2011 Recap

2011 was a year of natural disasters, political uprisings, revolutions, and more headlines from around the world. Because of my line of work, many of these events occurring on distant shores hit close to home for me... Flooding and Cyclones in Queensland, Earthquakes in Christchurch, Political Revolution in the streets of Cairo & Alexandria, a Tsunami in Sendai Japan which also affected Kona... I have friends in all of these affected places. It was a year to really thank God for life and ask him to help us make the most the lives he's given each of us. In 2011, I took every opportunity to teach the Bible so I could grow in this area more. I also had many people from Washington come to visit. It was a year of challenges but a year of blessings. But, I'll be honest: I'm looking forward to 2012!!!

Here's a [brief] recap of my 2011 in Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, and finishing the year here in Washington.

January

- Staffing 2nd quarter of Chronological School of Biblical Studies (2nd half of Old Testament)

- Angela & Ryan visit

February

- Taught Zephaniah in SBS

March

- Tsunami in Japan (Damages to property in Kona but no loss of life)

- Taught Esther

April

- Staffing 3rd quarter of Chronological SBS (New Testament)

- Started teaching Inductive Bible Study in the Asia Pacific Discipleship Training School (DTS)

- Started leading Bible Study for friends with Island Breeze

- Chans visit

- Loehrs visit

- Taught 1 & 2 Thessalonians

May

- Taught Colossians & Philemon

June

- Whites visit

- Chronological SBS Graduation

- Left for Outreach

July

- Led SBS Outreach Team to Fiji (Other 2 teams went to Brazil & China)

- Team taught the Bible in Churches, YWAM Base, Bible Study Groups, & Methodist Deaconess Training Centre

August

- Outreach Team in Samoa

- Team taught Inductive Bible Study Seminars in various churches and the Samoan Prison

September

- Stayed in Samoa after team left

- Taught for a week on Inductive Bible Study for the Samoa DTS

- Got Samoan Drivers License and Drove for YWAM Base

- Helped lead Worship & Intercession for YWAM Samoa

- Rugby World Cup began

October

- Drove for YWAM Samoa, visited families in Aleipata (where the 2009 Tsunami hit)

- Rugby World Cup finished - New Zealand All Blacks are the Champions!

- Taught Bible Study using Stories

- White Sunday (Children's Sunday - a national Holiday in Samoa)

November

- Visited YWAM Los Angeles & Tijuana (en route from Samoa to Washington)

- Came to Washington

- Friend, Jerry Tamanisau passed away

- Shared at Hockinson Community Church about ministry in the Islands

December

- Cousin, Gayle visited - she and I chopped our hair and donated it to Children with Hairloss

- Friend, Patrick McCleery passed away

- Dad went back to work after being laid off for 5 months

- Lots of quality time with friends and family

- Sat down to write a blog update for the end of the year...

Home Sweet Washington

Hey everyone. I realized I haven't written for a while. But, I'm going to keep this short. I'm back in Washington, where I will be until January 8th when I head back to Hawaii.

My 3 months in Samoa were definitely a learning experience and though it was challenging at times, I do miss my friends I made there and I do hope to return someday.

For now, I'm enjoying some time with family and also catching up with friends here and there. If you're in the area, I'd love to see you.

My next step will be back in Hawaii. In April I will be staffing another School of Biblical Studies. However, this one will not be Chronological, but will start with the New Testament and then move to the Old. Something different about this particular SBS is that four months will be spent in Honolulu studying the New Testament and then five months will be spent in Kona studying the Old Testament.

And since this week is Thanksgiving, might I add that I am so thankful to God for the life I have. For my family and friends, both on earth and in heaven; for the opportunities he's given me to live life all over the world; and for his amazing provision which never fails... but most of all I'm thankful for life and hope in Jesus. Kind of trumps the rest.

What are you thankful for this year?

Life in Samoa

I taught in the Discipleship Training School (DTS) on the topic of Inductive Bible Study last week. It was a fun and busy week. We went through an overview of the Bible, did some skits and activities, and then we went through the book of Titus, using Inductive Bible Study (IBS.)At the end of the week we prayed for the students and staff as this was their last week of lectures and now they are preparing to do the outreach portion of their course. I was again reminded of the value of IBS and why it is so needed in the Pacific. Young people in the Pacific are not taught to think for themselves. They are not taught to ask questions. Quite the opposite, really. If they question their pastors, teachers or parents, they are seen as rebellious.So, as you can imagine, trying to teach these young people to ask questions was quite the challenge. But, as we practiced asking questions in class together and practiced using context and historical background to answer the questions… something clicked in them. I gave them homework, unlike other speakers. Not the best move if you’re going for popularity points. But, surprisingly, they loved it! They felt challenged to study God’s Word for themselves, but they also felt encouraged that they could, in fact, do it.

I realize some of my readers may have no idea what I’m talking about… this whole Inductive Bible Study thing. I’ll give you a VERY basic outline of the IBS steps. You can use these steps to study any book of the Bible. If you want to know more, send me an email… I’d love to help you in your study of the Bible however I can.

INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY

1. Pray! We need the Holy Spirit!
2. Read the book aloud in one sitting. (Titus has 3 chapters and only takes about 10 minutes to read… Genesis on the other hand, takes about 4 hours. It’s doable.)
3. Consider the type of literature. There are four main types in the Bible: Historical Narrative, Prophetic/Apocalyptic, Wisdom, and Epistle (Letter.)
4. Research the Historical Context. For this step, look first in the book itself for clues.You can also look in other books of the Bible. After looking in the Bible, you can look at reliable “external sources” like Bible Dictionaries. Try to avoid Study Bibles and Commentaries. Here’s some questions to ask about context.
1. Who is writing? Who is the story about? Who are the original readers?
2. Where is the story taking place? Where is the author? The readers?
3. When was the book written? What is going on in history at that time?
4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the original readers?
5. Observation. Look at the facts. What does the text say? Use color-coding to look closer.Look for commands, contrasts, figures of speech, repeated words or ideas, progression of thoughts or author’s logic, etc.
6. Interpretation. This step is not about us… its about the people to whom the book was written. Turn your observations into why questions. Why did the author use this command? Why was this contrast significant to the original reader? Etc. Then answer the questions using the historical context you compiled.
7. Application. The most important step of Inductive Bible Study. We should be doers of the Word and not only hearers! (Thanks, James.) Look at your interpretations and ask, “Is there anything I can pull out from this that is true for all people, places, and times?”This nugget of truth is called a Timeless Truth. Once you have a Timeless Truth, now you can ask, “How can I apply this to my life?” And answer this question prayerfully.

So… that was last week, and that’s the Inductive Bible Study Method!

This week…

I have been leading worship and intercessory prayer for YWAM Samoa. I’ve had fun introducing a few new songs and learning some Samoan songs as well. My favorite is a song called “E Lelei Ieova.” My roommate, Lina helped me write out the words for the Samoan slides.

I’ve also been fighting some sort of a cold or flu since last weekend. I’ve had various symptoms from runny nose and sore throat to fever, dizziness, and nausea. Not all at one time, and none of them super severe. I thought I was getting better yesterday, but I woke up today with my throat sore again. And I’ve just been tired… fatigued. So… I think I’ll visit the doctor tomorrow to make sure its nothing serious. Please pray for me to get my energy back and to get over this silly sickness once and for all! And yes, Mom, I’ve been taking my Emergen-C and a clove of garlic a day. And I’ve been drinking hot water with lemon, honey, and ginger… you should be so proud of me! J

Oh, and one more exciting piece of news: The Efakasa Church in Moata’a was a church (I mentioned in previous updates) where we taught an IBS seminar. The Pastor has since spoken with Fono and Sose, the leaders of YWAM Samoa and shared how valuable this teaching was for his church. He said this is just the sort of training he wants to have for the teachers who are teaching Religious Education (RE) classes in the schools. Since Samoa is a Christian nation, they study RE in public schools. He said so many of the RE teachers come in with their opinions and theologies instead of letting the Bible speak for itself. They teach their Pentecostal doctrines or their Catholic doctrines, or even their Mormon doctrines… And so each class looks very different. He said he wishes they all taught the Bible because then students can make up their own minds about it. Now comes the cool part: this Pastor is the guy who oversees all of the RE teachers for Samoa! He has the ability to make things happen, and he saw the value of IBS. So… I’d say God is up to something here! Pray with me that God will continue to open doors in Samoa for people to know His Word and know Him more because of it!

And now, for your viewing pleasure… here are some photos of life in Samoa.

RUGBY WORLD CUP FEVER

Dressed up in Blue for the Manu Samoa Game against Namibia... GO MANU!!!

The DTS at YWAM Samoa - made up of 2 Fijians, 2 American Samoans, and 6 Samoans (from Western Samoa) and me... the palagi (pronounced paw-long-y) in the middle!

Fatty Patty's is CLOSED???

When did THAT happen??? Maybe this is old news, but I just found out. News doesn’t travel so quickly in Samoa… well, not unless it is related to the Rugby World Cup, anyway. Go Manu Samoa!

Anyhow, I know some people don’t think as highly of my favorite Battle Ground establishment as I do. They claim that it’s too greasy, that there are too many health code violations, and that the décor is too tacky.

But… I will miss Fatty Patty’s. I will miss their infamous “Slop” with dippy (over easy) eggs on the side. I will miss going there with friends. Mainly I will miss the memories the place held for me. Jeff and his chicken fried steak smothered in country gravy and pools of Tabasco, me and my Slop… all the problems of the world eclipsed by the fusion of hash browns, grilled ham, green peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, sausage gravy, dippy eggs, and green Tabasco.

To you, Fatty Patty’s may be a thing of the past.

An eyesore.

A heart attack waiting to happen.

No big loss.

But to me, it was special.

And the Slop wasn’t what made Fatty Patty’s special, though it will be missed.

It was special because it was our spot.

My brother’s and mine.

So, thank you Fatty Patty’s for all of the memories and tasty food.

I will never forget you.

week one of staffing - earthquake!!!

As I write this, I can see the sun shining through my window. I can also hear the percussion of rain on my corrugated tin roof. Ah, Samoa. I took a shower to cool off, since the wind must be on holiday today, an unfortunate side effect of the rain and sun combo. But, now that I’ve put some coconut oil in my hair and sat down with my laptop and instant coffee, I suppose it’s time for an update!

