“Waiting is not easy.” That’s what Gerald the Elephant says when he has to wait all day to see the surprise his friend has for him. As the day goes on and it starts to get dark, Gerald begins to think that he waited all day for nothing. He thought he would see something special, but it seems too late now for anything good to happen. His friend keeps telling him that the wait will be worth it, but when you’re in the waiting, it rarely feels that way.

I can relate to Gerald, and maybe you can too. Waiting isn’t fun, especially when we don’t know when the wait will be over. It’s like that saying, “It seems impossible until it is done.” For couples waiting to get pregnant, for single people waiting to be married, for those who are sick waiting on healing or recovery, or those waiting for a job or financial provision. More than “not easy,” waiting can be painful. Especially if we don’t have hope, or if we worry that the hope we do have will be disappointed.

The well known verse from Isaiah 40 says, “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (In other translations, the word “wait” is translated as “hope” or “trust.”)

Before this verse in Isaiah, there is a question: “Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’?” Can you relate to that? At times, it can feel like God doesn’t want the best for you or that he isn’t noticing your pain. But the verses following that question remind us of what’s true: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary. And to him who lacks might He increases power.”

God sees us. He understands our situation. He notices our weakness. And he supplies what we lack. When we remember who He is, we can wait without worrying. Even when we grow weary, he doesn’t. We can confidently place our hope in the good God who sees us and understands us and has not left us on our own.

When we look up from our pain and look to God, we see that he’s near and realize that he always was. Nothing happens without his knowledge. We are not alone. In our weakness and pain, we have the opportunity to rest in his strength and his comfort. We get to learn that we were never in control in the first place; we were always dependent on him. Our God is completely holy and good. He will come through. He will work all things together for our good. He will continue to redeem and restore and breathe life into the places that feel hopeless, broken and dead.

At the end of the story about waiting, Gerald finally sees the surprise that his friend wanted to show him. After waiting all day long, watching the night come and the darkness seem to take over, he’s finally able to see what they were waiting for: a breathtaking display of stars in the night sky.

Gerald didn’t know what he was waiting for. He didn’t know if it would be worth it. Until he saw it, he doubted that the surprise would be as good as what his friend had promised.

Like Gerald, we may get frustrated with the timeline. We get weary in the waiting. But, when we endure through the painful seasons that seem to stretch on and on, in the end, we’ll see that what we went through was worth it, and that God had a plan that was far and beyond anything we could have imagined for ourselves. We’ll see that the journey of the waiting was the process God used to grow our roots down deeper into His love, and that the comfort he showed us is now a fresh spring of compassion and hope that we can bring to others facing similar situations. We’ll see that it really is true that God is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed. It really is true that he gives us joy for mourning and beauty for ashes. It really is true that God is faithful and worth waiting on.

Because I find this passage of scripture so compelling, I wanted to take some time to sift through it and break it down. I hope that I’ll understand it better and discover some of the gems hidden in these verses.

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. ¹⁷ He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

Paul didn’t waste any time while he was waiting for the others to arrive. He wasn’t mad that there were idols in the city; it says that he was deeply troubled. I think it hurt his heart to see that so many people in Athens worshiped idols because that meant they didn’t know Jesus, and that means they didn’t know the truth. Paul went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. He didn’t just talk at them. He talked with them. They had discussions and shared their thoughts and ideas. It also says that he spoke daily in the public square. He wanted to share the good news about Jesus with everyone he could. I admire Paul’s dedication and passion for telling others about Jesus.

¹⁸ He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” ¹⁹ Then they took him to the high council of the city.^[d] “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. ²⁰ “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” ²¹ (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

Paul is open to talking to anyone who will listen. Paul even talked to people who he knew would think he was strange. They didn’t understand what he was talking about, but they were curious, and they wanted to know more.

²² So Paul, standing before the council,^[e] addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, ²³ for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

I love that Paul finds the one thing they might have in common. He paid attention to the city he was in and the people’s customs, and he found a commonality. He doesn’t tell them that they’re wrong and his way is right; instead, he relates to them, and starts with common ground. “I want to tell you about a God you worship without knowing.”

²⁴ “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, ²⁵ and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. ²⁶ From one man^[f] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

He explains who this God is. The people in Athens don’t know him, so Paul explains. “You don’t know it, but you’re worshiping the God who made you and the world you live in, and everything  you can see.” He’s not just one god among many; he’s the Creator of everything. We can’t contain him or help him; he’s all sufficient. We’re the ones who need him. He gives life and breath to everyone and everything, and he’s the one who satisfies our needs. He’s over everything and nothing happens without his authority.

