Pictures above: This morning, I went running with some kids from our youth group. We've been running recently, and I am loving it! Today we ran/walked the course that we will all be running again next Saturday in a marathon, which is being organized by one of our youth group boys.
Yes, I am back in Nepal. I was so blessed by the time in USA and Japan, and am feeling really blessed to be able to come here again and stay for another season of time. It is a tremendous blessing to me to be able to live and work over here, and I am glad to see that I can be an encouragement to our Nepal family. Seems like they all had a good winter, as I did. And, once again, as I have come back, I see that there is plenty of work to keep me busy! But I hope that as I am busy, I will not be too busy for what should be my top priority, which is spending time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His word. It is easy to push that out of the schedule, but really, it is the most important thing I should be doing with my time. Getting to know him better and becoming more like him should be my first resolution for every new season, including this one. Thanks for remembering me in your prayers, and let me know any time how I can be remembering you.
Stuff that is going on here over the next few months:
Living Stone Academy – I am still volunteering and teaching at LSA part-time, and enjoying classes with the kids and getting to know the teachers and faculty better. It was nice to see all their faces again! The kids here are a great welcoming committee. A few came running and yelling across the school yard, “Ruth Teacher! Hello Ruth Teacher! You were gone a long time! How was your holiday in America?”
Guardian Hostels – I am still tutoring over there in the afternoons, and hoping to get some new things going with the kids to encourage reading and Bible memorization. These kids are such blessings to me. They made me feel so welcomed and so loved as soon as I stepped on the compound. I really missed them, too! I was so lonely for them the whole time in Japan and USA. It is good to be back. Some new stuff going on with the Guardian Hostel kids is that Yashoda has started homeschooling five of the kids, ones who needed some extra educational attention and who are doing much better, getting their specific educational needs met at home than they would in a big class. I have started going over and helping her with educating those kids a few days a week.
Small group tutoring – Some groups of girls I have been and hope to continue meeting with regularly. I am starting to meet with two of my Nepali friends for the first time this week. As we begin this weekly time, pray that it will be a healthy spiritual time, and productive for all of us to grow in faith. These young women are close to my heart, and important members of our family here. God has great stuff he wants to do in them and through them.
International School of Ministry – This is an international course for Christian leaders, training them in basic Christian doctrine, and helping them get the tools they need to grow and multiply! Our leaders have been going through the course here; I am also taking it, and it has been really good teaching, very practical and helpful for me. As we continue the course, we can share what we are learning with the people around us and under us in ministry. It has been a wonderful and encouraging ministry to be a part of.
Sunday school and kids – As the spring vacation is coming up (three weeks in March-April), I am sure that we will be doing some fun events like picnics, youth retreat, and visiting various exciting places with the kids and youth. Everyone is looking forward to a holiday, but in the meantime, they must study hard for tests starting in two weeks.
