Still Alive

Many of you know I was taken to the hospital on Sunday afternoon due to food poisoning. Nick, Anna, and Junotte took perfect care of me. The doctor also diagnosed dehydration. I was given a shot for the food poisoning and they tried to give me an IV but my veins were unwilling to cooperate. Before being taken to the hospital, my "emergency crew" informed the Chiles to pray, which they did immediately. I heard when Mr. Chiles came in and the doctor asked if he was my father. His reply, "Sort of." I didn't go to school on Monday but slept, slept, slept, and slept some more. I am much better although exhausted from being exhausted... if that makes any sense. So thank you, thank you, thank you for all the prayers.

Thank you for all the specific prayers about EVERYTHING that's going on here in Chuuk. I crave your prayers and know the Lord acts accordingly. We were desperate for rain and God provided about a foot last night - pray for overflowing tanks!

Also, very sadly, one of my students was expelled for being drunk and attacking some girls. I am heart broken for him, to say the least.

Life is full of hard things but life is also full of God's many blessings and abounding grace.

Next week is midterms! ...I'll write more as soon as I can.

Love, Katie

Picnic Island

Pictures - Micronesia#5 - Picnic Island ...and a few others

God always reminds me...

I've been reading through the book of Job. God reminded me of His perfect sovereignty last night when I was so discouraged:
"But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?
What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me,
And many such things are in his mind."
Job 23:13-14

And yesterday morning during staff devotions one of the verses read came from Romans 12:
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12

Then this morning's staff devotions were talking about God's command for Hosea to love a whore. Anna said, "He might not want to do it, but he obeyed God anyway." And Stei later commented, "This guy was suitable for his calling."

So God continually encourages and uplifts me, holding me strong... which reminds me of the verses from Isaiah chapter 40:
"Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel,
'My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God'?
Have you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:27-31

And so in chapel we sang...
Because He lives I can face tomorrow!
Because He lives all fear is gone!
Because I know, I know who holds the future!
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!

So... praise the Lord for His perfect encouragements!

And a quick story...
During 7th period (Junotte and I don't have class last period but we have to stick around on Fridays and oversee cleaning projects.) Mr. Chiles has his advanced English class out on the porch. And so Junotte and I are in the office fiddling :o) around and all of the sudden we hear drumming on the tables from outside. And it doesn't stop... so we get curious, as usual, and go see what they're doing. Well, I guess the class was being rambunctious (sp?) so Pat had them start drumming on the table together and said, "Keep doing this until Miss Junotte comes out." So as soon as we walk out the whole class starts laughing... but they don't stop drumming. There goes Junotte again... attempting to dance. Then Mr. Chiles starts chanting, "Go, Katie! Go, Katie!" Yup... soon enough Junotte and I were dancing together... on the tables no less! Kids from the neighborhood came and stuck their faces in and Mande and Elvis were watching from the office. Mande told us at the end, "Those kids will never forget you!" Fine, I admit it, I was having a ball!

Tomorrow the juniors and seniors are taking me to picnic island! I don't know either but I'll post later... with pictures!

Love, Katie

Swarms of Emotions

Praise the Lord for RAIN! Praise the Lord for ELECTRICITY!

I was doing chores in my home today after school and thanking the Lord profusely for the electricity and asked Him why He allowed us to go for so long with out it. I immediately thought to myself, "Would I have thanked You as much as I have if You allowed it to turn on right away?" Hmmmm... (Not that He couldn't or wouldn't ever.)

Yesterday...
In my sophomore class I went back to the old boring way of teaching where all they do is read and answer questions! When I try to "punish" them without fun and games it makes it a punishment for me as well. Anyway, so most of them were all busy because of course they have to turn in their answers for points and so forth. Cruz came over to where I was trying not to be bored and said, "Miss Katie, I don't have a Bible." I said, "You can go work with Easyboy." "I don't want to work with Easyboy." "Okay, you can go work with DS. He has a Bible," I stated calmly. "No. I want you to give me the answers," Cruz said. (Now, things like this and guys like Cruz, I can handle... well, with much prayer and grace and strength from the Lord.) So Cruz sits down next to me. I think to myself, "Okay, he wants to talk. I'll let him talk to me." I asked him, "Don't you want to go to college, Cruz? Or at least have a job someday?" "I don't know. I don't know what I want to do with my life." (Oh, and Cruz always furrows his brow when he's thinking about something, so try and picture that.) "Yeah, I know how not knowing what you want to do with your life is annoying," I said. "The only way life on earth isn't boring," I continued, "is if you live for eternity. If you're going to spend eternity in Heaven then that's all you need in order to give your life purpose on earth." He was thinking. He told me he would think about that. Still no class work being done... "I wouldn't be here in Chuuk if I wasn't living for Heaven," I said. "I love you guys." Cruz perked up at this remark and said with a cock-eyed grin, "You love me?" "You know what I mean," I said back. "Well, I love you too, Miss Katie," was Cruz's noble reply. I looked at him and said, "If you love me, you would be doing what I asked." "Right, right! I'll go do my work right away!" And that was the end of that conversation.

