God Given Talents

Serving Missionary Families - One of my new students just moved here from Indiana.  His family is serving with Mission to the World and will eventually be church planting in Guadalajara, Mexico.  His family will be here for two years as they are learning the Spanish language.  As I have gotten to know them, I have witnessed the hard process of transitioning to a new country that is put on a family.  They found a house that is really close to where I live, so I have occasionally run into them.  I asked my student if he liked living right next to a big mall and he said yes because they get to eat out for every meal :-)  His mom smiled and told me that they did not have a fully stocked kitchen yet (or even a stove to cook on). 

"Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms."   1 Peter 4:8

Well, the Lord had been convicting me lately about truly serving people with practical helps such as food or help in everyday chores in the midst of extra stress.  Graciously, the Lord reminded me of this and I invited the family over for dinner so that they could have a home cooked meal.  I decided to have pasta, but decided to tweak my dinner plan to be chicken alfredo because the mom mentioned that she only liked chicken and turkey, not other meats.  When they arrived, we had a great time talking as I cooked the chicken and the pasta.  As I announced that dinner was ready, my student asked what we were having.  I watched as his face just dropped with shock - and he told me that his favorite meal was chicken alfredo!!!  What a surprise this was to me.  His mom told me that she couldn't believe it when I had switched to making chicken alfredo in my e-mail - and that she had waited to tell her son.  What a blessing and how wonderful for the Lord to provide for this family not only a home-cooked meal, but a meal that made them feel like home. 

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."  1 John 1:7

3rd Grade Class Chapel 
For the past three weeks, 3rd Graders have been learning about God Given Talents.  We read the story of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew.  My students made a list of what possible talents we all had.  Then we also discussed how we should be using our God Given Talents.  Praying that God would teach us and the Pre-K - 4th graders that we would be teaching, I watched as God brought together a wonderful lesson for my students to lead. 






My parents were here when we presented our class chapel to all of elementary.  Here is a video of the worship time before my 3rd Graders taught.  The worship team sang Big House (a favorite song of mine from when I was little) and God Looks on the Heart (our theme song this school year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1-wcpaEhyQ&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQqkX9ZvOD4&feature=youtu.be

Here is a video of our teaching:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVPuGmw7qmE&feature=youtu.be


Teaching Needs for 2013-2014 - Here are the needs of El Camino for next year: www.eca.edu.co.  Please pray that the Lord would continue to bring together His team for next school year. 

Middle School - Math and Science teachers

High School - Math, Science, and English

Administrators: Director of Academics, HS Principal, Director of Development, Community Care Director
Teachers: Special Education
Other: Librarian, yearbook advisor

Prayers/Praises:

•  That the Lord would continue to plant and water the seeds in my students' hearts to follow Christ - that what they learned about God-Given Talents would take root and that the Lord would continue to show each of them what they are gifted in :-)
• For the teaching needs we need for the 2013-2014 school year!
• Pray especially for a special needs teacher - the Lord has led me to choose teaching 3rd Grade and I am really excited about this decision.  However, this leaves a big hole in special education.  Trusting that the Lord will provide someone for this position!

Pressing on for the sake of the gospel,
Carrie

A Family visit to Colombia - Serving Together

This is Colombia - My parents were here for a visit during Holy Week and also got to spend a few days with me at El Camino Academy.  I am truly blessed to have parents who take time to come down and serve Christ with me!  The first part of their trip was showing them around Bogota so they could see where I have been living this past year - the grocery store, the mall, my church, and some of the sights of the city from up on the mountain.  My parents and I also spend a wonderful dinner with the McCollum family.  They wanted to thank Bob and Vicky for all they have done for me in helping in my transition to life in Colombia!!!

They also experienced the crowded Transmi and the buses as we began to travel and show them many places.  We visited the Botanical Gardens, a beautiful city called Guatavita, spent a day at Parque Jaime Duque (a theme park with a zoo that is owned by one of my student's families), saw the oldest city in South America - Zipaquira - and visited the beautiful Salt Cathedral there, and went to Monserrate to see the view of the city.

