the happier side of Oxford Manor

After yesterday's post, I feel the need to write today and let you all know that today went much better! Brett went and talked to some parents Thursday afternoon and was told that "it won't happen again." Well, nothing happened today! I'm happy to take one day at a time. Today was a fun day at Oxford Manor. We had a surprising turn out of missionaries, and for that I am so VERY grateful! God always provides. :) I should be sleeping right now, so instead of writing a ton, I'll just show you some of the wonderful reasons I go to Oxford Manor every week. ENJOY!

sometimes ministry hurts

Today was day 3 of the 5 day Oxford Manor Kids' Club. Each day has had its struggles... primarily because of some tough, angry, defiant older kids who, for some odd reason, show up every day with no apparent goal other than to be a distraction. Tuesday they faught (for real fighting) twice. Wednesday they located the snack buckets and stole some snack. Today they decided that throwing water would be fun. Then at the end of club, when we were giving out snack to the kids who listened, a couple of them came over and tried to grab snack right out from the bucket that I was holding. I honestly don't know exactly what happened. All I know is as one grabbed the bucket, another grabbed snack that fell on the ground, and somehow at the end of it, I ended up with a pain in my side. I seriously can't tell you if a kid hit me or if I twisted wrong trying to get the snack away from them, but somehow the story ends with a pain in my side (literally).

I tried so hard not to seem influenced or shaken, but I honestly was. My heart hurts more than my side does. I wonder what these kids' lives are like everyday... for them to think that stuff like this is funny, to see nothing wrong with blatantly stealing things, to think that yelling and calling people awful names is ok. I grew up with Christian parents who taught me right from wrong, and who loved me unconditionally. I can't imagine what it must be like for these kids. I hate the sin that is ruining their lives.

Sometimes I have trouble remembering that it is the sin that I despise. I found myself on Tuesday just wishing they would go away so we could have a good kids' club without so much annoying disturbance. Sometimes I have to watch my tongue because my first reaction to rude talk is to throw some back at them. Wednesday morning God smacked me with 1 Peter 3:8-9 - Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. God put His finger right on my own sin and reminded me that I am called to bless, not return evil with evil, or "rude talk with rude talk."

That's not easy... today's events make it even harder. It's hard to be treated like crap every day and go back the next. But Jesus did it, and tells us to be willing to do the same. 1 Peter 3 goes on to say "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled."

We are there because these kids need Jesus. They need the life changing power that only Christ can offer. Thankfully, about 50 kids are hearing the Gospel everyday. Even though the rough kids try to distract, many kids have their eyes glued to the teacher as he teaches them about Jesus Christ. This is why I am there! I love watching the kids as they hear about Jesus and His love for them. I am thankful that Jesus has power over sin, and that I already know the end of the story!

Please pray with me that the next two days will continue to be fruitful for the Kingdom of God. Pray that Jesus will be glorified and that He will draw these children to Himself. Pray that residents of Oxford Manor will come to know Jesus Christ, whatever it takes.

Hope

The summer after I returned home from South Africa was the summer that the Summit Church launched its first "Week of Hope." I can't express in words how much that helped me to decide to plant myself in Durham. It helped me to begin to see that my life as a "missionary" had not ended simply because I was not on foreign soil - my location had changed, but my calling in life had not, and God showed me that (for now) Durham is my mission field.

I signed up for a couple different projects. When I showed up for one, I realized that it had been more geared for students (youth) and there really wasn't a place for me. I was somewhat disappointed because it was in a public housing development where there were lots of Spanish speaking kids, and I wanted to practice my Spanish! Since there was nothing for me to do there, I went to the Summit offices, where the secretary called Brad (the guy in charge) and asked if there was a project that needed any more help. I was sent to Oxford Manor.

Tomorrow will mark the 4th week-long kids' Bible club in Oxford Manor. It marks 3 years of tough ministry in this neighborhood. I can't help but reflect on how God has moved. I know God consistently challenges me through this ministry - He challenges me to trust Him and His ways. I am constantly reminded that He is in charge, He loves these kids infinitely more than I ever could, and He has great things planned for them. I get to be a small part in His plan. I'm often too busy asking Him to send more volunteers or griping about something that went "wrong" to remember to thank Him for allowing me the privilege to get to know some amazing kids and simply show them and tell them about Jesus, my wonderful Savior. What an honor to be able to be God's mouthpiece in Oxford Manor!

