Special Goodbye

This Sunday is an especially sad one for me as we are saying good bye to Doug and Maureen Husen and David and Katherine Sheppard. Both families have been a huge part of my life and the life of New Song over the last few years.

I have especially appreciated Doug's heart and desire to serve. My heart has hurt a lot because of Doug's absence from our staff. In a lot of ways Doug was the perfect person for me to partner with in starting New Song. Doug's joy and encouragement have always been a huge support to me and Susan. Doug has a lot of talents and was willing to be flexible with them. Doug has served our church in so many ways that I can't say thank you enough.

When we started New Song, Maureen was a part of the worship team, but not the key leader. When the opportunity opened up she stepped up and has grown into an amazing leader. I especially appreciate how she is willing to open up and share her heart on Sundays. As she worships God we have been naturally drawn in to do the same. Maureen has also been incredibly flexible and taken the worship at our church to another level. As she grew in her skills the whole church grew with her. Thank you Maureen for sharing your gifts with us!

I remember very clearly the first day David and Katherine came to New Song. They were looking for a church to get plugged into and over the first few years they served in ways that made it obvious God was calling them into full time ministry. David grew into a leadership role in our Ministry Apprenticeship (MA) group and attended William Jessup University. When David came on staff he brought his gift of organization in a way that we desperately needed it. Our Life Groups, Communications, and Set Up Teams took a big step forward under David's leadership. I am especially grateful for David's willingness to start our ministry in Folsom Prison. I have been praying since we started New Song that we could have teams going into Folsom Prison. Under David's leadership that became a reality. Thank you David for being a blessing to us!

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I also want to say a special thank you to Katherine who though she was not on paid staff made some major contributions to our church. Her work putting together musicals and dramas were a huge success. Katherine also envisioned and brought to life our coffee cart/hospitality ministry and she kicked off a great group for homeschool families that I hope will continue after she moves to Texas. Katherine, thank you for all you have done!

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If it were up to me, no one would ever have to leave and move on. But sadly, I don't get to decide that. Over the last month, I have thought a lot about how God never changes, but everything that he created does. Even his church. There have been times recently when I have panicked and thought the sky is falling (the smoke in the air lately has made it easy to picture). But I keep going back to the fact that even though I don't like change, God does. Everything He created changes.

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I have also relied upon the fact that God knew these leadership changes were going to take place this summer at New Song. I had no idea that they would come and have been trying prevent them happening for a long time. But since God knew changes were coming I know that he has a plan for our future as well. I have been praying a lot by the river this week and as I did I kept reading Psalm 23.

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"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me besides still waters, he restores my soul...I will fear no evil, for I know that you are with me."

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As I sat next to the still waters of the American River I was reminded that I don't need to be afraid of the future, God is with me. My security is found in Him and not my circumstances.

This has been an emotionally rough summer for all of us, but through it all God's comfort and encouragement has been more real to me than ever before. I especially want to say thank you to everyone who has sent encouraging emails to Susan and I. I also appreciate that several of you have also come up after church recently to let me know that you are looking forward to what God is going to do at New Song.

With Doug, Maureen, David, and Katherine moving on to other churches God has opened up a lot of opportunities for ministry. At first, I freaked out and thought "How is all going to get done?" But one by one people from our church are stepping up and take key roles to minister and love people in Jesus' name. Thank you! I am so grateful for your willingness to participate. Through your dedication and desire to serve I believe that we'll make it through this season together. God is not finished with us yet!

Heading To Thailand

Dear friends and family,

Kari is feeling better, but now Elizabeth is sick. Rick stayed “home” with Karli yesterday and John stayed today. I think the break was rejuvenating for the two introverts in our family.

I thought I would share some of the frustrations I am experiencing. I know that these experiences are what cross-culture living is all about. I also realize character and creativity are developed; but, it is not without tension and a constant reminder to me to live and think outside my normal patterns.

The hotel will only give us one bath towel each—no hand or wash clothes and barely any toilet tissue. Any type of tissue is very thin and very small. As a matter of fact, everything seems smaller here. I’m starting to think we have “super-sized” everything in the U.S.

I emailed a specific supply list before we arrived, but it wasn’t looked at very closely and some items are impossible to buy here and/or incredibly expensive. Cambodia makes strong plastic bags, but no paper bags are to be found ANY where. Thankfully, we made card stock copies of frog face and mouths and instead of gluing them to a paper lunch bag, we just color them and fold the mouth so it opens and closes. (Thank you, Judy J.) We then glue on colorful styrofoam cut outs I threw in my luggage at the last moment.

