FUNNY MISCOMMUNICATION

Every Tuesday morning we go out as a family and do activities with a group of kindergarten children (see previous post 1/29/14 Abby and Emily's Ministry).

This week, it was a combined class of kindergarten and Grade 1, so there were a few new kids that didn't know us.

Greetings went well.  Actions songs went well.

Then it was time to split up into groups for reading time.  One little guy that was supposed to be in Abby's group broke out in tears, went limp and refused to go to her group.  We couldn't figure out what was wrong!  A teacher stepped in to help, talked with the child and then broke out in a big grin.

The poor little boy thought Abby, dressed smartly in a black skirt and ruffled shirt, was a nurse . . . and that she was going to give him an INJECTION!  

Not sure at all where he got that from, but soon he was smiling and sitting in her group for stories :)

No injections were given.

MY HEART IS SMILING

This post has been a work in progress . . .

My heart has actually been smiling for a while now, but I couldn't quite figure out how to communicate it.

When Kyle and I first started into missions, the part I would play as a nurse on the mission field was always something we assumed would happen.  Kyle didn't, and still doesn't, have any problem with me having a ministry centered around my nursing training.  It makes sense.

I'm a nurse, I love people, I love helping them =  I love ministering to people through my nursing.

But, as the Care Home ministry (where I worked as a nurse to dying HIV+ women) was coming to an end and the pastoral training program that Kyle is involved in started picking up momentum, my heart started getting excited about different things.

I was SO excited . . .  to see my husband SO excited about the potential of teaching Zulu pastors.

For the first time, I wasn't wondering what I was going to do- how was I going to use my nursing skills- how was God going to use me?

For the first time, I couldn't imagine anything more exciting or more fulfilling than supporting my husband in this new adventure.  Even if that included putting my nursing training to the sidelines for a time.

So, my heart is smiling.  Smiling because it feels so right to encourage, support and pray for my husband's ministry.  Smiling because he is smiling.  Smiling because I feel like a dark, selfish corner of my heart has been cleaned out by the Holy Spirit.

STILL LEARNING TO BE FLEXIBLE

Plans change, things don't work out as expected, trying to be flexible . . .

These statements were all part the conversation in my head yesterday.

Frustrating?  YES!

Going to have a bad attitude about it?  NO! :)

Here's the story:

The girls have been asked to work with a kindergarten class on Tuesday mornings out at Pastor Clement's school (see previous post).  At the same time that they are working with the little ones, I was asked to work with a group of high schoolers that were interested in a medical career.  It was supposed to be 15-20 students for 45 minutes.  They wanted hands-on activities like learning how to clean a wound, listen to heart sounds, teaching about the immune system and basic concepts, etc.   I was more than eager to do this and set about preparing lessons and thinking through activities.

The first day had a few glitches . . . there were about 40 students and a lot of them not interested in a medical career, so they promptly tuned me out.  But, I pushed forward hoping that the next week would be the promised smaller group of students.

Attempt #2:  We arrived the second week.  The girls were all prepared for their little class, I was all prepared for my SMALLER class.  But, we were told that my class wasn't ready yet.  They would have to come get me.  Unfortunately, they didn't come to get me until 45 minutes later when the girls were done and we were supposed to be going home!  There also wasn't a smaller group for me- they were going to have me speak to the entire Grade 10.   Needless to say, Kyle spoke with Pastor Clement and it was decided that we would postpone my classes until some new classrooms (currently being built) were finished.  This would provide some more space where a smaller group could meet.

I'll admit, I was disappointed.  I was really looking forward to this teaching time and getting to know the students.  But, I look forward to what God has for me and will wait patiently :)