Praying for International Missions

Please join me in praying for International Missions during the last few days of this special week of prayer! Here's a prayer guide with more specifics:

Vietnamese of Cambodia

Peoples of Iran

Lost Cities of China

Peoples of the Canary Islands

"If People Would Just Learn English..."

I've had quite a few years to master this language we call English, both in oral and written form. My dad recently shared with me some funny pics of signage that people had used to demonstrate their desire for everyone in the United States to speak English. The comical part was that every single one of those signs had a major spelling or grammatical error!

I happen to agree that we need to have a common language, and that language in the US ought to be English. However, I temper that opinion with a lot of compassion for those that are working hard to learn a language that is very difficult. Don't believe me? Check out this poem (and many more at The Spelling Society):

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, slough and through?

Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,

And dead: it's said like bed, not bead -
For goodness sake don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose -
Just look them up - and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart -
Come, come, I've hardly made a start!

A dreadful language? Man alive!
I'd mastered it when I was five!
And yet to write it the more I sigh,
I'll not learn how til the day I die!

Quoted by Vivian Cook and Melvin Bragg 2004,
by Richard Krogh, in D Bolinger & D A Sears, Aspects of Language, 1981,
and in Spelling Progress Bulletin March 1961, Brush up on your English.

November Prayer Letter

This month's focus: Thankfulness!

Please check out this month's prayer letter...and thank you for your faithful prayers and support! I am very thankful to God for all He has provided! Please let me know how I can be praying for you also!

Pray for New ESL Ministries!!

With hopes of learning how to better minister to internationals in our midst, five people attended an ESL workshop over the past two Saturdays. Thanks to Friendship Baptist Church in Fort Atkinson, WI for hosting this event!

The workshop covered a number of skills including how to organize an ESL ministry, how to teach English, and most importantly, how to consistently share your faith with your students through both your words and actions. Participants quickly discovered that they do not need to speak a foreign language or be a professional teacher to teach ESL!

Jose V. shared that he has 20+ people waiting for him to get equipped so he can teach them English in the Sauk City area. He wanted to learn how to teach English, but more than that, how to share the Word of God.

Larissa G. wants to meet the needs of refugee families. "I hope to be able to help in a tangible, lasting and practical way with the Nepali-Bhutanese refugee families being relocated to Madison, WI."

Please pray for these participants, from various locations (Waunakee, Portage, Sauk City and Ft. Atkinson), as they prepare to do the work God is calling them to do. And pray for those that they will teach and share Christ with!

For more information on English as a Second Language ministries, visit www.eslwi.com.

Learn more about our new neighbors!

On November 24th, Lutheran Social Services will be hosting a grand opening celebration of their resettlement offices in Madison. Information will be shared on the current situation in Nepal, Bhutan's history and political climate, and newly arrived refugees' needs and current volunteer opportunities.

NOVEMBER 24TH, 2009
4:30-6:30PM
THE UNIVERSITY CLUB
803 STATE STREET

MADISON

I am praying over how to get involved ministering to this new people group...how to best meet their ESL needs. I hope others will join me at this event. You'll need to RSVP to REBEKAH JOHNSON/414.325.3098/rebekah.Johnson@lsswis.org.

Please let me know if you're planning on attending!

ESL Workshop - Register by November 2nd!

The next English as a Second Language Workshop is scheduled for Saturdays November 14th and 21st in Fort Atkinson, WI! If you're planning on attending, please register by Monday, November 2nd to allow sufficient time to order materials! For more information on the workshop, visit my website!

Is there really a need for ESL? Absolutely! I spent some time at the mall in East Madison last Saturday. I was amazed. It seems that the culture has morphed right before my eyes over these past eight years and I hadn't really noticed, until now. Funny how when God calls you and gives you a passion for something, he also gives you a new perspective. My challenge to you as you read this, wherever you are, is to ask God to open your eyes to the mission field around you. Let Him show you the needs of the people He's placed you in the midst of...and ask Him to give you compassion. But be warned, compassion always leads to action...so be ready to go and do what He calls you to do!

International Missions - Right HERE!

I've spent this past week at a Global Missions Conference in Spartanburg, SC, and have loved meeting missionaries from all over the world. I am so thankful for the work they are doing, and also thankful for the work God has called me to right here in the United States.

I love ministering to a variety of people groups as God brings them to our towns and neighborhoods. I'm really excited about a new ministry opportunity and want to share this with you...please be praying about it with me!

This next year, 100 Bhutanese refugee families will be placed in the Madison, WI area. I found that out several weeks ago and it has been heavy on my heart that we, God's people, need to respond to this need. So I was all the more excited to meet someone here in Spartanburg who has been working with the Bhutanese in Atlanta, GA. He was able to tell me more about their customs and culture, and share with me a CD with Bible Stories in their native language, Nepali Bhutan. What are the odds of that??

I had at the top of my to-do list to call the organization that is placing these families, and as I opened my email this morning I found several emails from a pastor in the Chicago area who is ministering to Bhutanese in that area and was interested in finding out how he can be involved in Madison.

So too many coincidences to be coincidental:-)

Pray with me that God's people will respond and that we will minister to these families: physically, emotionally, and spiritually!

Great Tutoring Workshop!