Overall, items are expensive, lower quality, and harder to find in quantities over 5 to 10 items. You have to hunt around many areas of the city and from many little stalls. Although entertaining, it is time-consuming and a bit frustrating trying to adapt. By the time I learn where things are located and the least expensive, I will have returned to the U.S. Even when we have shopped with Cambodians or Bridget so much gets lost in translation. I think I am being clear about what I need and I get taken somewhere else. For example, I am taken to a sterling silver shop where Samantha says have the best quality and price instead of a place for craft supplies. We did want to go shopping for gifts: I just didn’t realize it was going to be right then. Another time, I asked what the name of an unusual fruit was called and received a bag of them because they misunderstood and thought the kids loved them (which was not the case in this situation). I am enjoying the journey even when I do not know exactly when or where I am being taken..

We are the trial run for other Bible clubs in the future. AIM is figuring out how this can work best to help the 700 plus new churches Moses has started all over Cambodia. The goal is to adapt and continue to offer other groups the opportunity to incorporate Bible clubs into their visits.

The food is delicious here, but there have been some interesting experiences. We anxiously ate fish fried for us (from a questionably clean pan in who knows what oil) picking the bones out of our mouths thinking we are doing well just to have eaten it. Instead we were asked in astonishment why we didn’t eat the entire fish, head, bones and all. John obediently ate the fish head: I just couldn’t do it after the toilet, heat, and everything else. I promptly offered it to any one who wanted it. Even in my clumsiness to speak Khmer and understand the culture around me, I mess up. You definitely have to keep a sense of humor.

I never think of myself as having a ton of energy, but yesterday I ran three translators, 20 years younger then me, into the ground. I am positive that translation is exhausting. It is difficult for me because the three young men that are working with us are so passive. They enjoy the kids and are very helpful, but need to be instructed how to act in every situation.

With Rick and Karli gone yesterday I felt I needed to split myself into four people. We had 50 plus kids and many older boys. I would give them the stern “Teacher look” and many would stop and obey, at least for a few minutes. John, Daniel, and Elizabeth worked amazingly hard. I would drag one translator or another with me through music, story, craft, games, more music and another review bible story. The transitions between activities are always the hardest to maintain control. However, I am passionate about what I am doing. I did not travel half way across the world to share about the greatness and uniqueness of Jesus—the Way, the Truth and the Life--to let heat, a language barrier or undisciplined children stop me.

I have the privilege of laughing, playing, singing and teaching in a place where evil has reigned. One of the greatness moments for me was turning on our c.d. player and singing at the top of my lungs “Shout to the Lord” and “We Want to See Jesus Lifted High” as I looked around the beautiful, restored former brothel. I know there will always be evil in this fallen world. However, for this short moment in time, in this small little place, I can see the power of God and His goodness in action.

Today the girls were all over me. As I hugged them and played “duck, duck, goose”, I prayed for each precious one. I would high five the boys as a bamboo soccer ball zoomed by or clap their hands with them to the beat of the music. All of these children are caught up in a part of society that sees them as expendable and valueless unless making money for the family. It is hard to comprehend. I have a delayed emotional reaction to the whole situation once I return to the hotel every afternoon. It is sobering and exhilarating all wrapped up together.

Love,
Becky

[Agape Restoration Center – From Daniel]

Hey everyone! This is my first update so far. Sorry for not writing more e-mails or updating more than I am. This trip has really kept me busy, so lots of the time I am working.
So far, this trip has been fun. On Saturday, we all went to the ARC. That’s where they take care of all the girls that have been abused. They also live at the ARC. At the ARC the girls learn to read, write, understand, and speak English.
We went to the ARC on party Saturday. Party Saturday is a huge party held every month. The party is for every girl with a birthday that month. Right when we got there, I was all of the sudden hounded by girls who wanted me to do something with them. I was such a novelty to them because they only see Americans ever so often. And on top of that I was a boy. (Isn’t that cool? Just for being a boy a get the attention of thirty girls for just saying hi to one of them. And if I was playing a game, every girl thought that it was necessary to play with me for me to have any fun at all. All of them also wanted me to dance these weird Cambodian dances with them.) So I took out my cards and ten other girls played Go Fish with me. The reason why we played Go Fish was because they didn’t know enough English for me to teach them a game. Then, we ate a HUGE meal and danced until we couldn’t dance anymore. We must have done the Macarena five times. After that, everybody followed the counselor and did something, but I didn’t stick around too long to find out. So, I just sat on one of the tire swings enjoying myself. Then, all of a sudden, ten girls came up to me and wanted to play cards. So I, out of the goodness of my heart, (not really I was getting kind of bored and I like to play cards) played cards with them. The next thing everyone wanted me to do with them was swim. I didn’t agree though because first of all, the water was tap water and if I got to much water in my mouth I could get a disease. Second, I didn’t want to get wet and have to dry off the old fashion way. Third, I didn’t feel like swimming. So, I just sat in my tire swing and waited until they were done. When they were done, they wanted to play cards yet again, so I played for a little bit then we had to go. Overall, it was a great experience and I’m glad I went.

