Goodbye 2012

I’m sitting at the airport on new years eve. It’s fitting. I mean this is the 15th or so flight I have taken this year and being at airports is part of that process.

I have a love/hate relationship with airports. They are a convenient way to get from point A to point B. There are all sorts of interesting people to watch and the mix of vacationers, business men, and backpackers never is boring. But, I have missed a few flights, or had to travels on a whim and the stress of rapid departure is not so fun.

Our time in Oregon was great. We joined up with family over Christmas, and got a lot (almost too much) of shopping done. I got to have a fantastic weekend with my besties and Ed played a few hours of video games. It was rainy, cold, sunny, and inconsistently consistent weather-wise. I am glad we were able to come, relax and step away from the daily work-load of teaching.

Here are a few random pictures I remembered to take:

Geocaching at the coast

Elk at the Trussell farm

Sunrise our last frosty morning.

Christmas time is here

I’ll be honest. It’s a little strange to be in Oregon right now. In some ways it’s fantastic- seeing friends and family and enjoying a delightful time together. Ed and I have both commented to each other it’s like we never left- our relationships just seem to pick up where we left them.

On the other hand it’s rough. It doesn’t feel like Christmas. I mean it sure is cold enough. There are lights everywhere and stores are crowded. But there is a lot on my heart blocking me from the joy and excitement of this time of year.

Many of you follow me on facebook and have seen numerous posts about Tabitha- a girl from my home church in Independence who is fighting for her life after a serious case of septic shock. I know the church is hurting and anxious to see God work, but at the same time I cannot help but grieve over the loss of her legs and life as she knew. (check out here progress on this link)

Then there’s my aunt’s health. It is also not good and lots of prayers are needed for her.
On top of personal concerns, we have also had to jump in to a nation in mourning after the shootings last week. While away it is easy to distance ourselves from the pain- but here we can’t escape. People are worried, grieving and trying to find hope in midst of confusion.

It’s just not an easy world to be a part of. And I want my Christmas back.

Once I get over my selfishness, however, I realize that this is much more like the first Christmas. You know, the teenage girl stranded giving birth in a barn. Not so much the glamorous “away in a manger” scene we have children sing about. It was a world hurting, crying out to the Lord for deliverance, and full of literal darkness. I can’t imagine the issues Mary was facing: rejection from her family and community for carrying a child unwed, an unexpected pregnancy then traveling by foot for over 70 miles, giving birth alone, in the filth, with only the help from a scared fiancé.
In the midst of the pain and the burdens, I cant help but think this might be a more realistic Christmas. One where God is working miracles, but through discomfort and brokenness. I think it helps. I think it forces us to think on the real reason for celebration- the birth of a savior in a broken world.

Come on ring those bells!

This past Friday was the ECA Christmas program. The first 10 minutes was a presentation by pre-kinder and kinder singing some songs (come on ring those bells and Jesus loves me) and reciting special Christmas verses.

The main presentation was a gospel drama presentation written by one of our high school English teacher. It was a beautiful presentation sharing the story from creation to resurrection. Many of Ed’s middle school students were part of this presentation.

And of course we had some fun goofing around before it all began!

Serving others

“Training for life” is ECA’s motto and infiltrates every aspect of our teaching, discipling, and mentoring. One big focus at the school is service and training our students to serve others as well. Every class from Pre-Kinder to 12th grade is given a local ministry to partner with and serve several times a year.

Nursing home

For Pre-kinder, kinder and first grade, they are partnered with a nursing home. Once a month one of the classes goes to the nursing home and visits the residents.

In early November my pre-kinder students went and visited the 110 residents at a nursing home. During this special time they sang songs in English and Spanish, joined the elderly for the exercises and colored a picture with them. They also brought with them a variety of fruits and parent volunteers were able to

For many of my students this was a scary event. They were frightened of the wheel chairs and didn’t understand what many of the adults were saying. That being said they persevered and were very brave (the word of the week). They hugged and shook hands with the residents, sat next to them and shared their crayons, and smiled while they sang. I was so proud of my kiddos and their maturity to love others.

