A passage that has grown to be one of my favorites over the last few months is Isaiah 42:1-9. The title of this passage (in NLT) is "The Lord's Chosen Servant". I love the preceding passages, as they share how we are CHOSEN by God. This passage dives in further to display the characteristics of the Lord's CHOSEN servant.
It reads (v1-4): "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope. "
Today, I was at an incredible church worshipping the Lord! The entire service was in Spanish, and as you very well know I do not speak any Spanish! Thankfully, another teacher at Pinares, was willing to write down a simple translation, so I could follow along. The sermon was good; however, while waiting for her translations, the Lord brought me to this passage that I have taken to heart. As I was reading, I was especially struck by verse 2: "He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets." With language being my biggest obstacle in Honduras, I feel bound in my inability to speak Spanish, as I cannot share my excitement for Jesus with others. It is often very frustrating, but today God reminded me that His chosen servant does not raise his voice. The servant of the Lord lives humbly and displays the love of Christ with his very life. I may not speak Spanish (yet!), but God can still use my life as a testimony for Him. How much more powerful would it be to live out the Love of Christ through EVERYTHING we do! Back in the States, it was "easy" to share Christ because I could use words to explain His impact in my life. I desperately want the children of Honduras to know Him! However, God is teaching me daily to leave this piece to Him. He knows I can't communicate via words, but He is still shining in every smile, hug or "Buenos Dias" I may give. May my life RADIATE the very presence of God.
vs 6-8: "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."
God has called all of us and will guide us as we spread the Gospel to a world in need! What a privilege and honor to be used so He might open eyes of the blind and free the captives! Wherever you are, remember that God wants to use and will use your very lifestyle to spread His love to the nations!
St. Francis of Assisi said it well, "Preach the gospel to the nations. If necessary, use words!" May our very lives be that of Christ in us and may we live out his love with everything we do!
Praying for strength and boldness in all of us, as we live out this high calling! :)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
First Week of School!
It is hard to believe that the first week of school has finished! It has been filled with many ups and downs. I have 19 little Honduran students, who LOVE to talk! During our new teacher orientation, my elementary principal did warn us that Honduras is a very relational and social culture; therefore, the students love to talk! If talking is the worst of my worries, I think we will survive! :)
The academic side of things has been keeping me at school very late! I hope the lesson planning gets easier! It has been great getting to know my students' personalities this week. They are all so different and it has been neat watching them come out of their shells! One student brought me cookies this week with a little note that said, "I love you, Miss Matthews." Receiving that little note and the hugs and kisses I get each day make teaching in Honduras completely worth it! My students can be a tough bunch, but I am growing to love them deeply!
Wednesday was a rough day this week. I was feeling very discouraged in my teaching and very overwhelmed with life in general. I came into school on Thursday at 5:45am, like I always do, and felt the need to pray! I prayed that God would give me a love for these students and that He would give me eyes to see my purpose here as a 3rd grade teacher. Later that morning, a student asked, "Miss Matthews, is heaven real?" Our entire class dove into a great conversation about God and Heaven. It was such a blessing to speak openly about God and share my excitement with the students. God gave me that moment to help me refocus and remember my purpose in serving here!
Today was a half day, as the school had Open House for Pre-K-12. I had the opportunity to meet most of my parents and all of them were absolutely wonderful! Two of my parents did not speak much English, which made things difficult, but even then I was welcomed with open arms. Several mothers mentioned, "If you need ANYTHING, give us a call and we will be right there!" What a blessing to be in this community!
I hope all is well! Thank you for your prayers! They truly are a blessing:)
Lauren, Gabrielle and I on the 1st day of school!
The academic side of things has been keeping me at school very late! I hope the lesson planning gets easier! It has been great getting to know my students' personalities this week. They are all so different and it has been neat watching them come out of their shells! One student brought me cookies this week with a little note that said, "I love you, Miss Matthews." Receiving that little note and the hugs and kisses I get each day make teaching in Honduras completely worth it! My students can be a tough bunch, but I am growing to love them deeply!
Wednesday was a rough day this week. I was feeling very discouraged in my teaching and very overwhelmed with life in general. I came into school on Thursday at 5:45am, like I always do, and felt the need to pray! I prayed that God would give me a love for these students and that He would give me eyes to see my purpose here as a 3rd grade teacher. Later that morning, a student asked, "Miss Matthews, is heaven real?" Our entire class dove into a great conversation about God and Heaven. It was such a blessing to speak openly about God and share my excitement with the students. God gave me that moment to help me refocus and remember my purpose in serving here!
Today was a half day, as the school had Open House for Pre-K-12. I had the opportunity to meet most of my parents and all of them were absolutely wonderful! Two of my parents did not speak much English, which made things difficult, but even then I was welcomed with open arms. Several mothers mentioned, "If you need ANYTHING, give us a call and we will be right there!" What a blessing to be in this community!
