Truly Amazing

As a school, we continue to pray through the news during our morning devotional times with the students.  This year I share the news from our foundation with the kids on Fridays.  It's not quite as exciting or glamorous as sharing world news, but sometimes it's even more meaningful for the kids, as they recognize the names and faces of the people we are praying for.

Near the beginning of the school year, we prayed for one of the volunteers in the California offices.  She was an older woman who was facing a life-threatening illness and was in need of surgery.  The following week I was able to report to the students that the woman was feeling better - even up to working in the office a little bit.

That's great news, right?  Unfortunately, so often we are overloaded with information and stories that we glaze over such things.  Well, that morning I was reminded of our tendency to do this by a different response from one of our newest students.  He did not take the news mundanely - in fact, he let out a whoop and threw his arms in the air in victory.

It was so wonderful.  Such a pure reaction.  It makes me think of Jesus telling the disciples that they must become like those little children.  Oh, that I had such a simple faith - not jaded by this world.

And so, today, I would like to throw up my hands and give a whoop for something that happened this weekend.  Something the whole world saw, many marveled at, and a few are calling miraculous.

A hurricane of historic proportions had suddenly popped up off the west coast of Mexico and was headed directly for some heavily populated coastal towns.  News spread quickly, and people picked up the call to pray for Mexico.

It went international, with people all over the world committing to pray for Mexico in the face of this storm.  And then something truly amazing happened, the hurricane unexpectedly took a path between the major cities, traveling through a relatively unpopulated part of the mountains.

There was destruction, there were injuries, there is still the threat of flooding and landslides.  But this "deadly" hurricane apparently did not taken anyone's life.  Jesus spoke of a faith that can move mountains.  I believe there was a faith that moved a hurricane involved here.

I'm sure scientists are analyzing what happened and why.  Most of the world seems to have moved on, looking for the next big thing.  Perhaps some are even disappointed at the lack of sensational stories to come out of our "episode" this weekend.  But a few are standing in awe at what just happened, and I think we should too.

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May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; 

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 

May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 

May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. 

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 

May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.  

May the Lord grant all your requests.

~Psalm 20:1-5~
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I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 

I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

~Psalm 34:1-7~

Pray for Mexico: Hurricane Patricia

As many of you probably have heard, a hurricane rather suddenly appeared off the west coast of Mexico yesterday, slated to be the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Americas.  As I write this, Hurricane Patricia has made landfall, but thankfully the eye of the storm did not hit the heavily-populated areas (as reported by the BBC News)

It is now expected to slow down to a tropical storm as it travels across the country, however that could still mean flash floods and mudslides.  Mexico could certainly use prayers during this time.  Here is a prayer I saw a friend share on Facebook from Godspace-msa.com:

Merciful God,
Compassionate Christ,
Transforming Spirit,
Have mercy on the people of Mexico.
May you calm the wind,
dissipate the storm and protect your children.
Be with those who are in harms way,
And those who seek to help.
Have mercy on all who are afraid.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
Protect the weak and the vulnerable,
Provide for the homeless and the destitute,
Comfort the grieving and the dying,
Have mercy on all who are helping.
God who loves
Christ who cares
Spirit who comforts
Grant mercy to the people of Mexico.

Thank you! By the way, Oaxaca seems to be thankfully unaffected by the danger of this storm, as it is northwest of us.

Our sunset this evening.

Survival Mode

This has been a rough week for me.  Some sort of head cold business has come along and tried to knock me out.  It started Sunday, and has been a bit of a roller coaster ride since then.  I plug away as best as I can at school in the morning, and then pass out in my room in the afternoon.

Monday was particularly challenging.  After coughing so much and so deeply, my gag reflex was triggered and I lost my lunch.  Thankfully my stomach felt fine the whole time - but still, not a pleasant experience.  After such a tough time I rewarded myself with a special treat - a can of Sprite I had stashed away.  It was very nice and refreshing.

Thinking I was doing better, I made myself some dinner that evening.  Unfortunately, the dinner did not last long inside of me either.  Taking a cue from my lunch, it exited the way it entered 15 minutes later.  Pretty soon after that I took some Nyquil and called it a night.