PRAY FOR CRUZ!

I have the entire sophomore class twice. First for NT before lunch and then they're my last class, World Geography, during 6th period. Today they had a test. To make a long story short... I had to get Mande to come assist me with conversation (and everything else) control. So, please, keep praying for... a miracle!

Also, please pray for my student Easyboy. Something is going on with him and... well... he just needs a lot of prayer. I cried for him today.

I have wondered many times lately, "Why on earth am I here? I don't know how to teach. I don't know how to discipline. I don't, don't, don't know how to love these students." Pray for me as the Lord continually reminds me that He has brought me here. He knows exactly what He's doing - with rain, electricity, and my classes.

One more thing...
I LOVE MY ROOMMATE! She is so hilarious. She seriously reminds me of living in dorms again with college girls - and she's 65 years old! We have so much in common it's unbelieveable. Well, Junotte keeps saying, "Oh, it's just the Lord. You know?" Last night we realized that we both have a love for musicals. I was trying to go to bed and then we started looking up lyrics, songs, and musicals on the internet together. When she found out that my favorite was "Oklahoma!" she said that she was going to sing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" to me in the morning. So this morning, as usual, I'm extremely groggy (is that even a word?). I go into the bathroom, shut the door, look into the mirror, and start CRACKING UP! On the wall, opposite of the mirror is a huge sign that says, "Oh, what a bee-YOU-ti-ful morning!" We just have a ball together. Besides that she is full of encouragement and wisdom from teaching in inner city schools! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! (Alas, my love for LA is remaining it seems...)
And, of course, her love for our Savior is wonderful wonderful wonderful. She ALWAYS quotes Scripture. It just rolls off her tongue because it's what's on her mind - for any situation too! So, I love her a lot and am very thankful for her.

This is a lot longer than I thought for tonight but I guess that's okay.
Keep praying! It works! It SOOOOO works!

Love,
Katie

Specific Prayer Requests

1. Rain
2. Electricity - we've been out for almost a day now. I reek.
3. After my last class (sophomore WG), I came into the office and cried in Mande's arms. Everything I've ever said about my sophomore class and my teaching... PRAY! Please, please, PRAY!

Praise the LORD!

The overhead projector works!

"Happy Advanced Valentine's Day"

Praise the Lord… for His steadfast love endures forever!

I am exhausted.

I walked into the office after my last period on Friday singing, “Hallelujah, hallelujah!” Mr. Chiles just smiled knowingly. I said, “It’s not because I don’t love my students. I’m just exhausted!” That morning during staff devotions we talked about being thankful in all circumstances. So my circumstances changed from the work week to the weekend and I sure was thank-FULL!

God has been working. I walked into my freshmen class on Thursday, I think, and all of my students were whispering among themselves and eyeing me. I just shrugged my shoulders and thought to myself, “Where did they put the gecko?” Then one of them handed me a note and everyone sat up straight and folded their hands and waited expectantly for me to read it. I am not exaggerating in the least. I asked if I was supposed to read it aloud and was nodded at, once again, with eager expectation.

Here is the note: (Nothing has been changed to protect the innocent.)

Happy Advanced Valentine’s Day
Were “So Sorry”
From the Freshmen Class of 2005
To: Mrs. Katie

Happy Advanced “Valentine’s Day”
To dear Mrs. Katiey
“Us students wanted to do something different this Day”, Because we know that you have something in mind about us students, that we are being bad to you in every single way.
We wanted to say “were Sorry” of being the naughtiest and bad students ever in your life ever. But till know we understand your feelings toward us, so we want to say sorry.
Sincerely,
The Students of Mizpah
“The Freshies”

So my worst/scariest class at the beginning… has now been miraculously changed…
It’s weird. Nothing happened. I didn’t think I was doing anything and I didn’t think they were noticing anything. Therefore… GOD was noticing and doing something! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU FOR PRAYING! And PRAISE GOD!

I also thought I would share my birthday card from Mande and Elvis.
“We just want to say Happy Birthday to you!! …and want to convey our thanks and appreciation to you for giving your ‘life’ to the purpose and ministry here. We enjoy your presence and will continue to be there for you. Here in Chuuk, they say everyday is your birthday! Again, a very joyous birthday to you!”

Again, I praise God for His faithfulness to us all. And I thank you for praying and participating in all other sorts of wonderful ways in sending me and taking care of me.

