Blessed be HIS name

Wednesday, November 14, 2012.

Lying in my bed, I woke up at 5:30 in the morning. I hadn't been able to sleep well the past 3 nights, and once again, I had to wipe tears from my eyes before I was even out of bed. Thoughts filled my mind as I laid there listening to my two missionary sisters in their deep sleep. This is really it. My last full day. The recital- oh so much to still prepare for it. All these faces that look at me and say, No te vayas. Don't go. I tell them I must go, but it is so, so hard. And my family, what are they doing? Are they ready for my return? How will my transition take place? Will they be the same family that I had left three months ago? I couldn't take all the rushing thoughts anymore, so I rose and began my day. I went down to the kitchen and began preparing for cooking paczkis (Polish doughnuts.) Mikayla and I had agreed to meet about 6:30 and make a couple batches of doughnuts for the Recital that evening. I had no idea what food Julie was going have, so Mikayla and I decided to double the recipe. Three hours later we had made over 80 doughnuts. As soon as we had finished we separated and went our own ways for the rest of the morning. Mikayla went to school, and I began to wander around aimlessly trying to keep my heart and mind under control.

At my house in Michigan, there is this old swing that hangs from a Walnut tree. It has been there since my oldest brother put it up when he was young. It is one of my favorite spots and anytime that I need to pray, or cry, or just be, that is where I go. Being in Mexico at the time, I didn't have that spot, but there was one very similar at the park. Down I went. The three green swings hung from a metal frame right next to a hill covered in purple, yellow, and white wild flowers. The sun was shinning, and I could feel its rays sinking into my skin. I sat and swung for a good while, just praying to God for the day, the recital, the way home, and my broken heart. I tried to hold the tears back, but how could I? I was about to leave the life I had just gotten to know, and the people, how was I too say goodbye? Then God reminded me of a song,

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

 Where Your streams of abundance flow

                   Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

\

  Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering 

Blessed be Your name

You give and take away

You give and take away

     My heart will choose to say

                                            Lord, blessed be Your name

There was nothing else to do than sing these words in a prayer to God. As memories of the past three months played through my mind, I was grateful for everything that God had given me. He was to be praised; for every laugh, tear, and moment. I still had a whole day to live there, so I stood up ready to continue on the path God had laid in front of me. One step at a time I will follow Him. And the next step was to walk up the hill to the house and finish what God had given me, I had a recital to direct. 

I had spent the rest of the morning folding programs and translating introductions into Spanish with Jorge. Geesh that was a task. But we completed just in time for lunch! As soon as lunch was over a group of us headed up to the school to begin setting up for the recital. 

Everyone was helping. It was so cool to see so many people in support of the recital.

Setting up the refreshments table

Using Christmas lights really made it look special!

 Everything was beautiful. All the children were dressed so nicely and our special visitors had arrived. I was so nervous and excited, it felt just like my first recital. But I was surrounded by my new family and loving friends, I knew that the evening was going to be one to remember. Enjoy the few pictures below!

It was truly the best recital of my life. All of the kids played wonderfully, and all the special artists did beautifully as well. I had ordered a personally engraved medal for each of them. They all loved them! The younger ones didn't take their's off all night, and about 6 of them had them on again the following day. It was so special to see their smiles as they received theirs at the end of the night. I miss these people greatly and pray to return someday. I will forever hold this day in my heart~ blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Power of God- Through Teaching and Through Friendships

I am beginning to understand that I am here to teach more than piano. Some lessons are so difficult. I think mainly because a few of the kids would rather be playing Wii, or playing outside rather than playing piano. This brings out bad attitudes. And when the students begins to pout, or doesn't even try to do what we are working on, no progress can be make. There is no use on forcing them to do it, because there is no want to learn. No one is going to learn anything unless they have a want to learn it, and they certainly are not going to retain it, unless there is a want. Now, a want doesn't have to be exactly a want to learn piano, it simply needs to be a want to accomplish a task that has been placed in front of them. A want to do what they're told (for none of them have the option to learn piano, by Julie, all of them take lessons), and a want to do something well- whether they like it or not. Life is full of these tasks. When the students begins to show disregard for piano, that's when I completely stop teaching piano. And that's when I start teaching whatever God lays on my heart in that second. It may be diligence, perseverance, work ethic, obedience, you name, I've probably covered it! I'll be honest, these lessons can be brutally painful. I think I've had a lesson go for close to an hour and a half which a normal lesson is 30 minutes. But! God has given me much patience! I thank and praise Him, whether my lessons are getting to the kids or not. I was almost going to type "and don't get me wrong, the good lessons far out weigh the bad." But than I thought about that, and it contradicts everything I just said. All of my lessons are good, and for the glory of God. Whether my student is playing beautiful minuets or just sitting and waiting for me to give in, I preserver and pray God would use even just one thing from that lesson to impact their lives.

Being a missionary here, and living 24/7 with two other missionary women, there is a bond that connects all three of us. Sometimes, a day will be just too much, not for any particular reason, and one of us will brake down. We can't explain it, we don't know if it was the hard class we had to teach, if it was feelings of homesickness, if it is the stress of having multiple things to accomplish everyday, if it was seeing all the brokenness on the side of the streets, it could even be joy or happiness we don't know. But everything just hits and collides at once. Creating unstoppable tears. And even when the weeping young woman of God doesn't understand, the other two still do. It's like, we are all here together, we can't explain what we are going through or what we are learning separately, but we still get each other. It's an understanding and friendship only God can give. Thank you Lord, for these missionary sisters.