I pray that I will never back down from the truth of the Gospel, and I will fervently pray for salvation to come to the residents of Oxford Manor through Jesus Christ. He is their only hope.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
Romans 1:16

28

So far 28 is not so bad... I've had a fantastic birthday week! On Tuesday, my best friend from home (Shannon) came up to Durham and we had a yummy lunch at the Cheesecake Factory... mmm... Then Tuesday night I went to my Summit life group, which is always fun! We finished up some work on our hope for Durham project and then enjoyed blueberry muffins (which my friend Ashley made just because she knew I liked them!) and played a few rounds of corn hole. If you don't know what corn hole is, I'm not sure how to explain it, but it's this game where you have to throw bags of corn (literally) into the hole of the wooden corn hole target on the other side. It doesn't sound all that fun, but it really is! Since I'm not too good with explanations, I'll include a few pictures.

Last night (my actual birthday) Leanne made lasagna (my favorite!) and peanut butter pie (she knows I'm not a fan of cake). Then after she, Chris, Ainsley and I ate, we played THREE games of Settlers of Catan. I won the first game, and they swear they didn't let me win. Then Chris won the next two... oh well. I'm happy with my win. :)


That past couple of days have been somewhat tough... not that I dread getting older or anything... I don't care how old I get. My biggest fear though is wasting my time. I have a hard time reliving the past (especially my 2 years in south africa) and thinking I was somehow a better Christian "back in the day." God has been good to me though, and reminded me of the many ways He has clearly made my path straight to be here and to be doing the things here He has called me to. I must never doubt that His plan is best for my life, even when I can't see what He is doing! I have a feeling 28 is going to be a GREAT year. God's got it under control, so I have nothing to worry about.

I need you

A few days ago I was catching up on some of the season finales that I'd missed. (Incase you don't know, I gave up my cable, and now watch shows online when I have time.) In two of the shows I watch, there was a prominent message between characters that I noticed. One in a text message and the other verbalized... three simple words...

This message is prevalent in relationships on television. There's always this strong dependency on each other that inevitably falls to pieces further down the road... such a predictable plot line.

A couple weeks ago I also heard a new (for me) worship song - first at a funeral, and then the next night at church. The chorus of the song says:

I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

These two ideas do not mesh... which is such an indicator of our society. We know we need something... we need healing... we need Christ. But we are fed the lie that we need so much more (what we think is more anyway). We need love, acceptance, sex, money, respect, happiness. No wonder we're always dissatisfied and in need of something else.

I love that this song says "You're more than enough for me." I have been listening to this song A LOT the fast few days. I must be often reminded that Jesus is more than enough for me. He is all I need. All I ever WILL need! I may want other things, but I love knowing that He provides more than enough... sometimes I may not get what I want, but I will always get what I need. He is my faithful provider. My loving Father. My portion. And I can rest assured knowing I need nothing else.


“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:25-26

Older...

Every once in a while there is a perfect song that hits me just right.... tonight it's Colbie Caillat's song "Older" (a bonus track from her Coco album on iTunes). I think the lyrics pretty much explain themselves...

Waited all my life for this day to come
I feel like letting go
Life goes on
Wasting no more time
So much to be done
Everything works out
So they say
Over my shoulder
It's tough getting older
Yeah, yeah

Seems like nothing is black and white anymore
Shades of gray and I feel a weight over my shoulder
It's tough getting older
I always thought that I knew where I'd want to go
Now I'm here and I find that I'm still getting colder
It's kinda tough getting older

Here before my eyes
Many roads ahead
Time for me to choose one way now
If I take a chance
What lies down the road
Feeling so confused
Turned around
On and on
On and on
Yeah, yeah'

Seems like nothing is black and white anymore
Shades of gray and I feel a weight over my shoulder
It's tough getting older
I always thought that I knew where I'd want to go
Now I'm here and I find that I'm still getting colder
It's kinda tough getting older

