There they sat. 42 little legs, 42 little eyes and
hands, 21 little mouths, smiles and 21 little faces and a day that they were at
my discretion. It has been a month
and I was already back in front of a bilingual class substituting for the
day. A year ago I 
probably would
of told myself I can’t use a translator to teach or told myself there is no way
I can entertain 21 kids that don’t speak my language. But things change and they never stay the same.
So how do I measure a year in the
life? How do I explain the things
I experienced, the changes I went through, and the people I walked with. Some
would say in love, in miles, in
laughs, in journeys, in truth learned, in tears cried. I have attempted to share what I have
learned this year. And there are things
I knew before, but now I know at a deeper level- I know it in my soul. I began
this journey: traveling through 16 countries, being a part of ministry 11
different projects in ministry, living in community with 50 people and truly
being changed in the deepest parts of me. So things change and they never stay the same.
So these changes are
immeasurable. I began this year
without a clear picture of what love was or how deep the father’s love ran
within me. I experienced the Love of God and felt
His presence on me. The father’s
love transformed me and I was able to see the walls be torn down and then extensions
of love from my teammates who saw me in my weaknesses and still jumped hurdles
for me; supportive love from family and friends back home; contacts that
welcomed us with arms of love; love without words (time); love from orphans who
were searching for someone to love…. It was and is IMMEASURABLE! This change began 
deep within me and I
will never be the same.
God woke me up. The Lord was able to show me that
community is…family, it’s iron sharpening iron, confrontation, refinements of
myself, a lifestyle, choosing to do life along side of each other, teaching me
about myself, being intentional about growing together, it more understanding of
God’s love. Community is walking
life together each step in Christ. On a daily basis, on a momentary basis. I have realized that I can’t do life alone and he has called
me to do life with others. That
there are going to be times where it is going to be extremely hard and you just
think life would be so greater if you would be without the community you have
been given. But NO it has
transformed me this year, to see the importance of community and how we come
under each other and serve each other,
show Christ love to each other and see
Christ in each other. I would not
take back one tear I shed, one smile that was shared, one hug that was given or
received, one word that was spoken in the community that I lived in this
year. Community has wrecked me and
I will never be the same.
So now I am home and I have been
putting this update off for sure. It has been hard to know where to start. What I experienced and just truly wanting this thing I call
“changed” to shine in my life. Wanting people to not only see my change but experience it for
themselves. So each day is a
challenge to live by those changes and know that the Lord has called me and
still has called me to CHANGE!
