Well It's been a long time again since a post.  I have to admit that too often I feel like I'm not sure what to write.  It seems like we do the same thing every day.  I teach music, Amanda cares for the health needs of the students, our children get older (we don't of course). and life here seems pretty mundane and crazy busy all at the same time.  So I thought I'd share a little about what I've been learning in the crazy busy part.

  Amanda and I sponsor the senior class and that gives us lots of opportunities to be with these students on the verge of entering the "real world" outside RVA.  Our son Nate is in this class and we have sponsored them for the last 5 years.  We spent last evening and today making doughnuts, like 190 dozen.  pizza, burgers, hot dogs, crapes, taco sald, chicken sandwiches  and more to feed the school community. Meanwhile our sports department hosted a basketball and soccer tournament.    The fun of this is giving our students real life work experience and letting them learn how a business operates.    We get to encourage, council, and sometimes admonish our students for their work efforts.   At the end of the day, our school community gets some great food, we raised money for the Senior class safari, and the students get a chance to learn to work hard.     ( And with all those delicious doughnuts, I suppose I gained a little weight this weekend)

Meanwhile,  I realize that so often as we interact with these students it's the short conversations that make a difference.   Maybe it's me, but I feel like I need lot's of time to make a difference with students. However, this week as I met with one guy that I am discipling, I realized how I need to be really intentional even in my quick comments.   This young man shared that I had really encouraged him 2 years ago when he was in the middle of some school discipline.   I saw him as I happened to be in his dorm.  He shared that he expected that I would be judgmental of him but instead I made a short comment that he said really encouraged him.  I don't even remember seeing him in the dorm, let alone the comments.   To me it has only reminded me that each day Amanda and I need to be intentional, even in the midst of the mundane, to encourage and empower.    Please pray that we do not "grow weary in doing good" while feeling crazy busy.   We have often said that the greatest part of this job is getting to love on these kids while their parents are all over the continent of Africa sharing the love of Christ.