Saturday, March 1, 2014

Giving Up

Week 6 of classes is complete.   That’s the half way mark for the first year class and 2/3 completed for the 2nd year class.  Teaching two classes has been a lot for me.  I'm drained a lot of the time and have not been able to do some of the things I want to do, like have people over for dinner and also really work on learning Pidgin (well, speaking for the most part) before I'm back in the hospital for the clinical part of the semester.  Other things have gotten to me recently, like the power being out almost every night!  Clock reaches 7 pm, click, power goes off!  Then it can come back on for a few minutes, but watch out, it will go off again within 5-15 minutes, numerous times each night!  Our head of maintenance, Jordan, truly does a great job trying to keep the power going but it’s a never ending battle.   Lesson plans, lesson plans.  I try to get a weeks' worth of them done on my only full day of not teaching, Thursday, but it doesn't happen!!  Power outages (yup, even during the day!), students with questions and papers they want me to proof read, other teachers with projects needing help, etc. etc. 

This past week I got to a point I just gave up.  Some things just are not going to happen! 

Not all lessons for the coming week can be done the week before. 

Not all dishes can be done before 7 pm.

Not all laundry will dry before the rain comes again, no matter when you put it out. 

Not all dinner plans will succeed (or plans of any kind for that matter!) 

Not all attempts to exercise every day will work out. 

Not all attempts to drive stick shift will go well. 

Not all cockroaches, ants or spiders will be killed. 

But then I came to Isaiah 40 in my bible study.

"Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:27-29 NIV)

Yes, sometimes I have felt like Jacob recently, or like those Israelites.  I catch myself struggling and complaining and I don't want to be like that.  I know God hasn't forgotten me or my cause.  I see him at work here too much.  In the smile of my neighbor kids, in the voices of my students during praise time prior to class, in all the beauty around me in nature.  In the lives he is changing in the Hydro Electric workers who have recently experienced a great revival and times of discipleship and many other miracles that occur at the hospital and all over.  I remember my strength is not my own.  He is allowing me to do all these things and he also allows the struggles.  They do tend to help me keep my eyes on Him. 

All lessons for the week got done, and we had some great classes this week.  The students are understanding and most are applying the lessons very well.  And He will continue to help the rest. 

All dishes are washed at this moment and I even got some baking done this week.  I was able to take banana bread over to two of my coworkers on Tuesday.  One was to Grace, who has had sick family members.  The other went to Serah, who along with her sister has helped clean out my garden and get it ready for planting. 

All laundry will dry eventually and two loads got an extra rinse of rain water.  I also have some space in the spare room to hang things to dry and it works well. 

All things in His time.  I still haven't had some people over for dinner who I would like to, but I did have many good meals this week (some prepared by friends!) and I still have leftovers. 

All times with God were a success, His presence is real.  And I exercised three days this week, got in 3 plus miles and 10 trips up and down Hydro Hill despite, rain, mud, back aches and plantar fasciitis acting up again.   The other days I got some much needed sleep and also finished lesson plans just in time because the power was on!  And I took a Sabbath day of rest, even if it wasn't Sunday. 

All attempts to drive stick shift resulted in NO injuries and lots of laughs (once I got over being upset at myself).  I successfully (if your definition of success is no injuries and no accidents) drove to Banz for a shopping trip with the ladies and some teens and got some great second hand bargains.  

All bugs are not in my food (at the moment) and many throughout the house were killed, hopefully before they reproduced! 

And then there were some other highlights this week.  Many students are coming to me with questions on assignments and other things in life and I truly do enjoy those interruptions.   Prayers to be able to relate to them more are being answered.  Some of the girls came over to help me harvest my banana tree and they thoroughly enjoyed teaching me what to do!  Demonstration time in OB class caused so many laughs the other two classes of students wanted to know what we were doing.  I would have a hard time explaining all the humor here! 

All in All, I truly had a good week and a good time these last six weeks of class.  I know to never give up, because my strength is in Him.  The Matt Redman song, "10,000 Reasons" has been in my head, and then we sang it at English Lotu (Service) a little while ago.  (I wrote most of this blog prior to going to the service.)  One part struck me especially while we were singing it this afternoon. 
        The sun comes up, its a new day dawning
                It's time to sing Your song again
  Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
        Let me be singing when the evening comes 
That whole singing when the evening comes part had been an issue.  As much as I can start my day off well in His Presence, I still don't really want to sing when the power goes out each night and evening plans get changed, or reduced to whatever can be done after all the other little hiccups throughout the day.    But that's beside the point!  The next lines are the chorus,
      Bless the Lord, O my soul
                 O my soul
        Worship His holy name
       Sing like never before
                 O my soul
   I'll worship Your holy name
 
And that I plan to do, no giving up on that one.  
 
Please keep all of us at Kudjip, especially the students and the hospital in your prayers. 

 

 

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