and there. Voices, the sweet sounds of children playing, animal noises. It was so so so very dark, but it feels very peaceful. What little electricity there is that would usually illuminate (and I am using that word very loosely) the village was out last night, so finding the church building was a little bit difficult. Apparently, power outages are very routine here. Anyway, when I got to the church building, I found our brethren there, faithfully sitting there and participating as if nothing was wrong. No complaining about the darkness. No complaining about the smothering heat. I handed my flashlight to their preacher and he used it, along with a lantern someone had brought, to shed some light on the place. Still yet, it was dark as dark could be. One man sat next to me in the darkness and translated everything for me into English. He is such a good man. They are all such beautiful people.

I don’t know exactly how to explain this get-together in the darkness last night. It was some kind of a combo of church meeting / Bible study / prayer service. One of the main things they did was go over the sermon that I had preached the day before. Can you believe that? The minister, in all of this absolute darkness, with sweltering heat just suffocating us (at least I felt like it was suffocating me; it didn’t seem to affect them. They don’t even fan themselves) was quizzing them. His questions were, “What were the quotations from the American’s sermon? What were his lessons?” By this I gathered that he was getting them to repeat back to him the sermon’s three main points. Readily did they know the answers and quickly did they respond. Brothers and sisters, I just don’t know how to tell you how this affects me. I cannot believe that there is a place in the world where people are so hungry and thirsty for Bible knowledge and the things of God.

When we finished last night, I was asked to return for tonight’s church meeting. As I left to walk back down the hill, the mile trek back to our cottage, two young men were assigned to escort me home. I insisted that this was not necessary, but they would not take no for an answer. One of the young men who walked back with me is one of the aspiring 20 year-old preacher’s that I am meeting with at 3:00 in the afternoons.

So today’s schedule looks pretty much like yesterday’s schedule. Chapel for the teens at 12:30. Chapel for the younger ones at 2:30. My preacher training study with these young guys at 3:00. Another in-house devotional at 6:00, and then back up the hill to the Fetteh Church for our prayer meeting at 7:00 tonight, maybe in the dark again. Who knows?

I wish you could hear what I am hearing as I type these words. Oh my! God is so very, very real! - - Eric Bonner

***Oh! I have to share this. I had a young man pray for me yesterday in chapel, his prayer being that God would give me health and strength and keep me and my family all safe from snake bites. So Paige, baby, if you’re reading this, just know that we all have been prayed for so as to be protected from snake bites. I just love it! Isn’t that great?! In all my years, I have never had this specific request offered up to God on my behalf.

Sunday night

We've had power problems. The national electrical grid has been less than 24/7. Its been more like 7/24 (say seven hours out of the last 24). We've been on the Village of Hope generator power since 7AM.

Even with the generator, the computer lab was without power. The computer lab is the only place to use the internet. One of the wall outlets in the computer lab was fried, it was black and the metal part of the plug vaporized. It has taken most of the day to find this problem and get it corrected. Adam McCall was very useful in helping troubleshoot and repair the circuits.

It is now 3:30 on Monday afternoon, and the computer lab is up and running. The following blogs were written last night. I've captured the nine comments on yesterday's blog to share with the team. We will enjoy reading them.

James

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Blog beginning 8:40pm Sunday night

What a wonderful day of worship we had today. Many of us went to the village of Fettah for morning worship and class. The class was interpreted for us and Eric's sermon was interpreted for the Ghanaians. The singing was incredible. If Keith could get us to sing like that...well, it was amazing.

Eric preached at the Village of Hope at the evening service. Most of us were sitting by at least one of the kids during church. If you didn't go sit with them, they came and sat with you. I sat with Knowledge - yes that was his name. We got all the trunks unloaded and sorted and I spent the rest of my afternoon with Faustina, the Preschool Director. It has been so fun to see some children we remember from past visits. Several hit the beach this afternoon and we are all ready to start early and work hard tomorrow.
Jean
8:40pm Sunday

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Hello from Africa! So far, this has been one of the best experiences of my life...and it is only Sunday night at 9pm (Knoxville time=5 pm). Getting off the airplane and to the Village of Hope vans was an experience of a lifetime! We had to walk fast and ward off many, many persistant hands wanting to push the carts (for tips). Driving to the VOH, we saw everything from street vendors with their goods balanced on their heads to a medical college.

The kids here are fantastic. They are all smiles and eager to talk. You can not walk anywhere with a box, package or bag without one of the young boys coming to help you carry your load. At church tonight, the kids came over to sit beside us. Their voices outweighed ours in worshipping with song.

Eric Bonner's message this morning included how we, as Christians, need to serve others from the "overflow". I thought I was on this trip to serve....that it was God's plan--His trip---but the purpose was to come serve. I had an epiphany as I sat through the service and listened to Eric, the singing and took in the sights of this beautiful place......rather than here to serve, we are here to have our cup filled so that we will be ready to serve from the overflow upon our return. So far, I'm at the brim.

Beth
9pm Sunday
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This trip has surpassed all my expectations so far and it's only Sunday. I find it hard to find the words to express my surprise and amazement during the morning service in Fettah this morning. The singing was beyond amazing- I found myself with tears and it still fills my heart when I remember how they sounded!By an amazing coincidence I shared the flight to Accra from Amsterdam with a gentleman who was originally from Ghana but, had lived for 25 years in Canada. I got my first experience with speaking the language and he actually knows someone from Morristown, TN! I know I am here to help but already I know I will be blessed many times over!
Teresa
9 pm Sunday

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God has certainly been blessing the village of hope. More buildings is one sign, but the smiles on the peoples faces and a child speaking of God easily in conversation is what really stood out to me. Four years ago when I was here last I met a boy named Dana who was twelve. We have written a few letters back and forth over the years. Now Dana is fifteen and in eighth grade. He wants to be an accountant or an artist.

The clinic starts tomorrow. Time to go to bed.

Dorian
10:10 Sunday

Sunday from Ghana

This is the first effort to Blog from Ghana this year. Its proving to require a little more patience than normal.

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Some comments from the travelers:

Smoak here... I got yelled at by the soldiers for not having my visa but no prison time. Jordan and Adam are at the beach. Getting ready to here Eric preach at Fetteh, travelling thousands of miles to hear a Knoxville preacher is weird. A little kid in Detroit kept taking Jordans picture on his cell phone because of the hat and sunglasses.

The flights were long but every thing went smooth. No one is sick. Praise God for all. Dorian

I am so thankful to be arrived safely in Africa for many reasons, not least of which is the knowledge that I do not have to get back on the plane for another week! My traveling companions are fabulous and the organization of the group has been impressive. So far all of Africa has been dark but I am looking forward to today and seeing this beautiful country of God's creation in the morning light. My heart reaches out to my people back home - little and big. Loving you much. - Michelle

I am no longer afraid to fly! By the time we boarded in Amsterdam,I was ready to go! I am feeling great and ready to help in any way possible. I love you and miss you already-Teresa

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We'll try to post often.
James