Here are a few picture of these travel days :-)

Monserrate

Zipaquira - Salt Cathedral

 Guatavita - La Laguna

Serving at ECA and Hogares Luz y Vida:  My parents and I spent Monday morning at the special needs orphanage, Hogares Luz y Vida.  God had a surprise for us - as we got a tour of the orphanage from the first orphan that was ever adopted by the owner.  She showed us around - I took hold of her hand because she is blind.  We spent some time in the room with the babies, playing and making them smile.  On our way out - we were able to talk to the women who started the orphanage.  My parents were able to tell her what an amazing ministry the Lord has given her and that they were praying God would continue to bless Hogares Luz y Vida.  

My 3rd Graders had their next visit at their ministry - Hogar de Paz - on Wednesday when my parents were visiting.  We spent an afternoon eating lunch with the kids from Hogar de Paz - and playing games, singing songs, and reading Bible verses together.  My mom and dad were awesome as they led a group of students in reading and putting together bible verses.  In my group, we sang worship songs in English together and had a lot of fun!  It's always amazing to watch my students in a ministry like this.  The way they talk with the children from Hogar de Paz is so loving and welcoming.  One of my students who can be very quiet was so friendly and really tried to interact with her new friends.  Praise the Lord for these wonderful experiences my students are getting to serve others!

My students were so excited to have my parents here.  They all wanted to take turns reading with them during Language Arts Centers.  Also, they asked my dad to play with them in PE class :-)

God Stories:

1. While we were shopping at Plaza Simon Bolivar, a bird pooped on my dad's head.  As my mom and I were trying to help clean him up, a few people came up and showed us that we had missed more of the bird's mess on the back of my dad's shoulder.  This happened so quickly, and all of a sudden my dad is holding his wallet in his hand and said one of the ladies had tried to steal it!!  Praise the Lord that my dad caught her hand in time, just as the wallet was almost out of his pocket.  The Lord definitely was watching out for my parents when they were here.

2. Since my purse had gotten stolen, my parents arrived with replacement items for me - including my new bank cards and licence.  As they were showing me what they had brought, I began to look through my new purse.  My parents had actually bought me ANOTHER new camera and had found the exact same camera case which I had bought over 5 years ago.  My mom had searched and searched - and on page 18 had found the green case I had loved so much.  They also replaced the book from my friend, Margo, that was stolen - with a new note from her inside the book as well :-)

3. Meeting new people as we traveled around Bogota - we met a young man who was recruiting Colombians for the University of Mizzou.  It was his first day here and he didn't know Spanish, so he joined us for a Colombian lunch of Bandeja Paisa.  Praise the Lord that I could tell him my story about being called to serve in missions here in Colombia, about our wonderful students at ECA that he should recruit, and that I was able to help him get around Colombia on his first day.

Prayers/Praises:

• For the 2013-2014 teaching for ECA - that God would continue to put the puzzle pieces together and that the new teachers would be welcomed into the ECA family.  I am so excited to meet my new partners in ministry!!
• For a strong end to the 2012-2013 school year - that God would strengthen us to shepherd our students until the very end.  Pray the Lord would show us fruit and all He has been doing in the students' hearts at El Camino.
• For the High School Play - Alice in Wonderland - happening next weekend.  That the students would remember their lines and have a wonderful time performing and dancing together.  Pray for the dance that Brittney and I choreographed for the play - that it would go smoothly and that the costumes wouldn't interfere with the crazy dance moves - it is Alice and Wonderland, you know :-)
• Praise - that our 3rd Grade Class Chapel went very well!  I will tell me more about this in my next blog post :-)  What a blessing to have my parents for this time - as they were able to video tape my 3rd Graders teaching about God-Given Talents.

Partnering with you for the Gospel,

Carrie