The cover of a newly published book. Our chapter of infertility is inside. 

Highly Recommended reading. I'm living the life I only dreamed of...How about you? 

In Praise of Rich Swingle

Rich Swingle is not only a winsome and talented performer, but he's also deeply committed follower of Jesus with his head on firmly and straight.

Last summer when I told him the one the thing I admire most about him, he got tears in his eyes. It was something no one has ever complimented him on, and yet it is something that he admitted to having had to really work at.

It is not is talent or his intelligence, or his love and dedication to his wife, or that he has the ability to make everyone around him feel special by making sure they are introduced and included in conversation. No, the thing I admire most about him is that he obviously has made a personal commitment to speaking only positive words. Even in very difficult circumstances where everyone around is grousing, Rich will refuses to join the crowd and will find positive uplifting things to say. I've never known anyone else in the arts like that and it has a big impact on my will to guard my tongue.

Booking: 864-294-9500 or info@Savidge.com

Re: A Letter from a Financial Supporter

Thank you for your gracious and open letter. A letter like this makes us have a stronger than ever sense of your partnership. It is a great encouragement to me to have you share like this. As Americans we tend to be very private about our finances. Rarely would one "spell it out," like you've just done, in order to let us know where you stand in regards to being our partners in ministry with your finances.

We are so blessed to have friends and supporters like you who trust the Lord in how He's going to provide and lead in using us all in small ways for the sake of His glory!

Praying for your blessing and Joy from Singpaore today,

K!Mberly

----- Original Message -----

From:

To: K!Mberly Creasman

Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2004 11:10 AM

Subject: Expanded ministries

Dear Jim and Kimberly,

Thanks for your regular reports as well as your special, personally written letter from Jim. We like the reporting of activities and prayer requests related to calendar events for yourselves, the ministries, and the kids. And we thank God that we can participate in a small way and share your vision for reaching CHINA. What a wonderful calling!

I know that you are looking for supporters to back your ministry expansion, and we have every intention to continue to support you in prayer and via semiannual contributions. However, I guess its time for you to become aware of our financial situation. I, ____ have been retired for 12 years and this is the main reason we have reduced the rate of our giving to twice annually for all of our charities. We give once in the springtime in anticipation of God’s blessings and once in December, reflecting the state of our finances. The money comes from our IRA’s.

____ is also retired, but she works from time to time when she has a special request from a known former associate, primarily to provide her with some discretionary money, spending money for gifts. We both drive OLD cars.

So, the bottom line is, don’t expect additional resources from us unless the Lord does something extraordinary with our finances. We are largely dependent on second guessing the stock market with our IRA’s and can report that God has kept things relatively constant for us over the last decade while things in the financial markets were going up and down rather dramatically.

Although our contributions may not seem like much, we consider you both, and your special gifts and ministries, as one of our favorite investments, along with five other missionary families and other outreaches. We love you and desire God’s blessings for you, your family and your ministries.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Cameron and I had a rare chance to see this group come through Singapore on tour last night. According to his birthmother, Alvin Ailey is Cameron's great-grand-uncle. Cam wore his suit on this date with mom and he was pretty impressed by how strong the men were! I was especially moved by the last section REVELATIONS, a selection of pieces danced to traditional spirituals. One duet called "FIX ME JESUS" was breathtaking and deeply moving. Three of the 4 segments for the evening we went were choreographed by Alvin Ailey. God is good to lead us to going last night, as the other 2 performances only had 1 segment of Ailey choreography.

To a Friend Who's moved to a New City

Jim and I have been travelling a lot this past month and I really miss him (He's shocked and is loving it that I'm needy! Usually he comes back from a trip and I say, "Home so soon?" This time I'm up late at night watching COLD MOUNTAIN and saying when he calls, "If you are fighting, stop fighting. If you are marching, stop marching. Come back to me. Come back to me. Come back to me." I think he must have been so happy to hear me say that, that he may have recorded it in his palm pilot as a date to remember! "Kimberly NEEDED me!")

