Post[card] from Athens, Greece

Hearing the Voice of God Greetings from Athens, Greece! While the world watches the Olympics in London, we're spending a week with the Ethnê Collective of our organisation CRM. This time we're meeting in the birthplace of the games.  From time to time we do this. The weary frontliners in the cross cultural mission of bringing the Gospel gather somewhere for refreshment. We find this refreshment collectively worshipping and listening to God & his Word, and building up one another. I wish you could be here to experience it too. Our theme was Hearing the voice of God and the time was rich with listening...and hearing. Great teaching. Great times of prayer. What a blessed "shot in the arm" for our faith and courage! Those of you who are partners as donors, you are are behind us all the time and you have commented that you experience the adventure of serving Christ overseas vicariously through your investment with us. But it's not always "in the trenches." These Conferences are pretty wonderful, and this week you've been on my mind with more thanksgiving than usual. So, see this email, as an internet post card saying a genuine: WISH YOU WERE HERE! The Theatre of Dionysus An Orthodox chapel on Santorini The Acropolis in Athens Tuesday: Jim to Hong Kong, Kimberly to Atlanta As the conference wraps up, we take off tomorrow for Singaore (Jim) and back to USA (Kim). But we'll be back together again in Singapore by mid-month, and we'll travel together to Vietnam at the end of the month.  Lord, as Jim coaches and leads mentoring networks in Hong Kong next week, and Kimberly wraps up time with family, we listen to your Spirit for leading our transition to "empty nest."  Thank you that Cameron's June summer school experience at Chamberlain-Hunt Academy was successful and bless him as he starts a full semester August 13th. Thank you for the ways you have matured Tyler while working as a camp counselor at Yorba Linda Friends Church (and thank you for providing him a summer job!). Thank you for your provision for all of us, and our confidence that the boys and our parents are safe in your care so that we can serve you across the globe without regrets. Pour out your blessing and joy on our supporters who have partnered with us over these many years, and stand with us now as we step into a new seaon of life. King Jesus, we are yours. Use us for your glory. - Amen! CHURCH RESOURCE MINISTRIES  120 N. Lakeview, Suite 120, Anaheim, CA 92807-1831

LAUNCH

[from last April, 2011] Wrapped up in my ego That’s wrapped up in him I watch the 18 year old. A most perfect rocket In between the Lab and space Crafted and invested With all the explosive creative genius I had to impart. A high octane cocktail for fuel = Nurture + Nature + Free Will + Sovereignty. Elegantly, and with an air of casual He stands out of reach on the launching pad. Close to the final countdown that will launch him into his future. Yet, despite his vitality And talent And intellect The engine at his core Won’t yet ignite. What gravity has kept him so weighted to the ground? Afraid to dream Or work for a dream? The tools I had to tinker with To fine tune or tweak Are proving useless now. So I put them aside and dig out the binoculars. Breathless, I watch. 4-3-2-1. Addendum May 2012: Thank God the engine has ignited! He's soaring. It's been a good first year on his own at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The binoculars are put away and have to use a telescope now. I asked Tyler for his permission to publish, here is his response: "Fore sure. I've been out of the house for a year. Long as it ain't naked pictures of me as a baby, you can put it out there. You can add in a prologue about caffeine and power bars being the fuel of a sputtering space craft as it tries to maintain an orbit of sanity staying up late working on college papers... But yeah, it's a good poem! It's fun to read now that it's not about the present me. - Ty" Launch #2: A School in Mississippi for Cameron Everyone loves this kid, but he really needs some extreme structure so I'm here to get #2 launched in USA @ Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson, MS (a few posts below tell the journey). Port Gibson, in Clairborne County, MS. Population: 9,000. Cameron is there for summer school during June. The fall term starts 13 August. Cadets marching to church on Sunday mornings. "The food is great! And my speech teacher is awesome."   --First letter home

The Drop off at Military School

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, Mississippi
Sunday PM - After another full day of airtravel and getting ourselves down via an Alamo Mazda, we were finally in the little town Port Gibson, where my son will attend summer school.


After talking and praying with big brother (who was studying for finals at Cal Poly on the central coast of California), and Dad in Singapore (via Skype) I guess Cameron had had enough pep talks for one evening. Blessed kid. Grandparents wanted to talk with him too, but I was exhausted and left him with the phone number to call when he'd he felt like he'd had a little break from people telling him they were proud of him.


I awoke around 6AM and while he was still sleeping took a good walk over to campus to have a look and pray before anyone was stirring on campus. Beautiful grounds. Small, reminds me a bit of University of Puget Sound-ish. I've posted pictures at the site below.


The Isabella is really a beautiful bed & breakfast. Taking good care of us. Cameron said that it was the best breakfast he's ever eaten. I think he's going to like Southern Living. We left the B&B at 9:15AM, took a quick spin down Main Street and as we came back around got to the edge of town about 9:23 and I said, "You're going to see your new home in five seconds..."


As we turned the corner, he saw it. The big green lawn on the corner sprawls up to a small grandstand and, behind, a large set of old brick buildings, windows trimmed in white. You can see tennis courts on one side and a large forest of trees backing up to the school. What you can't see right away is the numerous basketball courts, the swimming pool, the soda dispensers in the canteen, and the sand volleyball court out back.


