Were the camel races really two weeks ago? Have I really been in this country for a month and a half since returning from Christmas holidays?
And when did I actually start LIKING my school again, LOVING Kuwait, ENJOYING my job, and feeling like this place was actually HOME?
It’s kind of blowing my mind.
To me, it’s an answer to a million ceaseless prayers, a thousand tears and moments of increasing obedience and submission.
But tonight I want to talk about the girls that I hang out with on Thursday evenings, after school. We normally meet in Mrs. Jacque’s office at our church (she’s the Senior Pastor’s wife).
These girls are 11 and 12 years old. They all attend the Lighthouse Academy (the school on the church compound). They are from Egyptian, Lebanese, Indian and Filipino families.
Last May, at the end of an Encounter with God weekend, I received an email from a friend who asked if I would be willing to help her start a Bible study with these girls (whom I didn’t know at the time). I was psyched and answered her email with an energetic and resounding YES! It was an answer to prayer and I couldn’t wait for it to begin.
We started meeting in October of this year. Did I mention that my friend’s name is ALSO Katie? The kids wanted to know what they could call me. “I guess Ms. Katie is already taken, so…how about Gladys?” I wish I could say that the name stuck, but it didn’t, so instead we’re called Ms. Katie Tall and Ms. Katie Small. We usually split into Team Tall and Team Small whenever there are competitive activities.
We studied Youth Alpha last Fall and started another study called Girls in January. You can imagine that we wanted to get to know the girls before we started talking about any kind of personal issues!
We always do one “fun” event every month. Of course, we try to stress to the girls that studying the Bible is actually FUN! But it is nice to just get out of the office and enjoy the time with them. We’ve had a photo scavenger hunt, gone bowling, and made cookies.
Last weekend, we met at one of the girls’ houses for a pyjama party! We came sporting our best and cleanest pyjamas. I had to plan ahead and not wear my fleece pants the entire week before!
We ate some amazing Egyptian food. Okay, make that a LOT of amazing Egyptian food! In fact, her mother came in when we were mostly finished and made sure we all had an extra helping! We joked tonight that we were STILL digesting our food from last week.
It was great to play DDR with them, paint each other's fingernails, and sing a little Karaoke!
I LOVE these girls.
And when I feel urged to make a weekly blessings list on Thursday nights, it’s usually because of them. Sometimes it seems as though I’ve been insanely busy, especially on Saturday nights when it feels like the weekend has flown by (Sunday is a school day) and it would be nice to have a Thursday night to relax and unwind and do other things. But, then I’m reminded of WHY we do this…and see the results. Can I hear a big Hallelujah?
I have been overwhelmed lately with the realization of God’s faithfulness in so many areas throughout my life, the sense of His love, and an unwinding understanding of His purpose.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
”Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.Jeremiah 29:11-14a
Eventually, I will have to start leading this group alone, Katie and I discussed tonight. When He first told me this at the beginning of January, I got mad at God and said, “No! Katie can’t leave! I don’t want to teach it alone!!” But tonight, it didn’t seem so scary. It’s getting time to step up.
But…not yet. KatieSquared will lead on - for a little while longer, anyways.
How blessed we are!
