What you were created to be...

The greatest insult 

to God 

and His glory is 

when we become what He did not create us to be. 

It is so easy to surround ourselves with so many options in this life that we become content to live here with no thoughts or concerns about the next life that will last forever. As humans we were all created each with a distinct purpose and that is to bring glory to God. But as humans sometimes we look at what God has chosen for our lives...and we tell God that He is wrong.

The God of the Universe......Wrong?

Whatever gave man the right

to think in that way? 

So many times God has told people to go and serve...but God I don't have the time. Why don't you have the time?.... Because I have filled my time with me. 

Oh yes I have time to do things that bring pleasure to me... but I don't have time to go work in a shelter or go on a two week trip...

the world waits.

God asks us to be the hands and feet to do His work....but God those people could have AIDS, and  they are dirty, and poor. How easily we forget to look past race, culture, status, and religion. We place a label on a person we have never met and decide from those labels who we will be close to and who we will shun. We see tear stained faces and hopeless situations and for a brief moment feel compassion....but compassion is not enough on it own. Anyone can read an article or see pictures of needy people...and with a blink of the eye whisper that is terrible, turn the page, and do nothing. Yes we give our money and some of our time...but do we truely 

know what is like

to give

till it

hurts...

the World waits.

God has given each one of us a specific purpose and a promise that He will never leave us...yet with all the options being thrown at us

it is easier to take the path of least resistance...trusting an all knowing God with our futures 

is not something we as humans like as an option.....

but trust Him we must

...the World waits.

And the world continues to wait because those who could do do nothing...we have become

so incredibly comfortable in our lives 

our comfort zones

our circle of friends

our neighborhood

our country

our lives

that when the radical thought comes...

to step out and become what God created us for...

we step back

we look at God 

we question God

we do nothing

....and the world will continue to wait.

Is there such a thing as a plan...?

Flexibility is the key to survival in some situations...and for the last three months (wow its almost been three months) the words flexibility has been used daily.
                      At the moment I am wide awake
after drinking coffee way
                too late in the evening...
            and then I remembered my log in password to my blog and through the caffeine high I read through the Arabic on the screen and found the language tab (caffeine truly does help in language learning) and was able to change it all back over to English....and now where to begin...
   School...Is in full swing. I am in charge of teaching art, sports, and an elective class to the primary grades, as well as teaching in the Kindergarten when I am not in the other classes. Art... has been a slight challenge because supplies in Jordan are not as easily found as they are in the States. But we have had fun in the class and the children are very artistic. We have done cartoons, paper mosaics, tape letters, the color wheel, and thank you cards...we put in an order for some supplies so we will remain flexible and wait to see what will happen. Sports...after almost a month of shipwreck, running games, and no no yes (ie duck duck goose) we finally were given some soccer balls and the children have divided themselves between the two rival teams - Barcelona and Madrid. This has made for some serious play time and some rather unpleasant fights between some of the boys. Elective class...this is one of my favorite classes...we have done everything from filling the hallways with singing to making Noah's ark out of cookies and nutella....we had our first test in that class the children did it in both English and Arabic and did very well. Kindergarten...the little people are so much fun to work with...but it is a lot of work my hat is off to Nori (one of the American teachers) and the other teachers who work full time in KG...it is an immersion KG in hopes that the children will have a firm foundation in the English language.

Life...beyond the school...I have totally enjoyed living in this city...because Arabic is a must here...In Amman almost everyone spoke English therefore the need for the language learning was much lower...however, here in this city I must use Arabic. This has caused many bouts of laughter with the neighbors as I have been trying to make a point of sitting with them almost every night...below us is Feras and his family. They sit on the porch smoking hubbly bubbly and are very good at slowing down when I have the look of "I have no idea what you are saying" written all over my face...This was also the family that I played soccer with them and their friends inside the house and then we were told to go out and finish the game. downstairs to the left is Sima and her family...this family is amazing...I can go to their house almost at any time and eat with them...sit and join in discussions and work on my Arabic...Sima is my age and is determined to learn English and I enjoy tutoring her several times a week. Rami and his twin sister and their family live across the hall from us. I am in the process of getting to know them better as well as the new neighbors that live above us. It is awesome that we are living in the building. Not only because we live less than 1 minute away from the school...but also because of the families living all around us...we are surrounded by family and it makes living here very enjoyable. Outside the home I have had the awesome opportunity to teach at a partner center here in this city. I began classes tonight and have at the moment 4 students in my class, which is good for my because I can focus more attention on each of them individually...it will be a six week compact course. The people who work at the center are a lot of fun to be working with. Also I have made several friends from the family meeting and have begun tutoring a family of five girls in English in exchange for Arabic lessons. I also am planning on beginning to tutor the workers and teachers at the school in an after school tutoring program for them.....
                         I have begun to see the English language as a gift from God...
I didn't decide to be born in America,
                         I didn't choose my birthplace..it is a privilege to be able to speak English
                                  and with the responsibility of the language I find great pleasure in being
                                                          able  to freely give it away...
                         because it was never my own in the first place...

