We've taken pictures of the people with whom we've met on this trip, but it's hard to get these pictures uploaded --new camera and not enough on-line computer time! But I'm determined to get it done so we can share this with you.
Please check back here in a couple of days.
carol
First stop -- Singapore. John preached on Sunday morning at the Bethel Pesbyterian Church. He was also invited to share with the Cell Group Leaders' meeting one night. Since it was time for Chinese New Year's Celebration, we were invited for "Steam Boat" with our friends, Jimmy and Soh Kwan. What a feast!
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The 5th Annual Philippine Council of Evangelical Leaders (PCEC) Younger Leaders’ Conference was held in the Christian Development Center in Tagaytay City, about an hour south of Manila (depending on traffic!) “Resonant Leadership: Making Your Leadership Significant” was the them for this year’s conference, and four older leaders (including John!) Were the invited speakers.
“Leading Change”, “Creating Values and making Them Work for You,” and “A Study of Two Kinds of Shepherding” were the topics that John was assigned for the Younger Leaders’ Conference in Tagaytay City, Philippines last week. Other topics covered by other speakers were: Building Character, Holy Ambition, and The Power of Mentoring.
By design the group of invited pastors and church leaders was smaller than in the past four years. This gave more opportunities for interaction and for getting to know each other, and the younger leaders really enjoyed being there and the fellowship with each other and the speakers. Included in the mix were a pastor’s wife and medical doctor, youth workers, those involved in university ministries, and NGOs.
It was an honor to be a part of this Younger Leaders’ Conference, and we thank those of you who prayed for this.
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Times of sharing with many younger leaders, mostly former International Chrysalis Institute - Asia Participants or Younger Leaders' Conferences attendees. have been the highlights of this trip: A young pastor and his fiancee who wanted to talk about church and being a pastor's wife, a young couple in a very large pastorate, and other such times of sharing are vitally important to our ministry. Being with people and available to share and discuss their needs and problems is as important as any teaching time! We are so blessed to be a part of so many younger leaders' lives.
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The International Chrysalis Institute -- Asia, 2008 Team Planning Meeting will be held at our hotel this Friday. This all-day meeting will determine the dates, location, Resource People (speakers), and who will be invited. We'll also grapple with budget issues, which is of course critical to the ICI - Asia. The four Filipinos who were on the Team for the ICI - A 2006 have invited several Participants from the 2006 event, to help expand the Team's leadership. We look forward to this time of fellowship and planning.
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Heading back to California, after a stop in Singapore, we'll be busy on our return. Our number two grandson is scheduled to be born on March 22, but reports say he may decide to come early. So, we're hoping he waits until we can get there to help out!
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The upcoming trip to Budapest, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and Romania is being planned. We will head to Europe in mid-April, so keep watching!
We had to cancel the planned trip to Poland and Czech Republic for September/October. We hope to make this up in the late Spring. Stay tuned.
However . . .
Obviously we haven't posted anything on this part of the blog since the Spring 2006. This does not mean we have been inactive! On the contrary, it has been a very hectic and busy time. The "Action" has however taken different forms.
Board of Directors' meeting in June, visit to the Northwest in July, and the first International Chrysalis Institute - Asia in August. And then John has become an active "caregiver" for the months of September and October following Carol's hand and shoulder surgeries. In spite of our hiatus from overseas travel, John was able to attend the NAPCE (North American Professors of Christian Education) Conference in Denver.
AND we are both catching up on lots of details while home in the US for these 2 months.
For Carol it is physical therapy and learning some lessons in patience, catching up on lots of administrative details, and making plans for the 2007 travel year.
For John it is many emails, SKYPEs with many young leaders in Asia and Europe, making plans for the future year 2007, attendance at NAPCE in Denver, Colorado, Dedication to the Lord of our grandson in Colorado Springs, preaching at El Montecito Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara, etc. etc. etc. And since Carol can't drive a car yet, John is the designated driver!
We had hoped to get so much done and caught up with office details these few months, BUT the time is flying by too fast. We are realizing how frail our bodies are and how long recuperation becomes from any kind of surgery.
And we are busily planning for a big event -- JANUARY 20, 2007, we will celebrate 15 years of Chrysalis Ministries with a dinner at San Clemente Presbyterian Church. This will be a praise and thanks to God for His grace and mercy to us during these many years of exciting adventures with many young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Ethiopia, Southeast Asia, and here in the USA. Save the date and join with us!
Inactive -- no, just diverted for a few months. Watch for traveling "Action" in February.
Budapest and the International Chrysalis Institute -Europe (ICI-E), 2007. Most of the new Planning Team (13 people) were able to attend the planning sessions. Two were sick, two had business appointments that could not be changed, and one was in China!
The ICI-E 2007 Team members were full of energy and ideas. In attendance were most of the original Planning Team from the 2005 Institute plus 6 new people who were Participants in the ICI-E 2005.
The plans were made! Details decided. Organization completed. A semi-quasi-budget established.
Bottom line: A basic income budget per person was established; the Team organized into committees; a date (Nov. 8-13, 2007) was set; a list of suggested Resource people to be invited; committees prepared to communicate via email and/or Skype; and we know the maximum number of Participants and Team, plus Resource People.
It was a very profitable time together with the Team. They really did own the issues. The process went smoothly and it seemed everyone was satisfied. I think everyone learned a lot through the planning and discussion process.
In our final meeting on the morning that the Team departed, we all met in our room. I read from Matthew 14 – Jesus and Peter walking on water. Applying this incident to our situation in the ICI-E 2007, I suggested that we cannot walk by faith by sitting in the boat or just discussing finances. Getting out of the boat may be scary, but faith does not grow by sitting passively nor by ignoring Jesus’ invitation to come out of the boat and walk on water. So, for us in our planning – we need faith in the One who calls us to walk on the proverbial water. the invitation from the Lord is to walk on water, exercising our faith, and finding that He keeps us from sinking!
ALL of the Team members were very committed to continuing on with the Institutes. We heard things like "this is like a family" of leaders across the various countries with whom we can share and receive encouragement, and learn from each other. Several feel that this should be a permanent group, across borders, to enhance leadership development now and in the future. They see Chrysalis as being different from the many conferences that are held throughout this part of the world. This is significant for us – the many hours, many dollars and sacrificial giving of many continues to culminate in these International Institutes.
We are thankful to God for this blessing and for the opportunities to minister and share these many years and to do so through many who support and encourage us.
It was exciting to hear repeated several times: Chrysalis Ministries and "...you, Carol and John," are unique. The Team Members all said this in one way or another. They have not encountered an organization like Chrysalis Ministries in the past AND they hope to see more like Chrysalis in the future, the International Chrysalis Institutes being a vital part of the future and their involvement in the Institutes!
To God be the glory!
April 1, 2006
Can missionaries function without email today? During this final week in Manila, we have been doing three major things. One is answering emails and writing them. I probably spend at least 2 hours a day with various emails, likewise Carol! I do wonder how missionaries ever functioned without email.
Two, I have been working like the proverbial one-armed paper hanger on getting various teaching sessions prepared to send to Serbia and Romania where I’ll be teaching in May.
Third, we have been in various meetings all this week – more of this below. So, while we have had no formal teaching times, we have been plenty busy about the business of Chrysalis Ministries.
This past week (21 - 27 March) we have done the following:
Note: We arrived home Monday, April 3 for 10 days, departing 14 April for the Easter weekend with our son David and Erin and family in the Washington, DC area. Then to Europe for approximately 4 weeks. More about this in a few days.
Thank you for your involvement in our lives and ministry!!
peace and blessings, john dettoni
