近況和感恩
我們已從台灣香港回來一個半月了，在這個幾月裡我們的同工及孩子有些狀況，他們應該去還是留？我們應該單單靠神無窮的恩典，還是要盡力照我們能力把學校辦好？我們相信順服就是蒙福。我們在老師身上很多個月的教導及與孩子父母的交通，似乎達不到果效，總不能帶給他們正確的觀點。他們不願意接納我們的建議，這對學校有負面影響。最後經過禱告我們只好請他們離開，但願我們彼此都學到功課。感謝慈愛信實的神，祂是聽禱告的。
一月我們總算從教育部拿到幼兒園執照，但是還要符合當地許多政府部門的要求。幾個月的老師培訓卻沒有教出很好的教師團隊。托克馬克是個小城市，閒言閒語傳得特別快。我們真是嚐到厲害，也學到我們必須小心招募老師同工，還有挑選學生和家長。我們的教育方法是要與家長一起教育孩子，所以收學生不能操之過急，老師也要訓練好，這樣才能有優良的果效。托克馬克缺少人才，許多優秀人才都想出國，國家五分之一人口都到國外打工，大部分人比別的國家落後10 年。我們相信神給他們潛力，如果願意學習，加上努力，家庭的支持，他們都能學好。
中亞國家男女不平等，我們的老師多數是女的，東干、烏茲別克和吉爾吉斯人，不被看好為職業婦女，只能作個家庭主婦。我們需要鼓勵他們，傳遞我們的願景、異象和價值觀，加上他們也要了解蒙式教學理念，是跟當地的教育方法不一樣。當地的教育方法是蘇聯式沒有啟發性的教法，老師只在上面講，孩子只是聽。
我們承認以前的想法太天真，組成一隊能同心合一的團隊需要時間，現在知道需要至少6個月的訓練，但多數老師是今年一月加入的。要彼此學習，知道各人的長處，彌補短處。要供應一個安全的環境給孩子們，這些需要時間和耐心建立。我們的目標是到年底會有50個孩子。這樣我們的收入才能趕上開支，如果物價不暴漲 （最近幾年每年上漲30%）。
現在還需要各樣的培訓課程有：
- 家長和老師對孩子認知
- 蒙式教學方法
- 基本英語
- 團隊訓練及衝突管理
我們需要同工更有職業理念，但是學的不只是知識，而是神要在他們身上的呼召，裝備，來影響孩子認識神。柏林長樂準備教他們品格教育，借用一本<邁向真成功>（全家如何一起培養品格）。神是我們的導師，教我們如何傳給老師們，讓他們去影響孩子，再幫助孩子的家人。把恩福帶給穆斯林的國家需要時間，精力的擺上，這是我們的夢想，好像是不可能的事，但是我們相信在神沒有難成的事。
代禱
- 讓適合的孩子來到我們幼兒園，我們可以影響他們。
- 神賜智慧給我們團隊，能有合一的心事奉祂。
- 賜我們好的身體為祂打那美好的勝仗。
- 賜孩子與家庭救恩，賜我們有屬天的智慧傳福音，不影響我們的執照。
- 願神帶領有能力的老師來教蒙式教學，領導的方法，品德教育（紀念Betty, Tony 與 Jackie, Holly與Jayanti）他們可能會來幫助我們。
- 2015 年十月總統大選，賜國家平安。記得2005 及2010年兩次政變。
- 為我們家庭禱告，賜福於我們。
- 為我們工程主任的得救禱告，為Peter T禱告，他以前與我們同工過，現在又願意與我們一起事奉神。
- 神啊，請袮賜福給我們的支持者（在財務、禱告、忠告、鼓勵等），你知道他們。謝謝主，把他們擺在我們周圍，提醒我們，在困難的時候支持我們。
主內，
蔡柏林、何長樂 敬筆
＊如蒙感動為蔡柏林、何長樂宣教士夫婦在吉爾吉斯的事工奉獻，請用劃線支票，抬頭請寫「中華福音使命團」，或可直接存入香港的匯豐銀行014-014625-001之戶口，然後註明「吉爾吉斯事工」後擲回本團。歡迎每月以銀行自動轉賬，請與本團聯絡。
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John & Chrisita Tsai Prayer Letter 2015/5
Update & Give Thanks
We have been back from Taiwan/Hong Kong trip for over 1 ½ months now. During the last several months, we have been struggling with some of our staff and students wondering if we should keep them or let them go. Question: Should we continue to demonstrate God’s infinite love and grace to work on and with them or we need to strive for excellence of our kindergarten and expect them to recognize that obedience is the essential step for receiving Blessings? We have been trying for months to explain to them what is required of the teachers in training and the parents without success, and their behavior and lack of efforts to change really negatively affect the whole school. We finally made the decision with lots of prayers among us for the well-being of our school and the ones that we did let go, asking mercy that we all will learn valuable lessons. We give thanks to our Father that indeed He is faithful and loving. He heard and answered our prayers.
