Day 31 (24): Rambly Post, but Please Read the Prayer Requests at the End

Howdy and hola and pura vida :)

Today was really good. I don't fully remember why, but it feels like it was, so I'll kinda externally process here (though filtered external processing, which may be my favorite kind) and we'll figure it out together.

Um... I was on the breakfast team today. Katie and I made pancakes. I only burned one, so feeling pretty good about that. My phone didn't really charge last night due to a faulty electricity thing. Our wiring here is hit or miss, you plug things in and then have to jiggle them sometimes. I forgot to jiggle. But, I had time to charge it before we left, so that's good.

Worship was lovely. We went to the park. Matthew led on his guitalele. I think if I ever decide to commit to an instrument, that would be it. Very useful, very portable. We had some really good and honest prayer, and we sang my current favoritest song that I don't know the words to, Christ is Mine Forevermore. It's quite fantastic, I'm listening to it right now.

Oh, I was thinking about prayer because of what I just typed. I think the most honest my prayers have been lately is, "Hey God, I'm really emotionally drained and I don't know how to feel connected to you right now. I can tell you're with me; I see your hand working all around me and you tell me things when I still myself and listen. I just don't feel your nearness." But I've been thinking about that recently. There's so many places in the Bible where God says, "I will be with you," "I will never leave or forsake you," "and surely I will be with you always..." There's, like, a lot. I think God has to say that so many times for ....3?...let's say 3...reasons.
1. I think as people, we're quick to forget what we know when it doesn't feel true.
2. I think in this world, because of the deep brokenness of everything, we don't have a perfect unbroken sense of our permanent, unbroken connection to God, even though his Spirit lives inside all believers.
3. I think God allows us to lose our feeling of his presence so that we can learn faith and trust, so that we can grow. It makes me think of a parent letting go of a kids' hands when they're learning to walk, but standing right there. Maybe that's a trite comparison, idk. 
So, I think God reminds us of his presence through his word. Faith is grown in those moments where we choose to believe in his love and goodness when it seems like they aren't true. But, so far, for my 33ish years of life, he's always been there.

I was also thinking today about ways that God shows us he's near. I was praying for a friend of mine today, who, every time he finds a bobby-pin laying around, knows someone is praying for him. He said it's because his grandmom was a fierce prayer lady and she would get all excited and sit and shake her head while she was praying, and her bobby-pins would fall out. I have another friend, who, every time he gets worried about whether God will provide for him, finds a penny on the ground to remind him God's got him. Another friend sees rainbows in times where she needs to be reminded of God's presence. Another friend sees butterflies. Some friends have the numbers of significant life Bible verses that will pop up everywhere, some will hear certain songs playing on the radio... 

Maybe there's an element of confirmation bias in all that, idk. But, I think that the reminder that God is present, a provider, and loves you is always a good thing. So long as it doesn't turn into any kind of animistic junk that gets idolatrous or leads away from God. We don't dig that. I don't have anything like that for me, but God still finds ways to show himself to me when I need it. Currently, it just doesn't feel particularly strong ways when it happens.

ANYWAY. So I guess that was all in there. Strap in folks, looks like a long post. We made our plans and our grocery list after worship, got ready, and headed for the bus. We rode to the CDI and got set up. 

We sat for a while, waiting for the kids, listening to 21 Pilots on YouTube, and just generally being people. The kids came a little late, but we had a good crew today: Justin, Isabella, Genesis, Andres. Georgen and her daughter, Reychel? Rachel?, were there to help us too.

We did a couple of Just Dance videos. The guys are always reluctant to join in, but once you stop watching, they do and have fun. I wonder why guys are so often hesitant to dance. I wasn't for a long time, then I was for a long time, now I still am, but can get over it and enjoy myself sometimes. Grant Westbrook's wedding was where that changed for me...and some at Kevin and Heather's wedding. I can't quite identify what my hangup is, but when I stop caring and decide to have fun, I have fun. Weird.

Sheryl led our Bible Study today, which went really well. The kids engage a little bit more deeply each time and give answers that are a little bit less "Sunday Schooly" each time. It's awesome.

We made Father's Day cards, which took a lot of time, but was worth it. Georgen had the idea, and I agree with her that it's important that these kids work to have good relationships with their fathers, even though not all of them are going to have the best fathers. There's a whole tangent on Fatherhood (from my vaaast experience as a father, /s), but I'm already too tangential today. Suffice to say: A good Dad is a great thing (and, thanks Dad!).

We had snacks and Matthew got into some cool ear-training exercises with the kids for the music lesson. Learning to hear the difference between Major and Minor and Major 7 and Dominant 7 chords was the focus. I now know that there are more than just major and minor chords, so that's cool. There was a bit of a learning curve, but the kids started to get it, and we'll circle back around to it next time we have them. Wow, next time may be the last time on this trip.

We practiced math and played games and generally had a good time. The kids were more energetic than usual today, but it went really well. I feel like I'm pretty connected to Andres, but Justin has been harder for me to connect to. He's the oldest, and I think that means language is more important to connect. But, I think he sees me trying, and the last few times together have been increasingly connecty.

As we ended things, the new team that's joining us arrived from the airport, so they got to briefly meet the kids and we got to talk with them about what we've been doing and Lagos got to share more with them about the church's vision and hopes for the future of the CDI. So, tomorrow will probably be our first day Together; am excited!

We took a different bus home so we could get off at the grocery store, we got all our groceries home, unpacked, cooked dinner, ate together while listening to some Evanescence (yea, that's what's up), then watched a movie. Then I did some computering and typing and filtered external processing. So...yea.

PRAYERS:
- for the new team that arrived to rest well tonight and have a good start tomorrow!
- for our team to do the same
- for a good transition. I can't stress how important I think this is for these kids.
- for scheduling with the college students this weekend. We're trying to hang out on Saturday with people, but I'm worried it will fall through or change again.
- for the CDI. It's such a beautiful thing; how the church is serving this community and putting down deep, slow, long-term roots. I know The Enemy will come against it.
- for the church here. They are small, but mighty.
- for our team and spiritual warfare; I know I've been feeling it. Maybe I can tangent on that tomorrow.
- for...idk, everything. Maybe take a minute and still your heart and ask the Lord if there's anything you can pray for. Then, pray for that. Maybe lmk what it is, so I can too.

Pictures: Lol, oh, you.

Egg Count: idk, I think 174. We bought 30 more, so I think we'll get 200 before we leave.