Thanksgiving Psalm by Ark, Lew, and Drouillard

Hey, guess what everyone...the nomadic duos are still alive...we just haven't felt inspired to post lately. During this Thanksgiving break, we decided to carry on the tradition that we started last year and write our annual Thanksgiving Psalm. Read, enjoy and give thanks to God with us!

From dawn to the glow of the setting sun
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
His love is with us wherever we run
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For lovingkindness that will always find us
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For all good gifts, including grace that sets us free
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For plans for the future that prosper and don't harm
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For being undeserving yet still receiving
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
When I was hostile toward Him, He gave up His life for me
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
That He has power to heal, authority to destroy nations
and the grace to forgive
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He reassures our hearts when our hearts condemn us
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is our strength and our fortress, giving strength for the battle
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
Eternal life is knowing Him
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
Nothing impossible with Him
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is the light to our feet, guiding us until the end
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is our life-giving vine
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He calls us His friends
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is the redeemer of all that He has created
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He offers forgiveness even in the cycle of sin
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is the relentless pursuer
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He works all for good, despite our confusion
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He speaks in the quietness of our hearts
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King

New Beginnings!

So, it is that time again! The time when summer vacation and the joys of visiting family and friends and sleeping in until 9:00 are officially over and the school year has begun. Lew and I returned from our trip to America a week ago Friday. A full week of orientation and meetings meetings meetings followed. I must admit that I really struggled with the idea of school beginning. Thoughts of my inadequacies and anxieties over last year and it's difficult moments have assailed me the last few days. I remember back to the first day of school last year and how it was the WORST first day I've ever had. Honestly, I really didn't want to relive any of it. Last night my fears and frustrations and anxieties came to a horrible climax threatening to crush me. I know that sounds dramatic, but really! I'm not an emotional person on a normal basis, but I couldn't seem to make sense of the churning emotions I experienced. This morning I woke up and went on a long prayer walk striving to relax and give my emotions, anxieties, and expectations to the Lord. By the time I got home I was feeling much more at peace. I love how the Word is alive and active and how God uses it in the midst of storms. Today He gave me John 1:16 which says, "And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." What a promise for the first day of school. He has given me not only grace in salvation, but then provides abundant grace upon grace for every moment! Today I was able to experience His grace upon grace for the first day of school. Everything went smoothly. Rules and procedures were learned. My 12 students listened and obeyed. As the clock reached 3:00 one student even said, "Is it time to go home?" When I replied with a yes, he blessed me beyond words by saying, "Oh man! Already?" I assured him he would be coming back tomorrow and he breathed a sigh of relief. Tonight as I watched the sun set on yet another first day of school I can't help but thank God for the grace upon grace He gave today and anticipate the grace that He will supply tomorrow...and the next day...and the next!

Blessings

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps blessings stem from holidays. Perhaps from hard labor. Perhaps from someone else. But, why is it that God often chooses to bless us for no other reason than for the sake of blessing us? Lew and I experienced these blessings this last week and of course that led to some interesting conversations about God and His blessings.

Since school is out and we had a week before we head back to the classroom for summer school, we decided to take a vacation. In my mind the idea of a vacation included a lot of rest. The last few weeks have been busy with school ending and endless projects and I wanted some time to be 'disconnected' from the world. To rest, to think, to pray, to read...you get the picture. So, we decided to take three days and head to Kumejima, an island about 4 hours away by boat. Now, if you remember from our roadtripping days, I (Ark), am a planner. We had that trip nicely outlined and the budget set weeks before we left. This trip we decided to 'wing it' and see what happened. There is only one ferry to the island per day, so I had visions of sleeping on the beach because a hotel wouldn't accept 'walk ins'. It would definitely be a true adventure. The ferry ride, though slightly wet, was relaxing and Lew and I got some good rest during the trip. Once we stepped off the boat, we looked at each other with that, "Hmmm, now what" look. I guess the first thing would be finding transportation. In our limited Japanese and the rental car man's limited English, we were able to rent a small car for our days on the island...and it was much cheaper than we expected.

Blessings One: "Mushi"...our trusty rental car that ran well and had good AC. I see this as God's blessing on us because of the price as well as the availability!

Well, the next place to go was to look for a hotel or hostel or bed & breakfast or some place to sleep for 2 nights. We had written some hotel information down before leaving Okinawa, and forgotten it on the kitchen table. Oh well. We started driving in a "random" direction and "happened" upon the Cypress Hotel and Resort. When we saw the view from the parking lot and the word 'resort' in the name, we both thought it would be way past our missionary budget. But to both of our amazement, it wasn't.

Blessing Two: We paid for a hotel room with amazing beachfront views, full amenities, and breakfast included for nearly nothing at all. I was reminded that there is no 'random' or 'happening' when we seek to follow the Lord. He loves to direct and leads us to the BEST!

So...we had a car and a place to sleep and it was only 2pm. We decided to begin our 'Sabbath' by taking a 4 hour nap. When we awoke, the next step was to hop in Mushi and explore Kumejima a bit. We visited castles, big rocks, coastlines, and watched the sunset over the ocean.