On September 25-26, 2009, Midvale Baptist Church hosted the first-ever Tutoring Children & Youth workshop in the Central Baptist Association! Six people attended the workshop from a variety of locations and denominations. I can’t wait to see the ministries that will develop as a result. So often, we look at the problems in our communities and wonder how we can make a difference. How can we help with the obvious needs, but also with the underlying spiritual need that so many are not even aware of? I look at graduation rates and on the surface, Wisconsin is doing pretty well. But as we dig a little deeper we see that graduation rates vary drastically from location to location and across different ethnic groups. This workshop equipped me to help a child who is struggling with schoolwork and consistently demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ, not only to the child but to his whole family!

A special thank-you to Renea Adkins, our NAMB-certified workshop leader from Indiana, and to First Lutheran Lodi and Pastor Mike Lee, who funded the workshop. Please pray that those who were equipped will use what they’ve learned to further the Kingdom, for His glory!

Why Can't Life Be Like an ESL Class?

I read this Facebook status update recently, and had to laugh because I can recall saying the same thing a couple years ago: Why can't life be like my ESL class?

Here's what I love about ESL classes:

I cannot teach without the power of God working through me, and I KNOW I can't! So I pray...I pray for wisdom, guidance, ability, and opportunities. I pray for my students and their ability to learn, their openness to the Gospel, their enjoyment of the classes, and God's working in their lives. I pray for the other volunteers and God's direction for them...as well as God's blessing in their lives. Most of all,I pray that God would be glorified!

I know I'm not in it alone...so I pray with others before class and as class starts.

I want my students to see that God hears and answers prayers, so I ask them how I can pray for them, and then we pray together.

I look for opportunities to share how God's Word applies to our everyday lives. It always does!

I seek out opportunities to share the love of Christ with my students.

I see each student as God-sent, there for a reason. Each is important. I want to remember their names and call each by name.

If conflicts arise because of cultural differences, grace is extended!

I find absolute joy in meeting the needs of others...physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs!

What if I lived my life like this all the time...not just for a couple hours a week doing ministry, but every day, all day?

What if I knew I couldn't get through ANY day without spending time with the Father, so I started the day with Him, and checked back frequently?

What if I prayed not only for myself, but for those that don't yet know Him, and for those that do?

What if I prayed with other believers, becoming unified in heart and mind?

What if I asked those around me, each one God-sent and important, how I could pray for them...and then prayed with them?

What if I remembered peoples' names, and called them frequently?

What if I looked for ways that God's Word applied to everyday life and shared that with others?

What if I looked for opportunities to serve others and share the love of Christ?

What if, when cultural or personality differences arose, I extended grace?

What if I found joy in serving others, however menial the task, as I could see that in doing so, God was meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs?

What if?

Why Do We Make Things SO Complicated?

It's so easy to get caught up in logistics...at the expense of the heart of the mission we've been called to do!

I was thinking about all those people I've encountered who do not get involved with ESL or tutoring kids ministries because all we've really shared so far have been ministries that are very structured. What a disservice we have done to both the mission field and the prospective missionary. In our workshops, we share that all it takes to have a literacy missions ministry is one volunteer and one student. We cannot forget that! What defines a missions ministry is not the number of people involved! It is the heart of the missionary sharing Christ as he/she ministers to the person that God sends. It may be one person. It may be a dozen.

I was thinking about others that hold back because they're afraid they aren't any good at it. We learn to walk by walking (and falling down). We learn to run by running (and sometimes tripping). We learn to read by reading (and often mispronouncing words). We learn to teach by teaching...and rest assured, we will make mistakes. But God is good. We will learn from those mistakes. He will equip us. He will work through us. If only we will be willing vessels and let Him!

So if you were looking for a nudge, this is it! Take that step of faith...get involved! You won't regret it, and neither will those that God blesses you with.

Tutoring Workshop...Have You Registered??

The deadline for the upcoming Tutoring Children & Youth Workshop is rapidly approaching! If you're planning on attending, please register by September 14th!

The workshop is scheduled for Friday and Saturday (Sept 25-26) 9am to 5pm at Midvale Baptist Church in Madison, WI. I am so thankful for God's provision through ministry partners to fund this workshop. Participants' cost is very low...only $30/person which includes lunches! Our workshop leader is Renea Adkins from Indiana. I cannot wait to hear from her! I'm excited to learn more about this ministry and to be equipped to minister to the kids and teens in my community.

The Need!
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to share my testimony, calling and vision with my church. I shared about the different areas of literacy missions, and asked those who knew a child or teenager that was struggling with their schoolwork to please raise their hands. Just about every hand in the room was raised. I asked those that knew kids/teens that could not read to keep their hands up...there were still a number of hands raised. This is a mission field we are all aware of...what will we do?

If you'd like to attend, but you're having a schedule conflict, I urge you to find a way to get there! This is not something that comes around often. However, if there's no way to make it, would you please drop me a note and let me know that you are interested?

And please keep praying...I cannot wait to see what God will do through this!

Reading for Success! Tutoring Ministry

...local missions at its best!

Yesterday I had the privilege of talking with Vicky O. from Northwest Baptist Church (northwest side of Milwaukee). I was so encouraged to hear what their church has been doing for the past five years to minister to their community, so I'm sharing it with you! My prayer is that you too would be encouraged and see that this is something that we can all do.

It started with a phone call to the nearby public school. "What do you need? We'd like to help." The answer was a laundry list of items such as hand wipes, ink cartridges, etc. The church began to donate these items to the school. Then the school held a food drive to donate food to the church's food pantry.

