What takes time?

Above are pictures of 5 of the 6 (one was home, sick) 9th graders that come to "small group" each week at our home.  Last night they came for dinner and games.  Our home definitely was full of noise and fun.  It takes time to have them feel comfortable with us.  It takes time for them to desire for them to share how they really are doing living away from their parents.  It takes time to have them desire to speak about much else than what happened in their day or the boy they think is the cutest at BFA.  My prayer is that they will continue to see the love of God and His desire to shepherd their lives.  Please pray I would be patient and just keep loving them.  I will meet with one of them for lunch at the high school today.  Her father is in the US Air Force, stationed in Germany.  She asked if I could bring mac-n-cheese for her lunch.  Maybe it's through a yummy lunch that she will start to share more? 

Tomorrow (Friday), Kaylin will have a day off of school because of Parent/Teacher conferences.  We are so proud of her hard work during 1st quarter which (don't read any further if you don't want to hear a parent brag) helped her earn High Honor Roll.  She has great teachers and is getting many doses of joy by just going to school each day.    Lauren also (more bragging) did such a great job of earning high grades for 1st quarter.  She will have next Friday off because of confereneces.  I will take each of the girls on their day off to do something special to spend time together.  Kaylin won't be too thrilled that we will have to find time to still find a pair of jeans that fit her here in Germany.  "Skinny" jeans may be the fashion but are not Kaylin's preference.  It's hard to find anything else here.

Rick did a great job getting all of his 1st quarter grades turned in.  He is trying hard to figure out how to teach the rest of the New Testament to his sophomores in only 20+ days and he is only in 1 Corinthians.

We were so thankful to find a babysitter last Saturday evening and go to a restaurant that made us feel like we were in the tropics and not Germany.  This restaurant is in a small country town.  You never know what you will find around here.  And the waiter spoke English!   It was so wonderful to have uninterrupted conversation and time to just enjoy our friendship. 

Thank you for all those praying for my German language learning.  This is another thing that will take much time.  My German teacher asked me on Tuesday if I was feeling ill.  I didn't realize my face must have looked really down.  I told her that I was just discouraged.  Learning verbs and pronouns are not much fun.  :)  More gray hairs definitely popped up on my head this week.  Someone tried to encourage me by saying learning a language now could help prevent Alzeheimers some day.  That's great for the future but I can hardly remember what I learn each day now.  It all takes time. 

I am so thankful in all these things that "take time", that God is able to keep my heart resting in His promises that He is not slow to work.  He is always right on time!  God is so good at allowing me to learn so much again through waiting.  Waiting causes me to keep having to go back to Him for peace, strength and submitting my heart to His will. 

Missing all of you!  :)