In every season, You are still God

I figured that it was time that I write another blog post, but have had trouble coming up with what to write about.  These past few months have been filled with challenges for us as a staff, as we have seen people leave and have experienced some conflicts within ourselves and have also just been a bit discouraged in general.  None of those makes for a real uplifting blog post, so I think that's a big part of why I haven't felt like writing much lately.  I think that the longer I am a part of a formal ministry and also as I learn more and more about what it is to walk with Jesus, I see that there are these ups and downs, seasons of discouragements and seasons of much joy.  I don't think it's a coincidence that even as I'm writing this post, I'm listening to Hillsong en Español and hearing the words to this beautiful song:
En todo lugar
En todo tiempo 
Tú eres Dios 
Tengo un motivo al cantar 
Es mi deseo adorarte
The translation is: All of my life, in every season.  You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.  

Isn't that what it's all about?  He is still God in no matter what season we happen to find ourselves in.  And praise Him for that, because I don't want to live this life without our consistent and unchanging God of all.  

I thought that I'd borrow the idea of my fellow staff friend Theresa and mention some recent "Yay ducks and Yuck ducks" that I have experienced as of late.  The idea for the yay and yuck is that we live in a paradox as missionaries living in a culture not our own, with many things that are "yays" but also things that are "yucks."  We learned in our mission training prior to moving here that these are normal and that it is good and healthy to call attention to both of them.  So here we go...

Yay: I spent a great 9 days with friends and family in California a few weeks ago!  It was refreshing to my spirit and so fun.
Yuck: It was hard to come back, especially when my three-year old niece told me that she didn't want me to leave.

I got to go to a Dodger's game with my dad and my siblings.  Go, Blue!

We had lots of silly talks and fun play time together while I was in California.

Yay: We have had a number of new kids coming to the Tutoring Center in our "littles" group, and mom's who seem to care about their children's education.
Yuck: We have very few 4-6 grade girls, and this has really affected my Friday girls' club.  We had a really committed group last year, but since the majority of those girls graduated, we are having to kind of start from scratch and it has been kind of discouraging for me.

Our "goodbye" party for our two semester students with the littles and a few bigs.

Yay: I celebrated my 32nd birthday with my fun girlfriends here, and they were up for the challenge of dressing like super heroes.
Yuck: Getting older seems to mean the development of a more sensitive stomach.  I'm having to learn how to listen to my body more and more in regards to what and when I eat.

My European staff friends representing their countries' flags and being "super" at the same time.

Yay: Summer season is upon us and we will have many helpers coming through the door of the Tutoring Center the next weeks.
Yuck: My brain is exhausted at the end of every day from going back and forth between Spanish and English all day long.

Our interns from FPU, Evelyn and Mady, along with our Tico intern, Josue

Yay: It seems that rainy season has arrived and that means cooler temperatures, fresh air, and green everywhere!
Yuck:  I think, because my people in California are in such a drought, I better not say anything here about the "yuck" side of all the rain.  

Yay: Our staff has been spending a lot of time together lately, sharing meals and jumping on trampolines and just living life together.  I am so thankful for this community that I'm a part of!
Yuck: Being a single person in a foreign land is just hard.

Intern Alex and I taking some of our staff kids out to to the movies.  A quote from one of the girls- "This is the best day ever!"

Thanks for listening, err, reading.  I want this blog to be a place that I share things that are REAL, and that includes the yays and the yucks.  I'm thankful that we have a God that cares about all of those things.  That He doesn't promise that it will be all glossy shiny all the time.  But He does promise to be with us, that He wants to be in a relationship with us, despite all our "stuff."  I recently listened to one of the past sermons by my pastor from my church in Visalia, Steve Harms, and he said: "The message of Jesus is this- You don't have to grow, change, or be good to be loved.  You ARE loved so that you can grow, change, and be good."  Thank you for your big love, Lord.  Continue to grow and change us so we can be more like you.