26 May 2010

may musings

Dear God,

Why is it still cold outside? You know I have a very hard time keeping warm on my own... I need some help! Will you please bring out the sun, warm up the earth and let me sweat a little? I really do miss it. Honest. I like my jacket, but currently prefer not to wear it. It's almost June. Please, can you make it feel like June?

There really are a lot of other things I'm thankful for - my girls I do Bible study with, home group, English Club... all those are going great! I got to see friends, travel a little and we have a busy summer coming up. Its all very exciting. Can we have sun to match our smiling faces? We even had a picnic in the rain because we wanted to go outside so badly.

Thanks,
me
picnic in the rain... sat on and under tarps. ... and our shoes sat under an umbrella.

05 May 2010

the blessing of children

A few months ago, I received an email from the first-grade Sunday School teacher at my home church in NC. She had been teaching the kids about Lottie Moon and the Christmas offering. Its an offering that goes directly to overseas missions. They wanted to talk to someone in the field and contacted me.
I told them a little of what I do (with photography and English clubs, etc) and they did an amazing job teaching the kids. They pulled up a map of where I am, showed them photos of my family and of me in the church directory, and pictures of what I do here. They prayed for me, and often do. One girl asked her father to take her to meet my parents...now to the first-grade class, they're "Kaylin's parents" instead of "Mr. and Mrs. B..."

All this touched my heart when I received the email telling me how things had gone.

However, I didn't know there was more in store...
Tonight, I received a little extra blessing that I did not know was coming. I went to the mail box after a long day out and received a number of cards from the kids! I opened them one by one and just had to cry because they are so sweet. I love the pictures and what the kids said, so I had to share them with you.

Plus, who doesn't love getting hand made cards on brightly colored paper?
I can't wait to get home this Fall and hug each and every one of those kids. I know they probably have no idea how much something like this means to someone so far from home, but it means the world.

Their hearts are pure, their love genuine, and tonight, I feel the arms of my Lord around me through the words and pictures from these kids.