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!

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!

South Pacific

And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’

Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20

I'm excited to share that I am returning to Fiji for my fourth time and Samoa for my third time! I will be co-leading a School of Biblical Studies Teaching Outreach Team from the 30th of June to the 28th of August. We have three students:

• Catherine - an Indian Fijian from Suva
• Michael - a Messianic Jew from New York City
• and Simon - a Korean American from Seattle

And there is Rachel, our beautiful and talented co-leader, who is from Manitoba, and myself, Jillian, from SW Washington.

I put the photo of the fish up because this seems to be the theme in preparing for outreach.

There is an old saying,

"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime."

We have been thinking about what our goals as an SBS outreach should be... and the biggest goal is not preaching and teaching the Bible in the traditional sense. The biggest goal is teaching people HOW to study the Bible for themselves. That is what we can leave with the people. Rachel and I, as the leaders, will therefore facilitate and organize as many opportunities for our three students to teach as possible... but our goals in teaching are not simply experience for our students nor entertainment for our audience. Our goals are that the people we teach are left with a desire to study God's Word for themselves and to apply it, and that there would be changed lives in Fiji and Samoa!

On a personal level, I haven't returned to Samoa in over 4 years. When I left in early 2007, I had plans to return for the South Pacific Games in August that same year. My brother's death on Mother's Day 2007 drastically changed my life, and I was not ready to return to the islands that summer. I needed to stay home with family a bit longer. Now, 4 years down the road, I am fulfilling a promise I made to friends in Samoa, and I am coming back! My friend, Kika, a pregnant 17 year old single girl, decided to name her daughter after me. When I return, Kiki will be 21 and there will be a 4 year old little girl named Jillian running around Savai'i. Oh boy. I feel God has been so faithful to bring me back to this place I love.

I believe I've mentioned this before, but I will be staying behind for 2 extra months in Samoa after the outreach is over. The students will head home August 28th, but I will be staying to serve YWAM Samoa in teaching, cooking, and helping however I can. This was something I felt the Lord put on my heart, and it seems the Samoan Base Directors are as excited about it as I am! This extended outreach is approved by my leadership in Kona, as they feel it is a way SBS Kona can be a blessing to Samoa and it is also an opportunity to seek potential contacts for a future SBS located IN the South Pacific! The Base Directors have already invited me to speak for a week in their Discipleship Training School on the topic of Inductive Bible Study. I'm excited to see what God does in that time!

So please pray for our team. We are starting into the New Testament this quarter, and we will also be doing outreach preparation throughout the quarter... pray our students' lives are transformed through the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, and that they would be able to pass it on not only during their "outreach" but in every day of their lives!

Pray for our finances, too. Simon and Mike and Rachel have their fees - praise God! It is only Catherine (from Fiji) and I who need to see money come in to purchase flights. But we know God is faithful and we have seen him provide so many times before!

My Itinerary will look like this:

Kona - Honolulu - Fiji - Samoa - Portland (via Los Angeles)

It will cost me approximately $2000 for all of these flights - the same cost as if I were returning to Kona. So basically, I am getting a flight home for the holidays thrown into the deal. I will head straight home to Washington from Samoa for November and December then will return to Kona at the beginning of January 2012. Most of my monthly support I receive, okay, all of it, is enough to pay my monthly expenses. Unfortunately, I do not have an outreach savings hiding away somewhere, so I need pretty much $2000 to be able to go on outreach. The ground fees are no worries because my monthly support will take care of these. But the flights are an additional cost. Please pray about giving towards this amount.

Catherine needs her entire 3rd Quarter tuition before she can pay anything towards outreach, so she needs a bit more money! Coming from Fiji, though she was an accountant in Suva, her money just does not go as far as American dollars. Pray that finances don't hinder what God is calling Catherine to do.

Please pray for unity and clear communication within our team and with our hosts in Fiji and Samoa, that God would be glorified through our ministry, not us!

Akua ho'omaika'i oe!!!

Jillian

My love affair with food

I have to confess something...

I have a crush on food. Good food, that is.

I seriously love food so much, you might call it infatuation, but it is L-O-V-E love.

However, living as a missionary, I don't always get to spend quality time with the object of my affection... I eat cafeteria food most days that reminds me of Adam Sandler's SNL song, "Lunch Lady Land." But, since I moved out of dorm living and into a house with a wonderfully large kitchen, I've been indulging a bit! I still try to eat most meals on campus to save money, but my stomach was begging me to make something fresh and semi-healthy at home.

Tonight on campus was leftovers and crap (oops, I mean crab) salad. I don't mean to sound ungrateful... for the amount of people the campus feeds, its amazing the food turns out as good as it does. But, the crab salad is just not one of their specialties... So, I skipped everything from the dinner line except a plateful of lettuce, picked up some chicken breast and a jalapeno from Sack n Save, and home I went.

I had leftovers in the fridge of different things, so I added it all together and came up with these amazing tacos that made my heart skip a beat they were so beautiful. I was so giddy as I browned the chicken meat in glorious butter and chopped leftover tomato and onion up for the pico de gallo...

I have my roommate Bridget to thank for having us over to her parents' coffee farm yesterday where we were loaded up with lemons, oranges, lilikoi, and fresh herbs. I used some lemon and cilantro from the farm in my tasty pico de gallo.

Okay, you might be thinking... "Jill, these are just tacos!" It's true.

They are just plain old chicken tacos that anyone could make.

But, to me,

they are a slice of heaven.

Want the recipe?

I am that cool.

I now have a blog. I've officially decided I am that cool.... that people want to read about me and possibly comment on how cool I am... well, I suppose I already knew I was that cool, but now I've said it. Its out there. Comment away.

Actually, I will try and keep this page updated and will use it mainly to share about what I am doing in missions with YWAM (Youth With A Mission.) I do have facebook and myspace, but this will be a bit easier to read, have less advertisements, and will be accessible for anyone.

And... it looks oh-so-grown-up, don't you think?



I'll write more soon, this is just an introduction. Hello. I'm Jillian Esther Wellman. I'm a lover, follower, missionary, and friend of Jesus Christ. And I have a blog.