Looking Back

One year ago today, I began work at an Interior Design firm in Austin, Texas. I never imagined then how drastically my life would change between then and now. For those of you who don't know, I was hired as a design assistant at Mohon-Imber Interiors in Austin. At the time I was thrilled, sure that my life was finally "coming together" and soon I would be happy, satisfied, and fulfilled with this work that I had been educated for. After some weeks at the job, however, a growing unrest began in me. In the begining, I thought it was only because the work was challenging and I had not adjusted yet. But over time I felt a pull away from the field of design and began praying for God's will in the situation. I have found that many times God helps us to discern His will by slamming doors in our face. About five months after being hired I found myself in conference with my boss, listening to his statement "I don't think this situation is working for either of us". At the time I was confused and completely at a loss for what to do concerning my future. But God is always faithful and three months later I was on a plane headed to Mexico! Looking back, it is so awesome to see how God directs our steps and leads us to places that we never would have guessed. I am incredibly thankful to God for closing that door and leading me to where I am now.
There have been many changes since I last updated my blog, the biggest one being that I am now working as the monitor in the highschool classroom. For those of you not familier with the ACE system, my responsibilities include (but are not limited to) recording student attendence, recording the completion of goals, tests, homework, filing tests, keeping order in the classroom, giving demerits (YES fellow BJU grads, I have to give demerits - it's not fun and I have a new respect for those with that responsibility!) giving detentions, listening to Bible memory, etc. It's very different from what I was doing before and I am still trying to learn the system, so please keep me in your prayers!
The weather here has been amazing, cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons, with occasional rainfall some evenings. There are two volcanoes within site of Cuautla and right now they are topped with an incredible blanket of snow. They are beautiful in the clear mornings here and at evening when the rays of the setting sun reflects off of them - a constant reminder of God's beautiful creation.
Please continue to pray for me as I continue to learn the language and as I strive to grow in my love for God, His word, and His people!

November!! (already!)

This update is basically the same as the letter I sent out to some of you...I just want to be able to share it with everyone!

Hi Friends and Family!!

I hope this update finds you all doing well! This past month has been full of blessings and challenges! I continue to teach my English classes three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It has been really great to see the kids become more comfortable with me and more willing to speak English with me! They are a constant blessing to me and I look forward to each day, knowing that the time I spend with these kids is never dull! My teaching experiences have been great so far, although sometimes a little --- well, embarrassing at times. I want my students to be able to talk, so many days I will have a time for them to ask me personal questions. Sometimes they surprise me with the extent of what they know and I wonder “How do you know how to say that in English???” A few times I have had to use “Que? Que? No entiendo Ingles! No entiendo nada!” Other times they convince me to try out my Spanish on the whole group, which always ends in the entire class laughing hysterically :-) As I get to know the students more, they are also becoming comfortable enough to ask for advice or counsel from me, especially the high school students. I am very humbled by this because I know that there are many people that they could ask in their own language instead of me. I am honored, though, that God is giving me the chance to touch the lives of the people here. Please continue to pray for the work here. I would also like you all to pray for me in some specific ways -

Pray that I would continue to be able to teach the students well.

Please pray that I will stay focused only on God and that I would stay in His will.

Pray as I continue to study Spanish.

And pleased pray for me especially this week – with Thanksgiving coming up soon, I have been more homesick than usual :-)

I want you all to know that I love you and am so thankful for all of the support you have given me, both prayerfully and financially. It is such a huge encouragement to me to know that I have such a wonderful group of believers behind me at home!

Update Time!

I didn't realize that it has been over a month since my last update! Unfortunately, this will be a short one, as I am typing with one (left) hand! Yes, Ultimate Frisbee strikes again! The result was a displaced elbow and a "fisura". It has been an awesome lesson is patience and humility - I guess I didn't learn my lesson the first time! My dear friends here have been taking excellent care of me though, and I feel quite spoiled at times! Lord willing, I will have the cast on for only another 2 weeks. This week I begin teaching English classes (extra classes during school hours), so please keep me in your prayers! The week has been full of awesome opportunities such as presenting the Gospel to a Bible Club, driving 45 minutes (one way) in a 3 passenger truck with 9 other people (7 in the bed, 3 in the cab), driving standard for the first time, great teaching challenges, and the list goes on. God has also taught me many things this week. He brought people into my life to slap me around and point out, ever so gently, that I do have a pride issues and an independent spirit. I am so glad that He gives so much grace!! Well, that is about all my fingers can take for now, but once the cast is off, I will update again!! Thank you for your continued prayers!

Week One!

