Le Papillon

Sorry that it has been so long again since my last entry.

These past couple of months have been very encouraging because God is doing great things in and through me! My application for World Venture is only missing the church recommendation form. This monday the seventh I meet with the elders and present to them. I am fully confident that they will endorse me as God has initiated and carried through this current endeavor. I assume that it will be about a month after the application is complete that I will hear that I am accepted and can proceed to the next step. What that step is I'm not sure though. I will pursue a departure date of this upcoming spring unless God closes the doors and then I will seek the spring of 2009.

I am still working at Starbucks and we finally have a new manager!!! I and several other shift supervisors had problems with her and I am the only one left from the other three who had problems with her. In addition another shift and three or four baristas quit during our managers stay. She hired very few additional employees and had a horrible attitude. But seeing the attitude of David towards Saul I decided I should stick it out, although I nearly quit several times, and pray for her. Things began to get better towards the end and finally God removed her. It has been a very hard time but God has taught me much and it has been great to see how he has worked in me and in the situation!

My hospital job is going great with the exception of mud season, our slow time between tourist seasons. Due to the fact that most people know how to walk and ride bikes the number of patients we have goes down considerably. Because I have PRN status (as needed) and because I am the unit coordinator I am the first one put on call and while I still make $5 an hour it is not enough. So I've been praying for a full time job here in the PCU. But God in His perfect wisdom knew best. My brother-in-law Scott was asked to consider a job in the PACU sterlizing equipement. It is a full time job status and is garunteed hours which means I'll never be called off. He declined but thought of me. I was interested so he and about three or four other co-workers talked to the manager of the PACU. It seems promising and I am praying hard for this but either way I know God is in full control (Rom. 8:28). Whatever happens He is great and will provide my every need (Lk. 11:9-13).

In youth group I recently began teaching on Islam as part of our course on world cults and religions. It went incredably well and I was able to challenge the kids in their faith and introduce information on cultural elements of Arabs. The next two or three weeks I will be co-teaching with a Muslim background believer I came in contact with and we'll go more in depth. In the end the kids should know the basics about Islam, what the truth is in Scripture concerning these things and how to defend thier faith and effectively witeness to Muslims.

Please pray with me concerning:
*My meeting with the elders
-Courage and confidence in God and His calling and leading
-Submission to the God for all of us including World Venture
-Binding together of all parties under God
-Wisdom and discernment for us all
*My job situation and the grace to accept God's will
*Diligence in Bible study, reading, Scripture memorization, language study and just preparedness for missions in France
*Realistic expectations of missions, life in another culture, especially at first etc.
*Watch over my heart with all diligence (Prov. 4:23)
*Jn. 3:30
*For me to become a disciple of Christ
*Growth in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