I hope all is well! Thank you for your prayers! They truly are a blessing:)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Never Once
I recently discovered a song entitled "Never Once" by Matt Redman. The first verse is as follows: "Standing on this mountaintop/ Looking just how far we've come/ Knowing that for every step/ You were here with us/ Kneeling on this battleground/ Seeing just how much You've done/ Knowing every victory is Your power in us/ Scars and struggles on the way/ But with joy our hearts can say/ Never once did we ever walk alone/ Never once did you leave us on our own/ You are faithful/ God, You are faithful..."
My heart is just bursting with gratitude as I have seen the Lord's faithfulness! Many of you know, this past year has been a very interesting and difficult one! There were many times when I had wanted to escape the difficult trial. However, as I was reflecting today, I would not be here in Honduras had I not walked through this past year. While none of us want to repeat the difficult times in our lives, I have seen the Lord's faithfulness and the depth of His love in a way I would not have seen otherwise. As the song states, "Never once did we ever walk alone!" Even when he feels far, He is there and wants to speak to our souls. Only our God can do this!
As I look around me here in Honduras, I am simply blessed. I know I keep saying that, but it is true! A friend challenged me before I left by stating Esther 4:14, "What if you were brought to your royal position for such a time as this?" What if we were created for such a time as this!? God knew all along that I was to come to Honduras this year, and I am still amazed that He can use me here! What if He created me for this year in Honduras? What if He created you for your specific ministries this year? It adds a level of excitement and honor, doesn't it?
Here is my mission field: Tegucigalpa, Honduras!
My heart is just bursting with gratitude as I have seen the Lord's faithfulness! Many of you know, this past year has been a very interesting and difficult one! There were many times when I had wanted to escape the difficult trial. However, as I was reflecting today, I would not be here in Honduras had I not walked through this past year. While none of us want to repeat the difficult times in our lives, I have seen the Lord's faithfulness and the depth of His love in a way I would not have seen otherwise. As the song states, "Never once did we ever walk alone!" Even when he feels far, He is there and wants to speak to our souls. Only our God can do this!
As I look around me here in Honduras, I am simply blessed. I know I keep saying that, but it is true! A friend challenged me before I left by stating Esther 4:14, "What if you were brought to your royal position for such a time as this?" What if we were created for such a time as this!? God knew all along that I was to come to Honduras this year, and I am still amazed that He can use me here! What if He created me for this year in Honduras? What if He created you for your specific ministries this year? It adds a level of excitement and honor, doesn't it?
Here is my mission field: Tegucigalpa, Honduras!
I am still amazed at how beautiful this country truly is! I live up in El Hatillo, which is a suburb of the capital located up on a mountain! Driving to the market, we overlook this incredible city!
This is the front gate of the school, where I work!
These are some of the awesome people I will be working with! There are a few other new teachers who didn't make it into the picture! :)
These beautiful girls are my roommates! Kerry (been at ALP for 5 years), Lauren, Gabrielle and I (new teachers at ALP)!
I hope you are all well! Love and Prayers from Honduras! :)
Friday, August 5, 2011
I'm "Home"!
I arrived safely in Teguicigalpa yesterday! It still feels so surreal that I am finally here in Honduras after so much planning and praying! For those of you wondering, my bags went through with no trouble at all! God is good! Thanks for your prayers:)
Ever since I left my house, I have seen the Lord's hand of provision and blessing! My bags went through with no trouble and no extra cost, HUGE BLESSING! My flight from New York to Miami got cancelled, but God orchestrated even that detail. Without a problem, they put me on a flight to Atlanta and then down to Honduras. 10 other teachers were on that flight too, which was another blessing! 2 of my 3 roommates are here and they are absolutely wonderful!
God has been continuously showing me how he has led me to this place. It is amazing to see everything falling into place simply because I stepped out in faith. As I descended into the Tegucigalpa airport, it really struck me that I am "home". It was almost as if the Lord was saying, "Welcome to your mission field and welcome home." It still sounds funny calling this place "home", but God has given me joy and a passion for serving the Hondurans! I am excited to see what lies ahead!
I hope all of you are doing well in your "homes"! May He give you joy and strength to serve where you are too! :)
Ever since I left my house, I have seen the Lord's hand of provision and blessing! My bags went through with no trouble and no extra cost, HUGE BLESSING! My flight from New York to Miami got cancelled, but God orchestrated even that detail. Without a problem, they put me on a flight to Atlanta and then down to Honduras. 10 other teachers were on that flight too, which was another blessing! 2 of my 3 roommates are here and they are absolutely wonderful!
God has been continuously showing me how he has led me to this place. It is amazing to see everything falling into place simply because I stepped out in faith. As I descended into the Tegucigalpa airport, it really struck me that I am "home". It was almost as if the Lord was saying, "Welcome to your mission field and welcome home." It still sounds funny calling this place "home", but God has given me joy and a passion for serving the Hondurans! I am excited to see what lies ahead!
I hope all of you are doing well in your "homes"! May He give you joy and strength to serve where you are too! :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)