So when the church shared that they wanted to help kids that were struggling with reading, the school felt comfortable sharing that opportunity with their students. And for the past five years the Reading for Success has ministered to kids in the community!

What I've found most encouraging is how they do it. Sometimes we build up in our minds a very complex picture of what a ministry has to look like...so complex that we end up doing nothing. How does a church that has approximately 200 in attendance every Sunday manage to minister to about 20-25 kids with 20-25 tutors involved?

• The original intent was not to 'teach' reading, but to provide listening ears and encouragers for those kids that struggled with reading. This doesn't take a lot of extra training, just a heart to listen and love the kids God sends.
• Reading for Success is held at the church the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month during the school year. They tutor from 5-6pm, then the kids and their families join the workers for a meal at 6pm. This provides opportunities for the tutors to get to know the families and form vital relationships.
• From the tutors' perspective, many are only volunteering about 4 hours a month of service...not an insurmountable task! There are others that meet more regularly with their students and have developed relationships that extend beyond the scheduled ministry hours.
• The second year of the ministry, there was a shortage of volunteers. The church invited several from Luther Manor to help. These are elderly men and women that have so much to give, if only we would ask.
• Incentives - the students are given stars for attendance and good behavior; they are given verbal and written confirmation of their hard work; at the end of the year the church holds a recognition service commending the kids for their diligence and hard work; two times a year the kids and their families are invited to church, followed by a movie matinee held at the church and a pizza lunch.
  
• Study hall was set-up for siblings that don't need tutoring and children of the volunteers. It's a time of games and yes, homework too if the kids want to work on that.
  

Entire families are seeing the love of Jesus Christ in action. Relationships are being formed that extend beyond the four walls of the church building. A witness is being made in the community and to the schools that Jesus Christ loves people and His church is a means of loving them. Join me in praying for Northwest Baptist Church as they begin a new school year of ministering to those in their midst. Join me in praying that many of our churches in Wisconsin will go and do likewise!

Tutoring Children & Youth Workshop!

I am thrilled to be able to share an exciting opportunity...a Tutoring Children and Youth workshop coming to Wisconsin this September!! Do you know kids and teens that are struggling with their schoolwork...some that may even be illiterate? There is a way to help, and to share the love of Christ as you do!

If you have any doubts about whether there are kids in our state that are slipping through the cracks, check out my blog entry: How Are Our Kids Doing? Really? It may open your eyes to the issues at hand!

This workshop will equip you, teaching you the basics of how to tutor kids and teens, how to teach someone to read, how to develop lesson plans, how to incorporate Biblical materials and share your faith. Understand that when you minister this way, you are consistently demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ over an extended period of time, meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs!

Workshop details:
When: Friday and Saturday, September 25th and 26th, 2009
(9am - 5pm each day)
Where: Midvale Baptist Church, Madison, WI
Cost: $30/participant (includes materials, training, and lunch both days)
Registration Deadline: September 14th
Limited space available...please register early to secure a seat!

Contact me to register! Please share this opportunity with your congregation, and contact me if you'd be interested in my sharing it with the congregation as a whole, your missions team, Bible study group or Sunday School class. Visit the Events page of my site to download a flier to share with your congregation or to get more info on the workshop.

Hope to see you there!

FamilyFEST Last Day

What a great way to close out FamilyFEST...a block party at River of Life Church! What a great turnout!

Tonight's Celebration Dinner was a great time of sharing all that happened this week. I'm glad so many pictures were taken!

I'm sure I'm leaving some things out, but here is some of what happened this week:

Repairs to the roof of Waterbrook Church in Tomah
Renovation of a house in the Dells that will house displaced women
Block parties - 6 of them in 5 days! Way to go Paul and Kelly!
Backyard Bible clubs in 4 locations through the week
Singing and Visiting at 3 nursing homes/assisted living facilities
Cleaning at Midvale Church
International Student ministries in the Dells
First Responders Appreciation - goody baskets delivered to all the first responders (police, fire, ambulance) in both the Dells and Portage
Community Assessment in Portage

I think something else happened this week: we gained many new friendships with others from around the country that love the Lord and desire to see the Gospel proclaimed in Wisconsin! God is good...to Him be all the glory!

FamilyFEST Day 4

Some days are good days...some days you wish you could just do-over!

Today would be a do-over day. But without getting into that too much, I will say that one very positive thing happened this evening at the block party in the Hispanic neighborhood. I spoke with one gentleman that offered to use his apartment for English classes. He knows 3 or 4 people that would like to learn English. I spoke with another woman that will talk with others in the neighborhood about classes. So I am confident that we have an opportunity to start an English as a Second Language ministry there.

If you've been praying for FamilyFEST each day, please continue to do so. Thank you!

FamilyFEST Day 3

Wow!

I have to admit, I started out the day a little discouraged, and tired. As I drove up to the Dells, it started to rain, and I wondered if everything would get canceled due to the weather.

We were to start an unscheduled block party at the Ho Chunk Wellness Center at 2:30, but finally made the call to cancel due to weather. A moment later we found out the the kids were on their way and we'd better get set up. So we did. About 100 Native Americans came out to the party. This was really big. There were behind the scenes circumstances and events, some very bad that God turned around and used to open a door. The party was still going strong when I needed to leave for a backyard Bible club in a different location, so unfortunately I missed the Ho Chunk drummers. From what I understand, their coming to play at this event was a very positive sign...though not an acceptance of our faith, an acceptance of us and our presence there.