Tuesday came early. After I got up and ready for the day, I fell back asleep on my bed.  I woke up at 6:30 to someone knocking on our front door.  I unlocked it and opened it up to see one of the teenage boys standing in the dark.  He heard that I had soda, and he needed some for school.  Ah, living in community.

I tried to give him a can of juice, but he said that it had to be soda.  Didn't I have any?  I reflexively said no, and he went off into the dark, disappointed.  The thing was, I did have one more can of Sprite.  Just one - but I so wanted to keep it in case I was sick again that day.  It also seemed to me to be rather last minute to figure out your homework supplies.

But, one thing I really don't like is when I find out people have lied - and I had lied to him about having a soda.  I also had other thoughts bouncing around in my mind. Was I trusting in the Lord to provide for me? Or trusting in my own material things?

Giving would have been a lot easier if I had several sodas left.  But aren't we called to give out of the little that we have rather than out of our abundance?  Yes, they were deep thoughts for a mere can of Sprite, but it seemed weighty at the time.

So, I put the can of soda in my jacket as I headed out for breakfast and I gave it to him, not really expecting to be paid back anytime soon.  This same kid borrowed a movie from me 3 months ago and still hasn't returned it.  I didn't see him to getting around to buying a replacement Sprite real soon.  But, Jesus did mention giving to those who cannot repay you.  So...

Overcast weather all week - went along well with my energy levels.

Well, as it turned out, I did not end up needing a soda on Tuesday.  In large part because, after a draining day at school and on dish duty, I fell asleep for the entire afternoon.  I realize that I am blessed to have the luxury of the free time to do that and am thankful for it.

I hoped for the same on Wednesday, but people were knocking on the door that afternoon, needing this and that.  And one of those knocks turned out to be this young man back to my door.  This time with a Sprite in hand - along with my movie!  Oh ye of little faith.  And, by the way, I had given him a 355 ml can of soda, he gave me back a 600 ml bottle. 

So, if one good thing came of this illness, it was this little life lesson - perhaps a little "test" of whether I had a willing and trusting spirit.  I think still have some work to do, but, with the Lord's help, I hope I'm getting closer. 

And, I want to make certain to also share, I am not the only one afflicted with illness this week - so your prayers for the health of the children and staff at the home would be much appreciated.  Thank you!

A Good Question

I wasn't sure how our field trip to the famous ruins of Monte Alban would go.  We've only taken a few trips as a school during my time as principal - one to a park, one to visit another school, and one to the zoo.  We'd been communicating with Monte Alban, but they hadn't been very reliable in getting back to us on how much it would cost or whether we'd have a guide.

What we knew for sure was that we had to be there by 8:00, which meant leaving the children's home at 7:00, which meant gathering the kids together at 6:30 before a rushed breakfast at 6:45.  But rather than dragging themselves over in the predawn hour, they came practically bouncing off the walls in excitement.

I'm thankful to report that it turned out to be a great day.  We were blessed with a beautiful morning and safe travels. We all got in free - talk about an economical field trip! And we had an engaging tour guide, who kept the kids interested in the history of the place.

But, after about an hour, the tour guide left us to our own devices, and there was still much of Monte Alban left to explore.  The students, who had been listening attentively, were suddenly shooting off in every direction. I had to call after them, "Wait!  Where are you going? Regroup!"

 

All in all, the kids did really great.  When they asked about doing something and the answer was no, they didn't whine about it, but just accepted that the answer was no.   The times that they did misbehave, whether lagging behind or sprinting off ahead, were mainly due to their excitement of being there, so I can't blame them too much.

As we neared the end of our trek around the mountaintop, one of the little girls quietly asked me, "Miss Laura, where were the people who believed in the Lord?"  Wow, good question - I said.  I explained to her that in those days, most of the people who believed in God were the Jews - and they lived on the other side of the world.  While still concerned, she seemed satisfied with that answer and we moved on.