Daniel

Hey Everybody!

Saturday was a big day for all of us. We went to the ARC and saw all of the girls that had been rescued from the sex slave trade. If we hadn’t gone in there knowing their background, we never would have guessed at everything they have been through. The girls were so full of joy and were happy just to hang out with us. We celebrated some of their birthdays by singing and eating a big meal and then later by dancing with them. They took picture after picture with us with their donated cameras, which was rather depressing for us because we couldn’t take any pictures with our cameras due to safety issues. [The girls at the Agape Rescue Center are each part of an active criminal investigation, and are under significant danger of kidnapping or assassination due to their pending testimony, they are essentially in a witness protection program, and under high security protection. Because of this situation, the exact location of the ARC was hidden from us, and we were not allowed to take pictures, and are not allowed to share any of the (truly horrific) stories about specific girls. The ARC is a beautiful location, with gardens, swimming pools, and orchards, where the girls are able to heal physically (all come in with at least hepatitis and bad dental issues), mentally, emotionally, and spiritually while preparing to testify in criminal cases against their captors and attackers. It was emotionally confusing for Becky and I to see girls acting like normal teen and pre-teen agers (dancing, singing, and giggling), while knowing the horrors they have endured, and must re-visit in counseling and testimony preparation. – Rick ]

The realities of what is going on in Cambodia became even more real to us when we went to Rahab’s House, an ex-brothel, and taught the Vacation Bible School (VBS). The staff had preserved one of the original rooms to show people what conditions the girls had to live with when they lived in the brothel. The room was 8’x 8’, painted pink, and the furniture consisted of one bed, one light, and one bedside table. Condom ads were taped to the walls. It was a shock to not only hear about, but to see, a true brothel. It was very…interesting. It made what people are doing to hurt and to protect these girls actually seem real to me.
[While the brothel at Rahab’s house in Svay Pak has been shut down and renovated for use as an outreach center, the Svay Pak area continues to be a highly active area for the sex trafficking of underage girls. Each night, the police (yes, they are corrupt) gather girls for sex trafficking, and return them at 3:00 am the next morning. You can tell which girls are actively being trafficked in the pictures, because their pimps have given them jewelry and fashion clothing (the rest of the children are struggling to eat regularly). Even though we know these girls are being trafficked, we can not physically remove them, because the Police will just return them to their parents, who will continue trafficking them. The only way to remove girls from this situation is to gather court-worthy evidence against the brothel owners and operators, which is the mission of the International Justice Mission (IJM). Once IJM has trial-worthy evidence, they can remove the girls to a safe shelter like the ARC. – Rick]

The VBS in Rahab’s House has been a lot of fun, but the kids have been a lot harder to handle. The majority of kids in Svey Pak don’t go to school, so they are not used to behaving the way they would have to in school. They hit and kick each other and us and are surprised when we tell them “no hit” in Khmer. The kids bond fast, so each of us, especially Karli, have whole groups of children following us and clinging to us when we sit down. That gets a little hectic at times though.

Playdoh today was a disaster. The whole batch turned out too wet, and we didn’t figure out until we had passed it out to every kid that wanted some. I was one of the last people to take playdoh, so I discovered that when playdoh is too wet, it sticks to your hands and anything else it touches. We then rushed every kid to the sink to wash their hands while we confiscated the playdoh. Kids kept coming back dirty, and after a short investigation I found out that some of the older boys were high five-ing people and getting their hands dirty again and again. That was fun. Really we did have a fun time hanging out with all of them.

Karli got sick today L. She couldn’t hold down any food for the second half of the day and is just now starting to feel better. We all hope she feels well enough to go to the VBS tomorrow.

Highlight of today: two foot long baguettes for lunch! Don’t we all love the French?

~Elizabeth

Update From Becky

Hello everyone, it's Becky! It is Saturday and we don't have to be anywhere until 10:45 so we are letting the kids sleep in. I slept in until 7: 00 and just had to get up. I love to go up to the 4th floor where they serve a complimentary breakfast. The walls are all open to the outside. You can hear and see motos and cars and "Tuk-tuks" go by. You can see the Mekong River and Tonel River merge into one churning muddy river. You see people out walking for exercise and monks in their saffron robes and shorn heads going to work. I watched a woman go onto the grass where a water line was leaking and discreetly take off her outer kroma, wash her clothes and hair, return to the street, squat down to dry out as we both watch Sambo the zoo elephant be led past by his handler. I sit and drink coffee and jasmine tea and read over the bible story that I am going to teach that day or read and work on our family bible study in Acts. The book of Acts is the continuation of the gospel story: the fulfilling of the law and beginning of a new era; the Holy Spirit working in each believer with the beginning of the church, persecution, miracles, excitement and God's love and power revealed in new ways in His now confident followers.

