Yabuki Breeze Blog

It’s hard to believe it… (I know I say that a lot) but we are near the end of the summer. The kids are getting ready for school and so are we. Let’s look over the summer as we haven’t posted in about a month…

• When we look back on the summer, the obvious HUGE thing was the trip. I was asked the other day about post processing the trip with my kids and we have done that in a way. Jonathan’s interest in Anime and doing art has been re-kindled by the trip. He used a lot of his birthday money to buy a digitizing tablet that allows him to sketch and draw on the computer and he spends much of the day perfecting his skill.  I asked Tim the other day if he would like to eventually do an exchange program, even to Europe. He said no… while he is our most adaptable traveler, he is also our staunchest Texan and loves it at home. Charis seems more “secure” in terms of thinking of her Chinese family and stuff since she returned. She has also become a huge part of our ministry of late as she acts as a great host to a fairly large group of kids who have been coming to Friday night group.
• One of the blessings this summer has been the team who did the UTA Friday night groups while we have been gone. The Friday night groups are healthier than ever and we are so blessed by this wonderful team. In fact it has been so healthy, the group has outgrown any single home and we are looking at expanding to two homes. God has been very very good and we praise Him for this.
• As few weeks ago, our good friends the Speed’s hosted a gathering with the 35 UTA East Asian EMBA students. Their Host families were also there. Many of the students this year will be  bringing their own families over. This was a wonderful time of swimming, talking, connecting, showing God’s love… It was a huge blessing for all who were there and it had a real sense of family together. Also with this group we have the honor of being the host family to two of these students. One of the students has told us that he has been baptized and he has such a sweet spirit about him, always wanting to serve people and he also has a keen interest in studying the Bible. A different students who has been regularly coming to our Friday night and has been a regular part of our Bible study has been going to church with us the last couple of weeks. In fact last week he brought three friends with him. We also have some really good friendships with several of these students. It has been amazing how close we have become in such a short time.
• Lisa changed jobs and will be working at DBU this fall teaching ESL in their Intensive English Program. She begins teaching there on Monday of this week. While she is sad to leave her previous post at El Centro college after so many years, this new challenge as brought a real jump to her step and a real sense of purpose in he eyes. Needless to say, there will be adjustments that we will have to make as anything new always does but working at a ministry oriented university where one of the President’s goals is to be a beacon to and reach out to unbelieving international students is truly refreshing for her.
• One huge blessing this summer has been our relationship with Alex & Marianna from Tajikistan. Marianna came about a year ago to begin graduate studies at UTA and her family soon followed. They’ve got two of the sweetest girls who are around Charis’ age. These three girls, and the daughter of the Phillips, key volunteers, enjoy every Friday night playing together. This precious family stayed at our house when we were gone to Asia. They just got a taste of what it is like to live in an American home for a while. We also are meeting together doing family church on a weekday night together using the discovery Bible study format. It has been a real blessing seeing their eyes light up as they study God’s word and learn the joy of studying it. We are really blessed by their friendship.
• In late July our ISI staff meet met together for some sweet prayer and planning for our annual vision/planning retreat. We learned how to be more effective prayers in ministry. We also evaluated where God took us last year in light of the goals he gave us last year and we established new strategic goals that we felt we needed to set for this next year. Among the things we felt we needed to do was continue developing and improving  the new model of ministry that we have been developing already, strengthening our leadership in prayer, developing creative ways for young people could serve as staff, and looking for special staff with unique gifts for unique large projects. For example we need someone who is good with the internet and facebook who could be a “internet minister” for students… to make initial contacts before they come, to keep up with students so that when we hear of their needs on social networks we can serve them with Christ’s love more effectively, and to help with the follow up with students from a distance. We also felt the need for an entrepreneurial business savvy and networked  staff person who could be a point person in developing a new way of doing international student ministry where we help develop them and get started in the work place. (more to come on both of these things in the future)
• The kids have been recovering nicely to the trip though the summer has gone by very quickly. Jonathan is working on his digital art skills with a new graphics pad that he got for his birthday. He is getting really good. Timothy is working on his cello and his game playing skills. Charis has been visiting with her neighbor friend Olivia a lot and enjoys doing many art projects.

Tags: Asia Trip, DBU, Discovery study, EMBA, Family, Family discovery study, Friday Night, Kids, Ministry, OPT, vision retreat

• The 2011 EMBA students are here. A very different group that then 2010 group but we are very much blessed by them.  Also, the students are very much attracted to Ron’s Golf lessons(20 of the 35 went to the first meeting) and 27 of the 35 came to our house from Friday night group and we have a full table for discussion group and Bible discovery group This has been awesome!
• The kids are finishing their semester and Charis and Tim won many awards for their school year. We haven’t heard about Jonathan’s year yet.
• Final preparations for our trip are coming together. We are almost there! Hard to believe.