It’s been just over a week since the team left. My understanding of Samoan culture is still… growing. I seem to learn new things every day through observations I make, or mistakes that are corrected. My role on the YWAM Base is not fully defined yet. I am what they call “Base staff” which basically means I am not staff for a particular school. But what I do varies from day to day. A few things I have done…

• I have been asked to help offer tips for hospitality, so I’ve created a cleaning checklist for the Guest Fale (house) then cleaned and prepared alongside the hospitality staff, Mariana.
• I’ve been asked to help with organization in the kitchen and purchasing of food, so I’ve sat down and planned a week’s menu with Apelle, the kitchen manager, and we’ve gone to Apia for grocery shopping.
• I’ve been asked to just help out wherever I see a need, so I’ve weeded in the taro patch with Lina, another base staff. I might mention that weeding here involves machetes, a lot of elbow grease, singing, and frequent “breaks” for papaya and coconut. It’s glorious.
• I’ve also cooked breakfast and helped cook a few dinners.
• I’ve joined in with worship, playing guitar mostly as I am not quite confident in leading the Samoan songs yet. Perhaps next week.
• Since I will be teaching in the DTS next week, I have been also preparing for my teaching, which will be 3 hours a day, from Monday to Friday.

Despite this list, I must say I’ve still had a lot of free time. Free isn’t quite the right word, because I’m not quite free to do whatever I want. Down time… that’s a better phrase. Fono and Sose, the base directors, have said they will sit down with me this week to give me some more responsibilities, which is very exciting. But in the meantime I will just continue doing the little tasks asked of me and helping out however I can, and trying to learn the Samoan art of putting the relationships before the tasks.

Speaking of the relational culture here, I have a new friend, which is wonderful! The School of Missions (SOM) from YWAM Samoa was on outreach in Fiji and Vanuatu, but they just returned on Tuesday and graduated on Friday. One of the graduates is a girl named Emily from Missouri. She will also be base staff now that she has finished her course. I think I have been cautious to not be exclusive or only hang out with the other American and I have been very intentional in building relationships with all of the girls on the base. But… it is so nice to have someone who is from the same culture and speaks English well. Plus, she’s been in Samoa for over a year now, so she’s been great at brushing me up on some of the language and cultural subtleties.

I do have a few prayer requests mostly from what I’ve mentioned above:

• Please pray for my teaching next week in the DTS and for my preparation time this week… I really want these students to grasp the value of Bible study and a passion to know God’s Word for themselves. In a church culture where self-study by lay-people is discouraged, this is a huge prayer point.
• Pray for my role for the next 7 weeks with YWAM Samoa and for clear communication and relationship between Fono and Sose (the Base Directors) and myself. I want to be a blessing to this place and these people!
• Pray for Samoans to respond to God’s call on their lives. I was so touched when Fono shared about the School of Mission’s time in Vanuatu. In 1841 Samoan missionaries went to Vanuatu and were martyred. They were cooked alive and eaten by the locals. Believers in the island where this atrocity had happened so many years ago welcomed the SOM team as the first Samoan missionaries since those martyrs. They had a powerful time of reconciliation and the Samoan students were particularly challenged as they thought of their own forefathers’ sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel and the fruit that came because of their sacrifice. Not white missionaries. Samoans just like them. Pray that many more Samoans would count the cost and take the Gospel to the nations!

Well, the rain has stopped and sun is setting, so I suppose it’s time for me to wrap this up. I wish I would capture the night sky on camera to share with you… dusk in Samoa is simply stunning. As the moon rises above the coconut tree silhouettes and the stars appear… the Southern Cross, the cloudy stretch of the Milky Way… I can’t help but be amazed at our great God who created it all. And for some reason, a song from “An American Tale” comes into my head every time I see the moon and think of my family who sees the same moon from where they are. Just at a slightly different time of the night.

* Side note… I wrote this yesterday before there was an earthquake! It happened about 11:50 pm and the first one felt like someone was moving furniture in the room next to mine… then the second one started shaking everything, complete with the things on top of my bed moving quite close to the edge and a long enough time for me to consider moving out from under the bunk, then deciding against it because the frame is metal and my roof isn’t exactly going to crush me if it falls on me. Haha… it wasn’t that big of an earthquake, just lasted a long time. When it eventually stopped, I opened my door and called out to the boys in the fale next door (I don’t have a roommate yet.) “Did anyone else feel that???” One of the DTS boys, Mark, said, “Yeah, but you don’t need to be scare, its only a little!” ...“Okay, I’m glad it was a small one, I’m going to sleep!” And that’s my Samoan Earthquake experience from last night. :)

Transitions

We left for the airport at two this morning. The staff and students from YWAM Samoa piled into the back of the base truck along with our team of five and our luggage… well… luggage for the other four. After an hour drive with the wind blowing, stars shining, and music blaring, we arrived at Faleolo International Airport. It was a new experience for me, to farewell the team and stay behind. But we said our goodbyes to Rachel, Catherine, Mike, and Simon and after a lap around the airport to shout and honk and say goodbye one last time, we finally made our trek back to Falelauniu around four am. I was the lone palagi in the back of the truck with the islanders. And it was glorious. I had transitioned from being an outreach team leader to YWAM Samoa base staff with those goodbyes.

I must admit I will miss the team. Rachel is an amazing co-leader with a heart of gold and a kindred spirit to my own. I can’t say we knew each other well before outreach, but I can definitely say we parted as dear friends that will keep in touch in years to come. Catherine is always quick to mix in with the locals and build bridges between our diverse cultures. Mike is always on the go, and his drive and initiative really kept us going in a culture where it’s easy to give into laziness and lethargy. Simon is a generous and cheerful giver who is always looking out for others and doing whatever he can to help. Together our team was given the opportunity to share in a variety of churches, schools, bible study groups, and prison in Fiji and Samoa over the past two months. And while we had our ups and downs like all teams do, I truly believe we had an impact in these nations and that our outreach was used by God to teach and encourage people to study the Bible for themselves.

