[month four]

I feel like I just wrote my "month three" post... It's hard to believe it's time for another one already!

This morning I was able to catch up on a lot of the correspondence that has fallen to the wayside over the past few weeks. It was so refreshing to block off a chunk of time and be able to write real emails to folks and catch them up a bit on life here. I love getting mail and I do try to be responsible and reply to it all. In addition to catching up on emails, I also dropped off my absentee ballot, went for a run and painted half of my fingernails. What more could you want from a day off?

...Besides getting caught up on laundry. My room looks like the laundry monster threw up all over it. (In my defense, I am currently sharing one washer/dryer with 13 other people!) But today, today is also the day it all gets washed, and, if I'm feeling ambitious, perhaps even folded and put away.

Running and training for the Half-Marathon is going well. Some days are really hard, but I am making progress and I count every long-run completed as a total miracle! I'm in my 14th week of training, with only 5 weeks until the race. If you would like to sponsor my run (which is to benefit the Kelley's adoption) click here to read more! My goal is to raise $500, and as of today, almost $300 has already been pledged!

Term 6 ended on Saturday and we have three weeks before the next term starts (although two of those weeks I'll be busy with mini-course). This term was different from others because the majority of my time was spent tutoring rather than in a classroom setting. It was a nice change of pace and I love having that opportunity to get to know students on an individual basis.

[Some snapshots from the first week of mini-course]

I finished my first "pleasure read" since I arrive in Thailand... The Hobbit. Wan, one of the girls I tutor, wanted to practice reading, so I picked the book! While we didn't get through it all during our time, I did finish it on my own. The last time I read it was when I was in middle school, so it was like reading it for the first time. I'm looking forward to the first movie installment coming out this December!

So, there's a little update on Liz. Overall, I'm very happy here! God is teaching me so much about myself, ministry and what it means to love others. I love having Laura and Claire with me as well... it has been wonderful to be able to process and grow with them. While I can't believe we're 1/3 through our first year here, I am so grateful for all that God has done and is doing. Please keep us in your prayers, and thank you so much for your continued support and partnership!

[Some of our Thai, American & Australian friends at the BSC... after one of the Friday Night Programs]

mini-course.

God is so good. I love saying that. I love saying it even more after He shows me His goodness in a new way. Mini-course has been one of these things hanging over my head since I found out about it... What is it? No one could give me a clear answer. "Hundreds of kids," they said. "Chaotic, unruly," they continued. "No structure, good luck!" they finished up. "They" freaked me out a little! Today was my first day and granted, it had moments of crazy, and there were hundreds of kids, but I am grateful that all of those things are within the control of my God.

In the weeks leading up to mini-course, I was a bit at a loss... after all, how does one prepare for something so seemingly foreign? God convicted me to really pray about it. To pray over what specifically I would teach, even down to the games we would play. So, not expecting too much, I did. And He really shined. Of course I was nervous, after all I haven't been trained, I don't speak Thai, there are so many reasons I'm not really qualified to do this... But Jesus was a teacher. And He loved kids. And He knew exactly what needed to happen today, and He did it.

There have been so many of these little faith moments since I have been here. Times when I am forced to hold out my hands to my Father and say, "If you don't give me ___, I have nothing." Francis Chan has a great quote in Crazy Love that keeps coming back to my heart:

"God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through." 

It is sooo hard to willingly (or unwillingly) be put in situations where my only option is reliance on the provision and wisdom of God. When I'm just not clever enough, or creative enough, or talented enough, or fill-in-the-blank enough on my own... and the only one who is is Christ. Despite it being difficult and feeling a little uncomfortable, (you try being completely powerless over something, and see if it's not unnerving!) I think it's a good place to be.

Laura and I had a really good conversation a few weeks ago about how we can grow in our faith. How can we become more strong and bold and courageous in our faith- both practically and in prayer? I think the way this happens is through little faith steps. Moments when we let go of the assurance that our talents and giftings give us, and let God show up instead. Yes, of course He gives us skills to use and glorify Him with... but they are just a tool, it is still Christ who is to be fully relied upon.

Thailand is helping me realize more and more that I am not capable and not able; I am not good or loving or talented. But He is. Every day I am reminded that I am not great, but my prayer is that this realization will cause my view of God to be greater. Me being "stronger in my faith", means rooting out those areas where I rely on self, so that Christ can be Lord there instead. It's not really becoming stronger at all, it's identifying and recognizing more areas of weakness- which will then breed a greater dependency on God. Maybe that is why Paul could write:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. -2 Cor. 12:9-10

Thank you, to all who have been praying for mini-course. And for those of you who haven't, no fear, this is week one of three, so there's still plenty of time!!