The Artful v. The Intense

Sometimes, praying is an attempt at art: I try to build a verbalistic Notre Dame as I lift my concerns upward. I didn't experience that last week. My prayers were pretty direct, not irreverent, but I was definitely approaching the throne of grace with confidence, if you know what I mean. Amy and I struggled through our first week back, glad as we were to see our students, appreciative as we felt of the tropical breezes after the Northern cold. Our concerns were international: for Haiti (particularly because Anna, Amy's sister was there during the earthquake), and ultra-local: school was insane. God is sovereign, yet, and will remain so, and we put our trust in the source of all good things to help us live a life of "faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6) through all situations.

In brief:

• Anna is safe and in good condition. She was still in Haiti for a couple days after the earthquake, living on small rations of food and water, but she was air-lifted out and is now at home in Montgomery. We are so thankful.
  
• The field trip I led (somewhat haphazardly) was a success. The preparations were almost non-existent, since there were very few details relayed to me, but we made it to the right place (only stopping at one wrong place en route) and enjoyed a presentation about Dr. M. L. King, Jr.
• Amy's student who didn't speak any English whatsoever has been put into private tutoring and will begin school in the fall. This will be infinitely better for him, and we're sure it will be much more pleasant for Amy as well.

Thanks for your prayers. We really believe that God is moving in the hearts of our students. I'm serious.

The Return

The break was refreshing. It was especially nice to be reminded of our purpose in serving in Suriname as we participated in Passion 2010 in Atlanta. Perspective is crucial, and for some reason, we'd been viewing the Gospel as a burden to carry instead of a set of wings that carries us. We're glad to be back in Suriname, and we're humbled to think that we're part of God's plan. It'll be exciting to tell you about His movements down here as we continue our ministry.

We do have some news, so you bullet-point lovers can rest at ease.

• Amy has a new [potential] student. He's from Brazil, and his family is seeing if he'll be able to adjust before officially enrolling him. You see, he doesn't speak English. Yikes!
• Conner's working with the high-school English teacher to lead the students in an essay competition on the theme of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy. He's using Dr. King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" as his main source, and has thus had a chance to share the Gospel as a major agent for change in history as well as a fundamental truth.
  
• The new semester is still two weeks away, so we'll be working on grades for the next couple of weeks.
• Amy is going to be helping out with "Journey," a Bible club for elementary-aged students which will meet on Friday afternoons. The great majority of our students are not Christians, so this will be a fantastic opportunity to introduce them to Jesus.

It was great seeing many of you over Christmas break! We think of you often, and we keep you in our prayers as a result. We love you all. If you want some prayer requests, Conner's dad is starting a new job this week, and Amy's sister Anna is in Haiti working in a malnutrition clinic. Those things are close to our hearts right now. Adios!