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A New Destination
A New Beginning

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The year 2001 would not only be the start of a new millennium for mankind, it was to become a new beginning for Pellman Sensei. Early in the new year, the Pellman family began regularly praying what is commonly called The Prayer of Jabez, after a book by that title that has popularized it.

Jabez is a relatively insignificant figure in the Bible, mentioned in only a few sentences in the book of 1 Chronicles. Jabez' name means "pain" or "suffering" in Hebrew, and he developed a desire to end the pain in his own life and the lives of others, so (as translated in the New American Standard edition):

"Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying: 'Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!' And God granted him what he requested."

-- 1 Chronicles 4:10 (NASB)

Believing that online education was the new academic frontier, Pellman Sensei had applied to several universities to teach online courses, but most had informed him that they were overstaffed in in their business and technology departments. A few weeks after he began praying the Prayer of Jabez, Indiana Wesleyan University called to interview Sensei for an adjunct faculty position.  A few days later, he was asked to fly to Indiana for another interview. "You may be the answer to our prayers," he was told. As it turned out, Indiana Wesleyan was also the answer to his prayers!

On August 1, 2001 joined Indiana Wesleyan University's Center For Distributed Learning as its MBA Online Program Manager, where he was responsible for all instruction and curriculum development for one of the nation's fastest growing online MBA degree programs.  Within a year, this role was expanded to include all online graduate business degrees for the university.  God has truly enlarged his border, as Len had asked in the Prayer of Jabez. From teaching classes of 10 to 15 students, Sensei now has the entire world as his online classroom!  In the process, God has also blessed Pellman Sensei.  He has gone from renting a house to owning a home. And from being enrolled in a second Master's degree program to nearing completion of a Ph.D. in Information Technology Management.

Pellman Sensei has also been able to continue to teach martial arts, and keep the Seishin-Kan growing by establishing a karate program at the YMCA in his new hometown of Marion, Indiana. His second book, delayed by the move to Indiana, is now due out early in 2004, and he continues to work with Shima Shihan on new projects. So watch here for new developments and breaking news .....

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© 2003   Leonard J. Pellman