Caring for One Another

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." - 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

It's been a good but busy weekend. Yesterday we went to the Bridge House for a BBQ. It was a lot of fun. It was a good time to catch up with our Bridge residents, and other friends in the city. Today was a regular day in the city, that included church and shopping.

The message in church today was great. It was a reminder that the church is about people, not a building, events, or programs. We are the body of Christ, and as such, we must care for one another. That is something that the Lord has been putting on my heart a lot lately. As Christians, we are responsible for caring for one another and meeting one another's needs. I am trying to be more intentional about checking on people and seeing how they are REALLY doing. Then I can pray for them more specifically.

If you have a prayer request, please send me an e-mail and I will commit to praying for your needs.

Busy Week and RBC visit

"For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore 'put away from yourselves the evil person.'" - 1 Corinthians 5:12-13

This past week has been extremely busy. Besides being the first week of classes, I also had a group here visiting from my home church in VA. I was able to spend last weekend with them, and then they came to the ranch from Wednesday through Saturday. They worked at the ranch all day Thursday, and then we went to a community church service in the evening. On Friday, I took them to visit another project in the city. I wanted them to have an opportunity to see the "real" Honduras while they were here. We walked through downtown, met the street kids in the market, and then watched "street kid soccer." It was a good experience for them. I think it helped to put into perspective why my ministry does what we do.

The team left Saturday morning. I spent the rest of the afternoon with a friend. Today was a regular day in the city - church, lunch, and shopping. Tomorrow it's back to work and the normal weekly routines.

First Day of School

"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth." - Psalm 26:2-3

Today was the first day back to school. We started with a chapel to begin the year with praise, prayer, and a time of sharing important information. After that, I taught for three class periods in a row. I am teaching 7th and 8th grade math, Algebra I and II. By the time I was ready to go home for lunch, it was almost time for the kids to come back, so I just stayed. I had a meeting at 1pm, another immediately following, and a third soon after that. I worked until a little after 5pm before heading home. Not long after arriving home, one of the housemoms stopped by to drop something off, but we ended up talking until after 6pm. We got interrupted when my cell phone rang. It was a teacher that had gone to the city, so I had to make sure she was alright. She was, she just needed a phone number. I made some toast for dinner because it had gotten too late to cook a full meal. After dinner I went to the teacher housing to spend time with a couple of the teachers and see how their first day went. It sounds like except for a few minor things, everyone had a generally good day.

RBC Team Arrives to Honduras

"Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You." - Psalm 25:20-21

Yesterday, the construction team from Reston Bible Church arrived to Honduras. I met them at the airport and went with them to the Mission House in El Hatillo. There, they had a long day of orientation and introductions with the medical team that is also staying there. After a good night's sleep, three members of the team went with me to the English speaking church, while the rest went to the Spanish speaking church. We all met up again for lunch at a typical Honduran restaurant. From there, we went to Valle de Angeles, a tourist area with lots of souvenir shops. I had to return to the ranch after that. The team will be working on construction at our new mission house site until Wednesday. Wednesday night they will come out to the ranch where they will spend the rest of their week.

I am so blessed to have this team from RBC. The team includes two members of the missions committee, and my friend Jeff. I am looking forward to spending more time with them here at the ranch.

Back to School

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" -Romans 11:33

Teachers are now back to school. We are having times of inservice in the mornings, with afternoons available to work in classrooms. We start our day with a time of worship and prayer. After that, my roommate Kim is giving workshops on behavior management. Later in the morning, I do my presentations. Today we covered the school calendar for the semester. It's going to be a busy semester!

I have found myself in meetings all afternoon. Today I met with a teacher who is also now a housedad. We talked about the need for rules of conduct at school between the guys and girls. After that, I met with my legal director to plan our inservice training for tomorrow. I left school on time today, with a headache from dehydration. I cannot forget my water bottle tomorrow.

When I got home, I met with a student who is struggling spiritually. I hope some of what I shared will encourage her.

