MADD is what this last week was. NO, really! It was Music, Arts, Dance and Drama:) It was for babies to 12th graders. It lasted everyday from 2:30 til 7pm everday, but our summer project crew had to leave around 6 everday because we had prior schedules to keep up with. Except on Tuesday everyone had to go to their normal ministry location. I worked pretty much everyday from 10:30 am til 2pm at Chick-fil-A. Which wasn't bad, it was just the BUS TRANSIT that can be reallly annoying when it's not on time. (Yet another thing of Patience I need to learn to pray about) The Staff of Summer project also left last Friday leaving everyone in charge of something specific and to keep them responsible for something that way we don't get bored other than our daily routines.
I was an asistant teacher's aid for the 7th graders during MADD week. There were two other aids for the class. I never got to stay for the arts and drama because we had to leave by then. There was one particular thing that was different for me than all the other crew this week. I had a 7th grade girl who is deaf and does NOT have a cochlear implant and only signs. As you all know I did sign when I was little and was fluent. Now is different because I am not fluent anymore, but I still do understand to some extent and can sign to some extent. - This week was a major frustration that I was having a hard time with this girl because we couldn't communicate very well and she was frustrated with not being able to hear the music and do the dancing without being able to hear. I was also having a hard time trying not to be frustrated for her because I could understand where she was coming from, but couldn't help her understand. At one point she saw my processor, and signed to me I wish I had one like you. IT BROKE MY HEART, I said I know you do. (her family is low income, so they wouldn't be able to afford surgery or audiology appts and such)- So lately I've been trying to come up with anything that I can findout to give information to her parents. I think Jesus put this desire into my heart, because I am HOPING and PRAYING somthing comes out of all this even if I may not be here to see it. - This is all the more reasoning I should become an interpreter as well as a nurse.
Patience, is the one thing I have been overwhelmingly needing to working. So with that in mind, I just finished reading a book called A Praying Life: in a distracted world by Paul E. Miller.(if you get a chance, like ever, do read it) This book really showed me what my heart has been like and how I really need the Holy Spirit to continue to work in my heart as I pray for patience in all things. Proverbs 3:5-6 keeps coming up to me repeadiately: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will guide your paths." As I have gone through the last 5 weeks, I have learned a lot about myself that it's become overwhelming. Because I've realized that even though I am independent and think I can do everything on my own. Which is just not true, because I get so impatient. So as I pray I have to wholly let my heart belong to the Lord and he will give me the disires of my heart. I just have to suffer a little while so that I will trust him all the more with my life. It's not easy.
One of the first things we found out on the first day of coming here is that the staff would be leaving us in the middle of the project. WHAT are you talking about?! Well the reason is that they want us to take ownership of the project and to be able to do it on our own and to make it our project. SO last Thursday we had a going away party for the staff on a Yacht! yeah that's right! It was pretty amazing. I just had to relax and take the scenery all in because it was just beautiful. -Anyway, everyone was given a job. Remember all the different things I listed about what we do on a daily basis? Well everyone is delegated to every part of it. For instance: on Wednesday night which is family night, The family night team is in charge of putting the program together. Courtney and I are over the family night group as apart of the group.
I kinda thought I would be working full-time at the Chick-Fil-A out here. I can't always get what I want, but at least out here I have a job. Most of us still haven't had luck being able to get a job. At first, I had a really hard time working at this Chick-Fil-A because it is different than what I'm used to....I don't mean to boast but I do have a right to have pride at being the top Chick-Fil-A and the busiest one. And plus everything is different, which is what Brandon kindly reminded me that every operator to each of his own can operate the store how they want to according to Chick-Fil-A standards. I think I really had it in my mind that everything would be easy since I can pretty much do most of everything except a few. But no, it hasn't been. It's been more of learning experience and just what I needed. Also, in the last few days out of the last 4 weeks I've worked there I am just being able to get to know people because I am being more open and actually praying that I would be able to minister to them some how. This is my hope for working at this Chick-Fil-A: That with the next 5 weeks I would hope that I can learn more from working there and that I can help them out in anyway I can. I'm so glad God's changed my heart to make me trust him more....with out him nothing is possible.
My Prayer needs for this next few weeks are a few needs. That the Lord will strenghten my patience and trust in him. Secondly, that the rest of my support money will come in(only need $235)in a timely fashion. Also, that while I'm here that I would be able to be myself because I tend to withdraw when I am around a group of people. I really am trying hard to be myself. And that I would be able to be an example to the people around me here at the project. Will you also pray that the rest of my fellow LBSP peeps who do not have as much support coming in that the Lord will provide it for them since most of them still don't haave jobs.
