09.05.09
food for thought
“For years the bulk of American Christians who were committed to ‘missions’ could only participate through giving and praying. Today the call to cross-cultural ministry doesn’t even require going; it just requires staying with a purpose.” Erwin McManus, An Unstoppable Force
I can’t stop thinking about this quote.
My heart is overseas, but my body is in the States (most of the time!). While I am tempted to mourn over the fact that God is asking me to stay for now, He is also asking me to stay with a purpose. In a college town that boasts the third largest international student population in America, He has brought the nations to us. Our church hosts “International Coffee House” at the international student housing center every other week. I have met so many friends from other countries!
Payal and Khushi are from India,
Ziyada, Azat, and Zulfiya are from Uzbekistan,
Rose is from Taiwan, and her husband Tomasz is from POLSKA!
Sometime soon I am getting one of these, courtesy of Payal:
But somehow in all of this relationship building, I have forgotten that the purpose behind this is just as noble as the purpose behind traveling with the message of the Gospel. Sometimes I find myself slipping into frustration, even grief, that I am here when I could be there (wherever there may be).
Instead of pining for Poland or mentally planning church plants in the unreached parts of this world, He has me here for a purpose. I should be staying with a purpose.
09.02.09
school
People keep asking me, “How is school going?” which is actually quite a complicated question for me due to the volume of school in which I participate. So here’s the long answer:
School has been a lot of fun so far this year! It is so easy – I already know 7 of my 11 kids because I had them last year, and the new ones are pretty low maintenance. I have the big picture of the curriculum in my mind, and already have lessons written from last year that I can use again. I am way more organized because I spent the last two weeks of school last year prepping for this year. I am so glad that I did!
Also, I just printed pictures of my students (which I wish I could post here, but since I can’t you’ll just have to see them in person!) and realized that I have a really cute-looking group of kids! I just love them. I am especially attached to the kids I had last year, and feel really blessed to get my students two years in a row. AND, my kids from last year who moved up to the Junior High for this year all have Amanda (my carpool friend) as their math teacher this year, so I still hear from & about them.
Yes, the fish is named Rico and I may or may not have added more than a few votes into the mix to make it happen. You’ll never know.
I am going to be our campus UIL coordinator this year. I don’t even know what UIL stands for, and I wasn’t involved with UIL last year, so I am pretty much a UIL idiot. But I have a meeting about it tomorrow, so maybe I’ll learn something. My reasons for taking on this position are 3-fold. 1) There is a pretty nice stipend, and I unexpectedly had to purchase a new laptop for seminary that really set me back; 2) the teacher who had this position last year took a job at central office, and teacher who took her position didn’t want to do it; 3) The position is basically organizing people, and you know how I feel about organizing.
The other school in my life, seminary, is going full-force. Lots of reading, writing, and deep thinking. Right now I am taking a class about church planting which is proving to be very thought-provoking. I just finished the first book, about which I had mixed feelings. I might share some random deep thoughts on that later, but I haven’t had enough time to process it all yet, so we’ll see. Later this semester I will take Systematic Theology 1. I’m a little terrified about that one, so I try not to think about it.
The other other school in my life (kind of), Sunday school (except we don’t call it that), will really begin next week. My friends Wesley, Geoff, and I will be leading the break-out group for college freshmen. I am excited about this – a new area of ministry for me that will hopefully give way to another ministry next year, which I have mentioned before in the most vague of terms, and am not yet ready to reveal…
How is school going for YOU?