²⁷ “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your^[g] own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ ²⁹ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

He doesn’t want to be an “Unknown God.” He wants us to seek him and find him. I love that it also says “feel [our] way toward him.” Since God created us and the world we live in, it makes sense that we would have a feeling that there’s someone or something outside of us. We have a feeling that there’s more to life than just doing whatever we want. I think there’s a feeling that we’re here on purpose, even if we aren’t entirely sure what that purpose is. And I think it’s that feeling that causes us to seek God. “If there’s a God who made me, what does he want me to do? What was I made for?” And like Paul says, he’s not far from us. It’s in him that we live and move and exist. Wow. God is all around us. He sees us and knows us. We can reach out to him and he hears us. He wants us to know him. He created us to know him.

³⁰ “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. ³¹ For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Now that Jesus has come, things have changed. Jesus was the turning point. He fulfilled God’s promises, and he was the ultimate sacrifice to cover our sins. Now, we are in a place of undeserved privilege–we can come close to God. Our sin no longer has to separate us from him if we believe in what Jesus did and accept his payment on our behalf. God has offered us a way to be free from sin and to come into right relationship with him. It wasn’t possible before because sin was always in the way, but now, through Jesus, we all have the opportunity to be made right with God. If we choose to continue in our own way instead of turning to God, we will be judged, and the judgment will be fair because now we have a choice between choosing our own way and choosing God’s way for us.

³² When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” ³³ That ended Paul’s discussion with them, ³⁴ but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council,^[h] a woman named Damaris, and others with them. 

Not everyone saw the truth in what Paul was saying, but some did, and they joined him and became believers. Things won’t always work out how we want them to when we share with others about God and life through Jesus, but God’s Word goes out and accomplishes everything he wants it to. We can rest in knowing that we’re being obedient to what God has asked us to do, and trust that God will do what he chooses to do through us.

Learning a new language is fun & hard, and inevitably includes mistakes and saying silly things without realizing it. I’m going to share with you some quotes from some of my students this past year that I “scribbled down” in my Notes on my phone.

“If all my hair grows up, you’re gonna see that I’m very curly.”

“I talk the two.” (English & Spanish 😉 )

Me: Those look like big boy shoes!

Student: No! Small.

Me: Oh, small boy shoes?

Student: Yes.

“I died a bee in the recess. I was going silence and then I stomped my feet and matarla (killed it). And I was so strong!”

After giving hot chocolate to the first graders during our Christmas party… “Thank you, Ms. Lindsey. You are nice.”

When I was telling my kids that the director would be in our class to observe me and see how I was teaching… “Why do him need to do it? We already know that you do it good.”

While looking at a book that talked about the different features/characteristics of lions & tigers… Me: Why do they have tails? Student: Because they’re animals.

“Is it o’clock?”

“Ms. Lindsey, you my friend. You so pretty. And your laugh is good.”

That’s all, folks!

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the quotes from these little cuties. 🙂

Much love,

Lindsey

Life is better when you’re enjoying it.

When I came back after Christmas, I realized that I was quickly losing patience with my students. I was annoyed when they didn’t listen the first time or when I had to repeatedly ask them to pay attention or not talk when I was talking.

A couple weeks into school, my kind mom asked how she could pray for me, so I mentioned my attitude at school, and God helped me. I’m so grateful. Seeing the change–not in my kids, but in how I started to perceive my kids and their behavior–from one week to the next was really cool. I went from frustration, clenched fists, & deep, cleansing breaths to enjoying their silliness and finding creative ways to teach them.

I was happy to get back to watching my kids with starry eyes: admiring their pretty tan skin, hearing their silly & clever ideas, cherishing hugs & hand-holding, and being glad to teach them and watch them learn.

🙂 Here are just a few pictures to showcase my delightful estudiantes:

These are the four kids I had mentor time with each week. As our last shebang, I took them to Dunkin’ Donuts (and on an errand) before church one Sunday, and they loved it! “I’ve never had breakfast in the city before!” Getting samples in PriceSmart (like Sam’s) was a pretty big deal as well!

One day while we were outside to let some crazy people run off an overabundance of energy, José found some metallic blue beetles. | With the first graders, we made hot chocolate during our Christmas party!