It has already been almost two weeks that I have been here! The first week of school is complete! These 12 days have gone by like a whirlwind, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Classes in the school are from 8:00-2:00 - the teachers have devotions together at 7:30. I spend the first 2 1/2 hours with the Secondary School, 2 1/2 hours with the High School, and 30 minutes with Pre-School and younger. I am finding that not only do I need to learn Spanish, but I also need to brush up on my English grammar! I also have the opportunity to have a devotional time with four of the High School girls in the school on Mondays, while their parents are in a marriage class. They are very nice girls, and I am looking forward to being able to spend more time with them. God has been teaching me so much already and it would be hard to tell everything in one blog post like this. I am so blessed to have this chance to have God and service as my sole focus. I had a conversation someone today who was wondering what events led me here and why I was able to be here. I told the very long story in a nutshell, and was once again reminded of how amazing it was that God orchestrated all the events in my life to lead me to Mexico for this time. I don't know what God has for me in the future, or even exactly why He has me here for this time - I just know that He wants me HERE! And there is awesome peace in knowing that I am in the center of His will!
I appreciate your continued prayers - for my time in the classroom that I would be able to communicate well with the students and give them the information they need, for the ability to learn Spanish QUICKLY :-), and for my devotional times with the girls on Mondays. Also, please pray for wisdom concerning returning for the Spring semester. There are many things that will factor into this decision, the most important one being finances. I wish to be a wise steward of what God has given me and in order to return in the Spring semester I want to be sure that I have the resources to do so.
God bless you all, have a wonderful week!

Praise the Lord, I arrived safely in Cuautla three days ago. The first two days were spent fixing the classrooms in the school - everything from painting and cleaning offices to decorating bulletin boards and desks. Of course, all of this was interspersed with playing and talking with the children! Yesterday I brought out my frisbee and we had a great time throwing it around. We will soon have an Ultimate Frisbee team here at Mahanaim! Many of the children I have met have a fair understanding of the English language, but they do not have the confidence to speak it. One of my jobs here will be simply to talk to the children to get them to practice actually speaking the language. I am finding, however, that I really do need to learn Spanish! Please pray that I can learn quickly(!!) so that I will be able to communicate with more people. Pastor Fernando and his wife, Flor, have been very welcoming and encouraging. They have such servant hearts and have expressed many times how blessed they are that I was able to come. I have had many people tell me that I am an answer to prayer and it is very humbling to think that so many people are so excited to see me here. I have to confess that at this point I feel inadequate - there are many people that would be "more qualified" to be in a position like this - but I am sure that God wants me here for a reason! I was reading in 2 Corinthians 12 this morning and once again came across my favorite verses, 12:9-10. I love that God chooses to show his power through our weaknesses! What a privilege for us - one that we certainly do not deserve.
Thank you all for your continued prayers!

Three more weeks!

Even though I haven't left yet, I thought I would take a moment to update y'all on my preparations for my time in Cuautla. It's amazing to me the things one has to do in preparation for a 4 month+ long trip out of the country as opposed to a 2 week long trip. Those of you who have spent a more extended time out of country will know what I mean! The logistical end of things are starting to fall into place though - plane ticket is bought, money situation is (pretty much) worked out, as are phones and means of communication once I get to Mexico. There is still travel health insurance to figure out, as well as a few various and sundry details! But I really wanted to share with y'all is this - I am wondering how many of you have experienced the spiritual warfare that comes when you are about to step out in faith and do something that you know the Lord is calling you to? Not necessarily a missions trip or anything like that, but something that takes a great deal of trust in the Lord - something you know is not going to be easy, yet obedience to God requires that you do it?
I have been feeling that warfare this past week. Not anything really intense or very serious, just those doubts that Satan loves to put in your heart at the most inopportune times. But I want to share with you an excerpt from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest" from back in June. Incidentally I read this the day I arrived home from my week-long trip to Puebla, Mexico. I know that this post is already long, but I want to encourage you to take the time to read this excerpt. It is so encouraging for anyone - I know it was for me! Enjoy!

. . . Peter . . . walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid . . . —Matthew 14:29-30

The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.
We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.
If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all.

-From "My Utmost for His Highest" June 18th

And so, it begins!

Some of you are beginning to hear that I am headed back to Mexico - That's right, I have Cuautla, Mexico in my sights! A number of you will be receiving  prayer and support letters shortly. In a very small nutshell, I am going to Mexico to help teach at a Christian school down there in Cuautla. The school uses ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) material, and my main responsibilities while I am there will be to assist the students in understanding the lessons which are completely in English. The lessons are self-paced and will also be there to make sure each student stays on track with their "paces". Lord willing, I will leave mid-August and will be there until Winter Break. More details to come, please stay posted!