But that question remains with me, "Where were the people who believed in the Lord?"  Back in those days, there was one nation chosen to be the Lord's - and they mainly lived in the Middle East.  But now Christ has expanded that kingdom and His chosen people have been called to go to all nations.  There really shouldn't be corners of the earth where people will be able to ask, "Where were the people who believed in the Lord?"

May we live in such a way that no one can be left wondering where the people who believe in the Lord are, whether it be in our home, in our workplace, in our city or in our world.  Perhaps the change we make won't be visible through the buildings or bones or riches we leave behind, but hopefully it will be seen through generations of lives changed by Truth and Love.

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Jesus gave us a new command: To love one another. In the same way He loved us, we must love one another. This is how people will recognize us—when they see the love we have for each other. (John 13:34-35)

A is for Anarchy

For a long time, I've seen a certain symbol in graffiti around the city and wondered what it was for.  I asked my Mexican friends about it, but no one seemed to know.  Well, a few weeks ago, when a teachers' march got taken over by angry youths, I found out what that sign meant.  The A with a circle around it stands for anarchy.

 Anarchy (noun): a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority.

You may recall that, back in July, I shared some of Oaxaca's current events - mainly the major move by the government to remove the teachers union from their sovereign power over Oaxaca's educational system.  Federal troops moved in with a very strong presence, and the union's outrage didn't last very long in the face of such force.  They promised they wouldn't begin classes in August, but classes did start pretty much on schedule - for the first time in a long time.

Since then, there hasn't been much noise - a big difference from last year at this time, when 43 students from a radical teaching college went missing, prolonging the teacher's protests indefinitely.  Several weeks ago, the one-year anniversary of that event was remembered with more protests and blockades.  These were planned in advance, and most people knew to avoid unnecessary travel that day.

However, things turned violent when young anarchists suddenly joined the scene.  They made their presence known by destroying new cars at a car dealership and defacing a bank.  What surprised me the most was being able to recognize my old neighborhood in the pictures - places where I used to walk and wait for the bus.  Unsettling to see places you feel at home turn into battle grounds.

The next day, a Saturday, I was a little uncertain whether I should venture into the city or not.  However, based on the arrests made yesterday and the way anarchists use of masks to hide their identities, I deducted that anarchists are kind of cowardly and wouldn't be dedicated enough to continue their activities a second day.  My suspicions were confirmed by a calm and beautiful day - with little to no evidence of the happenings of the day before.

I am selfishly thankful that the downtown area remains restored to what it used to look like before these past few years or turmoil - with plants filling the flower beds and no tents filling every inch of the place.  After their blockades that Monday, the government came out with a statement that the teachers who participated will not be getting Teacher Appreciation Day off.  Who knows if they will really inforce that or not.

I'm still not sure what the future holds.  This year sure looks different than last year - more like what you would expect a school year to look like.  There were more blockades planned in recently, but once again, nothing much seemed to come of it.  Sometimes I wonder if union leaders have been paid off by the government, for them to be so quiet - no evidence for that, just me pondering.

Your continued prayers for Oaxaca are much appreciated.

First Aid

As the principal of this small school, one of the hats I wear is school nurse.  Any related training I've had for this is pretty much made up of first aid classes I've had to take at various other jobs - so I'm not really overly qualified to be dispensing medical advice, but I do what I can.

My go-to response is water.  Headache? Drink some water and come back in 15 minutes if it still hurts.  Stomach ache?  Drink some water.  Eyes hurt? Put some water on them.  I don't know if it's just a placebo, but most times it seems to do the trick.

Another option is ice.  Knocked your head on something? Put some ice on it.  Twisted ankle? Ice pack. Wasp sting? Ice cubes.   This one allows the kids to look a little more cool - your injury looks more serious when you have an ice pack strapped to your leg or arm.

Double ice-pack day

The kids also get cuts, scrapes, bloody noses, thorns, etc.  Recently a student had a sewing needle go completely through her thumb.  I can't understand how that happened, but pulling it out was not a pleasant experience for either of us.

Occasionally, if the students are feverish, vomiting or seem to have a slight concussion, I send them home.  Sometimes they are just exhausted because they couldn't sleep at night.  I have them lay down in our reading area and turn down the lights in hopes that a quick cat-nap will do the trick.