Two students in particular really stood out in how they overcame their fear and shared God’s love.

One boy is usually very active and has a hard time sitting still or sharing. He sat next to a lady and for 25 minutes shared his crayons and did not try to leave. I was overjoyed by his patience and giving spirit. At the end of the time he went out of his way to say goodbye to many of the residents that the other students had overlooked. He was sharing God’s love in the best way he knew how.

Another child exclaimed as he walked in “I’m scared”. With only a little prompting, however, he went to several of the residents and shook their hands. He smiled at them and said kind words. I was so proud!

Over all our 2 hours at the nursing home were delightful. The children were cute and the elderly really seemed to enjoy the visit. I look forward to our second visit later this year.

 

The Jungle

Twelfth grade partners with a very dynamic ministry in one of the roughest parts of Bogota. YWAM runs a youth center for children two Saturdays a month called ‘The Jungle’. In the location there are a variety of toys, games, and even a rock wall. This has been created as a safe place to local children to escape from the stress of normal life and hear about Jesus.

On Halloween they host a very special Halloween party. For Colombians, Halloween is the darkest night of the year. It is the highest night of kidnappings, attacks, and even murder. For many Colombians they stay safe at home and don’t venture out.

God’s servants at the Jungle see this night as an opportunity to provide a light in the darkness. They opened their doors around 6pm and over 150 children entered, as well as some parents. Churches around the city send a troupe of volunteers to play with the kids, supervise activities and provide the needed security.

This year ECA was asked to join the efforts and about 10 staff (including myself) and 6 seniors headed in for an intense night of service.

For the first hour and a half there was free play- or mayhem- where the volunteers spread out and focused on the kiddos. After that there was a time of worship and dancing. IT WAS CRAZY. Kids were running all over, dancing, singing, and having a lot of fun. After the worship was a gospel message- telling kids that the only way to heaven is through Jesus. A few local churches had sent teams to lead worship and present the message.

I was so blessed to be a part of the craziness. So many workers from all over the city gathered and worked together to create a loving, safe, and caring environment. By the time the door closed at 9:30 all 65 of the volunteers were dirty, exhausted, and confident that God had planted many seeds that night.

I look forward to visiting the jungle again and loving on the kids that call it home. What an amazing place to serve, worship and love.

Thank you Lord for…

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and for the past 24 hours my head has been swirling with things I am thankful for. This has been a challenging year, but a year full of blessings. I am grateful to God for the big things and the little things! Here is my list:

Thank you Lord for…

-My family that is supportive of my calling to work overseas and do whatever they can to help me out.

-My husband that encourages me and keeps me steady. It has been a transitional year and I can’t imagine him not at my side.

-Our supporters that give and pray faithfully for us every month- it is amazing what God does through all of you.

-Friends back in the States that stay in touch and pray for me in spite of the distance.

-Friends all over the world that we have met in a variety of contexts and have made an impact on our lives.

-Co-workers and friends here in Bogota that fill my day with support and laughter.

-Adorable students who are eager to learn.

-A school focused on helping students grow closer to you.

-The little things in life: breakfast in bed on the weekends, libraries with ebooks that I can check out overseas, inexpensive street food, convenient transportation system, internet that makes communication easy, warm blankets, hot chocolate, inexpensive airline tickets, and sunshine almost every day.

---and last, but most important---

-Your son, my savior and redeemer, through whom I am able to have a relationship with you.

Thanksgiving Pre-Kinder style

Although Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Colombia, it is an important part of our school culture. Through out the month of November each elementary class takes an element of the Thanksgiving story and focuses on it through lessons and special activities.

Each year the elementary students perform skits, songs and recite verses giving thanks to God in a special Thanksgiving chapel. Parents are invited, so it is a pretty big deal! Pre-Kinder and Kinder combined efforts and had our children sing 2 songs and say what they are thankful for. My students made me so proud to speak into a microphone in English- a new language for most of them. Check out the video below of them singing (Ignore the first bit of me organizing/talking).

