My First Hinge Date

I met my boyfriend on my first Hinge date! I know crazy, right? And just to be clear…no this wasn’t my first online dating experience. But I did the difficult work to get to a better place.

God help shift my perspective and work on my heart. He got me to a place of contentment. I was okay with being single if that was His will. More than a desire to be married, I had a desire to live in His will and follow His plan. In the beginning of summer, I created a prayer chart to help visualize specific prayers and be able to see how God is answering them. I used Psalms 37:5-7 as my anchor scripture for my dating life. “Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in His eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God and you will be secure, feasting on his faithfulness. Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most. Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way you’ll find He pulled it off perfectly!” I focused on this. Praying for God to help me and guide me. There was a time I thought I was ready to date again, and God clearly said no. Which made me worried to ask again too soon. Then there was a series of events–a conversation, a podcast, another conversation, a dating conference, and one flat out honest response…“No, you aren’t putting yourself out there.” Ouch! But true! Thanks friend! 😉 I prayed again asking God if it was time and didn’t get a no (which for me, is a yes). 

I stayed up too late over-analyzing the photos and captions for my Hinge dating profile. Then I journaled “God, I pray this time I will let you lead, that I won’t lower my standards just to please others…that I’ll trust how you lead and work things out. I’m worthy of so much and won’t settle for less than your best.” I was entering this season of dating with a different perspective. I wanted to do it God’s way and trust Him more. One week later, I had my first date (well…two actually). I was so nervous! I hadn’t been on a date in over a year. What if I forgot what to do or how to act or what to say? What if we had nothing to talk about or it was awkward? But…new Bethany…prayed for calm and peace. I reminded myself– This is a man who God loves and created and I get to learn a little bit about his story. We met at a park and maintained social distance because let’s not forget we are still living in a pandemic. It went so well! We definitely had lots to talk about and easily jumped from one subject to the next. I felt comfortable and like we could talk about anything. I definitely wanted to see him again! I did have another first date and it was a meh-date; nothing like my date was with Jack. I decided to be bold and brave. I messaged Jack the next morning, gave him my number and said I’d love to continue the conversation if he wanted. And guess what…he did! 🙂

Unlike online dating before, I decided to see where things would go with Jack. I didn’t match with other guys or start more conversations. Over the next month Jack continued to pursue me. He always initiated the dates. He walked me to my car, even when it was locked in the parking garage. He opened the door for me, he complimented me and not just in my appearance but also my character. He said I was confident, which is not how I felt, yet that’s what he saw. He respected me and my needs. He’s a perfect gentleman.

On date number six we were talking about dating experience and he said matter-of-factly “I don’t say this to flatter you, but I don’t think you know how beautiful you are.” To which, I sheepishly said, “I think you’re right.” And his response was, “I hope I can change that.”  (It’s okay to “awwww”!) He’s considerate of my heart and how I am feeling and somehow always has the perfect lines. 😉 

There are so many moments on our dates, where I am blown away at God’s goodness and faithfulness to bring us together. I am overwhelmed by God’s love for me. Answering so many of my prayers, even some I didn’t even vocalize. It pointed me to Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God knows my desires better than I do! He delights in giving good gifts to His children. I think God is enjoying blowing my mind. 🙂

I wanted to share this because the story God writes for each of our lives is different and unique. Yet, it is all because of Him! Do I deserve to be in a relationship with Jack? No. But is God choosing to give me this story to help bring glory to His name? Yes! A thousand times yes! 

When God gives good gifts to His children it isn’t because we’ve earned it or deserve it. It is because He loves us. He loves me so much to bring a man into my life that sees me in a way that reflects God’s heart for me. Many of you have seen me walk this journey. You have prayed for me, encouraged me, let me verbally process all the feels, and continue to remind of God’s goodness even when I struggled. I don’t think it is by chance that Jack is in my life. I know this is part of God’s plan. And as we continue to build our relationship together, I will continue to praise God for His goodness. I know all the cliché lines and phrases seem silly and ridiculous…but I’m here on the other side to attest to the truth…

God’s timing is best.

God does have a plan for your life.