One of the highlights of the day for me was facepainting! Several of the Native American kids asked for crosses to be painted on their faces. I asked them if they knew what the cross meant, and they told me they did not...an opportunity to share that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Another child asked why we were here...an opportunity to tell her because Jesus loves them and we want to share that with them. I loved listening to Pastor Bob tell the story of Jonah and the fish as he made animal balloons.

The backyard Bible club in the Hispanic neighborhood went very well tonight also. There were twice as many kids that came out tonight, and a number of adults. We had one gentleman with our group tonight that spoke Spanish very well, and he spent a bit of time visiting with the men. As a result, there were several men that came out tonight that wouldn't the night before...and their kids were able to join us as well. Overall, I think everyone felt much more comfortable than last night. I found out that one of the boys will have his 6th birthday tomorrow. Tomorrow night we'll come back with the block party trailer...how exciting to help this little boy celebrate his birthday with a block party!

God definitely did some amazing things today, breaking down barriers between cultures! Awesome!

FamilyFEST Day 2

It's been another full day!

I stopped by River of Life this morning to make some copies, and met a team of ladies from Kentucky. They were baking cookies that will be taken to our many first responders (police, fire department, paramedics) to show our appreciation. These ladies obviously know how to have fun and it was a blast just listening to their singing and joking.

I met the Zuelkes at the American Legion to set up for a block party that would minister to members of the HoChunk Nation. Turnout wasn't what we'd hoped for...in fact, for the first hour and 45 minutes, no one showed, and we started tearing things down...then 3 families came. It's easy to let things like that discourage you...to look at your previous efforts and examine what you did wrong or could've done better. It seems easier in a way to give God the glory for an amazing turnout and then take the blame ourselves for a no-show, or low turnout.

Around 5ish, I joined up with others at an apartment complex in a Hispanic neighborhood. Our intent had been to have a backyard Bible club for kids, and some English lessons for adults. There've been some cultural tensions within the neighborhood, and there isn't a whole lot of trust towards Anglos in general. So we were pleased to have seven kids come out and join us. Several adults came out that we visited with also, though we did not have any formal English lessons. This week, I'll be content if God would enable us to build bridges of trust that will pave the way for future ministries. I did see the couple that had invited us to eat with them the night before. Their kids joined us for the backyard Bible club also.

Tonight I was thrilled to join Bridgepoint as they met up with international students in the Dells. This is their third year ministering to international students, often pulling up to the motels where the students are living with rootbeer float fixin's. Amazing how something so simple can open a door to conversation and friendship. Three groups went out tonight...one to a location where there are established relationships, two others to new locations. I met several students tonight from Columbia. Great kids!

And now it is super late and I am super tired...so to sleep I go!

Please keep up the prayers!

FamilyFEST Day 1

What a day! We kicked off the first day of FamilyFEST with an orientation and commissioning ceremony this afternoon. 125 volunteers, some from the local area, most from around the country, have joined us as we minister in the Wisconsin Dells this week.

Our first event of the week was this evening - a block party at Hines Memorial Park. Many of the international students that Pine Valley Church works with came out this evening, plus a few more that saw the party and decided to join us. These kids are so much fun to be around. Most of them come to the United States for the experience and to work on their English...so they love to talk! I met students from Kosovo, Jamaica, Taiwan, China, Italy, several middle-eastern countries, plus a few more that I don't pronounce very well:-)

We were a little disappointed that no one came out from Ridgewood. This is an apartment complex that houses many Hispanics. A couple of us went over to Ridgewood and talked to a few families. One family was grilling out and invited us to eat with them...so we ate and talked. I suppose if many had come to the block party, we may never have ventured over and had this opportunity. Tomorrow we will start a Backyard Bible Club there for the kids, along with English classes for the adults. Please pray for us as we attempt to build bridges of trust this week!

It's hard to put into words all that happened tonight. A very full evening, and lots of great things happening...can't wait to see what God will do through the week!

Tomorrow - many ministries getting started:
Backyard Bible Clubs in 4 or 5 locations
Block party to minister to the HoChunk Nation (Native Americans)
First Responders Appreciation
Construction work in Tomah for a church that has a roof caving in & in the Dells for a motel that will house displaced women and children
International students ministries

I'm probably leaving something out! Please continue to pray for hearts to be prepared to respond as we continue to demonstrate Christ's love in words and actions!

Please pray for FamilyFEST!

July 19th - 24th! Many months of planning, and it's almost here! By the end of the week, almost 100 people will arrive, ready to minister to the people of the Wisconsin Dells!

Please pray for:

...safe travel for all the volunteers
...spiritual preparation for each one of us, that we would be prepared to do whatever God prompts us to do next week
...bridges of trust to be built with the many different people groups that we hope to minister to
...the people that will hear the Gospel, that their hearts would be open to the Truth
...the Backyard Bible Clubs, English classes for immigrants, International student ministries, First Responders Appreciation, Elderly visitation, Block parties, construction work, and so much more...would God be glorified through all that we do and say!

There are still a great many things to do THIS week to prepare for next week! Pray for each of the ministry leaders and the many tasks that must be accomplished!

Thank you for your faithful prayers!

How are our kids doing? Really?

I think most people would agree that getting a good education plays an important role in a person’s future success. But just how important is it that our kids graduate from high school?

