I have had a lot of comments and questions about this image that I took a few weeks ago such as, why is it so colorful, how did you take this at night, and where were you. I love it when someone asks me about my photography and even more when they like one of my images. But the important thing about this picture is that the hundreds and hundreds of people that live in homes and apartments within the boundaries of this picture are not likely saved. They have not likely heard about the incredible love that Christ has for them. While I was in Asia my constant prayer was for home churches and groups to develop in this city. And while this looks like a big city it is a fairly remote place that had not a single building over 7 floors less than 10 years ago. There are over 2 million that live here but less than 600 expats. I also realized just how many cities there are like this all over the world. The harvest is there, we just need workers and support for those workers. Joyce and I are committed to being a part of the support for those who need help by providing information with educational decisions for their children, working with their children to determine educational needs. This city, and many like it, need your prayer and the world needs your help and support. Consider going or giving and praying for those working hard to bring good news. The next time someone approaches you to listen to their presentation to raise support please listen and prayerfully consider the blessing that may be in store for you as you help another worker get going.

 Yes, this is a Yak. While I was in Central Asia a good friend invited me to go out to the pass near town where you can see Yak herds. It is kind of difficult to tell how big they are from this picture but this guy was somewhere between the size of a sheep and a buffalo. I tried to get up close to some but they seemed to very anxious about my presence. Seeing the Yaks is just awesome.

The trip to the International School was equally wonderful, I could not have wanted a better group of teachers and students. The teachers were open to the assessments and the students all wanted to be tested. I think it was due to the prizes I gave away at the end of the assessments. My first day in town got off on the right foot with a staff meeting where I could explain what I hoped to do. Teachers immediately started to help me organize and prioritize which students should be assessed first. Once it was all done I was able to get 10 students assessed with 10 written reports for parents and teachers that included relative weakness, relative strengths, and specific recommendations that might help make learning in the future more efficient. But I was not doing all this alone, each night I would get on Skype with Joyce and review the days assessment and she was able to skillfully participate in educational interventions. I enjoyed meeting with parents and teachers and watching the process of having my words translated into various languages to parents. I also offered a teacher workshop on the digital interventions I had uploaded to their server. Overall, I think the children and teachers were able to benefit from what was done. He made it all possible and all for his glory. I am so thankful to have been a part of the process. I would love to bring pictures of some of the sweet faces but I just cannot do that here. It is my hope to return with Joyce in June 2014 to continue more assessments on a few students that I did not get to. But since this has happened Joyce and I have been invited to Thailand to do some assessment work early 2014. We are also looking at Joyce going to Uganda for some assessment on home schooled children during the summer of 2013. So many opportunities have come up and we are not sure which ones to take at this point. We will continue to ask Him about this and would ask you to join us on this next decision. Joyce and I are looking to eventually do this on full time once we have everything in place. This recent trip has shown us that our educational service is not only viable but desperately wanted and needed.

One day while riding on a public bus in town a friend asked me what I liked and didn't like about the city. I had not thought of that question and responded that I was enjoying the cultural differences and just wanted to soak it up as much as I could while I was there. Yet after thinking about it I realized that I loved everything about my experience. Part of the experience was the beauty of the area. This image is a sample of the landscape just outside of town. Although is was very dry it was beautiful.

What an incredible answer and pleasure it was to learn today that almost all the funds needed for this trip has arrived. Thank you to all who have provided financial help and thank you to all who are providing prayer support. Joyce and I have talking about this initial trek as our trial run since this will be the first time either of us has gone out to implement the vision we have had for a number of years now. In some ways we think this trek will be somewhat an indicator of direction and course correction to our vision. It is very exciting to see how the plan is working out one step at a time and on a need-to-know basis, meaning He will let us know as we need. I find great pleasure in all of this.