Finally, finally, Cameron showed that he was nervous and he said as I parked: "Ooooooohhh! My heart is racing now!"


We took a minute to pray before getting out of the car. A few other boys were between us and "The White House lawn" where they were to report. Handsome, well built young men in fatigue pants and black CHA shirts greeted us. There the Marine Commandant Todd Patterson and school Principal Quentin Johnston were also greeting parents and cadets as they arrived. One of the young men escorted Cameron to a curb where they sat the boys down to wait for enough to gather to march them over to somewhere else. Somewhere where they shave heads and issue everything he'll need this month but underwear. I think for the next few days he's going to wish he'd been more diligent about homework and chores.


MY heart is racing now, just thinking about how good this is all going to be for him.



"The White House" where administration is located is a beautiful old home, and It was all hands on deck for the registration. At least a dozen, mostly women, in khakis and white CHA polos. And they run a hospitable tight ship with stations to usher parents from room to room, to write a check, talk to the academic advisor, get a parent handbook, visit with other parents, hand over their ADHD medications to the school nurse.


The wife of the Col Patterson, the Commandant runs the kitchen, the wife of the principal is the academic advisor. You can tell that everyone sees this school as their "mission field." Even according to the lady who runs this B&B where I'm staying, Chamberlain-Hunt Academy has a lot to be proud of. They do a lot of converting of their own: Converting boys to upstanding godly men.


There will be about 55 boys 7th-12 grade in summer school and over a dozen living on or near campus running things.


It also seemed like everyone, including returning parents I met had something to say about what a family it is. At meals, staff often join the boys, and many of the staff have young children, so there's often little kids and "aunties" around.


They will send a progress report in 2 weeks, and we should get snail mail from him (though we are told to ignore please to come and rescue him!). Each week of summer school they have an outing to do something fun. The first one is a Mississippi Braves Game (baseball). They will all be calling home on June 24th. 


The sidebar has a link to flickr where I've posted other photos.

My 50th Birthday Concert! The Five-OH! Report

My Five-OH! Birthday Jam! Thank you everyone for showering me with love on my 50th in February. Thank you to the many "birthday slaves" who helped out behind the scenes and performing. It was all fun, including a short but exhausting Zumba lesson, as seen in the photo above!  Thank you to those old and new friends who came that evening just for the fun. Four of you I'd never met before! And thanks to those of you far and wide who sent greetings. You all made it a very special life event for me. I still marvel at how it came together and that it went so well despite my having lost my voice and having such a horrible sore throat. You'd never guess it listening to the recording! It was really nothing less than a miracle for me to give God all the glory! Before too much time slips away, I'm sending a photo collage of some of the highlights of the best birthday party ever! Let's keep encouraging one another to turn up the music and live full and joyous lives walking closely with God!  Discouraged that things weren't coming together I said to God, "Well, it's turning out more like a circus than a concert..but a circus is fun..." Later that day, this gal Iryna (whom I hardly know) contacted me on Facebook:"I've decided what I want to contribute to your birthday:BalloonSculptures!" PERFECT! What a fan club! Even though this was only 6 weeks in the planning, my parents got airline tickets as soon as they heard what I was up to. They came from California bringing decorations for a Luau theme.I thought these flowers were much smaller on the website, so I ordered 3 dozen! The party venue became a hibiscus paradise! The stagemanager hardly ever gets in the photos! Leezibet has returned to Singapore after being a "tentmaker" flight attendant with a Middle Eastern airline. She's been doing kingdom work in the region on layovers & during her breaks. She contributed from the booth, adding fantastic lighting, and having it video'd. Included "Worship Hula" Since 2005 when Namiko (front/center) and I spent Monday mornings praying for artists and the arts in Singapore, we have been dear friends. A multi-talented artist and earnest lover of Jesus, she sings, dances, and is an award winning portrait painter! Two years ago she took up hula (after flamenco and belly dancing had been mastered!). It's been delightful this year to see the ministry of Islandgals develop this past year; one that she feels God has been preparing her for all her life. The guys from Agapella sangChange the World wearing Hawaiian shirts and board shorts. I wouldn't let them sit down after their song. See them below as they stayed on stage and added the background part of the dog voices for my version of He's a Tramp from Lady & the Tramp. One of the funnest parts of having a birthday jam, is that the birthday girl got to pick the songs...and choose who performed them. For All of Me(Selah), Paul Seow sang andElaine Chan danced. Even though I know my Chinese pronounciation really stinks, I love showing off that I can speak (and sing) in Mandarin. Rita, our intern from China sang Relection from Disney's Mulan with me. A great memory since she'll be going back to Kunming next month. I wonder if I'm ever going to get better at Chinese, or always just be a wannabe hack. Nevermind. I'm a cute hack. HIstory of Christian Rock & Roll For the last 3 years funny, talented Ty and his wife Paula (missionaries with HCJB) had become good family friends. They moved to Malaysia last year, but the date of this concert was set based on Ty's travel schedule. It couldn't happen without him!The only singing I've done in the past 3 years was as his background singer when he was the worship leader at church. He provided the Five-OH! audience with Creasman family favorites: Randy Stonehill's Great Big Stupid World and Larry Norman's Sweet Sweet Song of Salvation. Our son Tyler couldn't make it and sent avideo. My brother also sent one from USA. Like Family. Entertainer Asherhas known us since 2002 when we were in the iTheatre production of Rainbow Fishtogether. Since then he's been at my dinner table for nearly every major holiday party or just over for supper to hang out. We like being his surrogate family. I met Annabelle and Daniel(above) 6 years ago before they were married. She posted letters to me when we moved back to USA for a year in 2007. It was nice to know I was missed. I thought: I gotta get to know her better!  And that's what we've done since 2008. It helps that Daniel grew up in our Clementi apartment block where his parents still live. They're also attending Redemption Hill Church, and Wednesday nights we meet together for our small group at our place. Lord, thank you for your goodness to me. After so many years feeling lonely here, you've surrounded me with dear friends. I'm thankful for the reports of how this Five-OH! not only was just a bunch of fun, but ministered to people and drew them to yourself. Thanks for giving me the guts to do such a crazy thing for my birthday! Can we make this an annual thing? (ie. "Five-OH? Again?") I think everyone should get a Birthday Jamfor their 50th! How You LIve, by Point of Grace absolutely captures my heart and my message for the night. I'd never heard the song until 3 weeks before the party. While on a prayer walk, I stumbled upon it on my ipod in a way that could have only been God saying: Listen to this one, I think you'll like it. Now it's my K!Mberly theme song! BTW: Performers and those who want to be my best friend, there are now more photos on flickr, and a video (of just the first few songs) online in dropbox.

