The blessing of a shelter

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91:1

So, I am not completely fully teaching or writing any lesson plans, and am not planning a wedding or applying for jobs. . .so, as for today I am pretty free in the evening. And am enjoying it while its here. :-)

But since I do have time, I wanted to share with you friends some pictures of the little shelter God has provided. This is the place I come to after a long day from school. This is the place I believe God had for Becky and me to rest in the shadow of His wings, in His arms, and be edified to go teach, love, pray for His children in our classrooms the next day.
 

Our front door and kitchen

Our homey living room with our awesome big windows and lamps (windows have cold air that comes in, but it is not too bad).

The view from our window during the day.

The view from our window during the night.

Doors to our beds!

And then we pull our beds down!

Picture of Becky is to come! But, yes this is our little, tiny home for now. Thank you Jesus for a roof, walls, beds, heaters. Chicago ranks fifth in the nation for segregation of poor families (www.chicagohomeless.org). Some are homeless. There are organizations that are reaching out to them (my friend Evonne is doing her internship in one of these here in Chicago). So, it is a blessing to have a little home here in Chicago. It is a blessing to have an opportunity for an education. I do not deserve it. . .but God grants it. He is soooo good.

Wearing Spiritual lenses

In the book "When Helping Hurts," it is mentioned that when you come to a place where poverty resides (or place in general I think), be open to see how God is working, how you will see Him, and join Him . . . not how you will change it, how you will bring God to them.

Last week, while being with my first graders. I was sitting on the back, and then I overheard an african-american, beautiful girl claiming to three of her classmates, "Well, Jesus is real aaand He is God." I believe that is one of the deepest things a child can say in a first grade classroom in a school where 75% of the children are below poverty line. She proclaimed the gospel - that Jesus is God and alive! I saw the Holy Spirit speaking through her, and since then, that day, I prayed for Jesus to walk in that room and bless and touch those children like He did in Mark 10.

Today, I met with the special education teacher (who will be my cooperative teacher for the following six weeks). She is so passionate and devoted to her job and the children. I have children with Learning disabilities and autism, which makes me very excited! Today being my first day with the groups of students with special needs, I already got to work with some students. As I continue this week, I desire to see these children with His eyes, seeing how God is working in their lives and join Him through prayer, encouragement, love, and teaching.

I challenge ya'll to join me in this journey requiring His grace to see Jesus in our every day, every situation, and every group of people we encounter.

First student-teaching day in the Windy City

"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." 

Proverbs 16:9

Yesterday, my roommate (Becky Marras) and I went to look at the apartment we will be living in, signed a contract, and paid first rent. But, on our way there, we got lost. Good thing we were together. It created great bonding time.

But then, on the same day, another student teacher and I decided to find out how to get to our school using public transportation since we both are placed in the same school. Time: 56 minutes, give and take. On our way back, however, Chelsi (my traveling buddy to the school) got off earlier. She left me her cellphone and we both trusted that I would get off the right track. It was not the case, unfortunately. I got off three blocks after, and then I walked around in circles pretending to know where I am going. Walking with "confidence," not looking lost. Finally, I gave up my pride and called Chelsi, got directions to hotel, and eventually got to my destination.

that is down the street of our bus stop to go to school.

While walking when I was lost, my good Lord gave me joy and peace. He reassured that He is leading. He is taking care. He DESIRES, LONGS to take control, to establish my steps. In chaotic times such as this beginning week, I make a plan, but He has a better one.


For instance, today was my first day at Jamieson Elementary School (my placement for student teaching). I will be doing four weeks working with the special education teacher, and the other last four weeks I will be in a first grade classroom. Today, I was going to meet with my special ed. teacher, but . . .she did not show up. And she won't tomorrow either. So, plans were changed, and went with my first grade classroom. I am going to try to paint it as good as I can for you:


My teacher is South Korean (I love that fact!). She made everything comfortable for me, and gave me tasks to interact with the kids. And she also kind of needs the help since we kind of have 32 students ranging from different countries and speaking different languages in our first grade classroom. Some speak Arabic, others Spanish,  and English of course (city-hard-to-understand-because-you-speak-too-fast English). In other first grade classrooms, there are Indians (yay!), Asians, African American. I loved walking around the classroom and looking at the different colors! It is beautiful! The kids would come to me asking me to sharpen their pencil, and asking if I know about Selena Gomez. . ."her last name is like yours Ms. Gomez!!!" They are a rowdy bunch, and although I loved seeing the diversity, I was SO overwhelmed leaving the school thinking that I will have to teach all 32 six to seven year old boys and girls! I cannot just yell to get their attention. How can I teach in a way they understand with only 5 hours of class (classes begin at 9 and end at 2:40)? How can I meet all their needs?

But, once again, after a meeting with all the student teachers, then dinner with all chicago semester people, and then a Wallgreens run, I laid on my bed exhausted and overwhelmed. Once again, God reminded me that He "establishes my steps." There is nothing He sends my way that I am not ready for. I am in His hands!


So, student teaching in an urban setting and learning city living. . . I am SO EXCITED! So overwhelmed! So filled by His Spirit. It is EXCITING! So thankful by it!


Tomorrow I go to the first graders (I love their smiley faces already!), move into my apartment (I love my roommie and apartment), and enjoy the city lights.

