Seeing God move!

Hi Y'all,

So another week has rolled by and I have fallen more in love with this country and these people.  Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to a women's retreat which was attended by almost every female missionary in this area. There were more than 50 women there from all over the world but who now call this country home.  These were those women of faith and experience that fill you with awe.  It was truly an amazing time of connecting with other missionaries and also with God. Hearing these women's stories about their "work" was challenging on many levels. They made me feel as if I was very young but also very excited for the future.

This week I got the amazing opportunity to go on two different home visits. I went to one of my student's homes and spent 4 hours talking and getting to know my student's mother. Over the course of the conversation the mother asked me about the differences in beliefs about different types of Christians. These questions lead me to be able to share the gospel with her and also a little bit of my testimony. It was such an amazing time of beginning to be able to speak to her about faith and God. This family lives only a 10 minute walk from our flat so I hope it is a relationship that will continue to blossom.  Please be praying that I may be able to build a deep and meaningful relationship with this family and that the Holy Spirit would continue to open up doors in our conversation with which we may talk about God.

I have definitely been struggling with missing home and the things about America which make life easier...ie coffee and efficiency, but through out the struggle to adjust I have felt overwhelming peace here. I feel as if I am beggining to see this place more and more as my home, and despite the rough edges of cultural adjustment I love it here.  This is definitely a dark place where the spiritual attacks are frequent and strong, but because of that God just shines more brightly. It is in the little conversations with parents, or in the times I get to love my students like Jesus would that I can just sense God and see His light entering this dark place. This is a week where despite the challenges and struggles I have come to learn that there is no place where I would rather be.

If you think of it please be praying for my teaching visa. Four of us new teachers are still waiting on our teaching visas. We are believing that they will come soon, but I would appreciate your prayers.  Also be praying if you think of it for homevisits I have this week, ask God that in our conversations His name would be glorified and He would make himself known. Thank you all, miss you guys! -J






(sorry if I didn't 'translate' everything in here-- I think I did, but there were a lot of contraband words! -Heather)