It's been a quiet evening at home. Now off to bed!

Home Again

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." - Romans 5:19

Well, it's been a month since I have written, but that's because I was back in the States on furlough. I had a wonderful time, but am glad to be back home in Honduras.

As many of you know, I have returned to the country at a time when the political situation is a bit unstable. No matter what the political situation, I intend to stay focused on the work God has me to do here and fulfilling His purposes.

Because there was question regarding the safety of being in the city today, our ministry decided it would be best for everyone to stay at the ranch rather than going to church. I was able to sleep in a little bit, and then attended a worship service here at the ranch. We all met at the bodega at 10:00 AM for a time of worship, reading God's Word, and prayer. When I got home, I listened to a recorded message of my pastor in the States. The message was on the power of the Gospel. This evening, while doing my quiet time, the Lord impressed upon me the need to be praying for a spiritual transformation here in Tegucigalpa. With the political situation being uncertain, now may be the right time for a revival, providing the certainty of Christ in a time of uncertainty. I have decided to commit to praying for this city to transform it's hearts and minds and receive the power of the Gospel. Please join me in this prayer.

The Final Countdown

"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.  And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. they were multiplied." - Acts 9:31

This morning I drove to the Micah House and spent the day with the boys there.  We went to Villa Linda Miller, a community that was built to house about 165 people who lost their homes to Hurricane Mitch in 1998.  We attended the church service there, and then had a "rico" typical lunch prepared by some of the boys' moms.  After lunch, we went back to the church and had some songs and games for the kids of the community.  They ended with a Veggie Tales movie in Spanish, but apparently the kids in the community weren't interested.  After eating their "merienda" of cookies and juice, almost all of them left.  We were all tired, so we were ok with that.  It was nice spending time with the boys there one more time before leaving for my furlough on Tuesday.

We had our ranch graduation on Friday, and for the first time since coming to Honduras, I am so happy the year is over.  I don't know why, but I am so tired.  While going on furlough is nice to see family and friends, the constant travel is going to be difficult.  I will be visiting six states in four weeks.  Yikes!

Even though school is out, I have to go in tomorrow and get some things done before leaving.  I have to order curriculum, uniforms, and clean my office and the Resource Room.  Oh, and of course I have to pack.  AHHH!

Ok, well in order to be effective tomorrow, I need to head to bed.  

The Ups and Downs of Life

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber." - Psalm 121:1-3

This has been a difficult week.  My grandmother passed away on Sunday, and I am not able to be with my family during this time.  It's been hard, but I trust that God is in control.  Today was the funeral.

In happier news, today was my friend Steve's birthday.  We celebrated in our morning teacher meeting with a cake baked by Kelly.  It was yummy - with blue writing.  She was very proud of that.  

I started giving my final math exam today.  It is a wonderful feeling to be in final exams.  This is our exam week, and next week we prepare for graduation.

Also today, we had a medical brigade from Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, AR.  They sent four doctors to do checkups on all our kids.  It was great to have our kids checked out.

I spent the rest of the day in the city with Abby and Tammy.  We did banking and shopping.  We also took my car into the mechanic AGAIN for repairs.  The serpentine belt is breaking off and broke the transmission fluid line.  I am thankful for my car, but tired of repairs.

Other than that, things are going well.  Please keep my family in your prayers during this time of loss.  Thanks.

Craziness and furlough planning

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

I am exhausted.  I had four teachers out today, and had to cover most of the classes.  I am so thankful for my teaching staff who helps me problem solve and step in whenever I need help.  I am truly blessed by them.  Nonetheless, the constant running through the day wears on me, and I get nothing else done.  We have our biannual school visit/inspection on Friday, and I have had absolutely no time to get the school ready.  We are planning on staying after school to clean up some of the worst rooms.  By that, I mean put them in order.  For instance, the Resource Room is filled with wonderful resources for our teachers.  However, I have not had time to finish inventorying incoming materials and books, and so they are on the floor waiting to be shelved.  That will have to happen tomorrow.  On top of that, I have been trying to work on schedules for next semester so I can order the curriculum items we are lacking.  Oh, and then tonight I found out that IHNFA, the Honduran governing agency over us, is coming for our annual inspection tomorrow.  I am so ready for a break!!!!

