Celebrate Colombia, Spreading the Gospel through Relationships, and a Meticulous Anniversary :-)

"To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter."    2 Thessalonians 2:14-15

1. Celebrate Colombia - Dia de Idioma
To help nurture the Colombian culture into the hearts of our students at ECA, we have a day each year called Dia de Idioma, or CELEBRATE COLOMBIA.  My students learned so much about Colombian history (legend of El Dorado, anyone??) and had so much fun putting on a skit that showed the indigenous people of Colombia from Guatavita from which the legend of El Dorado came from.  The costumes are dances are so rich in history and it's amazing to watch my students perform.  It warms my heart to cherish this Colombian heritage with them.  Sometimes, I hear that our students can't connect with their grandparents or parents very well because our ECA kids have such a mix of American and Colombian culture in them.  When they go off to college, they feel separated from their Colombian classmates and wish they knew more of their own cultural heritage and who they are.

I had the privilege of learning an authentic Colombian dance called Jota Chocoano from the Pacific Coast.  My dancing partner was Henry, the Spanish teacher for my 3rd Graders.

3rd Graders anointing the King at Lake Guatavita!

My Thoughts:
1. Colombian dancers are amazing!!   Super fast and intricate moves :-)  No need to exercise after practicing this dance.
2. Learning to dance with a skirt - and knowing how to grab it quickly and correctly was quite challenging!
3. Dancing barefoot equals to bleeding on your foot- but it was worth it!! I'm used to injuries with ice skating :-)

Here is the video of the dance for you to watch! :-) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJXUinhWYw&feature=youtu.be

Below are some picture of our time of celebration.

2. Spreading the Gospel through relationships:

Spending time with my students and their families is still a highlight of the ministry God has for me in Colombia.  Last Saturday, I spent time with Josue, his brother and sister, and his wonderful parents.  This family happens to attend my church here also, so it is an extra bonus!  When I arrived, Josue showed me his house and his room.  Then, he grabbed some photo albums and showed me his adorable baby pictures.  Josue wanted to have me over to build a fire, so after dinner we all went outside and we had a time of praying and thanking God for the blessings in our life.  This was such a sweet time of getting to know Josue and his family so much better.  This made me realize that sometimes I can get so focused on the work that needs to be done.  Planning lessons, grading, helping with random things at the school, parent meetings, leading Elementary worship...

Luke 10:38-42

New International Version

At the Home of Martha and Mary

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work?  Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha, "the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Josue's twin brother and sister - they are adorable!!

While these things are great and have value, there is nothing more valuable that stopping the incredibly busy lives we create for ourselves that we no longer have time for the people that we love around us.  Believe me when I say that I am first to admit that I find purpose and value in the work - striving because I want to please and serve the Lord.  My motive behind the work can lead to pride and a sense that I am earning God's favor.

How humbling to learn that true ministry and helping the gospel run is based on relationships.  Spending time with people and being apart of their lives speaks more that whether I had the best lesson planned, the grades updated in the grade book, or how many projects I decided to help with at ECA.  This is challenging to me - because my personality leads me to want time to myself to re-energize.  I find myself being a hermit, where I have time to refocus on the work that needs to be done.  What a blessing to step out of this task-oriented mindset.  Now, when I speak with this student, my words have more meaning because he knows I care and have invested time to be with his family.  

Isn't this what Jesus wants of me?  To not constantly be trying to earn his love when it has already been freely given to me in Christ?  That's why I work so hard.  But, I can't earn it with being a perfect teacher.  I can't earn it with being willing to sacrifice all of my time and energy to serve other people.  Actually, nothing I can DO will earn his love and acceptance at all.  I'm learning that he accepts me because I am his daughter!  I think it's hard to accept this gift because we know how undeserving we are.  How could Christ's love be free?  It was so costly to him, he must want something back in return!!  How hard it is to sit at his feet and just be with him - but how precious those times are.  Pray with me that the Lord would graciously draw each and everyone of us to him to just sit at the foot of the cross - burden free - to spend time with our Savior.  That's all that we wants from his children.

3. Meticulous Anniversary??
Remember last year at this time our stuffed animal monkey named Meticulous married his wife, Friendly?  My students brought in wedding clothes for the monkeys, wedding rings, we all dressed up, my friend Katie came in to officiate the wedding, and we ended with a dance party??

Well, we just had to celebrate their anniversary!!  We invited the 4th grade class (my students from last year) so we could all celebrate the marriage of our classroom monkeys.  Meticulous and his wife, Friendly, had an announcement to make to all of the kids...

