Eastern Youth Newsletter: Volume 1 Issue 4

Eastern UCLE Church

Volume 1, Issue 4

XtáàxÜÇ lÉâà{ axãáÄxààxÜ August-October 2006

Days of Praise and Thanksgiving! Inside this issue: Praise and Thanksgiving!

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November Calendar

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Past Events

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Family Matters!

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The Samaritan Neighbor

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Special Story and Word Search!

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Last Words of Encouragement

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When we think of Thanksgiving Day, we think back to our History class and what they taught us, that it is a date to celebrate when the Pilgrims and the Indians first had their harvest celebration together, or a date to commemorate their many blessings and of the friendships made. Originally, days of thanksgiving were announced whenever something wonderful occurred such as the case of the harvest celebration between the Pilgrims and Indians. You can, also, find many praises of thanksgiving to the Lord in the Bible. It wasn’t until President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation in 1863 that we have had a Thanksgiving Day to celebrate. The day has since then been changed to the 4th Thursday of November by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939.

life and the love we share that God has blessed us with. Realize how blessed you are to have a family, friends and a life! You don’t want to lose almost everything in order to start appreciating everything you have. Remember that: We are here for only a moment, our days on earth are like a shadow, gone so soon without a trace (1 Chron. 29:15). Remember to keep living and loving each other for you’ll never know what tomorrow holds.

Thanksgiving Day isn’t only just a reminder of our American History, but it is a reminder of our

A PSALM FOR GIVING THANKS. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; We are His people, The Sheep of His pasture. ~Psalm 100:1-3

~EUCLE Historian, Rebecca Lor

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Volume 1, Issue 4

1 Peter 2:18-25 Be thankful for what our L ord J esus Christ has d on e for us . An d rememb er to lov e as He has loved us .

You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason.

so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.

There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.

They called Him every name in the book and He said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your Souls.

This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came His way

NOVEMBER Schedule of Events:

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He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss.

2006 TUE

• November 11: Veteran’s Day

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• November 23: Thanksgiving Day! • November 23-25: Hmong New Years in Lenoir, NC! ~We’ll be holding a booth at the New Years to fundraise for the EUCLE building fund and for our EUCLE Youths. ~Out of Sight will be performing at the New Years also! So come support! • November 25: MPD’s “Embrace His Grace” Concert

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L e t ’s r e f r e s h w h a t o u r Yo u t h d i d f r o m A u g u s t t i l l O c t o b e r : After a long summer of preparing for the Conference and the Love 4 Emily’s Concert, we all finally settled down in August when school began for everyone.

Whenever we could, we took the time to have Bible Studies together.

Some events the EUCLE Youths attended was the LEC Revival where we had fellowship with other Youth members we had met before like CMA, Lutheran, the Baptists churches and, of course, the LEC Youths!

Sometimes, we just liked to hang out.

In October, we had a surprise visit from Reverend Suafeng Chervunkong. Once again, the UCLE Youths got to hang out together. We all went to Hickory Dickory Dock where we played many games like pool and hand hockey. We, also, got to play laser tag!!!

In September, we had our 2nd Youth Yard Sale where we raised about $180!

Alas, our last Youth event was the Parent-Youth Night held in October. It was a good experience to work with our families in order to strive to become better Christians. We have done much over the past few months. Thank God for all His blessings! Now God bless you EUCLE Youths for all your hard work! May God give you the wisdom and understanding to continue praising the Lord! Thank the parents too for all their love and support! May we keep growing more in Christ through His Love and Faith!