If anyone actually reads this, I am going on furlough June 16-July 17.  I am going to fly in and out of Chicago.  I will be in Orlando June 17-25, Kalamazoo, MI June 26-July 2, NJ July 3-8, Northern VA July 8-13, and Buffalo July 13-16.  It will be a quick trip, but I am looking forward to seeing family and friends.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:34-35

I realize it has been three months since I last wrote a blog.  Life has been very busy, and I just haven't made this a priority.  I guess it would be good to try and keep up with it again.

I am not even going to try and sum up all that has been going on.  I will just start from now.  I had a good day in the city, and listened to a hard message at church.  The main point of the message was that it is enough to do what you are being called to do, rather than trying to focus on anything else.  In other words, be content with what you have and where you are!  It was a great message.  God has a purpose for me here in Honduras, and I am thankful for the call He has placed on my life.

The Scripture written above is very important in our lives.  God placed that idea in my heart just a few weeks ago.  In order to effectively do the work we are doing in Honduras, I felt it important for us to come together and just love one another in times of prayer and sharing.  I started it last week, and I hope to continue it.  We had an awesome evening together.  About ten of the younger adults (mostly singles) came together for a fellowship dinner, followed by a time of worship, sharing, and prayer.  It was encouraging to all of us, and we decided that we will try to do that more often.  The love that we share with one another will display the love of Christ to the children that we desire to reach with the gospel.  Besides that, it will refresh and strengthen ourselves to continue in the work we are called to do.  I am excited to see how the Lord will continue to work through these times of love and prayer.

My Family Away from Home

"But He answered them, saying, 'Who is My mother, or My brothers?'  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, 'Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.'" - Mark 3:33-35

In this passage, Jesus is not disowning his family.  He is simply saying that his relationships with people go beyond the physical into the spiritual.  Living abroad, I have learned a little more about what that means.  I love my family.  However, they live very far away.  Actually, I live far away from them.  Since living here at the ranch, I have learned more about how the Body of Christ becomes your family, no matter where you live.  We are off from school today and tomorrow for spring break.  This morning I had a relaxing morning at home with my roommate Sara.  I enjoyed just spending time with her.  After lunch, I took a grocery item to a friend's house that was left in my cooler yesterday.  On my way home, I stopped at a house where one of the kids has opened his own "pulperia" (store).  I sat and talked with him and a couple of the boys that live in his house.  Shortly after that, a few of the other teachers came and joined us.  We sat and talked until the Children's Services Director came and sat with us.  From there I went to a meeting.  I ended my day riding the busito with our Honduran staff to the city to go pick up my car.  That's not true.  My day ended about 9pm after I had my Girls' Bible Study.  Throughout the day, I interacted with a lot of different people.  We all live and work together.  I realized that in my time here, THEY have become my brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.  While I am away from my physical family, God has provided the love and fellowship of other believers to be my family here in Honduras.  What a blessing that is!  It is the responsibility of all Christians to reach out and love one another.  There should never be a lonely Christian.  We should always be on the lookout for anyone feeling lonely or isolated, and then lovingly embrace them into the family of God.  After all, we are always to model Christ's example.

Randomness

"Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.'  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed." - Mark 1:40-42

Grades were due today.  There was a mixture of really excellent grades and not so good ones.  At least this is just the mid-quarter grades, so there is still time to improve.  My math students are doing well.  They all have either As or Bs.  Tomorrow I will make copies of the progress reports, and then send them home on Wednesday.

