Life On the Other Side: The Happenings (Joshua)

This past week has been much of the same day in and day out. We are definitely in a routine and have found our place in the system. This morning I mowed with a handfull of the boys for about an hour. Some of them worked for a full two hours mowing alone side of me. I probably could have got more done on my own but that wasn't the point. The main purpose was to teach and be an example of what hard work means. These kids do not have anywhere else to learn what it means to work hard. If they do not observe it from the missionaries here, they may not understand how to work when they get into the work force as adults. Part of what CLM does is to try to prepare the children to be able to provide for themselves when they leave. So while I wish I could have mowed on my own and gotten a lot more done, I was glad that I could instruct some of the boys. The reward for those who did work was swimming. Each one is expected to work a different amount of time based on how they usually work and how old they are. So while some of them only worked for half an hour but were able to swim because they are younger than ten, one of the boys worked for just under an hour but was not able to swim. Swimming works nicely as a reward and as a punishment. I think the kids would swim for an entire day if they could. Something about the water just makes them go crazy.

The afternoons are still filled with whatever is going on. We played volleyball yesterday and a few other times last week. I really enjoyed that and some of the older kids are pretty good at it too. Steven and I play frisbee sometimes as well. We hope to do some biking later this week back in the fields depending on how my knee feels.

Probably some of my favorite times are spent just reading. I have been reading a lot of different books. One that I have found very helpful has been The Disciple's Prayer by Don Williams. He walks through the prayer that Jesus models for his disciples. It has been really good to understand some of the ways that I can pray "better" or rather redirect my prayers so that they aline more with Jesus's model. I also just started Radical by David Platt and am slowly working through Icons of Evolution by Jonathan Wells.

Now, before you think I am super awesome because I'm reading so much, don't think that all. One of the ways I believe God will teach me and show me more through this time is through reading. If I was at home, I would surely not be reading this much. In a way, God has put me here so that I can experience a different culture and language to gain a better perspective as well as teach me through reading (among others).

So, as this week continues onward, we look forward to how God will use us in new and mighty ways and hope that we can learn something along the way.