The Chase of the Blue Butterfly

A few teachers and I decided to escape Santa Cruz a couple weekends ago and take a short trip up to Samaipata.  Our friend, Kaitlyn, hadn't been yet, and we were all in the mood to get away, so we embraced spontanaity, and escaped normalcy.

almost got a glimpse

During our trip we went to visit Las Cuevas (local waterfalls), all of us had been there except for Kaitlyn, so it was extremely familiar.  (click here for pictures from my previous visit), but this time, we saw a what seemed like a million butterflies.  They were everywhere.  I was able to snap quite a few photos of different types of butterflies, but we could not get a photo of the blue butterfly that all of us found incredibly beautiful.  But it was also the most excited of the butterflies--meaning it just wouldn't stay still long enough for us to get a good photo.  So, I prayed about it, thinking WHY NOT?  I'm sure God would get the butterfly still enough to take a picture.

Still chasing that butterfly!

Well, we chased that blue butterfly all over those mountains, and at some points we swore that it was following us, but no photo.  By the end of our trip when we all had given up hope.  That blue butterfly was just as tired as we were, because it simply perched on a branch just in time for us to shoot a perfect picture. Then he fluttered away, never to be seen again.

This experience reminded me of the story in 2 Kings 6 of Elisha and the axe head.  One of Elisha's men borrowed an axe, and foolishly swung it hard enough for it to sink down to the bottom of the river.  He had a minor freakout and Elisha came to the rescue.  Elisha had faith enough in God to trust Him to restore the axe head to his man, and threw a stick into the water.  The axe head then floated to the surface and all was happy.  This is such a ridiculous story that is a simple picture of trusting God in the little things. Right after this little seemingly insignificant story happened, the contrast of God blinding all of Samaria so they could be sieged and conquered occured.  I'm not sure which of the two stories is a better example of God's power.

There are countless and continual instances when the prayers we have seem too small or too unnecessary for God to care to do anything about them.  But that is not how this God we serve runs things.  No matter how small or insignificant we think the little prayers we have are, He cares about the details of our lives.  Not only that, he doesn't allow himself to be distracted by the little things.  It all fits into His big plan.

in the middle of our picture we thought we saw the butterfly

Today, in reverence, we remember the cross.  The large action that He took for our lives.  But this large action is nothing without the details.  Have you ever stopped and looked at the teeny tiny details of His crucifixcion?  I cannot do it without welling up in tears, but every single stripe on His back was planned.  The drips of blood from his brow? Planned.  The spear in his side, the meaningful words He uttered, the convicted hearts on that day, the time of day, the way in which he was killed?  Planned.

True joy is when we are confident that He is involved in the details of our lives and comforted that the details are necessary to fill the big picture.  The master of the Universe, the God who could kill me in an instant but chose to send His son to die in my place cares enough to bless me with a detail.  If things made sense He would only be transcendant and not accessible, but He is and always will be.  The unexplainable combination of extremes: the big things and the little things--should cause us to crumble in Fear and awe and wonder.

 

I'm more than positive that on the scale of importance, our blue butterfly ranked lower than even the axe head in the Jordan River, and that is not saying much.  Despite all of that, I know that God appreciated our desire to enjoy God's creation, and amongst the chase we did.  He showed us beautiful waterfalls that overwhelmed us, he gave us moments of solitude, and lots of time to fellowship together & bond.

Moral of the story: no prayer is too small for God to answer or too insignificant for Him to care.

Here are some more photos from our time up in Samaipata:

A picture to make my mom squeal in fear :)

All four of us in the doorway of our house!

Walking over one of the bridges along the road :)

{prayer requests}

• SCCLC Teaching
• Praise God for another quarter finishing, there is one quarter left, and we are in the home stretch!
• Pray for the students as the year is starting to wind down.  Pray that they stay focused and that those whose grades are low bring their grades up, and that they are also looking toward God for their approval.
• Pray for me as this year is starting to come to a close.  Pray that I don't check out, but make every single day count for something.  Pray that I am still focusing on my purpose here, and to allow my mind to be HERE and not at home.
• Pray for the school, next year, many teachers are leaving, which leaves a lot of holes in the staff and faculty.  The biggest hole, being in the English department.  Pray that recruiting happens and hearts are seeking opportunities here.
• Seussical the Musical: 
• I have been asked to be in charge of the soloist and ensemble in the musical at the SCCLC this Spring.  I'm fighting a whole bunch of feelings of inadequacy, and I could use prayer for God to show up in me and through me as I lead the kids in the musical.
• Pray for Emily Barlow as she is directing the whole show and is going to need a lot of guidance from God through the entire quarter.
• Pray also for the adults that are playing (and still deciding to play) in the orchestra.  Pray that they are willing to practice and serve in this unique way.
• MSCrew
• Praise God A new student just applied and was accepted into MSCrew: Veronica! She is a recent believer, but she is a firecracker with a lot of potential.  Pray that she will continue to grow closer and closer to God, and that MSCrew will be part of that growth.
• Pray that I actually wake up on Thursday mornings, and I am ready to lead my kids, but I allow them to lead as well.
• Pray for the kids in MSCrew: Grace, Shekinah, Benji, Luke, Lucas, Veronica, and Heyli.  I'm really impressed and excited that they are committing to be leaders at the SCCLC.
• They have committed to leading an Elementary Chapel next month, pray as they prepare to serve the Elementary students in this fun and exciting way
• Discipleship
• PRAISE God that I have started to be mentored by co-missionary and dear friend, Johanna.  This is a HUGE answer to prayer, and I am anxious to see how God uses myself in her life, and how we build eachother up in the Lord.
• Pray for her as she listens, and guides me in my struggles, but also for me that I am honoring God through our conversations--and that I am able to be transparent: something that is a struggle and challenge for me.
• Pray for the single ladies Bible study she has just started within our mission.  We are meeting on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the month.  Pray for Johanna as she leads.

