Whew

Well we had our first short week. Our next one is next week in honor of American Thanksgiving. I am so relieved and my kids were so ready to be done today. I got a special package from home which was like opening a Christmas present even though it was just vitamins and medicince. Well Flinstone vitamins. Oh and a couple of movies and candy (yes I shared) thank you MOMMY!! I am so looking forward to the break but less forward to the grading and planning. Maybe one day I'll just get inspired and do it, but who am I kidding I'm a procrastinator. Well God makes us each unique although we are still works in progress. I hope that you are all doing well. I am doing well and looking forward to some well earned sleep.

Blessings,
Court

Today

Today was hectic to say the least. We had a big potluck for the whole school including parents which is just a feat to pull off in and of itself. There were several Peruvian dances. I even participated in one. I think I smiled the whole time but we'll have to see the video to know for sure.LOL.

So then tonight a couple of my friends decided to go to the fountain park in Lima. It's absolutely beautiful at night. They have all sorts of fountains and shows using the water as a medium. Well we got in a taxi that apparently though he knew a shortcut but did not. We ended up on the freeway in bumper to bumper traffic. So as we are sitting there waiting to get off the off ramp, our taxi driver gets a novel idea. He could just drive up the grassy embankment to the street above us and not have to deal with all that nasty traffic. So before you know it we were up on the grass headed for the street above. I tell you only in Peru would that happen without consequences. But we made it to the park and it was amazing. The evening ended with a laser light show that was fantastic and it was well worth the trip.

Tomorrow my friend and I are off to the center of Lima to do some more Christmas shopping. I'll try to post pictures as soo as I can.

Love you all,
Court

Peruvian Awareness Week

This next week is Peruvian Awareness Week. I am really excited about it. I really don't know a lot about Peru. There are so many different regions with their own way of living. I mean there is the coast, desert, mountains, rain forest, and then the large metropolitan city of Lima surrounded by tiny pueblos. This next week if you could think about it. Just to pray for Peru. There are many of the same problems here as in the United States; drugs, poverty,despair,loneliness, and many who have no hope of anything better. Pray that we that have been sent here can see where we can make a difference, pray that God can show his Truth so that these struggles can be alleviated and eliminated.

I also ask for prayer for the United States. We are going through a great adjustment that will continue for many months. I pray for our new administration that they would make the right decisions for our country. Pray Pray Pray!!!

Love and peace,
Court

An interesting week

I haven't updated this blog in awhile but I though I should because I have a couple of great stories. First story: A little girl stood up and asked "Whose rubber is this?" For a moment I thought "what on earth is this child saying? " Then I realized she spent the last two years in England where rubber means eraser. LOL I don't think I need to share what came to my mind. Ok so that leads to the second story where the same child told me that I couldn't sit with my skirt on because I would show my underwear (I'm surprised she did not say knickers) anyways another little boy promptly pointed out that adult underwear is (boring) and they wouldn't see anything. I quickly changed the subject and tried desperately to continue a read aloud without laughing. Now fast forward to the end of the day when I am walking home from the bus stop. I attempted to take off my backpack to get my keys for my house. The only problem is that I hooked something on my skirt which pulled it down nearly to my knees. Boy am I glad I was wearing a slip, but I"m sure the construction workers nearby were speechless to see a gringa lose her bottoms. Oh well I survived and life is moving on.

On a more serious note. The devotion today was on allowing God to cleanse us and make us purified by His blood. This was so powerful. The woman who did the devotion used the illustration from "The voyage of the dawn treader" by CS Lewis. I"m not sure how many of you are familiar with the story but there is a character that is less than desirable. Do to his greed he becomes a dragon. He learns his lesson and wants to become human again. So Aslan (A lion who represents Christ in the story) tells him to follow him to a well. The boy(dragon) is told he must remove his hide to enter the pool. After three tries he is unable. The Lion informs him that only he(the lion) can truly remove his scales. The process is painful but only momentarily. The image for me is that we by ourselves are sinful corrupted beings, but Christ through his blood can make us a new creation. The boy by the way becomes human again and his heart is changed and he turns away from his bad behavior. Think of how this can apply to your own life. I mean I sin all the time and fall daily to my knees to confess my sins to God, but I am prideful and I need cleansing that is sometimes very painful.

I leave with a poem a friend shared written by Beth Moore from "Praying God's Word"

My name is Pride I am a cheater
I cheat you of your God given destiny...because you demand your own way
I cheat you of contentment...because "you" deserve better than this
I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all
I cheat you of healing...because you are too full of me to forgive
I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you are wrong
I cheat you of vision...because you would rather look in the mirror than out a window
I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobodys going to know the real you
I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own
My name is Pride. I am a cheater
You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you. Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...
If you stick with me
You'll never know.

Deception

For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weaponsof the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5.

Today's devotion was on taking our thoughts captive and making them conform to God's will. What struck me was that it is an action we must do but often we sit waiting for God to do it for us. Don't get me wrong we certainly have a loving God who can help us and deliver us through trials, but we have a responsibilty to guard our thoughts and to keep them focused on godly truth. The way we do this is through daily conversations with God and searching the truth in His word (the Bible). I battle with feelings of not being equiped to serve God here in Peru I struggle to accept that I have been called here and therefore fully equiped to do God's work. I have to fall to my knees in prayer daily to remember how much I'm worth and that God is working through me. And to be in His word daily. If I listen to the lies I fail to let God work.

I pray that those of you who know Christ will ignore the lies of the deceiver and focus on the fact that God wants to use you for His glory. For my friends that do not follow Christ I want you to know that when you are feeling unworthy, unloved, and illequipped God is waiting for you. He has a plan for your life and wants nothing more than to show you how incredibly created you are, but you have to choose to believe. There is a great plan for you life not to please the desires of man but for God's glory.

My trip

Well we finally had a few days off from school and so I was able to travel a bit. A couple of friends and I went to northern Peru and spent time in a place called Punta de Sal. Wow it was amazing, the town is very very small (not even a store). We stayed at a resort for 25$ (yay for inexpensive) a night and enjoyed an amazing view from our hotel room. The sun shined and we just ate it up for three days. It was so relaxing which was I think exactly what everyone needed about now. It is report card time now and so we are back to being busy. Pray that it goes smoothly.

I will write more later on for now, I'm off to get my kids from recess. Thank you for all your prayers and support. Please pray that I won't be homesick. I keep thinking about Christmas and it's awhile off yet.LOL. Blessings, Court

My first Lima earthquake

Well ok I felt it. I called a friend who felt it and then my roommates both said they didn't feel it.LOL well I've never really experienced an earthquake before. I think last year I woke up because little earthquake hit near Apple Valley. My gracious, I was so silly about it. It took me until the dumb thing was over to think about getting into a door frame. Pray that if a bigger one hits I'm a little better. Of course last year Peru experienced a huge quake that caused tremendous damage so to the people here a little shake is nothing.

God continues to bless me and teach me. It is through His wisdom and strength that I can accomplish anything. Pray that I can keep Him always in my sights.