Van Asselt

The week before Christmas break and the week following were spent at a school on Beacon Hill. I went there to help with a little boy who was out of control - throwing temper tantrums, screaming, running away and generally disrupting any attempts toward teaching the other 8 children in their special education kindergarten class. I walked in and discovered that the teacher was someone who had worked for me at Lake City. She and the other instructional aid had been working hard at bringing structure and boundaries to this sweet little class. As the story unfolded for me, I learned that they had been through two other teachers and were determined to make this new team work.

So I came in with Miss Pearl and offered my services in any way I could. Thus began a happy relationship with a classroom that has touched my heart. I left yesterday so very grateful for the opportunity to let my deep joy answer a need.

Not to say that every moment was a delight - far from it. I had to forge bonds with each of the kids and learn how to curtail the temper tantrums of the little boy who was at the center of the maelstorm. There were times when I was counting the minutes I had left but there were also times when I could see that my presence was making a difference. In the end I could tell that a new norm had been established and I'm confident they can carry on without me. What I've discovered in my three months in the Seattle school district is that using my puppets helps me to forge bonds much more quickly than I could without them. Miss Pearl, with her southern accent and pristine manners can calm a rowdy Kindergarten class faster than anything else I've ever seen. She asks for behavior that it would take me days to cultivate and she does it in such a loving and gentle way. I appreciate this so much because I know that many of these children are used to screaming and yelling (from their parents) in order to get them to listen.

I don't know where this adventure in substitute para-professionalism and puppetry is leading but I'm confident that I'm learning, growing and serving. And that can't be all bad or bad at all.

Cullen

There is now a Caringbridge site for Cullen :) Hooray! Here is the latest from Shelley:

Hey Everyone.

Just wanted to give an update on how Cullen is doing.Cullen has been doing better the last week or so. He had a pretty bigarthritis flair the day before Thanksgiving. He hasn't been in that muchpain since his arthritis was first diagnosed in 2007. We got him through the weekend wearing ice packs around his knees and ankles to help reducethe swelling. Sent an email to his rheumatology doctor, Jen, and told her that we really need to restart Remicade. They had stopped him taking this medication when he had the big lung infection in May/June. Given that Remicade is an immune suppressant, they didn't want him on it anymore asthey were concerned that the lung infection would get out of control. She agreed and he started up again on 11/30. What a huge difference that has made. Not only are we have been able to get arthritis more in control, butit has also helped with some improvement in his lung function. He is no longer needed supplement oxygen throughout the day. We also saw the pain management team last week, and they prescribed a new plan that has allowed his back pain to be more under control.

So overall, Cullen is doing much better. He has been busy trying to catch up with school. As always lots of doctor appointments at Children's, there is still alot going on. With the hospital stay in November and the time that it took to recover, hehad gotten far behind. This always stresses him out, even though we tellhim everyone understands and we will get as many extensions as you need.For the most part the teachers and the director of the learning programhave been very supportive. They have been working with us with whatever weneed. With that said, Cullen was not sleeping great as he was worried aboutschool, deadlines and doing well.Our neighbor's son, who is a teacher came over last weekend to help Cullenwith Social Studies which was a big help. Thank you Adam!I also remembered a tutor that had helped Cullen in seventh grade when hewas part of the home/hospital program. On a lark, I thought I would callher to see if she would be willing to help Cullen in a freelance capacity.Since it has been a couple of years since we had talked, I wasn't sure ifshe would remember us. She not only did, but was more than willing to helpget started with Cullen this week! She has also agreed to help him over thewinter break so that when school "starts' back up in January that he willbe caught up. Cullen met with her today and was feeling really good aboutthe new plan.Another blessing has been Katie. Katie is the Coordinator of Children andYouth Ministries at our church. She is in the process of organizingtutoring for those that either want to help or need help with school. Icalled her yesterday to see where she was in the process and if there wassomeone that could help Cullen with Spanish. They are still organizingeverything, but with out any hesitation she shares with me that she isfluent in Spanish and she would love to help Cullen. This is such ablessing. Cullen's Spanish teacher has been less than engaged and learningthis by himself has been difficult. Cullen finally feels like he has a planand although there is alot to do in the next few weeks, that he has lots ofsupport to help get him there.