There are a lot of statistics floating around out there, and wading through all of them can become a little mind-boggling. For some reason states report higher graduation rates than independent organizations. Which numbers are accurate? After reading through numerous studies and reports put out by different organizations, I’ve come to one conclusion: our kids need help!

Take this in:

• Only approximately 70% of our nation’s students earn a high school diploma.

• Every year, approximately 1.2 million students do not graduate on time…having been held back, or they do not graduate at all.

• The greatest challenges are for minority students. Graduation rates for Hispanics, African-Americans, and Native Americans are significantly lower (57%, 53%, and 49%, respectively).

Wisconsin ranks 5^th in the nation for graduation rates, but I wouldn’t consider this something to boast about. 80% (compared to #50 Nevada’s 55%) seems pretty good, but what about the 20% that don’t graduate…that’s 1 in 5 adults that do not have a diploma or GED. Those percentages vary greatly from county to county, and city to city! Milwaukee’s statistics are particularly discouraging…less than 46% graduating!

What’s the impact?

In Wisconsin, working-age drop-outs earn on average $10,000/yr less than high school grads. Their unemployment rate is three times higher than high school grads. And they are twice as likely to be incarcerated as high school graduates.

There are obviously a lot of factors that play into whether a student will graduate high school. I could list a dozen factors, and become overwhelmed into inactivity. So I’m only going to focus on one and more importantly how we, as the Church, can make a difference!

Literacy – 70% of all students entering 9^th grade read below grade level. In our nation’s 2,000 ‘drop-out factories’ (schools that graduate less than 60% of their students) many of those kids are coming into 9^th grade at only a 5^th or 6^th grade reading level. High school students don’t just suddenly develop reading problems.

The reality is that kids that can read by the 3^rd grade are unlikely to encounter the wrong side of our criminal justice system. On the contrary, 85% of youth in juvenile detention centers are two or more grade levels behind, many are functionally illiterate. As mentioned before, I know literacy is not the only factor, but it is a starting point.

And clearly, our kids need help!

What’s the answer?

Should we sit around and wait for the government to figure it out? Or is there something that many of us can do RIGHT NOW?

I believe there is. It’s called Literacy Missions.

What if churches adopted their local schools, making a commitment that every kid in their school district would be able to read by 3^rd grade? Sound too big? True, it is a God-sized vision! But not too big for our God!

What if, in addition to meeting the physical needs that many students have by helping them with their schoolwork, the church also intentionally shared Jesus Christ with those kids and their families? How many other social problems would be addressed?

What if we stepped out in faith, trusting that God would give us the ability, and really met the needs of the community…extending a ‘cup of water’ in Jesus’ name?

I’m currently working on arrangements for a Tutoring Children & Youth workshop to be held in southern Wisconsin this fall. This will be a great opportunity to learn the skills you need to become a part of the solution!

Contact me and let me know you’re interested so I can make sure you get the dates and location of the workshop when it’s available!

If you want a clearer picture (or want to find out how your local schools measure up), take a look at these articles:

Alliance For Education: About the Crisis

Promoting Power: How Does Your Local High School Measure Up?

Wisconsin’s Ten Largest School Districts

High School Graduation Rates by State

The High Cost of Wisconsin’s Drop-Out Rate

What's the Vision?

Every believer sharing...every person in North America hearing the Gospel by 2020!

Now that's vision!

But how? How do we share the Gospel with those in our midst that don't share a common language or culture? I look at that kind of vision and am overwhelmed by the task before us.

Jesus has shown us the way though. Time and again, He met people at their point of need, demonstrating His love and compassion, then teaching spiritual truth.

Our international neighbors have needs also. On the surface we look and we see plainly a need to learn English. But as we dig deeper we'll find needs not all that different from our own...the need for friendship, love, acceptance, and purpose in life. The need for forgiveness...the need for a Savior. So as we set out to teach a language that needs learning, we're going to find so many opportunities to share the one that is able to fulfill all their needs.

My vision for Wisconsin? Every believer sharing, every person hearing the Gospel regardless of background, culture, or language group by the year 2020. It's big. It's God-sized. It will only happen by God's grace and by His people doing their part. For His glory!

God, You said...ask and I'll give the nations to you...
oh Lord, that's the cry of our hearts!

One million strong...and growing!

Are there really one million words in the English language? According to Global Language Monitor, the millionth English word was added this morning. Link to Article

I'm with the group's critics that say its impossible to count the number of words in our language, and personally wouldn't consider some of their 'words' in an official count. But there are some points to this and I find it an encouragement to those of us that teach the language. For starters, can we recognize that English is a difficult language to learn? I didn't realize just how difficult until I started teaching it...so let's give our students some credit for taking on a BIG challenge!

Now for those points:

1. According to this article, English has more words than any other language in the world. Chinese comes in 2nd place with approximately 450,000 words.

2. English is a growing language - rather than translating words from other languages, we tend to take on those new words, making ours a very rich and diverse, but also challenging language to learn.

Right now I'm thinking of the little boy that I'll be tutoring later today...the one who can't read. Afterwards, I'll be teaching a group of internationals how to speak English. Remembering the challenge they face gives me just a little more compassion as I begin my day. Lord, help me to teach in a way they can understand! Help them to see that it is You at work!

What is Ministry Evangelism?

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Jackson, MS, was a visit to Crestwood New Life Church. About eight years ago (my timeline is probably off by a year or two), Pastor Johnny Rayford and his wife moved into this building that had too long stood empty in the midst of a community that needs to know Jesus. They have worked hard, and others have come alongside to restore this building...not to have a glamorous church building, but to have a place where God's people can meet the needs of the people in the community, from the children up.