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. ~Ephesians 1:17

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F a m i l y M a t t e r s : T h e P a r e n t - Yo u t h N i g h t I have learned very little in my nineteen years of life, but the one piece of knowledge I have acquired or, one could say, earned through my own grave mistakes is that the bond between family remains strong even through the most turbulent of waters. Your family is the first thing you know; the only thing you have to lean on when you don’t yet have the ability to walk nor even crawl, and gives you a head start in this twisted endeavor we call life wherein the liberation of finally being taught to walk (most people’s first achievement) gets you into places you do not wish to be. Some of these situations may be caused, or seemingly thereof by your family, but I have learned through pain and suffering that things will end up turning for your betterment: After all, speaking of love, as it is the highest form of knowledge; how can one acquire knowledge unless it has been tested and proven to be true? This fact has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt: family is not only your first, but also your last resort: And although one cannot realize it today, situations will occur in the near future, sooner than one would expect—most likely sooner than one thinks, and that will be the day one fully appreciates the value of people who love them, no matter what was done or said, because, “The past has been forgotten, right now is being created by you yourself, in every breath you inhale, then inevitably exhale. And then, the scariest proposition of all, the future awaits creation. So do not wait for someone to create your future for you. You hold the power in your own hands to create anything and everything, just as you have the power to refuse to inhale your next breath, which brings you into the future you have yourself created. So create, with all your heart and soul, create…for every person wants to leave a mark on the world and what simpler way to do it than just through living life: inhaling and, then inevitably, exhaling.” What is the meaning of loving someone? Is it not the undying feeling of wholeness that can only be realized with the presence of another that one feels a part of? “For when a person is in love; they are not in love with their partner; but they are merely in love with the part of themselves that they have spent their life searching for: A person knows they have found true love when looking at their partner is like looking at a perfected reflection of themselves, whole; all imperfections forgotten, in a reflection that seems to never end.”

And at the end of the search for one’s true companion is where we find true happiness. What feels better than knowing you are being held in the arms of one that feels the same way as you do? A valuable life lesson learned: I just talked to my mother after a year of non-communication: I took the first step, acknowledged that I was wrong (although I don’t believe I was, but that’s the whole point) and all of a sudden the motherly love (the best kind) came flowing just as strong as the day I came out of her womb: I know because I can feel it...Possibly the simplest to follow through with and best decision I have ever made in my life.

ÂUx ~|Çw tÇw vÉÅÑtáá|ÉÇtàx àÉ ÉÇx tÇÉà{xÜ? yÉÜz|ä|Çz xtv{ Éà{xÜ? }âáà tá |Ç V{Ü|áà ZÉw yÉÜztäx çÉâAÊ @XÑ{xá|tÇá GMFE

Written in 2005 by Paul Janicki, Canada I just wrote the preceding thoughts after pulling an all-nighter trying to get myself to talk to my mom after a year of silence. I’ve never felt better, and to all of the people out there struggling with family issues, I just want to say, “A word is worth a thousand pictures.” By the way, if anyone cares, me and my mother are back together, just like it was back in the day, and I’ve never been happier!

Words from our EUCLE Youth President, Mai Cheng Yang: This story focuses on family matters with ties with our Parent/Youth Night on October 28th. I hope that this story will uplift your thoughts on the youth and parents before the BIG NIGHT! However, this is a gathering that I hope will change you and your family to learn more about yourself than what you think you know. There was an assignment that was already given to the parents. Parents are to share the assignment with their children and work with everyone. Each family should come to the Parent/Youth Night with a lesson, story, quiz, play or any creative thing that they made up to present to the other family. I hope the youth and parents will work together to make this important night possible for those who seek this gathering with their parents and children. As teenagers and parents today putting time with one another is difficult due to school, work and etc. However the whole reason behind this project that was assigned to the family was to give them some time to work and laugh together. It is alas a moment to find out what kind of ability does each member in the family lacks or can do. Everyone has something the other doesn’t, which is why God created everyone in our family to think and understand differently with distinctive gifts. Find out what kind of gift your parents, brothers, and sisters have; therefore, all of you can join the ideas and work together to make this assignment possible for everyone. It is not an assignment to punish you, but consider it valuable for you and your family. For God wants all of us to love one another and to show our love.

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The Samaritan Neighbor: Luke 10:25-37 and Acts 10: 28, 34-35 “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” - Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., at the civil rights March on Washington, August 28, 1963. The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us to treat all people as our neighbors.

robbers? The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” The priests and Levites were the religious leaders. They led the people in worship and taught God’s laws to the people. What a bad example the religious leaders gave in this story because they thought they were too good to get involved with the man who was beaten and robbed. They were so strict about obeying the law that they forgot that the very heart of the law was to have mercy. They thought it would make them “unclean” to touch the wounds so they kept their distance and ignored this poor man in need. Jesus must have surprised those listening to this story when he told them the Samaritan was the hero. The Israelites hated the Samaritans. They despised them and wouldn’t even speak to them on the street. (Acts 10:28)

