Carry Your Name: You Make Beautiful Things

You Make Beautiful Things

Creation, the very beginning of the world. Life created out of nothing. Light and darkness separated. Sky placed in between waters. Animals of every kind made to walk upon this new land. Human beings made in the image of God.

Saturday, in our bible study we taught on creation. We took the kids on a walk to find and identify all that the Lord had created. Something as simple as the story of creation, one I’ve heard my whole life took on new meaning as I walked through the Bush of this African land. Suddenly the vastness of our Lord and the shear power it takes to create blew my mind. Sure, there are trees, well some, in Amarillo. And there is water, at the right time of the year. Animals are all around us. But realizing that the word is SO much bigger than I ever imagined. There is a whole planet, and then millions and millions of galaxies, how great is our God? I have said these words before, but looking with new eyes at new forms of creation has made these words even truer!!

Thank you Father for creation. Thank you for perfectly and intently creating each and every thing. Thank you for including me in that creation. Thank you for allowing me to view your creation and see your hand in it all.

Well, another week here at Zion down. I can’t believe how quickly time seems to go. But when you are as busy as we are most days it easy to see how. This week our principal here at Zion came back from training in South Africa. One of the first things he did was hand over the preschool classroom to me. Considering I have never formally taught anything in my life I was nervous but very excited at the same time! I immediately received all the curriculum manuals and started observing in the classroom. The current teacher, Auntie Mercy, has done a wonderful job in the class. Most of the children know their numbers, shapes, alphabet, and can participate in class work. Here at Zion the school is run on the “PACE” system. It is very different than anything I’ve ever seen. These paces packets basically do the teaching. Children sit in their “offices” and do the work quietly by themselves. In the preschool classroom they still do PACE work, but it is done under much more relaxed terms. So although I still have to teach according to the PACEs it will be nice having some freedom to have fun in the classroom. So tomorrow, for the first time, I take on my very own preschool class! I am very excited for the adventure and I know I will have many a story about their funny antics.

This week has been measurably warmer than the first three I was here. I think I was spoiled by the cooling thunderstorm we would get every afternoon. But, as this last week has shown me, it gets very hot here. And to think its close to winter and it gets this warm, I am in for a surprise come summer. Apparently there are “Big Rains” headed our way this week so we will see what that holds. But the good news is that in the lack of rain the river is showing more and more signs of not flooding as much as it has in the past! Which is incredible news. That will make things so much easier!! We saw on the news in town yesterday that there is a typhoon type storm supposedly hitting the north-eastern cost of South Africa soon, and we aren’t too sure what kind of affects that will have on us. So we will be anxiously and prayerfully waiting to see what this brings.

This Sunday in church we talked about the attitude of Jeremiah. At first when God speaks to Jeremiah letting him know He has big things for him, Jeremiahs reaction is an immediate “NO, I can’t.” But, the Lord already had a beautiful and perfectly ordained plan for Jeremiahs life that came with a beautiful promise. The Lord would be walking with Jeremiah the whole way protecting him and delivering him in his moments of fear and doubt. I think this is such a beautiful picture of the Lords provision. He already has set out for us a path and a dream. He has a dream for us that is meant to do great things, and to prosper us and never harm us. This passage and promise has brought me so much peace. Peace in knowing that the Lord has called me to carry His name regardless of my feelings. Regardless of my fears and doubts He has set me apart to make His name great. So in my homesickness, sadness, and confusion here at this time in my life, I know that I can rely on this promise. I am called and because of that He is doing something great. I am so blessed to know what it is I am called to. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to do it.

Well we have two volunteers who got here yesterday. They are working on a global art project. They are traveling all over the globe working with children in different countries! Today they are here working with our children! I’m excited to see what the kids come up with!

Love to you all!