If you've ever wondered what ministry evangelism looks like in action, this is it! After school care provides the kids a safe place to go, a nutritious meal to eat, and help with their homework. Summer camps provide great care and teach kids about Jesus. A food pantry and clothing locker provide for the most basic of needs. And that is really just the tip of the iceberg.

The visit here, listening to Pastor Johnny share about how God is at work, and having the opportunity to pray over the pastor and his wife, impacted me greatly. Among other things, God has opened my eyes to the possibilities of ministry evangelism.

He's also gotten me thinking, how can I help? The renovation on the building is not done. Work has only just begun on the third floor of the building. A new roof is needed and the parking lot is in desperate need of repair. As I pray about doors to open for a missions trip to Jackson, I can also share here how God is at work there. Take a look at this video. Praise God for all of those that have worked hard to make the center what it is. Praise Him for the kids' lives that are being changed. And pray for God's provision for the work that is left to be done, not just on the building but in reaching the community for Jesus Christ!

The Hope ESL Software Curriculum

This looks like a great curriculum…a way to teach English and tell the story of Jesus Christ…together! These are a few thoughts I’ve had after spending several hours looking through the material. Keep in mind I have not yet used it myself to teach a class. I will be sharing it at all future ESL workshops, and hope to use it with students this summer.

The disc has links for Beginner through Advanced, though I think the lowest level I would use this is High-Beginner. I think some of the sentences that are used to reinforce the vocabulary are just too wordy for a low beginner class/student. There are many ways to use the material however. And you could certainly adapt it to fit your situation.

1. Give the disc to students that have computers at home. Let them explore on their own (or assign a section to be completed.) I’d probably take a class session to do an orientation to familiarize students with the disc and how to use it.
2. Meet with a student(s) and work with the CD together as part of a one-on-one or one-on-two tutoring session.
3. Use the material as the basis for teaching a class (showing the video from the day’s lesson and using the printable materials to teach new vocabulary and provide communication practice activities).

The Teacher’s Resources section is very helpful. If you only used the video portion to tell the story, then the teacher’s resources section with it, you could have the foundation for a good class lesson. If students are able to work on this outside of class in their homes, that would be even better.

Within the Student Resources section, students can discover how to begin a relationship with God. All of it supports our beliefs as Southern Baptists. New believers are also encouraged to share their decision with 5 other people within 24 hours…what a way to celebrate and share!

The curriculum is the result of collaboration between Mars Hill Productions and Roof Breakers. Pete Cavanaugh with Roof Breakers sent me the CD at no charge. He encourages duplication and sharing of the materials (as long as you don’t altar anything), so this is something you could provide to your students and teachers at no charge beyond the expense of blank CDs and printing of disc labels (though I suspect their ministry would appreciate financial support if possible!)

There are several Bible study guides that could be used with the curriculum as well. These appear to be for a more advanced group, but could probably be adapted for an intermediate student/class.

Check it out! Pete asks that in the spirit of ministry partnership, ministries would share how you’ve used the material and what experiences you’ve had with it. I’d love to hear as well!!

To order one for yourself, visit Roobreakers website!

Celebrating Another Great Year!

We recently celebrated the end of our 3rd year of ESL classes in Sun Prairie! Our theme for the night was JOY! and truly, we had a great time that night!

But I have to admit that for the first half-hour or so, I was discouraged. The party started at 7pm. By 7:15, none of our students had arrived. Over the next 30 minutes, students straggled in, but attendance that night was less than half what it normally is on any given Thursday evening. Normally, this wouldn’t really bother me. I learned a couple winters ago that an English as a Second Language ministry isn’t all about the numbers. It’s about the relationships that are formed and the doors God opens through them. But tonight was different. For one thing, we had invited members of the church to come out and help. We wanted those members to see this is a thriving ministry, not out of pride, but because we want others to share the passion we have for reaching internationals and get involved!! Secondly, I wanted the opportunity to personally thank each one of my students for giving me the privilege of teaching them and becoming their friend. Words cannot express the joy that they have brought me!

But by 7:30, only a handful of students had arrived and I decided to just let it go. We’d done all we could do to invite our students out for this event. We’d prayed and asked that God’s hand would be in it. There comes a time when you have to let go and trust that He will bring who He brings. My place is to enjoy and minister to those He blesses us with!

And so we did! And the result? We had a fabulous evening! I think all who came out, students and church-members alike, had a great time! I had the privilege of sharing with our students what true joy is, and thanks to tools like biblegateway.com and unboundbible.org, I was able to share a LOT of scripture with our students in both English and their heart languages.

Please pray that the Word of God would not return void! Pray that even now, His Spirit would be moving them to understand who He is and how to have a relationship with Him! Please pray for the ministry in Sun Prairie at Prairie Springs Church. Pray that God would raise up workers for the harvest, for His honor and glory!

ESL Workshop - Remember to Register!!

Anyone planning to attend the upcoming ESL Workshop in Portage on May 30th and June 6th, please register by Sunday May 17th! On Monday morning, I'll need to order workbooks to ensure materials arrive on time!

If you have any questions regarding the workshop, what's covered, what kinds of opportunities there are to use this training (there are many), please email me!!

