i wish...

I wish i had the discipline to write more often. youth camp 2007 happened in december last year and God blew my mind during those two weeks. i prayed hard as the time for our camps drew nearer and God was truly gracious in allowing 9 of my students to join us at camp. two were saved before and by the end of camp, one had earnestly recommitted her life to the Lord. but that was just the beginning. in the days that followed God gave me the privelege of leading 7 more of my students to the Lord and im about to begin a discipleship with 22 girls at my school, including those 7, in the form of a beginners bible study. if you read this blog, please pray for this ministry i beg you. only God can make this endeavor fruitful.

at the start of this year i started a bachelor of theology part-time through baptist bible college. i can't tell you the difference it has made in my personal study of God's word, my willingness to serve the Lord and even my view of our God and His word. What a privilege to learn from the word of God so open and my thoughts immediately go to countries like China, where a study of this sort would never be possible. Please pray for the Chinese people and for the many missionaries there who go so willingly, leaving all that they know behind to share Christ with a people hungry for His love.

this year also saw me having my first very own registration class (Grade 11TI). What fun to try and love these girls, even tho i may not always be able to share Christ openly with them as a class. i have learned that they appreciate a stand to be different and to strong Christian values and morals. it encourages them to ask me questions about serving God when a quiet moment arises and i am ever grateful to the Lord for these valuable opportunities. i am ever aware through these circumstances that it is Christ who initiates a relationship with us. even though we sometimes never realise it, it is God who seeks us first. He stirs our hearts. He reveals Himself to us through nature. He prompts us. and in turn we respond and seek Him out. What a beautiful picture. to think that the God of the universe sees such value in us that He would pursue us. i think of the verse that says "what is man that you are mindful of Him?"(Psalm 8:4) "How deep the Father's love for us. How vast beyond all measure. That He would give His only Son. And make a wretch His treasure."

Well the students i encounter every day don't seem to know this basic truth. they see no value in themselves. nothing worth loving. nothing worth pursuing. they believe their opinions don't matter. some hide in their silence.some hide in their image and some hide because they feel that no-one would notice if they did. i needed this to change if they were to ever be able to see their need for God. they need to know "agape' love"...God's love. i had the girls write 3 or 4 statements down and then i put this classroom policy together....

Classroom Policy

You will find no girls in this classroom…

only women.

Women of integrity. Women of power.

We strive for a future with NO regrets.

We give RESPECT to earn RESPECT.

We believe that TOGETHER we achieve more.

We KNOW our rights.

The RIGHT to speak…and so we each have an opinion worth sharing.

The RIGHT to be heard and so we listen to each voice in this room,

however quiet.

The RIGHT to learn and so we value our education…

we do not underestimate its role in what we want from this life.

Our rights EMPOWER us.

Amandla Awethu (The power is OURS).

EACH woman in this room is one of BEAUTY.

If we do not or cannot see that, NO man ever will. We learn to look harder, deeper, to see each other behind the walls we once put up.

Though we each look different, unique, we DO NOT discriminate, disrespect, criticize or ridicule-

we’ve each known to much of this outside these four walls.

Instead, we ENCOURAGE, we COMPLIMENT,

we DRIVE each other FORWARD.

In here, we DREAM, we BELIEVE and WE WILL ACHIEVE.

Finally.. we DO NOT FEAR the road ahead.

Though darkness may come, it cannot last...

The sun shines too brightly above us.

THE FUTURE IS OURS.

i pray that by the end of the year my students can say that this classroom policy truly reflects the attitude of their hearts. but my prayer for them is so much more. i pray that they may find that they have value in Christ. they have an identity in Christ and that if they are willing, they may have freedom from sin and eternal life in Christ. i pray that they may see Christ in me and that God may spare me, however long it may take, to one day see Christ in them..what a thought :)what a day that would be:)