This Thursday, we are celebrating Thanksgiving with our students at Liel. The menu has been planned. The shopping will take place Tuesday. The food prep will begin Wednesday. But this season for giving thanks, starts today.
I am thankful because I get to share life with these students...
Dorm brothers
We've been celebrating several birthdays at Liel, including Seth's, one of the dorm brothers. Seth and his brother, Keith, are the sons of the dorm parents, Michelle and Troy. These boys are fantastic. They add such a great dynamic to our dorm family. They are funny, witty, musical, and just plain cute. They may be outrageously outnumbered, living in a house with 13 women, but they are such good sports :) They are so involved here and it has been so encouraging to see them build relationships with their dorm sisters. Their biological sister, Lynnea, has also done a wonderful job of sharing her brothers.
Joyce--Transformed by Grace
The chapel theme for this year at BFA is "Only Grace." Joyce has been so moved by grace in her life, that the Lord inspired her to write a song about it this fall. Once the song was completed, she shared it with the high school chaplain and the chapel band. It was so well received that the chaplain and chapel band invited her to share her song at chapel two weeks ago and explain how grace has changed her life. It was incredibly encouraging. Joyce's testimony and song were inspirational. It is beautiful to see the Lord at work in such a young life. Pray that the Lord would use her to minister to her class and spur them on.
Displays of Talent
Lynnea, Joyce, Ji Soo, and Talya just finished with BFA's fall musical, Suessical. The production was fantastic and I was so impressed by their dedication to it. They spent hundreds of hours practicing and rehearsing over the past two months. Ji Soo played in the pit orchestra and Lynnea, Joyce, and Talya were Whos (as pictured above). These ladies are so talented.
My little baby bean! (Do you remember?)
Laura has been especially energetic and full of life this past week. She just celebrated her 14th birthday on October 31, so perhaps that has something to do with it! She is always making us laugh--especially when she demonstrates her most recently learned ZUMBA moves to Shakira's Waka Waka. It is absolutely hysterical! This girl is going to be a professional exercise instructor. Her fun-spirit is absolutely contagious. She makes a bad day, better :)
My trouble makers...
Erin and Ji Soo are sophomore roommates and they have officially earned the title of "dorm pranksters"--these girls love to joke around with us. Their most recent prank was pretending to be German youth late one night, who were knocking on our windows and taking pictures of our dorm students from outside of our building. The girls were dressed in black and their faces were covered. It just so happened to be the dorm parents' night off and our dorm sub and BFA track coach, Peter, decided to check our property to be safe. He spotted the "girls." They started running. And Peter started chasing (while also addressing them in German). He caught them (what a surprise, right? haha) and the girls took off their disguises. We all laughed...the next day :) But not only do I laugh with these girls, I also have the privilege of living with them on the same floor. I have been profoundly moved by their hunger for Jesus. We have "couch time" before bed and this has been a sweet time of prayer, asking questions, and finding answers about how to seek God. I love these girls.
Victories
Priscilla was awarded MVP for the JV volleyball team at BFA--I was so proud! She is such a dedicated young woman. Pray for her as she tries out for basketball this week!
...........
It has been refreshing for me to share this update with you because many times I forget to be thankful. I forget to rejoice that this is the day that the Lord has made. I forget that today is holy and good. Instead, I find myself getting so caught up in a daily routine that somehow I am living life, but failing to revel in it and enjoy it. How can it be that my eyes don't see? That my ears don't hear?
I don't have an answer to my own questions; but I do know that I am human and therefore also very weak and prone to wander. And yet, Jesus is strong and never far off. He got my attention today--as I reflected on my time with these students, I was much more able to grasp how the Lord has been good to them and to me. A father baptized his son in church yesterday and he encouraged the church to remember this theological absolute--"God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." As a result of this truth, we every reason to rejoice and every reason to sing.
Please join me in offering thanks to our incredibly Good Father today.
"But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me."
Ps. 13: 5-6
"Oh give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever...
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Ps. 118:1, 21-24