Upside-down goggles and sweater-sharing with this silly, big-personality third-grader. He’s seriously so much fun!!

This boy is a combination of wiggles & energy, mixed with kindness & gentlemanliness. I love having my backpack carried and my hand held. So sweet (:

I finally got out the Old Maid game I bought last summer (?), and the second graders have had so much fun with it!! “Ms. Lindsey, can we play the Old Mad?” “It’s MAID, y’all; and yes.” 😉

And, to finish off, a picture of my two first grade girlies and some sweet first & second grade boys. We’ve got a school of such good-looking kids!

They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the LORD supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. –Psalm 18:18-19

God is good.

He delights in us.

And he makes it possible for us to know him, enjoy him, and love him.

Because he loved and enjoyed us first, we’re able to love and enjoy Him and others.

I’m grateful for that.

And I’m grateful for you!

I pray that your joy is found in the Lord as you look to him and see his eyes of love looking back at you.

Thank you for your love and support.

I couldn’t be here without you.

XO,

Lindsey

When I go back to Texas in the summer, I’m overwhelmed by all of the options at the grocery store. “Whaaat? I can choose between 15 liquid coffee creamers?! When did they start making Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie?? Why aren’t these delicious creamers making it down to the Honds?”

There are so many options that it’s hard to make a decision. That’s kind of how I feel now. It’s been a couple months since I’ve written, so it’s kind of tricky deciding what to tell you about. But after much “staring at the coffee creamers,” I’ve decided to dedicate this blog to school things. I hope you enjoy your school-flavored coffee.

Our 2016-2017 school picture.

This is my third year teaching at the Ranch. It’s hard to believe. I originally committed to teaching for two years, but decided to extend my contract. I’m so thankful that God has kept me here. I so enjoyed my first two years in Honduras, and I’m happy to be back for more! The first years were great, but it wasn’t until now that I finally feel like I’m in a groove, teaching-wise. I know the curriculum, I know the kids, I understand how things work here and what goals I should have, and I’m not overwhelmed! It’s so nice to be able to go to school and feel confident in what I’m doing.

Let me tell you, in case you didn’t know, that I LOVE my little students. This year I have 5 first graders, 11 second graders, and 7 third graders. Last year’s first graders were the craziest. There are so many big personalities in that class. I was a little nervous when I heard that they would be my homeroom, but I was excited too, and very hopeful.  We’ve gotten into some good routines and I’ve gotten to know them better, and I’m so pleased with how they’re doing this year. So pleased! I was remembering the insanity with one of the little boys last year, and it’s so different from how he is now. Yay, God!

One of the biggest reasons this year has been so much more enjoyable for me is that I was actually able to put into practice what we learned at our trainings this year. I set clear expectations for my students and was consistent in enforcing them. I became “predictable.” And I saw the truth in how that brings security to the kids. My kids know what the rules of the classroom are, what behavior I expect of them, and what our routines are. I remind them sometimes when I have to write them down in the behavior notebook, “You know what the rule is and you broke it.” I know that consistency and set routines are healthy for my kids, but they’ve been so helpful for me as well. It feels good to have a plan that we follow each day. I’m not second-guessing myself, wondering what to do.

My first graders in “Position 1.”

I’ve so enjoyed disciplining my kids this year! That sounds funny. I don’t delight in punishing them or seeing them get in trouble. But I’ve been really thankful for the chance to train them and teach them.

If you came to Rancho Ebenezer around 8:00, you could witness our fun, little morning routine. Every morning, my sweet peeps hang up their backpacks, get out their agendas and homework folders, and sit down at their desks with agendas open and homework out. As they’re hanging up their backpacks, I start “Lean On Me” on my iPad and then once they’re seated, I go around to stamp their parents’ signatures and completed work. They put their work into the homework tray, put away their agendas and homework folders and have to be seated & ready at their desks, before the song is over.

Recess time.

Now, I want to share a story with y’all. 🙂 It’s one of my favorite moments from this year. One day during recess I looked over and happened to see one of my little boys pushing a girl from his class. I called him over and told him what I thought I had seen. I asked him, “Did you push her?” He looked down at the ground with his little mad face and wouldn’t answer me for a while. I asked him a couple more times though and finally, he looked at me and admitted that he did. After a few questions and a lot of waiting and listening, he told me through his sniffling and crying that the girl had been making fun of him because he’d lost to her friend in tetherball. I teared up seeing how much a comment like that had hurt him. He normally acts like such a tough guy. I told him I was sorry that she had done that and that it was wrong of her. I said that it would have made me mad too. But I asked him if he thought pushing her was the best way to deal with it? No. And if he could have done something different? Tell a teacher. And I told him that he’s stronger than her and that boys should never push girls because they can get hurt. I told him he would have a consequence because he had broken the rules, but that the little girl would have a consequence as well. We finished off hugging it out, and as he tucked his head into my stomach and stretched his arms around my waist, it became one of my favorite moments of this school year.

