God's Strength

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." ~2 Corinthians 12:8-10

That Scripture is so powerful & applicable in our lives right now. Truth be told, working in the school is extremely challenging for the both of us in one way or another. It takes everything out us. Everyday we come home so exhausted, only to have to make more lesson plans or grade papers or whatever. Sometimes it seems like it's too much, but God is faithful to His word. I feel Paul when he was pleading with God to take his burden away from him. I've asked God the same thing. But God has placed me here for a reason, and in the school for a reason. And as people in my church always say, "If God brought me to it, He'll bring me through it." And He's doing just that. The past few weeks have been so much better than the first few. He's showing me different techniques and helping me with the lesson plans. My biggest problem in the classroom was filling up the time with lessons & activities. Because English class is new in the elementary, there is no set curriculum. So, for the past few weeks I've been creating a curriculum that at least I can start with. Those who follow can build on it & improve it, but at least it's a place to start. It helps me to know what I need to teach day to day & week to week. Then it becomes easier to plan how to teach it and fill in activities. Thank God for internet access! Now I don't feel as weighted down when I walk in the classroom.

Busy, Busy, Busy

As you can tell from our original weekly updates turning into monthly updates, things have picked up here. We are both teaching in school as you know and majority of our time is designated in the planning and teaching at the school.  

But in spite of our present business, God is doing some amazing things at the orphanage.  We have two new recently married couples whom have decided to serve the Lord during the first months of their marriage. Two the boys here are studying at the bible college in Costa Rica. We have the highest amount of volunteers here since Christmas.

As Candice and I noted in earlier blogs, the goal that God has given us is to "STRETCH".  And I am proud to say that is exactly what we have been doing. I teach in Spanish and so often I focused on my inability and neglect my help through God. God has been teaching me that is not our merits that leads to success but His anointing.  God anoints us to benefit others. Each day we teach, I pray for God's anointing to flow through us to the children prospering both their minds and souls.

Continue to pray for us as the new responsibilities stretch us thin. But we know we will never be stretch to the point beyond God's ability.