I feel like Cambodia is at the place of new beginnings. They are very open to the gospel and many NGO (non-government organizations) and church affiliations are united to work together (unfortunately an unusual concept) to help mentor, train and come alongside the Cambodians to help them reestablish all the systems that are broken. These broken systems exacerbate corruption causing the weakest--the poor, the children, the disabled to suffer the most. The salaries for civil servants-teachers, government officials, policemen-is so little that bribes are a big factor in the entire system. Plus there is really only one party with power in their democratic system, so they want to follow the party line to stay in their position. There is openness to dissent and differing points of view in the papers, but of course not to the level we enjoy in the U.S.

On the way to KM6 (Kilometer 6 road), where we just finished the first week of Bible class, Moses and Samantha Seth's driver ran a red light (one of two I have seen in the entire city so far). Two police men ran along side us banging on our windows. They kept running along side the left window where Rick was seated but the Thai made Toyoto truck has driver on the right side like in England. The driver pulled over and Samantha quickly handed the policeman a bribe, before he could ask a price. If you ask for a price, and start negotiating, the cost of a ticket could end up as high as $100.00 if the policeman felt like it, or we argued and he would feel he needed to save face. She gave him about $1.25, and we were on our way.

Cambodian people are small of stature and quick to smile. Samantha Seth, the church planting part of AIM, was amazed to see even monks grinning at our kids and the interpreters. You would grin too if you drove by 7-8 people in the back of a pick-up truck singing, shouting greetings in Khmer and English, practically causing moto accidents everywhere we go.
All our kids including our adopted daughter for the summer are having a grand time. I am proud of their flexibility, creativity, humbleness, and joy and love they express to everyone they encounter.

They let all the kids hang off them, not caring about the toilet that you flush with a scoop of water from a bucket, the wood plank church floor, and the smell that wafts in through the open side of the church building from the burning and cow pasture near the building. We have a fan and it has rained every afternoon lately so the humidity is not so oppressive.
Thank you God! I still come back to the hotel and shower and change my clothes after teaching all morning. Except for when they decided to take us to lunch at the best buffet in town and then back to the Seth home to help rewrite his testimony. Or when we picked up the Seth's son and nephew who had just arrived from Texas and then on to shop at the Central Market toting eleven people around to shop-driver, house girl, friend of driver, us, the new arrivals and Samantha. It was crazy but it worked well. I bought everyone ice cream-they order coconut flavored because it is not too sweet. Most foods here are not as sugary as in the U.S.

We are content and safe, but we feel a little off balance all the time because we never quite know what to expect with the timing of things or what is required. So, we always carry water, camera, money, map, hand sanitizer, instructions to our hotel in Khmer and tissue everywhere. Plus I carry a bag of English and bible supplies so we can take any and every opportunity to share.

Karli is beautiful, but in this culture with her Caucasian and Japanese features, height, and paler skin tone, plus her ready smile: she is the epitome of beauty. I feel she is safe with us, but I never let her out of my sight nor do we go out at night. She is very sweet, compassionate, and quick to respond to anything I ask her to do. She does not like to wash her clothing in the sink every night, and she has a gift of scattering her things everywhere which cracks me up. Unlike Elizabeth, whom we call Lucy here, (because her name is difficult in Khmer), who takes an hour to get ready, Karli is ready in minutes. We girls like sharing a room, though the beds are as hard as rocks. It reminds me of growing up sharing a room and bathroom with my two sisters.

The boys have a room next to us which Rick keeps at arctic temperatures. He also needs to drink Aquafina bottled water made by the French company in Thailand instead of the Cambodian purified water which is not as well filtered. The kids and I seem fine with the less expensive kind, but Rick is not. Pray he feels more normal. He is incredible with all the kids, and keeping us happy buying French baguettes for our dinner. We ended up eating a candy bar for our dinner one night and the kids giggled and laughed that we had allowed such a thing. It reminds me how young they are and I smile amazed at how God is working in all of our lives here.

I personally love the break from constantly cooking, washing, cleaning, driving, maintaining our stuff. I like just being and having a chance to remember who I was before being so inundated with children and responsibilities. I hope to return to the States more peaceful and confident in what God is doing in my life. Thank you for all your prayers.

