“Pray Continually”

            1 Thessalonians 5:17 puts it simply, “Pray continually”. This has honestly always been a struggle for me because I sometimes fall into stubbornness and believe the lie that “I can do it on my own”. It's easy for me to get in a routine of praying when I wake up and before I go to sleep, but the reality is that I need to be in constant communication with Jesus to handle any situation I might face throughout the day. Conditioning myself to immediately run to Jesus in prayer constantly throughout the day, in moments of both despair and celebration, has been difficult, but so rewarding and eye opening. I’ve learned that when I talk to Jesus about what is going on (the big and even the little things), an immediate wave of comfort covers me. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the situation changes or things are better in that moment, but what I gain is so much more…peace that only comes from my Father and Best Friend, because of my choice to put my faith in Him. 

           

          Sharing my faith and who God is with my students and others here in Bolivia has opened my eyes to such extreme spiritual warfare as I’m actively in this spiritual battle daily in ways I’ve never opened myself up to before. What joy we have in the truth that God can and will give us peace that we can’t humanly fathom…and all we have to do is turn to him and accept this precious gift. As Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I recently listened to a powerful song "I Will Waste My Life" by Misty Edwards. Here are the lyrics:

“I will waste my life, I'll be tested and tried


With no regrets inside of me to find I'm at Your feet



I'll leave my father's house and I'll leave my mother


I'll leave all I have known and I'll have no other



I am in love with You There is no cost


I am in love with You There is no loss


I am in love with You I want to take Your name


I am in love with You I want to cling to You Jesus


Just let me cling to You Jesus”

          The idea of “clinging” to Jesus really struck me. What powerful words. It made me think about how my relationship with Him is a daily choice and commitment. It is two-sided just like any other relationship. If I’m not in constant communication, giving my all, and being in His Word to learn more about Him…then what is the point of the relationship. 

          While discussing the importance of striving to be in the Word consistently with our 12^th grade discipleship girls a few weeks ago, we began talking about what an authentic relationship with Jesus is. It was good to verbalize some simple truths that are sometimes so easy to forget…a relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship we will ever have, communication with Him is crucial throughout the day - every day, and we need to get to know Him by reading His Word consistently. After all, a relationship won’t continue if the elements of communication, trust, love, and wanting to continue to learn more about the other person are not present. If those things are priorities and crucial in our relationships with family, friends, significant other…shouldn’t they be evermore so in our relationship with Jesus? I want to cling to Jesus…every day, every week, every minute. That is my prayer for you as well!

            Time after time of trying to handle things by myself on my own strength just continued to break me down until I couldn’t do it anymore and finally ran to the One who could. Through being in constant communication with Jesus and giving him every part of my life and who I am, I am able to be in His perfect peace and receive strength through Him…especially in the midst of the storms and trials that will inevitably come in this shakable world.

            As we discussed this idea of God’s “unshakable” kingdom during our staff retreat a few weeks ago, we studied Hebrews 12:28-29 which says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” I read a devotion recently by Mary Fairchild and felt that she really put this idea of Christ’s unshakable kingdom into perspective:

“When we entered into relationship with Jesus Christ, we received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We may live in an unstable world with earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, tornados, oil spills, terrorist attacks, wars, market crashes, unemployment, sickness, grief, and millions of other things that attempt to rock our foundation and destroy our peace of mind.

Don't let these temporal things take your eyes off God. Life may seem scary right now, but God is an all-consuming fire. He wants your total trust and reverence. Always remember, we belong to an unshakeable kingdom.”

            It’s been on my heart for a while now to be in more continuous prayer for my students. However, I didn’t want to just stop there, I wanted to open up the door for others to join me in this opportunity to prayerfully support these precious kiddos. Prayer is powerful. So how incredible would it be to have people from all over the world prayerfully supporting these precious children? Therefore, you…my family, friends, colleagues…immediately came to mind!

