In Like a Lion....

Even in the valley You are faithful You're working for our good  ~ Sovereign Over Us As most of you know, Gabe fell and broke his arm about 3 weeks ago. He badly fractured his humerus bone which resulted in a trip back to Indiana. He went into surgery the next day where they inserted a plate and 7 screws. After spending two weeks in Berne recovering, he is back in the DR and we are so thankful to have him home! We are so grateful for everyone who lifted him up in prayer during that time, as well as the girls and I. We are so thankful for each and every one of you!       Gabe's accident seemed to be the cherry on top of an already stressful, crazy year. I can say that 2018 hasn't exactly been kind to us. In fact it seems to have come in like a lion. It's been a year of what feels like mostly valleys.      For the first 3-4 months of this year, I found myself battling with anxiety. I've struggled with anxiety and fear for most of my life, but during these past few months, it felt like anxiety was out to destroy me. I found it hard to make it though the day and often found myself flat on the floor, parlayed with fear. Panic attacks were a frequent occurance. On top of that, I was also struggling with some pretty bad back pain. We were also in the midst of a busy group season at Freedom. Add to the mix the every day trials of life such as work and kids, and our family was pretty much left feeling exhausted, defeated and ready to throw in the towel.      But through the frustration, tears and weariness, God has been gently reminding us that it's through the fire and the valleys that we truly learn to depend on the Lord. We learn to let go of our pride and we discover that we can't but He can. Through each valley and fire, we see Him shaping our character. I recently heard somewhere that our trials are like that of a silversmith who is 'testing' silver. The silversmith puts the raw silver in a crazy hot pot. The silver melts and the impurities melt to the top. The silversmith then scraps off the impurities and once again puts it into the fire. He does this over and over again. He knows the silver is done or pure when he can look down and see his own reflection. Wow! The Lord allows us to go through trials so that He can purify us from all our impurities. I don't know about you but when the Lord looks at me, I want Him to be able to see His reflection!  So while I'd like to hit the restart button on 2018 or even see it go out like a lamb, I'm going to choose instead to praise the Lord for each trial that has and may come our way. Because I know that each trial matures us into Christ-likness.

Around Freedom - May 2018

Interns Needed! We are looking for school-year interns! If you're interested in doing a gap year, experiencing another culture, taking on big responsibilities, or loving on kiddos, an internship with Freedom may be right for you! Visit https://itisforfreedom.com/take-a-trip/internships.html for more information and send us an email today!

Cook to Teacher! Spring is often our off-season for groups. We also had several interns who had to leave early which left us a few teachers short in the school. So for the past 3 weeks, I've hung up my chef hat and stepped into the teacher role. I'm currently helping in Prek-3 & 4 in the morning and teaching 2nd grade English in the afternoon. I'm enjoying the change of scenery and also having the opportunity to form stronger relationships with our students!

3 More Days! The 2017-2018 school year is coming to an end! Our last day is Wednesday, with Kindergarten graduation being held on Tuesday. It's incredible to see the changes that our students have made in one short year. Preschoolers are recognizing letters, shapes and colors in both English and Spanish, 3rd and 4th graders are speaking a lot of English and many of our students have made big improvements in their behavior. Most importantly, our kids are hearing the gospel daily! We had several students this year come to know the Lord as their Savior and that just leaves our hearts bursting with joy!! Continue to pray with us for all our kiddos. Our desire is for all them to know the Lord and for them to live out their true design by bringing glory to God! Prayers would also be appreciated for the upcoming summer as we will be starting a new summer program consisting of English enrichment classes, VBS and camp! We are excited to see how God works in and through this.