Playing Paper!

With the dream of leaving the States one day to do full-time mission work, I'm cracking down on my budget to completely pay off my student loans (I'm doing the hard-core cash envelope system). My generous and creative sister, Amber, inspired me to make a cute envelope system, which makes budgeting so much more enjoyable! Thanks to Columbus, I was able to play paper and complete this project today.

It all started with paper and ribbon.

 

(my car- the one with endearing hail damage)

And done!

                                  

My Mission

It was my seventh grade year when God planted a passion within me for mission work. While reading Catherine Marshall's book Christy, a yearning within me grew to become a missionary, to teach underprivileged (as well as missionary) children, and to share Jesus with them. My life, thus far, has been directed in such a way to make this dream a reality. Beginning college majoring in Missions, later turned into a major in Education, which then quickly changed into Speech-Language Pathology. My education and career choices have all been preparation for my dream of teaching on the "mission field".

Having been raised in a missions-minded family I've been taught to consider where I am... right now... as my "mission field"- and I have always taken that seriously. I believed that God had purposes for me in my school district when I accepted the position to serve this elementary school as a speech-language pathologist. As challenges arise, however, and as difficulties in life occur, and as stress surpasses manageable levels, it is easy to become discouraged and lose sight of the "bigger picture" of the work that I'm doing in the lives of my precious children. And it was a time like this, when I needed some confirmation that God had chosen me to work at my school with my children to further His kingdom.

So, God sent me to Ecuador. Since last December, I've been searching for an opportunity to GO and to go ANYWHERE for the summer of 2012! After several mission trip opportunities fell-through for the summer, and after June and July nearly passed, a trip to Ecuador was finally planned. While journeying across the country of Ecuador, and experiencing a few days worth of the food and culture, I "scouted-it-out" as a possible country to serve full-time in the near future doing mission work. The experience was great, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see Geoff and Jamie in this country they love so dearly!  

But, immediately upon my arrival back to the States, it became so clear to me that Ecuador is not my "mission field". My heart is with my kids... MY kids... at MY school. This is my mission. This is where God has called me for now. I'm providing speech-language services to special education students who need a voice, and who need someone to love them, and who so desperately need to experience the mercy and love of our great God. And that's what I get to do! I get to love them as Christ loves me!