God loves you more than anyone else.

God does all things well.

I hope this encourages you.

Love, The girl with a ridiculously cheesy smile, that just doesn’t seem to go away. 😉

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Embracing Uncertainty

Do you ever struggle with doubting God’s plan? Wrestle about going off on your own and writing your own story? Wonder if God’s really there caring for you?

I think it’s part of being a sinful human. I struggle with these thoughts. This is why I’m so grateful when God gives me moments, experiences, or stories to show His plan and love for me. He’s shown up for me so many ways; I have a running list. Some of them are simple things, like a beautiful sunrise, someone paying for my coffee, students who line up quietly the first time, etc. Sometimes it’s bigger things, like my first teaching job, healing from my migraines, teaching in Brazil, etc. I have to take a step back and be like…Whoa! Why would I ever doubt God’s love for me? Why would I ever think I could do better on my own?

Two weeks ago I got a text saying—“Unique question – if possible would you be able to take time off in April to go on a quick trip to Africa for a VBS for 800 kids.”

And my immediate response, was “Yes! I’d love that!”

Well come to find out my church was in the beginning stages of planning a trip for April (like 3 months away!) and I was being asked to consider joining the team (~5 people) to go help serve kids in Africa. I couldn’t quite believe it. I was in disbelief. You want me? I began praying right away. God, if this is what you want, make it clear, let me know.

A week of praying, talking to a few people, and waiting to see. Then a few frantic phone calls, one night to sleep on it, and defeat the devil’s attempt to let my fears and insecurities win. And boom! I have a ticket to fly to Kenya on April 15^th! WHAAAT?!

And in case this isn’t enough to go “Wow, God loves me!” let’s add to it…going to Africa is on my 30-by-30 list. Honestly, I had given up on it and decided to save Africa for after I turn 30. Evidently God had something different to say. I will be in Africa 1 month before I turn 30!

This all still feels surreal. I am going to Africa! I get to love on kids who haven’t heard about Jesus! I get to do that! I feel confident in God’s love for me. I feel confident in His plans. I’m definitely adding it to my list! I rest in His peace as He continues to guide me to where He wants me to go.

Now I’m working on getting everything ready…

-Passport. Oh yeah, because it time to renew…remember Russia 2010!

-Shots.

-Taking time off work. I’ll miss 8 school days…but thankfully I have the best substitute teacher…Mrs. Kanehen! 🙂

-Finances. One of the things I learned from raising money for Brazil was, “Don’t deny people the opportunity to give because maybe they can’t go and do what you are doing but they believe it in and in you.” With that said…if you feel inclined to support me you can write a check to my church New Life Church (6830 Highland Drive Everett, WA 98203) and in the memo line write “April Kenya Trip”. This will make it tax deductible. If you don’t do checks but want to support me you can donate money on my GoFundMe. gf.me/u/xmu6q6

-Prayer. For my team. For the kids. For safety. For health.

Thank you for all the love and support! I hope God is showing you His great love for you, because He loves you deeply!!

 

Final thought–

What’s your gut level reaction to this phrase Embracing Uncertainty?

For me, it’s pretty much a “Nah, I’m good” Like saying no to tomatoes, or no to watching a horror movie. Why would I need to that in my life? But unlike me, God’s reaction is “YES!” He says, this is good for you. He says, you do need this in your life. This is where you surrender control and trust my lead. So here I go…Embracing Uncertainty! Thanks to Mark Batterson for the new mantra from his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day )

Letting go is not giving up

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to get married, be a wife and a mother. I’ve jokingly said, I’m ready to be a mom, not so sure about the wife part. I think the whole teaching things helps with that. Anyways before I left for Brazil, and part of the process in deciding to go was acknowledging I wasn’t just waiting around for relationship. I am going to make the most of my life and live it the way I believe God is calling me to live. Even with that mindset I sat on the couch weeks before leaving and said “I’m going to come back in two years more single and alone than ever.” (Yup, dramatic I know!) And you know what, I did come back single…but definitely not alone. God’s goodness poured over me in Brazil and He pulled me closer to Him than I thought possible. (If you want to hear more about that…read my old blogs or let’s grab coffee. I love sharing that story!)