I'll Never Forget

I'll Never Forget watching the Spirit move in ways I couldn't even imagine

I'll Never Forget the stories that were shared that affected so many people

I'll Never Forget the long hugs shared after forgiveness was reached

I'll Never Forget the circles of high schoolers praying for the girl who went home sick

I'll Never Forget laying my hands on and praying for a broken new believer

I'll Never Forget the contrast between the laughter shared in the pool with the happy tears shed when kids just started to "get it"

I'll Never Forget listening to the song written by the two High School Boys about change and transformation

I'll Never Forget watching and listening to the students furiously writing in their workbooks and listening to Axis tell them about worldviews throughout the world.

I'll Never Forget observing students praying for other hurting and broken students

I'll Never Forget leading worship and looking out at all of the kids in a line holfing one another: united in the Spirit.

I'll Never Forget the look on their faces when Ryan screamed "______is a believer in Jesus Christ"

I'll Never Forget High School Retreat

CLARIFYING STORY
When we got to the campsite for High School Retreat on Friday, we started setting up the electronics for the Axis team to present their first session.  Right away the projector was broken, and we couldn't get it to work. Axis needed a projector to do their session; so we needed a plan B.  Ryan decided to have us (the worship team) lead worship and open the floor for testimonies (by the students!!!)  I was skeptical from the beginning, thinking that we'd be sitting in awkward silence when he opened it up, but was I wrong!  Student after student came to share how they came to know Christ, and people were broken beyond compare by the end of the night.  I can't even describe how Christ was moving, and I was amazed at the power of some of the kids' vulnerability and love for one another.  All because the projector wouldn't work!  TWO kids became believers in Jesus Christ, and many believers re-dedicated their lives to FOLLOWING Christ.
Oh and I must mention....the projector was working the next morning...I think God WON!!! :D

THANK YOU for your prayers this weekend.  I wish you all could have been there to witness this MIRACULOUS MOVEMENT of the Holy Spirit, and I'm soo excited and thirsty for more!! :)

Until the Next AMAZING story...

Rachel

(ENGLISH TEACHER ADAGE: poem style in the beginning of this is based off of Elie Wiesel's poem "Never Shall I Forget" found in his book Night)

God Always Wins

"I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:8

Its unbelievably crazy to witness Satan's desperation first hand.  This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at the SCCLC.  It is also a time when day after day we are seeing that God is doing a great work on the campus of our school.  Every day I see that the Enemy is trying to win in the lives of both the teachers and students here, and every day he fails.

This year has been a dynamic year in the spiritual development of our students.  A couple, Pam & Ryan Parsons & their 4 kids have come this year to serve the SCCLC through youth ministry and discipleship.  You can see God shining and radiating out of them as they serve here, and it is no mystery that their fire for God is viral.  I'm so happy that they are here to serve, and that I am able to learn and serve alongside them.

But with true and genuine servant leadership comes a price: the enemy gets ALL KINDS of angry.  Since they have been here, Ryan has had surgery, Pam has been sick, all of their kids have been sick in some capacity or another, and it has been a physical battle throughout their time here.  God is using them, and the Enemy doesn't like it.  Spiritual Warfare.

After a challenge from Ryan for Spiritual Leaders to step up, one of my junior high students was affected greatly and stood up to pray on Monday.  That night he was at a gas station and a group of drunk teenagers threw a rock at his head, he got a concussion, and couldn't come to school the next day.  Spiritual Warfare.

But God cannot be shaken.  One of the senior girls accepted Christ yesterday, and committed her life to following Him.  This girl is one that I have been praying for since I got here.  She's a Bolivian that has a HUGE affect on our campus that up until now has been against Christianity.  Because of her influence, she has the ability to TRANSFORM this school just with her testimony.  She stood up in Chapel today and told everyone that God changed her heart, and another person accepted Christ even today!  Spiritual Warfare.

