Prayers Appreciated

I could use some prayer for the coming weeks. It is the end of the school year and that is a crazy-busy time. Report cards are coming up, along with standards and a to-do list that seems to be never ending. I am feeling a little stressed and less connected with my kids because my head is in this mountain of paperwork. I want to be able to share the precious moments I have left with my kids and share Jesus with them more than anything in our remaining time. I know they will see less of Jesus in me if I am preoccupied with other things, and the best thing I can do is just be present in moments and enjoy time with my kids and open to their questions and conversations. Unfortunately, this is a struggle with a looming to-do list and rising stress levels, so some prayer for this would be appreciated.

I also could really use prayer for my exit interview that will be happening sometime soon. To be completely honest, this year has been a tough one and has hurt me in a lot of ways. I have dreams about my exit interview and it never ends well. I wake up anxious because I start screaming and getting so angry or just break down into tears. Both are viable options after the events of this year, but neither are things I want to happen. I asked to have the questions ahead of time so that I can prepare myself and make this the most constructive meeting. I do not want to get angry, but it is so hard to contain anger after being so hurt all year. I unfortunately have seen bitterness start to form in me after this year. I don't want that and I have been praying that I can present what I have to say calmly and in a constructive manner. Please pray for me also as I go into this meeting. Please pray for the school and pray for their hearts in receiving what I have to say.

I have 32 days left here now. That seems so surreal to me after seriously contemplating leaving multiple times this year. I have made it to the end, and I know that was God's plan for me this year. I am thankful that I am constantly seeing glimpses of God's goodness here, and I am thankful that God knows exactly when we need to see those glimpses of the work He is always doing around us!

Prayers against sickness needed!

So my students (and I) have been really sick recently. A lot of students have been absent or coming to school and then going home. Last week I was sick and had to take a couple days off with something flu-like. I was just informed that one of my students has dengue hemorrhagic fever, which (to my understanding) is a more dangerous stream of dengue fever. Please keep him in your prayers and pray that his fever can come down quickly. He has quite a high fever and has had it since last Tuesday. Another student is also being checked for Dengue, and I am hoping that they are alright. It is most definitely mosquito season here, and despite having mosquito netting and wearing bug spray at all times, I find myself with tons of mosquito bites at the end of the day. God has protected me from Dengue so far, but I ask that you join me in praying for my students who are ill (specifically the one with Dengue) and that they would be feeling better soon.

God is Good!

This comes directly out of a morning journal from one of my students in response to a critical thinking question:

"I will choose to believe in God because I know that heaven is true and I want to be with Jesus in heaven and not die again. I know that now I'm Buddhist but I want to change. I really...want to change.  I want to be a Christian. I believe that God provide everything for us. He takes care of us all of the time. So I believe in God and I don't know how to change. Can you help me?"

Praise the Lord!!! I have been praying all year that God would speak to them in their own individual ways, and today this boy came to me and told me that "God spoke to [him] in [his] own individual way"! I Just thought that was so cool! I tell my kids all the time what specifically I pray for them about and they hear me pray these prayers over them each day. It is just so awesome to see God answering prayers for me to see! I expected the results to be something I would not see for many years, or maybe never see, and was ready to be patient. Instead, I am so incredibly lucky to be able to see God answering prayers and changing my students' hearts right before my eyes!!!

On another note, I have one girl in my class who comes from a Korean family of missionaries. She has been sick a lot recently and this morning her dad informed me that she was sick due to spiritual warfare. That was a first. I honestly never expected to hear that as a reason for someone not being at school, but it awakened me once again to the reality of spiritual attack. I know I might sound redundant in asking for prayers against these attacks, but I know they are real and I know it is because God is moving in big ways here. Please continue to cover this school and classroom with your prayers....I really appreciate all of you who are praying and supporting me here!!