Happy New Year! Meaning, I hope you are bringing an expectation of happiness into 2015. I recently saw Louis Zamperini speak at Bayside, read the book and saw the movie of his life. What an amazing Christian man! What he endured as a POW in Japan, and then forgive the man that beat him mercilessly, is nothing short of remarkable... supernatural. Here is a copy of the touching letter of forgiveness he wrote the commanding officer: Forgiveness. He resolved to not be a victim in the prison camp, in the beatings, and refused to let his captor, torturer, break his spirit. I pray that for you as well this year. That nothing will break the spirit of happiness in your heart.
I am off to a good start in 2015 with the students. I am working just 20 hours/week in January to let the dust settle on my incoming support but that has been sufficient to do many of the things I have held off doing. I am now on the Technical Training team at ISI to bring in my engineering and software skills to help the organization. I am also taking a college class called Perspectives which really does a good job of summarizing the work of God through history to reach His lost sons and daughters. I am also taking a certificate class entitled M28- how to teach international students to lead investigative Bible studies when they return home. A very effective, proven method.
We had our orientation booth set-up for the new incoming international students (~100) a week ago and it was great to meet them and start building friendships. We then had a welcome dinner for all the international students last Friday and I was able to draw upon my years of youth ministry and run the games. :) I confess, the youth guy is still in me as I loved trying to see who could eat a single slice of bread in < 20 seconds. I even competed... and lost.
Story 1 - Sam
At the welcome dinner last Friday I got to meet a young man from South Africa named Sam. What a great guy. We talked a lot about many things but settled in on my experiences traveling to India. He asked me what I thought of India as he had lived there for a couple years. I told him what I liked/disliked. The thing I disliked was the whole caste society thing. Well, that was a button for him as he is a negro and he told me that in India a white person cannot marry a black person. I told him I thought that was a shame as the Bible teaches that there is no such division among people in God's eyes. I think he liked that and heartily agreed. I ended up giving him my business card so he could contact me for further discussions about God's impartiality.
Story 2 - Savan
Also at the welcome dinner I met a young man from Russia. He is the one that beat me in the bread eating contest :/ Anyway, after the games we were eating and he told me- you, you really are gifted in leading those games, you are a natural. This was incredible to me because I was sort of grumpy after driving all the way to west Sacramento at night with my residual blind eye and agitation levels. Plus, one of the games I played called- two truths and a lie, I had a hard time figuring out on the spot who the winner was. I am sure I appeared confused or disorganized. He saw none of that- just my spirit, how much I enjoy students laughing and having fun. This was a blessing to me that despite all of my setbacks in 2014 from my tumor, He still can use me... even if just to play games
Metrics
http://isiervthomas.weebly.com/metrics
http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students/Infographic
Pics
ISI Pics
Prayer Requests
- Now that my support raising is over I need to figure out where to best put my newly available time at Sac St. I suspect at the English Language Institute (ELI). <<I am going to meet with the ELI administrators on Feb 4 with my area director, introduce ourselves and see where we can help them. I have also met with a few Indian engineering students on how to create a sub-chapter of our club to help them get ready for their engineering career in the US>>
- SSDI. I find out January 13, 2015 if I qualify for SSDI. <<SSDI pushed the decision out until end of February>>
- Should we take the NorCal international students down to LA for Big Break, or create our own event up here for them, when they are on spring break.
- Our club charter was revoked a couple months due to the perception that a 'Christian' club might not permit some students to participate or be officers because of their religious beliefs or sexual orientation. Nothing could be further from the truth but that was the perception. As a result we have not been able to have our meetings in the classrooms. I believe we have been able to convince the school administrators that our club has no such agenda and is wide open to everyone. We should find out in 2 weeks if we can resume our meetings back in the classrooms.
Admonition
"After an extended period studying the scriptures, I realized that all through the New Testament the coming of the Lord was the great hope of His people, and was always appealed to as the strongest motive for consecration and service, and as the greatest comfort in trial and affliction" - J Hudson Taylor, missionary to China