"God, You are so good. I am so loving this."

Church service last week

The theme was 'Beach Party!' so we
decorated the chapel to be under the sea 

                                                     

        We made a beach in a box! 

Everyday, we had Discovery time, and Brendan made a contraption that started with torching a rope that then created a domino effect ending in the big blue tarp falling down. The kids LOVED it! 

         

Each day, I had an activity for the kids to do to learn their Bible verses. Here they are working on a puzzle I made. I makes a star fish.
            

Worship!! :)

 

Wed was also rocket day!    

The theme for Thurs was 'Bold,' so the staff decided to do a "Fear Factor" type game with them

Snack time! 

 (I started this Friday, so if I say "today, I'm talking about Friday. If I say "yesterday," I mean Thursday. But now my work has started for this week, as my dorm girl has just arrived! ;)

Well, my dorm girl just left and I finally have some time to sit and relax without worrying about whether or not she has eaten, or if my dorm boy is occupied or is getting into things. This week has been fun, but it was definitely tiring! I'm so exhausted!!  Monday starts real school and my schedule will be different so we will see how that goes. Hopefully I can get on a schedule and adjust quickly to that. I am so grateful that I have other people to help me, and that I don't have to care for both kids all by myself. Amanda and Nate have been a great help, and so has Rachel. :)

This week was full of fun and games, but also learning more about the Bible. I was in charge of teaching the memory verses for each day for VBS, and with the help of Betsy giving me ideas of how to make if fun,  I think they were a success! I asked the kids each day if they knew the verse from the day before and sometimes from earlier in the week and some of them did! It also helped me remember 5 verses, because the 'teacher' has to know them also! ;)

                               

Today, I sat down with two of the students and asked them what the verses were, and they both remembered 4. I worked with my dorm girl on Wed night until she had them down packed! It is hard for her, because she doesn't know English, her grasp of Spanish linguistics isn't the best, the Spanish Bible verses weren't much of a help because she doesn't know and recognize them, and the concepts of some of the verses were hard for her to understand. So I sat and worked hard with her explaining and sharing different examples until she understood. It was great to witness those moments that she understood what the verse(s) meant and when she memorized what they were. I sat there while she was signing them for me and just thought, "God, You are so good. I am so loving this."

Me swinging off the rope!

Actually, I thought that quite a few times this week. On Tuesday, we went to the rainforest with the students and hiked down a small trail to a watering hole where there was a rope swing. Just standing there watching the kids jump off this swing, with the beauty around me, and then after I jumped off and didn't kill myself, I thought that. On Wed. when we went to an old air strip to shoot off rockets and we are standing there waiting to see if we had permission to do it (as Betsy so confidently walked into the place like she owned it and as though there was no problem with being there) looking around at the blue sky, the mountains, the clouds, the hotels on Luquillo beach, and all the other things, I thought that. And especially yesterday when we took the kids snorkeling and not even 30 feet away from the shore line did we see fish and coral. I thought that. Last night at our staff Bible study, thinking about what was being said and how it related to my life and the fact that I am here experiencing this all with these lovely people, I thought that. All week when I sat back and watched the kids communicate with one another at lunch time, I thought that. And when I just sat and thought about my life and how He's brought me to this very place at this very time, I thought that.

On Wed, the kids made fish out of coconuts! 

       God just never ceases to amaze me! I am loving working with the kids and seeing their progress of learning. It is just wonderful to see them actually understand and comprehend things! It's also amazing to me just how beautiful this earth is, and even more so, the fact that God lets me see and experience its awesomeness! We get so caught up in our own little world that we forget that there is so much more going on out there. But sometimes, He lets us in on some of that. Like yesterday, it was a small part of the world under water. We walked out just a little and  saw many different types of fish, with all different colors. Some blue, some yellow, some white with yellow strips, some white with black strips,  some gray, some white/almost translucent with yellowish orange strips across the top, and some with blue and yellow across the top. They were just beautiful. God's creation is just stunning, and to think, He gave man the intelligence to know how to be able to see some of His beauty. To see some of the beautiful fish in the ocean gave me a whole new insight into who God is.

Snorkeling on Thurs! 

           As I sit here, thinking about the week, reflecting on it and on God, I feel as though the Lord has something big for me. I felt that at home before I left, too, but again it has crept up. Whether it is just being here and watching the kids grow and learn and mature, as well as my relationship getting deeper in Him and being more aware of God in different places like I have this week, or whether it is something even bigger, I don't know. Only God does. But I do know that I am excited for it! And I believe I am ready for it!!

Father, You are so Merciful and Gracious to me. You have provided for me to be here and I know You are going to continue to provide. You have blessed me so much just over this last week, I can't even imagine what You have in store for me over the next few months. Be with me over this next week as I have to get used to my normal schedule. Lord, give me wisdom and guidance as I serve You. Let my relationship with You just be strengthened. Thank You, for new friends. Bless and protect them as they are serving You as well, from wherever it is You have them. Thank You for Your creation and for allowing us to live in it. And for giving man the intelligence and the knowledge so that we are able to enjoy it even more. Father, I can't praise You enough for letting this all happen. I love You, Lord. Thank You.