They are the proud parents of twins!!!!  They have a son named CHAMP and a daughter named EMPATHY.  CHAMP is named after our classroom discipline plan of acting like champions in school.  EMPATHY is named after part of our Elementary Chapel theme of noticing how other people are feeling, especially our friends when they are being bullied or treated mean by others.  The happy family is pictured below :-)

Prayers/Praises:

Praise that a wonderful family from ECA had a group from their church from the States coming down to visit and offered to bring my Vitamin D for me!  So grateful for God's provision :-)

Continue to pray for my decision for next year - that what I give weight to in deciding to serve one more year here would be what the Lord gives weight to in his ministry.  Also for clarity, peace, and hopefully a decision soon!!

Chicken pox is still going around - I now have two confirmed cases in my class.  Please pray that our administration would seek guidance from the Lord on how to handle keeping our school a safe and healthy environment to learn.


Because of Him,
Carrie

ECA Spirit Week

ECA Spirit Week

All of ECA celebrated being a school by dressing up in silly costumes to show our school spirit this past week :-)  The students and teachers were so enthusiastic and creative about dressing up.  Here are some pictures showing our love for each other and ECA.  For Elementary, Middle School, and High School - one class was chosen as having the most school spirit (based on participation) and the winner for elementary was....

Drum Roll please :-)

         

My 3rd Graders!!!!  Enjoy some pic below of our ECA Spirit Week.

 Black and White Monday

Twisted Tuesday

"What's Up with Your Head" Wednesday

Throwback Thursday - Medieval Times

"Futbol" Friday

Da Bears!!!! (with a Bulls shirt underneath...)

Blackhawks!!!

 

Colombia!!!

We ended with an all school assembly where the winners were announced.  It was a crazy week, but...

3rd Grade's got Spirit!

Yes, we do!

We've got Spirit!

How about you?? 

 

When God calls you...

Stefanie's Missionary Prayer Card - on my fridge!

When God Calls you...

I have had the privilege of watching God call one of my friends to the mission field here in Colombia!  Stefanie was one of the first people I met at my church here at Centro de Desarollo Cristiano last year.  She is an amazing women who loves the Lord with all her heart.  One instrument God used to draw me into making a home here last year was meeting Stefanie and feeling very welcomed into her group of friends.

Stefanie has told me stories about doing mission work in "la selva", or the jungle, with the indigenous tribes of Colombia.  Her face lit up as she talked about serving these people who speak other languages than Spanish and have been culturally looked down upon for years.  A few of them camp out on the pedestrian bridges hoping for money or food.   Their clothes make them stand out, as they are ripped, old, and dirty.

Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me."  

Matthew 25:40

Recently, Stefanie has talked about wanting to go back and be a full time missionary with one of the indigenous tribes right here in her own country.  This just blesses my heart to see God working right here in Colombia in the hearts of the Colombians themselves.  My church, Centro de Desarollo Cristiano, has never sent off a missionary before.  But, Stefanie has taken a leap of faith to answer the call God has placed on her heart.

 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations..."  Matthew 24:14

This past weekend, the church hosted a missionary dinner for her.  Stefanie told of her plans to go to Argentina for a 7 month training to be a missionary.  During this time, she is praying that the Lord would place on her heart a specific tribe to bring the Gospel to.  Since our church and the people she knows have limited resources, she is relying on faith that God will show his faithfulness and provision. Working with her sister, Mayra, I helped host a birthday party and a good -bye party for Stefanie this past Saturday before she left for Argentina.  We had a prayer walk for her around my apartment complex, where her friends from church gathered to support her.  We ended the time with pizza and celebrating Stefanie's faithfulness to the Lord.

This has made me ponder my experience on the mission field so far.  Serving as a missionary doesn’t make you perfect.  Hardly!  Being in a position like this can leave you feeling powerless and weak.  So many times I’ve told myself “I can’t do it Lord.”  And then I remember it’s not my strength, but His.  When I surrender my own self-will, somehow God provides the strength to go on. 

What a needed remind for me at this time - and for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ who feel weary or ill-equipped for the mission God is calling them on.  Whatever your mission field, I am thankful to God for your willingness to serve him with faith.  I am blown away with how much God blesses each of his children when we step out in faith.  God is blessing me right now by allowing me to support and encourage a friend who is following God's call on her life.  What a privilege!!  For those of you who are supporting me, please know that you are part of supporting Stefanie.  If  it wasn't for your faithfulness to missions, I would never have met her and been able to share in this joyful time with my sister in Christ.