Waited all my life for this day to come
I feel like letting go
Life goes on
Over my shoulder
It's tough getting older
Yeah, yeah'

Seems like nothing is black and white anymore
Shades of gray and I feel a weight over my shoulder
It's tough getting older
I always thought that I knew where I'd want to go
Now I'm here and I find that I'm still getting colder
It's kinda tough getting older

not just "one of the guys"

I grew up with brothers. The few neighborhood kids my age were boys. Though I enjoyed playing with dolls, I also spent many hours building forts with the boy next door. I've never really had a problem befriending and easily talking to (most) guys, and I used to hate the thought of being considered a "girly girl." A strange thing happened after college... I bought this random pair of shoes... white adidas with light pink stripes on the sides. I loved them. That's when the pink madness began. To this day I adore the color pink. (If you know me, you can testify!)

Recently, I found myself wishing I could really "talk theology" with my guys friends. (I realize now how silly that sounds.) But really, I want to know stuff so I can hold my own in a conversation. I seriously get hyped when I actually do know what to say on a certain topic, but more often than not, I leave the conversation thinking, "dang it, I need to go to seminary." I wonder why I think this way. Why do I feel the need to "hold my own" in a deep theological discussion? I am certain there is an element of pride in this equation, as pride always seems to creep in. But I also believe that this feeling is born out of a God given conviction that I do need to know Him more. I've used "not being able to go to seminary" as an excuse! Seminary is not the one and only place to learn about God. He has given me His Holy Word, and that is sufficient! And thank God, guys are not the only ones God calls to know Him!

Earlier this week I stumbled upon the "women's theology" section of Mars Hill Church's media. I began listening to a teaching entitled "What is theology, and why should I care?" And I'll admit, it's gotten me kinda pumped to study Scripture. It was really sweet to hear truths from God's Word from a very intelligent, God fearing woman. She would put things in a certain way that only a woman could, and as a woman, just as I needed to hear it! I am really getting into the teachings on this website. I've even made myself a notebook to keep all the notes I frantically scribble! (No, it's not pink, but it does have pink in it! hehe) One of the women who does some of the teaching actually wrote a book called "Practical Theology for Women" I'm considering getting some other ladies to read this book with me so we can have our own theological discussions. (If you're interested, PLEASE email me asap! I promise we don't have to discuss it while painting our nails... though I'm not opposed. haha)

I know I have rambled... but I'm excited! I am loving this place that God has me in right now. A place where I am so in love with Him and His Word and His people! How I wish I could stay in this place (any advice on how to do that would be much appreciated). I hope that you will check out the links I included... they are quite useful!

"Wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." Proverbs 2:10

canceled sin

This morning when I woke up, I had one line from a song in my head. Crazy thing was, I couldn't (at the time) remember anything else from the song... not the title... not any other line. Just this one line, "he breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free." Those of you who grew up Baptist know this song, I'm sure. I literally walked around this morning humming this line to myself over and over again until something hit me. "Power of canceled sin." Wait a minute... how in the world does canceled sin have ANY power of me? If sin has been canceled then it shouldn't hold any power over my life. NONE! Then I thought about something that was said at my small group on Tuesday night. A friend of mine said that we already have victory over sin through Jesus Christ and His death, so we are not enslaved to sin... we are not in bondage... BUT many times we choose to be in bondage to the sin. *Ouch* That one hurt... a lot. You see, I know I am free... I know Christ died to set me free, and it kills me when I think about the ways that I have chosen to live in sin and basically spit in His face. You may be thinking that I'm being too hard on myself, but let me point out that I know me, and I know how I have failed. I know that I have chosen to let canceled sin (sin that should have NO hold on me) destroy both my health and my relationship with Christ.

I've been listening to Charles Wesley's famous hymn, "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" all day. (Can you believe I had to google the line from the song in order to remember what it was!?) All day I've been basking in the remembrance that Christ has freed me from sin. He set me free over 2000 years ago, and He continues to break the power of those sins that I, in blatant rebellion to Him, choose to hold on to. Man, He must really love me to keep coming after me like this. Where would I be without His grace and power in my life? I dare not think about it!!

