Pictures from Bali
God is so good! He blessed Keren and I both so much by working it out for us to go on a 5 day trip to Bali while the kids were on summer break. Enjoy the pictures.
American Bubble
After spending 5 days in Bali I realize how different it is to live in a non-Christian country. Keren and I took a private tour to go see Bailinese Dancers and stopped at a “cultural center” where we saw a HUGE hindu idol with people worshipping it. What a bubble we live in because to most of the world this is normal.
Famous Person
So I decided after speaking at a government school here last Friday to a group of Junior High Students I would not be a good famous person. God definitely knows what we can handle when he directs us in our life. After I spoke the kids all surrounded me to shake my hand and say thank you. Well one student asked me to sign her notebook, little did I know what this was going to start. Before I knew it I was completely surrounded by kids feeling slightly clastrophobic. I pushed my way through the kids pretty quickly to get out of that. Once I got out of the mob of kids I laughed. Sometimes I just have to laugh at what God is doing in my life … it’s uinbelieveable.
Here’s a couple pictures with the kids.
God’s Family
I have to testify about how good God really is. He meets us right where we are and gives us exactly what we need even before we know we need it. A couple weekends ago a family I barely know took Keren and I on a trip to Solo Indonesia, about 100 km from Semarang. We were surprised to find that a good friend of mine and her husband were going too so we would have someone who was fluent in English with us.
We arrived at Novotel, a very nice hotel, to find that they had given us a vip room just to bless us. Keren and I had fun acting like we’ve never been in a hotel before and being American. Through out the weekend God used these people I barely know to minister his love to me and show me how much all Christians really are a FAMILY. When we live with the Holy Spirit guiding and directing our lives we are all connected as family, no matter how little you know each other.
Here are some fun pictures from our trip. We drove about 40 km to the top of a mountian and got to see an amazing sunset and eat some yummy Indonesian food.
School’s Almost Out
I can’t even believe it but it’s already been one school year! Next week we have our last week of school and as this hit me I started to reflect on this past year. It has been a year full of joy and pain but more than anything a year full of God’s amazing grace! I could not have gotten through this year without it. It seems like yesterday that I was calling home crying because the kids were scared of me and I didn’t know how to teach them. God has brought me so far to a place of depending on Him. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And it’s true! I am here only because of Him!
Not only has God supplied me with his abundant grace but he’s given me favor with the people here. This next school year I will be the manager of the school; the head master is out of school a lot and her focus is on promotion and government so my job will be to manage things within the school. I will be managing teachers, staff and student affairs. I will still be teaching but, thanks to Keren being here, I am only teaching one class and I am training Indonesians to teach language. God’s plan is good! Before coming to Indonesia I wanted to run my own school and now I am more or less doing exactly what I wanted but in a completely different way than I ever thought I would do. It’s amazing how when we submit ourselves to God and His plan for our lives He does so much more than we could ever imagine.
I pray that as you read this you will be encouraged in whatever you are going through that God’s grace is enough!
Blessings in Christ!
Hello
Welcome to my very own blog site. I have never done anything like this before but I think it’s a great way to keep in touch with everyone so I am trying this thing out. I felt inspired to try this after I looked at Keren’s (my friend and american co-worker here with me) page and thought I should try it myself. I am going to try and be faithful to update this on a regular basis with what’s new over here in Indonesia!