I was so glad that I didn’t just call him over and say, “You pushed a girl! No recess for you tomorrow!” I’m so glad that I took the time to talk with him and see what was behind the behavior. I think it made him feel valued and understood. It was loving correction. And isn’t that how God deals with us? He doesn’t throw our mistakes in our faces and just start doling out punishments; he lovingly helps us see areas for change. He helps us understand why what we’re doing isn’t okay. And even if he doesn’t show us the why, if we know his love for us, we’re able to obey without seeing the whole picture. He disciplines us because he loves us. I want my kids to get that. I want them to see the way that I love (& discipline) them as a reflection of who God is.

I’m glad to be getting that right this year (at least more than I have before), but I still have so many areas where I need to improve. There was one time at the end of the day when my kids were getting really loud and I had already told them to quiet down more than once. I got really frustrated and ended up yelling at them. Sometimes I’ve had to yell just so they can hear me and know that I’m serious, but this was a mad-yelling. So I had to apologize to them. Haha. They still bring it up. If I say anything like,”Everyone makes mistakes,” they’re quick to remind me about “that one time when you got mad and yelled at us!” They’re fun. And they keep you humble!

My sweet & spicy second graders.

There’s probably a lot more I could say, but I think this is a good stopping point. If you have any questions for me about school or anything else, I would love to answer them. Comment on the blog, email me, message me..whatever works best.

At this point, I’m running kind of low on funds. I’m good on the day to day stuff, but I’m not sure how I’m going to get my plane ticket to come back after Christmas. And I need to come back, y’all! 😉 If you would like to make an end of the year donation or you know a company that would be interested in doing so, please make your way on over to our website. I would be so thankful for your support!

https://www.wgoreach.org/Support%20Missionary-28.htm

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for donating and praying.

Thank you for caring.

Much love,

Lindsey

Traveling from one culture to another in one day (or two) is rough! I feel like it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. I know that some people have twelve hour flights and go through huge time changes! But I just travel about four hours by plane to get from Tegucigalpa to Odessa (or vice versa) and I stay in the same time zone. It doesn’t seem like it should affect me too much, but, for whatever reason, I am affected.

Now that I’ve done it a few times, I’ve realized that there’s a pattern. The first few days in either country include a lot of sleeping for me, along with some sadness. It used to worry me, but now I realize it’s normal (at least for me) and okay. I don’t need to feel bad that I don’t hop off the plane bursting with joy and excitement. I need a little time to adjust! I don’t know if anyone else can weigh in and say whether or not this happens to them, but I think that the environmental changes affect my mental/emotional state, and even result in a physical toll on my body. Anyone else??

Thankfully, after a few days, I’m able to adjust mentally and emotionally, and settle in just fine . Thank you, Lord! I’m so glad that after the initial fatigue and adjustment period, I’m able to enjoy where I am. It’s such a blessing. I want to be happy wherever I am, and I’m thankful that I can call both Honduras and Odessa “home.”

Summer in Texas was pretty great. I enjoyed being with my family and getting to know my new sister and little nephew. I was sad to leave them! Fortunately, we were able to get a family picture all together before I left. Even if we were in a frenzy most of the day finding outfits and making ourselves beautiful. And one of us going on a rampage through Target & Dillard’s searching for colors that would coordinate (right, Mom?).

It can be quite the ordeal getting everyone looking at the camera and smiling at the same time, but I think it turned out well. What do you think?

I was able to hang out with friends and family and see people I hadn’t seen in a while. I got to have lunches, dinners, and coffee-hang outs with various supporters. And I had the chance to do a little traveling as well! I went to Lubbock, Austin, Mineral Wells, and Carlsbad.

To everyone that I got to see: Thanks for letting me spend time with you! I wish we could have hung out more.

And to those I didn’t see (or who I only saw for a little bit): I wish we could have had some quality time together! Let’s try to make it happen at Christmas, or, more realistically, next summer.

