Radical Love...

I don't only want to share this as any amazing testimony but I also want to put it up as a great reminder of the radical love of God and the love my children showed me today.

Today started off just like one of those amazing energetic days...then I suddenly fell sick and before I knew it I was in one of the school's sick bed. Pain, headache, and cold. The children didn't know I was sick, until break time came and they started looking for me. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was someone's face not more than 10cm away from mine. As always Josephine (my guardian) Angel found me. She always does, no matter where I am in the school building and honestly, it scares me some times!, but more than that; she is my sun shine. She always knows how to brighten up my day no matter how sad I may feel or be.     :)
And she was there, and now worried when I told her that I was not feeling well and I just needed an hour or two of rest, then I can be back on my feet again. Then she left, a few second later she came back wondering if I needed a glass of water. I said no. And then she left again. I was just about to close my eyes and then half of the class showed up. I assured everyone that I was okay and I just needed a few minute of rest. Then they where all gone. Few seconds later, I didn't even pull my covers up, Caleb showed up, asking if he can bring me a glass of water, I said no and thanked him. But a few minutes later he brought me one anyways!

I fell a sleep for five minutes or ten and when I woke up the pain was suddenly gone. It felt really strange because I knew that for a whole hour and a few minutes my body was in pain and then suddenly the pain just seemed to to disappear...strange...I know, right!?

So I jumped out of the sick bed and I went to teach my Art classes which I thought I will not be able to teach today at all. But I did, with no pain at all! I Kept checking for signs to see if I was really okay and honestly I was.


So what happened...

Few hours later I got back to my home class at the end of the day in order to have lunch with my kids and the first thing I received as I entered the classroom, was a prayer letter!!
Nodesha wrote a prayer letter to me and to God, asking the Lord to make me feel well. And she pleaded over and over again in her letter to the Lord that he would please heal me.

All I could do was just stare in amazement!
I said to her: " Wow, Nodesha! No wonder the pain was suddenly gone. God heard your prayers!"
I said it lightly but I meant it deeply.

And surely He did.   Over and over again as I walked out of that classroom to start my day, I can always hear their voices in the background screaming out how much they love me. Yes, I do whole heartedly receive it some times, but sometimes I have to admit and say that I tend to take it lightly.
But today, their radical love for me was proven in just the most simplest ways yet so significant.  I am reminded of how many times I take God's love for me so lightly. I read that God loves me, and I know that He loves me, yet the question is do I always believe it to be true?
Honestly, not always. But the truth is God loves us. He loves me, whether I feel it or not. The good news is that His love for us never change and is way much more radical than any human's love could ever be. We can never ask God to prove his love for us because He has already proven His love in no way any human being could ever come close. His love is real and unconditional. And He continues to pour out that same love to us through the very things and people around us, the love I have for my children and the great love they have for me is just a tiny glimpse of God's love for us.
I am truly and beyond words could ever express blessed to have theses children in my life. Every day there is something new to learn from them. Every day there is something to laugh about and truly appreciate. Every day is never like the day before!

Best Day Ever: Celebrating Kayla!

Joy unspeakable that won't go away.

Anderson, Beatrice, Kayla

 Today, we celebrated a New life, we witnessed a new beginning, Kayla's profession of her faith in Christ. I was deeply blessed, more than words could ever express in this world to be apart and  stand right there beside her. It's a joy, an unspeakable JOY, that will never go away!
When I reflect back to the awesome moments we had today, I can only see and testify the goodness and great love of  our God. I see God's hand over Kayla's life and I see a new creation in Christ Jesus. I see the Almighty God at work. He has started something that only He can and is able to bring to a full completion and I rejoice in Him, praying and trusting that the same way He has carried me all along as my Savior and my God, he will carry Kayla all the way.
I really love Isaiah 46:3-4( You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you.) This is an amazing picture of God assuring and declaring His faithfulness to His people; the house of Israel. And I honestly believe that He is the same God today who will and is able to carry us to our graying years, not only physically but also into our Spiritual maturity. I know that as Kayla continues to grow in Christ she will have a bright and hopeful future ahead of her maybe, not in this world, but we are looking toward a better place, to His great rewards. I pray that she will forever be a faithful servant and a useful vessel in the Master's home.

