From None to Nine

From one day to the next, I went from being a single independent woman with no children, to being a "mom" responsible for nine girls!

A week ago Tuesday, my parents dropped me off here at the Christian Centre for the deaf. I was introduced to the girls, and at first I thought it would take me a while to remember not only their names but also their sign names! Thankfully, within a day I pretty much had figured out both!

It hasn't been a week yet, and I feel like I've already started to bond with the girls. They are all so sweet and loving. Of the nine girls, one of them is actually a 44 year old woman, but mentally she is still a child. The rest of the girls range from ages 10 to 19.

It is interesting being surrounded by sign language all the time! I feel bad, because I often have trouble understanding the girls and have to get them to repeat things or explain to me what it is they are trying to tell me. My sign language definitely should improve by staying here!!!

To be honest, this last week has been VERY rough!!! I never imagined it would be this hard. I have felt VERY homesick--really missing being somewhere familiar and being with my family and friends. I'm afraid lots of tears have been shed! At this point, the four months till the end of the school year seems like an eternity! I'm just trying to live one day/one moment at a time!

At the same time, I know God wants to use this difficult time in my life to draw me closer to Him and to shape me and mold me into the image of His Son. My struggles definitely are making me run to Him! The other day, God brought these verses to mind:

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:24-26

Right now, I feel like I would like to be anywhere but here! And yet this verse reminds me that it's not about me and what I want--Jesus calls me to lay down my life and desires and to serve and follow Him. I believe He has led me here and wants me to serve Him here.

The day after God brought these verses to mind, I looked them up, and my eyes fell on the verses that follow:

"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28

As I read these verses, I began to weep. Jesus Himself gave me an example to follow! He left His home, came and lived among us in the least desirable of circumstances, and He laid down His life!!! He also knows what it is like to be tempted to want "out". What a wonderful God we serve! He not only tells us what He wants from us, He lives it out for us, giving us an example, and because of that, He is able to sympathize with us in our struggles.

THANKSGIVING:

-I have my own room and bathroom, which is a real blessing!
-My knowledge of sign language is definitely coming in handy!
-The love and hugs the girls give me!
-I get mornings off, while the girls are in school, which allows me to have some time to myself.
-My cell phone is another blessing. It allows me to talk to my family and get text messages from my friends, which are an encouragement!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

-Spiritual, emotional, and physical strength!
-Physical health! (The other day, the cook didn't come in, so I helped a few of the girls make the meal. That kitchen would be any North American food safety inspector's worst nightmare!)
-Joy and contentment.
-The physical safety and health of the girls in my care.
-Creativity (I'm afraid I'm not the most creative person, and I am really struggling to come up with ideas for ways to keep the girls busy during their free time. We just had a long weekend, so there was plenty of free time, and I really found it hard to think of things to keep the girls from getting bored. Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated!)

NOTE: I tried uploading pictures with this post, but the internet connection was too slow. I may have to wait till my next trip to La Paz and post pictures from my parents' computers.