            I currently have fifteen sweet kindergarten kiddos in my class. Since my kindergarteners have a half day on Tuesdays and Thursdays and leave at noon, I am also able to work with English language learning students during Tuesday/Thursday afternoons each week. I am currently working with five ELL students (one 2^nd grader and four 1^st graders: two of which were my kindergarten students last year).  All of these children come from a variety of backgrounds and faiths.

            My daily prayer is that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus as I love them and serve them. This is something I cannot do in my own strength or alone. I am looking for prayer partners for these incredible children! Would you consider committing to pray for a child here in La Paz? If this is something you would like to do, please respond to this blog post or email me (keporter22@gmail.com) and I will send you a picture of a child and a short biography (please let me know if you prefer a boy or girl). I will do my best to keep you updated on his/her progress and prayer needs. You can also send emails to this student and I will make sure to read them with him/her.

Psalms 145:18 “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Thank you for investing in my life and in the lives of children in Bolivia!

With much love,

Katie

"You are Special"

             Wow, it’s hard to believe I’ve been back in La Paz for three weeks and that we’ve already had two weeks with our kiddos. There have already been a lot of ups and downs, but God has been teaching/reminding me of something SO important that I began to lose sight of amidst the craziness of moving back to Bolivia for a second year, getting a classroom together in five days, and diving right into a new school year.

            At the beginning of each year, I make sure to stress with my kindergarteners that we are all unique, different, and special, and that our uniqueness is something to celebrate. Entering into my 4^th year of teaching, one thing remains a constant…when my students first meet me, curiosity takes over and they stare and comment about my arm. When I first started my practicums in classrooms during college and during student teaching, sometimes I would get bummed that the first thing students noticed about me when they met me was that I looked different or “weird” as many would say because of my arm. I just wanted people, especially my students, to see me for me initially and not as “weird” or “different” because of my physical abnormality.

            However, I learned at a very young age that “God made me like this for a reason”, as my dad told me so simply when I came home from school crying uncontrollably one day when I was in kindergarten because older kids on the bus were making fun of me for looking different. My dad’s simply put, but deep meaning words of TRUTH, changed my heart that day and filled me with such love that has never left or failed me and never will. I realized the love of my Creator at that moment, only six years old.

            My dad went on to say that I would one day see why God made me the way He did. It has taken me years and years to begin to grasp and get a glimpse of God’s great plan. During tennis season my senior year of college, a fellow student, who wrote for The Andersonian (our college newspaper), asked if she could do an article about me for the sports section. I was surprised and wondered why she wanted to interview me. After all, I was a decent tennis player, but far from the best. During the interview, she asked about my tennis career and how I was able to overcome adversity to become a good tennis player, etc. It made me think back to things in my past that, honestly, I had tried to forget. I definitely took after my big brother when I was little and played every little league sport I could (baseball, soccer, etc.). I loved playing sports. However, just like many things in my life, the road was far from easy.

            When I was in 4^th grade, my dad asked if I would like to take tennis lessons. I was so excited about trying out a new sport and immediately said yes. My parents began talking to tennis instructors in the area and as my dad told me years later, many instructors refused to teach me because they felt that there was no way I’d be able to play with my arm. Finally, one instructor gladly welcomed me to his tennis academy. I will never forget Mr. Sinclair and his belief in me. He saw my determination, athleticism, and “refuse to give up” attitude, and instantly saw the potential in me. He never once doubted me or treated me any differently from the other kids. Just like my parents, he made me feel like I could do anything I put my mind to, physical abnormality or not. He taught me that all that mattered was my attitude and he could not have been more right. ATTITUDE is the key to most situations in life, and in my case, it was crucial to have the right attitude so that I did not just give up when things were difficult, which was often. So thankful for Mr. Sinclair and his willingness to take me under his wing when the majority of the instructors gave up on me before they even met me.  He’s one of the people who helped mold me into the person I am today and made an impact that will last a lifetime…simply by believing in me and teaching me how to believe in myself even against adversity and all the odds that were stacked against me.