My car went in today for repairs.  It needs a lot of work, but hopefully it won't be too expensive.  The road from the ranch to the city is pretty rough, so my car needs repairs fairly regularly.  It also doesn't help that the car is 12 years old.  :)

Finally, this evening I was invited to a dinner given as a thank you to all the people who helped with the Valentine's Day dinner.  I was invited because I had babysat a house of kids.  The dinner was lovely, followed by games.  I learned a new game called Wordsters.  It is similar to Scattergories, although you have to make words using three letters in the order they are given.  It was more complicated than it sounds.  The words can have the letters in a row, or they can have other letters interspersed.  I liked it, but I enjoy games like that.  I liked it even better because I won.  :)

Ok, I guess that's the end of my randomness for the evening.

The Weekend in Review

"And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." - Mark 1:10-11

It's been a good weekend.  Friday night I went and hung out at the teacher apartment.  It was a relaxing end to a busy week.  Saturday I drove the preschool teacher to the airport to meet up with this week's medical brigade.  We try to have all of our teachers experience the other side of the ministry, so she will be spending the week at our Mission House and doing community outreach all week.  While at the airport, I ran into a group from another ministry with which I am friends.  It was great to see them, as I haven't seen them since Christmas.  I got back to the ranch early enough to read for awhile, and then sit in the rain to watch the guys play soccer.  It was a fun game to watch.

Saturday evening, some of the teenage girls hosted a special dinner for all the house parent couples at the ranch.  I hear it was very lovely.  I babysat a house of boys so the parents in that house could attend.  They didn't get home until almost 10pm, so I was pretty tired.  However, I had a lot of fun with the kids.  One of the boys is the same one in my profile pic on Facebook.

Today was a typical day in the city.  The sermon in church was on the importance of having discernment.  Afterwards, we went to Chili's for lunch.  We hadn't been in a while, and decided it would be a fun treat.  We got our shopping done and were back at the ranch by 3:30pm.  Again, I had time to read some more.  I am currently reading the Baxter series by Karen Kingsbury.  It's not actually called that.  There are several different series that follow the Baxter family.  All the female teachers at the ranch have been reading it, and I got sucked in too.  The books are really excellent, if you are looking for something good to read.  WARNING:  They are DEFINITELY chick books.  

I am looking forward to a short week this week.  We are taking Thursday and Friday off for a mini spring break.  I decided that since Easter is not until April, we would have a spring break.  The schools in the city are taking the whole week off, but we find the kids at the ranch get bored very quickly if they are out of school too long.  I would rather give a break and yet keep them busy.  :)

Girls' Bible Study

"Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine." - Psalm 33:18-19

Praise the Lord!  Tonight I had NINE girls show up for my Bible Study!  That is EVERY girl in 10-12th grades.  I was just floored!  God is working in their hearts, I truly believe that.  I am hoping they will all continue to come.  We had some really great discussions tonight.  Tonight's session was entitled, "Says Who?" and talked about the way Satan takes what is good and perverts it.  We talked about how the spiritual world impacts the natural world.  That led to an awesome discussion on the evil things that occur in this world.  I am excited to see where God takes us over the next several weeks.  Please be praying for these girls!  And of course, for me as well as I try to point them to Christ.

100th Day of School

"Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!  For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.  Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD." - Psalm 31:23-24

It's hard to believe that today was our 100th day of school!  Where has the time gone?  The primary school celebrated this afternoon with their 100th day party.  I was unable to attend because I had my weekly leadership meeting.  I bet the kids had fun though!

This evening we had our weekly family night with the singles.  We each contributed chicken and apples to have a wonderful meal of chicken strips, mashed potatoes, and homemade applesauce.  It was yummy!  I was a little distraught when I had two different people today tell me they dreamed of me last night.  I was mean in both of the dreams!  I like to joke that I am mean, but maybe I need to reevaluate the way I really treat people.  I don't want to be mean for real!  :(

After dinner we played a fun card game called golf.  I just learned it about a month ago, but it is a fun game that can be played with as many as seven or eight people.  We had lots of laughs this evening.

