Last week's post was titled, "I 'heart' this." This is more or less an extension of last week's post. I just returned from So Thailand via Manila, where our little team taught through four IBS workshops, and I had the blessing of preaching in three church services last Sunday (15th). Yesterday (22nd) I spent flying from Thailand to Manila, including some time in the Kuala Lumpur Intl. Airport. Another flight today back home to Rainbow in Dumaguete where I'll be teaching a Bible College class this week. It's been a busy time, but good.
The workshops were an interesting mix of cultures. Our first one was primarily Thai, although our host and interpreter is Singaporean (see last week's post). Then we did two workshops in two different places, one in the early morning, and the other in the evening, which were for Burmese believers (and a few Nepalese who spoke Burmese). Our last one finished up on Saturday. It was held south of where we had been for over a week (Ban Nam Khem and Khao Lak). It was a mix of Thai, Burmese, and three Americans visiting the pastor of the church hosting the workshop. The Americans are teaching English in China and sat in for a couple days before heading back to their work.
It was a lot of fun work, and brought its own set of challenges and discoveries. I ended up writing a few pages of notes, in my ever-present notebook, on changes needed to be made, and ones made on the fly (in the process of teaching). I've learned far more about teaching when facing the challenges of teaching in a cross-cultural setting, than teaching in my own home culture. Working through an interpreter requires some serious thought processing, when the words or terms used don't translate well from one language and another (or two or three).
I was blessed to see the Americans getting into the workshop, even though it wasn't "new" for them—one of them is a seminary grad. All three work with university students and are involved in small groups studies. They echoed what I knew and have said before, there's a great need for such training among believers there (as elsewhere).
This week I get to teach the first-year students up at the college. I look forward to it! I've got lots to do going over last minute things with Rainbow Village, including our annual board meeting. Upon my return to the US, I'll be making needed changes to the international LWS/IBS workbook, and there's a few changes for the English one too. I'm also looking forward to getting my book published soon. How and in what form I'm not sure, but it's a primary goal heading into February.
What do you have planned for 2012? Anything special? I once heard we need a big enough vision that it will outlast our own life. I like that. Each year I like encouraging people, anyone who wants to grow spiritually, to read through the entire Bible through the year. There's plenty of reading plans (just "Google it"), so if you need some spiritual direction, that's a great place to start!