Tired, but still Inspired!

Today was one of those days where one feels a little overwhelmed by life:

• 3 meetings
• errands down the street
• laundry piled up on the couch to fold and put away
• sink & counter full of dishes that need to be washed
• a floor that is in desperate need of a mop
• need to prepare for Bible study tomorrow
• teaching next week in DTS -- all morning long, all week long, need to prepare for that
• Titus contacts to e-mail
• Titus applicants we need to write and accept
• Titus teams to continue arranging
• Titus outreaches to organize
• meetings to arrange
• kids have their mid-semester exams this week and need help studying the next few evenings
• family is hungry -- need to make meals
• Michael's thumb is broken -- I get to do the dishes for 6 weeks straight :-)
• not sure I have enough clothes to wear for teaching for a week -- may need to go shopping
• We have seriously run out of space in our 850 sq. foot apartment -- we pretty much have clutter everywhere -- but I have no idea where to put everything anymore
• youth group to prepare for Friday night
• Michael preaching the next two weeks at a church in Taipei
• and... we want to spend quality time with our kids and be discipling and inputting into their lives each day!

So, we cleaned up after dinner, the girls helped with some dishes, and Michael played Legos with the kids while I sat down at the computer for a few minutes of down time before I tackle a bit more on the house.  As I was praying for a renewed burst of energy, I re-read the following and was both blessed by God's goodness and grace as well as re-inspired to keep giving absolutely everything we've got.  One of my favorite verses is from Col 1:28-19, "Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ.
For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me."

Need a little boost of energy or re-inspiration?  Read this! :-)
From Titus Montana
(I tried to upload a few times earlier this year, but only got it to work tonight...)

Titus Times Montana 2011

Decision Dilemma

Over the past several months Titus applications have been trickling in -- until we reached the deadline the beginning of this month, at which point they flooded in!  The current grand total? = 36!

As far as I know, this is the most applicants we've ever had for one program.  It is exciting but also frustrating:  The other night, as we had the applications stacked up on our coffee table and were reading through a few I got tears in my eyes.  We were reading various answers to the question, "Why do you want to do Titus?"  with answers like:

• I want to teach the Bible more than anything else 

• I realize the importance of knowing truth from the Bible and want to share that in places where they are hungry and in need 

• I want to give what I have learned to other people 

• I want to see people saved and lives transformed 

• I want to learn how to teach the Bible effectively so that I can teach it to those who have never heard before...

Would YOU turn down any of the above?  Of course not!  Yet, with the high number of applicants we have, but only a small number of staff, that is what we are somehow going to have to do (hence the frustration).  Because of the nature of Titus -- we try to go into the more remote/harder places and bring Bible teaching to those who otherwise may never have the opportunity to get Bible training -- we need to keep our teams small.  Small teams with that many applicants means lots of teams, and we just don't have that many staff to go around.

This morning we had a very long staff meeting, laying out the names of each applicant on our coffee table, where we prayed over, re-arranged, prayed again, switched people around, prayed again, etc.  We are really seeking God for wisdom as we continue to make decisions through the acceptance process and form up the teams.  Although frustrating/sad that we can't take on everyone this upcoming January in Taiwan, the good news is that there are several Tituses running all around the world, and if they can't join this one, they can come this next June (we'll run again) or join another one of our Tituses around the world! :-)

May God's Word continue to go forth by His grace and in His power!

(And) Please join us in prayer for more long-term Titus staff! :-)

Oh Joy for this Toy!

(aka: Saga of the Sprain / Spotlight gets off the ground) 

It was an hour past midnight, and the whole house was sleeping soundly, when Michael & I both startled awake from a very loud thud followed by whimpering coming from the youngest three kids' room. Immediately thinking Nathan had fallen out of his top bunk, we both bounded out of bed. I bumped into Michael, causing him to actually fall off rather than jump off the bed and hit his head. I made it into the hallway first, where I tripped, landing full body weight on ankle. I didn't really realize I had injured myself yet at that point, as the only thing I was thinking about was making sure Nathan was OK. Once inside the kids' room, we discovered all three fast asleep -- Nathan still in his bunk! The culprit? Kenna had fallen asleep with a large toy piano on her bed and knocked it off when she rolled over. About the same time we discovered Nathan hadn't fallen out of bed, I realized I had split the skin open on my ankle bone and that it was in excruciating pain. While the kids slept soundly on, I spent the rest of the night with ice packs trying to numb the pain enough to fall back to sleep. I spent a week going back and forth between crutches and wheeling around the house on an office chair, then a couple weeks of limping, and now over two months later just an occasional wince.  (I honestly didn't know sprains could hurt so bad or last so long -- maybe I'm just a complete wimp?)

