Pure JOY

Another week passed too fast. Life is so different for me here, but different in a very good way. I actually cannot believe this is my life right now. Many times, I actually stop and have to remind myself I am not dreaming. A journal excerpt:
I just finished tucking in the little ones and saying goodnight to all the kids. Now I am sitting in my room in awe of the Lord's goodness. I am at home here and I know my life was created for days like these. Everywhere I look I see the face of Jesus. He is in the kids smiles, their laughter, their prayers, and their songs. Jesus is fully alive in each and everyone of these kids. Tonight in evening prayer, i could not stop my tears. As four, five, and six year old kids volunteered to pray and did so passionately it ripped out what was left of my heart. These beautiful children are the future---they are the future army of the Lord. What a beautiful sight to behold---the Lord's army in training. What an incredible privelege to be a part of their training. I am so unworthy, yet the Lord sent me anyways. I am in awe.

I cannot describe to you how fully my heart is...yet the Lord didn't just bring me here to serve, because now I can see his plan to change my heart too. Here I am alone and at times, when the kids are in school or at night after I tuck them in, the loneliness creeps in and threatens to overwhelm me. This is the first time I have been without friends, family, or a fellow English as a first language speaker. Every conversation takes my utmost concentration. But the Lord is good. In my lonelinesss he holds me. I know the Lord is enough and he will always sustain me...but he is showing me in depths like never before that he is my best friend. When I have no one to talk to, he is there always listening. He holds me as I hold the kids. I know the Lord has a plan to bring me into a more intimate relationship with him. It's just like him to fool me into thinking I was here for others and really he wants to change my heart.
I cannot express to you how wonderful my relationships with the kids are....everyday things get a little less ackward. I still have no idea what is going on most of the time, but the play time, snuggle time, and pagal (crazy) time i spend with the kids is worth the ackwardness. I have a few prayer requests:
-that i would continue building relationships with the kids (esp. the older boys) and with Aunty who helps cook, and with Jyoti Aunty (the principal's wife)
-please pray for my Hindi as I am trying to learn to speak, read, and write Hindi...i need the Lord's help! although hearing hindi nearly 100% of the time has definetly helped me pick up on some more
-and just for good rest, nights seem to be ackward times for me, and it would be so helpful to sleep soundly through the night
Oh and a funny picture for you...today I had about 2 minutes notice that I would be teaching the nursery class for the whole day...no preparation time! imagine a substitute teacher(you all know how they are treated) who cannot speak the language! it was crazy...and only by the Lord's grace did i survive!!! HAHA
THANKS EVERYONE! Love to you all!!!