• For the EMBA 2011 group,
  • Pray that we can find enough friendship partner host families for these students. Almost all of the 35 signed up and we are still very much short.
  • Pray for a someone who could help instruct the students in golf while Ron is recovering from surgery. This is a very pressing need as so many of them want to learn.
  • Pray for a home to host a sort of “grand opening” welcome party for them in late July.
• Keep on praying for Ron as he deals with the prostate cancer. His surgery is coming soon.
• Keep praying for our city mobilizer, Jeff who is struggling with his mother’s terminal illness. Pray for his son too who is struggling with some unexplained extreme headaches.
• Continue to pray for Roy’s Irritable Bowel. It’s getting better but not completely.
• Pray for people who will step up and do the stuff Ron and we do for the UTA ministry and specifically the Friday group in June, a very important time for ministry while we are gone and Ron is recovering.
• Pray for the final week before the Asia trip. Pray that we don’t forget anything. Pray that we can get our hearts in a ministry mindset. (abiding in Christ) and we can get rest now before things get crazy. Continue to pray for the right heart for our kids… Pray that God will do something incredible for them on this trip.
• Pray for airport pickups for new summer students. Pray for good relationships and that we can fine people of peace who God has already been working in.

Tags: Cancer, EMBA, Miracle, UTA

This last weekend a new group of students from China, all executives in large companies, arrived to start their one year Executive MBA program at UTA. “Your Texas Friends,” a team of people from various churches and ministries in Arlington, were there to help them get settled into their new apartments and learn about living in America.

These students arrived on Thursday off of a bus and YTF’s team (ISI is a partner in this) was ready to welcome them. We had welcome laundry baskets full of food, flatware, pots, etc. that would tide them over till they were able to go shopping. Also we helped them to move their luggage into their apartments. Roy made a real impression by falling off a curb down a small hill onto his face while moving luggage. They will no doubt not forget him.

For six Saturdays, YTF is going to take the student shopping at Hong Kong Market and Walmart. As Arlington does not have mass-transit, this is a huge need for students. This last Saturday, Roy picked up three students and they wanted to go get a computer so he and another couple from Grace Community Church took them to Fry’s and the student was able to buy a nice laptop computer. We all got really close through this time and talked about all kinds of things. One of the students shared that he is really into Chinese lore and we talked about him sharing some of that with C-6 to help her to learn more about her heritage.

Tags: EMBA, UTA, volunteers, Your Texas Friends

April, 2007 – Norm Sonju, founder of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, headlined a banquet (see pictures and video) that ISI and several other organizations in Arlington hosted for the thirty Executive MBA students who are at UTA from China.

There are 30 Chinese executives from the top companies in China who who are studying at UTA for one year to receive their MBA. The “Your Texas Friends” Team which includes ISI hosted a banquet for them at the end of April to welcome them. The featured speaker was Norm Sonju, founder and former general manager of the Dallas Mavericks. He shared his story about how he started the team, etc.

The students also were treated to a video with highlights of their first semester . and they were able to hear some christian music by a local church and wonderful chinese opera by one of the EMBA students. Finally, the team leader of the EMBA program shared a message of thanks to the “Your Texas Friends” Team. (see video) Food was provided by David’s Barbeque and China Chef.

Norm Sonju and all the other 130 american businessmen and families were obviously connecting well with the 30 students. It was incredible to see. One lawyer shared that it was incredible how God put him next to a Chinese Lawyer and how it make it wonderful to connect. Praise the Lord for all that God did in this special time. Pray also for the relationships formed to blossom and for God to work through all that happened this weekend.

Tags: EMBA, Norm Sonju, UTA

In western business golf has played an important part in developing relationships and sealing deals. The executive MBA student/executives from China who are studying at UTA got a sense of this and asked ISI volunteer/partner, Steve Schimer if he knew how to play golf. They wanted to learn. He arranged for ISI staff, and golf lover, Ron Bunyard to give them lessons.

Roy was able to join the second practice session several weeks ago in Arlington and he was told that several of the Chinese executives who were in the EMBA program were given country club memberships in their home land as a perk for reaching their high position in their companies back home and to facilitate communication. One problem. They didn’t know how to play golf.

Steve arranged for a couple of these men to learn from Ron at a local driving range and by the next time over 10 people came. The students loved it and really practiced between classes. One student commented to Ron, “I always want to play with you when I play golf.”

The long term goal of this endeavor is to develop deeper relationships with these special students and to introduce them to other Christians to whom they can get close to also. According to Ron, the next step is to get them to a par 3 course to learn the ettiquete of golf, get them on a regular course in foursomes with American Christians including pastors available during the week who have an interest in building relationships. Finally, perhaps there can be an opportunity to allow them to hear from a PGA pro about his faith.

It is amazing to see how God made all this happen from just a single comment!!!!

Tags: EMBA, Golf, Ron