I realize it has been quite a while since I have written anything here. This last month has been a bit of a whirlwind so I will give you a quick update, just in case you are interested...mom. :)
1. do you remember that dreaded beach from last year I swore I would never go to again because of the awful hike? I went there 2 weeks ago. it was just as awful as I remembered, but I am sure through some means of peer pressure, I will go again.
2. I started my bible study with the teenage girls at Greta a few weeks ago, and you are absolutely welcome to pray for that. I am writing my own AND doing it in another language- praise Yahweh for the Holy Spirit, am I right??? But more than anything, pray these girls grow each week in their knowledge of God, his everlasting and unfailing love for them.
3. I started working out, yes, me. Can you believe it? Each day I run a mile and do a workout from this 30 day challenge I found on Pinterest- whilst searching for cake recipes mind you. It has been a great de-stresser though I must say, when you are stressed because of your 70 children and you are running in the same compound around those 70 children it kind of negates the purpose. I never fail to find a few minutes in a trail of tag-a-longs, without shoes, without breath, panting with all they've got. its quite precious and always spurs me on to run even more.
4. I started the above #3 because, in 27 days from today I will be headed to the DR for a dream vacation. What I imagine to be a magical, tropical, 10 days of nothing- laying by the pool, eating things, reading things, going to the beach, going to sleep, waking up, repeat as needed.
5. We got an ice cream maker. It is probably the best thing and yet the greatest enemy of #3. Today we made peppermint patty ice cream- me zanmi it was good.
6. the babies are good- precious- wonderful- the joy of my days- the gray hairs that are popping up on my head.
I think that is a fairly accurate summary of my time here without getting into the nitty gritty of what is really going on, in my heart and day to day walk here. Can I tell you the truth? Can I admit that at least once a day I feel like giving up? You know all those verses you read about testing and patience and endurance and refinement and being made perfect and complete lacking nothing? If you are anything like me you read them and agree wholeheartedly and think why yes of course, I can do that, for the joy set before me! then life, and the enemy and trials and situations are before behind and around you and you have to decide what is going to win. will you allow yourself to be perfected? To be made into his image, to have your patience and endurance developed in you, to exercise your love muscle (cough cough Gracie)? When the fear is great will your faith be greater? it sounds like a pinterest pin which makes me almost hate it but its true even when its overused.
My boss bought this bible storybook for kids in English and creole. Most nights I make my way over to one of the little peoples room and read them a story from it. Its quite a marvelous book and we have taken to reading it ourselves, without the children each night. The other night we were reading through most of the Old Testament. Story after story depicted normal ordinary people in ridiculous situations, called by God to respond in giant faith so he could get amazing glory. the result was the same every time. They were victorious and he was made famous. I thought about the situations I am currently in, the things that keep me up at night or anxious during the day and I realized that this God who literally shut the mouths of lions that could have mauled Daniel to death, the one who parted an OCEAN while the greatest army in the world was chasing these worn out ex-slaves in the desert, that God is my God. His word is either true or it isn't. Period.
His word, partnered with our faith, walked out in love, all because of his love is the answer you guys. Spoiler alert- that is the answer. those three together are unbreakable and undeniable. It is not easy but it is simple. and through the power of jesus and the grace his spirit provides, we can do it. I can do it.
Anyways- that's my mini pep talk at 11 pm at night. there is always so much more I want to say but cant seem to articulate. this will have to do for now. I did 50 burpees today- if you don't know what those are google them- if Satan created a workout... So I am tired and ready for some work and then bed.
Thanks for your prayers, comments of encouragement and love from afar.