The big moment!

Baptism

Buried with Christ in baptism

Raising to a New Life in Christ

This is to Kayla!

Indepensia and Kayla

Praise to the God who saves!

I don't know where to start, I am not sure how to put this deep joy in to simple words. All I can truly say is that I am blown away by God's gift of mercy and unconditional love for His people. Two  of my forever favorite stories in the bible is the story of the prodigal son and the woman caught in adultery. I can without any doubt fully relate to both of this stories as the prodigal son and as the sinful woman. I think we all can relate one way or another. What stands out the most for me about these two stories is that: when the son finally came to himself and decided to go back home to his father, the father ran to meet him! swept him off his feet, embraces him tightly, and kissed him. And in the story of the woman; Jesus refused to cast a stone but rather stooped down and offered this woman forgiveness, He forgives her and offers her a  new life. The great mercy and unconditional love extended to both is overwhelming! when in reality the son deserved nothing but rejection from the father and the woman deserved death...
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."


THE GOOD NEWS! The good news!...
The  greatest high light of my week and probably will be the greatest high light of this year though not yet at the end, is God's goodness and mercy of yesterday and today. Yesterday two of my girls come to Christ. First Kyla, who I have long waited for and believed that if she comes to Christ then God can use her to be an additional light and a living testimony to the rest of the class.  And not only in class but also at home. God brought me to a point where by I suddenly realized that I can give all the love these kids needs, and every thing they would ever want or need, but the greatest gift I can ever give them is Christ Himself. By God's boldness and strength, I chose to share the gospel constantly, pray, wait (which was the hard part  :) and trust that God was at work. And for sure God was at work. Like the farmer in Mark 4:26-28 who scattered the seeds on the ground; night and day the seeds sprouts and grows, but he don't understand how it happens, I couldn't see God fully at work until too, until Kayla finally took that step. And once that door swung open: another student (Chanteline) came up to me privately with the same desire. She wanted to let go of the old life and accept the new life in Christ. I couldn't contain the joy and I still can't!!
I am so happy!!!!!
God continued to touch and change hearts;  today one of my other student (Bibi) asked me if she could speak to me in private too, and right away I knew what was coming, she wanted and was ready to make that commitment .She said it's a decision she had been thinking about making for a long time, but she just didn't know how to go about it until today!
And I quote: " I know that to be a christian is not an easy thing, but I truly want to have Jesus in my life. I want to know him as my friend."
All I could do was to blink back the tears. And as I prayed with her I was reminded about John 6:37 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

I found comfort and peace knowing that it's only by the father's love and grace that we each are able to come to Christ. And when we do come, like the father in the story of the prodigal son; He will never turn us away but joyfully accept, forgive, and gives us a clean slate if you will. We become a new creation in Him. (2Corin 5:17-19) What a joy to know that there will always be room in the father's home!
What a joy to know that he doesn't seek to save those who are "good" but rather those who are lost and helpless.
 Luke 15:7 " I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Moments with the Bradshers!

The Bradshers and the grade 5s

Macaroni and cheese!

The grade 5s

I will never be able to explain the deep love and gratitude I will forever have towards this second family.  The Bradshers!
I am who I am and where I am today because God chose to use this family to introduce me to Himself. Through them, God has taught me to obey and directed my footsteps in the path of truth.  The greatest gift they have ever given to me is the one life time opportunity of John 17:3.

Falicity

Funky town

Brian

Kristen

Peter bowling

God is Good

 Sow a head of time and trust God to bring the rain at the right time.

