Saturday, April 27th:
I heard some hard news from Dad last night ... as I prayed about it, my groanings were turned into praises. I found myself glorifying God for Who He is, that despite the circumstances He is the Same, He is King forever and ever. I only mention this because it was an answer to prayer. A couple months ago I had asked the Lord to teach me to "glory in tribulations," to know that trials work "patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope." As I prayed over this current tribulation, my heart was filled with the love of God and the hope I have in Him.
This morning Hannah and I helped out at the soccer clinic.
Sixth through eighth grades:
Learning to shield, by protecting our "tails" :)
In the afternoon I worked on grading and got some housework done. A pretty quiet evening...
Sunday, April 28th:
After the "long" weekend, everyone was a little noisier than usual, but we still had good discussions about our verse for the day, "Love is patient and kind." We talked about examples of when we need to be patient with those we love (i.e. Mom is making dinner and we are hungry; we want to go somewhere but our sibling is taking a long time to get ready.) It was interesting to hear the stories that the students shared ... which provided an opportunity to challenge them to check their impatience and show love to their families.
Classroom management isn't always easy, but I am amazed and grateful to see that during our discussions about love, the students are particularly attentive and well behaved. They are also quick to remember! I am always a little surprised to discover which students remember specific verses.
One of my sixth graders lost a tooth during class! He threw it away; and upon seeing my look of concern, explained, "Miss, we are not like Americans. I will not show it to my parents." :) I love that they are learning to build bridges across our cultures ... there are so many ways they may use this skill one day!
Hannah and I walked home from school. With our finals due in a few days, I have a lot of schoolwork lately. I was able to enter HW grades, calculate students' current phase averages (and two projected averages - one if they complete all HW and another if they don't do any of it), write the fifth grade final, and prepare for tomorrow before Skyping with my family.
Lisa sent me updates on Andy's game. They lost, but it was close all the way to the end... we trust that despite the losses, the team will have gained through Andy's example and will want to know more of the love that brings him here.
As I prepared to go to bed, I read this thought from Amy Carmichael that articulated my desire for this year. May God take away the "I" that I see choking all of my thoughts, words, and deeds!
"It is only as we look and look and look that we really see. And the more we know of the object we are looking at, the more we see in it ... How much are we willing to lose, that we may know, and so be able to see? It is the I in you and me that blinds our eyes. The loss of I - that I may know Him, see Him with new clearness in creation ... even in souls that are unlovable and unbeautiful. May the Lord grant this to us all. I want more and more to see His goodness and His beauty. Not vaguely, nor just from time to time. I want to see Him truly, continually, in His work, in those who love Him, in His Book, in Himself."
