Crazy and Clean

So I promised a message about the last week of school and finalizing things at East Linn. 

Classroom Packed

It is weird to look at the classroom that I have been in for the last two years and see it all piled there in the middle. Really there isn't that much stuff I am just not a really organized stacker like our third grade teacher. (If you ever need anything stacked go to her, professional) Anyway so we finished the year with some fun games, bar-b-qued, and said our good byes. Some of the kids were harder to say goodbye to than others, that's because I had them for two years (love all of them though). I will never forget though what one of the Kindergarten students had told their mom. The student was asked why they were sad, and he explained to his mom that he was sure I was never coming back, because I would get married and stay over there. It makes me realize more than usual that I don't know all that God has planned.Yet I am still excited to see what is in store and see how God uses me in the areas that I am weak so that He gets the glory.

All the elementary teachers clean up well :) 

So that was the end of school then it was time to pack, as I said before I really didn't have much. So much of the stuff had fun memories.

 For those of you had not been in my class, my reading corner had a jelly fish covering it. The jelly fish could go up and down. That was the last thing to come down. Late one of the packing nights I just sat under it and wept. I wept for multiple reasons. One was the fact that I am scared of the unknown and have a hard time waiting and trusting that God is in control. The second is reason was for joy, remembering all the things that God has shown/taught me in these last four years teaching and all of the Gospel centered relationships he allowed me to have. Finally because I am going to miss this family here. I am excited though because I am reminded that no matter where on this earth I am, it is not my final resting place, but that my home is in Heaven.

My Jellyfish (ignore David)

That is just a nutshell of the last week at school.

Today was the crazy(good crazy) day. I woke up this morning to all these missed calls, kind of scary when you wake up to that. But it was all good, one of my community group family just went in to have a baby. They needed somebody to watch their other kids, missed that opportunity (by the way the baby is very cute). Then at church we got to hear the Gospel preached (always enjoy that). Then I went to see the little girl. After that I made my way up the freeway to a timbers game. Along the way I got to listen to pastor JD Greeer (he is solid pastor you all should listen to some of his sermons www.summitrdu.com). He is going through a sermon series on 1 Kings. The thing that stuck with me was when he pointed out the fact that Elijah lived in a time where there were few people following God. Does that remind you of the world we live in now? Greeer went on to point out that God was able to then use Elijah during his weakest moments to further His kingdom. It made me think, what are my weak areas and also what my strengths. I pray that God uses me in both and that I would recognize that in both He did it all.

To finish the drive I went to my last Timber's game for who knows how long and they won 3-0

Timbers win

Now I sit in my classroom for typing at my computer, before that too gets put in a box.

Prayer:

My sister(Jennessa) and I are traveling to Bellingham for a week

Moving out of my basement room next week

Being productive in my last few weeks

knowing what to pack AHHHHHHHHH

Thanks for praying and sorry if this is terrible grammar. I did not proof read this time.

9 years and camping

Let me preface this post by saying this is May's thoughts.
 Last week was the 9 year mark of being out of high school. That is just a little absurd to me so much has happened. But then I also see kids that I use to watch like the final Graham boy about to graduate from high school. (Yikes!) This makes me stop and think what kind of impact have I made within those 9 years. I hope that there has been a lot. Yet I know that there have been many times where I have dropped the ball. All I can do is learn from that and look ahead to what God has in store. I need to continually pray that my life is not my own, but that it is an offering to Christ.

It has also been an interesting time at church. These last 13 weeks our pastor has been talking about marriage. Now for those of you who have not heard, I am still not married:) It has been interesting to think how this applies now during singleness. It would be nice to be able to set all the information aside for the future. But so much it pertained to relationships, and how they should be gospel centered.  I so thankful that God allowed me to still be around for it.

On another note my family got to be together for memorial day weekend.  If you know me at all,  think about me times 6, then add a little more and you have my family. We love God,  we love each other,  and we love having fun. Well we were able to do all those things.  The most excitement happened when a couple of raccoons decided to invade camp and steal a loaf of bread.  After stealing the food they then taunted us from the bushes. Things seemed to settle down, we went back to our games,  when the rascals came at us.  All that I remember from that point is half of us on the picnic table, one with an umbrella opening and closing it, and a few running at the bushes. I leave you to decide which one I was.  Thankful for a family like this.

 

That is all for now.  Soon to come is end of year post. 

Please continue to pray that the relationships I have will be gospel centered. 