When I got back from Brazil it felt like the right time to take an active step in pursuing a relationship…so after months of deliberation and prayer I started online dating.  I was excited, hopeful and knew this was the next step. Well like with most things in life it wasn’t all glamorous. I had a fair share of first dates. I was ghosted. I got butterflies. I overanalyzed. Amongst all this God was teaching me, I love you deeply Bethany. Your worth and value doesn’t come from these boys, it comes from me.

During these months I struggled with insecurity. I didn’t think I was worth going on a date with someone I was truly excited about. This was bubbling to the surface as I was opening myself up to these deeper conversation with God. And because He is a Good Father who loves deeply He was showing me people in my life who love me and see me for who I am. Not because of the carefully selected photos or overanalyzing messages. God has someone for me who will love me as I am. As I wrote in my journal “God made me the way I am, He has a plan and purpose that I am meant to fulfill. And if I try to be something different to make a man happy then I’m going to miss out on what God has in store for me.” Despite the hurt and the struggle, I experienced, I’m still grateful for it. I learned so much about God, myself and ultimately about trust. I’m not sure what comes next, but I have a Father who knows it all. I want to take what I have gained and be open to what may come. I trust His timing, even if it is a challenge to be patient.

I want you to know I’m not writing this to get sympathy or have a pity party. I’m writing it because this season is a struggle. It has required me to lean in and depend on God, to pour out my heart and acknowledge my desires, knowing He may not give those to me. Yet, I still have hope. Letting go doesn’t mean giving up. This part of my journey is right where God wanted me. He wanted me to grow in trust. He wanted me to give up control. He wanted me to see how loved and valued I am right now. So whatever season you are in, I want you to know you are not alone. There is a Father who loves you deeply who is walking alongside you.

I hope you hear my heart. I hope you are encouraged to keep following the journey God has for you. And if I can help support you in anyway, please let me know!

 

Obedience is better.

Two weeks ago, my life was at a crossroads. After months of waiting and wondering and trying my best to live in obedience, I reached the point where a decision was required of me. I struggled, wrestled, cried, and sought out wisdom. What did God want me to do? Why wasn’t He making it clear? He knows my heart, He knows my desire to be in His will. What is the right choice?

God gently nudged me and reminded me both of these are great options. He told me, I will bless you and walk with you whichever path you choose. There is no wrong choice. Yet, I was nervous and anxious. I didn’t want to let anyone down. I didn’t want to disappoint people. I wanted God to make it clear. Just close the door. He didn’t do that. So, I went back to the verse I was holding onto during this season. Proverbs 9:10

Even the scripture was reminding me, the end product, the final decision will be in good judgment. This whole journey has taught me so much of God’s character and His great love for me. He cares deeply for me. He sees the struggle, He knows my desires, and He’s given me the knowledge I need to make a good choice.

The night before I needed to have a decision I had a dream. And no not a dream of me in one of the jobs, not the voice of God saying do this. It was a dream in which God revealed areas I fall short, areas He wants me to grow in. I woke up feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable. Really, is this how He is making it clear to me? Yes. Yes, it is. I had the confidence. I had the peace. I knew the decision I had to make. The place God wants me to serve, to be His salt and light. That is what I was waiting for and longing for.

I will be teaching Kindergarten at Liberty Elementary! I’m excited for this next adventure. I know all the days will not be easy and I will have challenges. In those moments, I will be able to go back and remember this time and know with 100% confidence this is where God wants me. I also know I will have amazing days of loving on kids. Both my students and I will grow this year and I can’t wait to watch it happen!

This is the beginning of the next adventure! I’m excited to see how God leads me and how I continue to grow in my relationship with Him. And who knows, maybe I will keep blogging and sharing stories and adventures. From the beginning, my goal with this blog was to share life and to share those moments I need to look back on to see God’s faithfulness. Those kinds of moments won’t stop just because I’m not in Brazil anymore. That’s the great news! No matter where we are or what we are going through God is with us! So, until next time!

