Day 17: Colleagues

Although the majority of my time is spent in my classroom with students, I do interact with colleagues between classes, at meetings, and in shared responsibilities. My prayer is that I will represent Christ well in every interaction with my colleagues. There have been times when my words and/or actions have been thoughtless or from wrong motives. I want to avoid this, and the only way I can do that is through abiding in Him.

Day 16: Puerto Vallarta

Over the last year and a half I have been so blessed by opportunities to work alongside missionaries Preston and Courtney in Puerto Vallarta. I quickly grew to love the members of the new church, La Esperanza de Vallarta. While I was in Puerto Vallarta, God broke my heart for the lost in a deeper way than I have ever experienced before. As I pray for the people of Puerto Vallarta, my mind is filled with the faces of the hotel workers in my English classes last summer. They are so precious to me, and as far as I know only one of them is a Christian. I pray that God will work in their hearts and that He will continue to bless the ministry that He has started through my dear friends Preston and Courtney.

Day 15: Manzanillo

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Manzanillo in the summers of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. I met a lot of people as we distributed information in neighborhoods and hosted activities for children in the parks and schools. It has been so exciting to see the new church, La Esperanza de Manzanillo, take shape and grow. Now, as missionaries Bill and Vicki prepare to leave this church in the hands of a native pastor, I am praying for the church, for their unsaved neighbors, and for Bill and Vicki.

Day 14: Nicaragua

Even though it has been several years since my 2 trips to Nicaragua, the people I meet on mission trips stay in my heart forever. I think about them. I wonder what God has done in their lives since I last saw them. I pray for God to bless them in so many ways. Today I am praying for all of the people I met in two villages near Managua, Nicaragua. I also pray for my friend Rebecca who serves through Project Hope in Nicaragua. She's home visiting now but will return to Nicaragua in January. She has been a tremendous blessing especially to the women, teens, and children there.

Day 13: Scripture Memorization Update

Praise! God is definitely answering our prayers. I started focusing on scripture memorization a few days ago, and He certainly helped me quickly memorize the first verse I selected. But He didn't stop there.W hile I was sitting in an optometrist's waiting room for about an hour on Wednesday, He brought the verse to mind. I realized that, because I had memorized the scripture, this waiting time gave me a perfect opportunity to meditate on the verse (something I couldn't do without a Bible in hand if I hadn't memorized it). So, as I waited, I pondered and prayed through each word in the verse. It was a small incident, but it was a tremendous blessing to me. The verse was:

Guard your heart above all else
For it is the source of life.
- Proverbs 4:23

Pressing Health Clearance Issue

I received an email this morning from the IMB stating that they had not yet received my medical clearance from the organization that processes the health information. I called that organization, and they will not clear me until they receive a letter from my doctor regarding my blood pressure. My next phone call was to my doctor's office to request that such a letter be faxed. I am praying that the doctor will be willing to do this, will do it in a timely manner, and that this will not stand in the way of my clearance.

Additionally, they have not received the optometrist's report that I mailed 1 1/2 weeks ago. It was hard to tell whether or not the receipt of this report will affect clearance. I don't know why it has taken so long to reach them but am praying it will arrive today.

THA's deadline to submit clearance to the IMB is December 2.

Day 12: IMB Missionaries

The IMB recently commissioned 105 new missionaries. I am excited for the promise of what I know God will do through each of these people and am praying now specifically for them as they arrive on the mission field, adapt to the culture, and begin their work. I also pray for all of the other missionaries currently on the field.

Day 11: Mental/Emotional Preparation

I know that international missions can be very tough on a person mentally/emotionally. Being separated from family and friends and immersed in a completely different culture can take its toll on a person. I experienced a little of that last summer in my apartment in Puerto Vallarta, so I know that it is crucial for me to rely solely on Him to meet these needs and to prepare me in advance for potentially challenging situations.

Day 10: Physical Preparation

Yesterday's focus was on spiritual preparation. Today it is on physical preparation. I pray that no physical limitations will hinder me from serving where God wants me to serve, and I pray that He will continue to help me make healthy choices.

Day 9: Spiritual Preparation

I am praying that God will prepare me spiritually for the plans He has for me; whatever they may be. Whether following Him leads me to a mission field in another country or to stay where I am, I want to be spiritually prepared to serve.

Day 8: Scripture Memorization

I need to confess that it has been a long time since I have actively invested time and energy into memorizing scripture. That is something that I am trying to work on now because I recognize the importance of having it in my mind to recall and use at a moment's notice. I am praying that God will help me to be disciplined in my approach to this and that He will enable my mind to efficiently commit His words to memory.

"I have hid Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." - Psalm 119:11

Day 7: Give Me Your Eyes

Christian artist Brandon Heath has a song that is pretty popular right now called "Give Me Your Eyes." The first time I heard it over the summer, it captured my attention because the message it holds was like an echo of my heart. It says, in part:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eye so I can see

Can you imagine what that would be like? To truly see the people around us the way God sees them, even for just one second, would forever change our perspective. I think there have been a few times when He has allowed me just a tiny glimpse of this (with some of my students and with some people I encountered on mission trips). Those glimpses were life-changing; I can't imagine what it would be like to see through His eyes every day. When I reflect on His love and compassion for each individual person, I realize how much that should impact the way I treat each person. So, today I am praying through this song.