I am sitting on a couch in my room at the guest house. My feet are propped up on a couple pillows. It’s been a fantastic, full day and my feet are the size of footballs. My ankles have disappeared. Apparently salty foods and hot, humid weather don’t mix very well! I’m hoping my ankle bones will make an appearance again sometime before I head home. 🙂
Today it rained for the first time since I’ve been here and the third time since the beginning of the year. One moment it was completely dry and I looked up at the sky and wondered if it might rain. The next moment people were running for cover from the torrential downpour – one student was caught in the rain and, after finding shelter, couldn’t even find a piece of dry clothing to wipe her glasses on! In 10 minutes, it was over. It’s the end of the dry season here and the rain has been slow in coming. In fact, we’ve all been praying for the rains to begin to relieve us from the unusually hot, dry April weather! Thank you Lord.
For middle/high school chapel today we brought in a man to share his testimony with the students. We’ve been talking about our stories and how God reveals who He is to us in them. This man was a devout Muslim until he met Jesus. His family disowned him and even tried to have him killed, but God provided a place for him to stay and grow in his faith. He is now a pastor with his own church! We are praying God uses his story to impact the Muslim students at the school, especially.
I got to watch a rehearsal for Hillcrest’s school play – they’re doing Little Women, complete with the orchestra in the orchestra pit! They’ve done a fantastic job, and it was awesome to get to see them in action! I got to speak to the cast and encourage them before rehearsal today.
Tomorrow will be my last day at Hillcrest. I will be so sad to say goodbye to the students! I’ve had so much fun getting to know and hanging out with them this week. There’s something special about this school – you’d think that with so many kids from so many different cultural backgrounds that there’d be cliques and exclusion, but it’s almost the opposite here. At Hillcrest, even the most different kid is accepted as part of the group. I haven’t seen a single kid eating or hanging out by himself – all different colors, from all different countries, everybody hangs out together, even when they don’t have to! Makes me wonder why it’s so different in most American schools…
One last thought before I sign off: my biggest challenge this week has been figuring out what the heck to do for the elementary chapel, which I’ve had to handle pretty much on my own! Jr and Sr High students are one thing, but 60 1st – 5th graders are a WHOLE different ballgame! We played Simon Says, sang Father Abraham, learned about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and somehow it all came out ok. I received this note from one of the elementary kids this morning:
Dear Megan,
I loved your songs. You are so very nice. My favorite verse is John 1-6. Love, Hannah.
PS. I’ll miss you as big as a whale is, also as big as the whole world.
‘Nuf said. 🙂
Megan (Isaacson) Kusch 