I can't believe how much easier the second year of teaching is compared to the first. Despite the fact that I am teaching a different grade, it is amazing how smoothly this last week went. I guess it helps to have almost all the same kids:) I am so anxious to see what He's got in store for this class this year. I am confident He's going to do some awesome things in the hearts of these kids. He's already working in and strengthening mine for sure. My first week was good, but not without its difficulties. Midmorning on my first day of school, I got a skype message saying that my grandpa had passed away earlier that day. As I wrote in my previous post, we knew that he was sick, so it was somewhat expected. But, earlier that morning, I had just read an email from my dad explaining how he was doing so well and they were talking about starting physical therapy this week. That afternoon his breathing got really heavy and he was gone by that evening (morning here). I am so thankful that I can trust in the timing of the Blessed Controller of all things. I am confident that since that weekend in July when we thought we would lose him, He had been working extra hard on Papa's heart, and by Monday evening, He was done. He's now where He was made to be with his Redeemer and my Tita:) It was definitely hard to get this news on the first day of school, but I think it is the start of a year full of relying heavily on His strength. I have been blown away by the peace that has consumed me this week. It is weird to be far from home, but I have a family here who has come around me in such a sweet way and He has truly been my Comforter this week. I am so blessed and so excited to see Him continue to work.
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
Isaiah 43:2-3
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
A Summer of Transition
When I was getting ready to head back to the states in June, I will admit, there was a part of me that was not looking forward to returning. After being in Indonesia for ten months straight, this place had become my home. I am by no means an expert here, but it had become that familiar place where you kind of know what you’re doing. It had been an intense ten months full of changes, challenges, laughter, tears and goodbyes, so I was definitely in need of a break, but I knew that my other home would hold just as many challenges, changes, laughter, tears and goodbyes. I was coming home to a world of transition and change: two of my grandparents had strokes in May putting my parents in the tough spot of making the necessary arrangements, several of my good friends graduated and moved away while I was gone, my sisters are all grown up and in unique seasons right now, and I was also going to have to face the fact that Flagstaff is no longer my home. Boarding the plane to head back, I knew that it was going to be hard, but I also had the assurance that He is the blessed controller of all things and that He would go before me.
Believe it or not, I am not a huge fan of change. Sometimes I jump right into it and make life changing decisions like moving to the tropics, but most times I like to avoid it. No matter the situation, I have noticed that it is easy in times of change to “paint pictures of Egypt” and think that everything was perfect way back when. I was doing just that this summer when I came home to all the changes: remembering back to a time when I didn’t have to worry about whether I was going to see my grandparents again, or when I didn’t have to miss my friends because they lived right next door, or when my sisters and I were all in the same town, or when Flagstaff was the only place that I called home. How easily I forget about the hardships I faced back then and the miracles He’s done in my life since those times. He has used the amazing opportunities, hardships, and people He’s brought to my path to shape me not just into the person I am today, but into a version of myself that can be better used by Him. I was challenged this summer to live in the present, not the past, not the future, but the present. I miss opportunities when I dwell on how good I used to have it or when I get caught up in the stresses that tomorrow might bring. We are not called to dwell or worry; we are called to wait on Him. He is one that can be trusted. I know that not just because of what it says in the Word, but because I can point directly to moments where He provided and protected. He never lets go.
You Never Let Go
By David Crowder
When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Ever faithful Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills with hope
Perfect love that never lets go
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You’re the same Oh, You never let go
Through the transitions of this summer, He opened my eyes to see that life is not supposed to be easy and predictable all the time. Change will come, and will probably not be fun, but He’s still going to be there. I am not called to have everything figured out and together, I am called to trust Him and follow Him wherever He leads. He opened my eyes to the fact that my home is neither here in Indonesia or there in Flagstaff, my home is with Him. It’s not about my job, my location or even the people around me. It’s about Him getting the glory He deserves.
So, it is with fresh perspective and an excitement for what He's got planned, that I begin my third year of teaching at Bandung Alliance International School tomorrow!
Believe it or not, I am not a huge fan of change. Sometimes I jump right into it and make life changing decisions like moving to the tropics, but most times I like to avoid it. No matter the situation, I have noticed that it is easy in times of change to “paint pictures of Egypt” and think that everything was perfect way back when. I was doing just that this summer when I came home to all the changes: remembering back to a time when I didn’t have to worry about whether I was going to see my grandparents again, or when I didn’t have to miss my friends because they lived right next door, or when my sisters and I were all in the same town, or when Flagstaff was the only place that I called home. How easily I forget about the hardships I faced back then and the miracles He’s done in my life since those times. He has used the amazing opportunities, hardships, and people He’s brought to my path to shape me not just into the person I am today, but into a version of myself that can be better used by Him. I was challenged this summer to live in the present, not the past, not the future, but the present. I miss opportunities when I dwell on how good I used to have it or when I get caught up in the stresses that tomorrow might bring. We are not called to dwell or worry; we are called to wait on Him. He is one that can be trusted. I know that not just because of what it says in the Word, but because I can point directly to moments where He provided and protected. He never lets go.
You Never Let Go
By David Crowder
When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Ever faithful Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills with hope
Perfect love that never lets go
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You’re the same Oh, You never let go
Through the transitions of this summer, He opened my eyes to see that life is not supposed to be easy and predictable all the time. Change will come, and will probably not be fun, but He’s still going to be there. I am not called to have everything figured out and together, I am called to trust Him and follow Him wherever He leads. He opened my eyes to the fact that my home is neither here in Indonesia or there in Flagstaff, my home is with Him. It’s not about my job, my location or even the people around me. It’s about Him getting the glory He deserves.