This week, we were blessed to have two of Vicky's friends come and serve for a week. They both shared our room, so all five of us were a little cramped in here. But it gave us joyous times as we got to know each other by talking and laughing in the evenings. Laiza and Jackie spent their week here helping in the school, playing with the kids, teaching guitar lessons, and helping with chores. Then to top off the week, they prepared a theatrical with the kids! Friday night they preformed "Abraham." They made costumes, and entire set with curtains and props, a dialog and acting! It was so fun to watch the children, and I believe they had fun as well. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our two knew friends today, as they had to return to their Seminary school here in Mexico. It was fun getting to know them, and Jackie gave me hope and encouragement of learning Spanish. She is originally from Mexico, but has lived in the States for two years, and so she has learned English. She speaks it so well! It gives me hope to someday speak Spanish they way she speaks English.

Here are some pictures of my Missionary Sisters and our two new friends! Enjoy!

 Vicky and I. Vicky is a seminary student that is completing her course by serving here for a year. She is such a blessing to have in my life. She only speaks Spanish, so that is a barrier for our friendship, but we find many other ways to communicate. And, I am getting better at speaking/understanding Spanish.

A picture from recess. Back row: Mireya, Mikayla, Angie, Caleb, Vicky. Front row: Ruth, Dani, Carolina, David. Mireya is our head teacher in the school. She is so sweet, I enjoy her friendship. She willingly helps me with Spanish, anytime she sees me studying, she will come over an help me, no matter what she was previously doing. She is Godly and wants to serve. Her and her son, Joel, come three times a week to teach school and Joel comes to attend school. On Fridays, her other son, Jorge, comes to study as well.

  

These were our two guests this week! Laiza and Jackie. I thoroughly enjoyed having them around and will greatly miss them.

Mikayla and I :)

Whispers from God

Sometimes, like now, it feels as though I'm in a movie. I'm sitting in the kitchen feeling the cool breeze coming through the always opened doors, out the window I see rolling hills, and I hear a strange language coming out of the darkened people. As we drive in the crowded van to and from various places, I see busy streets, lots of taco restaurants, and broken homes. And that's when I realize this not a movie, this is not a dream, this is reality. I am actually living in Mexico, the place I'm calling "home" (in quotation due to the fact that I only consider one place my home) during these weeks, is on a mountainside, closer to Brazil than to my home.  And I have the opportunity to touch the results of broken homes. God has given me 18 sets of dusted fingers to teach music to, and four little minds to teach English to. What is this family going to remember when my time here is over? I want to accomplish everything God has for me here at this time, without worrying about the future, or what happens when I return home.
Being here "on my own" for this time as got me thinking that I'm growing up. I know, I know, I'm sixteen, and I have plenty of time to "grow up." But there's certain things that I can not control when they decided to mature. Like my heart, mind, and soul, when God teaches them, I can't just ignore Him and say "Sorry, God, I'm to young to grow up!" . College, ministry, school, music, all take up my extra thoughts, and it is scary knowing that I'm going to have to face these decisions one by one when I return home.The days of my youth are passing, but I thank my Lord that I will ever be able to entertain the spirit of my youth I can't say it enough, God is good. Even 1,800 miles away, God still uses my Pastor's messages to speak on what I need to hear. My Church family is always ready to listen and help, my family is on the other end of the phone, and God is just a whisper away.

Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement, you'll never know how much it means to me.

Some pictures from this week:

Music

First full week of piano lessons went exceptionally well! I love each of my new students and I look forward to teaching them and becoming closer friends with them. Each one is unique, and has a special talent that I want to uncover and bring out. Not all of them love piano lessons, actually it bores several of them, but, I have seen in each of them an attraction to music and it's language. Whether it be piano, guitar, vocal, or violin, there's something in each of them that longs to make music. They are all so worshipful as well, at church, or at home whenever worshiping, there is such heart behind each voice. Even the littlest, David, sings with a full voice, claps his hands, and sways with the music, he is such a joy to be around. Music is amazing, it has a language all in itself. And whether you speak the same language or not, you can be deeply connected through the language of Music. Anything can be communicated through music, happiness, love, anger, peace, and they that know music, they understand it.
Language and communication is so complex. I am so glad that I have this language to communicate through, lest I go completely crazy not being able to say all I want to say in Spanish. It is so enjoyable working with the children that are bilingual. I love their accents when they speak English, and just as they help me with Spanish, I help them with their pronunciation in English. Here is a funny story I think you all will enjoy:
I was playing a game of Risk with Josiah (who is bilingual), Fidel (who is not), Mikayla (who is almost), and myself (who is trying). Josiah kept going back and forth between languages, to make sure everyone playing was on the same page. Then the game got a bit competitive, and we started to throw "playful bashes" at each other. i.e. "You better get used to losing" and so on. Well Josiah meant to say "What do you think you are, girl?" but it came out "What girl think you is?" It was hilarious, I think we all laughed for five minutes straight. It's amazing how much the brain can handle, most of the little ones can understand English, even though they don't speak it. Working twice a week with the kindergartners is really showing me how much they already know of English, they just need the practice now to speak it.

To Teach is to Love

G, yes, G. No not that G... Right here.

To teach piano is to reposition little fingers a hundred times
To teach piano is to count aloud with them until you're out of breath
To teach piano is to realize that the only reason they come to lessons are for the stickers

To give piano is to give your time... A lot of it
To give piano is to give your encouragement
To give piano is to give your love

To love piano is to show how to make music, not just sound
To love piano is to encourage creativity in making their own music
To love piano is to teach an amazing way to worship our Maker