The main thing I'm thankful for is that as laundry and floor dirt piled up, extra time at the computer allowed me to finally get our "Stevens' Spotlight' off the ground!  Consistent communication has been a goal of mine for so long, I really feel a bit of a load lifted off my shoulders, yay! :-)

P.S. Not on our mailing list but want to be? Sign up at right.

Philippines Photos

We led a Titus outreach to the Philippines last year... and I've finally got around to posting some pictures.  We'll let THEM tell a bit of the story:

(By the way, we were a bit nervous about taking our whole family on outreach -- but the kids loved it, and would go again any time!)

I write the best Blogs ...when I'm falling asleep :-\

Yes, it's true.  The minute my head hits the pillow, my mind is off and running.  Ideas, ideas, and more ideas!  While my body starts to gear down, my brain keeps going -- I love envisioning things, dreaming up all sorts of plans and possibilities, thinking, brainstorming.

While trying to sleep, I also go through a mental check-list of things I wasn't quite able to get to that day... or past month... or past year...!  One of the main things that has constantly been on my mind the past several years that I just can't quite seem to find enough hours in the day for is ... more personal communication!

And so, while trying to drift off, I also write.  A lot!  I've written literally hundreds of brilliant blog posts, sent out the nicest newsletters, and compiled clever videos -- all on my way to la-la-land (aka sleep).  The problem is my computer -- it unfortunately (or fortunately for you, whatever the case may be) doesn't have one of those mind-to-computer transfer devices.  By the time I've thought through and re-worded several times over whatever it is that I am mentally writing about, my body is usually well-and-truly gone, with my mind generally following soon thereafter.  If I actually did have the capacity to drag myself out of bed every night, we might have a much better, oft-updated site then!  (I'm hoping it's wisdom though, knowing also my need for sleep, that keeps me in bed most nights)

At any rate, (haha, I sound like a typical amateur blogger lamenting about not writing often enough, with promises to write more), know that it at least is on my mind, and maybe one of these days, I might get myself out of bed like I did tonight, write a few more posts (although they probably won't be as good as the ones I dream about), and publish my half-written saved drafts.  Except that if I get up, although semi-awake, I'm also semi-asleep, and tend to get more random and incoherent as time goes on!  I think now might be my signal to hit the pillow again.

P.S.  Last week, I completed the first page (2-sided) of a newsletter update.  I've got a few drafts saved in Mail Chimp for something new we're going to try out soon (it's just taking me a long time to enter all the e-mail addresses), and of course I've scads of ideas for more things... so now with the kids back to school, you might actually (?!?) hear from us "soon"! :-P

Titus Times! (Taiwan, 2011)

Here it is: the latest edition of our Titus newsletter with news from our Jan-Mar & Feb-Apr programs. Enjoy! :-)

Taiwan Titus Times 2011

Titus Cambodia

We are so excited & blessed as we see Titus multiplying around the world, and more Bible teachers trained up and sent forth!

In a few days, Michael has the privilege of going to Cambodia for 18 days to help them run their 2nd annual Titus there. Two other of our Titus Taiwan staff will accompany Michael, and they will be doing staff training, helping with the final preparations for the program, and then teaching most of the training time lectures.

Following is a short clip sharing how the Khmer have been excited to study and now take God's Word forth!

Titus Nepal!

My heart has been so full this year hearing all the reports from Titus Project world-wide.  Titus Nepal now brings us up to 7 operating locations around the world.

I don't know what kind of things touch and inspire you, but watching Titus videos generally brings the tissue box out for me.  I am inspired by the lives of the individuals I see (several whom we also personally know).  I'm encouraged to keep going each & every day, giving everything I've got.  I am challenged to live a life of faith and obedience as I see the incredible Faithfulness of God over the years.  God's Word is alive and active and we are all blessed to be part of bringing it to the nations!

This video was put together by our dear friend and Titus Montana leader (who was in charge of pioneering Titus Nepal), Kerry Neve.  The one thing that especially struck me from this video is the joy I see on these guys' faces.  The photos are of the 3-wk Training Time before they are all sent out on outreach to go teach & preach! :-)

From Titus SA!

Mobile Bible Teaching Team from De Wet & Marysol on Vimeo.