Many of you have been wonderful about sharing Cullen's story in a variety of prayer groups. They have asked that I start a caringbridge website where they can get updates. So this weekend, Cullen and I put this website together. It will have the same information that I sent out in these notes,but that way you can provide the following link to friends/family thatwould like to keep updated on Cullen.You can Visit Cullen’s website in two easy ways:
1. Visit the CaringBridge website by clicking the URL.http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cullenrogers/createorsignin

2. Enter the website name, cullenrogers, at http://www.caringbridge.org/When you visit you’ll be asked to log in. We took Cullen to see Blindside over the weekend... Great Movie.. Have a new favorite verse. "Because with men some things are possible. But with God all things are possible."Thank you for your prayers, love and support.

We have much to be thankful for.
Shelley

Gloriose Giving

It has now been a year since I started the fund for Gloriose - how can that be?!! In less than 8 months, a team will be going to Burundi to come alongside the programs there and to connect with Gloriose. Recently I've been feeling the tug to go with that team. How good it would be to see the women that the fund has helped and to hear their stories. I've pasted in this blog, an email from Gloriose that talks about how she's used the money. My hope is to continue to send her money and then when the team goes, the stories will be rich and rewarding. Here is her email:

"Dear sisters,
Greeting in the name of Jesus,I am happy to share with you this storie of a christian group of women who are annointed to pray for healing of different deases, they belong to a very poor church and live in a quarter which has been destroyed during the long war in our country, The lord has put them in my heart and last month I gave them money to start together smalls busness, I went to visit them, I told them that I have sisters in America who are praying for them, they thank you and thank the Lord for the help , hope God will give them opportunity to see you one day. They ten and have decided to start an association, you can see them in this different pictures with an other woman and one man who live for the moment in that small church because theiy are praying for their healing. An other group of 6 women are selling some food you will see some pictures in their quater, they told me that that work give them clothes and food for their families, most of them have small children who need sometime to have milk.May God bless each of you and what you are doing for burundian poor women, the way is very long but God knows how He will provide through his poeple."

I've left the email just as it came to me because it shows that even though English is the 3rd language for Gloriose, she communicates very well. Heaven help us if I had to try to write to her in French! A big thanks to all of you who've been helping Gloriose to help others. It is a privilege for me to share in the process of blessing the poor women in this country. May you be blessed as well.

Puppets in the Classroom

I can't believe that it's been almost two months since I last wrote anything - that's coincides almost perfectly with the start of my new profession in the Seattle school district: PUPPET LADY. That's not what they hired me to do but it's what I'm doing anyway:0). I'm actually a paraprofessional who works with special needs kids but I've found that Miss Pearl and Pirate Pete can connect with autistic kids much better than I can. I love doing this! I don't know where this will lead but for now it's a great fit for me. I love the adventure of going to different schools, meeting new people and having to think on my feet.

My last job was in a spanish immersion program with 1st graders during which I was not allowed to speak any english! That is, until the last 10 minutes of the class when the teacher told the students (in spanish) that she had a special treat for them. At that point, Miss Pearl and I got to tell the kids how fun it had been to watch them learning spanish and trying to figure out what the teacher was saying. If you think it's challenging to jump into a classroom and work with kids you've never met before, try adding that you can't speak to them! It was actually quite funny. The teacher loved Miss Pearl and asked if I ever do birthday parties :)....so I gave her my card. Like I said, this is a great fit for me for now and I can't wait to see where it will lead. I'm sure that all this practice and exposure will lead to something and I'm trusting that God is in the midst of all of it. Joy upon joy.

