The second semester is in full swing at the academy! It already seems so different than last semester.

*I now have one semester of teaching under my belt, and I am clued in on some mistakes that, by God's grace, I am not going to make again.
*Some of the students moved away at the end of last semester, but God brought us some more.
*I'm involved in more afternoon activities which is a blessing as there are more opportunities to get to know the kids on a different and more personal level.

I have finished grading the day's assignments, and I am enjoying a quiet evening at home.
All I can hear is the sound of the rain. . . and I love it.
Just last night I was thinking about this passage in Isaiah 27:2-3:
"A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!
I, the LORD, am its keeper;
every moment I water it. . . "

I guess, as I hear the rain I'm not only reminded of God watering the earth, but I am also thinking about something I read recently by Spurgeon in a sermon on the passage I mentioned above:

"He chose us. He bought us. He delights in us. He put His very Glory in pawn concerning us and we may, therefore, be sure beyond all doubt that he will water us to the end. Does He water us every moment? Then let His praise continually be in our mouths. Does He thus care for us? Let us, then, watch for the advance of His cause, the extension of His kingdom, the good of His people. He who is thus watered should water others! If the Lord puts within us a well of Living Water through His Divine watering, then let us give forth to others rivers of Living Water! Yet let not this be our first thought, but rather let us go away crying, 'Lord, make my soul as a watered garden! Saturate my fleece! Fill my vessel to the brim and keep it full forever! Fulfill this Word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope, and water me every moment, even me.'"

Chanting from the nearest mosque now echoes amidst the noise of the rain. . . and how this makes me more fervently pray that as God so graciously waters my soul, I would "give forth to others rivers of Living Water" -- rivers of Jesus. May all those who don't know Him, know Him -- the All-Satisfying Living Water, the Friend of Tax Collectors and Sinners, the Savior of the World. . .

On this note, please pray for my students, that the Holy Spirit would work mightily in their hearts and turn their eyes to Jesus.
Continue to pray for the village, as well, that God would continue watering the souls of my friends there. Because of the heavy rains we haven't been able to drive the car through the dirt roads for a few weeks. Pray that we would be able to access the village for Bible lessons with the children, soon!
Pray for the college students at ABC, that God would place within their hearts a burden to go into the villages and penetrate them with the true gospel of Jesus Christ. For "whoever drinks of the water that [He] will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that [He] will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)
Pray that God would water us every moment, even us. . .
Pray that the glory of God will be made known more and more throughout the earth!