One thing that has impacted me lately is the Father's "pleasure". So many references talk about not only His pleasure but His "good" pleasure. Although I have not read this specifically but I can't help but think that a colorful sunrise or sunset is one of those things that brings this type of pleasure to Him. I think about this in the morning while driving to work and watching the sun come up. So tomorrow when you get out of bed think about how to look for all the things that cross your path that bring Him pleasure.

 

I like this picture as it has all the details exposed properly, it holds a level of excitement for me as I love the celebration that is obviously going on. I love the reflection of light and buildings and the deep blue color of the sky as it goes from blue to near black. I would love to discuss some of the analogies that this pictures brings but that will have to wait till another time.

Today I must have scanned nearly 200 pages from varies manuals that I will take with me in my computer since I will be limited on weight for the trip. Once it is all scanned it needs to be organized and put into a useable form, wow, what a time consuming job but I really love it.

A friend asked me tonight how I was feeling about the upcoming trip and I mentioned that my fear was that I would not have thought of the right material to take with me. He graciously reminded me that all I really needed was myself. Mike is so right, my job really is to go and be an encouragement to others and if by chance I am able to help some students along the way, well then we have icing on the cake. It is funny how this is what I already knew but yet I need reminding.

It is less than two weeks till takeoff and many things have come together, I finished up my immunizations today, got foreign currency from the bank, and enjoyed encouraging words from friends. What a great day.

The time is getting close, two weeks from today I will be starting my tasks in Central Asia and am very excited about the trip. However, I must say it is a bit unnerving to think about being in a major city and airport where English is not the language of choice. Once I have done it I will be fine as with most things. I have had several financial donations which is very helpful and a real answer, thanks so much to those who have donated. The one that was fun was a friend gave me a handful of foreign currency, which is exactly what I needed. In fact I will be going to the bank to pick up a currency order I placed last week. Now, as I mentioned in my last post I have a few more fun facts, enjoy.


China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the U.S.). It has an area of 3,719,275 square miles (slightly smaller than the U.S.) and its borders with other countries total more than 117,445 miles. Approximately 5,000 islands lie off the Chinese coast.

One in every five people in the world is Chinese. China’s population is four times that of the United States.

Fortune cookies are not a traditional Chinese custom. They were invented in 1920 by a worker in the Key Heong Noodle Factory in San Francisco.

China is also known as the “Flowery Kingdom” and many of the fruits and flowers (such as the orange and orchid) are now grown all over the world.

I thought it would be interesting to bring historical facts about Asian countries. Here are the first two.

1. The modern word “China” most likely derives from the name of the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty. First Emperor Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.) of the Qin dynasty first unified China in 221 B.C., beginning an Imperial period which would last until A.D. 1912.
2. China is often considered the longest continuous civilization, with some historians marking 6000 B.C. as the dawn of Chinese civilization. It also has the world’s longest continuously used written language.

I have been reading in Job recently because this is where my reading plan has led me. BTW, if you are looking for an awesome reading plan I highly recommend the one called M'cheyne reading plan and can be found at http://www.mcheyne.info/. Robert Murray M'Cheyne was an incredible man and yet only lived to the age of 30.

Anyway, back to my reading; in Job 34:3-4 you will read for the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. Testing words and discernment may be a very difficult task for those with what we call an "auditory processing" deficit. There are many children in the world today with disabilities that prevent them from fully understanding what they hear or sometimes see, which is a "visual processing" deficit. One of the first steps toward intervention is identification. Without identification children are frustrated and they think they are less capable than their peers. Self-esteem starts to drop and eventually depression may set in. Their parents start to wonder why they are not learning at a pace that seems to be with other children the same age. It could be that auditory processing is not the problem but maybe it is it's look alike cousin "inattention" is the blame.

This puts a bit more definition to what I am attempting to do in Central Asia, I deeply hope to be able to provide identification and intervention ideas to parents and teachers as well as identify children's learning profile. Please join me on this mission as a support partner so that not only this trek is profitable to many children but others in the future.

Thanks for continuing to follow my adventure out of the country in just a few weeks from now. I hope to be able to provide updates and pictures along the way.
Brad