Today I was reaching for something on a high shelf, when the smallest boy at the school came up behind me.  I couldn't hear what he was saying, so I asked him to hang on a second as I finished.  Then I knelt down in front of him so he could tell me what was going on.

He said, "I feel afraid, Miss Laura.  I feel afraid and I don't know why."  Concerned, I talked to him briefly and then asked if I could pray for him.  He said yes, and I took his little hand in mine and offered up a prayer for him and his loved ones.

He went on to his next class and I returned to my desk in the hallway.  I felt rather shaken, so I prayed again.  Not all the injuries these kids have are on the outside.  In fact, most of them have gone through dark times and been hurt very badly in their time here on this earth.

There are many spiritual battles that happen in this place, and I don't feel like a mighty prayer warrior.  But, I do strongly believe in the power of prayer. So, though my prayers often feel lacking, I do what I can - and I trust that I have a Mighty God who will take care of the rest.

Tomorrow, it's only a day away

During my growing up years, my dad had to travel a lot for his work as a geophysicist.  He did many things to help ease the time away - calling every night, sending letters, bringing home-coming gifts.  Both my sister and I still remember how the letters he wrote to us on motel stationary would have a piece of zebra gum taped inside for us.  We also continue the tradition of hugging over the phone - with a mmmm-mmmm at the end of our conversations.

But it was always a great day when my dad would return home.  We would count down to that day.  We would even sing about it, "Tomorrow, tomorrow!  Dad is coming home, tomorrow!"  The gifts were nice, but the real gift was having him back home again with us.

And, once again, my dad is coming home tomorrow.  You see, he has spent the past week in Unalakleet, Alaska.  Two weeks ago, he received a call from the city manager, urgently asking for help to find leaks in their pipelines as their well diminishes to dangerously low levels.

Two days and several prayers later, my dad said "yes" and bought a ticket for the following day.  I happened to call my parents that night.  I'm glad I did, so I was able to talk with him before he left.  I also have been able to pray for him while he is there.

People sometimes comment on how my sister and I turned out, but I think it has a lot to do with the examples of our parents.  Both of them have been great examples to us of people who seek to serve the Lord and others.  People who say "yes" when there is a need they can meet.  People who support and seek to help those God has placed in their lives to care for.

I am very thankful for my parents.  I know I am blessed to have grown up in their loving home.  And, though I am far from that home today, I am still excited that Dad is coming home tomorrow. :)

Into the Light

While it is not quite the crisp chill of autumn, evenings have turned colder here in Oaxaca this past week.  It makes for good hot-chocolate weather, but unfortunately also makes all type of insects want to take refuge in the relative warmth of our duplex.  On Saturday, I was getting ready for the day when I spotted this "visitor" near my bed.  Ew!

After having a little photo shoot with the spider, I grabbed a shoe and worked up the courage to hit it - hoping my aim would not fail me at such a crucial moment.  The spider and calendar came crashing to the floor, as I did a little I'm-super-grossed-out dance.  Then I had to pull myself together again to get the spider into the trash can.  Clean up is actually often worse for me than killing things - I'm not sure why.

Though it may sound silly, I actually often feel bad ending the lives of these little creatures.  But, if it is something that can do me bodily harm, I do kill it - spiders, wasps, scorpions, mosquitos, etc.  Again, it may sound silly, but I try to make it quick so that they don't know what hit them.  Isn't that how most of us would like to go?

However, if it is something that isn't likely to hurt me, and I can get out of the house without too much trouble, I do my best to show it the way out the door - grasshoppers, roly polies, even flies that land near an exit.  On occasion, when I'm having a little battle with all the flies that have entered the house during the day, there is just one fly that continues to escape me.  Eventually I give up, thinking God must still have a plan for the life of that fly.

One thing I've noticed, though.  If I am pursuing a mosquito or a fly, I can track it all the way until it flies toward a light.  Then my eyes can no longer see it, I can only see the light.  More often than not, I completely lose sight of the insect and give up (until it comes back to bother me again).