I am juggling a lot of things packing up our supplies each day and directing everything trying not to do it myself but train the kids to do the teaching. We all our adapting to the age range of kids, the culture, and using our interpreters effectively-and anyone else there is to help. I try to incorporate everyone's skills, the Cambodian high schoolers, the church's Sunday school teacher and Charlie and Randy the visiting Texas relatives. Charlie is a believer, but Randy is not. They both speak Khmer and are great with kids. They are big and I need them on Monday with the rowdy hundred plus kids expected on Monday at Svay Pak. Pray they can and will come next week. I am not quite sure how it is all going to work. I have enough materials and we have done it once now, but I am overwhelmed and excited with the challenge of so many unschooled children. Rahab's House has fans and a toilet in the building, so I am sure God can do anything through us!

We spent a fascinating two hours at the International Justice Ministry (IJM) Headquarters for Cambodia. This is the organization that Karli's uncle founded and runs. IJM mentor and train the Cambodian police force to gather credible evidence from a sting operation to rescue underage girls from brothels to establish a case in an international court, like the ground breaking trial in L.A. last month where an American pedophile was successful convicted of his atrocities committed in Cambodia. What an amazing work!

We are joyful. We leave for the ARC-the rescued girls home. We are bringing 80 rings to give to the 80 girls and women that will be present today at "Birthday Celebration Saturday". These rings we give from the money donated to us to buy gifts for these girls-they represent the hope and healing that is available only in the love found in Jesus. We are excited to present them as gifts from YOU-real people praying for them in America. We are honored to be allowed to participate in what God is doing here. Thank you for partnering with us so together we are showing love to these lovely girls.

We've started teaching!

Hi, it’s Rick again, writing once more from Cambodia. So much has happened in the last few days, that it’s hard to know where to start.

We began Sunday by going to a local church, where we were honored like foreign dignitaries. They made us sit in the front row, then when everyone stood up to sing, no one could see the song leaders, who were all 2 heads shorter than us! Since we were teaching classes that week at the same church, we gave a short, impromptu presentation with examples of what we’d be doing, such as the songs and stories. Becky had taken her ventriloquism dummy, Danny, and everyone was fascinated by him, even though he couldn’t speak khmer any better than Becky.

To really understand our day, you have to know about Moses Seth, and his wife Samantha, who the other half of our Cambodian hosts. Moses has been a Cambodian monk, general, governor, and prison camp prisoner. When the Khmer Rouge was slaughtering everyone in leadership or with an education, he escaped from a prison camp with his wife, and lived off the jungle for 3 years. He made his way to the US as a refugee, and eventually ended out with 2 PHDs from American universities. He is currently the equivalent of Billy Graham to the Cambodians, and has started over 700 churches in Cambodia.

With that background, you can understand how weird it felt to be the center of Moses’ sermon for the day. He used us as an example for each of his points, including how we were willing to give our time and money, and how we have peace in our hearts because we have a personal relationship with Jesus. He spoke about how Cambodian’s don’t have peace in their hearts after all the terrible things that have happened to them, but that God wants them to have peace through Jesus. He made an invitation, and abut 30 people out of a crowd of 100 came forward to change their lives. We heard all this through an interpreter, which was a whole new experience for us.

After the sermon, we helped distribute rice to the poorest people in the church. Moses had us distribute the first few bags, with lots of pictures, and I felt like I was some kind of rock star posing for a photo op. AIM provided the rice, but I think Moses told the people we had, because he wanted to be clear that Christians in America love them. Moses told us that the price of rice has tripled in this area, and that without this relief, these people would either starve, or sell their daughters into sexual slavery.

On a personal note, for Rick, the heat in the church was indescribable. It was the first time I’ve seen a Cambodian sweat, and the only part of me that was dry was the bottom few inches of my untucked shirt tails. The kids started getting sick, so we had to send them home early, and I got a little bit of heat exhaustion. Please pray specifically that I would be able to handle the heat somehow.

Rick

[From Becky]

On Monday, we had 63 kids ranging in age from toddler to high school. The kids go to school in shifts: 8-11, 11-2, and 2-5 pm because the school is overcrowded. We did all the parts of a Kid’s Camp, but only split into separate groups for craft and games. It was organized but chaotic with lots of the musical instruments going in pockets and not back in the bag. The children can’t differentiate between what we’re giving them, and what we’re lending them. They return their coloring pages, but keep the instruments. At the end of the day, they tore the Popsicle sticks off of their crafts, and took just the Popsicle sticks home. It is frustrating at times. It is not cultural to stand in line and there is a lot of hitting to keep the pecking order straight. Ringing a bell to get attention is working well—Thanks Jill for the idea. Everyone seems to be enjoying all the excitement.