A Relaxing Weekend

"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" - Matthew 25:40

Well, the movie fell through on Friday night.  The only showing was at 9:00pm, and we decided that was too late to start a movie in the city.  We still went for a nice Chinese dinner, but then came back to the ranch and watched the latest episode of LOST.  I love that show.

Saturday ended up being a relaxing day.  I slept in, which was nice.  I had the opportunity to talk to my best friend in the States for about an hour and a half.  It was great to catch up with her.  Unfortunately, in order to talk I have to be outside to get signal.  Without thinking about it, I ended up getting REALLY sunburned on my face and arms.  I guess next time I want to talk on the phone, I need to remember to put on sunscreen.

Last night my next door neighbors invited some of us over to play games.  We played Guitar Hero for a little while, and then played the game Sequence.  Sequence is a board game that uses cards too.  You have to match your cards with the cards printed on the board.  The winning team has to get five in a row.  It was actually a lot of fun.

Today was a regular Sunday in the city.  We went to church and had a great message from the pastor.  He preached on Jeremiah 2:1-13.  His main point was that "God is the Fountain of Living Waters, and longs to be the source of His people's joy and satisfaction, and hates to be replaced by anyone or anything else (competing affections)." (Quoted from his sermon outline). 

We got back relatively early (3pm) so I had time to read before making dinner and starting my evening routine.  Overall it's been a relaxing weekend.  I am ready to face another week! 

Moral Principles - Twisted

"You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.  If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry;" - Exodus 22:22-23

Tonight I had my first girls' Bible Study of the semester.  I had one new girl join the group, and three others said they would come but could not come tonight.  If all that said would come really do, we will have eight all together.  Please be in prayer for them and for me as I lead it.  I decided we are going to start with a video series by Andy Stanley called "Twisted."  It talks about how the truth has been twisted and how easily we believe those lies.  There are six sessions in this particular study.  I haven't decided what we will do after this.  It was really great to be back with the girls.  We were able to rejoice with one of the girls, a senior, who found out today she was accepted to one of the colleges to which she applied.  She is still waiting to hear from her first choice, but at least now she has a backup if that falls through!

Tomorrow a group of the singles are going to the city for dinner and a movie.  We are going to see Valkyrie with Tom Cruise.  I have heard it is an excellent movie, so I am looking forward to it.  It should be a fun night out.

The Ten Commandments

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before Me." - Exodus 20:2-3

So many people think that if you keep the ten commandments, you will stay on God's good side.  The truth is, none of us can keep the commandments.  The ten commandments were given to us to show us our sinfulness.  The purpose of the law was to show us our need for a Savior.  As I struggled today with several disappointments, I continually thought on God's goodness and sovereignty.  Despite that, my human emotions were unable to rejoice in the situations.  Oh how I need a Savior!  Even though I know that God works all things for good, my sinful nature rebelled against God's perfect will.  Even when we try to be good, it is impossible for us to do!  Anytime we desire something more than just simply God's presence, we are disobeying the command, "You shall have no other gods before Me."  Anything placed above the Almighty One becomes an idol.  I am so thankful that I not only recognize my need for a Savior, but that I know who He is personally - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Which is the First Commandment of All?

"Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 22:37-39

I am still trying to learn how to love people well.  It's hard to do.  So often my selfishness gets in the way and I want to meet my needs before those of others.  If we truly love God with our all, this commandment should get easier.  We are able to love only because God loved us first.  

I had a good day today.  My math classes went well, which is always a blessing.  So far all of my students are doing well to start the semester.  When I was not teaching, I was writing notes home in English and Spanish to let the house parents know what's coming up in the school.  We have a Spelling Bee coming up at the beginning of March for our 2nd through 6th graders.  We also have a spring break coming up in two weeks.  I think the teachers are as excited about that as the kids.  The first midterm progress reports go home the same week as spring break, so grades are coming due.  Finally, one of the high school classes, Socioeconomic Development, is having a baked goods sale on Friday to learn about overhead costs and sales.  In addition to cookies and brownies, they will also have traditional Honduran foods.  It should be fun!

