Become like a child

Independence Day found the church heading up north on an hour long, bumpy, windy truck ride to the hot springs. The water was clear when we first reached but till the kids started bathing it was a stirred up nastiness. I must say I would have been a little more jealous that I couldn't go in if it would have been at night and cool. The water was just too warm with the sun shining! From there we went by a beach and made mountain pies. It was a new thing for most people but everyone seemed to enjoy them. After a long day we returned home wind blown and tired. 

                    Christian sporting the colors                    Bethany, Andell and Melody                  

   

Keondre diving in

 The boys had too much fun...*jealous*

 ...they are the best!

 Kevon in the final stages of his back flip

 ...gathered round the fire...

and all the yummy toppings 

...happenings of today in school. I love classroom chapels with my lil kiddos. They are so much fun to sing with and ALWAYS remember every detail of the previous Bible story and lesson to learn from it whether it was a whole week ago or not. Well today the list of things to pray for got too long like it does sometimes when we get to praying for bumps, bruises, sicknesses, grandmothers, aunties, etc..you get the picture. I decided today I would just let them all pray because I couldn't remember them all. Well...pray we did for a whole 25 minutes. I sat there wondering to myself if I should tell them they must stop and let someone else pray or not! It was kind of cute for the time but before long I began realizing that possibly there was a competition going on about who could pray the longest....Here are some of the prayers that were raised today.
*Help us to all get to heaven and to not do bad things because we KNOW that is wrong.


* Lord I pray that we could still got to church even if rain fallin. Help us to walk with an umbrella or go in a transport but if we can't, Lord, you know we will have church at home and pray and thing.


*for all the people that do not know about you and for the Chiney...that they would not be mean to us and that they would not put us in jail. (not sure if the chinese here are known for jailing people?)


*that all the girls would grow up to be good mommies and that all the boys would grow up to be good daddies like you want us to be.


*If it would not have been for Lucifer who wanted to be Satan we would not do all this bad things and if Adam and Eve,  if they would not of listened to the devil and ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Help us not to listen to that voice inside our heads that wants us to do bad things. Lord help our hearts to want you inside and do right things and to follow you!


I was reminded of the verses in Matt. 18 where Jesus said "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcome s a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
What a serious responsibility I have while influencing these young lives. Some days when it seems like all I do is discipline I need to remember these innocent prayers that are lifted and realize that way more is being taught then I can ever realize. 

Yesterday was not the best day of our lives in the blue house but a suitcase arrived via some strangers that entitled the blue house to many lovely things. Christmas came in February and we were very delighted! ...but on the other hand...should I be eating this food? lol. Thanks Jo..you totally made our night...and I mean that very very much!