Gracious Uncertainty

Before we meet for school everyday some of the staff gather for devotions, each taking weekly turns throughout the year to lead these 15-minute re-focusing times. It's our turn these next 2 weeks and I had spent some time trying to plan what I was going to say. I was thinking to share some cool life experience with a neat truthful tie-in, when last night, at 8:30 pm our power was cut. My plans changed a bit... It wasn't that the power cut deleted my little talk or that there was no more power to finish composing it. Rather, it was how things continued to transpire that inspired me to change the topic.

It was close 105F outside when the power cut and reaching 100F inside. With no fans running and no swamp coolers cooling, it would likely become much hotter. We immediately called some friends who happen to live in an area with lots of prominent businesses and business owners and therefore, have virtually no power-cuts. We threw ourselves at their mercy and begged to stay the night with them. They gladly welcomed us and Eddy and I slept in their living room, swamp coolers whirring about us.

Now this all sounds nice and good, we handled the situation well. But what I neglected to report was our rather awful attitudes throughout this time. We were discouraged, frustrated, angry, hot, irritable, grouchy, catty to each other... and the list goes on. And as the night progressed and I had time to reflect, I realized how much we wrongly assume about life and living, especially here in the Land-o-Sand. Certainty. We, especially as westerners, take so much for granted, assuming so many things are assured, trusted, reliable and dependable. Things like electricity, health care, national security, food, shelter, clothing, governmental assistance, our "rights" as citizens, freedom, etc. When in reality, and Biblically speaking, almost nothing is certain! God promises us that- as it says in scripture... who knows what tomorrow will bring? The only thing truly certain, in things, events, life, is God himself, all else being certainly uncertain!

As the saying goes (sort of)... Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to what happens. So in light of this promised and experienced uncertainty, we fall on the grace and mercy of God and ask him to work in us a response that is glorifying to him and encouraging to others. 'Cause we can bank on all sorts and lots more of uncertainty in this place!

Visa Update: We have successfully renewed our visas for another year- thank God Eddy is Brazilian! It cost us a pretty penny, but almost guarentees us re-entry next year. We are now in the process of getting our exit/re-entry permits (we literally cannot leave the country without them... they usually cost around $900... nice.)

Pregnancy Update: I'm working on my 15th week, and all seems to be progressing just fine. We'll go in for another ultrasound before we leave.

School Update: Only 11 more days of school... whew! We're in the process of closing things down, returning library books, cleaning the nurses area, etc. Eddy is trying to figure out what to do with the kids when it's 117F outside; or more simply put, how to keep kids from dying during PE.

Photos: Pool time again! We jumped at the chance of chaperoning a pool party for a multitude of middle schoolers... anything for a swim! Neat tricks? Eddy still can't move his next freely! I've had a strong hanckering for cantalope- and we found these Galia melons, a close cousin.. delicious! We went with some friends to explore a park/zoo in the city- sort of, or rather, very depressing... (that's a giant replica of what they serve coffee in).