Prayer requests:
- The copy machine is broken, the overhead projector is broken… as usual, the textbook supply is extremely low, the paper supply is low, the arts supplies are zilch, and any other teaching resources are nada. Please, pray for God’s wisdom and perfect teaching skills to penetrate my mind. You could also pray for the renewal of all machines and supplies.
- Pray that the Lord shows me the balance between making lessons challenging and being basic enough so that they really learn.
- Continue to pray for bonding, especially with Jasyuri, Doralyn, and Vanity.
- Continue to pray for proper discipline and love, especially with Cruz, Maverick, Teison, and EasyBoy.
- Pray for my dear junior named Job. He is struggling with loneliness.
- Pray for me as I need to focus on the task at hand and not think about coming home. There are many things that I love about Chuuk but Dorothy was right. Pray that I continue to be lead by the Holy Spirit’s eternal mindset.
- Please, pray too for my exhaustion and physical health. I am not exactly up to par.
- Pray that God binds the Enemy so that His work will continue here in full strength – personally in my life, as well as in Logan Memorial Church and Mizpah CHS.
- And, finally, pray “…that [I] may be active in sharing [my] faith, so that [I] will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ!” (Philemon 6)

“Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here.
Sin would reduce me to utter despair.
But through Thy free goodness my spirit’s revived,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.”
- Caedmon’s Call, “Thy Mercy”

Again, again, again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS! THEY WORK AND I AM IN DESPERATE NEED OF THE ONE WHO LISTENS TO THEM!

Love, Katie

P.S. SD and LA are doing fine. They are beginning obedience training.

A few more pictures...

my new pets

5 Weeks In

I can’t believe I’ve been here that long!

Five weeks to go until midterms. And then five weeks + spring break + five weeks = graduation! Wow!

I’ve been sick with a pretty bad cold this past week. Whoever thought you could catch a cold in Micronesia?! There’s also the flu going around and one-by-one people are getting all these sicknesses. Please, pray that God would renew our strength!

Classes have been going fairly well. We’ve been studying Asia in my World Geography classes. Last Friday I went into class early (they’re right after lunch) and had some of my junior and senior guys help me move all of the desks and chairs to the edge of the room. Then we spread a couple of sheets on the floor. I had my freshmen (and then my sophomores) come into class, take off their shoes, and sit on the sheets. I had brought my computer where I let them listen to some sound clips from India and look at pictures from Russia, Israel, China, Vietnam, India, and Mongolia that I had found on the internet. We talked about religions too, of course, and Amy Carmichael, William Carey, and Hudson Taylor. I even read some different snippets out of each of their lives. Oh, I almost forgot, I also had a separate sheet where I explained some of the dress. I used a girl to show (sort of) how a sari is worn and a boy for how a turban is worn. It was great!

Once again, I thank you all soooooo much for your prayers. They are wonderful. Here are some specific prayer requests:
1. Teaching is the hardest thing EVER! Pray that the Lord teaches me how to teach and brings fresh ideas into my head all the time.
2. Pray for a few of my boys in my sophomore class. To say that they are completely and utterly sinful doesn’t single them out because we all are, but it has shown up in some pretty horrible ways. Pray that the Lord teaches me to love them, which includes disciplines which fit their crimes!
3. Continue to pray for Sinie (see-nee-eh) and all of my sophomores and freshmen whose English and academic skills are very low. Help me be patient with them and be willing to slowly (but surely!) work with them.
4. Pray for one of my senior girls, Jasyuri. I love her dearly and have been able to talk with here one-on-one two different times about some things going on in her life. Pray that the Lord blesses our relationship and continues to give us time to talk. Pray that I will encourage her and, as always, proclaim Christ.
5. Pray for one of my senior boys, Nathaniel. He’s been inquisitive lately and asked me a couple of good questions about life and morals and such. Pray that I eagerly proclaim truth to him.
6. And pray for one of my sophomore boys, Cruz. He comes from a Catholic background. As usual, before I pray at the beginning of class I ask if anyone has a prayer request. He asked me to pray for his family. I asked if there was anything specific or just in general. He said something like, “Pray that we love being a family. Pray that God shows us what we need to do.” Pray for him and that I might be a clear communicator in words and deeds of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

It’s amazing what I’ve been praying for here. Sure the big things but also some little things that I’m too embarrassed to even mention. We ran out of water on Saturday, water for laundry, dishes, flushing the toilet, etc. We were going to go buy some today, Monday. Last night there was a torrential down pour! It rained steadily all day today. In fact, we almost thought there would be no school this morning as we (Junotte, Nick, Anna, and I) looked out from under our porch this morning. There did end up being school, but there were also OVERFLOWING tanks! It was soooo cool. It made me think, “If God’s so faithful in filling up our physical water tank, how much more is He faithful in filling us spiritually with His living water!”

And I continue to pray that God richly blesses you as you are partners with me in the Gospel of Christ.

Hoping in Jesus Christ,
Katie

Oh yeah! Thank you for all the happy birthdays! I actually was thankful in the end for my sickness because it made my first birthday away from friends and family very bearable as I didn’t really care what happened as long as the Lord renewed my strength! So thank you for the e-mails, the “songs” by e-mail, the cards, and the presents! I miss you all sooooooooooooooooooo super much! Oh, and I was taken care of here for my birthday with two different birthday dinners, cake and ice cream Thursday and Friday during lunch, and presents including my first Chuukese skirt (I LOVE IT!).