The End of May
Today is the last work day of May 2009 and I can't believe that June is right around the corner. So many things happened this month and as you can see, I didn't have time to post much of anything other than some Les Mis clips with links to our work here. I wasn't up to much reflective writing also and it has been at least two weeks since I have written in my leather journal - which is something I enjoyed and almost needed to do. In a way, I'm disappointed in myself because - as I said already - so much has happened.
At the beginning of this month, I began serving as the Clinical Director of My Refuge House, which is one of the aftercare shelters dedicated to serving young women victims of trafficking and other forms of abuse. We currently care for 6 and have room for much more. The experience so far has stretched me in practically every way. Physically - I'm more tired and my sleep more restless. Earlier this week, while going home from work, I fell asleep and the taxi driver had to wake me up. And I can't manage to sleep past 4:45 am these days, no matter how restless I was in the middle of the night.
Spiritually - I am hanging on through prayer - lots of it. I also have so many people praying for me, I almost feel self-absorbed. For the last couple weeks I have been drawn to the Letters of I and II Thessalonians. I am also enjoying another wonderful read by Brennan Manning - The Signature of Jesus. I have seen Jesus walk on the grounds of our shelter and know that He is with me and everybody I love here. But unfortunately, there have been times that I missed him totally. These days, it seems like He's my only hope.
Professionally - this is a huge stretch. I am learning and want to learn more about how to lead. I was blessed with some wonderful ideas from Andrey S. who is the Field Office Director at IJM Cebu. He shared with me some thoughts about the secrets of leadership from Jesuit society. I am testing these ideas and wonder how they will grow in myself and others. I love my new work as director and am excited about carrying out the vision of My Refuge House, which was started by New Heart Church in La Mirada. I have so much admiration for these group of people, who forsook their own vision for their own church building to invest in building God's Kingdom. They were obedient to the calling and started this shelter knowing that they will help in the rescue and healing of God's precious daughters. I am privileged to be part of this mission and humbled by their trust in me. I'm still working on the Economic Self-Sufficiency and Reintegration Project at IJM so balancing these two projects has been very challening. I enjoy visiting the IJM office and miss my Team there, the air conditioning, and the bright lights. Looking at my social work career, I cannot help but praise God for preparing me and using me this way.
Family-wise - there seems to be more changes here too. I am returning home later after putting in late hours and the longer commute home. I have missed a few dinners with the family, and probably less present when I arrive. But Megumi has been so supportive, encouraging, and strong for all of us. As many of you know, our decision to extend our stay here was very unsettling to her and led her to a deeper desolation and fog as she would say. When we advised her parents of our plans, they were quite upset and anything but encouraging. But I see a turn-around in her. I don't know if our upcoming furlough has energized her. But I suspect it is God's continuous shaping in her life. And when I have needed her to be strong this last month, she has been all that and more. Our three children are well, and Hana has accepted our decision to stay a bit longer. We had to bring Tomoki to the emergency room at the local hospital earlier this month after he fell off his toy car and split the back of his head into a bloody mess. We received good care in the ER and he didn't need any stitches. The x-rays showed a hard skull still intact. All of them are excited to visit California and Sei is particularly looking forward to the Speed Racer Birthday Party (Mach 5 or Mach Go-Go in Japanese) for his 5th birthday party in early August. I wonder after being home for three weeks how difficult it will be to return here for the home stretch as you say.
Those are among the things that have filled my mind these days. I still have yet to be serious about learning the Cebuano dialect and want to start so I can at least give a response to the inevitable question - "Did you learn the lanuage?"
My mind is full, my plate is full. And my joy is full because God has been so good and reliable.
At the beginning of this month, I began serving as the Clinical Director of My Refuge House, which is one of the aftercare shelters dedicated to serving young women victims of trafficking and other forms of abuse. We currently care for 6 and have room for much more. The experience so far has stretched me in practically every way. Physically - I'm more tired and my sleep more restless. Earlier this week, while going home from work, I fell asleep and the taxi driver had to wake me up. And I can't manage to sleep past 4:45 am these days, no matter how restless I was in the middle of the night.
Spiritually - I am hanging on through prayer - lots of it. I also have so many people praying for me, I almost feel self-absorbed. For the last couple weeks I have been drawn to the Letters of I and II Thessalonians. I am also enjoying another wonderful read by Brennan Manning - The Signature of Jesus. I have seen Jesus walk on the grounds of our shelter and know that He is with me and everybody I love here. But unfortunately, there have been times that I missed him totally. These days, it seems like He's my only hope.
Professionally - this is a huge stretch. I am learning and want to learn more about how to lead. I was blessed with some wonderful ideas from Andrey S. who is the Field Office Director at IJM Cebu. He shared with me some thoughts about the secrets of leadership from Jesuit society. I am testing these ideas and wonder how they will grow in myself and others. I love my new work as director and am excited about carrying out the vision of My Refuge House, which was started by New Heart Church in La Mirada. I have so much admiration for these group of people, who forsook their own vision for their own church building to invest in building God's Kingdom. They were obedient to the calling and started this shelter knowing that they will help in the rescue and healing of God's precious daughters. I am privileged to be part of this mission and humbled by their trust in me. I'm still working on the Economic Self-Sufficiency and Reintegration Project at IJM so balancing these two projects has been very challening. I enjoy visiting the IJM office and miss my Team there, the air conditioning, and the bright lights. Looking at my social work career, I cannot help but praise God for preparing me and using me this way.
Family-wise - there seems to be more changes here too. I am returning home later after putting in late hours and the longer commute home. I have missed a few dinners with the family, and probably less present when I arrive. But Megumi has been so supportive, encouraging, and strong for all of us. As many of you know, our decision to extend our stay here was very unsettling to her and led her to a deeper desolation and fog as she would say. When we advised her parents of our plans, they were quite upset and anything but encouraging. But I see a turn-around in her. I don't know if our upcoming furlough has energized her. But I suspect it is God's continuous shaping in her life. And when I have needed her to be strong this last month, she has been all that and more. Our three children are well, and Hana has accepted our decision to stay a bit longer. We had to bring Tomoki to the emergency room at the local hospital earlier this month after he fell off his toy car and split the back of his head into a bloody mess. We received good care in the ER and he didn't need any stitches. The x-rays showed a hard skull still intact. All of them are excited to visit California and Sei is particularly looking forward to the Speed Racer Birthday Party (Mach 5 or Mach Go-Go in Japanese) for his 5th birthday party in early August. I wonder after being home for three weeks how difficult it will be to return here for the home stretch as you say.
Those are among the things that have filled my mind these days. I still have yet to be serious about learning the Cebuano dialect and want to start so I can at least give a response to the inevitable question - "Did you learn the lanuage?"
My mind is full, my plate is full. And my joy is full because God has been so good and reliable.
posted by ERuss at
7:02 AM
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