Rest

"We must be wholly at rest that God may work in us; we must yield our will; we must resign our heart; we must give up all our fleshly desires. In short, we must rest from all activities of our own contriving, so that, having God working in us (Heb. 13:21), we may repose [rest] in Him (Heb. 4:9)..."

John Calvin

Phew!

I apologize profusely for the lack of blogs! I need to make sure I do it for 10 minutes a week or something, but the past three weeks have been SOOO full...of everything!

Here are some of the highlights: :)
June 1: Surprise birthday party
My students threw me the most beautiful surprise party ever! Actually, it is the only surprise birthday party I've ever had....which made it even better! (My birthday is June 22, but we're not in school. ) It was sooo sweet because they really did surprise me, and they had planned it ALL on their own, down to the last details of collecting their allowance money and throwing balloons at me! :) We shared a special time together.


June 2: Field Trip to the Children's Cancer Center
My students decided that for their field trip, they'd like to do a service project to the locial hospital to visit the children in the cancer center. I was so encouraged by their enthusiasm and excitement for this event; they were so full of love and compassion! We collected used clothes and shoes, books, crayons, and snack food to share with them. Loaded up with stickers (including on our faces), balloons, and our supplies, we spent the morning reading, sharing, listening, and playing games with the children. Some of my students spent time in the intensive care ward while others spent time with the day-treatment children.
Although it was hard for some of them to see the suffering, it was very special/important to the children there. I was very encouraged by the entire process and look forward to building a long-term relationship between the school and the children's cancer center!

June 8: Visiting my Sponor Child, Victor
This is Victor Moises, my sponsor child at Nueva Esperanza (here with his teacher). It finally worked out for me to go down and meet him and his family. He is a very sweet and bright young four-year-old. :) It was very special to meet his Mom, two sisters, and his brother and to visit their tiny house-shelter. It once again reminded me of the needs in Honduras and of the incredible opportunity I have to share with and encouarge others. I'm excited to spend more time with his family next year! :)

June 11: Choir Concert
I have been part of a staff choir this year, and we held a joint Sunday afternoon concert with the choir from the local Spanish church. It was so fun and beautiful to hear the different music. I love any opportunity to sing! :)))

More on the end of school, 6th grade promotion, etc. later.
:)
Thanks for your patience!

Futbol :)

I love my students to pieces! Part of my "ministry" with them is just hanging out with them: listening, learning, and loving. It has been fun doing things with them after school, like inviting them over to my apartment.

The past two weeks all my boys came over in groups. I taught them how to make homemade pizza, and they LOVED it. ;) They all wanted the recipe. The best part was getting goopy kneading the dough. Super cute.
Great conversation was had by all. As the pizza rose, we had some thrilling matches of futbol (soccer).
It was fun "getting rough and dirty" with them. They were impressed - pretty good, coming from ultimate futbol lovers!

I truly thank God for the relationships that are built. :)

Ready to Hike!

I am pleased to introduce you to my very dearest friends, here! Our bond started as a simple common passion for hiking "our mountain" and developed into a wonderfully refreshing relationship! :)

From top to bottom, left to right:
Betsy, Elisa, Robin
Sarah, Me :)

Sarah is actually only visiting here right now. She worked here last year and was so dear to me! She was at grad school this past year, but is returning...and we're going to share an apartment! I'm super duper excited; she is an absolutely amazing person! So, here you go - some of the key people in my life from this end. :)

Potter's Hand

I have these lyrics beside my bed and have been praying them each night before I go to sleep. It is a beautiful pray of adoration and of surrender....a prayer for direction within God's will.
May the words bless you as well!

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are
held in your hands,
crafted into your perfect plan.
You gently call
me into your presence
guiding me by Your Holy Spirit.
Teach me dear Lord
to live all of my life through Your eyes.
I'm captured by Your holy calling.
Set me apart,
I know you're drawing
me to Yourself.
Lead me Lord I pray

Chorus:
Take me, mould me,
use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me,
lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

"The Potter's Hand" by Darlene Zschech

He First Knew Me

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it - the fact that He know me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me....There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me. "

J. I. Packer, Knowing God
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973, p. 37

Submission

The beautiful,life-giving irony of Christian submission is this:
In Christ, I am actually stronger in weakness than when I am on my own and "doing well."

''Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

1 Peter 5:6-7