Thursday, April 11th:
"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." It was fun to ask the kids how many of them had been told that they look like a parent or close relative. "When we know someone well, we begin to look like them, right?" Their eyes lit up with understanding. "So why can we say that someone doesn't know God if they don't love others as themselves, or they don't love God with all their hearts, minds, and souls? ... Because God is love. If we know Him, we will look like Him. We learn math because we want to know God, we want to look like Him."
My throat was hurting, and it was hard to talk. When the kids found out I wasn't feeling well, they tried to be quiet and listen during the lesson. There was a scuffle in 5A between a boy and a girl, and he ended up punching in her in the face. When there is a fight between boys, the other boys in the class will usually step in and break them apart. This time, because a girl was involved, no one did anything. I ended up taking both outside and talking to them, then reporting it to the c.c. and another male teacher. Culturally, this was a difficult situation to navigate - as a woman there wasn't much I could say to the boy about hitting a girl. I hope the c.c. will be able to talk to him.
Hannah and I walked home, the weather is still beautiful right now (not too hot). Around 3, Nelson's and I went to Andy's basketball game. His team played hard, but turned the ball over to the other team a lot and ended up losing after a close game. (Lisa and I both ended up with stomach aches - we get way too into it and end up stressed!) After the game, we picked up Hannah for dinner at Cali Cafe. Went back to Andy and Lisa's for some down time.
Team pic on the roof!
Friday, April 12th:
In the taxi, on my way to fellowship, I couldn't help marveling at the clear blue sky and noticing that all the colors seemed more vivid. Roses hanging over the walls ... trees and grass covering the mountains in green ... the sun sparkling off the windows ...
Fellowship was encouraging this morning as we looked at Psalm 146. I've been meditating on? mulling over? memorizing? the verse, "rejoice in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh." Verse 3 of Psalm 146 "put not your confidences in princes, in a son of man" reminded me of the same. Man is earthly and will return to the earth, our help is the God of Jacob (how amazing that He calls Himself the God of one known to be a "supplanter") and our hope is in the Lord. The rest of the Psalm reminds us why we can rejoice in our God - He looks after the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the bowed down, the righteous, the stranger (or sojourner or American living in a foreign land) :) the widow, and the fatherless. While we can not meet every need, we know that our God can and does ... meeting more than physical needs but reaching to the soul of man. Let us praise Him as long as we live!
I wasn't feeling very well when I got home and spent the rest of the day listening to a sermon, resting, and reading emails.