My personal highlight was after three weeks of being with Sunday School Teachers in Moataa Efakasa Church hearing the speech from one of these teachers. She shared that in the first two weeks she had thought to herself, “What could these young people possibly teach me, a seasoned teacher?” But as we taught she was humbled and touched by our message… she said we taught her and the others so much more than just a method to study God’s Word, which would have been enough. She said we taught them that God can use anyone and that they ought never judge a book by its cover. Wow! We were presented with gifts for our team, and Rachel and I were presented with a to’o to’o, fui and taanoa… symbols of authority in the Samoan culture. (I’m sure I’ve misspelled these and will be corrected by one of my Samoan friends.)

So anyway, here I am in Falelauniu… still. It’s Saturday, so I won’t have official responsibilities until Monday. I still don’t entirely know what my role will be here, though I know I will be teaching next week in the DTS (Discipleship Training School) and I will be helping with communications to some extent. Beyond that, I have basically made myself available to help however I can, both on the YWAM base and in local churches. I will be here for two more months.

I know my last blog was written when I was feeling low and discouraged, but I can honestly say God changed my heart and helped me to really enjoy the remainder of the outreach. I read of another friend in India where she’s lucky to take a bucket shower every other day and I thought… cold showers are not such a bad thing! I also feel like I can do these two months and that they will be a joy to me more than a challenge or burden. Surely that is because of God’s grace and prayers from all of you! A few weeks ago I was wishing I could just quit and go home to Washington and take a hot shower and eat my momma’s home cooking. My heart and attitude is entirely changed. And while I’m sure it won’t always be easy, I know these two months will go by all too fast and I will be in Washington in no time, missing cold showers and meals with friends here in Samoa. Funny how that works.

They say the grass is always greener on the other side. However, my Pastor Mike says, “Wherever your feet are is your mission field.” So, I think I must conclude that the grass ought to be the greenest under my own feet. For these next two months, that’s here in Samoa. Lord, help me to be here in Samoa. May I not miss out because I was too homesick to see what you had for me here and now!

And dear friends, may the grass be the greenest under your own feet, wherever you are.

Love,

Jillian

SAMOA...

Samoa... the Pearl of the Pacific... Four years ago I was in this beautiful country and making plans and promises to return. But as you all know, my life changed. When my brother, Jeff, died my life was turned upside down. I couldn’t imagine going back to life the way it was. Just getting right back into overseas missions. It wouldn’t have been right either. The time at home was necessary both for myself and for my family. Yet over the last four years my love for the Pacific didn’t recede. I even went to visit other parts of the world... I wasn’t ready to return yet, I suppose. But as I was in the Middle East, instead of feeling called to that region of the world, I instead felt my call was to raise up Pacific Islanders for world missions, to be a bridge so that others might go. I went on to study the Bible in Los Angeles at the School of Biblical Studies and later staffed the same school in Kona... but still my love for the Pacific seemed to be part of the driving force of all I did in missions... I thought, “If only I could be a part of equipping missionaries from the Pacific with a foundation in the Word of God.”

And now, here I am in Samoa. And while I’d like to say it’s all been wonderful and that I wish I could live here forever, I must be honest. We’ve been here a week as a team and its been a challenge. I’ve grown accustomed to the comforts of western living, and I’ve grown older... I miss my parents more than ever. I miss my bed with its comfy mattress. I miss the freedom of eating what I want, when I want. I miss washers and dryers. I miss English being the predominant language. I miss unlimited and reliable internet. I miss having my own transportation. I miss clean and organized hospital facilities. I miss being there for friends who are having babies and being able to watch their babies grow up.

To amplify the situation, our team has had a LOT of free time. It seems like too much free time breeds homesickness. In Fiji we were pretty busy with ministry and it seemed like a really nice balance there, but here in Samoa we have had multiple teaching opportunities cancelled, due to unforeseen circumstances. With all of this free time, our students are getting antsy. And while we are seeking to make the most of our time by investing in the staff and students on the YWAM base here, we have all had to come to grips with the fact that our ministry here is not going to look at all like we expected. The students also had some intense culture clashes upon arrival at the YWAM base, which made the first few days very difficult as we waited for the Lord to soften hearts and help our students adjust to a culture extremely different than their own.

But... I am reminded that my being here in Samoa is an answer to prayers, both my own and others. I am reminded that God has called me to this place for this time, and even though I feel overwhelmed with the challenges here, I know his grace is more than sufficient for me. And I am reminded of others who have faced challenges far greater than these for the sake of the call God put on their lives. So, when I really stop to think about it... I thank God that I am in Samoa and that I get to stay here for three months. I thank God for bringing me back after these four years away. I thank God for the people of Samoa who have touched my life in the past and I thank God that I get to play some small part in seeing Samoans who feel called to world missions equipped with tools to study the Bible for themselves, which in turn equips them to be more effective missionaries. I even thank God for the unmet expectations and the free time he has given our team... I trust he knows how to best use us and knows when we need time to spend alone with him and when he wants us to minister to groups or to individuals.

