Advent Day 4

In my classroom we are celebrating advent by making Christmas tree ornaments representing the names of Christ. We make a new one each day and put it on our tree!

Today we made the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5)

Mark 9:33-37

This is the passage where Jesus reprimands his disciples for arguing over who is the best. He then takes a little child into his arms and say " Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me"  (v. 37)

I thought this was a random passage for a Christmas advent- but the more I ponder the more I think "yes, this fits". Advent is a time of welcoming Christ into the world. How perfectly fitting.

As a teacher, I am working with children all the time. Some days I welcome them- their stories, their excitment (man, mention Christmas and they cant stop talking) and their joy. Other days- however- welcoming them is not so easy. They are grumpy, I am grumpy, they complain, I complain... you get the picture.

Jesus tells us and modeled for us- living is not about us. We are to serve. On earth we have the privilege of serving one another- and untimely God. When we start focusing on us- we are no serving.

I count myself lucky to be a teacher. I get to be with children every day and show them God's love. If I were to re-write this verse into the context of my world- I think it would say "Whoever welcomes one of their students into their classrooms, welcomes Christ. And whoever welcomes Christ does not welcome him, rather the one who sent Him." What a challenge! And a joy!

advent day 3

Luke 2:1-20

Good news! When the angels appeared before the shepherds, there was a moment of terror, then the act of complete obedience. Cleary- this was not a typical night for the men gathered on the hillside. And cleary this was enough to freak anyone out.

If I were to examine the reaction of the shepherds against what would have been my reaction- I am pretty sure running into town would not have been what I would have done. I tend to stop, think, question, ponder, journal, process, discuss, THEN act. So far that has served me well, and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

But does that justify me NOT listening to God the moment He tells me to do something? Probably not. There have been times that I have been prompted to do something- like talk to a new person at church or reach out to lend a helping hand- and I didnt because I didnt want to. Good thing the shepherds didnt do that- they would have missed out on the birth of the Savior.

On the other hand, there have been times that God has obviously stepped in and I have trusted his direction and gone with it. The one example that comes to mind is when Ed and I started dating. I was in my last term of college, all set to head to Mali. I wasn't looking for a boyfriend- especially because that would add a lot of complication to my life- long distance, traveling, support raising- and was at peace in that.

God had a different idea in mind when he sent Ed along. It was in the perfect timing that he could come to Mali too- he easily connected with a mission organization, there was a teaching position open at the school, and it was just enough time to support raise. God stepped in and told me "go" and this time not alone. Without the open doors, I am not sure we would have dated or been married. Oh, I am so glad that God steps in when He does!

Advent Day 2

Matthew 1

The New Testament opens with a list of the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph. I always find the first half of the section interesting- that is until it gets to the names I have never heard of, then I skim.

Imagine what it was like to be Joseph. His fathers name was Jacob- and he probably named his son from his ancestor who saved his people from famine. I imagine he grew up hearing the stories of his ancestors and all the great people of his past. But what about him? Would he even make a difference?

Then, as he is about to be married- his whole world falls apart. The girl he is supposed to marry is prego- uh oh! That doesnt speak too highly of his actions. If I were in his shoes- there would be some serious freaking out happening.

An angel appears to set it all straight. Can you imagine what he was thinking. “uh, so she’s SUPPOSED to be pregnant? And Im supposed to act as the dad? And this will fulfill history. Right.”

But he steps up into the role. He takes the risk and has Mary as his wife. He deals with isolation and judgment. He really did know God and want to do what God has laid before him. What an amazing act of obedience.

Advent day 1

 Who says there aren't snowmen in Mali? I cleaned out my freezer and found tons of "snow". Isn't he cute?

Hi guys!

So to bring in the Christmas season I found a Bible reading plan from YouVersion.com called Advent reading plan. Right now my goal is to complete all 25 readings by Christmas. Notice I am starting early to give myself a little grace period. Each day there is a reading, then a set of open ended questions and activities related to the reading.

My plan is to take some time each day to blog through this and share a little of what God is teaching me this advent season. I would welcome anyone else who would like to read to join in with me as well. I will post as often as I see necessary, under a special "advent" tab. That way those who are interested can follow along.

Today the reading was Luke 2:21-40. It is when Jesus was taken to the temple 8 days after his birth.

There were two main characters as part of Jesus circumsicion. Simeon and Anna. As Jesus was presented at the temple, it was not just the typical ceremony- people were waiting for him. They knew who He was and were ready to meet Him.

Simeon knew right away who Jesus was and why he had come. There was rejoicing and celebration. Jesus parents marveled at his reaction- for it seems they did not fully grasp what was happening.

The account of Anna was specifically intriguing. She had been married for 7 years then dedicated the rest of her life to God. She fasted, and worshiped every day for years- it says until she was 87 years old. It seems she knew the messiah was coming and was willing to go to all lengths to be there- ready to go- at his arrival.