He breaks the power of canceled sin
He sets the prisoners free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me
-Charles Wesley

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Romans 6:22

Vitamin B

So I don't know if it's really the vitamin or not, but I've been taking this vitamin for about 2 weeks now, and I quite literally have been in the best (consistent) mood that I've been in in a really long time. It might have NOTHING to do with the vitamin, but darned if I'm gonna stop taking it! Today my kids were crazy at school (this rain really needs to stop), the people at advanced auto parts wouldn't put in my light bulb for me (like a friend had said they would), I spent 10 minutes waiting on passport pictures to print which then came out with a line across my face, went somewhere else to get them made and then got to the post office too late to send in my passport renewal application. Typically I'd have been freaking out by this point, but seriously, I wasn't. Vitamin B? Who knows, but I like the new me. :)

Vitamin or not though, life is good. I turned off my cable about a month ago and have not once regretted it. I actually have time to read now! I'm an avid book-buyer, but have never had the time to be an avid book-reader! But lately I have actually been reading and it's fantastic. Speaking of reading, my book is waiting for me... :)

mama needs a new pair of shoes!

Shoes for hiking, that is! This past Sunday I finally made it out to the hiking trails at the Eno River. A couple friends of mine and I hiked about 2 miles and I didn't die! So today (Monday) I decided to take Cadey to do some hiking. We had a blast! I am quite sad that I didn't take my camera with me. Many times I wish I'd had it so that I could capture the hilarity of Cadey experiencing the trails. She very much liked splashing and swimming in some shallow parts of the river!! I very much liked the walk as well. This is the kind of exercise I want to get more of... the natural kind. I want to be outside, not in a gym! Both Cadey and I got great exercise and had fun doing it. Here's a picture of her (from my phone) on the drive home. She made me laugh... she just propped herself up against the seat and sat there, tongue hanging out, occasionally sticking her nose out the window. Yeah, it was definitely a fun afternoon! :)

get up and move!

Lately, at Oxford Manor Kids' Club, we have been seeing glimpses of hope that these kids are "getting" the Gospel. A few weeks ago, we were teaching the kids a verse of Scripture about Heaven, and the teacher asked the kids how to get to Heaven. One of the little kids (about 4 or 5) said, "Jesus' blood has to cover up your sins!" Precious... he got it. This past Saturday the lesson was about the 12 disciples following Jesus. The teacher for the little kids asked them what it meant to follow Jesus and how to do it. Another little guy (about 4) said, "you get up and move!" Wow... he's so right!! Of course, the teacher was looking for something a little different (believing in and trusting Jesus), but I'm taking the kid version to heart. It means nothing if I sit and read the Bible and pray (which are good things!) if I don't also get up and move! The call of Christ is a call to action! Ah... truths from children. Priceless!

life with Cadey

A little over a month ago I decided I wanted a dog. I'd always said that having a dog in my house was an absolute no - only because I have a small house and there's a leash law in Durham, so a dog can't run free. I grew up in the country, where our dog(s) could just go out and play and run as long as they wanted to. I didn't think it was fair to keep a dog in the house all the time.

Well... after the bullet incident, I started to rethink my "dog-in-the-house" philosophy. A couple of days later, Cadey entered my home, and not to sound ultra cliche and cheesy, but this crazy dog entered my heart as well. She's a goof ball - FULL of energy! Sometimes she's a bit much for me, and I think, "what have I done!?" But all in all, she's my baby, and as crazy as she is, I am now responsible for giving her the best doggy life I can. I've taken all kinds of advice from some very experienced dog people.

Here's what I've learned:

Talk in my "man" voice.
No attention unless all 4 paws are on the ground.
Be a tree!
I am the pack leader - oh yeah.
A tired dog is not an aggressive dog.
And my favorite...
A plastic bottle with 50 cents of pennies is worth a million bucks.

I kid you not. Cadey is a jumper. I swear, she will jump on anyone that walks through the door. It's not cool, and it's somewhat embarrassing. I want people to see her, and to like her, but I don't want her to hurt them! (I kind of have a tiny bit of awareness now how parents feel when they have kids who won't behave... they love them, and want other people to love them, but they're scared to leave their kid alone with someone for fear of what they'll do!)

