Facts from February

I'll attempt to keep this brief and still give you an update of my crazy life here.  So, I have a lot of pictures. :-)

The teacher training I presented went very well.  The teachers left inspired and excited to put into practice the things I presented.  As I walked around the school today, I heard teachers implementing the things I had shared.  Wow, does that make me feel good!

Tina learned that she can climb stairs.  Now she has study times in our apartment.  She is also correctly reading short vowel words and stories with comprehension. (Ex:  The cat can tag a rat.)

We had two days of a national competition last week for preschool and elementary students.  It is basically like UIL for all of the schools connected to IFL.  Children from age 4 to 14 danced for the glory of the Lord. (There were probably over 50 dances with 4-10 people in each dance.) We had groups of students in grades 3-4 dancing to Jason Upton's "Freedom" and depicting the spiritual warfare behind bondage and the freedom we have in Christ.  There were students in grades 1-2 pouring out their worship to "Alabaster Box" by Julie Meyer.  Grades 5-6 called the nations to worship by dancing to "Oceans Will Part" by Hillsong.  Grades 1-2 showed the pain of the cross to "Villa De La Rosa."  It was INCREDIBLE!  Everything was done with such excellence and joy!  IFL placed in multiple categories. :-)

IFL students dancing to "Oceans Will Part"

Banana Cue- My favorite snack here

They won first place!

We had a fire in the field behind my apartment on Saturday.  Everyone united to be able to put it out.  The fire department showed up with one fire truck and  little hose.  They didn't even take the truck out into the field.  So, IFL became the Fire Brigade!  It was awesome to see the unity of everyone to put out the fire!

I tried to upload the videos but the internet here (or this website) can't handle it.  So I'll attach pictures.  There is one video on Facebook that is visible to my "friends of friends."

View from my apartment of the fire's start.  We had high winds that day and the fire jumped the road.

IFL Fire Brigade Goes to Work

Passing the buckets of water across the future talapia pond

Using large sticks to beat down the flames

Carrying Water Buckets

The fire source: burning coconut shells

Fried frog, anyone?

Beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

I went out to the mall yesterday with my friend Cheryl.  We chopped off our hair and had a blast being girly.

(Sorry, forgot to rotate this before I uploaded it!)

COFFEE!!

I love me some "Jesus Juice"

Our treat to ourselves

Our meal cost more than both of our hair cuts combined!

This week, I am working on developing a Teacher's Training for ESL strategies/methods.  I don't know when I'll get to present it, but I want it ready for when it's time to.  I also will be working on detailed Sub plans for when I'll be out of town.

Friday morning I will go to Cagayon de Oro on the island of Mindanao to meet up with a ministry from the states.  I will get to meet Anabel, the child that I've sponsored to go to school for the last few years.  She will graduate later this month (March).  I'll be gone until Tuesday.  I can't wait to meet her and to meet up with the people from the ministry in America.

Spiritual Lessons I'm learning:

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 8th month of me being here.  I am SOOO glad I left America!  I love God more now than I did before.  I love this adventure of serving Him!  

As I gaze at Him, He leads me perfectly.  The eyes are the window to the soul.  God's mind, will, and emotions are revealed through His eyes.  Now, we can't literally see God's eyes, but scripture tells us that they burn with fire.  His eyes burn with desire for each of us to know Him.  I want to gaze into the eyes of God and be set on fire with His love.  I want to be guided by His eyes- His mind, will, and emotions.  Just like two people can communicate with only their eyes, even from across the room, I want to be locked into God like that.  I want Him to be able to look at me or at others to understand what He's thinking and desiring.  Then, I want to partner with Him in making it happen.  Jon Thurlow has a song that resounds in me daily, "I know that Your hair is white like wool, I know that Your voice sounds like waters, I know that Your eyes are like flames of fire.  Jesus, You're beautiful.  Jesus, You're beautiful." 

Let me know this Beautiful One.