           

            During one of my high school tennis matches, I learned after the match that the coach of the other team had said to my opponent, upon seeing me, that she should have no trouble beating me. I can’t remember the exact score, but it seems like I beat her 6-0, 6-1. Needless to say, I think that the coach learned a lesson that night and I hope he never judges a book by its cover again. I’m glad I didn’t know about his ignorant words before the match and just went out on the court and played my best. I was disheartened to say the least that a grown man would judge me and count me out after one look, but I’m glad that by just doing my best and not letting my arm hold me back, I was able to show him without a word that people can overcome and accomplish seemingly impossible things. My hope is that next time he will be slower to judge and quicker to think the best of people. That it really is about the heart of a person, not what they look like physically.

            People of all ages and walks of life have told me that I am an inspiration to them for one reason or another. Honestly, I have never strived to draw attention to myself or my accomplishments through adversity; I simply realized at a young age that I had two choices. I could pity myself and go through life telling myself that there was no point to try because I would probably fail, or I could believe in myself, have a positive outlook on life, and try my best in everything I put my mind to, even when failure was sometimes inevitable. Through this approach to life, I have inspired people along the way and I give all the glory to God for that. He is the One who sustains me and give me the wisdom and strength to keep persevering.

            As I mentioned earlier, at the beginning of each school year, I discuss how every one of us is unique and that we should celebrate our differences. The kids are very curious and sometimes even nervous about my arm. I show the clip from Finding Nemo where the other students tell Nemo that his little fin looks weird, Nemo’s dad says that he was born that way and they call it his lucky fin, and then the other kids say what makes them different. (I love when the seahorse says, “I’m obnoxious.”) J It’s so neat how my students seem to feel more comfortable after seeing the clip because they all love Nemo and realize that he had a little fin that makes him look different just like I have an arm that looks different. After that, they are more accepting and willing to ask questions!

            After a quarter of a century, I’ve finally come to view my arm as a blessing, not a burden. God uses the intricate way He made me to share His love and who He is through me. What a blessing that I can use my arm to teach young, impressionable 4, 5, & 6 year olds about how to celebrate our differences and how to encourage people in their differences instead of making them feel unworthy or unaccepted. I don’t want any of my students to grow up and have the same mindset of the tennis coach who judged my ability to play tennis after one look at me. I want them to love others as God has called us to do and I pray every year that God will use my experiences and the adversity I’ve faced to teach and guide them in loving, not judging others. God made us in His image and everything God makes/does is perfect and special.

             Now, teaching at a Christian school, I can take it a step further and openly share how God made us in His image and how He made each of us special. Last week I read the book You are Special by Max Lucado. Even though it is technically a children’s book, I would HIGHLY recommend anyone to read it if you haven’t. I read it last year to my students as well, but this year I was overcome with such strong emotions and almost teared up while reading it to my kiddos. The story is about a village of wooden people called Wemmicks and the woodworker who created them, Eli. The Wemmicks walk around giving each other dot stickers or star stickers. The beautiful, talented Wemmicks receive stars and the scratched, ugly, talentless Wemmicks receive dots. One of the Wemmicks who always receives dot stickers, Punchinello, is so sad and lonely. One day he meets a Wemmick named Lucia, who has no stickers because she doesn’t let what the others think of her matter, so the stickers just fall off. She tells Punchinello that she goes to see Eli every day and encourages him to go visit Eli.

Punchinello visits Eli and asks why the stickers don’t stick on Lucia. Eli says, “Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them. The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers.”

Punchinello says he doesn’t understand and Eli responds, “You will, but it will take time. You’ve got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care.”

As Punchinello leaves, Eli says, “Remember, you are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.” Punchinello believes in his heart that Eli really means it and a dot falls to the ground.

            The past few weeks, I’ve let the chaos, transition, and stress cause me to doubt my abilities and worthiness. Living, working, and doing life in the mission field comes with much spiritual warfare. The Enemy has been trying to get a foothold and discourage me with thoughts that I am not good enough…not worthy…not as beautiful, smart, good as others around me. All of which I know are lies from the Enemy, but are hard to resist sometimes. Reading You are Special helped snap me out of that web of lies and reminded me of the truth: I am special. I am worthy. I am beautiful. I am smart. I am loved. I am not alone.  And if I make time for my Creator, to really talk to Him and go to Him EVERY day, He will not let me forget these TRUTHS. He made us and He does NOT make mistakes. Hallelujah!

