Meet (some of) my 8th grade girls!

We all have different stories. . . but we all are in desperate need of a Savior!


(from left to right: Kaitlin, Yodit, Shannon, Catarina)

KAITLIN (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I am from Nebraska, but I was born in Iowa. I've been in Malawi since 3rd grade (2004). My dad is a missionary doctor at an AIDS clinic here. We are with a mission called SIM. My mom is a counselor.
What do you like to do? I love to swim! I could live in a pool! My favorite subject is math. I love math!
What is your favorite Bible verse? Jeremiah 29:11 because it tells me how God knows everything that's going to happen to me! He loves me that much!
How can I pray for you? You can pray that I would pursue God and draw closer to Him everyday.

YODIT (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I'm from Ethiopia, but I've been in Malawi for six years.
I live in Lilongwe because my dad got a job here.
What do you like to do? I love to hang out with my friends.
What is your favorite Bible verse? My favorite Bible verse is John 3:16 because it makes me feel important.
How can I pray for you? I'm going to Ethiopia during the summer. My family is moving. Pray that the move wouldn't be so hard.

SHANNON (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I'm from Zimbabwe and Malawi. I've been in Malawi for 2 years. I moved away from Zimbabwe because it was corrupt.
What do you like to do? I like to hang out with friends, and I like sports.
What is your favorite Bible verse? I like Proverbs 15:3 because it makes me feel safe wherever I am.
How can I pray for you? Pray that my friends and I won't grow apart and that I'll go back to Zimbabwe one day.

CATARINA (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I'm from Portugal, but I was born in Malawi. I have been in Malawi for 14 years. My dad got a job in Malawi, so that's why I'm living here.
What do you like to do? For fun I like to hang out with friends and go to parties. My favorite subject is recess.
What is your favorite Bible verse? My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 14:26, because it gives me encouragement to go through life, even in hard times.
How can I pray for you? Pray that I do well at my new school if I have to move.



- - - - -
Please continue to pray for my students and for each one's relationship with the Lord!

Himself

I was listening to a sermon in which this song was quoted. . . and I loved it. Such a seemingly accurate and beautiful picture of how when we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ our desires shift from wanting the blessings and gifts of Christ to intensely desiring the precious Christ Himself -- and then having the confidence that, indeed, He is our own!


HIMSELF
by A. B. Simpson

Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

All in all forever
Only Christ I'll sing
Everything is in Christ
And Christ is everything

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the veil.


"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine " Song of Solomon 6:3

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!

Thank you for demonstrating my heavenly Father's love and wisdom to me in so many ways! I miss you and love you, Daddy! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you, but know that I've been thinking about you and thanking God for you throughout this special day! I hope you have a very, very happy and blessed birthday! My 8th grade class wanted to wish you a very happy birthday, too!



I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. . .
Philippians 1:3a

Point Them to Christ

We just completed the first week of the last school term!

The kids and I are continually praying for perseverance and endurance as we trek through these final weeks. I would also really appreciate prayer as some parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for next week.

I keep praying, in addition to their understanding the math, that my students would see Christ. I was gratefully reminded by a Paul Washer message that our knowledge and love for Him explains Him with a glory that the superficial does not understand. May we know Him and love Him more so that we may find all our satisfaction in Him. . . but, also, that others know Him and love Him, too, and He gets all the glory!

"Point men to Christ. If you're a missionary, if you're a member of [a] church, if you're witnessing to people in your factory or in your business or in your schools, point them to Christ, to Christ, to Christ! Magnify Christ! That is one of the reasons why you should know Him deeply -- so you can love Him deeply -- and in knowing and loving Him deeply you can explain Him to others with a glory that the superficial does not understand."

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
I Timothy 4:10

I Need to Be So Utterly God's

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1

I found this during the weekend and was very humbled and convicted. May He give us the courage and grace to surrender every facet of our lives to Him!

