This past week we participated in Outdoor Education Week as an entire school. This is a week focused on getting kids outside and interested in the resources God has placed around them. While elementary primarily stays on campus, middle school gets split up into 2 groups. The 8th graders go on an intense backpacking trip to climb the highest point in the Caribbean, Pico Duarte. The 6th and 7th graders go camping for 3 days to Manabao which is where Doulos' coffee farm is located. It's about 45 min outside of the city and its beautiful!! But when you add middle schoolers to this beautiful scenery here are some things that happen:
-loud voices and screaming
-middle school flirting (which means boys hit girls and the girls share the "wonderful news" with their friends)
-complaining while trekking up the "hill" with their backpack and at some points just sitting down wanting to give up...let me remind you that I was at the back with these kids and we had plenty of teachable moments while hiking:)
-kids realize they can live without their cell phones and carry everything they need on their back.
-great cool weather with little showers here and there
-boys wanting to take off their shirts and be manly while beating their chests with sticks (no lie...actually happened)
-hiked to a waterfall
-kids get away from town for the first time ever!!
-teambuilding activities that at first didn't go so well, but after some teachable moments, got much better second time around...still a success.
-yummy breakfast burritos, spaghetti, and quesadillas
-time for silence and reflection with just us and the mountains...sweet times.
-kids realize they can be away from their families for 3 days
Our goal this trip was to teach them about solitude and reflection while in the outdoors. Now I know what all of you are thinking that we are crazy to try and teach this massive concept to middle schoolers of all people!! Yes, we are crazy for attempting this but we really felt that our kids don't know what to do with silence b/c they live in a society where there is no silence literally. There is always a party, music, baby crying, people talking, yelling in the house constantly, motos driving up and down the streets, etc. This is something our kids battle daily and they don't know how to find solitude within that kind of environment. We got to look at scripture and see how many times it said Christ purposefully left the crowds to be alone in solitude. There is purpose in reflection and it's not just to draw away as a recluse but a chance to look closer at our own lives, see what needs to be changed, etc.
I have to say that while we didn't master this concept, we did introduce it and will continue to work on this process throughout their time at Doulos. I used to hate mom or dad asking me "Why?" about everything or making me think (heaven forbid!) about a decision I had made. Now and only now can I say that I am thankful for them teaching me that at such a young age. I still don't like to do it now, but I can now see the benefits and fruits that come from reflection. I challenge you this week to reflect through silence, listening to music, dancing, exercising, drawing, or whatever medium get some time alone and allow the Holy Spirit to bring things to light that need changing. Stay tuned for future posts about what the Spirit has been revealing to me lately...
9.27.2010
9.25.2010
"Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing"
Oh the nuggets of wisdom by Ron Baker:) He used to say this all the time and while it seems like such a simple proverb, we make it quite complex. So, I ask you what is the main thing? Sometimes I think my main thing changes from season to season in my life: getting a good education, being a good daughter, making sure my students are learning math concepts, serving in my church, etc. While these ideals are good in and of themselves, they aren't the main thing...the main thing is loving on people.
At the beginning of the year, Tim (operations director) said an intersting fact about loving people. He said that Jesus based the entire fate of the world on his 12 disciples and their ability to love people after He left. You think about the 2 greatest commandments in Matthew where Christ either calls us to love Him or others; this is what He boiled down the entire Judean law to and the conclusion is love...must be important huh?
2 weeks ago, I was not keeping the main the main thing. I allowed other trivial details to get in my way of loving people. Things like pride, blaming others, keeping a record of wrongs, etc (not the prettiest sounding sins huh?) are what I was focusing on last week. Dad used to say that we should not "major on the minors" yet that is what I was doing. I was allowing the kid who was tapping his pencil to the beat of his own drum annoy me, or the staff member who hasn't responded to an email in a timely fashion frustrate me, or the fact that I live in this place where I still don't understand so much of the language and yet I have the desire to do so get the best of me and my attitude. Do you have these days or is it just me? I feel like we all have these days, yet we cover them up so no one really knows that we mess up all the time, we have a bad attitude towards people and need to ask forgiveness, or we forget to keep the main thing the main thing.
Ask Jesus to remind you what the main thing is and be real with Him throughout your day, even when you aren't keeping the main thing the main thing, He already knows that we will fail and is ready to get us back on track. Rest in this truth my friends.
At the beginning of the year, Tim (operations director) said an intersting fact about loving people. He said that Jesus based the entire fate of the world on his 12 disciples and their ability to love people after He left. You think about the 2 greatest commandments in Matthew where Christ either calls us to love Him or others; this is what He boiled down the entire Judean law to and the conclusion is love...must be important huh?
2 weeks ago, I was not keeping the main the main thing. I allowed other trivial details to get in my way of loving people. Things like pride, blaming others, keeping a record of wrongs, etc (not the prettiest sounding sins huh?) are what I was focusing on last week. Dad used to say that we should not "major on the minors" yet that is what I was doing. I was allowing the kid who was tapping his pencil to the beat of his own drum annoy me, or the staff member who hasn't responded to an email in a timely fashion frustrate me, or the fact that I live in this place where I still don't understand so much of the language and yet I have the desire to do so get the best of me and my attitude. Do you have these days or is it just me? I feel like we all have these days, yet we cover them up so no one really knows that we mess up all the time, we have a bad attitude towards people and need to ask forgiveness, or we forget to keep the main thing the main thing.
Ask Jesus to remind you what the main thing is and be real with Him throughout your day, even when you aren't keeping the main thing the main thing, He already knows that we will fail and is ready to get us back on track. Rest in this truth my friends.
9.14.2010
Spiritual Sunburns
So, this past weekend we went to the beach and while it was wonderfully relaxing the Caribbean sun got to my face a little bit thus why I look like a grapefruit right about now:) As I have been dealing with my sunburn for the past few days, I have realized several similarities between sunburns and sin...here goes:
-A sunburn on your face is in such a critical position b/c everyone sees it and you might not think it so bad, but that's b/c you can't see it. This past week at school I have been stared at mucho (alot) received several comments about the color of face as if I didn't know I looked like a tomato!!
-Our sin is very much apparent to the Lord and we can't cover it up. When we try to cover it up like makeup over a sunburn, we looked seriously deranged and it's obvious we are covering something up.
-A sunburn gets to the point where it becomes scratchy and you think if you just touch it a little, everything will be alright. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all; when we touch it a little, we want more of it and then we have scraped off the side of our face and now your face is potentially more red and bleeding:)
-Same with sin, if we think we can still dabble with our sin we are fooling ourselves. We must rid ourselves from it and any temptation that comes with it.
Just some things to think about whether or not you are experiencing the physicality of this as I:)
-A sunburn on your face is in such a critical position b/c everyone sees it and you might not think it so bad, but that's b/c you can't see it. This past week at school I have been stared at mucho (alot) received several comments about the color of face as if I didn't know I looked like a tomato!!
-Our sin is very much apparent to the Lord and we can't cover it up. When we try to cover it up like makeup over a sunburn, we looked seriously deranged and it's obvious we are covering something up.
-A sunburn gets to the point where it becomes scratchy and you think if you just touch it a little, everything will be alright. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all; when we touch it a little, we want more of it and then we have scraped off the side of our face and now your face is potentially more red and bleeding:)
-Same with sin, if we think we can still dabble with our sin we are fooling ourselves. We must rid ourselves from it and any temptation that comes with it.
Just some things to think about whether or not you are experiencing the physicality of this as I:)
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