Penny - Boundless Energy

We have a new puppy - she's been with us for a month and she's actually 7 months old, so more like a teenager, but she's still a puppy. I've been taking her for walks in the woods with Bentley and it has quickly become her favorite part of the day. Since Bentley is almost 7, it has been striking to see the difference between the two of them - especially when they're romping in the woods. Don't get me wrong, Bentley still loves the woods and can tell even by the clothes I put on that I'm getting ready to take them walking (that's probably because I tend to wear the same clothes every time we walk:) and begins whining immediately. The difference is most noticeable when they're running on ahead of me. Penny is boundless energy - a characteristic of the Vizsla breed which we didn't know before we got her; or at least, I didn't know. Bentley as the middle ager of the two tends to be more conservative in his explorations - trotting rather than galloping, stopping versus bounding, sticking close to me instead of making wide loops around me.

Penny, on the other hand, is a marvel to watch. She actually bounds - kind of a combination of bouncing and running, and it just makes me smile. Her joy in her freedom is contagious and something deep within me responds to that joy. I feel as if a long buried voice within me is being called out and it delights me.

At the same time, I'm very aware that my body is more like Bentley's - aging on the downhill side. I must know my limitations and treat my physical self with gentleness and care. This is a new attitude for me since I grew up believing in "no pain, no gain" (whoever came up with that slogan and why do we still believe it?) That attitude led me to several injuries which limit what I can do - from my torn hamstring, to my expensively reworked foot, to a tender shoulder as well as the notorious Stoll lower back - I'm not the athlete that I once was. I now know that exercise is good but it must respect the way my body feels. Rather than see these as limitations, I accept them as guides into more respectful ways of being a body (and not just having one.) I've discovered that walking is just as worthwhile as running and so much less punishing on my body. I'm also learning yoga and have a whole new respect for those who practice it (much harder than it looks - and I'm still on level 1!) Since I know that this aging process is continual, I'm anticipating needing to make more changes as the years go by and I know that loving my body now will make those adjustments less severe. If only I'd known this in my twenties when I was running 50 - 60 miles a week -think of all the miles I put on my body then! Then again, this is the wisdom to be gained in middle age which is right smack dab where I'm at.

So, as I walk the dogs in the woods, I feel as if the story of my life is being played out right in front of me. I'm finding ways to embrace the joy of the child within me without having to beat my body to do it. I can accept the place that I'm at in life and still listen to the joy that sings deep within my soul. I'm so very grateful for this new awareness and the opportunity to live it out each day. I'm learning to trust that this shift in my life can be a witness to those around me and perhaps I can spare my children from some of the mistakes I made. Probably not, but at least they'll be able to see what midlife adjustment looks like:). In the meantime I'm going to keep walking my dogs and loving the joy that comes from being with them in the woods.

My Life After Africa

It's been a year since I began preparing in earnest to go to Africa. At this time last year I was reading everything I could about Rwanda, getting shots, meeting with Leigh, reviewing my french and preparing mentally for a trip that would change the direction of my life. I wanted to be changed and was eager to get out of my comfort zone (because I'd done that in my 20's when I went to live in Bangkok for 6 months and I knew what a great experience it could be!)

Looking back, I now see that my life has been rearranged in unexpected ways. The trip itself was awesome but it's the new trajectory that I'm on that has made the biggest difference. For example; I started reading the book "Hot, Flat and Crowded", on the return plane trip. It was so engrossing that I put my name on the long waiting list at the library and then devoured it when my name finally came up. That has caused me to look at our energy consumption in new ways (and to cheer when I see some of Friedman's suggestions being implemented by our new Secretary of Energy, Chu).

