A mission team from Phoenix

In our second last month before the holiday we were blessed to have a team from Phoenix Arizona.

I had the opportunity to stay with them at the YWAM base and drove down to school with them every morning. 

Half of the team members helped at school every morning while the other half especially the men helped build Martha's house and the construction of the roof. They have been building wonderful relationships with the children. The children really loved them.

I have to say the past two weeks has marked an amazing journey of my life, it was truly amazing just to see God's words proven to be true day after day. The words that declares that God is the Father of all. He has broken down the wall of hatred and has united us all as one person and family in Christ. No matter where each one was from we found our rightful place in Christ's unity. I got to see and live that out with an amazing team from "Sweet Home Arizona, where the skies are so so Blue!"

 They have been such a blessing beyond words. And I deeply thank the Lord for the living hope that they have brought streaming out into the Community Hope's kids. They grew more and more to love the Lord, life and every member of the team. Especially the grade six. 

The kids and I thanked them all for the hugs, the games, dancing, worship, spicy card games, and for the life changing testimonies and skits. 

I have been indeed personally encouraged, motivated, grown to love and to appreciate more and more where God called me to be and be a part of.

                           Luke, Blake, Antonio, and Will with the kids during break time

Thor and the grade 2s

                                                                 Meddie and Jamila.

Grade 7's Team Building

The grade 7s has a team building project this weekend at the YWAM base and my brother and I, and a few more young teachers from the school volunteered to help out. I really love it here. It’s really quiet and peaceful.
I get up every morning before sunrise to do my quiet time here by the dam. The morning sun rise is spectacular.Takes my breath away every time. I see that first sun rays peek over those mountains, and it feels like I can hear God Himself whispering good morning to me through that splendid sun rise. He’s beauty is displayed early in the morning, that from the rising of the sun to the sun set, He’s name indeed is praised through all creation.

                                                        YWAM's dam

                                                                    The grade 7s

 I have to say that it has been quite interesting and fun for the past two days. On Friday we had prepared many ice breakers and awesome games for the kids. And yesterday we had early devotional time and then weeding after breakfast. The kids had to learn how to work together as a team which worked pretty well.

Noon time, we went out hiking, which was really my favorite thing to do. I really loved every moment of it. I love Hiking simply because every step you take clearly teaches you about the Christian journey. Which seem to starts off pretty well but as you go up in the middle, the journey starts to get tough and your legs get tired, your arms, and your whole body screams for nothing else but give up!

It always seems easy to go back down then to continue going up. But I have found that when I hike and I come to a point where by I feel tired, I don’t look back but keep my eyes fixed on the top of the mountain. And try to imagine the great view and the nice cooling breeze that I would get once I get up there. Those are the two things that keep me going. And indeed the reward is always great!
The team building, the fellowship, games, and food has been great. The kids truly enjoyed every bit of it, so did we all as teachers.

Chapel Day

This was our Chapel day this morning and we had visitors from the States, who are part of the YWAM's DTS. Daniel and Junairo. They are both basketball players and they use that sport to share the gospel with people around the world. Which I think is pretty amazing. They have a basketball with six colors and they explain the gospel step by step by using every color on the ball. The kids understood it pretty well and they loved it.  It was a really awesome day. The kids hang around with them. Asked them a lot of questions, and played a lot of games.

                                         Daniel and Lonel playing soccer with the grade 5s during break time.

Thank You Lord

What Can I say, school has really been great so is the the kids. To be honest, I have to say it's a blessing being here at Community Hope school. And I really thank God for allowing me to be apart of this children's lives. I thank Him that he has chosen to work through some one like me to be a light and a blessing to them in return. The Lord is really good. And because of His amazing kindness I am always looking forward to every day. Because I know that every time I reach those school gates there will be sweet faces waiting for me outside with arms open wide in hope for a warm hug from Ms Josua. They are treasure boxes.

I look at these kids and indeed by God's grace I see the hope to this broken community that they live in. I see God raising up a new generation to build up His kingdom and to shine his light in the darkest places. I see God rebuilding the ruins.

THEY ARE THE APPLES OF MY EYES.

They said we should not get attached to the kids, but I have to be honest and admit that I am definitely growing to be in love with these kids and more attached than ever.
 I can't help myself. In fact, I thank God for the gift of teaching. For the joy of being a blessing and being surround by more than a hundred kids every day and all over me!
Their laughter, their hugs, their smiles, the mixed up words, and that good bye hugs and kisses on the cheek when its time to go home. I thank God for those last words at the end of the day that always seem to melt my heart to bits.
''I love you Ms Josh."

Oh, how long?

Oh, how I long spend wasting my life searching for a purpose and meaning to life in the wrong places and people.
When I ought to be still and listen as He says to me: I am the source of your life, apart from me you can do nothing and your life has no meaning.
When you see the struggle and the shame, I see the reason why I came to die. I came for your story and I came for your wounds, to show you what love sees, when I see you.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus is the reason why I am here and whether I live or die, I am His and pray to do it all to His Glory.

Flu...and...headahe

Yesterday wasn't any better from the day before.Woke up very late, missed out on driving with Marya (the grade 3 teacher, who I was suppose to drive with to school ) and struggled to get a taxi from my place to katutura. So I had to walk all the way to the Dorado taxi rank which is a 30 minute walk. It took me a while, but I got a taxi the moment I got there and he dropped me off at a service station close to the school.
I just realized that if you are not early then you are late.

But I am really thankful today. No repeats of Wednesday and Thursday. I woke up at the right time. Left home and got dropped off at the right place. And most importantly, got at school on time. for the first time I found the kids at the gate, who ran to greet me with warm hugs.I felt like I was starting to get a gleams of what it truly means to be a teacher. I really had an amazing fun morning with the kids. And deeply enjoyed the 30 minute chapel that we had in the hall.The kids were awesome during worship time. Loved it.

I did time lines and flash cards all morning again and I sat in the hall by myself  the whole morning. Well, until Nigel from our grade 2 got excused from the class for being naughty. So he spend the whole 30 minutes with me outside chatting about his favorite cartoon movies and what he wants to be when he grow up. I have to say that it was really great to spend some time getting to know him. He's really an amazing little boy, he just needs attention.
I couldn't spend the rest of the day with the kids as I hoped I would because after break my headaches from the flu which I have been trying to deal with for two days now, started to get worst. I didn't want to get the kids sick so I had to come home early. Lying on the couch with a ice full cloth over my forehead this moment, I am trying to read Louie Giglio's book.
Then an hour nap might just do later.