Living in Juárez, I have been surprised by the unexpected time and time again. In fact, since I had very little frame of reference of what to expect before I even came here, pretty much these entire five months have been one long string of unexpecteds. My friends know me as the planner type—and sometimes it can be a good thing, like when there’s an event that needs to be organized or when I’m preparing to teach. But there’s also an aspect of planning that I have to learn every day to let go to God. He continually teaches me that my life and this entire world are within His hands and should submit to His agenda. I know I like to make lists—of things I need and things I need to accomplish in a day. But the Lord is helping me to see those lists as flexible “maybes” instead of carved-in-granite “I gotta!’s” It’s a better way to live, really, because when I remember I am a servant in my Master’s house, at the disposal of His agenda, I get to jump more unhindered into His work. And His work always turns out to be more rewarding, exciting, often more difficult, than my “plan” to grade papers, go to Walmart, or get together with a friend. It is about His kingdom, after all. But lately the path in His kingdom has been surprising me in ways that remind me He just loves to see me smile.

Some of my “plans” have not worked out as I had planned in the four weeks since I’ve been living and teaching back in Juárez after Christmas. Things like planning to have friends stay with me, and then it not working out—or planning to go somewhere and then my car not working. But other things have “not worked out” in a more favorable manner. About a week and a half ago, I woke up to get ready for school, went about my normal morning routine, went to get breakfast, and then looked outside. Snow??? In Juárez, it is a RARE thing indeed for snow to fall, even more rare for that snow to actually stick to the ground. But it had stuck and there were a good couple inches of it! This could mean only one thing---SNOW DAY! In a place so unaccustomed to snowfall, that was the only option. So, my routine was shot! But it turned out so much better than I could have planned.

A married couple were staying at the school that particular week, working with Maria and Gilberto from Touch the World, the missions organization that our school is a part of. They were doing lots of odd jobs around the school—painting, building. These are the sorts of things I just don’t get a chance to do as one of the teachers, but that day I did. I helped paint and went with the couple to visit a home in the colonia. It was such a blessing to be out in the community walking, going to homes and meeting people I’d never met before, simply because walking around the area is not something I can do by myself. With the time off, one of the visitors, Andrea, and I made everyone a big brunch and got to sit down and eat together. It turned into a fun day of unexpectedness, despite the fact that all the snow had melted by noon.

Just this past week, another shower of unexpected delight came raining down. Maria and I had been planning for a while to have a “ceremony” of sorts at our school for two girls who decided they wanted to donate their long, beautiful hair to the organization Locks of Love. Maria wanted the entire school to see this, to show our kids what it means to give, and to remind them that you don’t need a lot of money to give something valuable. I thought it was a great idea—a nice little gathering, the kids could applaud their classmates, and learn a thing or two. But Maria’s vision was more vast than mine. She decided that a LOT of people should learn from the example of self-sacrifice, so she called several local news stations. A couple of them said they wanted to come and cover the story!

The day of the ceremony rolled around, and by this time the two girls who wanted to donate their hair had grown to two girls, two moms, and a teenage girl. Another Juárez news station called and told Maria they heard what we were doing and to wait for them because they wanted to be there! I started getting the feeling that this would be bigger than I had imagined, as often the things of God are. We had the students set up their chairs in the courtyard, and soon the first news station had showed up. Then a second. A third. A FOURTH. In that little colonia, forgotten by most and seeped in poverty, it was quite a sight to see. I was helping Maria cut hair, encouraging the girls and women who were giving, as the numbers continued to grow. I’d think we’d done the last, then there would be another of our precious little girls saying she wanted to do it too! Some moms were there at the school, tearfully giving their permission. Other girls tried frantically to reach their moms by telephone to get permission. Maria and several and the moms and girls were interviewed by the various news stations, and Maria had told them that this all came about from two girls who knew I’d donated my hair to Locks of Love two years ago, and they wanted to do the same thing. So a couple of the stations came looking for “the English teacher” asking if they could interview me too.

The first news station asked the inevitable “Hablas espanol?” (Do you speak Spanish?) to which I tried not to be too bold in answering yes. I really didn’t want to be interviewed in Spanish. Call it pride, that’s what it was. But thankfully they said they would interview me in English for an affiliate in El Paso. After that, though, they were trying again to get me to do an interview in Spanish, and this time Gilbert was right behind them saying, “Have her do it! She speaks Spanish!” So we were off. To that station and another, I explained what we were doing and why, what my role in the whole thing had been, what we hoped the other kids would learn from it—all in this language I still don’t really feel like I can speak! But that’s where the Lord comes in, I suppose.

We continued cutting hair until the end of the school day, which had become more of a party/celebration day after all the fun and surprises. Thirteen big long ponytails were donated that day to Locks of Love. And that night, I was at the school with Maria and several of the moms for a fun girls’ night of playing games, eating, and talking. When news time came around, we got a hold of a TV and frantically switched back and forth between channels to see if they would actually put us on, or if we’d been “bumped” to make room for all the bad news that seems to be in our world these days. But then, on one of the stations we saw a little clip of our school in the “coming up” section. I admit, I didn’t expect much—maybe a thirty second blurb about how this little school in a really poor colonia did something nice today. But oh surprise! I was wrong.

It started with inspirational music—like the kind you hear in the background of Hallmark greeting card commercials. Dramatically, images of the bags of hair, the children of our school smiling and cheering, and the girls and women flashed on the screen. Suddenly there I was too, in slow motion no less, brushing the long hair of one of the moms before the inevitable deed was done. The intro alone was more than I’d expected. But then the voice over came about who we were and what we were doing: “A Christian school in one of the poorest areas of the city…..girls and women donating their hair for children with cancer and other diseases….giving to others in need….” It was SO cool. First, an interview with one of the moms came up—she was so sweet, so heartfelt that she was doing something selflessly for the sake of another. Then, an interview with Isabel, the original beauty of a child who started the whole thing. She talked about why it was a good thing to do, how it was to help someone else. By this point the segment had been going for several minutes—much longer than your run-of-the-mill news clip.

And then, all of a sudden, there I was—it was fun to see myself on TV, I must say. Although ridiculously embarrassing. But that experience in and of itself isn’t all that uncommon. The cooler part came in hearing myself speak Spanish, knowing only God has led me here to even be able to do that much. Even more amazing than that is the reason I was blessed to be on Juárez TV is because I was a part of something God was doing, in the midst of people and a ministry I love and believe in so much. I truly think this little school is one of God’s wonders. And there it was—for all of Juárez to see. Plus I got to be on TV. Did I mention that?

The effects of the donation day were far-reaching just for that particular day. But beyond that, the effects continue. For one, one of the TV stations wants to return to do a segment just on the school itself—the ministry and mission of it. This is an amazing opportunity to share God’s love and good news with such a sin-ravaged city. Plus, there are the effects it will continue to have on our students as moms—with a bunch of short-haired girls and women to serve as our reminder. They will be able to recall that experience and remember that just as our Lord has shown us, it is so much better to give than to receive. We all have something to give, if only we’ll ask God for His help to do it.

It all became so much more than I had expected. It makes me want to let go of my plans and expectations even more, that I can jump more and more into what God is doing, and dream big dreams. Continue to pray for provision for the ministry of James R. Ganley School, as well as provision for me to stay here until summer time. I am expected a lot more unexpected to come my way.