Happy New Year

2012 is here. Kind of hard to believe. Already fully aware of what a year has brought in my life. A full year of traveling and working and preparing and planning. I quit working in January. Went to Ohio and D.C. and Virginia in February. Mozambique and South Africa in March and April. In May, I spoke to the Bible Study women about my trip and shared the vision out loud and listed my house for rent. The women prayed and the house rented a week later. In June, I went to Austin, Texas and was given an avenue through which to raise funds to move to here and start the vocational school. Weekly Portuguese lessons for months. In July, Ramona threw me a farewell party and I went to Bolivia with Mom and Dad and I boxed up my entire house and moved out. In August, I drove to Hartwell with a suitcase and keyboard in the backseat and opened the door to the cabin and slept right in the middle of the four poster bed. I turned another year older. In September, I sold my car and stored and organized the last of my personal belongings and finances and went to Columbia, SC and Manhattan, KS to say goodbye to Shannon and Laura. In October, Mom drove me to the ATL and Betty Conner dropped me off at the airport, as she has for so many trips over the past 10 years. And now I am here. I can’t believe there were 365 days in all that. Time flies. 

I have been living here for three months now. Time is still flying by. I met with one of our students yesterday, Edy. He wants to be a pilot. He is in grade 9. I don’t know if he will ever be able to be a pilot or not, but I will do what I can to help. And I still have no clue as to what I am doing. Classes start in two weeks. The Georgia General Assembly convenes in a few weeks too. I am so glad I won’t be there for that. 

There is a YWAM team here to serve and I am excited to have their help. We have tentative plans to also include some basic computer courses, supplementary to our core classes. Thanks to a visitor from Tennessee I now have file folders on every student. The ESL curriculum is being mailed from Australia. Pray it makes it on time. Pray it makes it. I will be spending the next two weeks getting curriculum prepared, volunteers briefed and students informed. I am trying not to sweat the small stuff and at the same time, not drop the ball. Many things have to be done here in Mozambican time and very relationally. I have seen God work and show up at just the right time over and over again. I am learning to be patient, still. 

Happy New Year to all of you. Thank you for everything. More to come. 

New Years Eve Bonfire