Tuesday we had fewer kids because of transportation issues, so it was calmer with only 33 kids. Our kids played and interacted longer and more freely with all the Cambodian children. They liked today better whereas I got really miffed about one puzzle piece going missing. I sat down and prayed for all the little stealing rascals. I offered a candy reward for the “Antarctica border piece” if it was returned. Amazingly enough, it was found in minutes by a small posse. We couldn’t figure out who really brought it back, since the highest kid in the pecking order brought it to us, so we gave everyone a piece of candy.

Really, we never know exactly what is going on. As long as we can laugh, it is fine. We ordered a bran muffin and got the carrot one, or we think we are ending and eating lunch at 11am and don’t get lunches until 1:00, etc.

We can feel the difference your prayers are making in everything we do, so keep them coming,

The Kraemers

World Vision Experience

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This morning I got to be one of the first people to walk through the World Vision Experience hosted at Lakeside church here in Folsom. All I can say is please go see it! Wow! It was like watching an incredible movie. You will be encouraged and moved and informed about what God can do through you to help people around the world.

I want to strongly encourage everyone from our church family to stop by Lakeside this week for about 30 minutes to see something that will change your life. I'd suggest families with older children even check it out together. There is nothing graphic, but because of the subject matter it is probably not appropriate for younger children.

Turn off the TV tonight, use your lunch hour, skip your workout, whatever it takes, get there this week and be inspired!

Here are the details about the event...

"Come walk in the steps of a child living in an AIDS-affected community in Africa. This interactive exhibit features a stirring audio tour combined with captivating photography that will transport you to the heart of Africa. You'll gain a completely new perspective on the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time."

Can you survive the journey of a child? Experience the lives of one of these children:

Kombo
Avoid the big trucks and the "Big Disease" as they roll past one boy's home at a truck stop along the AIDS Highway
Mathabo
Feel the sting of abandonment as one girl faces hunger, assault and disease — alone in the highlands of Lesotho
Emmanuel
Face survival in the wild, as a young boy and his brother care for themselves after losing their mother and their home in Uganda.
Babiyre
Enter the epicenter of AIDS in Africa, where a young girl watches her father die and her mother grow weak—and wonders if she'll be next.

When:
June 10 — 13 (Tuesday - Friday)
June 10: 8:30 am - 8:00 pm
June 11: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
June 12 & 13: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Cost: Free

Sunday - June 8th My Heart To Yours

So many members of our church family were traveling this last weekend that I wanted to make sure and post our information sheet about David Sheppard's move to Texas and to encourage you again to please take a moment to listen to my message from Sunday. Sunday was a pivotal day in the life of our church. I addressed some of the key questions about the staff changes at our church and my role in the life of New Song. Please take a moment to listen online or you can get a CD on Sunday, which we will have available in the back for free.

You can download Sunday's message by clicking here...

http://www.newsongchristian.org/audio/My%20Heart%20to%20Yours.mp3

Here are the questions from the information sheet we posted on Sunday...

What does David’s move to Texas mean for Doug and Maureen Husen?

When David shared his decision with me in the middle of May I discussed the situation with Doug Husen. Doug prayed about his future and then let me know that he did not want to stay on staff at New Song and that he was interested in working in Southern California with his close friend Peter McGowan. Doug has been working with Peter part time with computers and web site development for several years and decided that he wanted to do that full time. Following that decision, Doug received an offer from Crossroads Church in Corona to work on their staff and with Peter McGowan at the same time.

Is Steve Caler still going to be here?

Steve has made it very clear that he isn’t going anywhere in the near future. Steve’s role at the church has changed over the last year and he will be moving into more of an associate pastor position as David Sheppard transitions out. We have not defined how Steve’s job responsibilities will be changing and how these changes will impact our children and youth ministry. The good news is that Steve has prayed and feels God’s calling him to stay here with us at New Song.

Why did we wait to announce David’s departure?

This was something that our Ministry Leadership Team discussed at length. We felt it best to wait until after Doug’s celebration on June 1st because we love Doug and we didn’t want his party to be impacted in any way.

What is happening next with Sunday morning worship and singing?

I met with a couple of people this week about leading worship on Sunday mornings. I will be discussing their interest and availability with them over the next few weeks. Our Ministry Leadership Team will be interviewing them and reviewing what’s next. In the meantime, members of our existing worship team will be leading worship for the month of July. Maureen has risen up great people around her to temporarily fill the gap created by her absence.

What are the plans for the future with staffing?

At this point we are praying and seeking God’s direction. Our Ministry Leadership Team and Steve Caler will be meeting on Friday, June 13th to talk about possibilities. Please pray with us and for us for God’s direction as we restructure our staff and responsibilities.