And as for you to be in Las Vegas with no long time friends to be your support system. Another sigh. I just had news that our only American friends here are looking to move back to USA. I hope you have some friends, or family that call or come to visit...

Did you ever find a church or "alpha course" there that seemed a good fit?

Thank you for even thinking about the support bit at the bottom of the email...

But we are in good hands. And so are you...

I asked for your prayer requests and will be praying about your home sale, and getting you all in the same city again soon.

The Boys' School Experience Here

(to another American looking into options for their children when they move here)

We've been in Singapore nearly 5 years after 2 years in China. My husband
and I both caucasian Americans and we have had our 2 boys in local schools
the whole time (since they were 3 and 7). We will probably switch the middle
of next year and are considering other options. Both boys are happy in
the system (now 11 and 7) but we also feel they should have a chance to
experience another style of schooling. The system here has its good points
and drawbacks (as does any option). Since we came to Singapore hoping to
make it home, we wanted to immerse ourselves in the life here, and you can't
really understand or relate to Singaporeans unless you are intimate with the
school system. But starting with your girl as a 12 year old may be tough
unless she is confident adaptable, and pretty bright (you can opt out of
taking "mother tongue" as a foreigner, so the 2nd language studies won't be
a problem for her).

You can find a wealth of information and links at the Singapore Ministry
of Education website (they call it MOE). While living in China, we found
nearly everything we needed to know from this web site.

Year round schools here start a day or two after new year. Ends
mid-November.

All that said, I still haven't met any other caucasian American family who
has made the same schooling choices we have. It was an unusual conviction
we've held to, and it has worked for us, and been a blessing in many ways. I
am on the homeschooling egroup so that I can be inspired by them, get ideas
for supplementing my children's education, and stay connected to their
activites. It's nice to have occassional contact with other
foreigners/parents. I am bored to tears by chit chat with the local mothers
who only seem to care about knowing my children's exam scores and how much I
pay for rent.

News to Jim in Atlanta

Tyler and I watched Van Helsing last night after Cam was asleep.

I've been really tough on them this week. They're shocked that I can really administer the LAW!

Tyler wasn't keeping track of time on the computer so I made him read a book on internet guidelines for kids and tell me about it. Now he knows the word Pedophile. Cameron lost his priviledge to sleep in my room last night because of losing his temper and being rude to me. HE WAILED and BEGGED for another chance. I'd already given him two, so I was merciless. He's in his room now cleaning up the toys he threw around when he was mad last night!

I went through toy junk with Cameron and he has until tomorrow to put zoids back together or the pieces get tossed on Saturday. We had a "gluing party" yesterday for the ones he'd repaired. I think he's pretty proud of himself for making some sense of the pieces! So their room is getting pretty organized now.

Both boys are doing their chore charts with the threat of a swat for every blank square. What a mean mom!

X&X came over yesterday. That was interesting. What fun. I think they like me to be straightforward with them. So I was. Told them their relationship will never go the distance unless she bridled her tongue and stopped belittling him (and disrespecting him) and unless he started putting some effort into making her feel special, take her on a date, and do something together without her setting it up, even if it is deciding to go to church and him taking the leadership to follow through with the plan. They have to tell me next week if they were successful at their attempts for these few days. If they can't make any improvement in a week, when they are focused on it, then it will never get better and they might as well give up now. They were taking notes! Imagine!? Taking advice from me!!! LORD help us all!

I finally dared to go in my office this morning. Yikes. What a black hole...I've been staying in the bedroom with my computer just 'cause I don't want to face the chaos in my office. Got to get on top of it...almost time to turn in the receipts...

I think I've got the post China/Australia blues. It was so exciting this past month running around doing drama stuff. Now I'm putting around at home working at boring administrivia - paying the price for my outings and fun. Do you know how many envelopes come back eachnewsletter mailing with a change of address to update???!!

Okay, enough whining. I'd better get to it while the boys are quietly doing something else!

Love you and hope you're feeling better. Bet its a great experience!