"I thank my God every time I remember you^.  I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am sure of this very thing,  that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:3-6

Prayers/Praises:
4th grade class has an outbreak of the chicken pox (about 7 students at this point).  This has closed down the 4th grade class for two weeks with school being done online.  Please pray that it does not keep spreading to other students!  The Colombian health regulations sometimes require an entire school to close for a few weeks under these conditions. 

Continue to pray for my decision for next year and that God would clearly have my heart set in the direction of his will.

For renewed energy from the Lord - feeling tired, weak, and drained lately (like I mentioned above :-)

Needing to find a large dose of Vitamin D that I need to start taking at the recommendation of my doctor who I saw over Christmas - not sure how I am going to get the supply of Vitamin D that I need here in Colombia.  Anyone traveling to Colombia soon??

Pressing On for His Sake,
Carrie

Love of Christ at Christmastime - Home for the Holidays!!

Love is the only motive that can impel true heart transformation, and love will be present only when we see, demonstrated before our eyes, how we've been loved.    
Elyse Fitzpatrick, Counsel From the Cross


So grateful for the time the Lord Jesus blessed me with to be able to go and see so many dear loved ones this Christmas.  To spend time with them IN PERSON was an amazing encouragement to me and a much needed time of fellowship with my church family back in Chicago.  Thank you to all of you for being a REAL demonstration of love that helps move my heart to be more like our Savior, Jesus.  Below, I have added picture and God stories (weaved in amongst some verses in Ephesians) at how he is showing me this truth - that true transformation will come when we see how much we are loved.  When we see the love poured out for us, personally, on the cross - we can do nothing less than offer our lives to be holy transformed into the image of our wonderful Savior.  While this has been challenging for me, especially as I am seeking the Lord's will on whether he is calling me to another year of ministry here in Colombia, I am grateful for the reminder to fix my eyes and heart on him and him alone.  This way, my desires and heart will be transformed to be inline with the perfect and holy will of the Father.



"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  ...

We ended our year with a 3rd Grade Christmas Party including our wonderful parents.  The kids made Christmas cards and then gave their card to a friend by picking a name out of a hat.  This was to encourage them to be friends with everyone (since they did not know who they were making the card for beforehand.)  It a BLESSED time to remember together all the Lord has given us and blessed us with, especially our friends.

...In him we redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ...

It was such a blessing to talk with so many of you about my decision for next year.  (Thank you Mom, Kristin, Margo, and Wendi!!)  So thankful for my sisters in Christ who have wisdom and insight from the Lord, and that you are willing to be a tool that He uses to guide me and make known His will to me.  While I am still in process, I am going to see if the door is even open for me to come back and teach in the States (or if that is even a desire on my heart anymore).  Please continue to pray for clear guidance as I send out a resume and look into teaching back home.  My heart is in love with two places right now :-)

On my travels back to Colombia, God showed me how he provides:

1.  While the frigid cold temperatures in Chicago kept fuel from entering the plane, I eventually was able to make it to Miami.  Flying out to Bogota the next morning, I went straight back into work - which was crazy!!  But, the Lord provided the energy and time for me to make it through the first three days back (even without my aide - feel better soon, Erica!!)

2. Communication was hard because I do not have a US cell phone anymore - but praise God that I was able to contact my roommates in Colombia about my delay!  I have a US phone that works in my apartment in Bogota, but needs to be plugged into my computer to access the Internet before it's used.  However, three weeks before I flew home, my roommates and I figured out how to plug it directly into the modem and have it permanently hooked up!!  Therefore, a very generous person in the airport let me use their cellphone to call this number and talk to my roommates :-)

3. I came back to ECA and found US mail in my mailbox.  It was an adorable letter from an Orchard Kid who I used to teach in Sunday School.  What a blessing this was to find when I returned.  Thanks Michaela for your love and prayers!!

...In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3-14

More pictures of my family Christmas, Joshua's 3rd Birthday party, and time at home with family and friends :-)

Precious Sammy and his Aunt

Grandma love :-)

Sisters

Sammy with his favorite guy - Gramps!!

Me and my Joshie

Presents from Colombia!!

Happy 3rd birthday Joshua!!!

Playing in the snow in Chiberia :-)

Ice Skating with this lady is always a must!!

Prayers/Praises:
That God would meet me, with a fresh and renewed heart, in my quiet times with him in the morning. 

Construction of the 3rd floor at El Camino is starting soon!!  Please pray for everyone involved in this project.

Clear direction on next year - for me and for the other teachers who are in the process of deciding :-)  May God's faithfulness and will be apparent to us as we seek where to serve Him.

Renewed energy for school after coming back from our break - so great to see my students again!!  May the seed that were planted continue to grow 2nd Semester!

For the sake of the gospel,
Carrie