2 week GAP-aversary!!

Its hard to believe we've all been together for 2 weeks already. On one hand it feels like we just got here and on the other hand it feels like we've been friends and family for years. God is continuing His faithfulness and it seems that just about everyday in my quiet time with Him, He shows me yet another scripture that I can not only apply to my life but to the experiences and lives of the students. Here's one from this morning that touched my heart:

Ezekiel 36:24-28 MSG
"For here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed. I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands."

We're all out of our states, our country...we are gathered from all over. We're in a cleansing process, and being scrubbed, which at times is not fun and even painful. But its oh so good AND necessary!! We're figuring out what we have put in front of God that we never realized, what we are craving from home, what we are missing from home, what were/are our idols. New bodies are being developed, bodies that are uncomfortable because they are so new. Bodies with new hands, new eyes, new feet, bodies with new hearts...hearts for God.

Here's where we're learning the lessons to love God first, love others second and ourselves third. We're figuring out what that actually looks like and how difficult that truly is because of our selfish, sinful nature. How grateful we are for Gods Holy Spirit to help guide us and change our hearts that we don't have to figure it all out on our own.

We're learning discipline and self control. We're learning about teamwork, how to live with others, how to communicate with others, and how to trust others. We're learning what perseverance and dedication and self-control look like. We're learning Spanish and how to creatively study from Spanish charades to smartphone apps to labeling everything in the apartment.

And when I say we...I mean we. The kids AND me. We're all in this together (and yes I am silently singing and doing the dance moves to High School Musical in my head after that line) and we all signed up for this!!

We were able to finish our ministry tour this week, we spent some crazy awesome time with the women of the Lily House. We played some games and then had some amazing muffins and drinks and also heard one of the women's heroic and courageous testimony.

That night we also got to visit the local youth group and have some fun with them!!

On Saturday we headed to Pasitos de Jesus which is a girls orphanage where we got to play, sing, laugh and jump rope...those little faces can get anyone to do anything!!

And look...I even found me a Buffalo soccer ball!! Home is never too far away!

Later that day we headed over to San José to see all God has been doing over the past year and a half. It's amazing to see the progress and the lives changed for Jesus.

And then we rounded the day off with a healthy dose of family game night fun! 

Did I mention that we are so completely bored and aren't having any fun at all?!? Yah...right!! We're finding a good balance between work and play, chores and fun, and sometimes combine the two! Like in yesterday's yard work day. We gave the backyard a complete overhaul and worked tirelessly for 4.5 hours. But man does it look SO MUCH BETTER!! We had some scrapes and blisters and chopped down a tree with an axe which turned into a hatchet when the handle broke...but props to Allison, Melissa and Renee for bringing the tree down! Afterwards we all jumped in the pool fully clothed, which seems to be becoming the theme of this year!!

I'm finding that all in all i am both completely out of my comfort zone and in my comfort zone at the same time. I don't even know if that makes sense...but it's true. My previously set physical and emotional boundaries and lines are being stretched and blurred...the girls seem to want to cuddle ALL. THE. TIME. Gah!

I've also had some good conversations with some of the students and am trusting God in His timing and His wisdom for the conversations that are still to come. I know that this is a marathon and not a sprint and that some things take time. I pray for The Lord to reveal Himself throughout the next 8 months, for hearts to be changed and for personal relationships with Him to grow.

Can't wait to see what this week holds!

Things that are awesome:
AIR CONDITIONING
TACO TUESDAYS
SUNDAY NIGHT WORSHIP
NEW FRIENDS
SATELLITE TV TO WATCH FOOTBALL ON SUNDAYS

Things that are not so awesome (but not horrible either):
BUG BITES
SUDDEN DOWNPOURS

Commonly used phrases of the week:
"PREACH IT KELLI"