To everyone who came to my Honduras Party/Presentation: Thanks for listening and thanks for coming out. I felt so special to have all of you interested in hearing about something so important to me.

It’s crazy to think that I’ve already woken up in Honduras for four days now! Tomorrow begins the Professional Development for the teachers, and our kids start class next Monday. Please be in prayer for us as we prepare for the new year and make plans for discipline, classroom procedures, schedules, organization, etc. Pray that our kids would grow exponentially this year: in the Lord, in knowledge, and in obedience. Pray that the Lord would give the teachers, counselors, and mentor parents wisdom in loving these kids  well, and that God would reveal himself to them and heal the broken places in their hearts.

Thanks for the love!

XOXO,

Lindsey

P.S. If you would like to support me financially, guess what? You can! I’m pretty well set on monthly support, but if you’d be interested in a one-time gift, it would be a big help to me.  I’m working on buying out two girls who were my roommates last year, and I still owe about $1000.00 total.

If you’d like to donate, you can do it here:

https://www.wgoreach.org/Support%20Missionary-28.htm

Thank you!!

Hello, friends. My students’ ESL-ness is a constant source of fun and I’ve noticed it rubbing off on me. (When I’m home for the summer, see if you notice me saying weird things.) The silly conversations I’ve enjoyed with my kids are something I want you to be able to take part in as well, so today I’ll be sharing some quotes from my sweet students that I’ve recorded over the past couple of weeks.

Disclaimer: I think bilingual people may get more out of this, since some things are direct translations that just sound funny in English, but everyone should be able to enjoy it. Here we go!

One day after music, one of my little boys came in, worried he was going to get in trouble for bothering another kid. He told me, “Ms. Lindsey, Alex is going to come and tell you, ‘Franklin put the butt,’ but I didn’t! I was just walking by him and he was sitting down!”

 

After seeing the email alerts on my iPad..

“Ms. Lindsey, you have 30 mail?! Who gave them to you?”

 

One of the boys was trying to describe a bad drink (alcohol, I’m guessing), when another jumped in to help him out. “It’s something that the robbers drink?”

 

And the day that a little girl’s mom was going to have a baby.

“Jasmin’s sister is borning today!”

 

“Did you know I went to sleep at ten five?”

 

When I was blocking the whiteboard: “Hey, I not can see. You can move please?”

 

To answer our journaling question about living on the moon: “I would not like it on the moon because I don’t like jumping. I don’t like nothing over there!”

 

From a little boy: “Ms. Lindsey, they’re bothering us! They’re saying that me and Fernanda are boyfriends!”

 

Being silly after a couple kids came late to class:

Me: “I’m so glad y’all were able to join us!”

Student: “I’m not glad.”

Me: “He’s elated!”

Student: “Yeah, Ms. Lindsey, they’re late!”

 

The week that the dentists came to the Ranch.

“Are they going to take you a mole?” (aka extract a molar)

 

“I just have fifteen money.”

And we’ll end with an oldie but a goody from last year..

One day in class we were all sitting on the carpet, and one of the kids farted. We’d talked before about how we don’t have to laugh every time someone farts or make a big deal about it because we all do it. But of course, the kids started laughing. Until one boy standing up for the one who dealt it said, “It’s okay. We don’t have to laugh, guys. Everyone throws farts, right Ms. Lindsey?!”

I hope this gave you a little taste of how much fun my kids are and what kinds of silly things I get to hear everyday. 🙂

I’ll be back in Texas in one month. Ahh! I would love to see you and catch up. I plan to have a couple of events while I’m home-one for sponsors and one for people interested in learning more about what’s going on here.

Also, I won’t have a job so I think I’ll have a lot of spare time. If you’re interested in learning Spanish or you already know Spanish and you’d like to help me practice while I’m home, let’s get together! (yeah, yeah, yeah) Or if you want to eat Mexican food, or go to Bahama Bucks, or Starbucks & other coffee shops, or Chick-fil-a, or Barnes & Noble or Target, let’s do that! I plan to be going to all of those places and I’m all for some company.

See you soon, USA peeps.

Peace & blessings to all,

Lindsey

I’m going to (metaphorically) write the longest blog I’ve ever written because I will be sharing a plethora of pictures with you from the past month. And a picture’s worth a thousand words, right? I’ll start with today and then work my way backwards. Here we go!