As David says in Psalm 139:1-14,

“Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will become night’- even the darkness is not dark to You. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You. For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.”

Thanks for taking time to read this lengthy post!

Love,

Kate

P.S. Here are my sweet kiddos and the fun picture frames we made after reading the story to hang up in our room. :)

       

   

Transition

Transition. So much is wrapped up in this one, simple word. I have received a crash course in transition lately. In the past two months I returned to the States for summer break and then back to Bolivia. It’s incredible to have two homes on two different continents with two very different cultures, but with that comes the dreaded transition back and forth between two places where my heart is and where my “family” is. 

          Coming home for summer break was a completely different experience from Christmas break. There was just enough time over the summer to begin to get in a routine enough to realize that I no longer have a “routine” in Indy. My life (community, job, church family, etc.) is now in La Paz. I felt out of place, isolated, and craving community in a place where I’ve spent 24 years of my life and where the majority of my family and friends are. After a couple of weeks of being frustrated by this confusing concept of “home” and a meltdown with my mom (sorry, Mom), I began to realize the root of the issue. I was basing my identity and happiness on feeling at “home”. When in reality, no place in this world is truly our home. I was seeking joy from family and friends and being back “home” in Indy. I wanted the people who know and love me better than anyone to know the “right” questions to ask me, to know when I needed a hug or just a listening ear, or when I needed space. I was putting unrealistic expectations on myself and those around me because I didn’t know how else to handle the isolation and “identity crisis” I was facing. 

          A couple of weeks before returning to La Paz, I finally took a step back and stopped trying to control my feelings, micromanage the transition, and put pressure on my loved ones to somehow make things easier. I realized God was teaching me something (well, a lot of things) through this season of transition. Here’s a few of those hard lessons: relinquishing control and my humanly impulse to want to micromanage things, relying SOLELY on Him to find peace even amidst chaos and confusion, appreciating others for where they are in this season of their lives instead of inadvertently putting pressure on family/friends to understand exactly what I’m going through or what questions to ask or when to give me space, openly expressing my feelings the best I can so people can begin to understand more, accepting that relationships WILL change and that it is ok, change/transition pushes me out of my comfort zone and makes me grow in all areas of my life, and most importantly, my joy, strength, peace, and comfort can only come through Christ. Earthly homes are temporary, but what joy there is in knowing that one day I will be in my eternal, perfect Home. 

          The truth that sometimes I so easily overlook is that we are made in the image of God and our hearts constantly long to be in relationship with Him because the things of this world can’t quench the thirst and emptiness that is only filled by accepting and loving our Creator. I’m so incredibly thankful that God has provided me with wonderful family, friends, and communities in both my Indy home and La Paz home. I truly believe he surrounds us with such “family” whether blood related or not, to help us through tough times, especially in seasons of extreme change and transition. This summer, once I began praying, talking to God about what was on my heart, and not putting pressure on myself or those around me to handle transition the “correct” way, it is amazing the peace and joy I felt, and as a result, was able to more fully enjoy my last few weeks in my Indy home. 

          I recently came across a quote that described transition as a project. There is no road map to handling transition perfectly. Instead, it is a process filled with many ups, downs, and bumps along the way. When I accepted that I needed to bestow grace upon myself as well as seeking God’s grace, my load became much lighter. What a comfort it is to know we serve a God of grace, mercy, and never failing love. In these times of transition, when there is no rulebook on how to “correctly” handle change and the emotions that come with it, it’s an indescribable comfort to have a strong foundation in Christ that will never fail. (And it always helps to have such amazing family and friends who are quick to forgive and show me grace as well on those rough days.) J

            I’ve been in my mountainous home for about a week now and it is truly wonderful to be back. It is nice to already have a foundation here with my community, job, and apartment. It feels like coming home instead of just living in a foreign country. I’m excited to meet my new kindergarteners tomorrow and to be reunited with all of my kiddos from last year. I’m so grateful that even in the midst of a crazy work week, only having five partial days amidst several meetings to completely set up my room, adjusting back to Bolivian culture and altitude, speaking Spanish, and being 4,000 miles away from loved ones in Indy, God continues to bestow peace on me and my life here even during the most chaotic days. We serve a pretty incredible God. J Looking forward to all He will do during this school year!

