Time for Thanks

It is November, after all.  The trees are bright yellows and oranges.  My birthday just passed along with the pumpkins and trick-or-treaters.  And I've worked for a month in my new job - which I LOVE!

The process was a little long.  I interviewed at one school only to find out that the position was not bilingual or ESL, so I interviewed at a second school where I felt really good about the position even though it wasn't ESL either, until the first school called back with an offer for an ESL position. But when I interviewed for that position, I discovered that I would spend most of the day yelling at loud children and the rest would be spent watching a few bilingual students put on headphones and work in a computer lab...not at all what I was looking for. 

So I took the job at the second school.  I felt really good about it, which was strange since it wasn't what I wanted initially.  I work in a fifth grade math classroom as a teachers' assistant.  I help out each of the three fifth grade teachers here, but I work especially with a Chinese student, Brandon.  When I'm not running copies or cutting out shapes or stapling artwork to a bulletin board, I get to write ESL lessons for Brandon.  I get to work one-on-one with him, and the school district even gave me a license for Rosetta Stone in Chinese!  So I have been able to work on my language-learning even now - where I least expected it. 

God's hand has been on me, providing me with good friends and a joyful work-environment.  Then there are the added blessings of an ESL student all to myself and Rosetta Stone for free!  I could not have imagined this a year ago.  My ideas were totally different, but I have peace about where God is taking me.  He is leading one step at a time.  And His blessings are my proof that He still has great plans for me and that I am exactly where He wants me for now. 

Remember your many blessings, the big ones and the small ones.  They are gifts from God, all of them. 

And may He continue to bless you even more,

Diane

Fall Brings New Hope

Summer Joy

The interns planning our Hawaiian luau

I wrote that the summer was good.  It was - invigorating, in fact.  It was really just what I needed.  After a year of school and some more than slightly difficult months in Dallas, coming home to my family and my church was certainly healing. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved my school.  I loved my classes and my professors and my friends.  I learned about a million new things about linguistics, and I was enthralled by every minute of it. But there were many things that combined to make life difficult for me there: difficulty finding a church, unstable housing (I moved 6 times in the last year), lots of changes, loss of direction, and damaged relationships outside of my control to name a few things.

So I spent the summer recovering. God gave me good, strong, encouraging co-workers.  He gave me work that He knew I was equipped to handle, even when I didn't feel equipped, myself.  He gave me a wonderfully supportive home and family - especially a mom who could see things that I needed before I could recognize them in myself.  He gave me the opportunity to turn an old friendship into a new relationship.  Most of all, He gave me hope for my own future...and it seems it is going to look a little different than I had thought at the start of the year.

New Seasons

The interns at the end of the summer

It seems like every new season brings a new plan in my life, but don't be fooled.  The end goal is still the same.  The name of this blog is God's Word to the world, albeit a bit cliche, it is what I dream to be a part of.  It is the most important thing in the universe: bringing the news of God's wonderful, healing salvation to those who don't know it.  But the way by which I sought to do this before seems a bit narrow.  God has taught me that there are so many ways to do this!


I still want to go abroad.  My passion is still languages, and my dreams are still for other countries.  But I have decided to take some time to grow first.  Here, at home - where, for now, I seem to be thriving. 

So I am looking for a job. I have interviewed at a couple of places, but I am really hoping to hear back soon from the local school district.  In particular, I am looking to help out in either a bilingual or ESL classroom.  I have discovered that my love for teaching and working with children is stronger and more unique than I had understood before this last year.  I've discovered that I love it almost as much as I love learning foreign languages...and I'm good at it. 

I don't know how long I will be here, but I will stay until I get my feet on the ground both emotionally and financially.  And from there, I have to leave my hands open. Only God knows what is in store for me. 

I pray that all of you are finding success in the things God has given you.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to." - Ephesians 2:10

As always, God bless,

 - Diane

Summer 2012

Summer "I LOVE AMARILLO," I exclaimed. "I actually have a list of things that Amarillo does better than anywhere else in the world." "Wow," he replied. "You sound almost angry about it." Maybe I came across a little bit more passionate than I realized. But it is true that I love my city. Here are some things that my city does better than yours: sno cones, sunsets, frito pie, christian radio, clean air, varieties of sweet tea, and local restaurants. I also learned recently that our mall is the most visited mall in the US and that restaurant chains try all their new products in this area before anywhere else. I am happy to be home.

