First Week of School

Wow - I just taught my first week of school! It was a very busy week, but as I look back I am so happy with how it went. I am very thankful for the class that God has given me. They are (so far) very quick to listen and easy to work with, so it's been fun to spend so much time with them. My favourite memories are laughing together as a class, seeing faces light up when I talk to them about the possibilities for their writing assignments, or watching the team-building games on the first day of school. For the games, we had students stand on chairs and try to organize themselves by birthdate without talking or touching the ground. There were some pretty interesting faces! Then, they headed outside and they had to carry water from a bucket to a pop bottle on the other side of the parking lot using a strainer. Haha! They came up with some pretty creative ways to do it -- sometimes without using the strainer at all. One girl soaked her hair at one end and then wrang it out at the other end - not very effective, but amusing.

Of course, we learned stuff and did "real school", too. All in all, I just feel very contented to be teaching, to be living in Japan, and to be working with my fellow staff here. Thank you to EVERYONE who was praying for me throughout this week. I know that God was giving me wisdom and inspiration about what to do and how to do it. Please continue to pray, especially that my class becomes united as "one body with different gifts," and that they all grow in (or begin) their individual walks with Christ. One student balked at writing a letter to God in Bible class because "Jesus has been dead for a long time," but I know that God is able to work in his heart and open his eyes to the resurrected, living Jesus!

A verse that God has shown me for this week and year is Psalm 119:32 "I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart." I was kind of wondering what the "enlarging" was about, and when I looked it up it was referring to "making room for, opening wide." My prayer is that God will "enlarge" student's hearts, making room for Himself. I want to see them running with Jesus!

Another special verse this week is Psalm 119:130, "The entrance of My Word gives light." I have lots of opportunity to speak, teach, and live God's Word with my students. I believe God is saying that as I commit myself to sharing the truth of His Word, as they allow God's Word to enter their hearts, the Light will come to their lives.