How is our church doing financially? How is the economy impacting giving?

The economy doesn’t seem to be impacting our weekly tithes and offerings too much. However, our average giving has dropped about 8% from where it was last year at this time. I attribute that to a decline in attendance of about 13% over the same period. Moving forward, we are planning on being conservative in our budget projections and outlook so that our finances do not become an area of concern.

What’s really going on?

Whenever there are big changes that take place the thought pops into my head, “What’s really going on?” It’s natural to question and wonder. My encouragement is that if you have any questions please talk to someone who can answer them. Rumors spread through misinformation and truth is spread through having the facts. So, if you are wondering what’s really going on I’d encourage you to talk with one of the following people: Doug Husen, Maureen Husen, David Sheppard, Steve Caler, or any of anyone on our Ministry Leadership Team – Dennis Wycoff, Brent Christierson, or Rick Kraemer. I also would love to talk with you and answer any questions you have. Like you, my heart has gone through a lot over the last few months. Together we can pray and put our hope in the Lord and let him comfort us.

I love Doug, Maureen, and David and pray that God blesses them in their new ministry roles. Each of them has made a significant contribution to the birth of our church and what we have become. God has used them in ways that have encouraged my heart and I will miss each of them very much.

David Sheppard

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New Song Family,

As many of you heard yesterday at church, my family and I have decided to accept a ministry position at a church in Leander Texas. We are certainly looking forward to all God has in store for us but we will also greatly miss each of you at New Song.

Several months ago we were aware staffing changes were likely at New Song and that possibility led me to begin searching for other ministry opportunities. In the course of searching, I began discussions with a church in Texas called Hill Country Bible Church. After a great deal of prayer, conversations with the Pastor, and a chance to visit the church, my wife and I feel God’s leading to serve there.

I appreciate the privilege and opportunity to serve as one of your pastors at New Song for the past two years and God has taught me a great deal. I wouldn’t trade the experiences and friendships I have gained for anything and I look forward to a continued connection and conversations with you. Our home is currently listed for sale and our intention is to leave for Texas after it is sold. At the latest we will continue to serve at New Song through the month of August.

I know God has great things in store for His people and His church wherever they may be located. I will always keep New Song in prayer and look forward to all that God will do through each of you. Please keep me in prayer as I search for cowboy boots, a ten gallon hat and try to fit in with new key phrases like “fixin”, “get-r-done” and “y-all.”

In Christ,
David

We Are In Cambodia

Hi, it’s Rick and Becky again, this time from Cambodia. We made it safely here after a grueling 16 hours of flight in coach, and were greeted by our hosts with flowered necklaces, which were very damp and cooling. Between the time shift and the oppressive heat and humidity, we seem to be enjoying ourselves. The girls got up early to do a Cambodian dance down in the square in front of the Royal Palace which we can see and hear from our hotel. With single pane widows and 3 separate impromptu classes starting at 4AM, you can not help but join them. Elizabeth’s height makes for many double-takes. Everyone is very kind and happy to talk with us and stare. We spent our first afternoon here just lying around, and getting organized.

On our second day, Friday, we went out shopping for supplies with our local contact, Bridget. We spent the day driving around in the local form of taxis, the tuk-tuk, which is a motorcycle towing a 4 person trailer. It was incredibly hot in the marketplaces, but we were able to purchase most of the supplies we needed from a 6x6 foot booth stacked to the ceiling with paper, pens and other supplies.

On Saturday, we made a pre-visit to Rahabs’s house in Svay Pak, an area on the outskirts of town, where AIM is renting a former brothel for their outreach. We’ll be teaching there in two weeks, but it was good to get a vision of the area, and do a little marketing for our upcoming school. We spent about an hour playing twister, practicing letters, giving out home-made play-dough, and giving horse-back rides. We distributed bracelets from the McLaughlins, the Derriks, the Adkins, and the Grigsbys. They were very popular, with some children hiding one wrist, and asking for a second bracelet. In this neighborhood, girls are collected each night and taken to the brothels, so each of your families should have a bracelet on at least on of the girls caught up in sexual slavery. I remember putting Dana Adkin’s bracelet on one little girl who already had bracelets, then finding out later that the only girls with jewelry in this neighborhood are wearing it because it has been given to them by pedophiles. We’re eager to return to this area and share a message of hope and love to these children.

On Saturday afternoon, we drove around looking for the last of our supplies, and ended out at a craft booth, where they didn’t speak any English. It was funny to watch Becky try to communicate what she needed, until I tried to explain that I needed black construction paper without using words. We ended with another of many tutorials on how to pronounce Khmer words, this one centered on the number seven. No matter how hard we try, they all still laugh at us during our attempts, but encourage us anyway.