Helen Roseveare, a missionary doctor to the Congo for twenty years, writes:

"To be a living sacrifice will involve all of my time. God wants me to live every minute for Him in accordance with His will and purpose. . . No time can be considered as my own, or as 'off-duty' or 'free.' . . .
To be a living sacrifice will involve all of my possessions. . . All should be available to God for the furtherance of His Kingdom. My money is His. . . He has the right to direct the spending of each penny. . . I must consider that I own nothing. All is God's, and what I have, I have on trust from Him, to be used as He wishes.
To be a living sacrifice will involve all of myself. My will and my emotions, my health and vitality, my thinking and activities all are to be available to God, to be employed as He chooses, to reveal Himself to others. Should He see that someone would be helped to know Him through my being ill, I accept ill health and weakness. I have no right to demand what we call good health. . . All rights are His -- to direct my living so that He can most clearly reveal Himself through me.
God has the right, then, to choose my job, and where I work, to choose my companions, and my friends. . .
To be a living sacrifice will involve all my love. . . I relinquish the right to choose whom I will love and how, giving the Lord the right to choose for me. . . Whether I have a life partner or not is wholly His to decide, and I accept gladly His best will for my life. I must bring all the areas of my affections to the Lord for His control, for here, above all else, I need to sacrifice my right to choose for myself. . .
I need to be so utterly God's that He can use me or hide me, as He chooses, as an arrow in His hand or in His quiver. I will ask no questions: I relinquish all rights to Him who desires my supreme good. He knows best. "

Hungry to Grow

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation -- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
I Peter 2:2-3

School is out for two weeks for Easter Break!

Last week we were given extended homeroom periods to help the students understand why we celebrate Easter. I really enjoyed spending time contemplating and discussing the significance of the gospel with them. They asked such great questions!

Easter gets more meaningful every year as Christ just keeps getting more and more beautiful. But, then again. . .is Christ really getting more beautiful? He has always been that beautiful, and will always be that beautiful -- the type of beautiful that I can't really wrap my mind around. He has always perfectly been about the Father's will, perfectly radiated His glory, perfectly shown unfathomable love to poor, broken, miserable, undeserving sinners. . .
So, it must be my marred understanding of him that is changing as God, in His mercy, grows me and opens my eyes to behold more and more of Jesus. And the more I see, the more I want and need this beautiful Jesus! And the more I want and see my need to grow!

I was really reminded of growth today.

It had been a while since I'd spent time at the Crisis Nursery. I have been thinking of Teresa a lot lately. She was the first baby I held there -- and I will never forget her. She was so tiny, and her eyes so full of fear. It broke my heart. Today I was excited to see the babies. . . but especially little Teresa!


When I walked inside, I didn't see her in the main play area. So, I ran to the room where she usually sleeps. I still didn't see her! I panicked, and ran up to one of the workers, asking if Teresa was still there! She laughed, and said, "Yes, she's in the big room."

I went back to the main play area, and I couldn't believe it! I had definitely seen her earlier, but I had not recognized her because she had grown so much!

And though this is physical growth, it was a beautiful picture of God's mercy and grace in growing his children spiritually. So I praised Him for little Teresa's physical growth and prayed for her spiritual growth! And then prayed that He would grow me more and more in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)


Mom, what do you think about a 7th child????

Too Wonderful for Words

Psalm 40:5
You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

One of my favorite things about reading through Psalms is the way it seems like the psalmists are peeking into my own heart and transforming what I never would have been able to articulate in just plain old words into beautiful poetry. My heart gets so excited. . . "I'm not the only one that has felt like this? It is said so perfectly -- and I didn't know how to verbally explain it, but that is exactly what I am feeling! Amen and amen!"

I came to this particular portion of Psalm 40 today, and my heart became really excited as I resonated with David! Verse 5 struck the chord. . .

During these last few weeks, especially, God's goodness has been driving me crazy! And when I say that, I mean it in a good way. Every morning at school I have homeroom with my 8th graders. . . and every morning I try to share with them just how good and wonderful and glorious is the LORD. I want them to see just how beautiful He is, that they may treasure Him!

But it doesn't matter how hard I try. . . Anything I say, more could always be said. It would really be quite frustrating if it were not so wonderful!

Today I had an opportunity to speak to the women in Maria's village -- same thing! How oh how can I proclaim how wonderful my Savior is when there is more than can be told?

And that's why I love how David states it. In the same way my heart says: "O LORD my God, I will proclaim and tell of your wondrous deeds! I will proclaim and tell of your thoughts toward me! But, they are more than can be told because there is nothing in the world that even compares with you."

And so, it's really wonderful.
Wonderful because that's my God. His goodness can never be exhausted. . .
He is, literally, too wonderful for words.