Well... my sister in law, Jamie, was here on Saturday, and said that she has a German Shepherd who used to jump on everyone too. She told me this magical secret... a plastic bottle with pennies in it. Every time Cadey jumps, I shake the bottle, and she HATES the sound!! Everyone was at the house that day (we celebrated our Christmas early). I was too nervous to bring her out, but Jamie convinced me to try. I kid you not, with that bottle in hand, Cadey sat down, and let everyone come pet her. Even my little nieces!! This bottle is my new best friend. I fully plan to place many of them around the house when I get home!

Whosoever loveth me loveth my hound.

-Sir Thomas More

i still ♥ durham

Yes, my friends... I still love Durham. Even after discovering a broken window Saturday morning, and a bullet in the corner on Saturday evening, I still love Durham. When I first discovered the broken window, I thought that a rock or a ball had been thrown through the window. The hole appears to be too big for a bullet hole. But Leanne and I couldn't find the projectile... meanwhile, some youth from out of town were staying at our house Saturday evening, so we had to deal with this discovery very secretively! It wasn't until Saturday evening, when Leanne and I snuck away from the youth at Frankie's to leave bit early to clean up the rest of the glass, that we found the bullet. It was laying off in the corner of the living room. From the looks of everything, the bullet looks to have been shot from a pretty far off distance, and more than likely, it was NOT intended for our window. In a way, that's better than someone intentionally throwing a rock through the window! It's not like I didn't know people around here shot guns sometimes. I am well aware of my location. I'm a little sad that the policeman today took the bullet. I really wanted to keep it as a memento! Life in Durham is never dull... I promise you that!

This morning, while the girls were getting ready, I had time to listen to a Marc Driscoll sermon from his series “Philippians: Rebel’s Guide to Joy” In the sermon he talked about how joy is not an emotion, rather joy is a lifestyle that celebrates the forward progress of the Gospel. He goes on to say that everything is an opportunity for the progress of the Gospel, therefore NOTHING (not even the worst situation) is without merit or purpose, and in THAT there is joy because it is ALL for the Gospel. God is definitely teaching me more and more about the difference between happiness and joy. He’s also making it clearer everyday that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

so much to say!

This past weekend was quite action packed, and if I truly wrote all that I wanted to, no one would take the time to read it! But for those of you in another country who actually want to know what's going on and I'm not able to tell you about this face to face... here goes my attempt at a SHORT update on the awesome cool stuff God did this past weekend.

Friday night Leanne and I hosted a Halloween block party for our neighborhood. Friends, family and church pitched in to make this night a success. Some friends came early to set up. Some make or brought goodies. Some simply played games with the kids or served food/drink to those who came. Leanne and I had been able to go out earlier in the week to knock on doors and invite the neighbors to come. We had a good turn out - not everyone of course, but enough! For our first community event, I can definitely say I was pleased. :) Connections were made, and neighbors talked to each other - what a concept!

Saturday morning was another endeavor. Our friends from the Summit came over to help us gid a big ole ditch behind my house to help water drain away from my yard. Previously, whenever it rained, water would pool behind my house and would stay there for days. Yesterday it rained all day... and the ditch worked perfectly!!!

Saturday night I went over to my friend Jennifer's house and watched a big Florida Gator's game with her and Eric. They are huge fans of the Gators, so I did my best to at least look the part of a fan. :) Good friends... good times...Sunday was my Dad's 60th birthday! I got to go home after church and celebrate with him for a bit before heading over to Flat Springs (the church I grew up in) to sing at a celebration for the music minister. It was his 30th anniversary of working at the church. I saw lots of people I haven't seen or talked to in quite a while.