As he has proven time and time again, GOD WINS. But that battle isn't over. We need prayer for the rest of this week, and I'm asking for you, as my supporters to commit to praying for the students and teachers of the SCCLC.  Romans 12:21 says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  That is what we need to do, so I'm asking you as my supporters and supporters of the students at the Learning Center to start a MOVEMENT of prayer this weekend as we go on High School Retreat, and Monday as the Junior Highers experience their own retreat.

• We NEED to be praying for these kids to really grasp and hold onto the truth of the Gospel.  
• We need to pray that the ones who get it will step up and LEAD our school through service.  
• We need to pray that the Enemy will see that he is NOT invited to this party, and RUN.
• We need to pray for a REVIVAL of Christ's truth on this campus.
• We need to pray for the Parsons to be protected for Satan's attacks.
• We need to pray for the AXIS team coming from the States to share with our students.
• We need to pray for student LEADERS to emerge from the crowd, and start serving

Thanks for your committments to pray, PLEASE comment below and let us know that we are not alone, and that you will be committing to pray this weekend for one or all of the things listed above.

I love you all, and your committments to prayer! :)

Rachel

Parables of the Unexpected

Today was a day full of the unexpected.  One by one, things happened that were simply not what I planned for, both good, and bad, and all of them taught me something...it was a day of parables. So I guess I'll tell them like that :)

Unwholesome Talk?
I had time to attend Elementary chapel today.  Now that I'm teaching the elementary kids, I have been trying to invest in and spend more time with them.  My schedule hasn't permitted it because I have been teaching K-8 classes, but God gave me some extra time to spend with them in their chapel.  They were talking about Ephesians 4:29, and not letting unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.  This was a good reminder for me today, and God actually convicted me to remember to apply this to my classroom.  Sometimes sarcasm with my students can get the best of me, and I needed to be reminded that I should control my tongue.  You never expect to be convicted in an Elementary school chapel, but God was good to me by showing me that I needed to hear what I heard.

Learning how to teach from a 12th Grader
I was BLESSED with an AWESOME (and unexpected) conversation with one of the 12th grade girls today, as well.  She was having a bad day and needed to talk, so I sat down with her and listened to her heart, struggles, and frustrations from the year.  I taught her last year when I was student teaching, and it was unbelievably encouraging to hear her talking to me about her walk with the Lord.  She showed me so much about her heart and helped me see things from a student's perspective rather than just from a teacher's perspective.

Fist Fights & Failures
I broke up my first fist fight today in one of my music classes today.  Though I was shaky and felt like crying, God gave me strength to take it and gain control over my students.  God taught me, also, that I need to start getting to know the ins and outs of upper elementary students.  I haven't figured out what to expect out of them, because I have been learning what to expect out of junior high and high school.  4th, 5th, and 6th graders are a whole different monster, and I just don't know what to do with them.  I'm praying and hoping that these students will be convicted and remorseful for their actions toward eachother, but the whole situation just made me sad.
God also taught me that I need to stop blaming myself for other people's bad choices.  Those boys chose to fight, but I was trying to figure out what it was that I did wrong in order for this to happen.  I felt like I failed as a teacher because it happened during class time.  I had a lengthy conversation with the Elementary school principal about the incident, and she spoke the truth: I cannot control the choices and decisions of others.  Fist fights are fist fights.  They'll happen whether I am there or not.  I'm thankful that God had this happen, because I think these boys will be on their way to mending their relationships, and I am now on my way towards classroom management that prevents the opportunities for these things to happen in my class.

The Perfect Prayer Partner
During prayer meeting God brought me to pray with the PERFECT person.  Ally (another single teacher) and I had both been struggling with similar issues over the past week, and I was able to pray with her about them in a real, open and safe environment.  I am so thankful for her and her heart here in Bolivia, and I can't wait to continue to develop our friendship over this next year.  God showed me through this that I am not alone--not only do I have Him, but I have friends that can come alongside me and pray me through my struggles, and bare my burdens too!

Dog Poo
I stepped on dog poop on my way to the car after prayer meeting.  I felt something on the bottom of my foot, so I put my hand down there to investigate, and got a huge chunk of poo on my hand.  I ran to the bathroom and puked after using a gallon of soap to wash my hand and shoe.  God taught me never to touch the bottom of my shoe. Ever.

Thanks for reading the parables of my day!  Also thanks for your prayers & support!

PLEASE be praying every day this week AND next week for SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS WEEK and HIGH SCHOOL RETREAT.  There is a HUGE amount of spiritual warfare going on on the SCCLC campus, and we NEED your prayers to knock down the enemy.

Thanks again!

--Rachel :)