! Parents Are Here !

All the students' parents have arrived for the Parents Weekend. Tonight at dinner, Nat and I (and all the students) have to give a small presentation/speech. Nat and I will be talking about each of our girls/guys about the ways that they have each grown, changed, and transformed over the past 8 months we have had them. What I want to know is: Why - oh why - on earth am I so nervous?? I think it's because I'm feeling a little bit void of clarity and insight the past few days. My mind feels all cloudy and still reeling from Culiacan, and I know it's ridiculous to be nervous, which doesn't help at all. These are my girls. Each of whom I love dearly, and spend every day with. Why would it make me nervous to tell their parents what I've loved seeing in them, the things I've watched, how it has been, etc...?

Ok, you know what. I'm just going to get over it. This is nothing to freak out about. This is a great opportunity to encourage the parents and families that their loved one who is doing Ventana is wonderful and special, and why... This is not about me in any way. I am selfish to be nervous about it. It's a chance, not a test, and I want to take this chance willingly, without stressing out about it internally and then being so surprised when it turns out ok.

[truthfully - i can't wait to go to bed tonight when it is all over... and have a whole day off tomorrow...]

but Lord - you are with us. I pray that you be whispering softly in the hearts of Nat and I as we seek to portray the work You have been doing in Ventana this year. Help me not to be selfish. Help me to stand their humbly, unconcerned with what I look like or what my hair is doing, and to take a deep breath and then - whatever You would like me to say, I'll say. I pray for calm assurance, warm friendliness, and clear speech. I love you, Father. Thank You for loving me despite my ridiculousness.

sheepishly,

ellen

[to memorize]:

Don't lost a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others.

With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

2 Peter 1:6-9

back into the routine...

well we are back from our two-week mission trip to Culiacan. It was an intense time. Each day we visited a different camp where indigenous people working on huge farms lived to go door-to-door and "diagnose" - figure out, via tape recorder which Indian dialect they spoke - and then to hand out evangelical cassettes and cds in their language. After that we showed a Jesus movie, and then gave an invitation to accept Christ. During this time, a few of us were also playing, singing and doing crafts with the kids... Throughout most of the trip, most of us as white people felt a bit useless and lost, as the missionaries we worked with spoke mostly all Spanish. With our 2 real translators, and then myself, Liz and Jerry filling in when possible, communication was a struggle sometimes. However, the people were beautiful. The Christians we met were admirable, strong people who had surrendered their lives completely for the furthering of God's message. They were passionate, charismatic, expressive ~ when they prayed and sang their faces shown with the evidence of their belief that God was right there, listening and accepting and loving and forgiving.

It's good to be back home, too. The first two nights I fell asleep early, and woke up at 6:30 or 7 the following morning, fully awake. [this is VERY unlike me] I would also wake up 5 or 6 times throughout the night, and usually at least once at 4am. My sleeping seems to have evened out now, and I am just adjusting to getting back in the swing of things here.

I'll write more later. For now, I have to clean up the huge mess of crafting supplies spread out on my floor. I am excited to someday have a little room that I can turn into an art studio.