I thought that applies rather well to us, spiritually speaking.  When we feel frightened, in danger or attacked, we should move towards the Light.  Pray, read Scripture, be still and know He is God.  I feel certain that, in doing these things, the enemy will lose some power over us.

Perhaps it's not exactly because he can no longer see us, but because "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5b).  And if you draw near to that light, the darkness cannot follow you there.  Darkness cannot exist in the light.

Who knew an invasion of flies could be such a theological experience? ;)

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"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

~James 4:7-8a~

Arise, live

Thursday night was a struggle for me.  Weariness caught up with tough situations, and I was a blubbery mess.  Thankfully I was able to connect with my sister that evening, and she helped me with words of encouragement and wisdom.

The next morning, as I pulled myself out of bed, I was feeling a little lighter.  I recalled the verse my mom often quoted, "Weeping my last for the night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5b)  How often this has proven true for me - in the light of day, the troubles of the night don't seem quite so imposing.

My eyes also landed on this gift my sister gave me a few years ago.  Inspired by something similar that we spotted in a gift shop, she bought some Scrabble tiles at a garage sale and made several her own.  I wanted to bring this one here to inspire me - to not just survive, but to get up and live.

"Arise, live."  Though I don't know that the Bible says exactly that, it sounds to me like something that you would find in the Bible.  Something the Lord would say to his chosen people after their time of exile.  Something Jesus would say to someone he just miraculously healed.  Something an apostle would say to the early church.

And Friday morning, inspire me it did as I prepared for the final school day in what had turned out to be a very long week.  I took a deep breath and gathered a new resolve, as I remembered that I could keep going in the strength the Lord provides for each new day.  My goal wouldn't be to just survive one more day, but to truly live it.

Ka

We have had an interesting turn of events here at the children's home.  All of our fall mission groups cancelled their visits and we have no groups until January.  This has put a hitch in the plans to have the new school ready to be moved into by December, but we are hopeful it will still get done.

I have mentioned the need/opportunity to some people I know.  It's been put in the Foundation's newsletter and posted on Facebook.  Some extra hands around here would be nice, but there's not been an overwhelming response.

Then on Sunday, I had just sat down for the church service when I heard a familiar voice behind me say, "Laura!"  I turned around to find Ka sitting in the row behind me with a huge smile. Ka is a young man from China who seems to have the resources to take over year off of "regular life" and travel around the world a bit.  We first met him a while back as a stop on his map.  When he left, I didn't expect we'd be seeing him again.

I greeted him warmly as he told me of how it was a year ago when he was last here.  He mentioned that he's been all over Central and South America since then, but he always loved it here at the mission the most.  Which is quite amazing and special.  You see, I believe I'm correct in saying that Ka, being from China, is an atheist.  When he came last year, there were those at the mission who determined to make sure Ka knew that Jesus loved him and that he needed Him - and they told him so daily.

From what I observed, Ka wasn't ready for that.  I could see his discomfort whenever the issue was pressed.  Although he came to devotions, he seemed detached and not really to be paying attention.  I don't remember him coming to church services much.  He was, however, very welcomed and active at the mission - working in the kitchen, hanging out with the teenage boys, learning baseball with the elective class at the school.

Ka spends the morning teaching the kids a few Chinese words.

But there seems to be a change in Ka now that he is back.  He listens attentively to devotions with a notepad in hand.  He bows his head during prayer times.  When I asked if I should translate the sermon for him, he told me that would be helpful.

He is also serving with an amazing attitude - staying later than everyone else after a meal to wipe down tables, spending afternoons working on the new wall, helping out on dish teams he hasn't been assigned to.  I don't want to overdo it here, but his happiness seems to go deeper now - it's almost like you can see more joy in him.

I find it interesting that, when we needed help, Ka arrived.  We prayed and an atheistic Chinaman arrived.  Could it be that God send Ka back to us?  Maybe :).  Perhaps you can join us in prayer for our need for mission groups and for Ka.
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*Update 10/05/15 - I found out this evening that two mission groups are now planning on coming in November.  Yay! :)