Breathing Emptyness

I have asthma.  When you have asthma its like you are breathing emptyness.  Like you are putting forth all of this work but nothing really gets through.  Your lungs don't fill with oxygen no matter how hard or deep you breathe, nothing works.  The air is blocked until you reach for an inhaler that clears the passage.  I can't even describe the feeling that comes once the Albuterol medicine passes through my esophogus.  Its like freedom.  Like I'm able to breathe again.  Like I'm no longer breathing emptyness.

Lately I have felt like a fish out of water.  I have felt less and less equipped to finish this journey that God has set into motion here in Bolivia.  Like I'm stuck and putting forth the effort, but not really doing it successfully.  Like nothing I do or try to do is running the machine.  I'm suffocating.  I have been existing with a half-here mind.  Its not like I am not trying to do well.  Its not like I'm not fulfilling my expectations, but I'm not here.  I'm not in Bolivia--in my mind.

This past weekend, a group of about 20 students went to the plaza to share their testimonies with strangers.  God used them in mighty mighty ways, and they were overjoyed and fired up about the experience. If I gave you a list of the Spiritual gifts I posses that list would not include evangelism.  That fact paired with my broken Spanish could tell you how comfortable I was on this adventure throughout the plaza.  How encouraging it was, though, to be able to witness the movement of the Holy Spirit in these kids.  They were energized by their conversations and I watched their faces light up as they shared their stories.  I watched them praying over the broken people they were talking to, and I got to capture their excitement in some of the photos.

All of these kids were scared, but they were given boldness to share the truth of the Word which turned into an excitement and a viral joy.  The plaza was changed on Saturday morning, and we were the movers and shakers that made that change.  Some of these kids are normally timid and fearful of the people that surround them and love them daily.  All of them were out of their comfort zones, but lives were changed because they obeyed--and they were relying on God to get them through.

Through this experience and others this week, God has shown me quite a few things about my heart.  One very important one: it doesn't beat without my Creator.  No matter how hard I try, I cannot breathe on my own.  Without the breath of the Holy Spirit, this relationship that I am in with the Creator of the Universe does not work.  Without Christ: the Albuterol of it all, I cannot function or expect to do His work--whether my intentions are pure or not.  God is showing me that I need Him now more than ever.  I am an asthmatic in the middle of an asthma attack, and I need my Savior.

The next few weeks are ones that are filled with draining days, long hours, and lots of work.  We have almost no days off until the end of the school year, and lots and lots of things to get done.  This is a time when the enemy likes to seek and destroy.  I would like you to join me in praying for the SCCLC: both teachers and students.  Pray that we stay strong, and finish well.  Pray for those teachers like myself that are leaving this year, that we will be able to transition gracefully back to the States.  Pray for the Seniors and their end-of-the-year decisions.  Pray for strength for today and bright hopes for tomorrow, and that we will continue to choose joy throughout the remainder of the year.

Thanks for you continued prayers & support.

Rachel

The Outsiders of SCCLC

I had an amazing idea for a way to have a final discussion on the themes found within the book we have been reading in 7th Grade.  The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel written by S.E. Hinton set in the 60s when gangs started to become extremely popular, and racism was in its prime.  The subculture of teen violence was huge in the 60s; so huge that the baby boomers that were involved with the violence outweighed the desperate adults that were just trying to maintain some type of order in their towns.  

The two gangs in The Outsiders were the Greasers (poor teens trying to prove themselves) and the Socs (rich kids who get little to no attention from their parents).  I couldn't help but begin to see some connections to the Greasers and the Socs as I observed the interactions I saw between my students.  Seeing that the Greasers (missionary kids) and the Socs (Bolivian rich kids) fell almost perfectly in line with the story.  I realized that for some, this story might hit a little closer to home than I might have expected.  I didn't realize, however that it would hit THIS close to home.

So sticking with the gang element, I decided that we were going to have a rumble.  Before you all get nervous and start picturing 12 and 13 year olds running around the room with knives, guns, and shanks in their hands, this was a controlled and highly symbolic rumble.  Instead of using the normal weapons, I decided to embrace the theme of prejudice, appearance, and differences.  I had no idea how this spark of an idea would turn out, but nonetheless, I was excited.

When we started reading the book, I formed them into reading groups.  In these groups, I had the students give themselves a gang name, symbol, colors, and something they were "known" for.  They loved this exercise, and were able to earn points for their gang throughout the unit.  So the last day of the unit, in line with the book, it made sense to have a rumble.

I handed out sheets of paper, all in their gang colors, and had them write down one insult (keeping it PG) that they had received or heard someone receive here at SCCLC.  After they had finished this, I told them to crumple the paper up into a ball and that would become their weapon.  I divided up the gym into four corners and allowed them to play dodgeball using the paper balls, and upon finishing, instructed them to grab a ball near them, read it, and return to class so we could discuss the words written.

Some of the things written on those sheets of paper were shocking to say the least.  There were students' names, awful language, racist words.  Everything you could imagine was written.  I was shocked, but not shocked; because having experienced it myself, Middle School is cruel. This is when everything was taken from my hands and the Holy Spirit decided to take over.

I ended up having an incredible dialogue with the 7th graders about the bullying that they see taking place, and are sometimes involved in at our school.  It was eye opening for some, it was personal for others, and it was convicting for all of them.  By the end of the discussion 3/4 of my class was in tears and I don't really remember what I said, but I was crying as well.  I know that the Holy Spirit was moving to work through these kids.  Seeing these young kids hugging eachother and loving eachother in this way was one of those moments that you never forget.  One of those moments that God uses to remind you of the reason you do the things you do.

At the end of the class period, I gave the students another sheet of paper.  I asked them to use the same weapon to write an apology for the things they had said to others in hate or with the purpose of hurting them.  I told them I wasn't going to make them give it to the person or give them a grade, it was purely for them to be honest with themselves and see how much hate can be shown through words.  I was shocked when I recceived a letter myself.

God is doing some incredible things here at the SCCLC, and I am blessed every second I can be part of it.  When I first read The Outsiders, I hated it, and didn't even want to teach it.  Now its going to be one of those books that I'll never forget.

Please say a special prayer for the 7th graders as you read this.  God isn't finished working in those kids, and I know that eventually there will be reconciliation in the hearts of every single one of them.

Thanks for reading & praying,

Rachel

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