Concluding Week 4

I know I seem to say this with each post, but I cannot believe how fast time has flown and that tomorrow marks the end of week 4 here! As I say this, I think of what this next upcoming week entails in all the excitement of the kids camp that is FINALLY HERE!! WOOHOO! :)

Speaking of the kids camp, my fellow Americans from FBC (First Baptist Church) were supposed to arrive today...but didn't. Sad, sad day, especially for them. Weather was bad in Newark, and so now instead of arriving today, they will be here tomorrow around noon, Lord willing (and I hoping). We've got the week packed with training tomorrow evening and Tuesday, and then CAMP Thursday through Saturday. I am pumped. Ana and I have already started getting our mind set that our team, Team Blue of the amazing 8-9 year olds, will be the champions (though I don't know how much of a competition this will be). Thus we call ourselves the blue champions...and I am hoping we aren't blue because of lack of oxygen...

**Please PRAY for camp! There will be 42 kids, 6-12 years old, attending. Pray for kids to be saved, to grow in their relationship with God, and for their safety. Also pray for energy for the adults and that we would be able to connect well with the kids...especially for us Americans who can't speak/understand Albanian. Also for the lessons we Americans will be teaching. Most importantly pray for God to be glorified.

Beyond being excited for camp, I was able to volunteer at the GDQ International School this past Thursday through Friday. How cool it is to see kids of so many nationalities going to one school, and to hear so many different English accents from the teachers. I loved the environment of this Christian school. Last week was the last week of school, kind of like a celebration of all the hard work of the last year and last week bonding time for students/teachers. Thursday was a pretty miscellaneous day. On Friday was Water Day, so I helped set up and got wet with the kids in their water relays and final free-for-all water fight. Got a good burn that day. :P Friday was the kids' final day and they had like a performance/recognition ceremony where the parents came. It's funny that I feel the bittersweetness for the teachers/students when I wasn't really a part of this community. From a teacher's perspective, I think of how it can be sad if you had a really great class that you were close to. On the other hand, if the class wasn't that great, you're free from them ;) But I have a feeling all of those classes were great ones.

God truly is great. It's so neat to see His work in that school, in this church in Tirana and the church in Durres, His work at home, and His work in me. I am amazed at how mighty of a God we serve that He works in us both individually and collectively. Everyday I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to be here, to get to know and grow with new people. I am also very thankful for the people at home that I love and miss greatly. How I appreciate even more when separated from you how God works in you and uses you in my life. Thank you for caring, for your prayers, and your encouragement.

I am beginning to see that the main theme of what God is teaching me is that all that matters is God and His glory. Life, which is very brief, is not about me, it's about Him. I think so often we, as humans, are selfish, even when we approach God, at least I sure am. It's so easy to get stuck on our overwhelming sinfulness and need to change that we focus on the list of changes rather than on the God who wants to be near to us. God is showing me that I can try to change or conform myself, but my attempts are temporary and ineffective...like trying to treat the symptoms rather than the disease. To have true, lasting, God-glorifying change, we must let go of ourselves and our expectations and seek God and to be close to Him. As we draw near to God, He begins to work the true, lasting changes in us as He transforms us to be like Christ. As we fear and rely on Him, He teaches us what it is to be humble, wise, and useful for His purposes. This is when we can begin to experience freedom in Christ.