Overview
Our center family is continuing to grow in number and in strength. The leadership team attended a weekend leadership conference, the english conversation group continues to thrive, soccer group got around to having it's first match, english courses are continuing and my spanish class had eight people show up. Praise God.
The most encouraging experience from the past month (though my spanish class is a close second) is seeing the leadership team develop. My team leader, S, is continuing to share the greater vision of the community center with M, Hs and N. We will soon have community center planning meetings with both my team and the local leaders. Not only do I get to look forward to these shared meetings but this past month N found out that there would be a leadership training at a nearby church. We were surprised that she would bring it up being that it was at a church, she and Hs being M.sl.m. We happily jumped on the opportunity and S and his wife accompanied M, Hs and N to the conference at which there was prayer as well as worship. Hs and N were appreciative of the leadership material presented but M was overall overjoyed. Each day he came back and as we sat together at night he would tell me how great the day was. Hopefully we can start going to this church on Fridays as M is passionate about it.
Hs has been joyfully leading the center's english conversation group, preparing questions on topics ranging from dreams to refugees. Those who show up to the group have a vote in the topics selected and Hs has been doing a wonderful job of moderating the conversations, selecting questions and moving people into a practical focus on what we can do as individuals. M likes to take part in the conversations and move them in a positive direction always with and eye and and ear to those who would be interested in knowing about one who makes all things new.
An Intern Project
What was initially planned to be a 2nd year project (i.e. starting October 2016) finally came into being this past month. This is not to say that there weren't some extenuating circumstances and that other projects have not been coming along in the mean time but as I've decided to step away from formal language learning it's nice to have something to provide stability to my week. What's the project? The plan is to develop a curriculum for a class on cross-cultural communication to be used at the center. Oh, how I love communication. Now being able to get others interested in it will be part of the process. My initial thought is to present it in terms of: "as a refugee how do I communicate well with the locals of the country I'm living in & how will I communicate well when (if) I get resettled to the U.S. or Europe." Pretty sure the second half will get them through the door and hopefully the material will get them to stay. However, all I have at the moment are initial thoughts and the plan that will take me from outlining to developing to executing and revising a course all before heading back to the U.S. around September.
As I work through this project I look forward to continue living with M, developing and integrating with the local community, facilitatling the peer group Bible study and looking for ways to be part of what God is doing in the lives of those around me.