Update Page

Since we haven't sent out an update/newsletter for awhile, I'm posting our "Stevens' Update Page" below.  Every 4 years we have a Rietema Reunion/Rendezvous/Roundup -- and each family does a scrapbook style page to put in a booklet for each family (and we are a large family! :-))  So, here is what we put together for our 2010 Rietema Roundup this past summer.

Stevens Update Page

Montana Furlough

What a summer!  What a whirlwind!  We had a blast!!  Highlights include:

• Amy's family all together for the first time in 4 years
• Rietema Roundup 2010 -- Family Reunion
• Playing with cousins
• Connecting with Friends & Supporters
• Games
• Four-wheeling
• Swimming in Flathead Lake
• Barbecues
• Camping
• Garage-saling
• Glacier Park
• Fair

A few photos:

Crazy times in Titus!

What's going on in Titus around the world?!  It's exciting, it's crazy, some of it sounds like spiritual warfare, and we would all love your prayers!!

Cambodia: Pioneering their first Titus Project -- starting June 28!  Amy will fly out for a week (June 21-29) to help as they get things off the ground.

Europe: The first Titus Project to run in Europe (Sweden) starts July 3!  The leaders just had a baby and the wife/mom/Titus co-leader has just come down with Lyme's disease after being bitten by a tick (imagine a 2-yr-old, a new baby, a new Titus at a new base, moving your family to a new country [headed to Ukraine long term after this], and now being wiped out from Lyme's disease!)  We think of you often Ang!

India: The next Titus starts July 12, and they are expecting 20+ participants, which includes 6 coming from Nepal.  Nepal is planning to get Titus up and running there this next year.  The leader is a teaching machine right now, has been studiously learning Hindi this past year, and will help us pioneer a new Titus in B* early next year. :-)

Montana:  The Titus Montana leader and another Titus staff person are one their way to Cambodia right now as we speak (i.e. type), and will go on from there to India to help with both Tituses.  Getting there has been, well, a bit stressful, yet a testimony to the faithfulness of God!  They sent in their passports in to get India visas and were denied.  They applied again, but when the process took too long, asked for their passports to be sent back.  Their passports still hadn't arrived when they were scheduled to fly out, so a local post office opened up for them at 3:30 a.m. and went through the mail bag to see if they had come in on the last truck.  Nothing.  They decided to go ahead to the airport to see what talking to the agents in person would do (in terms of needing to change tickets, etc.) and on the way, got a call from the Post Office saying their passports were in a town an hour south.  Explaining the situation at the airport, the agents graciously re-routed them, having them fly out of a town 2 hours south -- but, the flight was in 2 hours!  They sped south, stopping at the Post Office where their passports were purported to be, roused the postal workers to open the door for them and found their passports (at about 5:00 am), sped on to the next airport, and just made the flight (no time to check their bags, just get on the plane).  The India consulate kept their $330, but no visa.  Pray for favor when they apply at the Embassy in Thailand/Cambodia (not sure which one?)!

South Africa:  The leaders are expecting their first child, adopting a child at the same time, going back to the States this next week before Titus starts to finalize U.S citizenship, and their next Titus starts June 28!

Taiwan:  (That's us! :-))  We already have 12+ applications in the works, with rumors of many people planning to apply.  In anticipation of 40+ applicants, we are planning to run Titus twice early in the year (Jan & Feb, back-to-back -- start the second while the first are on outreach), and then again in Sept.  Pray for us as we need to recruit several more staff!

If you count the above locations, that's right!  We have 6 Tituses going (or nearly going) right now!  Next year, there should be 3-4 more additional (new) locations!  Stay tuned for more exciting and crazy things/times to come! :-)

It's simple: Just add potatoes, carrots, and WORMS.

As anyone who has tried to learn a tonal language knows, "If you don't remember the tone, you don't remember the word!"  Tonight we had some of our good Taiwanese friends over for dinner.  I made a simple slow-cooker pot roast.  When they asked how to make it, I said (in Chinese), "It's super-simple.  Just put the meat on the bottom, add potatoes, carrots, and "onions"...  I knew from the smirks I hadn't gotten it quite right, so asked what I, in actual, had said.  Apparently my wrong pronunciation on "onion" sounded like, "just add carrots, potatoes, and worms".  We all had a good laugh, and I will probably forever remember the correct tone for onion from now on!  Anyhowz, next time I make a pot roast, maybe I should add a little extra flavor!  Who's on for dinner?!? :-P

Elise's Baptism

Elise has been wanting to get baptized for some time now, and this morning, she and her good friend Elwina (standing to Elise's left [right in the picture]), along with a few other kids and several adult new-believers were all baptized.  She was a bit shy to share in front of the whole church, but she did it!  Rough translation: "Hello everyone.  My name is Shi YunJie (her Chinese name).  I've known Jesus since I was very small, and have wanted to be baptized.  I feel that Jesus is a great help to me, and has taken me out from the darkness."