So, it is with fresh perspective and an excitement for what He's got planned, that I begin my third year of teaching at Bandung Alliance International School tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's Storytime!
I've been working all week on the book of stories by the 2009 Sea Tribe Team, and it has been so cool to read about what He did in their lives and through their lives to impact the islands we visited. What an amazing time! One of my highlights included getting to know the INCREDIBLE high schools students that were on our team...seriously, I am so lucky:) Another highlight is told in the following story.
JC Loves the Little Sponges
While strolling through one of the islands, I came across a group of three or four year old boys who were shooting rubber bands up into the branches of a tree. Curious as to what they were shooting at, I ventured over to check it out, and to take some pictures. They all saw the camera and began posing for a photo, a.k.a. fighting to get the best headshot. We took some photos together, then decided it was time to play. The group started small as we began the counting game of Do-Mi-Ka-Do, but as word got out, kids were coming from every corner. The group grew to about 15 kids ranging from three years old to twelve, and all their eyes were on me. We all laughed hysterically as we sang “The Hokey Pokey,” sticking our elbows, noses and heads in and out and dancing around. We sang “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”as fast as we could and as slow as we could. Sweaty, tired and out of games to play, I decided it was their turn to teach me something...then came the issue of the language barrier. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying, and at one point they were all pointing at me and screaming something in Bahasa. After each of them took a turn trying to explain the game to me, I finally realized that they were trying to teach me Duck Duck Goose J By the end of our 20 minutes of play time, these sweet ones had a piece of my heart. I had hardly any language ability, and yet these kids listened to every word I said. At one point, I noticed a little girl holding my hand; no matter what game we were playing, she wanted to be right by my side. Interacting with kids has always come naturally to me, but in taking a step back to analyze the scene I was getting to play a role in, it occurred to me that these kids weren’t attracted to anything that I had to offer, but instead, were attracted to the source of joy inside me.
So often in our training for this trip we refer to the kids on the islands as possible distractions. We stress the importance of being ready with toys or games to take the kids out of the room during a deep conversation. This scenario is very common on the islands; Satan likes to use anything he can to distract or prevent deep connections with the islanders. Though, I learned during this trip to the islands, how important those kids are to the work that is being done. They are like little sponges, soaking up every word, and mimicking every action. For the remainder of the time on both islands I heard several kids humming, singing and teaching the songs that we had taught them. What a reason to be intentional about your actions and your words! Jesus knew how important the children were. When the disciples started to lead them away, thinking they were a distraction, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) I got to teach the song “I’ve Got Joy” to a group of kids on each island.
While strolling through one of the islands, I came across a group of three or four year old boys who were shooting rubber bands up into the branches of a tree. Curious as to what they were shooting at, I ventured over to check it out, and to take some pictures. They all saw the camera and began posing for a photo, a.k.a. fighting to get the best headshot. We took some photos together, then decided it was time to play. The group started small as we began the counting game of Do-Mi-Ka-Do, but as word got out, kids were coming from every corner. The group grew to about 15 kids ranging from three years old to twelve, and all their eyes were on me. We all laughed hysterically as we sang “The Hokey Pokey,” sticking our elbows, noses and heads in and out and dancing around. We sang “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”as fast as we could and as slow as we could. Sweaty, tired and out of games to play, I decided it was their turn to teach me something...then came the issue of the language barrier. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying, and at one point they were all pointing at me and screaming something in Bahasa. After each of them took a turn trying to explain the game to me, I finally realized that they were trying to teach me Duck Duck Goose J By the end of our 20 minutes of play time, these sweet ones had a piece of my heart. I had hardly any language ability, and yet these kids listened to every word I said. At one point, I noticed a little girl holding my hand; no matter what game we were playing, she wanted to be right by my side. Interacting with kids has always come naturally to me, but in taking a step back to analyze the scene I was getting to play a role in, it occurred to me that these kids weren’t attracted to anything that I had to offer, but instead, were attracted to the source of joy inside me.
So often in our training for this trip we refer to the kids on the islands as possible distractions. We stress the importance of being ready with toys or games to take the kids out of the room during a deep conversation. This scenario is very common on the islands; Satan likes to use anything he can to distract or prevent deep connections with the islanders. Though, I learned during this trip to the islands, how important those kids are to the work that is being done. They are like little sponges, soaking up every word, and mimicking every action. For the remainder of the time on both islands I heard several kids humming, singing and teaching the songs that we had taught them. What a reason to be intentional about your actions and your words! Jesus knew how important the children were. When the disciples started to lead them away, thinking they were a distraction, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) I got to teach the song “I’ve Got Joy” to a group of kids on each island.
I’ve got joy down in my heart
deep deep down in my heart.
J-O-Y down in my heart,
Deep deep down in my heart.
He gave it to me
and no one can destroy it.
I’ve got joy down in my heart
deep deep down in my heart
As we sang the words to that song, I couldn’t help imagine what an island would look like if these little sponges were overflowing with the joy of Christ.
These are the little rubber band shooters. Turns out they were shooting at cicaks (geckos) up in the tree. I fell in love with the one making the fish face...he would come to my house every morning ready to play or put on a WWF show in the front yard. On the last morning, I gave whole bag of rubber bands that we had brought with us.
After the games, the girls came over to our house where we decided we would play with the fingernail decals. The boys soon found out, got jealous and wanted shiny heart stickers on their nails too. By the end of our time together all the kids were calling me Kak, which means older sister.
This is just one of the many stories. Can't wait to tell you more.
Thank you to all who were lifting up our team while we were away!
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