July 23, 2009

This week has been awesome!We have been teaching the kids about Christmas, caring, telling the truth, and recycling.Today I had one of my little girls, Angelina, write a whole page in her journal about God's love and being slow to anger.She wrote scripture in her journal.She is Chinese American and one of my better speaking students, but she is six years old!I was so excited when she raised her hand for me to come read hers!That child-like faith I tell you is inspiring!I took a picture so hopefully it is legible on the computer.Her spelling is not all correct, but I think you will be able to figure out what she is saying.I need to take more pictures of my kid's journals-absolutely precious!They really are smart and know way more than I anticipated, but like anyone they are more comfortable speaking their first language.They know many English words they just have trouble writing and spelling.They have improved so much though!Angelina, the little girl in my class who wrote the whole page in her journal a couple of days ago couldn't even write a sentence without asking how to write certain words, but the kids confidences are rising and they are improving so much!It is such an encouragement to see that!

Nicola, my T.A. is getting more and more interested in knowing about the life of Christ.After sharing with her last night she told me she was going to go home and begin reading Matthew so this morning before school I read over the beginning of Matthew to refresh my mind and try to prepare myself for any questions she might have.My roommate Melissa left to school earlier than me today and she told me she walked by my classroom where Nicola was reading the New Testament with her translator.I had challenged her to see if she noticed a difference in her day after reading scripture because for me personally my day is so different after reading His word.He fills me with such joy and of course I still need much prayer throughout the day, but it definitely makes a HUGE evident difference!I caught her myself during movie time reading through the New Testament with her translator and some of the kids would go over and ask her what she was reading.That was neat to see.At recess then she came over and was asking me questions about what she had read and it just been such an answered prayer and joy to be able to talk and share with her!Please continue to be praying for her and that God will open up her heart and mind to understanding/discerning His word. Please also be praying for me that I will stay rooted in God's word, and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit so that she sees His light in me!

I have a Beth Moore study here on the fruits of the Spirit and our team has continually gone back to Galations 5 especially while teaching and even being around our T.A.s.It is important that we are in constant prayer about those fruits we struggle with and all of them so that when they kids and T.A.s are watching us we are showing the fruits of the Spirit.It is definitely hard at times, but "through God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27)

I will be able to share much more this weekend hopefully, but I am going to prepare for tomorrow and go to bed.Have a wonderful day!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law." Galations 5:22-23