Love, Bethany

P.S. Just in case I haven’t said it recently, Thank You! Thank you for your support and encouragement through the last two years. May God bless you in all of your adventures!

The Journey is the Destination

Sunset from Sugarloaf Mountain

This blog has been brewing for the past 3 weeks. And now, as I’m avoiding doing other things, I decided now is the time. It is a productive distraction, right?

Three weeks ago I went on a retreat with the Young Adults at my church; it was amazing! During the retreat I was challenged by our speaker “In the midst of my confusion and frustration, who does God want me to bless?”

Young Adults Retreat

Right now my life is all kinds of messy. I leave Brazil in just over a month and don’t really know what life is going to look like when I get back. God is definitely preparing the journey and opening some new doors and possibilities. Yet, I have no clear answer, no clear vision, no clear plan. Yes, options are great, way better than nothing but I just want to know. I’ve been in this place for almost four months now. And as we get closer God continues to walk with me. He is reminding me to trust Him and let Him lead. Don’t rush or be forced into anything. The journey is the destination. This season, this time of transition is part of my story, the story God is writing in my life.

I don’t have some big *life update* status to share on social media, my life isn’t neat and tidy. I’m struggling. I love Brazil. I love my community here. I love my students so much. I told them a week ago I won’t be at BIS next year and they were devastated, that did not help. But it provided another opportunity for me to teach them about trusting God, a concept we’ve talked a lot about this year. They want to  know what that means and what that looks like. I don’t know if I have the best answers, yet I trust the Holy Spirit’s promoting to share with them. Trusting means listening to God’s plan, trusting means doing what God wants us to even if it’s hard. I shared with them how when I came to Brazil it was hard and scary and unknown…and now I love Brazil. Another good reminder for me, no matter what is next I will always have these memories, these people, and these stories of God’s faithfulness in Brazil. I am overwhelmed by how faithful God has been. He has totally and completely taken care of me and all my needs, even needs I didn’t know I had.

So even though life is messy and I don’t have a good answer to “What are you going to do when you go back?” I trust God. I wait for His time and His plan. Yet, in the midst of it He calls me to share these messy bits. Life isn’t always wrapped up in a nice pretty Facebook worthy status update. Life is full of emotions, full of ups and downs, full of uncertainty. But my hope and trust remains firm in God. A daily reminder for myself.

Another teaching perk is whatever I’m struggling with I can make into our Bible Memory Verse and then it minsters to me, and helps my kiddos too. A recent verse was “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done,” (Philippians 4:6). And as any good Elementary School teacher, I found a song to go with it…so yup I sing it when I need the reminder.

This is where I am at now, praying about everything and trusting God’s plan and timing as He reveals it. I hope wherever you are in your journey with God you can find encouragement from my story. He wants to walk with you in every step, every season, and everywhere.

Love, Bethany

Enjoying Ipanema Beach

My Someday

Do you ever have those moments in life when you sit back and reflect on the past week, past month, or even past year? Lately I have, a lot. I was finishing “Love Lives Here” and the author Maria Goff was speaking about her adult children. She said “I love watching the changes most in my kids. They have clearly moved from the season of preparing for what might come their way to living their plans and dreams. Their “someday” has arrived and their contribution in the world is in real time now.” This resonated with me. My someday has arrived and I still can’t believe it. But when I think back on my life a year ago, two years or even five years ago. I was in a completely different place, in every sense. I have experienced so much life in the last five years, from my first teaching job, to living on my own, and even to moving to a new country. Though teaching internationally was always a dream of mine, I never really thought it was going to happen. I’m too fearful. I have great ideas, but don’t follow through. It’s too scary. There are too many unanswered questions. And this shows the powerful and loving work of Jesus in my life. He planted the seed in my heart long ago and through so many small steps of faith He showed up and equipped me to take the big jump. A friend and I were talking about how God does this sometime. He doesn’t just rush us to the finish line of what He wants next. Instead He gives us small steps. He knows what we can handle. He knows because He made us and our uniqueness.

