God is good!

God is good, All the time! All the time, God is good! That is a phrase that has consistently popped into my head over the past week. It's crazy to think that another week has passed already and life here finally feels "normal." I am finally over culture shock, jet lag, and feeling like I am able to do life here being fully invested. I can't believe this experience is over 1/3 done already!

There is a lot going on here and this week is an extremely busy one as everything is in full swing. I'm not going to give you the details of everyday because it looks generally the same as last week only with a few more things added. Instead, I'd much rather tell you stories, highlights and what God is doing here. 

We have been to all of the ministry sites now and relationships have formed and are building. It is so cool to see the barriers being torn down, and God at work both when we are there and when we are not. 

Monday, we got to play games with the patients at the hospital in the afternoon. They had so much fun and it was good to see them smile. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we went to the slum and the stitching center. Spending time with the women has been fantastic as we are learning more and more about them. Standing at the top of the stitching center and looking down over the slum is such a heart-wrenching experience every time. Seeing the poverty and hurt breaks my heart, but seeing the children's faces light up with a smile and them waving like crazy when they see us brings me so much happiness and hope. Children call us "aunties" so everywhere we see children whether in our neighborhood, in the slum or around the city, they are always yelling, "auntie, auntie, hi!" Children will run and chase us yelling and wanting to shake our hands, smile and wave, or asking for chocolate (candy). The kids in our neighborhood have gotten very good at saying, "auntie, chocolate?" :) Sweets are such a treat for them.  

Rickshaw rides have been another highlight. Not only do we get to see a lot of the city and people when we ride in them multiple times a day, but it also has made for a lot of great conversations and memories between the 5 of us as we travel to and from places. Yes, we are very good at cramming 5 girls into a rickshaw! :)

Church has been a huge blessing. In an area that is very dark and heavy, being surrounded by a body of Christian believers is so encouraging. We have had the privilege of going to three different people's homes from our church. It has been so fun getting to know them better and then to know people at church on Sunday. 

The biggest highlight and joy of my week happened on Tuesday. We began doing Bible lessons in the tuitions classes in the slum. Tuitions is a time every night where the kids can come to do homework and other activities. I thought I was going to be teaching two different sections of children the story of creation, but because of a little misunderstanding, plans changed like usual :) We found out all of the kids were going to be together for our Bible lesson. We went to the top room which is only about 15 square feet, might I add. Kids kept coming and coming and coming. As they walked in the door, their faces lit up and they said, hi auntie!" They all wanted to know our names and show us stuff they were learning in school or talk to us. Soon there were about 100 kids in that room (plus 3 teachers and 4 of us girls). It was packed! That sight and noise brought me so much happiness. As I looked over the room and saw the beauty in those children's eyes, my heart was full of joy. (What wasn't so cool, was the way of discipline the teachers used…that was hard to watch and made me want to cry.) When it was time to begin, the teachers got the kids quiet and explained that we were going to teach them a Bible lesson. We began by singing "My God is so Big" and they knew that song! It was beautiful to see 100 kids singing their hearts out and doing the actions. I'm not sure the smile on my face  could have gotten any bigger. We taught them "He's got the whole world in His hands." They liked that one and caught on very quickly. Then it was time for the Bible story. I read the story of creation and one of the teacher's also translated. They listened very well. Not sure if I'll ever teach 100 kids at the same time again :) We sang "He's got the whole world in His hands" again and then they sang a praise song for us in Tamel which is one of their languages. They were so full of energy. Leaving was difficult, but we are supposed to go back today and every Tuesday and Thursday! :)

The weather here has been absolutely beautiful. I don't know the exact temperatures but probably between 75-85 everyday. It will sometimes rain randomly in the afternoon, but usually nothing more than a small shower. 

Specific prayer requests for the week:

-Relationships-that they will continue to grow and God will be the center of them

-The women and children who are being trafficked everyday

-The people would be open to the Gospel 

-That people would be able to see God in us wherever we are

-Continued safety and health (so far so good!)

-That God would continue working in my heart 

I hope everyone is doing well. Thank you so much for all of the emails, support, and prayers. It is so encouraging!!  

Here is a verse I read this week that I want to share because it meant a lot to me. Stop and think about the beauty of it :) "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."-Zephaniah 3:17