I love the smell of rain. I love the sound of rain. I love it when it rains.
But most of all; I love the fact that God answers our prayers.
 I watched as the kids danced in the rain as we pulled up at school from home this morning. They shouted, sang, and danced joyfully! 
Who doesn't love rain?
Day in and day out we had people every where praying for rain. The passed few months and all the way back in to last year has really been dry. Many farmers here around and across the country has been effected badly. We complained about the heat of the day and the blazing sun that comes with the clear blue skies. There has been heavy dark clouds here and there but it was all a hope in vain. As we pleaded, many times we felt the silence of God. But the Bible says there's a time for everything. And at the right time God comes through. For our ways are not His ways neither our thoughts He's thoughts. And when his blessings comes through, it stands out , that we might not miss it and not miss the fact that they are meant to point us back to Him with praises!

One of the kids said something really important  today: something that I have been thinking about for quite a while now.
Chanteline said before she came to school this morning she planted some seeds. And she was so glad that she did because now is raining."



 when I was growing up, and we would go to the farm every December holiday to help work on the field;
 my mom would say: "Come bring the small basket of seeds and let's go and sow before the rain comes."
 The first thing I would always do is look up and see if there was any sign of rain, and every time I saw that there was no a single cloud I would start to complain.
"We are wasting the seeds, mom." I would say. "There is no clouds. Which means the rain is not coming soon."
And all she would say is: "Come. Let's go while the earth is still soft. If we don't sow now, and a heavy rain comes the soil will be too hard."

And so we would go, and we would sow row by row under those clear blue sky and blazing sun. Some times sad, some times with the hope that she would be right.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 .
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Reflect back...

2009; He was there back then.

2015: He is here today.

How many times have I gotten the chance to be still and look back to my life?
Honestly, not much.
I have to say this doesn't come much often. But I realized that in order for one to be thankful and remember the goodness of God, it's always best to look back and see what he has done in the past.
Knowing this and being reminded of He's faithfulness keeps my heart rooted and hope firm in the one who has and will always be there. My life has been a sad and fun "roller coaster"  but even in those days God has been there. He was watching, he was listening, he was comforting, he was forgiving, he was with me, even in those moments I felt like he turned a deaf hear unto me and his face away from me. 

I came to understand that God sets boundaries. Like the ocean in Job He said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!'
He sets the boundaries in my life and He chooses when to extend and when to limit them.  'The Lord has bestowed us with freedom which has limits or a boundary. It is not unrestricted. ‘God limits our freedom for our own good.’ I came to find comfort in this knowing that God has always been and still is in control. Looking back up to now, I am genuinely thankful that  God didn't and doesn't still answer every prayer I offer up to him, even when I plead with tears, honestly I don't know what my life would have turned out like if he had chosen to say yes and spoiled me. But hey that just tell me how responsible and a good Dad God is. He know what's best.



I think parts of my life that I can look back to and always be thankful about is the days that God has allowed different people from all over to cross my path and sowed different kinds of seeds into my life. Because when the rain came at the right time, he allowed them to grow and caused a great impact in my life. Some came as a correction, some came as an encouragement, and some build me up and chiseled me, but it was all for my good and for His glory. I remember spending long weekends and holidays  with miss Linda and Jessica (young and old missionary women that I met at the beginning of my high school years) and then there were the days of Brian and his family. I have never fully kind of understood what he was doing all those years but looking back, now I do.
Coming from a home where my parents didn't make much and a lot of kids to raise I have always wondered how life would be if I had all that I wanted and needed. And I think this was the greatest lesson I learned during those years in my life too.  Through these people He taught me contentment, but above all that; God alone is more than enough. If there is any thing or any one I should greatly desire and long for was him. Thank God for people who points us back to Christ Himself. He showed me his love, he's kindness, and that He is a God who hears and answers prayers. 


Taking the time to reflect back to those days suddenly connects all these pieces together which leads me  where I am today. It amazes me that I have never fully realized this; that all the way my Savior led me and all through ages he has been no one else but GOD.  And He is still the same today.

This truth puts a smile on my face. It gives me great peace. It gives me assurance and hope for the years ahead.  
I have just found out that there is great joy in taking time to reflect back on God's goodness. You will discover the good and faithfulness of God that you have never been fully aware of.