Floundering in the fullness of fall

*** Shout out to Audrey Pound for the brand new 'look' to my blog!!!!!
Preparatory Psalm 34 
(we are on verse 13 this week for memorization, you're welcome to join us!)

My days have been full.

Full of spiders and Bible passages, dancing and coffee, toppled desks and spilled paint, singing singing and more singing, random stories and the Shema in Hebrew, trips to mountain villages and answered prayers, laughter and videos, running and recess, deep questions and skype conversations, pictures and simply joys.

That’s the easiest snapshot I can give you to the fullness and it doesn’t even begin to skim the surface.

First off... my random trip reuniting with precious friends in Nicaragua on my return trip was the perfect transition between two worlds and it was a blast to spend time with the pieces of my heart left there. 

I knew I was due for an update when things didn’t slow down the entire month of September and we sneakily slid in to October without even a premonition of time passing.  (well, I don’t get the privilege of partaking in the majestic shedding the trees display at this time of the year)

Then the question begs to be asked…..how do I gather all the flavorful chunks of life and squeeze them into a few meaningful words? The only option would be messy, oozing, juicy joy. I will do my best to summarize. (most of you are already laughing J at the mention of the word 'summarize' …. Just keep reading)

Don’t get me wrong, transition through change takes time and tears and there has been plenty of that, but it is truly a year of abundance and I’m just beginning to grasp it.

Challenge club activity! 

I’m up to my chin in Bible Studies and loving every minute of it. From our study on Ruth challenging us to a life of faithfulness and obedience, trusting our Redeemer no matter the harsh realities of life....to my Inductive Study on Covenant that reminds me of my position in Christ and the cords of commitment binding me to my Savior; I have been learning and growing and then overflowing to many different student groups. We've been learning about passion for Christ and identity in Him and making sure our lives stay on the narrow path in all the different groups. The kids have been HUNGRY to learn and grow. Their hearts are fertile soil for deep root seeking seeds.  

Did I bite off more than I can chew? Absolutely! I needed to be humbled and challenged. This is the first year I haven’t had to plan a new curriculum or train a new teacher (granted, my student teacher arrives in 2 weeks….) but for the first time I’m realizing that I’ve grown a lot in this thing called ‘teaching’ over the past 4 years and I want to do more and more and more of it! I am equipped with the Word of the Living God which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness and the more I can center all of life’s moments on the Everlasting Word, the better! This keeps me plenty busy.

6th grade team! 

I am so in love with teaching this new group of kids. They are quirky and crazy and our personalities just click. I lead and they follow and they are just as passionate as I am about everything we are learning.

When I stand before them and see their bright eyes, I can’t help but squirm a bit inside because of the adoration I feel for God in blessing me with such a gift.

I’ve settled in to a humble Honduran church and have been enjoying building new relationships there. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for this. God is at work in His body, but I pray desperately for God to raise up pastors and teachers here in Honduras who know His word and want to share it undiluted and pure heartedly. I get to see just a tiny chunk of that weekly and it is a testimony to me.

church in Saracaran - the tiny mountain town

On a recent trip to the church up in the mountain town, I reunited with some precious brothers and sisters that I had translated for during the medical mission event back in January. The Lord brought to mind several ailments and I got to follow up on those and see the fruits of the gospel’s acceptance into people’s lives. I was able to give the 30 something kids salvation bracelets and teach them how to share the best gift they’ve ever been given and they begged for me to return. It’s amazing how God cares for ALL His sheep, no matter how ‘far away’ they may be. I’m so proud of these humble people for clinging to the Lord and claiming Him in their rugged and yet charismatic way.  

Junior on our last visit

Our friend Junior – the fightfighter - has begun to turn to the Lord in this time more than ever and with some gentle pushing he is growing in his faith! This is an astounding transformation to be a part of! Please pray for his continued searching and drawing near to God.

The Maraton Sula team!

I participated in my first 5K run with 15 other teachers. It’s the biggest race in Honduras and drew more than 2,500 people to the main highway that snakes through the city. This was an awesome adventure and I even got to run with some students!

Yes, as you can see… time is flying and days are skipping by…. I try to tie down the strings of time and the moments continue to evade their entrapment.

We live in such an epoch  of go, go, go and busy, busy, busy.

Yet my challenge for you is this: decide what you are truly after in life and pursue that with the highest aspiration. Ask yourself at the end of the day if you sought that goal with every fiber of your being and passing moment. Paste reminders, scriptures, and resolutions in prominent places so that cannot escape the eternal tugging. We as Christians, in this day in age, cannot be swayed by the newest rage or diluted by the deluge of media and communication. We must cling, pursue, and seek hard after the Kingdom of God FIRST and then the rest will fill in the cracks to be added unto us. We’ve already been given EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness, we just need to choose this day whom we will serve. 

PLEASE, write out your goals, fix your gaze on the steady, beat your drum to the everlasting tune, and don’t give up, slow down, or rest until His Kingdom comes or His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Check out Jonathan Edward's resolutions for some inspiration:
http://verticallivingministries.com/tag/70-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards-in-modern-language/

Running the race with perseverance... that ALL may know! 

Please Pray: 
- My student teacher arrives in 2 weeks! We need a smooth transition and a blessed relationship.
- We soon begin our monthly challenge of sharing the gospel and the Lord will inspire these hearts to partake in this grand scheme of redemption in Honduras.
- I need wisdom and fullness of the Spirit to lead and teach from His word every day to both students and teachers.
- Junior growing in His faith at this critical time.
- the Lord's CONTINUED provision for life and ministry in this place of abundance until this part of the race is complete.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our messages, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” – Col. 4:2-6 -