iron(y) sharpening

 post by~  Brin

In my 5/6th grade science class I taught them that the expression "set in stone" is rather ironic. Because, as they were about to learn, rocks go through cycles and can change from one type to another.  The irony was lost on them as they didn't understand irony nor had many of the ESL students ever heard the expression. But I love it. Like when a spider crawled across my window...while I was prepping a biology lesson on arachnids.  

And this scene..  

 Gabriella's first home was situated just across from the elementary school, so during lunch Ellabug and I would peek out the windows and try to spot my nephew Stephen on the playground.  I looked forward to peeking in on Gabriella when she would some day go to school. Then we moved before kindergarten. But here I am again, peaking in on her gym class taking place right in front of my house. Exactly how it was supposed to happen.

With a race to the finish with school, leaks in the airplane floats, and a countdown to furlough the pace can leave little space for anyone else but me. Let me tell you about this one.... I got a wisp of an image some days ago of a lesson Gabriella had done with the Aleixo (slum area) kids. I saw a man in the day of Jesus' earthly days with worries; his daughter had a festering infection, his wife is losing her eyesight and let's say he just heard that his brother is on trial for a crime he didn't commit.  He is neck-deep in fallen Eden.  He had a need list to show Jesus and as it turn out Jesus was in town that day. He should definately go. And unload his list on Jesus.  He goes, but instead he brings his paralytic friend and 3 other guys to help and that is what he unloads.  This week I was inspired by teammates, who in the midst of busy (we all say we are busy...they were especially) they dashed their own dreams, gave up what was rightfully theirs and took a need off someone else's list even when their own was plenty long. I was so struck by it because I am in the same position and I didn't do anything of the sort. Convicting. God is always teaching, inviting us to see the sacred in the mundane and the silent profound in the roaring rush. And another teammate who literally had reason to "kick back and put her feet up" because of an ugly infection, but she wouldn't. Because a little pain, a little delayed healing, well, that is sacrifice and that is why she is working in the Amazon. Trusting God to take care of us while we take care of His other children. Those are just daily occurrences that spoke to me, sharpened me.

And now a yearly occurrence... Ava gains another year of life!  12! She celebrated with the entire 5th and 6th grades at PQQ.  Which is 12 students.  They went night-swimming with glowsticks and ate their cake and ice cream shivering at the waters edge.

Countdown to furlough for Gabriella:  9 days
Countdown for the rest of us: 18 days