I know it has been way too long since I've posted anything on here. A lot has happened since my last post, mostly school. Last semester I started my education classes and got to spend some time each week in an elementary classroom. I considered changing majors because of that--it was kind of a hectic classroom and a bit overwhelming. But in the end I decided to stick with it. A big reason I wanted to keep pursuing education is because I want to teach ELL, English Language Learners, if I end up teaching in the United States. Last semester I got to visit the Adult Education Center, where adults can learn English, and I also got to go to a high school ELL classroom and teach a lesson. I enjoyed both of those a lot, mostly because of the people I got to talk to. There are a lot of refugees in Spokane who are here through World Relief. People from Nepal and the Marshall Islands and Eritrea and a lot of other countries. Each of them has a story and most of them are separated from people they love either in their home country or living as a refugee in another country. I would love to get involved in some kind of organization or ministry that specifically works with these kinds of people. Teaching English would be one way to to that. I am becoming more and more convinced that the United States needs missionaries just as much as any other country. I've always hoped to go to another country for missions but I'm learning that I don't have to go very far to find needy people.

Something that has been on my mind lately is the attitude and motivation behind ministry. I think it's kind of arrogant to think that people need my help as if I'm the only person who can save them. As if my life is all put together and now I need to go fix other people. That certainly isn't true. But then why is it that I am passionate about helping people who suffer? One answer is that when I spend time with people who are suffering or poor, I see Jesus in them and I get to know him better by knowing them better.

On a different note, this Jan Term I am taking a class called "Postures of the Soul: Sacred Dance". The teacher is Judy Mandeville. Today I was thinking about how God's love and grace just seem emanate from her. She is so passionate about God and she genuinely cares about all of her students. I hope and pray that God's love would show as clearly through me as it does through her.