Tuesday, September 23, 2008

September 2008 Update

September 2008 Update

Dear Friends and Family,

My life has changed so much since returning to Minnesota 2 short months ago. Sometimes it feels like having lived in the Philippines for the last two years was just a dream. But then I remember the babies I delivered and the Christ-centered relationships I built with my patients and am blessed. The last two years in the Philippines were truly life changing and those experiences have molded me into the person I am today.

I am now settled into life here at Bethany College of Missions (BCOM). (http://www.bcom.org/) I am a mentor for 7 female college students and I spend 40+ volunteer hours a week with these girls encouraging them in all walks of life - in their spiritual, physical, emotional and social lives. The word ‘mentoring’ is becoming popular nowadays, with a wide variety of what this means in practical terms.

What does it mean to be a mentor at Bethany? The mentoring model here at Bethany is very close to the practical way Jesus mentored His disciples – he lived, worked and taught among them 24/7. So too, I’m
--Living embedded right in the midst of these girls’ dorm rooms, as their dorm rooms encircle mine. This means I am there for them modeling Christ in the evenings and weekends in the time and place where life-shaping decisions and disciplines are often made/learned.
--I eat my meals with them.
--I spend 2 hours a day working side by side with those on kitchen crew
--I lead a weekly 2-hour cell group time with them where we deal with the nitty-gritty personal issues of life.
--I meet with each girl one-on-one weekly for an hour to pray and encourage them on their journey in pursuit of God.
--I go to the prayer room with them throughout the week for chapel & prayer times.
--Once a month, I accompany them on their weekly outreach to the U of M campus where we intercede, share the message of Jesus’ transforming power and plant small-group churches. This campus of 52,000+ students is the largest in the nation and is teeming with internationals, so it is great prep for the mission field.

Mentoring at Bethany means something different than it does many other places that’s for sure! At BCOM, we are serious about preparing effective missionaries in a holistic way.

I am a support-raising volunteer, and aside from food and lodging, am responsible for providing my basic necessities while I mentor this year. I ask that you prayerfully consider continuing your financial support for me through this year, as the training I am receiving here is as vital a ministry as what I was doing in the Philippines for the last two years. Thank you for being involved in my life in this way.

The girls I have in my group are amazing. Their names are: Nicola, Tamsen, Naomi, Catherine, Autumn, Andrea and Lydia. Please add them to your prayer list. J I know this year will be a year of growth for all of us as we continue to seek God together. I am excited to learn much more about how to lead in a Godly way as I serve them and help them become the women that God wants them to be.

Mentoring is challenging in quite a different way than midwifery was. In the Philippines I enjoyed building relationships with the women, both before and after delivery. But here at Bethany the relationships are so much deeper and the task of forming Christ in these girls, to present them ready for missionary service after one year here, is much more time consuming. I believe that both of these experiences will tie together in the future, combining the medical expertise with the knowledge of leadership and discipling.

I will have the opportunity to attend births every once in a while with a local Christian midwife in MN, for which I am grateful. The first birth I plan to attend comes in October. Homebirth is much different than clinical birth like I am used to, so I am excited to learn this new facet of midwifery.

My commitment to mentoring at Bethany lasts through August of 2009. I am seeking the Lord for his guidance for this next step that he has prepared for me. I feel like it has to do with missions and midwifery, though the specifics are not yet clear. Please pray that God makes the path clear to me.

Thank you for staying involved in my life as I grow in leadership during this year. I will continue to send out updates, so if you know of someone who would like be on my distribution list, please email me and I will add them.

Blessings,
Jenny

Saturday, September 13, 2008

BCOM Mentoring


My life has changed drastically since returning to MN a few short months ago. Life in the Philippines almost seems like a far off dream from the past already but it hasn't even been 2 months since that time.

I am now settled into life here at Bethany College of Missions. (http://www.bcom.org/) I am a mentor (think glorified Resident Assistant) for 7 girls and I spend 30 or so hours a week with these girls encouraging them in all walks of life - in their spiritual, physical and emotional and social lives. I am a volunteer, and raising support to provide for basic necessities for this next year. If you feel God leading you to give, please see the side bar on this blog for ways to help.

The girls I have in my group are amazing. I know this year will be a year of growth for all of us as we continue to seek God together. I am excited to learn much more about how to lead in a Godly way as I serve them and watch them become the women that God wants them to be.

Mentoring is challenging in a different way than midwifery was. Both have to do with relationships, but in different aspects. In some way they do go together and I know both will tie together in the future because my knowledge of midwifery is allowing me to come alongside these women and encourage growth but not hover or demand it. And learning this kind of leadership will allow me to be a better midwife someday.

I have the opportunity to attend births every once in a while with a local Christian midwife in MN, for which I am grateful. The first birth I plan to attend comes in October. Homebirth is much different than clinical birth like I am used to, so I am excited to learn this new facet of midwifery.

Thank you for staying involved in my life as I grow in leadership during this year. I will continue to send out updates every few months, so if you are not on my distribution list, please email me and ask to be added.

Blessings,
Jenny