It's been quite some time since I last wrote and since then it seems much has passed. Session ended and we had at least 70 people come and support the graduates! It was a wonderful thing to witness and be a part of. As a special presentation Quentin, one of the staff here, made little paddles to present to the graduates painted with a word and a bible verse to encourage them as they moved on to a new part of their life journey. A surprise twist revealed that Quentin had also made paddles for each of the staff and asked the graduates to pick a word and a verse for each of us. It was a touching surprise that they had thought to honour us for our service to them.
There was a work crew that came in the morning of the graduation from a church called The Train Station. That evening after the graduation they had a sing song just praising and singing to the Lord. Their joy and humble hearts reminded me a lot of my own church and in that reminder my heart was so blessed and filled with love for these wonderful people. It's amazing the connection God can bring forth in worship and service. As I am writing this I cannot help but smiling at the thought of these kind-hearted people.
However before I knew it everyone had left and we were in a lull. I spent the week after session painting inside my house and trying to sort out everything I had gone through in my heart and mind. Not an easy task, on both accounts. Since then work groups have been in and out. When Maple Ridge Christian School came for a week of work I had such a great time seeing them and catching up with my friends(this is the group I have come with the past three years prior to moving here). By the end of their week being here I was ready to go back to my parents home and have a breather from life at Esperanza.
However before I knew it everyone had left and we were in a lull. I spent the week after session painting inside my house and trying to sort out everything I had gone through in my heart and mind. Not an easy task, on both accounts. Since then work groups have been in and out. When Maple Ridge Christian School came for a week of work I had such a great time seeing them and catching up with my friends(this is the group I have come with the past three years prior to moving here). By the end of their week being here I was ready to go back to my parents home and have a breather from life at Esperanza.
Spending the time at home with my family and close friends really rejuvenated me. My birthday came a went on April 1st and by the time I was heading back to Esperanza I realized that with my time away I had started to feel like myself again. Release is an amazing feeling when you didn't even realize you had been holding onto things. Now that I have returned to Esperanza I feel much more equipped to handle things but even so I cannot do anything without the Lords guidance and strength.
I was reading my bible when I found a letter my best friend had written me and in it she had written this verse for me:
“The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.”
Psalm 28:7
It reminded me to continue praising God in all circumstances. As the next session approaches rapidly Please pray that we all had the right amount of time to rest ourselves and be restored so that we we may be all that God has intended for this upcoming session. Also pray for protection physically, mentally and spiritually. There has been much to go on in the past weeks and in all of it God has been there. Just as he is there with you now. We are all united as the body of christ all working in different ways.
Be blessed in this reminder!