I also decided to read more about Burundi after I came home and got the book "This Voice in My Heart" (also from the library - oh, yeah, I use the library a lot more now, too!) This book not only helped me understand the genocide of Burundi but challenged my ways of thinking about food. (That led me to read the book "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman and a whole new way of cooking and eating was born.) As I was reading about life in Burundi, I realized that I thought food had to come out of boxes and slick packaging (mainly) and I've discovered that I can do away with a lot of the processing and make good, healthful, nourishing meals that my family loves, that honor the needs of our world and costs less to boot. I now use the "Moosewood" and "More with Less" cookbooks on a regular basis. Occasionally, I slip back into convenience foods but those forays are less and less frequent.

I listen to NPR, try to read the NY Times online and desire to think globally while living locally. I frequently feel compelled to make a difference in our world and am open, willing and questioning just how that could happen. I've been raising support for a woman I met in Burundi who is working with the poorest women and has been trying to get them started in small businesses. It's a small start but it's a start.

I really wish I could say that I'm always grateful for all that I have and never want what I don't have. I have many more moments of gratitude and am frequently reminded of the children in the villages we visited who only had the clothes they were wearing and asked us to bring more clothes the next time we came; and soap to wash them. Even so, I must confess that I can still get caught up in the "I want...." mentality that our culture thrives on. (Oh, and that the "I wants" can so quickly become the "I needs.")

There have been other, deeper, subtle changes - more serenity, more confidence, an increased awareness of my need for more patience and a realization that my life can/does make a difference. I also laugh and cry more. Would I go again knowing all the ways I've been changed? In a heartbeat, for Africa has ignited my imagination and awakened some long buried passions. I am and will be forever grateful for this life shaping adventure and the path that I'm now on. May all your adventures awaken your passion, sharpen your focus and embolden your compassion.

Ted Kennedy, Madonna and Rob Bell

What the heck do these three have in common? Well, I was inspired by all three this morning. Really.

I was shocked to find out that the Lion in the Senate had passed away when I turned on my computer yesterday. I then spent time talking over his life with Hannah and realized that the first thing I thought of was Chappaquiddick. All these years later (I was only 10 when it happened) so I know it made a deep impression. I did some poking around on the computer and did find some references to the scandal that I remember: that he didn't talk to the police until 10 hours after it happened (and then only after they contacted him), that there were rumours that she was pregnant (unconfirmed because no autopsy was done). So much potential for wrong, for cover-up, for preferential treatment. It led to an interesting discussion with my daughter. So why am I inspired, you wonder? Because despite whatever happened (or maybe because of it) and the way it tainted his life, Ted went on to do amazing things for the underdog in our country. Redemption, a second chance, an ability to do good after doing incredible wrong. Isn't that what God offers us? Isn't that what Jesus' death and resurrection is all about?

Rob Bell is pastor and writer in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I've had the privilege of hearing him speak at my church - Vineyard Community Church in Shoreline. Just this morning I finished his book "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" and I wanted to do a cartwheel and shout "whoo - hoo" to what he had to say. I really loved the chapter entitled, "Swollen-Bellied Black Babies, Soccer Moms on Prozac, And The Mark of the Beast." If that doesn't pique your curiosity then don't read it because you probably won't have ears to hear (or, more accurately, eyes to read/comprehend). I do hope it does pique your interest enough to check it out and get an overview of the Bible in a whole new way. I gobbled it up. It gave me hope that the Church might actually be a force for good in our broken world.

So far so good. But Madonna? I'll admit that even I was surprised by this one (and reminded not to put up any walls that divide and create an Us vs Them). Madonna spoke out to an audience of 60,000 and told them that their treatment of the Roma or Gypsies was wrong. And thousands of them booed her. She spoke of equality and freedom for all and then went on with her concert. Just like that. Oh, and she included Roma dancers in her performance. I'm impressed that she took that stand, that she challenged the audience that supports her. I'm also inspired that she didn't defend or get angry but simply stated her view, took the criticism and then went back to doing what she does best. I think that took incredible courage and I'm hopeful that others will be inspired by her as well. Perhaps even some of those that booed her. Small acts of courage (as well as the big ones) do make a difference.

Thank you Madonna, Rob Bell and Ted Kennedy.