Even more than January 1st, the beginning of September always feels like a new year to me. Because I am truly a student at heart, I and always looked forward to getting my new box of crayons, pencils and folders for the upcoming year. I am still the same way-when I do back to school shopping for my kids, I always throw in a pencil case or a new pen for myself.

Regardless of whether or not September brings waves of nostalgia for those school days or waves of relief, here in SEND U our vision is for lifelong learning for all of us. It is right in our logo and shows up in our vision and values. We know that what this looks like fluctuates with seasons of life and ministry and the ongoing balance of our task as SEND workers and our own development is a key consideration.

However, everyone has time to be curious. Even if you do not have time to register for an online course or read the latest book everyone is talking about, taking time to be curious about the world around you is always possible. In a recent Harvard Business Review article entitled "Why Curiosity Matters" behavioral scientist Francesca Gino states the just being curious has the following benefits:

• Fewer Decision Making Errors
• More innovation and positive changes
• Reduced group conflict
• More open communication and better team performance.

We all want that in our own work and with our teams. If you do not have time to read the article, here is a practical take away you can start using today! At the beginning of the day, set aside some time to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is one topic or activity you are curious about today?
• What is one thing you usually take for granted and need to consider?
• Make sure you ask a few ‘Why questions’ as you engage in your work throughout the day.

If you are feeling stuck, start here with these questions and an open journal and see what new learning you find in your everyday life and ministry. Discover something? Let us know by dropping us a notehere.

Are you using or planning to use English as a tool in your ministry? Do you have ministry partners who want to use English as an outreach but do not know how? The Asia's Center for TESOL would love to help equip you in this vital ministry skill. Classes are currently forming in both Chiang Mai (January 7th-February 8th) and Manila (January 21-February 22nd). Participants will receive a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language through Cornerstone University. Visit their website to learn more about this opportunity! Do you have multiple people interested? Click here to learn about hosting a full or shortened course in your location.

We have received several emails about the wiki recently. Please know the wiki is up and running and is still accessible by simply typing www.senduwiki.org. It can also be found at this link: https://senduwiki.org. Currently, anyone can look at about 95% of the SEND U wiki as a guest. However, if you wish to access the 120+ pages or documents that are password-protected or assist in uploading and editing documents, you will need to join the SEND U Wiki site and log in. We are also aware that there may be broken links and other issues after the migration to the new site. Please let Ted know about these so we can address them for you and others. To join at a discounted price, please contact Ted (tszymczak@send.org) or Gary Ridley (gridley@send.org) and they will send you an invitation and coupon to join by email. You can see the process in full on the wiki at this link. Once you create your account, you will also have access to dozens of self-paced modules on the SEND U Wiki site as well. Happy learning!

Dig out that crumpled up paper or print a shiny new one - it is only September, which means we all still have time to meet our IGP goals! What progress have you made? What goals would you still like to accomplish? Stay tuned for an additional tool to help you debrief your IGP in December.

And do not forget to check out the SEND U Blog. Gary Ridley has reviewed several good books recently, one of which was reshared through the CIT Facebook page! Link to the blog is below.