I really value your prayers and emails or facebook messages of encouragement... even as a more “seasoned” missionary, I obviously still need them... and probably always will. Here are a few things you could pray for in our team:

• My co-leader, Rachel has been fighting an infection since our last few days in Fiji and it’s really taken a toll on her health, energy, and emotions. She’s such a trooper and has maintained probably the best attitude out of our entire team, though she has been in pain and discomfort for our entire time here in Samoa. Please pray that she heals fast and that this infection doesn’t return or produce any long term effects.
• Our Fijian student, Catherine has seen God provide her finances in so many ways, from people buying her plane tickets to others feeling led to give her money even though they were also tight on money. Catherine feels called long-term to the Muslim world, and specifically Turkey, but she still needs $185 USD to finish outreach in Samoa and return to Fiji. Please pray that God would provide this small remainder of fees and continue to lead and teach Catherine through the area of finances.
• Our two American students, Mike and Simon, had to make some big sacrifices to be able to minister here in Samoa, and they did. Pray that God uses them because of their willingness to give up their rights, and continues to teach them and grow them in this area.
• Teaching opportunities! Our main goal as a team is to teach the Bible! Please pray that God opens doors where others have been closed and gives us wisdom to make the most of our time here. We have upcoming scheduled times teaching in the Nazarene, Catholic, Pentecostal, and Mainline (London Missionary Society) Efokasi Churches as well as the Prison.... please pray that God would use us to teach His Word here in Samoa!
• And for myself that I wouldn’t let little issues get me down, but that I’d continue to “be here” in my heart and mind as long as my feet are here! I would hate to miss out on what God wanted to do in me or through me because I was wishing I were somewhere else.

Fa’afetai tele lava... thank you so much!

Love,

Jill

Suva side!

The ladies at Vatuwaqa Squatter Settlement

Our team at YWAM Vunayasi

Our Farewell Dinner with the YWAM Vunayasi Staff

Samabula, Suva, Fiji...

So many memories from the Island Hopping DTS I led here back in 2005! Yet so much has changed in Fiji since I was last here. Suva now has two shopping malls with escalators and Gloria Jeans Coffee. :) But, there has also been a Coup, which affects the economy here. Things are more expensive, but wages have not increased, so poverty seems to be more prevalent. A good example of this is in the Squatter Settlement we visited last week in Vatuwaqa, Suva. These people have no land of their own, could be moved at any time, and have to pay extra to syphon electricity from other places (and usually can only afford to use the electricity for a few hours in the evening.) Their homes are made out of scraps of wood, corrugated tin, tires, and other materials and are built up on Mangrove Swamps, so they have to be home before high tide, or else they will get stranded.

We spent the day visiting homes and getting to know the people in the settlement, listening to their stories and praying for them. Though often communication was difficult (majority of them are Hindi-speaking Indians), they welcomed us into their homes and served us cold drinks. The Methodist Church we are working with has a church among these people and the members of the church (who also live in the settlement) made us lunch and dinner... truly a feast by any standard! We heard of how one person pitched in to buy cooking oil, another pitched in with chicken, another with flour... and we were humbled that these people who have so little sacrificed so much for a group of foreigners they had never met. I think the whole thing of hospitality that the Bible talks about is truly lived out here in the islands. One of our SBS students, Simon, taught the book of Jonah in the church service, and our whole team joined in with Bajan, worshiping Jesus in Hindi with instruments and rhythms many of us had never before heard. The whole day was beautiful. The food, the worship, the sweet juice at every house we visited, and most of all, the people and their hearts... absolutely beautiful.

In other news, Catherine, our Indo-Fijian student was blessed with tickets to and from Samoa and enough donations to cover all of her ground fees, so she will now be able to complete the entire outreach! Since, we’re leaving on Friday, this has been weighing heavily on Catherine and all of the team, so we are so excited that she will be coming with us and there is no more stress about whether the money will come in or not! The Methodist church we are working with in Suva is her home church, and she has been so blessed in our time with them, as have all of us. We have been teaching in Bible Studies, Youth Group, Inductive Bible Study (IBS) Seminars, and in Church Services, and for the next two days we will be teaching in the Intermediate and High School’s RE classes (Religious Education) as well as doing one more final IBS Seminar on the Book of Titus.

Please continue to pray for our team - we have been going for three weeks now, and still have four weeks to go in Samoa! We are so blessed that there are so many opportunities to teach, which is what we have been praying for, but please pray that God continues to give us grace and strength for the remainder of the outreach and for all the teaching we will be doing these last few days in Fiji and for the month in Samoa! And pray that our teaching is effective in giving our audiences a desire to go deeper in the Word of God for themselves... we might only be here for a short time, but our prayer is that we are leaving something with them - tools to study the Bible on their own!

Vinaka vaka levu (Thank you very much) for your prayers and support and for taking the time to read this update! We are seeing the Word of God transform lives in Fiji, not because of us, but because God has chosen to use us all to play a part... so please don’t think of this as “Jill’s update” or the “outreach team’s update”... if you are praying for this outreach, if you have given towards this outreach, or if you have even just sent an encouraging email to me or my team... you are part of this outreach with us! So thank you for playing your part so well. I’m humbled to get to do my part and serve alongside people like you.

Much love,

Jillian

Jisu Lomani Iko...

Bula Vinaka my friends,

Fiji is wonderful, a mix of many emotions, but wonderful! My last time here was in 2005 when I had some challenges within the outreach team I was leading, and I also contracted a bad case of Cika - the Fijian word for Conjunctivitis. Since then the Lord has indeed healed my eyes, my heart and given me a love for the Fijian people and this land. The photos I put up (because I don't have any others uploaded yet) are from one of our first days where we played volleyball with the staff in a completely underwater court, thanks to the rains that came and went before our team did. It was the most fun I've ever had playing volleyball for SURE.

