I had lots of deep and profound things to write until I sat down to write them....hmmm. I think my brain fell out! Well, the rest of my break was wonderful. It was awesome to have my parents here, and then my friend Katie came. We got to do a number of things together, including snorkeling, lying on the beach, WHITEWATER RAFTING for my birthday!, and a baseball game. Dominican games are very different than American ones! We stayed with a great Dominican family when we went to the beach, so that was a good experience too.
Now I am back in the swing of things with my kids. It is good to be back with them. They were really quiet all week, which is not normal, but it was really nice! We started multiplication this past week, which they absolutely LOVE! It will be interesting to see if they continue to love it!
I am starting to fall in love with my church. It has taken me a while, but I am so glad it is happening. I am going to a church that is the same kind I grew up in, but in a church of 300, I am the only American and the only non-Spanish speaker. Talk about standing out! I met a lady though who speaks English, so sometimes she translates the preaching for me. I understand a lot more when she does, but I am slowly starting to understand even without it. I love that it is the same format as my churches back home. I love worshiping the same Lord with believers who speak another language. Today we were singing about all languages confessing that Jesus is Lord. I love that I was singing it in another language with believers that speak another language. Isn't our God awesome? People are slowly starting to realize that I know a little Spanish, so they are talking to me, which is always nice. It is good to break out of my comfort zone and do things in a language I don't fully understand.
Looking back on the year 2008 reminds me so much of God's faithfulness. He has brought me a long ways this year and has shown Himself in so many ways! The first day of 2008 I was traveling to and arriving in Kenya, and the last day of 2008 I spent in the Dominican Republic. During that time I went from college student with no job prospects to college graduate teaching third grade in another country! My verse for the year was Romans 12:12--Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. God taught me a lot through that verse. I had many opportunities this year to be joyful in hope: playing with my first graders in Kenya, holding precious orphan babies, counseling at camp, teaching third graders, seeing God transform my life in so many ways, and more. I also had plenty of opportunities to be patient in affliction: not being able to talk for two weeks twice, skin problems, not knowing where He wants me to teach or do, and many other things in my life that He was changing to make more like Him, but the process was so hard. And of course, I had many opportunities to be faithful in prayer! I am so thankful for all He did in my life in 2008! He shut many doors (slammed some) and opened many others.
I am so glad He brought me here though! I have not been able to spend any time at an orphanage, and that has been so hard, but so many other opportunities have been great. I love my kids, I love my roommates, I love my church... God is good! I pray that you have seen that in your life this year too!
On to 2009...I have no idea what it will bring, but I am excited for it! I am excited to have God work more in my life this year. I am still praying about a year verse, but it might be a couple. My goal is to truly get to know God better. How can I fall completely in love with Him when I don't know Him? I don't just want to know about God, I want to know God! May I truly do that this year. I am so thankful for our faithful God who does no wrong! May you experience His faithfulness in your life this year. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
