5th Grade- The Adventure Continues

On Monday, I started a brand new adventure: teaching. Not like substituting, but full time teaching: in my own classroom, for the rest of the year. A few weeks ago I was asked to consider taking over the 5th grade class. They had a wonderful teacher, but his passion is high school social studies, not 5th grade with only girls. So on Monday, after a week or so of observing and lesson writing, I took over completely and began teaching.
It's strange, because I did not feel like teaching after I got my degree. In fact, even when I moved here 2 months ago, it was not my intention. Not that I would never teach, but for now, it was not where God was leading me. Well, two month later, and guess where He led me? Straight into a classroom.
So far, it's gone pretty good. I have three girls in my class, and no boys. All three girls are in the dorm too, so I know them already. They are a handful, but lots of fun too. Of course, it does depend on the moment. Some moments they love me, and others they hate me. (Nothing new there.) I am still also a dorm parent, but more of an assistant. I help out in the evenings some, and when I am available otherwise, but lesson planning and figuring out what I'm doing takes quite a bit of time.
God is faithful. He leads you to strange places, but he never leaves you there. I once heard that "the will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you." It's true.

Hey look! An Update!!!

Well, it's been a long time. Which, really, is not unusual. Plus, it's been camp season, which translates to pure craziness all the time, and blogging is last on the list of priorities.

You may wonder how camp has gone this summer. That is a difficult question to answer, so the quick version is this: long, hard, challenging, tears, joy, confusion, frustration, hope, Jesus, exciting, and so much more. Kids have come to know Christ. In fact, so far this summer, with 2 weeks left (ok one, but I don't know the stats from this week) 105 campers in our traditional and day camp programs have made first time decisions to follow Jesus. Another 95 have recommitted their life to Christ.

God is so much bigger than us, and in my worst week, He still moves. It's always good to be reminded that it's not about me, or my feelings, or anything. It's about God, moving in the lives of campers. It's about being faithful to the call God has placed in my life, even when it's the last thing I want to do. It's about putting God first, and trusting he's going to pull me through. It's about trusting Him with everything I have, and everything I don't. Camp teaches me total dependence on Him, again and again and again.

Knowing that one short week, I will again be homeless and jobless is scary beyond belief. Yes, I have a place to go, and I'm very thankful for that, but it's hard to wait and see what God might have next. There are a few things that have popped up recently, but until I know more, I don't really feel like sharing all of that. However, I know God has me. He has awesome plans for me. He will lead me in the next hour, the next day, the next week. When I look back a year from know, I will be able to see all those steps God has brought me through. And though I may not know why, I know he is the one directing my path. He never lets me go. I am blessed to serve a God who never lets me go, and won't lead me astray. I serve a God who empties me only to fill me again, and that's pretty cool.

That said, any job ideas for my life, please, please pass them on. :)