Phew! I needed a weekend to recover from my weekend. But no such luck. Thankfully, it's already Wednesday! Have a great rest of the week, and thanks for checking up on me!

my job rocks

I have been dreading Thursday night for over a week. It's PTA curriculum night, and for the first time in my RN Harris life I have Pre-K parents signed up to come! I've been freaking out since Friday afternoon of last week... that is, I WAS freaking out... until I started thinking about what to do. As I thought (some outloud with my amazing roommate) about how to talk about literacy and math with a handful of parents, I just thought, "what would I want to know if I were a parent" and "what can I do to NOT make this meeting boring." Plus, I don't like talking in front of adults for very long. Little people I'm cool with... adults are a different story! Leanne and I went to the dollar store and bought $10 worth of random things. We came home and proceeded to make a LONG list of how to use these things to teach concepts that are in the NC standard course of study for Pre-Kindergarten. We even got Chris involved in the brainstorming. As I typed out the list and then created my hands-on agenda for the meeting, I actually found myself getting excited about it! I love what I teach. I love the way these kids learn, and the crazy, fun, imaginative ways I get to teach them. I actually get excited about helping parents know better how to teach their children. I really and truly love my job. What a blessing!

And one more thing... anyone who talked to me about my kids AT ALL last year knows without a doubt about Ke'Shaun. Ah... my little Ke'Shaun. Teachers don't have favorites... but if they did... hehe :) Anyway, Ke'Shaun was a baby when he came to me. He was still only 3 years old and was the youngest in the class. Though at the end of the year his social and physical skills were right on track, I honestly wondered how he'd do in kindergarten this year. Today I received the best job evaluation a teacher could ever ask for. Ke'Shaun's teacher came to me in the cafeteria today and said that I'd be so proud of him. She said that he read all of the class sight words to the class today and that I just HAD to come hear him read them. I went by during my kids' naptime and sure enough, he read every one of them. I asked the teacher if that was normal and she said that only about 6 kids in the class can read them all. She said Ke'Shaun is one of the hardest workers in the class. She said he may not know everything right away, but he works so hard that he gets it and he learns quickly. My Ke'Shaun is no baby anymore. He is a bright, SMART Kindergartner. And I could not be more proud.

Let me just say it one more time... I love my job.

my neighbors are gonna love me!

A while ago I witnessed a Durham Public Schools school bus knock down a basketball goal at the end of my street. A couple weeks ago I realize that nothing had been done about it, so I decided to get involved. I've been in correspondence with the transportation department. Today they asked me who the goal belonged to, and I had no idea. This afternoon I was going to my car to get something, and I saw the guys walking down to the end of the street to hang out. I asked them who the goal belonged to, and explained to them what was being done about it. They were really excited at the prospect of getting their goal back! They didn't even know it was a bus that knocked it down... they thought some kids had knocked it down. Hopefully soon the goal will be fixed, and I'll be the good guy! I'm so glad that I finally had a reason to talk to these guys. Typically it's impossible to even get a hello out of them. But now maybe they'll like us! hehe :) Hooray for an "in" with the neighborhood kids! :)

i ♥ fall

What a lovely afternoon... I slept in, which is always nice. Then I met a new friend... Leanne's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend (did you follow that?) who is spending the weekend here with us. She's great - she loves everything about the house... the colors, the decorations, the couch, and even my dishes! (I think maybe Leanne paid her to be nice, but I can't prove that yet...) Then we had a fantastic breakfast made by my amazing roommate... Chris and his brother joined us. After that, it was time to get everything ready for Oxford Manor kids' club. We had some new missionaries with us today, and they were wonderful!! The weather was a bit cool, and I definitely wished I'd had a jacket, but if I had, the weather would have been absolutely perfect for me. I love the brisk cool breeze and just the feeling of Fall. Fall makes me happy. I love wearing sweaters, hoodies, and sometimes even a scarf. I love pumpkin scented candles, Fall leaves, and apple cider. Fall makes me want to slow down and take a break from the madness. Soon enough the "most stressful" season of the year will be upon us (sad that Christmas is deemed stressful, but that's for another blog!). Now is the calm before the storm... the quiet lull of Fall. Ahh... I shall enjoy it while it lasts. :)