Your prayers ARE BEING HEARD AND ANSWERED!

Karli and the Kraemers

Election Results

Yesterday was Doug Husen's big day to take on government. If you didn't know, Doug ran for State Assemblyman for District 5. Doug was hoping to get his name out there in hopes of someday holding public office.

Here's the good news! Doug recieved 2,575 votes or about 12% of the total votes cast. Way to go Doug!

I heard that Doug took the initative and called Roger Neillo and conceded the election by offering his support in the general election. Sounds like Hillary Clinton might want to sign up Doug as a political consultant.

You can read more about Doug's campaign here...

http://www.doughusen.com/

You can read what the SacBee had to say about Doug here...

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/987554.html

We're on our way to Cambodia!

Hi, it's Rick again, and we're finally ready to travel. We’ve completed all of our preparations and packing, and got everything to fit within the luggage weight limits, thanks to the expert and patient packing help from our friend Lilly. The only victim seems to be our camera, which went missing, and had to be replaced at the last minute. On Sunday, our church interviewed us, prayed over us and commissioned us. Monday we raided Target for some last minute toiletries and snacks, and now we’re ready to travel.

Tonight Karli’s mom will drive us to the San Fransisco airport, and we’ll fly out at 2:00 am on Wednesday. Here is a detailed itinerary for the next week or so:

Thu/June 5
Arrive Phnom Penh – 11:45 PM /Phnom Penh Orientation
Fri/June 6
Silk Village/Evening Night Market
Sat/June 7
Shop for supplies
Sun/June 8
AM-Visit AIM Church KM 6/PM-Riverfront
Mon/June 9
VBS Phnom Penh (KM6) - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Tue/June 10
VBS Phnom Penh (KM6) - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Wed/June 11
VBS Phnom Penh (KM6) - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Thu/June 12
VBS Phnom Penh (KM6) - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Fri/June 13
VBS Phnom Penh (KM6) - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Sat/June 14
AM Visit ARC /PM Sight Seeing (Phnom Penh Markets)
Sun/June 15
AM Weekly Food Distribution @ Rahab's House/PM Sight Seeing
Mon/June 16
VBS Svay Pak - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Tue/June 17
VBS Svay Pak - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Wed/June 18
VBS Svay Pak - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Thu/June 19
VBS Svay Pak - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Fri/June 20
VBS Svay Pak - AM Bible Study/PM Teach English
Sat/June 21
Sight Seeing (Toul Sleng/Killing Fields)


The first few days we’ll be learning our way around, including discovering how and where to eat, and finding locations where we can purchase craft and snack supplies for our classes. On Monday, we’ll be heading into our first class, which should be the toughest, since it will be the first time we teach the curriculum, and we’ll be adapting to how things are done in Cambodia.

We’re especially excited about distributing food at Rahab’s house on Sunday, June 15. Rahab’s house is a former brothel, which has been rented by AIM. In the past, this house was called the ‘house of death’ by the neighbors, because so many little girls died there. But now we’re bringing that neighbor hood hope instead of pain. On Sunday we’ll be distributing food, and then on Monday through Friday we’ll be teaching classes. We may even get some help from girls who were rescued from this brothel, and are currently teaching weekly jewelry making classes in Rahab’s house.

Keep us in your prayers for safe travels, harmony as a team, success finding supplies, and opportunities to show love to these children who have suffered through so much.

Love,

Rick, Becky, Elizabeth, Karli, John, and Daniel

What A Great Sunday!

First, what a great Sunday! I am so glad that we were able to celebrate Doug and his ministry at New Song. When we gave him the Magic Johnson autographed jersey, Doug gave me the biggest hug I have ever gotten from him. I think we made his day!

I also want to say thanks to the Kraemer's for sharing their story about their upcoming trip to Cambodia. My hope is that it will inspire others (including me) to take similiar short term missions trips.

Thank you also to those of you who encouraged me about Sunday's message. It was tough for me to be a little vulnerable by admitting my idols and what I am tempted to worship. It was good to know that I am not alone in my struggles. On a lighter note, KC Saunders came up to me at the picnic and told me he wanted to make sure to compliment me since I am an approval junkie. I asked him not to feed the idol.

Last week, I put up a couple of links about what I am browsing on the Internet. I should make clear that I don't necessarily agree with everything I read or reference. A couple of people mentioned to me that they disliked the Ed Young video I posted last week. My response is I don't agree with everything Ed Young (or anyone else for that matter) puts online either. I am just posting these things because I find them food for thought. There are no hidden agendas.