Thanks

Days are Few

98 Days… I can hardly believe that is how much time I have left before I leave. So what do these days look like?

Our little plants

62 Days till my time at East Linn is up. 40 days of the 62I get to teach my students. It is hard to believe that God has had me here for 4 years. It seems more like 10 years. During these days I have the opportunity to learn with my students more about Indonesia as we prepare to teach other classes. We will re-pot our plants at least once more.

I could go on with the many educational things that we will do. However, the thing I look forward to most is the learning/teaching of the Gospel with my students.

View of track from my classroom

40 Days of track and field left. 12 days of those that will have track meets. At the beginning of my years at East Linn if you had told me that I would be coaching track I would have thought you were talking about the wrong guy. Now I could not imagine this time without the many high school students I was able to spend time with. God has taught me valuable things each year.


Days are numbered for many other things here in Oregon. While thinking about this I am reminded of Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." 
This comes from a section that Moses wrote that stresses time and how it passes. My prayer is that I would live by God's priorities and that God would guide me to be faithful in the next 98 days.

Indonesia side update:
I am officially teaching Grade 1
I get to teach with two other Grade 1 teachers that I went to Corban with (very excited for that)
I think I am the first male Grade 1 teacher they have had (the kids are in for a surprise:)

Please pray as I prepare:

That I would finish this year well

That I would understand all I need to pack (down to 31 tshirts :)

Most of all that I continually seek God and serve Him

They have been told

The big question that I have had over the last couple of months was how to let people know that I would be leaving. Slowly I have been telling different groups of people and asking for prayer.

My family was quite easy, because they are very mission minded. Then I shared it with my community group which was exciting, but difficult not knowing if I would ever return to Lebanon. I told the staff at East Linn so that they could begin looking for a replacement. The track kids were next. Then it came down to my students.

This was the hardest, how would I get across to them my reasons for leaving. After these many months I knew that I needed to share before it got to them by other people. So today before spring break I finally broke the news to them. God is so good! This is opening up doors to be an example of what it means to follow God no matter what.

Thanks for all the prayers.

What is "All in for the Mission of God"?

I am off to Indonesia! Some of you are probably saying "what?" Here is the story of why...

Many years ago a good friend, who shared my birthday, decided that they were going to go teach overseas. At a missionary kid school in the Philippines. I thought to myself once I get through college that is what I need to do. Go teach overseas and be a light for the Gospel of Christ. This all took place at the ripe years of middle school. Many things happened between then and now.

Let's skip ahead to college. I had the great opportunity to attend Corban Universtiy (aka Western Baptist College/Corban College). When I reached Corban I had resolved by that point to teach in a public school. I was fairly certain I knew exactly where I would end up and I made my plans. Little did I know, my plans were not God's final plans. I had the chance to spend an extra year at Corban. Throughout that year my plans fell apart and I had to rely upon God for his plans. When that year finished a friend told me of an opening at a Christian school in Lebanon. At this point I was unsure of what to do, so I applied and got the job.

While teaching at this school I had grown to love the valley. Grown to love the families; grown to love the schools; best of all, grown to love the church body that I am a part of. I thought I would be here for many years. But God has a different mission. Last year, I had begun to look into teaching overseas again. At that time it felt too soon so I pushed it to the back burner. This school year before Christmas break I was listening to Pastor JD Greear from the Summit Church, North Carolina. During his All-In series, he asked this question:

"Are you all-in in the mission of God with your life? Not just are you committed to the church on the weekend, but with the biggest parts of your life."

What is the biggest part of my life? Teaching.

God’s calling of me to teaching was first a call to the mission field. He's never relinquished that call on my life.  

After hearing this sermon it got me thinking, am I going all in for the mission of God in teaching? 

No I wasn't. So I asked a few people to begin praying that I would be willing and attentive to God's leading.

I applied at a school, in Indonesia a few of my friends teach at, and placed it all before God.

Fast forward to today March 19. I am going all -in for the mission of God in Indonesia.

Jesus’ summarized this mission in Matthew 28:18 ‘Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded of you.'

As of now I will be teaching at SPH(Sekolah Pelita Harpan) International Kemang Village.

I will be teaching elementary students. The plane tickets are purchased for July 21st.

For now this is just a two year commitment. My job is not to look at this as just 2 years, but at how I can be obedient to the call of furthering Jesus' Gospel.

Please pray as I prepare:

That I would finish this year well

Be brave when getting my shots :) (Really I hate them)

That I would understand all I need to pack

Most of all that I continually seek God and serve Him

Thanks to those at Wellspring, Valley Life, and East Linn for already praying.