Tomorrow we have a medical brigade coming for a tour of the ranch, followed by our usual soccer game with the kids.  After lunch I am headed to the city for my regular shopping day.

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith

"The LORD is my light and my salvation;  Whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life;  Of whom shall I be afraid?" -Psalm 27:1

The LORD is in control of all things.  He is sovereign!  I keep reminding myself of that whenever I start to feel down or discouraged.  Right now I am re-reading a book I read about five years ago.  It is actually a collection of three books written by Arthur W. Pink.  I just finished the first book entitled, "The Attributes of God."  It goes through the different characteristics of God, and how each one is absolutely perfect.  One of those attributes is God's sovereignty.  It has been an awesome reminder that God is sovereign over ALL things.  His perfect will is always done.  The next book that I am just beginning is entitled, "The Sovereignty of God."  How appropriate!  It is so much easier to place your faith in God when you can accept that He Himself is faithful!  David recognized that when he wrote his psalms.  Even when he begins down and discouraged, he always returns to a place of faith in God's goodness, mercy, and sovereignty.  The LORD is reminding me that His will be done.  I can rest in that, knowing that no matter what happens, it is all for God's glory and my good.  Praise the Lord, my light and my salvation!  There is no reason to fear!

Jesus Blesses Little Children

"But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there." -Matthew 19:14-15

What a busy day!  This morning we were expecting four visitors from another private bilingual school in the city.  They were coming to do an evaluation of our preschool, K & 1st grade English and Spanish classes.  I taught my first class, waiting for the call to come from the front gate to tell me the visitors had arrived.  Second period came and went, and it wasn't until the beginning of third period that they arrived - an hour and a half late!  When they arrived, I gave them a tour of the school, and then served them a snack of banana bread and coffee.  We talked a little about the school, and then I showed them to the classrooms where they would be observing.  They looked at all our documents, lesson plans, etc.  They did not spend much time in the classrooms, and took a long time to write their evaluations.  It made the teachers and I nervous when we had to wait so long.  When we finally sat down to discuss their comments and suggestions, they were very positive.  They told us that everything was well organized and that the teachers had excellent control of the material and students.  Praise the Lord!  The director wants to come back and bring some of their older students to show a different type of school than what they have in the city.  The best part of all of it - I was able to converse entirely in Spanish!  I was thrilled.  I know my Spanish is improving, although I still have a LONG way to go.

The guests left late since they arrived late, so I covered my teachers' classes after lunch.  The high school girls just reviewed for a quiz while I supervised the 1st - 3rd grade PE class.  It was fun watching the younger kids run around, laughing and having fun.  Of course, there was also the occasion fall and tear (they were running and playing freeze tag).  Overall, it was a nice change for me.

I stayed at school and worked until 5:30, and then came home and made dinner.  We had a meeting at 7:00 for about an hour, talking about ranch issues.  It is always good to get all the teachers together (and non-house parent staff) to find out what is going on.  But, it makes for a long day.

So, good day overall.  Tiring, but good.  

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters." -Psalm 23:1-2

The LORD truly is my shepherd.  I know that He is always leading me, and all I have to do is follow him faithfully.  He has met all my needs.  I am comfortable, and I have experienced the peace that surpasses all understanding in my times of difficulty.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

I had a good day.  My students are doing well, praise the Lord.  We had a medical brigade visit today.  I had to do a very quick tour of the school so that one of the team members could do her clown presentation.  She is very talented and the younger kids seemed to enjoy her show.  

After lunch, I went to the city with five of my coworkers.  We enjoyed each other's company as we did shopping and running errands.  Outside the grocery store, I ran into a couple that used to attend my church.  It was nice seeing them and catching up with them for a few minutes.