An encouragement for Easter 2012

Thinking of you on the Saturday between. For most of my life I spent Easter season writing, directing, or performing some kind of re-enactment of the events of the passion week. I think it's these many experiences that stir in my soul to an instinctive somber reflectiveness. Especially on the Saturday between Good Friday's memorial, and the celebration of Easter Sunday morning. What hopelessness must the disciples have felt when their Rabbi was dead? This last month, I've been doing a new Bible Study with women in my church. It has me looking again at the power Satan and his hatred of us, the beloved children of God. His lies and seductions are tailor made for each of us to try to morally and spiritually ruin us and drive us away from the most important relationship we have: the eternal one, with our Creator and Savior. HIs aim is to steal our hope and make us give up on an absolute truth: The Almighty God wants us to be reconcilled to a relationship with him. So that's why I'm writing to you today. New friends and old friends who normally get eNews from us about ministry with CRM in Singapore. I feel compelled to write you today about something more personal: On this Holy Saturday, if you are reading this and find yourself ensnared by some sin, don't despair. There is a way out and a way back to safety. Please stop hiding. Don't let fear of others opinions or pride keep you from coming back to Jesus and the help you need this Easter. Our enemy is a "roaring lion" seeking to devour us, but don't let him convince you that you are not loved, can't be forgiven, or will never conquer the sins that have ensnared you. If you are a follower of Christ and have been holding grudges or have been judgemental of others who are caught in a life of sin, please stop it! Let God remind you of your own depravity and remember the grace shown to you, and then offer grace and help and forgiveness. Our Bibles tell us in the letter to the Galatians (Chapter 6)  "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else." I pray it's an Easter of hope for you. May you have an Easter that encourages and lifts you up to a focused future of spiritual health and healing with strengthened resolve and a supportive church and friends. Blessing. Joy. Humility. Gratitude. Grace. About the Photo above: This year the only drama I had a part of was with these 5 boys who came over Thursday evening to recreate the Last Supper. Before going upstairs to our apartment, we put these scarves on our heads and talked of the donkey and palms of the Sunday before, and how some of the disciples had gone ahead to prepare the meal and the room. Outside my front door we washed their feet and then opened my door to a candle lit "upper room." The sounds of music from the Middle East were playing. On the dining table Bibles were opened to John chapter 13 where Jesus gave his last teaching to his friends. We ate (with our hands!) a Singaporean modification of the passover meal: Indian mutton murtabak, curry gravy, and Ribena, a blackcurrant cordial we pretended was their wine. I walked them through the story. When my boys were little we used to do it and invite some of their friends. This year, Cameron who's now 15 was my assistant; sort of. Around a candle lit table their eyes grew wide and they sat very still while I talked about whatbetrayal and sacrifice was in little boy terms. Even in their young "innocence" I could tell that they were getting it. In order to be friends with God, they need to put their trust in Jesus. He was our sacrifice and is our Savior. He was a substitute punishment for what we deserve. The 1st century guys in that room  with Jesus didn't understand it then, but he proved he was the King of God's Kingdom, and deserves our loyalty and obedience...because on Sunday he came back to to life again!  When we were finished, we sang a hymn, and went out. Just like the disciples did on their way to the garden of Gethsemane, but we weren't going to see any drops of blood for sweat, or an arrest which included cutting off an ear and replacing it. Maybe we'll do that when they're teenagers. The Creasmans in Singapore Serving with CRM Church Resource Ministries www.crmleaders.org