Our team is staying at YWAM Vunayasi - the first YWAM property in Fiji which is about 15 minutes drive from Nadi town in the middle of some Sugar Cane fields... the staff here have such big hearts and have been such a blessing to get to know. The boys in the team are staying in a dorm room with the staff boys and there has been a real bonding among them... going fishing together, planting cassava together, walking to town, playing cards together... and that is just in the free time! The girls in the team are also connecting in with the girls on staff, though they are a bit more shy at first. This morning our team woke up at 4:30 to cook breakfast for the base (over a fire outside, I might add) and I think this really blessed the girls who wake up early every day to bake buns over the fire. My friend, Tiki, showed up one day on the base - a complete surprise to me as she has been serving in Guinea Bassau for the past year... we were able to walk to town for a coffee and it was such a sweet surprise to see her and catch up with her!

Its been a while since I've been in the South Pacific and I am reminded of my love for this relational culture. Our lives have truly been enriched here in Vunayasi. In addition to this mutual ministry here on the YWAM base, we have been given opportunities to teach in Bible Studies, teach Bible Overview for a Women's group at a nearby church, lead worship for the base, and serve with the Kid's Club here on the base every Thursday - where kids from the surrounding homes, both Fijian and Indian, come to hear Bible stories and play games.

On Tuesday we head to Suva to teach in Catherine's church (she's one of our students on the team, an Indian Fijian.) We are excited to serve and bless her church, and also for them to be able to see what she has been learning in SBS. I am also excited to head to Suva because I have friends from my past years in YWAM around Australia and the Pacific that I will be seeing there!

Hope this is an okay update for now... I will try to think more before writing next time... internet time is short! :)

Much loloma from Fiji,

Jillian

29 is going to be the best year EVER!

Birthdays are a great time to reflect and to look forward. Here's a few photos from birthdays past!

28th Birthday - Celebrated with CSBS Los Angeles friends

27th Birthday - Superhero Extravaganza @ the Wellman's Secret Hideout

26th Birthday - In Kona, my friend Emily dressed up as Jesus for my birthday dinner

25th Birthday - Pirate Parrrty @ the Wellman's Cove, complete with Pirate Ship

In case you didn't guess... Birthdays are kind of a big deal to me! I love having parties... especially costume parties! 28 has been awesome, but I've decided that 29 years old is a great age to be, so I'm going to make this the best year I've ever had (so far)! My party this year is going to be a ROCK BASH in Hawaii... we're going to play Wii Rock Band and dress up like rock stars. EPIC!

So, why is 29 going to be so great?

WELL... here are some fun things that are happening in my 29th year:

• June 28 // I turn 29 and get a free drink from Starbucks :)
• June 30 - 3 // Honolulu - Teaching preparation & Transition Time for SBS students
• July 4 - 28 // Fiji - Teaching Christians how to study their Bibles in Nadi & Suva
• July 28 - August 28 // Samoa - Teaching Bible in Churches, Prisons, Schools & YWAM
• August 28 - October 28 // Samoa - [SBS Team leaves] I stay 2 months to serve YWAM
• October 28 - November 5 // Los Angeles - Friends in SoCal & Mexico
• November - December // Washington - Thanksgiving & Christmas with Family
• January - March // Kailua Kona - Teaching Bible with SBS MobileWord Ministry
• April - December // Hawaii - Staffing SBS & gearing up to head back to South Pacific!

Of course, these are tentative plans & goals... after all, Proverbs 16:1 says,

The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

Furthermore, in addition to what God is allowing me to do for this year of my life, there are some neat things that I already have [besides Jesus, of course]:

• A new "nephew" named Roy, born to my dear friends Ryan & Angela
• Skype! My parents & I can now keep in touch affordably, even when I'm in Fiji & Samoa
• A home & car in Hawaii! I won't have to wonder where I will live when I return in January
• Some of the best friends & family a girl could ask for, not only where I'm from, but all over the world
• An awesome job! I get to teach people how to study God's Word, which transforms lives!

So instead of thinking about what I don't have or [might not] be doing at the age of 29,

I've decided to enjoy and look forward to what I do have and what I will be doing!

What about you? What are you looking forward to this year?

Love you all...

Jillian

The race marked out for us

TEAM PACIFICA: (From Left to Right) Mike, Catherine, Simon, Jillian, & Rachel

Teams are leaving for outreach in 2 weeks to teach the Bible in [East Asia], Brazil, and Fiji & Samoa!

And while we are so excited for what is to come, we are exhausted. The CSBS students are tired. Their staff are tired. We have been studying the Bible for nearly nine months now and the finish line is finally in sight! But what is interesting is that the New Testament books we are studying (in Chronological order of course) are increasingly emphasizing the need to persevere, to endure, to not give up. Since the beginning, our students have been relating to the original audiences of these books... and it seems God knows the messages we need to hear and the times when we need to hear them. Though heavy homework loads cannot compare to the persecution of the early church, we still face the temptation to give up. And the message of encouragement and challenge is the same: Endure. You can do it.

As we near outreach, our Pacific team would appreciate prayer for a few specific things:

• Finances - As a team we are still short about $1500 USD. We are trusting God to provide as He always has and always does, we have done a team fundraiser as well which brought in $125, but... I'm a firm believer that prayer is powerful and effective, so we ask for prayer that as we do the possible, God does the "impossible."
• Visas - The four of us who are non-Fijians need permits to "work" in Fiji. Though we are volunteers, this is still considered work by the government. We applied over 2 weeks ago and are still waiting...
• Teaching Preparation - Our students are still busy doing homework, but in addition to their homework, they are preparing to teach Bible Overview (the story of God's Redemptive Plan from Genesis to Revelation), Inductive Bible Study Seminars, Bible Storying (Teaching the Bible for oral cultures), and 2 books of the Bible per student. Pray that God gives them grace and wisdom as they try to fit more into their already packed schedules.
• Outreach Contacts - Pray that we will have clear communication with our contacts in Fiji and Samoa before and during our outreach, so we may serve their needs well, and at the same time meet the goals and objectives of an SBS outreach.
• Our Audiences - Pray that God would be preparing the hearts of those in Fiji and Samoa whom we will meet and teach, that they would be receptive and impacted by the Bible and God's power to transform lives through His Word!