            Especially during this time of beginning a new school year, this scripture today at church was a good reminder to continue running the good race and to keep persevering:

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

          So, if there’s anything I hope you take away from my thoughts, I hope you feel encouraged to keep persevering even through times of exhaustion or transition or heartbreak, because our Savior will never leave or forsake us and will walk with us every step of the way…all we have to do is turn to Him. We don’t have to and weren’t made to do it on our own. Thank goodness!

Kinder Technology Initiative!

Dear friends and family,

We are starting a new technology initiative in kindergarten at Highlands this year! Below is a brochure with information. Unlike many schools in the States, we do not have the resources to provide a set of 4 or 5 computers for each classroom. Therefore, the students only have access to computers for learning during their computer specials time once a week. Our goal is to begin incorporating more technology into all classrooms, beginning with kindergarten. The goal is to raise funds to purchase four or five iPads which would be used during literacy, math, discovery time, etc. to help create more effective learning in kindergarten. In order for this initiative to begin this upcoming school year, we would greatly appreciate your help! If you feel led to assist with the purchase of the iPads, please see the information below about how to donate. To donate directly to my NICS (Network of International Christian Schools) support account, please go to the "Support" tab on my blog for directions and then notify me so that I can make sure to put that money towards the technology fund. Thank you so much for your support...we greatly appreciate it!

Love,
Katie

Year One Memories of My Bolivian Adventure

            Wow, year one of my Bolivian journey has come to an end. The past couple of weeks have been packed full of end of the year activities, ceremonies, and goodbyes. I can’t adequately put into words the emotions I’m feeling right now. Constant transitions and changes come with the territory of being a missionary, but that definitely doesn’t make it any easier. Even though it’s difficult to express all that I’m feeling right now, I thought I would share some highlights of the blessings that have come through my students, colleagues, friends, church family, and travels this year.

 Carnaval is a major holiday here. It's similar to what Mardi Gras is in the states. However, a couple of months leading up to Carnaval, which is at the beginning of March, people throw water balloons at people. I got hit a couple of times walking around where we live. A couple of us went into El Centro (downtown) to join the festivities which included a parade, water balloon fights, and lots of foam. :)

 This is my wonderful assistant, Daniela. At the beginning of the year, I spoke little Spanish and she spoke little English. It has been amazing to learn from each other this year and I'm so excited that we get to work together again next year! She is such a blessing in my life and has been such a support during my first year living in La Paz.

 In September, a big group of us got to go to a futbol game! So fun.

 Easter Sunday with my girls! So thankful to do life with these beautiful ladies. :)

 The kiddos absolutely loved our Gingerbread Girl travel unit. Our Ginderbread girl sent us cookies because she did not want to risk coming back and being eaten. She is now living in Arica, Chile. The kiddos who went to Arica over spring break looked for her. ;) Reason 92 why I love teaching Kindergarten!

 This girl invited us to Tuesday night group right after we got here and has been such an amazing encouragement and friend ever since. Love you, Andrea!

 Once a semester we had a team day. All of the students K-12 were split into 4 teams (red, yellow, green, and blue). This is the morning of one of the team days when we did an all school chapel. So fun!

 Celebrating team day with a special snack of cupcakes!

 Trip to Urmiri in February…natural hot springs and amazing waterfall!

 World Read Aloud Day…reading with 6th grade and our 3rd grade book buddies!

One of my girls singing at the talent show!

 Bonfire with great friends overlooking our gorgeous city!