Living and teaching in Brazil is a whirlwind kind of life and a ho-hum ordinary routine. When I landed in Brasilia over a year ago everything was new and different and unknown. And now…Now it’s just normal. It’s just my life. Yes, I  still have moments that are not normal. Like eating baby shark for lunch, or having cockroaches visit me at night, or playing tug-of-war with a jaguar. We all have adventures in our “normal” life.

The reason I’ve been reflecting so much is because at the beginning of November we had to make a decision about whether we would return to teach for the 2018-2019 school year or not. While all along it was my plan to teach for two years and then go back to Washington. I felt like I needed to give God some space to see what was next in His plan. Through lots of prayer and verbal processing with people. 😉 I am confident to say it is God’s plan for me to come back to Washington…because…

1-I am braver than I believe and stronger than I seem, and smarter than I think.

2-God has another amazing season of life prepared for me.

3-A passion for teaching God’s word to children.

These are some of the top reasons that God is revealing to me. I know I have shared about my independence before. Having the faith to obey and come where God called me is one thing. Thankfully God has walked alongside me, and  allowed me to thrive. This quote from A.A. Milne is one I’ve liked for years and this experience has given it more depth. I’ve found a strength here I didn’t know I had.

I’m excited for what God has next for me. Maybe it will be going to back to Liberty, maybe teaching at another school in Marysville, or maybe somewhere else. But these thoughts bring me excitement, not anxiety.

I love getting to teach Bible stories everyday. Not only does it keep me more accountable to be prepared to answer all their questions, it allows me to show them who God is and His love for them.

The flip-side of this decision means, I will be leaving the community and home I have created here. God has richly blessed me with some great people and some amazing students. I will miss them dearly! It in incredible to see how I have made some amazing connections with people and places here. I have my regular coffee shop, my favorite food truck, and people there even recognize me and know my order. This is kind of awesome. I’ve always wanted to be a regular. My prayer for this last semester is soak in the moments. I want to cherish the time with these people, with my students, with this family I have created. I can honestly say I’m glad it is hard to leave, and that even tear up when thinking about it, because it means this time was well spent. This is forever a part of my story, my someday. And I wouldn’t change that for a minute.

 

Dreams do come true!

Here is a big update on life for the last two months. Of course, with lots of pictures!

I am teaching 1st Grade again this year, which is great! I have 20 students, the largest class at the school. 12 boys and 8 girls. They are a sweet group of kids and I’m slowly learning their quirks and learning styles. I’m excited to see how much they will grow over the year. We had parent teacher conferences last week and they went well. It is nice to meet with parents face to face and help them understand what happens at school. Also, for a lot of these families this is their first or only child in school so they are all adjusting. Kindergarten to First Grade is a big jump.

At school we have welcomed nine new staff members. This is great to meet new people and see how our school is adding new positions to help support our students. I’m most excited about having an Elementary Principal! This is amazing. I feel like I have an advocate and a support. She is great. Already this year she has come into my class several times and is not short on praise for how I run my class. It is so nice to know I’m doing good and making progress in my profession. Sometimes I feel isolated in my own little bubble, I wonder if I’m doing alright so it is great to get feedback.

Things at school always seem so busy. We have 1 more week left of this quarter and I finally feel like I have found my rhythm and groove to get done all that is expected. This year we are switching how we are doing curriculum and lesson plans. It definitely requires more work, but I know going through this will help me improve and give me a deeper understanding for the learning process.

This week was also the week I got my letter of invitation to come back and teach next year. Now is the time where I have to really pray through this and see where God is leading me and making sure I keep His plan at the heart. Please pray with me.

Spirit Day–Green Team

White/Gray Team…

Blue Team

In other news I have moved. It was time for a change and some of my good friends had an open room in their apartment. I now live across the highway with two other girls, Kate and Jessica. It makes things easier living with them and being able to grow closer as we live life intentionally. It took a little time to get my room fully settled, but it is done now.

Me, Jess, and Kate.

