Power Outages and Cooking

How is your week going?  I hope it is going well.  School has gotten underway at my school, and we could really use your prayers this year!  Almost all of our teachers are in country (yeah!), and the students are slowly settling back into the groove of going to school.  Our school has several new students, although none in my class (which one of my students was quick to point out that my class also was the only one without new students last year), but knows what the year will hold!  God is good, and I am excited to see the Spirit move throughout our students and our community!

Apparently while I was in the United States this summer, Suriname did not experience a lot of rainfall.  Because of this, our lake that powers our hydroelectric dam is not full enough to meet the electricity needs of the city.  The government has decided to compensate for this by having power outages every other day that last for several hours.  I am not quite sure how long these are scheduled to last, but I have heard as late as December.  These, I have decided, are actually a blessing in disguise.  Because of these power outages, I have found myself with more time to read!  I was able to finish a couple of books this weekend, which is great, because my reading list has gotten longer and longer.  Currently, I am reading Jane Austen's Emma.  I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, and am thankful for the time given to read it.  Meanwhile, I pray that God sends rain to fill up our lake, a request that He is already answering by sending torrential rain last week.  

I have been in Suriname almost three weeks now, and can say that I am ecstatic about cooking!  I tightened my food budget a little bit more this year, and am fully relying on cooking affordable meals at home.  So far, I have found it very relaxing and exciting to see how many different ways I can cook some very similar ingredients.  One of the best finds I have found was some "green beans' at the corner Chinese store.  They were cheap and I plan on having some for lunch tomorrow!  My main ingredients are potatoes, onions, spinach (frozen), bell peppers (frozen), frozen veggies, pasta, olive oil, apples, and eggs.  Tonight, I made pizza with whole-wheat tortillas, spinach, onions, peppers, pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese.  I am hoping that this passion for cooking continues.  I am really enjoying it!  If you have any simple recipe ideas, I would love to hear them!  Jan Heien, let's make tortilla pizzas when I come home, okay?

May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Music of Suriname

      What a beautiful night last night was in Suriname.  Despite my Ipod dying this week, God has still taken the opportunity to give me music.  As I laid in my hammock and relaxed, I was surrounded by the music of this slow-moving country that I call home.  To the right of me is a church where women are singing, "How Great Thou Art," and it was very tempting to go join them in their melody.  They are accompanied by my harmonious musings of my neighbor, who often can be found sporting a Gandhi-like diaper. He is singing as well-except not any song in particular, just a nonsensical harmony.  Behind the church there was a soccer game that adds to the song with shouting in Dutch and the rhythmic thud of kicking back and forth, with the occasional triumphant shout.  Even the barking dogs to my left added a nice percussive sound.  All around birds were chirping, motorbikes were put-putting, and one of my roommates was starting to prepare dinner.  And I can't help but be silent, because when words fail, music speaks.

"Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee.  How Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art!


   I feel like God was romancing me last night.  He knows our wants, and our desires.  He loves to see us smile-and wants to be a part of our lives.  We are pursued, bought, and set free by God.

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."-Zephaniah 3:17

Running the Race

Hello!

So, I am a notorious last minute packer.  I tend to procrastinate in getting things done and waiting until the last minute.  However, I finished three hours ahead of schedule, so I thought I would take the time out to write a blog post on what has been going through my head today, which is a lot!

I have been able to have a lot of fresh starts in my life. All of these fresh starts have always been made easier to do based on the fact that I was running away from something or some situation at the time.  It is very easy to run away, and I can say that I have become very good at it.  Tangent:  I recently got this Journal which asks you a question everyday, and today's question was actually, "What are you running away from. (end tangent)"  However, this is the first time that I am going back to the same place, and am not starting over. 

Now, instead of running away from something, I feel the urge to run towards something.

My goal for the rest of 2014 is to strive for this verse.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. -2 Timothy 4:7

It is sad to admit, but I don't think I have been fighting my hardest.  I feel like I have been holding back.  Whether it was to please people, or to protect them from being hurt, I have felt that I have not been going that extra mile.  I have gotten caught up in earthly things...and I have been afraid, and I have not always had the heart of a servant.  This summer I was very lackadaisical.  From a health standpoint, my diet was not as good as it should have been, and I did not exercise as regularly as I should have.  Needless to say, I have a fight waiting for me in South America. 

But, like I said earlier, I want to run towards something, not away.  

I am still trying to figure out what that something is that I am running towards, maybe it is a hole I have had in my life or something that is missing.  I do know that this race leads me towards a more intimate relationship with God, a relationship that I am excited to pursue.  I have a feeling a great romance is going to be realized this year! 

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Think of Paul, who stated in Acts:

Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

Do you think it was easy for Paul to do everything he did?  I can guarantee you that surviving being stoned was probably not easy.  Preaching to people who wanted to kill you was probably not easy.  And constantly having to leave your friends behind with no real easy way of contacting them (remember, no Skype, Facetime, or Facebook in the Bible) wasn't easy either.  He did it though.  Paul lived his life for the Lord.  

Selfishly, I think this is probably the hardest it every has been to leave.  This summer has shown me a friends and family circle that is full of warmth and love and support.  I am so very thankful for all of the people that God has placed in my life, and am finding it really hard to leave.  However, I am going where God calls me.  Right now, I am called to go.  Go to a place that might have conflict, drama and hardship.  However, I will get to see my kids.  I am so excited to see my students and talk to them.  God is good, and I know this year is going to be a great year full of change and romance!  Prayers for safe travel!

So, what are you running towards?