Blessing Three: God loves to bless me with beautiful pictures in nature. The sunset and the moon rising at the same time were definitely displays of His beauty!

As we were searching our map for a place to eat dinner, the Arizona Cafe caught both of our attention. How in the world could there really be an Arizona Cafe on a remote island in the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan? After some driving and amazing map skills (no thanks to Ark), we arrived. It wasn't the typical cafe you would expect in Arizona. But just being there was fun.

Blessing Four: God knew that two Arizona girls would get really excited over eating at the Arizona Cafe on Kumejima. Did He bring the Arizona Cafe to Kumejima simply for us? Who am I to say no? He is just that good.

After dinner, sleep was calling my name again.

Blessing Five: God gave me a total of 14 hours of sleep in the first 24 on the island. Sweet rest for my weary body!

Monday included a very strange and not so tasty Japanese breakfast, a drive around the island stopping at the prettiest locations, including waterfalls, rocks, cliffs, and beaches.

Blessing Six: God created waterfalls specifically for me. Whenever you see one, you can thank me for sharing the blessing that God gave. Seeing a waterfall on Kumejima was not expected. It was just like God saying, "I know you like this and I give good gifts, so here you go." Thank you, Lord for the blessing of a waterfall.

Of course, the day couldn't be complete with a nap and some downtime. More resting and reading and rejuvenating was in store for the afternoon. Our final morning on the island included a slightly tastier-and-not-so-strange breakfast, sitting by the pool, and then finishing our time on the beach. The ferry ride home was spent thinking...how often does one just take the time to think and 'be' and rest and enjoy God's presence?

Blessing Seven: Coming home completely rejuvenated and rested from the end of school.

I'm sure there were more blessings that I have failed to share here. It seemed as though the entired weekend was filled with one blessing after another. My prayer now is that I would see the blessings God gives on a daily basis so I can give thanks. How many blessings does He give that we aren't even aware of? Or pay attention to? Or acknowledge as a blessing? May the Father of good gifts open my eyes to see and rejoice in them all!

Great Are You, Lord!

Today marked the very last elementary event to be planned and orchestrated during the 2010-2011 school year at OCSI. If you couldn't tell by the books and costumes, today was Character Parade. Students in lower-elementary dressed up like their favorite book character and we paraded around campus waving and looking cute. I have to say this last event of the school year was a bit bittersweet. How can it be possible that in only 2.5 weeks the students will be packing up their desks and heading out for their summer adventures? Wasn't it just yesterday I stepped off that airplane and into this whole new experience? Wasn't the first day of school just a few weeks ago? It is not so. With that realization, I also realize that an update is long overdue. Here are a few recent highlights:

- Another student in my class accepted Christ a few weeks ago. He came in from Japanese class and proudly announced that he had become a Christian. Already I can see the Holy Spirit at work within his heart. Oh, praise the Lord!

- I will be honest...every classroom has one. There is always one student that just pushes the teacher's buttons. My little 'button pusher' is undergoing a 'heart makeover'! She told me that she prayed everyday this week that the Holy Spirit would help her to behave in class. Oh the faith of a child! Perhaps we have taught each other important lessons this school year. I have taught her the Bible and what it means to have faith in Christ, and she has taught me the refining power of Christ.

- I am finally officially learning Japanese! God opened a door and a small class of about 7 of us have the best teacher on the island. I'm finding that I understand a whole lot more than I thought I would and have had some conversations with the locals around me. That is definitely a reason to praise!

- I see God opening doors to build relationships with more Japanese. A few weeks ago, I was blessed to spend a Saturday with one of my students and her mom and sister. They practiced their English on me and I practiced my Japanese on them. It was a very special time of fellowship! Pray that this dear family would see the truth of Christ! They have recently started coming to church and I can see their hearts softening.

- I'm seeing God answer prayer in so many new ways. God even cares about the 'silly' things. May I never be a person who does not have, because I don't ask!

So what is coming up? I will start my summer months teaching summer school here at OCSI and finish the summer months visiting family and friends in the states. I hope to visit with many of you, Readers! As I sit here and ponder the last year, all I can say is...

Psalm 18:1

I love you, O LORD, my strength!

Psalm 77:11-13

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?

Psalm 86:9All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 106:1-2

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?

Psalm 113:2-3

Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!

Spring Break: Welcome!

Because it has been 75 degrees and sunny here for the past week, this break that we have from school almost feels more like summer break than spring break. Regardless, I am very happy to be on break after several hectic weeks of testing, working at a fund-raising bazaar, finishing up third quarter, helping to coach track, grading research papers, and many other school related activities. I am looking forward to a time of refocusing and recharging to prepare for the last quarter of the year. Yes, we only have one quarter (7.5 weeks) left to this school year...hard to believe.

Since it's been two months since I've written anything on here, I'll just share a few highlights:

We had the opportunity to go out in a boat for a day to some of the islands about 20 miles from here. We enjoyed a beautiful, albeit cold, snorkeling experience. Then, we floated a grill to one of the islands and grilled some burgers on the beach. Then, after doing a little deserted island exploring and seeing wild goats, we headed back home to our own island. What a privilege to get to explore deserted islands on the weekends.