Okay, one last thing. Yesterday I got to go on a fun adventure with a group of staff members. We went to Chapada Imperial. It is a guided hike that includes 30+ “waterfalls”. I put it in quotes because waterfalls was a very loose term. Some were huge and magnificent while others were like, hmm…that counts? We got to go swimming in four different falls. Then at the end of the hike, which the end of the hike was the hardest, all straight up on loose rocks. Baaaah! But after we got back to the lodge they have parrots around and you can hold them. Well I was trying very hard to get a big beautiful macaw to climb on my arm and it was not cooperating. I finally settled and held this cute little green guy who even kissed my cheek. But then as we were leaving there was the macaw on some other guys shoulder so as he went to put him down I asked can I hold him…and I did!!! It was so thrilling. Dreams do come true! And then the rest of our group proceeded to hold the macaw too!

Until next time. Thanks for your support, thoughts and prayers.

Love, Bethany

I’m back!

After six incredible weeks in the great state of Washington, I’m back to life in Brazil. I just have to say, this summer was amazing and I definitely noticed a common theme…water and nature! SHOCKER! Okay, well no not really. But it interesting to see how my soul longs to be by water, surrounded by nature, and ultimately soaking in God’s glory through Creation.

Doe Bay, Orcas Island

I landed in Brasilia Wednesday morning, just in time to start in-service training with the staff. It was a busy three days at school between meetings, organizing my classroom, and of course making it look cute! 🙂

Bulletin Boards are FUN!

Prepping to come back to Brazil this year people kept saying, I’m so proud of you for following God’s call…and I was struggling with this. I was like, that was last year, this year I was like I’m going because I made a two year commitment. But that is a lie. God called me to go for both years. Maybe this year doesn’t feel as exciting or nerve-wreacking as last, but it does matter. This year of teaching is just as important as last year’s. This is the group of kids God wants me to serve this year. This year is part of His plan. Yes, I have more answers and less questions this year, but I have no idea what challenges and growth opportunities God has prepared for me. I will admit it is nice coming back year two and knowing so much about my school, city, and culture here. It makes the transition back easier, for sure.

All this to say I am excited for this year. I’m excited to get to know my 20 kiddos and help them learn and grow this year, spiritually and academically. I’m excited for our new staff and building relationships with them. I’m excited for what God has for me this year.

Tomorrow (August 9th) is our official first day of school! So anticipate another post soon with the kiddos! 🙂

Fear is a Liar

Extra Recess!!

Part of me is sitting here going, Come on Bethany there are only a few days left of school and only a few days left in Brazil. You need to write some reflection blog about the year and all that stuff. The other part is But I’m tired. Don’t you know how exhausting the end of the school year is? And come on I just want to pack because I’m so excited to go home and enjoy summer!

Well…with the ongoing tension, here goes nothing.

Man, it’s only been a year. The experiences and growth I’ve made this year feel like far more then just one year. I’ve seen myself grown into an independent woman (well, at least more then before).

I am traveling by myself.–I think about just this one phrase. A year ago this time I was having stress dreams about getting lost at the airport, missing my flight, not knowing where to go, or something else ridiculous. And know I’m like, let’s go. **Please don’t hate me for this** But it’s like the line from the song Let it go “The fears that once controlled me can’t get to me at all”. WOW! How amazing is that! And this is just one way I have grown in my independence.

I’m comfortable just being by myself. I’m still a hardcore extrovert, but I’m finding the joy in being alone. It’s okay to not have a plan. Sometimes it’s better for me to not. It allows me to spend more time journaling, or reading my Bible or just doing whatever I want without the limits of a schedule. Maybe living by myself one day would be actually good for me and not terrifying.

I’m trusting God more. He’s showing me how even in the stress, and drama of life He is sovereign. It sounds so simple, yet the complexity behind it is where the weight comes in. I feel like in so many of the books, articles, and videos I’ve watched recently they just add in at the end…Trust God. And I’m like WHAAATT?!?! You can’t just throw that in like an after thought, that requires work and commitment. For me that is a daily choice, a daily surrender of control, and  a daily prayer. God, I trust your plans for my life.