We got home a little after 7pm.  When groceries were put away, I had to bake banana bread so I will have a snack to offer the four guests that are coming to evaluate the school tomorrow.  There are four people coming from another private bilingual school in the city.  They will visit our pre-K and K programs to report back to the District.  Things have always gone well in the past, so I hope that tomorrow's visit goes well too.  Please pray for us.

The Only Constant

"So the LORD said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth?  Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind?  Have not I, the LORD?  Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.'" - Exodus 4:11-12

Things continue to go well at school.  I am still teaching Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and II.  I am glad I have the opportunity to stay connected in the classroom while still being principal.  It has been a good balance for me.

Tonight I helped one of my teachers update her resume.  She has decided to leave in June and go back to the States.  I think the hardest part of being on the mission field is having people come and go constantly in and out of our lives.  No wonder the kids have difficulty creating bonds of trust with the missionaries.  It cannot be helped, but it is still hard.  Although I experienced some of that living in Northern VA, which is a very transient area, it is different here.  Here we live in a close-knit community where the people with whom you live become like family.  However, they are there for a season and then move on.  It is a good reminder that the only constant in our lives is the ONE who never changes.  God is continually teaching me to cling to Him, as difficult changes seem to be a constant presence in my life.  I am thankful that when we do not know what to expect, we can expect whatever comes is God's good and perfect will.

Joseph a Slave in Egypt

"Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." - Genesis 39:20-21

Sometimes we feel confined in the place where we are. It might be where we are located physically, or we may feel stuck in a rut in our lives, unable to move forward. Sometimes we are there as a result of circumstances, sometimes as a result of the choices we have made. Joseph was placed in prison unjustly, falsely accused of going after Potiphar's wife. He remained faithful to God throughout, and God was with Joseph. He allowed Joseph to experience the trials of prison life, yet showed him mercy in the midst of it. Joseph may have been "stuck," but God was moving behind the scenes. Ultimately, it was all part of the plan that God had for Joseph's life.

Joseph received a dream long before being sold as a slave and sent to prison. Do you have a dream? Has God revealed something to your heart that is yet unfulfilled? Do you feel stuck, wondering how in the world God can possibly achieve the end result? Take heart and trust that God is working all things together for good. Joseph eventually became second in command only to Pharaoh, and the dreams he had many years earlier were fulfilled. Just because God has us confined in a place for a time, does not mean He will leave us there and forget about us. He is working behind the scenes, and will use your time in prison to prepare you for the ultimate plans He has for your life.

The Twelve Apostles

"Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him." -Matthew 10:2-4

The twelve apostles were ordinary men. They had ordinary jobs and ordinary lives. But Jesus chose them to do extraordinary things. He gave them the same power and authority that He Himself had. He sent them out into the world to preach and teach about His love and His kingdom.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we too are chosen to do extraordinary things. Sometimes I get frustrated with the mundane routines of life. Then I am reminded that I am not called to the mundane, but to live extraordinarily! I have the opportunity to serve Him with my life, laying down my pride and selfishness to serve others. I have the power to overcome sin and death, and to share that with others. I am extraordinary because I am in Christ and Christ lives in me. If you desire that same power and do not know if you have it, open a Bible and read it. If God can take regular fishermen and tax collectors and use them for His extraordinary purposes, imagine what He can do with you and me.

Back to School

"When Jesus heard that, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'" - Matthew 9:12-13

Today was the first day of school. It went really well. I only had one minor glitch in my schedules, which was easily remedied. It felt good to be back to the normal routine again. I had my leadership meeting in the afternoon, and then came home and typed up notes. For dinner, the singles had our weekly "family night." We each donated chicken breast and one of the teachers made white chicken chili. It was yummy! My roommate Sara made chocolate cake for dessert, which was also fantabulous.