 April Fools Day…told my kiddos during our morning meeting that they would each get a "brownie" at the end of the day for filling our classroom bucket. Little did they know that I was going to give them and actual brown "E". They all looked at me with such confused expressions and some smirks…I proceeded to explain what April Fools was in the states. Then, I gave them a real brownie, of course. ;)

 Last Friday of every month we had a movie night. This was my month to pick a movie…I picked "Hoosiers" of course. :)

 Traditional lunch after church. Happened to pass a minion this Sunday. haha

 Went to serve at an orphanage called "Casa de Esperanza" (House of Hope) in a town called Caranavi, which is located in the Amazon Basin. Such an incredible week experiencing God's love with the amazing kids and staff. They are truly just one big family!

 The last Saturday in April, we celebrated Bolivia Day. Each grade did a traditional dance in costume from a different region around Bolivia. The entire staff did a dance too…we had a blast! Our many practices and months of preparation paid off. :) Such a great day to celebrate Bolivian culture and the parents loved it!

Rainbow run 5K to support Special Olympics! After having to get used to the altitude for a few weeks and take it easy, it's fun being able to run and participate in sports now! We are at 12,000 feet in La Paz.

 Field trip to the Mallasa zoo! Of course there would be llamas. ;)

 Standing in two countries! On the border of Peru and Bolivia.

 Went to Arequipa, Peru, over our Memorial Day break. It is such a beautiful, historic city. This is a picture of a monastery that we were able to visit. There are still around 20 nuns who live here.

 This is the mansion that the founder of Arequipa built.

 Chalk writing areas at the hostal we stayed at. "Travel is the most healthy way to exercise the mind and soul." So much truth to that.

 Beautiful view of the plaza and a volcanic mountain that is still active called Misty.

 One night we were eating at a restaurant called the Factory and it happened to be the same night that futbol players from the Bolivar club team were coming to sign autographs to raise money for Special Olympics. I just had to get their autographs. :)

 One of our 11th grade discipleship girls. She invited us over to her beautiful home one evening to have dinner and watch the Bolivar game. :)

 One of my roommates, Laur, and I decided that for our last date in Bolivia before she heads back to the states, we wanted to do Urban Rush! So we walked/jumped down an 18 story building (in Mario and Luigi costumes, of course). Such a rush and so fun!

 My kiddos came to school 3 full days and 2 half days a week. After they left on the two half days, I was able to teach ENL. This is one of my ENL boys and I at our end of the year program. :)

 My roommate, Jill, and I were responsible for the powerpoint and sound each Sunday at church. Even though we had no idea what we were doing at first, we made it work somehow. ;)

 Roomie love!

 Field trip to the Breick chocolate factory in November. The kids were able to actually see the chocolate being made and sample different kinds. In this picture we are drinking liquid chocolate. Oh, Bolivian field trips. :) We would never get this up close and personal in the states!

 Beautiful park next to our apartment complex!

 Tuesday night Bible study group. So thankful for this group of people who have become like family!

 One of my boys who made so much progress this year in kinder. So proud of him! This is the card he made me for Valentine's day. :)

 Karaoke with the gang on Valentine's Day!

Highland's kindergarten team. :) Love these ladies. What a fun year with them! 

 Hike up to the Muela del Diablo at the beginning of the year. Incredible!

 Celebrated the 100th day of school by dressing up like we were 100 years old!

 Dr. Seuss Day!

 The Achumani market is only a couple of blocks from our apartment. Fresh, organic produce from the market is my favorite!

 We got to go four wheeling in the mountains!!

 End of the year trip to Cota Cota park with lower elementary…so fun!

There are not Smarties in Bolivia, so I couldn't do my note with the candy saying "You're a Smartie!" I had to find a new end of year gift for my kiddos. Rocklets are a popular candy here, so I wrote a little note to each of my students saying "You rock!" They loved it, so I guess it was a success. ;)

 High School graduation! Only 8 seniors…different world from schools in the states!

 My mentor buddy this year. Sam, you've been such a blessing to me in so many ways. Thanks for doing life with me this year. :)

 My room is all packed up…still hard to believe!