1. Today, we turned into zombies and took all of these cuties to the mall to eat pizza and see Zootopia. This week is Semana Santa (Holy Week), so a lot of stores and restaurants were closed and a lot of people went out of town. SO the mall was basically empty, and it was cool & kind of creepy. We had tons of parking options and didn’t have to wait in line and didn’t have to stalk people to find an empty table in the food court, and it was just strange.

2.  This was my mall/movie buddy today. We fearlessly hopped on and off of the escalator, held hands, and did a good job of sharing the popcorn with each other.

3. Yesterday, my lovely roommate hosted a Ranch talent show as a welcome for our newest family. We had an excellent time participating in silly in-between acts & watching the talents. These sweet & silly animals performing to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” won first prize!

4. This was from Tuesday. We’ve had the whole week off and it has been glorious! I’m so thankful for this time to rest and be refreshed. A couple of the girls and I were able to experience this new coffee shop in the mall, and I thoroughly enjoyed my non-plastic/non-paper mug of pretty, yummy, chocolatey coffee. I have a dream of one day taking a coffee tour all over the world where my days would consist of reading, writing, blogging, good conversations, coffee, Italian cream sodas, pastries, soups, and sandwiches. Mmmm (:

5. Last Friday we had a half-day Easter Festival at school. The kids were divided into four (color-coded) groups and got to rotate between different Easter-related stations. Here you can see the science-y station where they had to create a package to protect an egg when dropped from the top of the stairs. This was the team I was with (3rd grade & 6th grade) and they were a lot of fun!

6. Here are my sweet third graders on a hunt for -ed and -ing words! You’ll also note the ch, th, and sh brothers on the bulletin board. Chuck, Theodore, and Sherman have helped us so much in first grade! They’re so good at chopping wood, giving thumbs up, and shushing people in the hallways. 😉

7. I really love my little students. They can definitely be a handful at times and act like stinkers, but these sweet moments kinda make up for the crazy. I’m constantly blessed by their willingness to share and help–me and each other. Last week, one of the first graders came in after lunch and threw up at his desk. He started to cry, but none of the kids laughed or said,”Eww.” They all came over to comfort him and we prayed for him. I had one of the students take him to the bathroom to put some cold water on his face and clean up, another threw away his dirty paper, two girls took out the trash, and one other student took the wipe out of my hand to clean the floor. I was so impressed by their kindness and willingness to help their friend!

8. Speaking of good friends…these are MY wonderful friends and roommates. Two weeks ago we celebrated our church’s 15th anniversary! I felt so privileged to take part in it. We watched a slideshow that showed the church’s growth and change. All the people who came to know Christ through Impacto during the past 15 years were able to come up, light a candle, and place it into a giant cross-shaped cake. The pastors blew the candles out, and after the service we had sweets & soda and time to talk and share.

9. Another place that we get to share together is in our house group! I don’t know if they know how much I love them or how thankful I am to be part of the group, but I’m really thankful. We started attending this Grupo Casa in August and had a normal attendance of about 8-10 people, but now it’s normal to have 16-18 people every week and we meet in our house. Our group has consistently been welcoming new people and they’ve continued coming. Woohoo!!  We are so pleased to be involved in a small group here and to be able to use our house for ministry. Hip hip hooray!

10. I’ll finish here. On this day, I’d had a terrible morning. I’d almost cried five times before 9:00. I was trying to pray and focus on God instead of how I was feeling, but I was struggling. During Bible class, my dear friend brought me a cup of coffee and I almost cried again. I told my kids that I’d had a rough morning–that I was tired & didn’t feel very happy–and I asked them to pray for me during our prayer time together. And the rest of my day was so much better! I was still tired, but I was joyful and I was productive, and I made it through. And it actually ended up being one of the best days. It’s good to need God to get through the day. When you have to depend on Him, you get to see Him provide.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this photo blog and that maybe you have a better idea of what I’m doing here and how my normal life is. I’m so thankful that this is where God has me! Thank you to all who are making it possible! I hope to be writing another blog that will give you a little photo tour of the city. I know I showed pictures of my bedroom and the Ranch when I first moved here in 2014, but I haven’t shown my new surroundings since moving to the city this year. So be looking out for that!

If you want to pray for me, you can pray for:

–our car to be fixed! (It’s been in the shop since October.)

–our house group to continue growing in unity and depth in the Lord

–wisdom in teaching my students

–me to grow in humility and purity of heart

–more support & donations

Thanks, homies.

Peace,

Lindsey