Questions We Ask

The third quarter ended a month ago, followed by our school receiving another 5 years of accreditation (something everyone has been anticipating and preparing for all year). To me, the month felt really laid back. Our students had early dismissal for 2 full weeks because of testing! During this time, my friend Tina visited with me for a while after working on a construction project with our church and Kings Castle Ministries. Having Tina here was like the sun coming out - everything was brighter! It was great to also see one of my pastors and his wife and other friends on the team.

It was only a week before another team from my home church was in town - the senior high group. I didn't know a lot of the team actually, but I quickly felt connected with them as we spent the weekend together. So many of them were an incredible encouragement to me and they accepted me as one of the team, teaching me the dramas, sharing their stories. I was so excited to get out on the streets here in San Salvador with a bunch of teenagers and watch God speak to His children...I couldn't count how many kids prayed to know Jesus. How much I wanted to stay there for the week! But I was gently reminded that my students are just as important and they are my reason for being here.

While it's been difficult to get connected with ministries in this country, it finally began to happen these past 2 months. We've been going once a week to The Love Link, a hospital for malnourished babies. These babies are admitted free of charge and are treated usually for a month at a time while the parents are trained on how to better care for their child. Many of the cases are not a result of poverty only, but of ignorance due to lack of education. Some of these babies have been fed coffee, for example, rather than milk. 85% of these babies come in with the prognosis that they will die due to their malnutrition, however, 99% admitted to The Love Link have survived. In the meantime, these babies need to be held and fed very often, and that's the part we get to help out with. It's awesome!!

This past week, my housemates and I started a group for the high school girls that will be meeting in our home every week until the end of the year. It turns out that none of the girls have had the chance to be part of a girls-only small group before, and are very excited about this (as we are). I feel like I’m finally getting to know my students outside of the classroom. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of emotional and spiritual growth in these girls and in myself as a result of what God is doing here.

The first week of April was vacation, as it was Semana Santa (Holy Week). My friends and I went to Utila, Honduras, an island in the Caribbean…there’s nothing like the island life!! I took a scuba course for diver certification, so I went diving several times - what a weird sensation to breathe underwater - and I loved it! (except for the time my regulator got twisted and told me I had no air and I panicked). The people in my class were from all corners of the world – (ironically including Australia even though they have the best diving site for reefs)...it happens to be that Honduras is the cheapest place in the world to get certified. If anyone loves a good backpacker's community, I highly suggest this island.

Now I'm down to the last 5 weeks of teaching. Ahhh...we've come down to the infamous question, haven't we? The "What are you doing after you're done teaching?" otherwise translated, "What are you really doing with your life?"

And I could answer that question with some clever ideas or some pretty adventurous dreams I intend to pursue...but when it all comes down to it I realize that a lot of the ideas and dreams I've had in the past have come about in different ways than I'd planned. I've come to believe that planning life is a waste of time. A planned life is closed, restricted, narrow...I'm not saying we should throw goals out the window, but mapping out every step of how to get there is rarely necessary. Sometimes we try to put the puzzle together before we have all the pieces and it serves only to frustrate us. And sometimes we won’t get the pieces until the exact moment that we need it, not any earlier.

So…keeping in mind that I don’t yet have all the pieces to my puzzle, God willing, I’ll be returning home beginning to mid June…I’m still waiting to see if I can work with King’s Castle for some time before leaving. Please pray that God shows me which steps to take next. Thanks to all of you who have diligently prayed for me while I’ve been here – God has faithfully kept me and I have no doubts that your prayers have helped.

It was scary at first to come here to such a dangerous country. So much about what I would be doing or where I would be living was unknown. But I think what happened at Virginia Tech yesterday is an example of how it doesn’t matter where we are, evil can still find us. However, if safety is what we seek and lead our lives by, we’ll be driven by fear. That’s not really living…that’s not the life I want. Nor is it the life God has called us to as Christians, for it says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” I’m angry to see what has just happened in my country. I’m angry to think of how many lives were unjustly cut short by someone else’s selfish behavior. This will cause a wave of questions among the sensitive and the seeking – people you sit next to in class, people in line with you at Wal-Mart, your neighbors…maybe even yourself.

I don’t have a lot of answers, just One. Jesus Christ is the only one who has claimed to be my creator, died for the sins of the world (including the awful events of things like 9-11 and Virginia Tech), risen from the dead (with numerous witnesses), gives eternal life to any that choose to commit their lives to Him, and actually promises and provides peace. Not lack of troubles or pain – those are inevitable because we live in a corrupted world – but peace in the midst of pain. This is the only answer I have for anyone asking questions. If you’re not asking questions, someone is bound to ask you what your answer is. Are you ready?

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
– 1 Peter 3:17

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27