On a side note, if you are interested in learning more about how to tutor kids and teens that are struggling with schoolwork, please let me know. This applies to kids of ALL nationalities, including the United States. Literacy missions doesn't just apply to internationals! I've recently started tutoring a child who cannot read and am very interested in attending a workshop to learn more. If I can get enough interest, I'll track down a workshop leader and get everything set up!

Let God Move You!

God tugged at my heart this morning...and in spite of a lack of know-how, I'm going to follow His leading!

When we sent all our kids off to school this past fall, everyone kept asking me what I would do with all my 'free' time. I would choke down my laughter and then quietly answer that I'd just have to see how much 'free' time I would have and then follow God's leading as He directed me. I knew the last thing I wanted to do was fill my schedule with a bunch of 'stuff' and then not have any time left to go where He sent me.

It wasn't until January that I started teaching ESL for adults at the local primary school. That same month I started coming in every other week to listen to kids read in my son's Kindergarten classroom. Believe me, there are MANY opportunities to volunteer at the schools, but I kept it to a minimum.

Until this morning.

As I listened to one child attempt to read, I realized this little boy couldn't read at all. It broke my heart. So I spoke with the teacher. She knows he's struggling, but doesn't have the time to spend with him individually. If you feel you're lacking in compassion for teachers these days, spend a little time in the classroom, and your eyes will be opened! They have so many resources in the classroom, but the one resource the teachers are lacking is time!

I've never taken a Tutoring Children & Youth workshop, but I'm trusting that God will guide me as I work with this little boy. In the blink of an eye, I thought about Reggie McNeal's talk at Empower and the importance of adopting a school. He shared testimony of a church that had done that, and the difference it had made in the community. I thought about Bea Cagle's testimony and how she had gotten involved teaching adults to read even though she'd never received a high school diploma...because if YOU can read and write, you can teach someone else to read and write. It's not our equipping that's the problem. Sometimes it's a lack of letting God move us! He doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called!

Will I be able to share Christ in the public school classroom? Not likely. But as I sat talking with the teacher, we talked about faith and she asked for prayer for her kids. Even when working in a secular environment, there are serendipitous opportunities that will present themselves simply because we are there.

So my challenge today, let God move you wherever it is that He's calling you to go!

ESL Workshop - Portage, WI

Mark your calendars for the next English as a Second Language Workshop:

Saturdays, May 30th and June 6th
9am - 5pm
River of Life Church, Portage, WI
Cost is $25/person (includes all materials
and lunch on both Saturdays)
Registration deadline: May 15th

The workshop it titled "Teaching English Language Learners the Good News" and will equip you to teach English as a Second Language, start and run a successful ESL ministry, share your faith with your international students, and so much more! You must attend the full 16 hours of training to receive certification from the North American Mission Board.

God has brought an international mission field right to our doorstep! Let's get equipped!

Contact me to register or if you have any questions!

New Literacy Missions Website

At last, it's up and running...my new Literacy Missions site! I still have some tweaking to do, and over time as our network of missionaries grows, I hope to add some features that will allow us to share prayer requests, questions, words of encouragement, etc.

So check out the new site!

Coming Soon: FamilyFEST!

In addition to ESL workshops that will be available this spring and summer, there's an exciting missions opportunity coming to central Wisconsin this summer! It's called FamilyFEST!

July 19-24, God's people will minister to the people of the Wisconsin Dells. The mission is lasting impact!

Every year, 3.1 million tourists come to the Dells to play. Thousands of international students come to work. And over 5,000 residents call the Dells their permanent home.

What does this mean for ESL ministries? Did you catch that "thousands of internationals..." part? Our hope is to reach out to those students through English as a Second Language classes that week. Understand that the purpose of an ESL ministry is to intentionally share the gospel of Jesus Christ as we teach English to internationals in the community. And what happens if international students surrender to Christ here in the Dells? They return to their native countries, missionaries for Jesus.

I hope to hold at least one ESL workshop this spring to equip workers for FamilyFEST. After a workshop I taught last summer, several people told me they wished they had a place where they could put their newly-learned skills to work right away, without launching an entire ministry. FamilyFEST provides that opportunity. And I pray that new teachers/missionaries would have great experiences that would spur them on to continue through new ministries.

Let me know if you'd be interested in attending a workshop...it hasn't been scheduled yet. Give me your feedback: where is the greatest need?

Want more info on FamilyFEST? Visit the website! Right now the site goes to the blog, and you can stay updated on new developments as we plan this event. Feel free to contact me with any questions!
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Just Can It!

As an English as a Second Language teacher, I put a fair amount of time and prayer into developing lesson plans. So do the other teachers in the ministry. We want our students to learn English, and we want to come prepared to teach as effectively as we can. The lesson plan is an awesome tool! But sometimes, God has something even better in mind. Sometimes we arrive to teach, get everything set up, and then He tells us to set it all aside and let His Spirit lead!

So tonight, instead of her planned lesson, Grace had the privilege of hearing one of her students share his testimony in English. What an awesome reminder that not only are we sharing the Gospel with nonbelievers, but we are edifying the body of Christ too! By sharing his testimony in English, her student is gaining confidence to share Christ with English-speaking people, as well as Hispanics! What an awesome gift!