Pre-Kinder and kinder singing “I give thanks” at our Thanksgiving chapel.

After chapel we made special place mats by painting them with corn. The kids enjoyed exploring a new material and got just a little messy.

We also made our own corn bread and ate it in a special celebration. It was REALLY good, surprising since I hadn’t tried the recipe before.

To finish the day there was an all-elementary “Pilgrims vs. Native Americans” tug of war.

What do you like most about the church?

As part of my certification for ACSI I am taking a course called “the Truth Project”. In this course, we dive into our Christian world view with the hopes of separating “worldly” view from “Godly” view. Most of the classes (or tours as they are called) are interesting. We have dived into subjects such as “who is God?” and “What is truth?”.

Today before we started the class we had a discussion answering the question:

“What do you like most about the church and why?”.

At first the cynical side of me was not sure where this was going. I have had many conversations about what I don’t like about a particular church. I have become emotional over the American church. I am leery of the institution of church. But I don’t think I have ever before thought about what I LIKE about the church.

As we started discussing I had to remind myself what is the church. I know this question wasn’t concerning First Baptist. And I didn’t have to do with the megachurch phenomenon. No. It was asking what I liked best about the global community of believers who have claimed Jesus as their Lord.

As I steered away from my dislikes and clarified my definition I realized I like the church. I like the community. I like the connection. And I like sharing a common focus and adoration.

Now that I have started thinking,  I am curious what’s your take… What do you most like about the church? Why?

Go ahead and comment either on this blog or on facebook… I’ll post them in a day or two and let you know what people think. I am hoping this is interesting.

Off to ‘La Granja’ (the farm)

Every year Pre-Kinder gets a special field trip to the farm! The kids had so much fun petting animals, milking a cow (and drinking the milk), trying fruit fresh from the tree and running around outside. The weather was sunny and warm- so that made it extra enjoyable! Take a look at all the fun they had!

Job Description

I am a…

Nose blowing,  Bible teaching, hug giving,

Spanglish-speaking, hand washing, playdough molding,

Book reading, naptime enforcing, tear wiping,

High-five giving, song singing, paper coloring,

Hair brushing, candy confiscating, color naming,

Culture bridging, peace making, children loving

Pre-Kinder teacher.

 

A cup of joy!

Here in the eternal fall, there are little vices to help us cope with the cold and dreariness of rain (ironic that right now it is super sunny…. but we’ll just keep that between us). Our best vice is none other than hot chocolate!

Since arriving in Bogota, my definition of hot chocolate has drastically changed for the better. What I once thought was hot chocolate (hot water mixed with milk and chocolate power) is not longer acceptable! My world of hot beverages has been upscaled to now include the real ‘hot chocolate’. I give you permission to call me a beverage snob.

What makes this so different you ask? Well let me explain.

First you begin with chocolate and milk. Real chocolate. The kind that melts if you touch it too long. We buy the kind with cinnamon and cloves mixed in as well for extra yumminess! Oh, and milk- yes, it comes in a bag. And yes it stay at room temperature until you open it. No worries… that’s just how it is!

Next you take one stick of the chocolate per cup of milk and place them in the special pot. Now, is it really necessary to have the pot? YES! It just doesn’t work the same with out it.

Next heat the mixture stirring with the special whisk. Again- this is necessary. It’s like magic… mixes the milk and the chocolate in a way that makes a PERFECT cup. Don’t ask me why: it just does.

Lastly, once it starts to boil, remove from heat and pour into your cup. Drink. Enjoy!

Now, we at ECA know our hot chocolate. Every Friday for staff meeting we have chocolate. I think it’s the administrations way of bribing us to be in a good mood for an early meeting (7am). And surprise, surprise it really works!

So there you go- the wonder of Colombian hot chocolate! For those of you back in the OR be excited- we are bringing supplies back with us over Christmas in order to bribe you to hang out with us! Yes, we are that awesome!