South East Asia Childrens Institute!!!

oh my goodness!! its finally here!
last year's CI was the most higlighted highlight of the year!
its a wonderful months long mission trip, teaching kid character qualities with people from the states, malaysia, singapore and sometimes indonesia!

Right now, we're in Penang, the second week of the trip, and the second day of the second week :) i have tons of pictures to post! last week was full of learining to rely FULLY on God for energy and much strength! having quite kids on the first two days was tough! there were awkward silences, an anything you can think about! lies started coming in my head on the second day, thoughts that i would NEVER think of! i knew they were lies, but without realising, i let them stay in me. if this happened last year, it would prolly have stayed in me even after the whole trip! BUT, since God was so good to me, and i actually had a relationship with Him, it all went away the next morning :) praise God forevermore! i thank God for that situation, because i have learnt tons of lessons just from that! im ready to be changed into His likeness more and more!

Devotions were really good on all the days in the mornings, very real. i really thank God for giving ma brother n sister so much to give! none of em would have been able to handle it even last year, but God has been working in all our lives for this very moment too!

THE TEAM! oh goodness, the team! thank you Jesus for such a wonderful team! i absolutely enjoy every second being with the 26 of them! im so amazed at the unity of the team, and best of all, likemindedness! we've been blessed with so many amazing characters! so many eagles to learn from!
we've all been brought up the same way, doing devotions and some wonderful conversations are just energizing, uplifting and really builds you up! we aint wasting a single day! AND, we have loads of fun at the same time! such a funny team! and this is a higher level of humor! just like the love God is talking about, is not about boy and a girl, its a higher level! its not a feeling, nor is it an emotion... the Love God is talking about, is commitment and sacrifice! haha you dont think Jesus FELT like dying on the cross do you?? just like that is real and a higher level of Love, we have a higher level of humor!! and its just so good!

God's standards are so much higher than ours! He counts getting angry as killing, he counts words other than 'yes' and 'no' things from the evil one. and the list goes on!

we want to please Him in every area! what we think, say, do, intentions, motives, dressing, style, the list goes on!! i really know God's presense is here with the team! its so different than just at home!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8,9

pictures coming up soon!

may the Holy Spirit lead us all!

~marie