Thanks for canning the lesson plan tonight, Grace, and following the leading of the Spirit! Thanks for sharing it with me so I could be encouraged too!
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Pray for Empower Evangelism Conference

The annual Empower Evangelism Conference is rapidly approaching! This year I have the opportunity to share Literacy Missions with others through a breakout session at the conference, as well as a display in the missions mall. Please pray for me as I prepare the materials for this session. Pray for those that will attend and that God would work through this opportunity to call many into literacy missions. Pray also for the conference itself. I'm very excited about hearing the speakers this year, particularly Reggie McNeal as I've heard a bit about some of his writings. His perspective on the missional life is refreshing, and inspiring. Please pray this would be a time of encouragement, conviction, and equipping, as well as great fellowship. Thank you for the prayers!!

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

Literacy Missions and the Missional Life

Our Director of Missions sent this article to me today: Missional Means Shifting Church's Focus.

One of the examples the author sites is really the heart of literacy missions. It's getting involved in the community with the intent of making a difference in people's lives...meeting physical and spiritual needs. In many ways, it captures where my heart has been for some time.

I'm really looking forward to hearing Reggie McNeal speak at Empower this year!

The Lord is My Shepherd...He leads me to the park and the pool?

Applying Scripture in the ESL Classroom!

Often I'll share a verse of scripture with my students as it relates to the topic they've been studying for the evening. For example, if we're teaching about food or clothing, the Scripture about the lilies of the field would be a great opportunity to remind my students that although we need to learn the language for these things, God doesn't want us to worry about them. He will provide!

A couple weeks ago, after reading yet another discouraging news report about the economy, God led me to Psalm 43:5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Though it wasn't related to our lesson, I figured our students needed the encouragement as much as I did. After reading it aloud in class, one of my students said "That's it!" She had been feeling so discouraged and tired and this verse really ministered to her spirit.

Last week, Psalm 23:1-3 spoke volumes to me, so again I thought to share Scriptures of encouragement with my class. One of my quieter, shyer students boldly read the Scripture in his native Spanish. Another student read the verses in Thai. She finished with 'mmmm...very nice.' I then read the verse in English. As I was reading, I pictured the green grass and the quiet water and asked our students which of their new words they thought of when they read this. Clara called out, "The Park!"

After class, the teachers were sharing with one another the verses they'd shared with their classes that evening. I related this story and Grace came up with a new version...The Lord is my Shepherd, He leads me to the park and the pool. We got a good laugh from it, but there's some truth to that. God leads us to places of refreshment. He knows we need it and in His great love for us, He provides it. I know I'll never read this passage again without thinking of my students, and the park and the pool :-)

Calling Out the Called

It's a funny thing when God gives you a burden for a particular ministry or people group. Your whole perspective changes and where you used to just see a town, you see a glaring need. My problem now is that as I look at towns all around Wisconsin, I see the need in so many of those places.

In Waunakee, I see a need. A friend of mine runs an outreach there providing food, clothing, household goods and other services on a monthly basis to those in need. They're now servicing over 350 people a month. I recently asked her how many non- or little-English speaking families they were helping...about 40 families a month. They need translators to come help during store hours now. My ESL-mind already sees the makings of an ESL ministry.

I see a similar need in Sauk City,

in Madison,

and in countless towns and cities around this state.

In the twin cities up in Minnesota there are hundreds of Somali refugees in need.

How can one person make a difference?

1. Pray - pray for workers for the harvest
2. Spread the word - let others know about this great ministry! Did you know that right now, God is calling someone to begin an ESL ministry? They just don't know it yet!
3. Answer - maybe that person is you!

2009 - 50 Years of Literacy Missions!

2009! This is an exciting year! Fifty years ago, in October of 1959, the Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) hosted the very first Literacy Missions workshop for SBC churches in Clear Creek, KY. Over 200 attended! Lillian Isaacs paved the way for literacy missions across North America, from Kentucky to Alaska. I came across this article written about her a couple years before she passed on to be with Jesus: Baptist Literacy Work Has Kentucky Roots. It's definitely worth the read!

I'm so thankful for missionaries like Lillian Isaacs! Because of her work and that of countless other men and women, I can stand on the wisdom and experience of others. How could I possibly have the know-how to do what I do otherwise, or the know-how to equip others to do the same?

Since that first workshop in 1959, Literacy Missions has grown to include not only Adult Reading & Writing, but Tutoring Children & Youth and English as a Second Language. What a legacy! Praise God for His great work, and pray that He will continue to call others to this mission field!

The Same, yet Different

Last week, I started teaching English classes for adults at our local primary school. It's a volunteer position and in many ways very similar to what I've done over the past few years, but in other ways, very different. I've had driven home the understanding that not every ESL ministry will look like the next. In fact, some may not even be called "ministries" as I've come to know them. But that doesn't mean they don't minister, nor does it mean that Christ cannot or will not be shared.

Because the school is funding this venture, I don't feel the same freedom that I've grown accustomed to in sharing my faith. I'm not opening my class in prayer (out loud), nor are we going over a verse of scripture each class and I'm not taking prayer requests. But I am praying as I go, silently inviting Christ into the room and to guide my words and actions. When a student asked me what I do in the morning (because I was teaching daily routines), I said I wake up, then I pray, then I get up. I am getting to know my new students, and I pray that I will be able to invite them into my home and develop friendships with them as I have my students in Sun Prairie. As needs arise in their lives, I am hopeful that I will have the opportunity to share with them the greatest friend they could ever know, Jesus.

This is ministry.

The other difference is the volunteers. I'm just getting to know them. There is an opportunity to minister to them as well...and I'm looking forward to seeing how God will work.

That too is ministry.

Please join me in praying for this new venture, both students and volunteers!