Friday, September 30, 2011

I can't think of a creative title ...

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted a real good update on what's going on in our world over here, so I thought I would. I have nothing too profound or important to share, just some pictures and a little update on our adventure that we're loving :)


Prayer time in K-2 ... it just melts my heart to look at this picture. Devotion time in the morning is a very special time for me. I am so blessed to be able to pray to God with these wonderful, beautiful children everyday.


On a different note ... It is kind of hard to tell in the picture, but these towels are soaked. A couple of Monday's ago, I probably had the worst Monday I have ever had. Erik and I went to bed with and woke up with a pool of water on our kitchen floor. We found out later that our neighbors water was leaking through the wall you see here. At first it wasn't so bad, but when we left for school on Monday there was literally a pool of water on our kitchen floor. It was quite a day. But thankfully, we work with wonderful people at SPH and they fixed the problem and I came home to a dry kitchen floor, and a fixed problem! :)


Mr. Erik with his grade 10's who absolutely adore him. He and Mr. Ben (also in the back there) are the home room teachers for grade 10. This picture was taken on Indonesian Independence day.

In K-2 we are doing a farm unit. I was so proud of their cute little farmers, I just had to share their hard work with you.

Prayer requests:

Term 1 ends on October 7th ... I can't believe that we are almost done with 1/4 of the year! Please be praying as we wrap up the term with reports cards and parent teacher conferences. Lots of long hours coming up :)

Be praying for the senior school students who just went on a spiritual retreat. Pray that these students would really begin to know Jesus personally in their lives. Some of the Muslim students are beginning to ask many questions. Erik teaches them in Bible class ... [if you would like details on the senior school retreat, click on Chris and Katie's blog link over to the right]

Pray for my students. Pray that even though they are young, they would understand as much as they can the Bible stories and ideas I am teaching to them. We lead the junior school chapel on October 19th ... please be praying that it goes well! :)

I know it is a way's off but as the holiday's are getting closer, Erik and I (especially me) are beginning to feel home sick. We know the Lord wants us here, but we do miss home during these times especially.

<3


What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long: we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.



Friday, September 16, 2011

Our God is Global!!

A wonderful, simple (but not actually) realization that I have come to lately is that our God is a global God! In America, it is so easy to get stuck in our "American Christian bubble". I used to think things like ... "Sure, God hears and understands other languages, but his first language is English" ... "He likes when we sing worship songs in English to him" ... My God is no such God. He is a God of EVERY language and he is praised and worshiped in millions of other languages and many others peoples, not just English speaking Americans. I know that this is not a profound thought that no one has ever talked about or thought of, but it has hit me hard lately.

Last night Erik and I went to a conference in Jakarta. There was an Indian speaker by the name of Ravi Zacharias and there was also a worship team there that is very popular in Indonesia. As we sat in a stadium full of many different people (mostly believers, but some not I'm sure) I was overwhelmed by my God's global presence in that place. As we sang and prayed in Bahasa Indonesia I could not hold back my tears as I dwelt on the fact that God knows exactly what is being said and thought. We sang an English song that the worship leader wrote called "Hosanna". We basically sang these words over and over again for about 10 minutes .. "Hosanna in the highest. Let our King be lifted up. Hosanna!" I didn't get that on video .. but I did get some of the worship. It definitely won't have the impact that it did being there, but maybe you can get a little taste of God's reign! :)


I LOVE the fact that my God is a global God. I LOVE worshiping with other believers (there is especially something about worshiping him with people who aren't American). I LOVE how my God is present EVERYWHERE!

My prayer is that I would remember the presence and power of our global God. Most importantly, I pray that I would come more and more to the realization that my "Christian walk" is SO not about ME. It is about God, and it is about others coming to know God. God doesn't only love Americans - he wants us all to come to know him - that's the kind of god I am glad that I serve!

The Newsboys put it perfectly:

God of all nations
Lord of creation
It's in the bonds of love we meet
We come together at Your feet

Equal in Your sight
Made one by Your might
You've called us to restore Your lands
And place them back within Your hands

So tonight
Be glorified
Be magnified
As every nation lifts You high
Oh, Father, tonight
It's our desire
To see Your kingdom shine
On earth as in heaven tonight

God of all nations
Lord of creation
Your purpose is our hope, our bread
All You've planned and all You've said

Lord of the heavens
Lord of the ages
The church You build shall never fail
No gate or border will prevail

Tonight
Be glorified
Lifted up high
It's our desire
So tonight
Be glorified
Lifted up high
It's our desire
Oh, Father, tonight
It's our desire
You're magnified
Lifted up high

All be glorified