February is always such a short and sweet month that I feel
like there will never be enough time in it to write a blog that does it justice!
It was full of fun as we settled into club for Central High on Mondays and
Windermere High on Wednesdays! We laughed til our stomachs hurt at skits
(especially the “Gangnam Style Gurus”), we danced and sang our hearts out and
started to tell a story that has not only changed my life but the lives of
everyone who has truly HEARD it! In short it was a busy, busy month full of
love, laughter and a new excitement on the island for what this thing called “Young
Life” is! I can’t what until Young Life is so normal that the exciting part
will be the guy called Jesus that all of the “Young Lifers” are talking about!!
March came and brought spring with it! I think there must be
no time of year more wonderful than the day you wake up and realize that it is
spring again!! It happens for us here so much earlier than most but wherever
you are it makes you stop and take notice. Spring is the time of year where the
world wakes up again, creation blossoms and you can only imagine that God is
looking down on us with a smile and willing us to enjoy it!! In Young Life we
have been talking about the full life that God calls us to- that entering into
relationship with Him does not mean a dull life but rather a whole new world
full of adventure and beauty…and it totally feels like God is backing our words
up!
Students are studying really hard right now for exams which
will begin shortly after Spring Break in two weeks! I feel like I've only just
gotten used to the rhythm of a more relaxed school system and now it is totally
changed with the “crunch time” of approaching exams. It just goes to show that it has
been a year of learning in all areas- a fact that I’m thankful for because it
has required me to dig deep in the community, which has unintentionally caused
the planting of roots…my own! The struggles that seemed like they would break
me when I first got here are fewer and farther between and in their place there
is new wisdom and some sweet, sweet friendships!
My wonderful husband-to-be got to visit last week and we had
the gift of spending the week together while still each working…a picture into
how our much anticipated life will be! It seems like a crime that two people
should be allowed to be as happy as we were that week- I can’t wait to share
this little world and the rest of my life with him!! Thank you so much to
everyone who has been praying for us as we researched and tried out ways to
make it possible for Ben to do his job that he loves from here! We know God is
good but it does seem like He has outdone himself for us. Everything went off
smoothly and we finally let ourselves breathe and dream about His plans for us
here together.
I don’t know whether it is the spring time, the fun days and
real conversations with these kids that I've come to adore, or the wedding that
is just around the corner, but I am finding myself dreaming a lot these days!
It feels like the Lord has opened us up to a whole world of possibilities and a
whole new level of love and relationship with Him that I wouldn't have dreamed possible, and the kids are catching on! These students that I have shared life and dreams with know that I love them completely and fully…and they are just
starting to ask the question of why! This is such an exciting question for me
and such an exciting time in our relationship, because the “why” of loving them
is the most important thing I will ever get to share with them!
That’s my prayer request for you guys this month! That, no
matter where you are, you stop to think about the “why” of being loved…it
points you, in all its human imperfect splendor, to our very perfect Savior!
Can’t wait for these sweet friends of mine to feel the beauty of that the way I
do right now!!