Look at the pictures to the right. Each person is from a different race. They are Hispanic, Caucasian, African, and Asian. How should we treat all people as our neighbors? You’ve heard someone say, “He is a Good Samaritan.” It just means that he really cared about other people. The phrase comes from a story Jesus told. A teacher of God’s law asked Jesus a tricky question: What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus answered him by asking what He thought the Bible taught. The teacher said we should love God and love our neighbor. (Deut 6:5 and Lev 18:18) Jesus said he was right. But the teacher, who wanted to prove he was a good person, asked him, “Who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:30-37 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of

If we learn to hate people because they look different from us then we think we are better than others because of our race. This is called racism. Jesus taught that this is wrong. It must have made the teachers mad to hear Jesus make a person that they hated the “good guy” in this story. The Samaritan didn’t think he was better than others. He didn’t think he was too good to help. He showed mercy to the beaten stranger and treated him like a neighbor. This is how Jesus turns the ways of the world upside-down. He teaches us to love our enemies, to love all people, and not just to love those that look and act and think as we do. A few years later the disciple Peter finally understood what Jesus was trying to teach. Acts 10:34-35 Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” When Peter said God showed no favoritism that meant God does not treat one person better than another. Our race does not matter to God. We should be willing not only to help people in need, but also learn to love all people as God does.

Âjx á{ÉâÄw ux ã|ÄÄ|Çz ÇÉà ÉÇÄç àÉ {xÄÑ ÑxÉÑÄx |Ç Çxxw? uâà tÄáÉ ÄxtÜÇ àÉ ÄÉäx tÄÄ ÑxÉÑÄx tá ZÉw wÉxáAÊ

©2000 by Jim Kerlin. All rights reserved.

http://www.childrensermons.com/sermons/samaritan.htm

Volume 1, Issue 4

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GOD IS GOOD!

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!" Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer. " "Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart," the man replied. Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Wo r d S e a r c h : First 20 Bible Book Names In Hmong

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman; With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already." The End - by Author Unknown

God char ts the road you take.

Psalm 1:1-6 How well God must like you—You don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.

You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust—Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.

Find words ONLY. No numbers or dashes.

Chivkeeb Khiavdim Levis-Kevcai Teev Npe Kevcai Tsosuas

Cov Txiavtxim Luv 1-2 Xamuyees 1-2 Vajntxwv 1-2 Xwmtxheej Exalas

Nehemis Exataws Yauj Nkauj Qhuas Vajtswv Pajlug

The first to finish and show to our EUCLE Youth President, Mai Cheng Yang, will receive a prize!

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it. Here are words from the well of living water that will help to extinguish those fires of disbelief and anguish: You may say: "It's impossible." God says: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27) You may say: "I'm too tired." God says: I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30) You may say: "Nobody really loves me." God says: I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

I s Yo u r H u t B u r n i n g ? The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on an uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

You may say: “I can't go on." God says: My grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15) You may say: "I can't figure things out." God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6) You may say: "I can't do it." God says: You can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, why didn't you save my hut?" He asked, despairingly.

You may say: "I'm not able." God says: I am able. (II Corinthians 9:8)

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

You may say: "I can't forgive myself." God says: I FORGIVE YOU. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground -- it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

You may say: "It's not worth it." God says: It will be worth it. (Roman 8:28)

You may say: "I can't manage." God says: I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) You may say: "I'm afraid." God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Timothy1:7) You may say: "I'm always worried and frustrated." God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7) You may say: "I don't have enough faith." God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

Eastern UCLE Church Words from the EUCLE Youth Historian/Editor: Hey! I hope you guys enjoy the 4th edition of our Eastern Youth Newsletter! We, also, have news! We now have a Myspace! So please come by and give us your support! If you have any questions or comments just contact me personally or email me by the information below. God bless! ~Rebecca Lor E-mail: [email protected] Visit us at: www.geocities.com/eucle_youth Or at: www.myspace.com/eucle_youth Please support our UCLE YMD too at ucleymd.org!

You may say: "I'm not smart enough." God says: I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30) You may say: "I feel all alone." God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews13:5)

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