Rachel - my inspiration

Tomorrow Sunday I board on the bus to Chicago, and get ready for a heavy orientation starting Monday to begin the uncomfortable, yet needed student teaching phase on Thursday. :)

I thank God for taking all anxiety away; after all, he does promise to do that when you surrender it to Him. One of the ways He has given me peace has been by reminding me of His faithfulness to one of the girls I got really close to in India at Sarah's home to encourage me - her blog name is Rachel. Let me tell you a little about her:

Rachel is one of the eleven girls in the apartment for the school girls (which is where I got to stay with). She gave as many kisses as I had ever received in two weeks. She is too cunning and smart for her own good, and her smile is oh so contagious. Although she challenged my patience a couple time, she stole my heart. I am sure she would steal your heart if you met her and would see her smile (pictures don't quite capture it). She, my friends, is a testimony of God's power through weaknesses.

Rachel has neurofibromatosis-1. This is how Sarah explains it in the blog (Sarah's Covenant Home -Rachel):

It affects people in different ways--some have tumors throughout their body, and others like Rachel have what's called pseudoarthrosis of the tibia. Pseudoarthrosis means "fake joint"--it's when the affected bone breaks and will not heal, creating a kind of joint where one shouldn't be. Rachel's tibia broke when she was an infant, and she was placed in an orphanage either before or after the fracture. Throughout her first seven years, she underwent 5-7 surgical attempts to fix her broken tibia in a government-run hospital.

these are her legs; her right leg is shorter than the other.

When she came to the home in 2009, Sarah took her to different surgeons and doctors to see her leg and find a solution that would allow her to be like any other nine year old: dance, run, walk. All doctors recommended an amputation, which would require another surgery. But after lots of prayer and more doctor visits, an "orthotic-prosthetic" that would "encompass the residual limb," have a foot for walking below that, was proposed. This would allow Rachel's weight to be borne by the area just above her knee. Rachel was excited at the idea of not having another surgery, and being able to walk soon!

She eventually got the prosthetic leg, and is now walking everywhere, going up and down the stairs in the apartment, going down slides. Her leg is no longer in the way for her to fully live the life God wants her to live. She is joyfully being a child of God. And I had the privilege to see this in action, and even better to love, hug, kiss her; and likewise by her.

 This is how this connects to me currently. God has been putting in my heart over and over again this week 2 Corinthians 12:10:

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Coming into this adventure in Chicago, I want to walk, run, go up stairs and hills by the strength of the Holy Spirit ONLY. Rachel never gave up, and still doesn't. Her leg is not in the way of what God intends her to do. God has provided a prosthetic leg. . .He has made Rachel strong in her weakness. Likewise, God will faithfully make me strong in my many weaknesses. Wow that is amazing!!! Because of this truth, I am ready to start Chicago and student teaching. Bring it on! :)

Almost there. . .

Thankfully I am completely well in every aspect. I went for a walk today and all the songs I listened to while walking had to do with how much God loves His children. . .how His love is strong, extravagant, undeserving, passionate! I didn't even plan that. . .it was all God!


I have been staying at Alex Pasker's house, and have been so blessed by it.

This is Alex at the back of her house somewhere. :)

Now Alex is gone to college, and I have less than a week to go to Chicago. So, I am here with her family who has so kindly adopted me. It has been relaxing and is giving me a lot of time to pray for the upcoming adventure in Chicago and for other things. However, I do miss my kids at the Home, wonderful friends at college, and my loving family a lot already; but being reminded that it is all about God and His love. . . my homesickness becomes so little, and His presence takes place in my heart to the full. He fills me with joy and satisfaction in Him.

So, no, I have not started student teaching yet. But it is coming up. God is giving me a time of preparation before it.

Did Jesus have lice?

"though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Picture this, Jesus was with his Abba. There is not better place to be but by His side, at His presence. And yet, Jesus stills decided to come to earth knowing He will be hungry, thirsty, have no place to lie his head, will be rejected by His people. . .still, He decided to come! Now that is love. . .passionate love.

On Sunday morning, new years, I was struggling. Life in America is so comfortable, and I was feeling out of place. The orphans whom I love, who are sick and have lice, who have been rejected by their own families and society, yet, they are joyful and happy. I miss. God gave me the health while being there to invest all I physically could on these children, and I thank Him for that.

Coming back to US, I am in their shoes, but they are not with me. I had fever while flying, currently have a soar throat with a running nose, have a soar on my arm and one on my ear lobe that seem to be infected, and this is the most humbling one. . .I have lice! On January 1, I felt like an outcast. "If I were with my kids, it would be better," I kept thinking.

But honestly, my friends, it was my pride getting in the way. Entering a home with my physical situation required humility from my part. Once again, I look at Jesus to see His example. Whether Jesus had lice or not, He was obedient to God and came to earth and die for my and your sins. And God gave Him power to overcome death and exalted Him. Already this year, I am not satisfy with where God has me and am pretending to lead the Holy Spirit instead of letting Him lead completely.

So, take two: I am sick. I have lice. I am prideful. Yet, God has adopted me to His family, God has saved me, and blesses me. I want to follow HIS lead and learn from Him and through the situations He places me in. I think that has become a new year resolution. . .except, I know it will take more than just this year to accomplish to His eyes.

Here I go. . with His grace alone.