This summer I have gotten to hang out with high school and middle school students, wear glow necklaces and play dodgeball in black lights with dubstep music blaring through the church gym. I got to go to the midnight premier of Brave. I got to play keyboard and sing for a worship service. I got to eat pigs in a blanket and tacos from one of my favorite restaurants. I got to play frisbee and beat everyone at Just Dance 3. I got to talk to two girls about abuse and two others about suicide. I got to talk to some girls about self-image and relationships. I got to talk to another about leadership and yet another about fear. In two weeks, I will be speaking in a Wednesday night service, and I can't help but think that there are too many things to cover. These girls are incredible, with incredible potential, and my heart's desire is to see them succeed. I'm working through a couple of options as far as what to do in the fall, but I haven't yet decided. You can be in prayer that I would make a wise decision in that arena. But more than anything else right now, my prayer is to be a good leader in my job working with these students. I hope that your summer is as full and wonderful as mine has been so far. Diane

February Successes

I mentioned last month that I was looking for a job and a church, and I have some great news!  I think I have found both!

Job
After about a month and a half of searching and applying for jobs, including every bank between DeSoto and Duncanville, private tutoring jobs, restaurants, substitute teaching, and no fewer than six after-school programs, I finally got a response from an elementary school close-by.

I went in for the interview, and I happened to know the sister of the girl who interviewed me!  I knew that was a good sign.  She was happy to have me on the team, so she had me make an appointment to get my fingerprints done so that I can be eligible to work in Dallas ISD.  I should start some time this week teaching theater in the afternoon program for grades K-5!

I am really thrilled to be working with kids again, and I already know that I love teaching.  I'm a little nervous about being in charge of so many students at once, but I am definitely ready to get started.  

Church
As far as churches go, I was feeling frustrated that I couldn't really get involved anywhere.  I had been going to a church about 20 minutes west of campus, working with the youth group, but this semester, I moved 20 minutes east of campus so it wasn't really feasible to drive 40 minutes there and back every week.  I needed somewhere closer.  I visited a couple of churches closer to home, and I was feeling pretty good about one of them when something amazing happened.

We split up for prayer at the end of the college service, and the girl I sat next to wanted me to pray for her unbelieving friends.  She said that she had grown up going to Christian school and church and had never had any unbelieving friends before.  I told her I had been feeling just the opposite - that I had grown up in public school and was for the first time in a position where I didn't know any non-Christians.  I also told her I had been trained in evangelism and had done some training, myself.  She was so excited that she invited me to have coffee with her and her friend so that I could share with her a little about how to handle the situation!

More than having a place to learn about God and sing to Him, I had been looking for a place to serve.  Here, He already provided me with an opportunity to use my skills and gifts, which was really encouraging!  I plan to pray about it and visit a couple more weeks before I decide to throw myself head-first into it all, but I am feeling a lot better about the decision, for sure.

Short Summaries of Simple things

(and maybe a few that are not so simple)

January Novelties:
I learned how to take care of chickens, pigeons, and rabbits
I collected eggs
I learned that baby seals are fluffy
I tried to use a convection oven, and then I learned how to re-set a breaker box

Struggles:
I have been feeling a bit guilty about slowing down
I have struggled to find a job
I get lost a lot and my GPS charger is missing

Resolutions:
I determined to focus more on others rather than myself, especially not to complain
I determined to be more reliable - to get a job
I determined to find a church where I can serve locally

Prayers:
I am praying that I would have faith and hope for the future - to believe in big things
I am praying that God would ignite my passion regardless of my circumstances
I am praying for someone to go with because it is not good to do ministry alone

Short story:
I was studying with my good friend, Stephanie, just the other day in a Subway, south of town.  It was kind of late, and there weren't many people in the restaurant.  Three people came inside to hang out with one of the workers, and they were talking and talking.  I, in language analyst mode, sat studying their accents.  I was just about to pull out a piece of paper to begin to take notes on the phonological patterns of one of the girl's speech, when she said something that stopped me in my tracks. 

"His mother has been helpful, and he's not like he wants me to get the abortion, but he doesn't want me to keep the baby..."

And she was no longer a sociolinguistic anomaly; she was a person.  I was struck with the contrast between us.  There we were in the same restaurant, at the same time, about the same age, each with a friend we felt we could confide in.  And I sat with my laptop, typing up an essay for my graduate school; she sat contemplating what she was going to do about a complicated pregnancy and a non-supportive boyfriend.  And there was nothing I could do but pray.  I thought about saying something, but everything sounded patronizing.  So I just prayed. 

It was a good reminder not to take for granted what I've been given, and a reminder that there is ministry - hard ministry - right where I am.  Sometimes that becomes easy to forget.  The school becomes life, and in a place where teachers begin classes with prayer, it is easy to forget that there are people without a knowledge of Christ in the world at all. 

Conclusions:
As a part of my focus on others, I would appreciate prayer requests from you.  I enjoy praying for others, so send me a facebook message or an email, or call me up, and I will spend some time in prayer for you. 

May God bless your new year!