One student that I would like to ask prayer for is an Indian student that is in my 8th grade English class. I tutor him on Thursdays after school, and last week, he and I talked for an hour and a half about questions that he has about God and the Bible and how we can know whether or not it's all true. He is seeking for answers and asking good questions, and God has already begun to reveal Himself to this young man. I just pray that God will convict his heart. It's so hard for some of these students to take that step of faith because it means rejecting the religion of their parents for what they see as a religion that is "foreign." Thanks for praying.

Another highlight continues to be the Capoeira class that we are taking. It has been fun to get to know some people outside of school while learning roundhouse kicks and how to properly do cartwheels and handstands. Although we're getting better, I wouldn't say we are very good yet, but I like the workout that it is and the laughter it provides as we try to learn new moves.

Some of you are probably wondering if we have been affected at all by the earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit northern Japan a month ago. Okinawa is about a thousand miles south of where the earthquake hit, so we did not have any effects from that or from the tsunami, for which we thank God. Please continue to pray for the country of Japan though that God will bless the long rebuilding process ahead and that this will be a turning point for the gospel in this dark country.

O LORD, How Many Are Your Works

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind; He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.



He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not totter forever and ever. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters were standing above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled, at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You established for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not return to cover the earth.



He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they lift up their voices among the branches. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.



He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine which makes man's heart glad, so that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man's heart. The trees of the LORD drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted, where the birds build their nests, and the stork, whose home is the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the shephanim. He made the moon for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting. You appoint darkness and it becomes night, in which all the beasts of the forest prowl about.
The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. When the sun rises they withdraw and lie down in their dens. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.



O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions. There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great. There the ships move along, and Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it. They all wait for You to give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the ground.



Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His works; He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the LORD. Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!

Some thoughts about January...

We were told that January would be cold, dark, and rainy, and for the most part, that has been true, though the "cold" is still relative. I did manage to take advantage of living next to the ocean and go swimming a couple times in between rain showers; once was at three in the morning on a perfectly clear and calm night.

January at OCSI is very different for the middle school and high school because we have J-Term, so rather than teaching my normal 7th and 8th grade English classes, I have been teaching a semester's worth of Speech and Debate to 9th-12th graders in four weeks. I have really enjoyed getting to work with the older grades and challenging them to think deeper about issues and to prove their ideas. I have missed the excitement and quirkiness of the 7th and 8th graders though, and I will be happy to be back to a "normal" schedule starting the middle of next week.

January has also been a time of pretty intense spiritual warfare for me and for others at school. We have dealt with an attempted suicide, threats of violence against teachers, more behavior issues than normal, and more outright rejection of the gospel than normal. I am reminded daily that we are on the front lines of the most important battle we could ever be a part of. But, as I told one of my students this week, we are on the winning side, and nothing the enemy tries to do against us will prevail because with God on our side, who can stand against us?

January is also a month of beginnings. Both Ark and I started a grad class for our Master's degrees, and I am now learning how to again balance homework on top of work for school. So far, my Adolescent Psychology class has been very intriguing and applicable, and finding new coffee shops with free wi-fi makes doing homework much more fun. Another beginning for this month is joining a Capoeira class. Don't know what that is? We didn't really either a few weeks ago. It's a combination of martial arts, dancing, rhythm, and music that originated from Brazil. We have only been to one lesson so far, but we had so much fun and could barely walk the next day from sore muscles. Not sure that we'll be doing flips and hand stands anytime soon, but it's a new way to get off campus and meet new people.

Thank you again to all of you for your prayers.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

Monday was the first Japanese holiday that we have gotten to celebrate thus far at OCSI. The name of it? Kite Day. Japanese schools were all on holiday so they could go with their families to fly kites. I'm really not sure what the cultural significance of the day is, but it was kind of fun. So I discovered that I don't know how to fly a kite. Sad, I know! Luckily, all my student's parents but two came, so I didn't need to "show-off" my awesome kite flying skills too much.

It was actually a great kite flying day! Moderate winds grabbed the kites and allowed them to soar in the air, well, some of them. I knew that it was going to be a problem when it was time to 'put kites together'. I didn't even know that you 'put kites together'. In my kite naivety I assumed they already came assembled. My second clue that I didn't know what I was getting into was the fact that the assembly directions were in Japanese. Of course they were in Japanese. Luckily, this was not my kid's first Kite Day...they knew how to put kites together.

So my 12 student and I tramped out onto the soccer field. Most of my 12 scattered to find their parents. That left me with two lone rangers to 'assist' in flying a kite. Luckily, one of those lone rangers is a completely independent lone ranger. I would see him every once in a while running past me yelling, "Look, Miss Goodwin, my kite is flying." I looked up and sure enough his kite was high in the sky. The poor student stuck with me... "Ok, GO!" I'd yell. He'd get tangled in his kite string and fall over...and his kite would hit the ground with a sad thump. This went on for the entire hour. Poor kid never got to hold his kite while it flew in the air. What can we do to remedy this? Kite Day will happen again next January so I guess I need to buy a kite...