The Blessings of Faithfulness

"And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." -Genesis 26:4-5

I really enjoyed my pastor's message in church this morning. His main point was this: "Honoring God through a life of faithfulness is tough when we face rejection, but we must keep going - we must persevere!" He said that we are going to experience many different kinds of rejection, and then gave numerous examples from the Bible. I happen to be in the middle of it right now. Without going into details, I can just say that rejection of any kind is painful. But the key to facing rejection is having the eternal perspective. Even when we face rejection by people, God will not reject us when we are faithful to Him! God made a promise to Abraham, and because of Abraham's faithfulness, God repeated the Abrahamic covenant to Isaac. God has made a new covenant with us when we accept Christ as our Savior. We are promised eternal life with Him! Our sins are forgiven and we appear as righteousness before a Holy God. When times of rejection come, we can know for sure that there is One who will never leave us nor forsake us.

(Thanks to Pastor Darren Quilley at Union Christian Church - Honduras. Some of the ideas written above are taken from his sermon notes outline).

A Day in the City

"And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 8:11

This morning I slept in, and it felt so good! Apparently I was really tired. After I was dressed and ready to go, my roommate Sara, my friend Shelly, and I went to the city. We went to Wendy's for lunch while we waited for Sara's friend. Once her friend arrived, they dropped me at the hair salon. I was long overdue for a haircut. I had my hair washed, cut, blow dried, and straightened - all for about $14! I love Honduras! I love my new look, too. It won't last more than a day, but it is fun to have straight hair once in a while. My hair is finally healthy again, too.

The girls came to pick me up when they finished their errands and we headed home. Sara and I invited Ron over for dinner since I had some business questions for him anyways. A group of us then went up to play poker at the guys' house (using poker chips, not money). Jesse, who used to work as a teacher at the ranch, was visiting for the weekend. He now works at our Mission House on the other side of town. We had a fun evening, although we all talked more than we actually played cards.

Tomorrow is another day in the city. We'll go to church, and then do all of our errands since we will not have an opportunity to come in on Wednesday. We are going to have a full day of school on Wednesday to make up some of the lost time for Friday. We are going to have an all-missionary meeting on Friday, so I had to cancel school for the day. The kids are going to be heartbroken - NOT!!!

May you all have a restful Sabbath Day.

Getting Back Into Routine

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:43-45

I am trying hard to get myself back into routine and get ready for the start of school. I have spent the last two days at school, working on schedules, primarily. I am trying to think through the semester and plan for the events coming up in the next several months. I was thankful to have some of my teachers with me, to bounce off ideas and check for errors in my scheduling. They catch my mistakes all the time!

I also had a chance to talk with the teacher and his wife that are joining us as houseparents. Their son will be enrolling in the school this semester as well. We had a chance to talk about his previous schooling and his English language abilities. I worked with the teacher that will have him to develop an assessment to decide if it is best to put him into second or third grade. We will assess him when they arrive to the ranch on Thursday.

In addition to having a productive day, I also had opportunities to visit with people. Sometimes in the busyness of every day life, I forget to build relationships with the people around me. I was blessed to spend pockets of time with different individuals throughout the day.

Happy New Year!

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a nice New Year's celebration. I spent mine here at the ranch. My coworker Steve invited my roommate Sara and I for dinner at the House of Timothy. There were nine of us that enjoyed lasagna and garlic bread. After dinner, we watched the movie, "Oceans 13." That brought us to 10:30pm, when we went outside and enjoyed a bonfire until midnight. At midnight, we burned Old Man Year, a traditional scarecrow filled with firecrackers. I came home and read until 2:30, and then slept well after that.

As most people do, I spend New Year's Eve thinking back on the year that has just ended. I realized it has been a year of a lot of changes for me. I also realized that I have struggled a lot recently with my emotions and self-esteem. I know that everyone goes through that at times, and this seems to be my time. But then I read the Scriptures and am reminded that I am created in the image of God. It's never about our self-image, it's always about our God-image. When I can keep focused on that, I can remember that God loves me. I can then share that love with others and point them back to Him, by reflecting His image, not mine.