day 125: rats! good news!

rats & good news.
that pretty much sums up the day, although those 2 things have nothing to do with one another.

why was our security system going off every time we came in? oh, just because rats chewed through the wires, that's all. apparently our area is "infested with rats" & there's "nothing we can do"...no big deal. good thing for the 40/40 homestay - at least we can't hear them this time.

in other GOOD news:
- our 2 classes went so well today. i was encouraged for several reasons. first, as i was sharing a story from the Bible i realized the teacher (although she was sitting at her desk "grading papers") was listening intently. i don't think she wants us to know that's what she's doing, but i'm grateful that for whatever reason she's been staying in the classroom...&, as a result, hearing the Word as well.

when a learner asked where STDs/STIs came from, we JUMPED at the opportunity to break open the Word. "sex outside of marriage & infidelity inside of it" would have been sufficient, but nah...why stop there?? we posed the question, "did you know that there was a time when sickness & all wrong things didn't exist?" then we shared the creation story. talked about the perfect world that God created. talked about a time when no wrong things existed. talked about temptation. talked about the first act of disobedience. then tied it all together by explaining that our disobedience is what changed that perfect world...& ultimately where STD/Is came from. maybe a stretch? who cares. they heard the Word & it will not return void. that's a promise.

i found myself thinking, "i wonder if i'm talking about the Bible TOO MUCH, TOO OPENLY with the teacher in the room?" but, then i'm reminded of the story of peter & john from acts 4.

"then they called them in again & commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. but peter & john replied, 'which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? you be the judges! AS FOR US, WE CANNOT HELP SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN & HEARD!'" (vs. 18-20).

i was also encouraged to see several after-school leadership club kids pull out their Bibles during the story & open up to Genesis. they pulled out their creation drawings from last week, too...& eagerly helped tell the story to the rest of their classmates.

SO COOL!
PRAISE THE LORD!

(top left) lunch break = eat in front of the stove. SO COLD!!!
(top right) club kids re-telling the creation story together from last week before learning the next part of the story
(bottom) girls vs. boys in life orientation classes this am!

ALSO...had a really GREAT chat with the temporary principal at xolani this morning AND an amazing convo w/ a young lady "T" who we're praying joins us next week in the schools! GREAT things happening & in the works...but i can't share it all now...that would be FAR too much good news for one day! :) keep fighting with us in PRAYer, friends, for the enemy surely does not like what's going down in cape town!!