I have also had several opportunities to go to Amman and take time to rest with one of the most amazing families there...working with my Jordanian dad on Saturdays and cooking with my Jordanian mom...sharing a room with my Jordanian sister and sharing the woes of the work force with my Jordanian brother have all been a great source of relief both mentally and physically for me.

The Team...I have been amazingly blessed to be surrounded by some great friends...each of them have a very different personality but we all fit together very well...we have been through a lot together and I am sure we will go through a lot more together.

I believe the coffee is now wearing off...this novel like catch up is just a glimpse into what life is like here in this city....it is exciting to wake up every day knowing that an adventure lies ahead of me...and I never know who I will meet or what could happen...experiences like drinking tea with some Egyptians on the sidewalk...talking to an Aunty on the street who thought I was half Jordanian...sitting with the teachers in their homes and learning who they really are beyond the teacher of first, second or third grade...playing with a child and watching them laugh at my Arabic...getting kissed a million times a day...sitting in a bakery and listening to the story of the cook...running into students on the streets...chatting with a princess...and making cinnamon rolls...you never know what will happen next...and always creating time to make new friends.

 وَلَكِنَّ يَسُوعَ قَالَ: دَعُوا الصِّغَارَ يَأْتُونَ إِلَيَّ وَلاَ تَمْنَعُوهُمْ، لأَنَّ لِمِثْلِ هَؤُلاَءِ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ 

The Last Couple of days

Highlights of my time here so far....

Sleeping on a roof while they finish our apartments

Getting to know the host family...they are amazing

Eating Shawarma, mansaf, and other wonderful food

Staying with my adopted family...being with them for the youth meeting, helping in the kitchen and making new friends...

Watching the school being completed...its a beautiful building :D

Seeing the passion in the principal of the school and his goals for the school

meeting the teachers...***we still need one more***desperately would be an understatement   

Helped pick out the colors and logos for the uniforms that are being made for the children

Playing volleyball, soccer, and basketball with the youth at a camp

Spending the day with my dear friend from Egypt and catching up over the last 6 months

Talking with the father with my brothers and sisters and singing 

carrying a sleeping 4 yr up 5 flights of stairs at 2 in the morning

eating ice cream at 1 in the morning because it is Ramadan and the city is alive till around 2

Learning more and more of the language 

and will be teaching how to make cinnamon rolls with one of the aunties

   Figuring out how to blog with an Arab blog screen...meaning all the buttons are in Arabic and there is no English translation....

And I thank my God every time I think of you guys---much love from the blue city :) 

       

Those Crazy People who Love You Anyways.....

It was said once that.....

"You don't choose your family.  

They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

No truer words could be said...no matter what a family looks like, mine is an awesome blend of color, culture, and love...family is the greatest gift given to anyone and yet the first thing many take for granted...Making the decision to go and teach was difficult for me because I have been soo blessed by my crazy wonderful family.  As I was trying to discern God's will for my life and coming to grips with the realization that God will take care of everyone with or without my help...made me realize how special my family is to me...and will always be.

Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry but we love to talk, eat, laugh, 

play games, sing, Joke around,

try and out smart each other,

shop together, travel, and be with eachother.

We are all travelers on this road called life and God placed us all together from 1 to 13 (plus the in-laws, nieces, and nephews)....we share the same living space, eat with one another, borrowing clothing, sneaking candy, and hiding special presents not to be seen till Christmas. We talk things out loooooooooooong into the late hours of the night, we help each other chase dreams and are the tap on the shoulder when we need redirection. We were all taught by the same school teacher, argued about the best Christmas tree that should be cut down, and discussed the best way to make chocolate chip cookies. We come from different places but we all have a common name. We give each other a hard time but in the end there are hugs all around.

Love you all and will miss you guys! 

"You can have me"

"If I saw You on the street
And You said come and follow me
But I had to give up everything
All I once held dear and all of my dreams
Would I love You enough to let go
Or would my love run dry
When You asked for my life
 

When did love become unmoving?
When did love become unconsuming?
Forgetting what the world has told me
Father of love, You can have me
You can have me

If You’re all You claim to be
Then I’m not losing anything
So I will crawl upon my knees
Just to know the joy of suffering
I will love You enough to let go
Lord, I give you my life
I give you my life
 

 

When did love become unmoving?
When did love become unconsuming?
Forgetting what the world has told me
Father of love, You can have me
You can have me
 

I want to be where You are
I’m running into Your arms
And I will never look back
So Jesus, here is my heart
When did love become unmoving?
When did love become unconsuming?
Forgetting what the world has told me
Father of love, You can have me
You can have me
 

When did love become unmoving?

When did love become unconsuming?
Forgetting what the world has told me
Father of love, You can have me
My Father, my love
You can have me" 

~Pictures taken in Egypt 2010

A glimpse into Zarqa...

Here is a glimpse into the city that I will be staying in...I had the pleasure of being in the same city last year and really enjoyed the people and the feeling of the city...