Skipping forward a few days to share about today. (At last, a blog that is up to date!)
17/2/11 Thursday (Ecuador Day 14. World Race Day
42)
I am amazed today just how God uses us in this
school.
Today a student that I’ve barely known for 2 weeks
came to me and told me about her problems at home. Through the little English
that she knows, I got to hear about how she is really worried for her sister
because she didn’t come home last night until 2am and her mother didn’t say a
word. This sister smokes and has many boyfriends, yet her mom never scolds her.
Whereas she always gets scolded at home even though she didn’t do anything
wrong. She feels not loved at all at home. Worse still, she is the only
believer in the house.
I got to pray for her and speak life into her,
assuring her that God thinks she is worthy and she is a much loved child of
God, and quoting Psalm 139* (thanks Kaity for always referring to this Psalm!).
Not long after that, the vice principal shared
about how she and her son are having a hard time coping with missing her
daughter who has just left home for medical school. But she sees the blessing
behind it as now her full attention is focused on her son who had felt
neglected while her daughter was still in the house. I could sense that she
felt a release being able to share (and cry a little) with us.
I am just amazed at how God has been using us
to minister to the people here. I mean, I am no counselor, and far from it, yet
I get to hear about and share in people’s burdens, even grown adults, which
usually would never happen to me back home. I am thankful that I can be a
vessel of God’s love to the people around me.
Side note: The school is having a retreat tomorrow
(Thursday) and Friday for both the students and kids from outside the school
between the ages 5-11. Just to give you a glimpse of the topics that will be
touched on:
Kingdom of Light and Kingdom of Darkness
Repentance
Forgiveness
Healing
God is Love
My Body is A Temple
Power of the Cross
Power of Jesus’ Blood
My Partner the Holy Spirit
Jesus is My Superhero
Influence of Media
Reaching My Dreams
Thank You for Your (God’s) Love
Please pray for health and strength as many of
my teammates have had stomach problems these few days. Please also pray for us
as we really believe that God is a going to do a mighty work this weekend. Our
BIG God is going to do BIG things!
*Psalm 139
1 O Lord,
you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know
when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far
away.
3 You see
me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know
what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go
before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from
your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go
up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are
there.
9 If I
ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even
there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could
ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night-
12 but
even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You made all the
delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank
you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I
know it.
15 You
watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the
womb.
16 You saw
me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your
book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your
thoughts about me,[b] O
God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t
even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
19 O God, if only you would
destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They
blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate
you?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I
hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and
know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point
out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting
life.