Back in January, we finally received our license from Ministry of Education but still we have to meet many local requirements that required time to meet before final approval. The months of training since last year on the local people did not create a good teaching team. Tokmok being a small town, has been known as a place where gossip starts easily, spreads widely until rumors are formed. We heard about damage of gossip but now God allows us to experience and know how serious it can be. Now we need to be extra careful in our selection and preparation of our staff and teachers and also our selection of students and their parents. After all we do expect parents to be our partners in the lives of their children. Therefore, we choose to add children carefully and to provide adequate time to properly equip and train our teachers to strive for excellence.
Remember, Tokmok does not automatically produce good people and best people may not stay in Kyrgyzstan. One fifth of the people work outside Kyrgyzstan. In general, people are at least 10 years behind time even if they attend the local schools. However, we believe God did provide them with potentials and once they acquire the willingness to learn, appropriate efforts, and are given supports by their families and opportunities from us, they are capable of doing well.
In Central Asia countries, equality between male and female is not so common especially among the Asians. Our teachers are mostly Dungan, Uzbek and Kyrgyz women. No local people expect them to become professional but only expect them to be mothers, and wives from their own society. So, we need to influence their basic thinking starting with understanding of our Vision, Mission and values. They also must understand Montessori Philosophy which is very different from the traditional way of teaching in Kyrgyzstan. Their ways have been heavily influenced by the Soviet way that students cannot be above teachers.
We must confess our previous thinking were too naïve about running a kindergarten. In order to build a sound team with similar values and act in unity and harmony requires time for such development. We now know that we need at least another 6 months to train our staff who joined us this January to have the basic qualification to teach the Montessori methods. In addition, the whole staff need to learn how to know about each other, recognize each other’s strength and compensate each other’s weakness for the good of the whole.
We must be able to provide a peaceful environment for our kindergarten where parents feel comfortable leaving their children with us and children feel safe and happy to attend school. All these require time and patience to achieve and our new target is that we may bring the number of students to 50 before the end of 2015. Only then our tuition income may cover our monthly operating expense if the inflation is under control for Kyrgyzstan. (So far it has been around 30% for the last 10 years)
So far, we still need all kinds of training for all our staff and Montessori Methodology for our teachers:
- The current training classes are:
- What do parents & teachers need to know about the children and their needs.
- Montessori techniques, in various different areas.
- Basic English
- Team Building & Conflict Management
We need classes to train our staff to be more professional, However, more importantly, we recognize that just information and knowledge do not make us better staff and teachers. Only God, can empower our people to fulfill His calling for them and equip them to influence the children to go to Himself. In the near future, John and Christa are planning to start to teach Character Building based on the book – Achieving True Success through building Character as a Family. Do pray that God is the Teacher behind this, first teaching us to coach our teachers and through them the children may benefit greatly from a young age and impact his/her whole family. This is our dream to bring blessings to this Muslim country and requires a great deal of time, efforts and may seem impossible for us to achieve. However, we believe that nothing is impossible with God!!
Prayer Requests
- May God bring appropriate children come to our kindergarten so we can make a difference in their lives. May He also bring interested candidates for training to be preschool teachers.
- Pray God grants us success in our team building efforts that we consistently demonstrate unity, harmony, joy and peace in everything we do with each other and our children and their families.
- Grant us power, strength and good health so we may continue fight a good fight.
- May God draw people of all ages and of all nationalities to Him through our ministry.
- May God bring suitable trainers to us, on Montessori, leadership, character building. (Please remember Jackie, Shirley, for their ongoing support, Holly, Jayanti, Betty and others who will be coming to help us).
- October 2015 this year will be presidential election in Kyrgyzstan. Grant this country peace and stability!! We still remember the 2 revolutions we went through in 2005 & 2010.
- Do pray for our family’s protection and blessings so we can solely focus on our God.
- Pray for our building manager, Mr. K for his salvation and bless him for his dedication and loyalty. Pray for Peter T. who has worked with us before and again now that he that he returns to Kyrgyzstan. May he join us for a longer term to serve God.
- Lord, continue to bless our many partners (in finance, prayer, advice, in encouragement etc.)
CEM Missionaries
John & Christa Tsai
Email: Jc.kg.mission@gmail.com Blog: Christajohnmission.blogspot.com
If God touches your heart to support our ministry please write check to CEM (China Evangelistic Mission, Inc.) with memo “for His Ministry in Kyrgyzstan”
China Evangelistic Mission, Inc.
2400 Old Crow Canyon Road, Suite A6, San Ramon, CA 94583-1214, USA
Tel: (925)552-8088 Website: cemusaonline.org
