Back to work

My goodness, what a day. I was babysitting for my friend's kids and setting up my classroom. I just can't believe the amount of work that goes into stapeling things on the wall! I am not sure if I am ready to go back and I am nervous about making the decision to coach or not coach basketball. I have to decide soon and it would be in the best interest of my overseas team to sacrifice this part of my job that I love. It is a huge sacrifice because basketball has been such a great ministry for me but I see where greater work is in the future and I must prepare. Ohh if I could just have the words to say, answers to give, and courage to sacrifice for the Lord the way I know I am asked to...
Today I also took on the kids at House Church. I say this because I often have a bad attitude about it because it is tough to get kids of various ages and discipline to work on anything for a sustained period. I usually get frustrated and lose my love for the kids in some small ways. Tonight however, I feel like God honored my willingness to suck it up and try to love them all. The kids were great, they all worked hard, they all had good things to say, and I think the older ones actually understood what the passage we read was trying to say. Uh, to be amused by playdough and puzzles for hours- if only life was still so simple!

Disneyland and teenagers

I just spent two days in Disneyland with 2 teenage girls. God love my mother who used to take my sister and I on vacation alone often when my dad was working! The girls and I had a great time but really how much can one person scream on the Madahorn?
I was wondering while I walked around the park if I am going to be cut out for cross cultural living. I was struggling with close proximity the whole time we were in the park- one of the girls even commented on how I kept moving to get away from people. I know that other cultures do not have the personal space we have so that might be a really big struggle for me!
Yesterday on the 4+ hour drive home conversation seemed to focus on teen sex. I want to protect them from being used, I want them to know God's great gift of sex when it is in the confines that He set out for us. I talked about getting God's best in your life and they responded, "I know I can't wait until I am married but I will wait until I am 16, that way if I do get pregnant at least I can deal with it" WHAT?!??!?!?!?!?! I just kept telling them both all the way home (well until they fell asleep) that they are worth so much and they are loved whether guys like them or not! Their worth won't ever come from the guys who want to have sex with them or even from the guys who want to love them. As I write this I realize that these are things I struggle with also-- why is it so hard for us to know that our value is in being a child of God???
Well I must recover, do laundry and repack for the next mini vacation of summer '05!