blessing from across the waters

Yesterday morning I got on facebook to check something quickly. Right before I was about to sign off, I got a message. It was from an old friend named Vusi. He was a young man that I knew in South Africa. I met him through Kurt (my team leader in SA) and then got to know him better when I started working with Nurse (a young lady I met in the townships). Besides being friends, I was teaching Nurse how to teach Bible stories to little kids. I brought Vusi into the mix because I wanted Nurse to have someone to work alongside when I left. Plus, Nurse didn't have any Christian friends, and I thought they would be a good influence on each other. So... back to yesterday... I hadn't talked to Vusi in almost 3 years. We were catching up, and I read that he had attended Bible college, was an associate pastor of a church in the townships, and was a part-time missionary with another ministry! How cool! THEN... he wrote this... "since you introduced me to kids ministries, I've been on fire for the lord and it opened many doors for me.thanks to you and thank God for allowing us to meet!!! you will always be part of my life and the ministry that I do" Oh my goodness... I had no idea. NO idea. Needless to say, I bawled like a baby. It's so easy to wonder what good I did in my years in South Africa. I often wonder why God sent me there... I didn't see a lot of fruit. I had a great time, and loved life, but as ministry goes, I felt like God taught me more than He used me. Little did I know what was going on. This has reminded me that we have no idea what God is doing, and we will never know everything that is going on. If I hadn't gotten on facebook, I would not have chatted with Vusi. I consider myself extremely blessed to have been allowed to be a part of this young man's life. It is just proof that God can use even the most unworthy vessels! Oh... and Vusi said that next year he is starting a ministry near Swaziland. So he is not only reaching people with the Gospel in Johannesburg, but he's taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. What a privilege and honor to have a small part in the HUGE plans of our almighty God!!

Nurse and Vusi teaching a Bible lesson in Rand Leases

wet socks

This morning I woke up, got dressed, and headed downstairs to do my Bible study. I was unpleasantly surprised when I got to the bottom of the steps and my feet hit water. *splash* Without even turning the lights on, I knew what the problem was. Apparently the rain last night was enough to flood my laundry room and then that flooded into the living room again. This time it wasn't half as bad as before, but still... sucking up water for an hour and a half was not how I intended to spend my morning!

I can't help but think of how much God has taught me here in this house over the past 2 1/2 years. I am hardly phased when something like this happens. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't make me do the happy dance, but I remember all the times in the past that God has brought me through, and I know He'll bring me through this one too. I don't know how to fix this. I really don't. I have no idea what to do. However, I've no doubt that somehow, God will teach me even more through this! :)

Lately I've been enjoying some sweet time with the Lord. Leanne and I have been getting up every morning for the past 2 weeks to do our Bible studies. I have been like a new person! I'm awake, I'm loving my job, I'm more patient and friendly... and I am NOT one to be a morning person. It's crazy, really. hehe Anyway, I refuse to let something like this house problem get in the way of my growing relationship with the Lord.

This house.... I sure do love it. :-D

hide and seek

Yesterday morning during my quiet time, I was to look at the following verses...

Jer 29:13-14 You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

I made a comment noting that it says "I will be found by you." It's as if God is letting himself be found as opposed to me doing something great to find Him. I wrote that it made me think of playing hide and seek with my pre-k students. When you play hide and seek with a child, you don't hide very hard, and when the child comes looking, he is able to find you pretty quickly! I wouldn't go hide somewhere, knowing that the child doesn't have the capacity to find me. It was a short note...

Let it be known that to date, I have NEVER played hide and seek with my students at this school. Not ONE time. Yesterday afternoon, a kindergartner that sometimes spends time with my class on the playground said, "Ms. Boisvert, I'll count - you hide!" I could not believe my ears. As I "hid" under the slide, crouched down so he "couldn't see me," I thought more about this analogy. I wasn't really hidden. Anyone with their eyes open could see me. But I hid there because I knew that Michael didn't have the ability or the patience to really seek me out if I were truly hidden. He is a child, and he can only search so much before becoming frustrated or forget about it all together. How much is God like this with us!? He's not hidden... anyone with their eyes open can see Him. He's right there, waiting for me to come seek Him, and the moment I do, I will find Him! He lets me find Him... how great and loving is He!

Just as Michael and my students rushed to find me and were overcome with laughter and joy when they did, I pray that I will rush to find God, and that when I do (because I always will!), I pray that I will be overjoyed and excited to have found Him!

I love my job! :)