When I reflect on my own life, I know I couldn't have the dedication. I like to "do" things too much. I wouldnt be able to drop my life and surrender my life to wait. I hate waiting. But God blessed her waiting and her worship and she was given the privilege of seeing Jesus as a baby being dedicated before the Lord. I hope she knew the eternal significance at the time. Wow.

As the Christmas season begins- even here in Mali- do I wait for the arrival of the savior? Or is it the expectation of tradition and fun times? I know right now my heart is set on a break from school, a fun trip that's in the works and spending quality time with my husband. All of those are great things- but yikes! There is so much more important things coming up. My prayer is for focus on Christ and for an Anna-like patience and dedication. This is going to be hard.

Sarah

why I love working with TCKs

Sometimes I sit back and say “I love my life”. Not because I’ve got all the goods. Or because I’m in love. But because God has blessed me with a ministry that fits me.


All my life I have wanted to be a missionary. I love culture. I love people. And I love to travel. Now I’ve entered the adult world and you guessed it, I am a missionary. But, my “mission field” is not what I expected.

TCKs or third culture kids are those that are from one culture, grow up in a different culture, but are not fully part of either.- yet can take identity in both. They form their own identity- in this case TCK. This can refer to missionary kids, kids of foreign aide workers, immigrants, refugees or anything of the sort.

At BCA we have only TCKs in attendance. Our school is in Mali and our entire student body has moved from a different country to live in Mali. We have students who are from: Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Benin, Senegal, England, Brazil, United States, Cameroon, Chad, and South Africa.

  

But that doesnt tell you why I love working with TCKs…

1. I can learn about the world without having to leave my home or classroom. I have learned so much about life in Brazil- yet I never lived there. I have seen how Senegalese raise their children- yet I have never stepped inside a home. I have tasted Korean food- yet I didnt even get on a plane. The world is brought to my door. I also learn about different holidays and get to celebrate along side others. This year I learned of the fun of Guy Fawkes night- aka BONFIRE :)

2. I love seeing how the Bible can bring people together. I have been leading a girls Bible study for the high school students and although we study in English- I have girls from England, The United States, Germany and Ethiopia. As we dive into the word together and discuss it is fun to hear different understandings, yet the unified word of God.

3. I love the fun that comes from the intersection of cultures. Any given day we can be playing mancala (an African game) in French and English with three different sets of rules (maybe not at one time, but over the course of different games.) Just the other day I had a car ride where we spoke a combination of French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Bambara in a 10 second time frame! Phew- that’s exhausting!

4. I get to provide a safety net and a stable environment. On a serious note- this is also a very vulnerable group. The loss of identity and challenge of fitting in can cause stress and tension in school and home- especially during times of transition. Although TCKs have expose to many different cultures, there is a risk and tendency to idolize one or the other and that can lead to trouble. Missions, schools and parents can take steps to enable healthy environments, but it can be rough for some people.

I love that I can be part of this process- and provide a classroom environment that builds appreciation for each others culture, but also a place to develop transferable skills to make the transitions smoother. Outside of the classroom I love to have students over to play games and watch movies- in other words be the kids and teenagers that they are.

Over all, I know that each person’s identity must be found in Christ alone. Living overseas- or even just moving-can strip you of the identity you think you have. By teaching all my students that Jesus is the only constant in their life- and one they can trust- I know they will do alright. It’s rough at times, and fun at times. I am so blessed to be where God has put me and it is a privilege to be a light to all my awesome TCK’s!

Prayer for my neighbors

This weekend was the holiday Tabaski where our muslim neighbors celebrate Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son Ishmeal. As part of the celebration each family saves up to buy a ram- or families combine if they have to- and have a big feast. Check out Tabaski 2010 for pictures (beware, a little gross).

This year I was sick at home with a cold- so instead of venturing the streets, I laid on the couch. As I sat, part of my heart was saddened. Everyone outside is celebrating a "God victory" yet they do not know the ultimate victory. The ultimate sacrifice. God allowed his son to be killed on the cross.

Here is my prayer for my Muslim neighbors.

Father.

You are mighty. You are good. You love us.

My neighbors know of you. My neighbors pray to you. But my neighbors do not know you.

On this day as they remember the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son, may they know it did not finish there. You had bigger plans ahead. 

May they seek to know your son Jesus. May they accept his sacrifice for their sins. May they find freedom and redemption in His name alone.

You are working in this place.

Amen.

How do MK’s learn to flirt?

By playing “honey if you love me” at a school lock-in. (if your not what that is, look it up- its pretty innocent and funny!)

Last night was the semiannual BCA lock in for the 6-11th graders, and with Ed and I being the token “young, cool” teachers, we are automatically chaperones. That really isn’t too bad now that we issued mandatory lights out. Sleep is a good thing.

As with all good lock ins we had snacks, games, and of course a giant water fight. I love that we live in a country where we can have a water fight at 10pm and not worry about children getting sick because it is still hot out.


Here are some pictures and highlights of the evening.

Arrival and set up

Playing some games

Talent show

And of course wake up, clean up and breakfast