One of my sweet boys surprised me with a sweet gift on Saturday during our teacher work day. He got me this beautiful angel necklace with the gorgeous, lavender Bolivianita stone. His mom said that he wrote the card all by himself…it made me tear up instantly. It says "Dear Miss, I gonna miss you. But I do not be sad! You will remember me and I will remember you! Thanks you for all you teach me. I love you." What an amazing reminder of why I'm here. I was so sad at that moment that I was missing Elly's birth, and then I receive these words from one of my kiddos. God does care about the little things! :)

 Our friend Rachel sent gifts back from Canada with Xime for Jill and I. Sometimes I just stop and think about how amazing it is to have a network of friends and family all over the world. :)

 I FINALLY got to play tennis! First time playing on a clay/dirt court…so fun!

My "adopted" little sibs. :)

 

 

 These people are like family and I'm so thankful for all the fun times and memories we've shared this year. :) Love you all so much!

        A friend recently sent me an article called, “When Friends Do the Next Right Thing” by Elizabeth Trotter. This article sums up one of the most difficult things about missionary life and communal living…saying goodbye. This part of the article sums up what I’m feeling pretty well:

“When we say yes to God, we must often say no to the places we already know. And when God leads us overseas, we enter a communal life that is punctuated by goodbyes. Just like an airport, the missionary community endures constant arrivals and departures. But God is the travel agent here, and He hardly ever places anyone on the same itinerary. Perhaps we knew this uncomfortable truth before we said yes; perhaps we didn’t. Either way, though, we must now live with the consequences of our obedience.

And I, for one, sometimes grow weary of it.

These expatriate friendships of ours tend to grow swift and deep, and ripping ourselves away from those friendships is painful.”

     Last Friday, May 30^th, was our last day with our kiddos and Saturday was our teacher workday. We had a wonderful lunch and then had time to pray with the members of our community who are leaving to follow where God is leading them next. Living in a “bubble” overseas in such a close-knit community has its ups and downs just like anything, but it has taught me so much about life, relationships, and myself. Living in close community overseas has challenged me and blessed me in many ways that I didn’t expect. The strong relationships that have formed this year are ones that will stay with me the rest of my life. Bonds have been created through good times, many adventures, and through the hard times. We have laughed and cried and helped each other through some of the most difficult times we’ve ever faced. We get each other and God’s calling in our lives and that makes a world of difference living thousands of miles away from our families and friends. We become a family, which makes saying goodbye so painful and difficult. However, the bonds and friendships that form are more than worth the pain of saying goodbye. I’m going to miss my friends who are leaving this year and my pastor and his family who are also heading back to the States. I know that God has amazing plans in store for each of them and I’m so grateful for the time I had to live with them in this community. Thank goodness for technology and the ease of communicating across countries these days. J

            I’m realizing that Bolivia is now home to me and a part of my heart will always be here. It’s hard feeling like “home” is two different places. When I’m in Indy, I feel homesick for Bolivia and when I’m in Bolivia I feel homesick for Indy. However, I’m realizing that there truly is so much joy in having two places and family in both places that I consider “home”. Even though traveling back to the states tomorrow is very exciting, there are a lot of emotions that come with this transition. I’m leaving my family, friends, and students here, saying many goodbyes to people I won’t see when I return, and preparing to adjust back to life in the states.  I’m thankful to have family and friends in Indy who support my ministry in La Paz and show me grace and understanding when transitioning back to life in the states for an extended amount of time becomes overwhelming and difficult. I absolutely can’t wait to start my long journey back to the States early tomorrow morning and be reunited with my family, my pup, and get to meet my new niece very soon. J Even in this season of transition, what joy there is in knowing that God is unchanging and is with all of us every step of the way. Looking forward to many fun memories during my seven weeks at home in the states this summer!

“Often times God demonstrates His faithfulness in adversity by providing for us what we need to survive. He does not change our painful circumstances. He sustains us through them.”  ~ Charles Stanley