School is in full swing. I have finally gotten in a rhythm as far as my schedule and preparation for classes go. It’s really been an amazing year. I kind of dreaded coming back this year, actually. There were going to be so many changes, so many new staff members, so many new things I had to learn. This has been the best start to a school year I have had since I moved here. God is so fully and evidently working in what we are doing here, I am constantly catching myself not being stressed out. Toward the end of the school year last year, it seemed like I was too stressed out to even think about anyone beside myself. All summer I felt like a zombie, I didn’t know what God was going to do with me. I had basically already made plans for this to be my last year in Budapest. Oh me of little faith! What a terrible place to be!
I had this thought just a minute ago that since moving here in 2013, I have really turned my attention outward. It seems like without fully realizing it, I am purposely doing more and more for other people. What joy I find in doing this! I just finished baking cookies for my students to have at a Bible study after school tomorrow. I had the biggest smile on my face as I made them. I just prepared for my Bible classes next week and was totally blown away by the messages God was giving me- I give grace as an outward expression of the inward grace I have received from God. Holy cow, I am going to teach on something next week that I am just realizing has actually been happening in my own life for years! Incredible.
The new staff members are amazing team members, so encouraging. The changes in the school have consistently provided new and more expedient ways to do things, ultimately creating more time for me to minister to my students which is my whole mission!
Pastor Schaller, my Pastor, was here in Budapest for ten days. Last night at church he spoke about families. We are in God’s family and we have brothers and sisters in Him. We have a name and we have a place. God has given us so much. I feel so free. It is such a privilege to be a part of His family and to be able to fellowship in grace.
I was speaking to my friend, Tim (if you remember, he and his wife are adopting a baby), and expressing how free I am feeling this year. I wholeheartedly believe this will be the best year in GGIS history.
Thank you so much for praying for me and supporting me here. Your prayers are definitely felt (but still needed!) The Korean church has been great, we are currently planning some events with the teens on Saturdays. The Bible study at school on Fridays has been incredible, we are averaging 20+ kids a week who stay after a long week to hear a message and have fun.
Please continue to pray for all of the things I mentioned above. I want to see the entire high school coming to Bible study on Friday nights. I want to see the Korean youth group grow exponentially. I believe God can do it and that He will do it. Please continue to pray for my friends Tim and Myriah and their ongoing adoption, it looks like the search for a child will soon be coming to an end.
Most of all, pray for people who don’t know Christ to come to the knowledge of Him. This is a crazy time in our history and there are so many things that can stress us out and weigh us down. God has such an amazing plan for the lives of my students, their families, the staff here, and for you. Don’t forget it!
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Sunday, September 4, 2016
September 2016
Hello everyone! I have been back in Budapest for about three weeks after a great summer in America. It was so good to see all of you, to spend time with my family and friends, and to be able to go to the conference in Baltimore.
I was kind of nervous to return and start a new school year. There have been some big changes, including a new principal, new classes for me to teach, and also new responsibilities. So far everything has gone great! I was really praying this summer for peace, and ease in the transition, and God has worked mightily in it. It’s so funny when you expect one thing to happen and God does something so much greater.
On Sundays, I have been working with the Korean Church of Budapest’s teen ministry. I had visited them before and spoken a couple times, but just before the summer they had asked me to be their full-time youth leader. It is really amazing. I love the Korean kids I have gotten to know in GGIS, and then by extension their families, so now to be able to minister to other Korean teens regularly… Wow, what a blessing. This weekend the church had its end of the summer conference so we will be having a full special service today with the youth group, we will have music, prayer, a message, and then games. I can’t wait.
Also this weekend, GGIS had its annual High School Retreat. This is a time when we take all the high schoolers out into the country side for three days. We play sports, have crafts, sing, dance, have bonfires and s’mores, and of course, we have some amazing messages. I was privileged to be able to speak to the whole high school the first night we were at the camp. I spoke about Jacob going to meet his brother Esau and wrestling with God. God touched Jacob and Jacob was never the same. I said that God will speak to us this weekend and we will be changed, however, we can’t rebuild walls. Have you ever kicked an ant hill? (be honest) They immediately come out and start rebuilding it. In the same way, we can have an incredible experience with God, we can have the anointing of the Holy Spirit in a message, and yet as soon as we leave, we start building walls back up between us and God. I think it was a good message for the students to hear. So often at these retreats, I see that kids claim to have had an indelible, life changing time, only to forget the whole thing when Monday rolls around. But can’t that happen to all of us? I think it can. I didn’t just preach it for them but also for me. I have to constantly remind myself of what God is doing in my life. I can’t get overwhelmed by what I think will happen in the future, but I have to live right now, seeing what God is doing today. His mercy is new every morning.
I have also started teaching a Bible class in school called Theology of Grace. I am really excited about it, but please pray for it. I really want the students to understand the grace of God and thereby the love that God has for them in this class.
A few other things you can pray for are: the Korean Church youth group, the changes at GGIS and the continuous school improvement, for salvations among the student body, and also my friends Tim and Myriah who are waiting to adopt a baby. It could be any day between now and … who knows.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support!
I was kind of nervous to return and start a new school year. There have been some big changes, including a new principal, new classes for me to teach, and also new responsibilities. So far everything has gone great! I was really praying this summer for peace, and ease in the transition, and God has worked mightily in it. It’s so funny when you expect one thing to happen and God does something so much greater.
On Sundays, I have been working with the Korean Church of Budapest’s teen ministry. I had visited them before and spoken a couple times, but just before the summer they had asked me to be their full-time youth leader. It is really amazing. I love the Korean kids I have gotten to know in GGIS, and then by extension their families, so now to be able to minister to other Korean teens regularly… Wow, what a blessing. This weekend the church had its end of the summer conference so we will be having a full special service today with the youth group, we will have music, prayer, a message, and then games. I can’t wait.
Also this weekend, GGIS had its annual High School Retreat. This is a time when we take all the high schoolers out into the country side for three days. We play sports, have crafts, sing, dance, have bonfires and s’mores, and of course, we have some amazing messages. I was privileged to be able to speak to the whole high school the first night we were at the camp. I spoke about Jacob going to meet his brother Esau and wrestling with God. God touched Jacob and Jacob was never the same. I said that God will speak to us this weekend and we will be changed, however, we can’t rebuild walls. Have you ever kicked an ant hill? (be honest) They immediately come out and start rebuilding it. In the same way, we can have an incredible experience with God, we can have the anointing of the Holy Spirit in a message, and yet as soon as we leave, we start building walls back up between us and God. I think it was a good message for the students to hear. So often at these retreats, I see that kids claim to have had an indelible, life changing time, only to forget the whole thing when Monday rolls around. But can’t that happen to all of us? I think it can. I didn’t just preach it for them but also for me. I have to constantly remind myself of what God is doing in my life. I can’t get overwhelmed by what I think will happen in the future, but I have to live right now, seeing what God is doing today. His mercy is new every morning.
I have also started teaching a Bible class in school called Theology of Grace. I am really excited about it, but please pray for it. I really want the students to understand the grace of God and thereby the love that God has for them in this class.
A few other things you can pray for are: the Korean Church youth group, the changes at GGIS and the continuous school improvement, for salvations among the student body, and also my friends Tim and Myriah who are waiting to adopt a baby. It could be any day between now and … who knows.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support!
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