Thank you! Love you!

Kona Families

Yesterday, my friend Crystal and I were eating at Hayashis and overheard a conversation at the table next to us. Since there are only five outdoor tables at Hayashis and they are in a tight little spot, you tend to hear everything. It basically went a little something like this:

Guy with kid in his arms: Hey! Haven't seen you since high school! You still around here?

Girl with kids at table with her: Yeah been here ever since.

Guy: I moved to mainland, but I sure miss it here... just visiting family.

Girl: Is that your kid?

Guy: Yep, my girlfriend and I have been together for a year now. These your kids? Same dad?

Girl: Yeah, same guy - got married just after school and we've been together ever since.

Guy: Wow, congratulations!

Girl: I guess it's not the norm, huh?

It isn't the norm. Crystal and I looked at each other and later as we were driving discussed how broken families are here in Kona. That the guy would ASK if the girl's two kids were both from the same father... And be shocked to hear that they were.

We just realized the need to pray for families here in Kona all the more.

Teen pregnancies and single parents are the norm.

Kealakehe High School has a daycare for students who are also mothers.

All the boys that hang out and smoke pot at the church where I help with youth group...

they all come from broken families.

I love that the Apostle Paul used the imagery of God's reconciling work through Jesus being a repair in a broken family unit. We, as humans, have this broken family relationship between us and the Father (God) and it can only be and has only been repaired through the redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross.

So... if you think about it, pray for the families of Kona... well in Hawaii in general. God wants to repair families, but I think it has to start with a repair in the relationship with him first.

P.S. I'm teaching Colossians and Philemon next Wednesday and could also use some prayer, as I'm battling a cold and just general fatigue... really need some energy to push through in my teaching preparations. So, if you're the praying type, I'd soooo appreciate it!!!

Mahaloz!!!

Oh brother...

Just want to share a memory of my brother, Jeffery Wellman. (Click on his name to listen to some of his tunes on Myspace or download them.)

My brother loved adventure. His road trip around America in 2001-2002 is probably the best example of this. He was meant to drive from Washington to Colorado for a job, but decided it was too cold in Colorado and just kept driving.

At this time, I was living in Florida. This was before cell phones were as common as they are now, so when my parents got a phone call from Colorado asking why my brother didn't show up for work, they got a little worried. They called me, and then I got a little worried. We didn't hear from my brother for 2 weeks (when he had left Washington) and everyone was kind of freaking out.

One day, I get a call from the security gate at my apartment complex in Orlando - "We've got a visitor here for Jillian Wellman - he says he's her brother." I replied, "Let him in!" While thinking in my head, "I'm gonna KILL HIM!!!" After a quick reunion, I called my parents to let them know he was safe and sound. I was so happy to know he was okay... but so IRRITATED at him for not calling anyone! But I couldn't stay mad long, and if you knew Jeff, you know exactly what I mean. It was hard to stay mad at him. :)

During that same road trip with his buddy, Josh, my brother visited his friend April (Apes) in Vegas, stayed in Florida for a couple months (and ate my food), visited another friend, Michael, in North Carolina, then went on to work in Boston for a while. Eventually, the next year, Josh and Jeff made their way back to the Pacific Northwest... but had plenty of adventures along the way.

So, the memory that I want to honor and remember of my brother today is that of an adventurer. A bit of a turkey that stressed his mother out, sure, but an adventurous one!

Here's to you, Jeffery.

I love you,

I miss you,

And I can't wait to see you again...

In the greatest adventure of all!!!

Fiji & Samoa - A Request

I will be leading a team to Fiji & Samoa, and this outreach is only 2 months away! I've been so busy teaching and grading that it has really snuck up on me... Really? Only 2 months?! I just taught on Friday on the books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and actually, Jeff and Carol Loehr from Hockinson were visiting and were able to sit in on my lectures. I love my home church!!! Anyway, here are some photos:

Our Fiji/Samoa outreach team is meeting weekly in addition to our lectures and homework. We are providing extra training for the students going on outreach so they can learn how to teach what they are learning in the Bible more effectively. Some of the topics we will cover in the next two months during our outreach training times are:

• Using Biblical Storying to teach the Bible among illiterate groups of people.
• How to prepare and preach sermons.
• Teaching the Inductive Bible Study Method.
• How to give a Bible Overview.
• How to teach a book of the Bible in context among non-Bible-students

I am still teaching in the Asia Pacific DTS and in a weekly Bible study as well as grading homework and preparing teaching for Colossians and Philemon in the SBS, and connecting with our contacts in Fiji & Samoa and our travel agent.

So... I've been busy to say the least... but God is doing awesome things! But, with most of my time being taken up with teaching responsibilities, I have little to no time to work to raise money for outreach.

So this brings me to my request: I am in need of finances for outreach. Almost all of my monthly support goes to monthly expenses, therefore I need an additional one-time amount of about $2000 for my airfares. My students are also needing to see funds come in for this amount. We have a deadline to purchase our tickets by next Friday, May 13th.