Then I think about my kiddos, my mission field. Where are they in their spiritual journeys? Are the seeds being planted? Do the understand the unconditional love of Christ? I can’t fully know the answer to these questions. But what I do have as concrete evidence is…Today they were writing in their First Grade Memory Book and they had to finish the sentence “My favorite thing about my teacher is…” Some wrote, she gives us free choice, others wrote she is kind, but the ones I love the most…She teaches me about Jesus. That was like my [mic drop] moment. Okay, my work here is done. Without any prompting they chose to write that! Thank you God for using me to share with these little children of yours. All along I’ve been saying these are the kids God has picked for me and I don’t doubt that for a second. It was a gift to be their teacher.

I am sad the year is ending and that my first grade family will be moving on to second grade and some have already moved back to their home countries. Yet, I cherish all our moments together and how they have taught me along the way.

However like all teachers I am ready for the break! I leave in 7 days 22 hours 9 minutes and 32 seconds. Eeeeekk! I’m looking forward to an amazing summer and soaking in all I can in my 6 weeks home. Then on August 1st I will fly back to Brasilia, Brazil to begin my second year of teaching at Brasilia International School.

I hope to blog at least once over the break, but  I can’t promise that. Let’s be honest…my nephews are a little bit distracting. 🙂

And because…everyone loves pictures! 🙂

6K Run for Water (World Vision)

Celebrating the end of Accreditation Week.

Playing in the Waterfall

International Fair-Mexico

A surprise visit with one of my students who is moving.

Super Hero Day for Spirit Week

Graduation! [Love the bowtie]

Field Day!

 

Thanks so much for reading! It’s nice to know I have people supporting me in my journey! Love, Bethany

He Will Obey

All this week we are learning about the life of Jesus and the big events in the last week of Jesus’ life. It has been a really great week and I have enjoyed getting to share so much about it with my students. Each morning I read directly from the Bible what happened and then paraphrase it so they understand. And they are really getting it. Then later in the day there is a special speaker who talks about the event again. Double dipping, right? It’s so good!

I know that most of them have heard the story or at least parts of it, but even so they are so hungry for more and so eager to learn and ask questions.

Today for our Journal Time I had them write about the story and what we have learned so far (Palm Sunday, Last Supper, Garden of Gethsemane, Arrest, Trial, and the Cruxifixction) and as I was reading them over tonight, my heart’s bursting. They get it! They remember. I wish I could write all their entries and how they describe what happened. Their fresh view and perspective is encouraging my faith and allowing me to dive deeper into the Easter story.

I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to share about the most important story ever told. For them to get a deeper understanding. Yes, Jesus died on the cross because He loves us, but it was also not easy for Jesus. He cried, he hurt, he grieved and yet ultimately He surrendered to the will of His father. As one student put it “He don’t want to die on the cross but that is God’s plan so he will obey God.”

Here are some of the their pictures they drew

1-Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey.

2-Jesus getting arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.

3-The guards “teasing” Jesus on the cross.

4-The big storm and earthquake after Jesus died.

 

My prayer all week has been for seeds to be planted, and planted deep. Let them take root, let them impact them and stay with them for years to come. They are so young and in such transformative years I want them to understand. I want them to know how much Jesus loves them and how much He sacrificed for them and how His love is unconditional.

Tomorrow we wil talk about the resurrection, the great hope and witness that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Pray with me that the seeds are planted deeply into their hearts and they will continue to seek truth.

This is my mission field these 16 first graders. I want to maximize this opportunity.

Let me finish with this expert from one of my students who I know comes from a non-Christian home. He is one I pray for so much.

“Then the guards came and arrest Jesus and then we went somewhere and the guards hit him with a whip and they got the hammer and they put the nails in Jesus’ hands and they spit on Jesus and then they put Jesus on the cross and the guards were teasing Jesus they said this if you are really the Son of God then why don’t you save yourself but Jesus didn’t save himself he still stay on the cross and Jesus took our sins” (I know we are still working on punctuation.)

He gets it! He understands! Now the question is does he have a relationship with Jesus? As I’ve told them it’s great to know about Jesus and what He did, but we have to accept what he did, ask for forgiveness, admit we mess up and we need Him.

Pray with me for these little ones to understand what Jesus did and also too begin a relationship with Him.

Love, Bethany