Titus Times (Montana Edition)

Titus Times (Montana Edition)

Chinese Challenge!

Our local Chinese church has a very good Sunday-school program which all of our kids enjoy. This past quarter, I (Amy) agreed to try out being a Sunday-school assistant once a month.  Well, that was the original agreement, anyway.  It turned into me being the actual teacher instead of just the assistant.  I wasn't too sure about it at the beginning:

"Eee... I've never taught in Chinese before..."
"That's ok, you can teach in English -- a lot of the parents want their kids to learn English anyway."

So, my first Sunday, I started off in English... and that lasted about 5 seconds (as I knew it would) with blank stares from all the 3-4 year-olds (except the two blondies, who were actually understanding everything in Sunday School for the first time! :-P).  So, I tried to go back and forth, saying everything twice in both languages.  (i.e. scrambling in my head for super-simple English, then scrambling for how in the world to translate it all!)  It did take a bit of extra effort, but it was a good challenge, and it gave me some good Chinese practice in front of a fairly non-threatening audience. :-P

An Interview with Amy

Why do we do what we do?  We thought some of you would be interested in hearing the story behind Titus Project and how it all got started.  This interview takes us back to 1996, when Amy was in her 2nd year of SBS staff and tells how the vision for Titus Project came about:



Little did I know back then where we would be today!  God is so amazing and continues to give us so much vision!  Currently, Titus is operating in 4 locations, with 2-3 more coming this next year.  We have trained over 300 new Bible teachers, and have sent out 110 teams to 42 different countries.  We give God all the glory and feel humbled & privileged to serve Him by equipping and sending more Bible teachers to the nations!

What is Titus Project?  Here is a great 3-minute visual overview! (Dec 16 post) :-)

I'll Be Home for Christmas

A better title would probably read, "I'll be at home for Christmas" -- and this would be referring to our kids.  Christmas is not a nationally-celebrated holiday in Taiwan, and as such, if it falls on a normal weekday, it is also a normal school day.  Can you imagine going to school on Christmas day?  Well, we can't really either, so for the past several years, have requested our kids to be able to skip school on Christmas day. :-)

We are looking forward to some family fun & hanging out with friends.  Merry Christmas everyone!

And... She does it again!

Apparently our kids think we should be on a first-name basis with the ER staff at the hospital...

Anaya has just been in for her 3rd set of stitches on her face this year.  Kenna was in for stitches above her eye just weeks previous.  The only one of the kids to not have stitches so far is Nathan!

Counting the Cost

Several nights ago, as I was putting the kids to bed, they wanted to hear a story -- so I told them about winter time growing up: building snow forts, playing outside for so long we'd get frostbite, and Grandpa hooking an inner-tube up behind the 3-wheeler and taking us for rides!  What fun times and fun memories!

The girls were so jealous.  Three of our kids have never experienced snow, Elise was too young to remember.  "No fair!" "Ni hao hao oh!"  "Mom, can we go back in the winter some time so we can play in the snow?"

This evening, as I was looking at our blog, wondering how/what to update, I noticed Seth & Joy had a new video post.  So, I watched it:



It almost made me cry.  These are the kinds of things that when you watch them, it makes you realize the sacrifice of being away from family.  The brother, sisters, nieces, nephews you haven't seen for nearly 4 years.  A niece and two nephews you've never met.  I think of the whole Christmas season and the excitement of hanging out with family, eating food, playing games together, the Christmas grab bag, sardines at Walmart (a game)...  and know we'll miss that ...again.

Being so far away from family and friends in the States & Australia is definitely hard at times.  We do feel the cost of overseas missions.  However, we also feel such a burden and a passion and a calling to be doing what we're doing -- we feel humbled and honored to be in Asia, training up more teachers of God's Word and sending them out to the nations!  What an incredible privilege!

We are really looking forward to our furlough in the States coming up this summer.  We probably won't get to go sledding and inner-tubing behind the 4-wheeler in the snow (unless there's a blizzard in July!), but I'm sure we'll have lots of fun! :-)