Would you pray about giving towards this amount? If you are interested, there are two ways to give and both are tax-deductible:

• The first is through Hockinson Community Church in Washington. If you attend there, you can drop a check in the offering this Sunday with a note that it's for Jillian Wellman.
• The second is online through the University of the Nations Kona. Simply click on the link below and it will take you to my staff support webpage.

Thanks so much for your aloha and kokua (support) - it means so much to me.

Love you all,

Jillian

Teaching, teaching, teaching!!!

Flying home to Kona from Oahu - Mauna Kea peeking through the Clouds

When I decided to staff the Chronological School of Biblical Studies, I seriously never thought I would be teaching in front of groups of people. I thought maybe my teaching role would be more casual, one-on-one discussion style teaching... that my role in staffing would be grading and serving in the background... mainly because teaching in front of people still gets the butterflies fluttering in my tummy. Not to mention, I've learned under so many amazing teachers that I kind of struggle with insecurity at times. Okay, a lot of the time. ;)

I guess God had another plan. And while I'm still such a beginner, I'm growing to actually love teaching in all settings, not only informal. Ron Smith, the founder of the SBS, said this: If you want to be a teacher, be willing to take ANY teaching opportunities you are given. Teach children, teach adults. Teach one person, teach groups. If you want to develop your gift of teaching, you have to PRACTICE. When I heard this, I prayed and told God that I was open to him using me more in the area of teaching the Bible. I also asked him to give me opportunities to teach the Bible to Pacific Islanders.

I think he heard my prayer.

So this quarter I am teaching in several classroom settings that I didn't ask to teach in, but was invited by others to teach in their groups. Here's some of it:

• Leading a weekly Bible Study on the book of Titus with some YWAM staff who work with a ministry called Island Breeze. Through the study I am also teaching them the Inductive Bible study method.
• Teaching weekly in the Asia Pacific DTS on how to study the Bible inductively and why it is valuable to study it!
• Leading worship at the Youth Group of Central Kona Union Church, which includes sharing on the Bible with local South Kona teens and the aunties and uncles who faithfully serve food and pray for the youth each week.
• Teaching 1 & 2 Thessalonians on April 29th in the C-SBS.
• Teaching Colossians and Philemon on May 25th in the C-SBS.

So... I guess my word of advice and encouragement to you is this:

Don't limit God by insecurity or fear! Whatever God is leading you to do... maybe it's a good idea to just DO IT. Even if it's uncomfortable... God wants to use YOU! He can use anyone, but he wants to use you for something unique to who you are. So... LET HIM. Don't limit God!!!

While I am so excited to go on outreach to Fiji and Samoa in July-August, I am excited that God has me doing ministry here in Kona, Hawaii now... after all, this is where my feet are, so this is my mission field. (Thanks, Pastor Mike for that quote that always reminds me of this truth!)

Until next post... Aloha!

Jillian

New Quarter, New Testament, New COVENANT!

We have started the last quarter of the CSBS - the New Testament!!! Its exciting to see our students learning and growing in their love for Jesus as they dive into His Word.

I will be teaching 1 & 2 Thessalonians in 2 weeks and I am so excited about these books! So many times people just see the stuff about End Times and want to pull apart the passages that discuss these. But rather than focusing on the details of Jesus' return, Paul focuses on the right attitude and response that believers should have towards the reality that Jesus will come again. I will write more on 1 & 2 Thessalonians after I teach, but here's a photo of Thessaloniki with Mount Olympus in the background... this is the Port city where Paul preached for 3 Sabbaths in the Synagogue and many Greeks and women became believers (see Acts 17:1-9). This same church of new believers is to whom Paul writes his two letters.

Outside of the CSBS, I am also going to be leading a Bible Study this quarter for a group of Island Breeze Dancers. Island Breeze is a ministry of Youth With A Mission, and I had the privilege of working with them in Australia for two years, though I didn't dance!!! Island Breeze exists to know God and make God known through His inherent gifts and expressions within the Nations. I will be starting with Titus and teaching the Inductive Bible Study Method and then possibly doing one or two other books... Super excited for this opportunity to teach Pacific Islanders, and super humbled that I was asked by a friend to teach him and his teammates!

I've been continuing to work with the Youth Group at Central Kona Union Church, which is going well. We are seeing many young skaters coming for our Friday Night meal, though we have yet to see them stay around for the "youth service"... we believe God is using our times of just feeding them and hanging out with them to open the door to future ministry with them. Please pray that their hearts would be open to the message of the Gospel and that we, as the youth leaders, would be sensitive to how God wants to reach these broken kids. Every single skater kid that I've met so far is from a broken home, and several are high school dropouts.

Outreach preparations are coming along, and it is exciting to see God opening doors for us in Fiji and Samoa, as well as for the other teams working in China and Brasil!

And I just have to share some amazing blessings I've received in the past few weeks:

• I felt God wanted me to give $100 away to a friend going to Kiev, Ukraine to teach. I mailed a check off then checked my mailbox, and a friend had written me a note with a check for $100 inside!
• I was feeling a little lonely and forgotten, and I received a super encouraging and thoughtful card from a friend who is part of the missions council at my home church, HCC... also finding out that they had a little surplus that they wanted to give to me to bless me... I was SO encouraged!
• My dear friends, Zada and Diana, are treating me to a weekend in Oahu with them: a much needed vacation, but also a time with family friends that have been a big part of most of my life! Again, this couldn't have come at a better time...

God just seems to know what we need, when we need it. Must be that Sovereignty thing. ;)

More to come, but Aloha for now!

Jillian