I'm a Teacher!

I made it through the first two weeks of teaching!
This picture is of the "House Sorting Ceremony." It's just like Harry Potter for little kids! (Ok... maybe not just like Harry Potter--there's no sorting hat.)
I'm really enjoying my students and the school. I wasn't sure I really wanted to teach little kids, but I kind of fell into it (God knows the course of our lives so much better than we do, huh?) I can't even describe how much of a blessing it's been to work where I am!r


God's been teaching me so much about His heart lately. He's woken me up in the middle of the night almost every night for the past two weeks with new aspects of His character. Tonight He woke me up teaching me about truly praising and worshiping Him. Then I had a dream of Him pointing me to Matthew 12. So, I got up and read it. I came across the same verse I had been pondering on all day, except it was in a different place in the Bible! God is so good!

"I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices"
Matthew 12:7; Hosea 6:6

I don't need to feel guilty because I'm not "doing enough" for God's kingdom here. My job is not to "save the world." (These quotes are my own thoughts of inadequacy) I'm just to honor God, obey Him, and love Him. He'll lead me to the people that need to hear His word and the places where I should go. I need to be less worried about the sacrifices and the works, and more focused on seeking after Him first.

This picture is from a fun day in the park with some of my teammates. I've been praying for unity, and God has been so gracious in giving us just that! We've bonded over silly things and deep things. What a testimony to the body of Christ!

Things are definitely starting to pick up and I'm meeting new people-Czech, American, Hungarian, etc.! I know I've been here over a month, but it feels like just a blink of an eye!
Winter's around the corner, so keep me in your prayers! I'm just a Georgia Peach!

Emily

The Torch

Somewhere down the street from my flat, there lies a factory that releases fire every night. What are they burning? What is the purpose? I feel like I'd like to investigate, and I might just do that. But for now, I sit back and enjoy watching the Torch and think about what it could symbolize for me. Hmmmm... Ok, first it reminds me of the Holocaust (Don't worry! It's not that!) but thinking about the Holocaust makes me think of big things... of standing up for what's right and what you believe in no matter the cost. I also feel like I'm carrying a torch here in this place where people just don't seem to care about a man named Jesus Christ and His Gospel that brings Salvation to all who believe. I can't wait to spread that fire and passion for the Good News.

In other news, I taught my first class! I start most of the rest of my classes next week at a nearby Elementary School.

Story Time:
Alyssa and I had a meeting with the Elementary School's principal. We got there early and waited... waited... waited... no one came to get us. So, we tried to talk to the secretary... no English. So, we called our boss to translate. The secretary got someone to walk us to a different building and dropped us off in a big auditorium filled with people. There wasn't an empty seat in the place! The presentation was in Czech, so we just stood in the back hoping that someone would talk to us afterward. Well, in the middle of her presentation, the principal stops everything, puts down the microphone and walks to the very back of the auditorium towards us... every head turns... all eyes on us... then she asks, "Are you with Fishnet?" haha, so we walk in front and get introduced in Czech then told to sit down. At the end of the presentation she comes over to us and says, "Do you have any questions?" Oh my... where do I start?

Ostrava

Such an interesting place. One of my favorite things about my flat is that there is a nightly fire that comes out of one of those chimneys at the factory you can see in the background. I'm not really sure what kind of factory it is, but I've been told it could be a chemical plant or a steel factory.
I'm starting to feel acclimated to the area. Last night the Fishnet (our school name) girls and our American YoungLife friend came over to help us remodel our flat. We had such a good time making this place home. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold.

I couldn't resist sharing the picture. It's a dog staring longingly into the "Maso" Meat Shop!