Praises Upon Praises (Random. Sorry.)

Hey friends...

Just wanted to share a couple praise reports with you all.  (Thank you for praying!)

I have to say that in the last few weeks I have begun to really enjoy learning the language here.  I had mentioned previously that I was struggling to learn the language, but I'm finally starting to get it.  It's almost as if a light bulb went off in my mind all of the sudden it's starting to click.  Thank you so much for praying. Please continue to pray for this.  The race is far from over.  I've just begun to jog.

Secondly, I had been praying (and asked you to pray) for the three girls in my class.  Their friendships were certainly on the rocks because one of the girls was constantly being left out.  I have to tell you though, that these girls are really becoming good friends to one another.  The three seem to do everything together and generally enjoy hanging out as a group and not just two at a time.  Please continue to lift them up because friendships at this age are so sensitive.  

Sorry that I haven't written recently.  Life has been mostly normal.  One of roommates and I did notice however that the enemy was after our community when the Christmas season came.  As I heard John Piper say in a sermon..."Satan is trying to do everything in his power to eat our faith and joy for breakfast."  He had it for a little, just through various ways in our community, but God is faithful.

It is really fun to celebrate Christmas here. For the most part the Christmas commercialism is absent and the fuss over gifts and "stuff"  hasn't really happened.  I emailed my dad the other day rejoicing over my realization: this time last year I was working in retail!  (Not a terrible job, but not my calling at this time.)  Less than a year later, I am working in a Christian school in a Muslim nation on the other side of the world.  So incredible.  It's crazy how quickly God can change our lives.

I pray that we as believers this Christmas season will rejoice over the King that came down as a baby (diapers and all) to be our Savior.  He came not to be served but to serve.  Let us rejoice that we are free from our bondage of sin and were are captives no longer.  I pray that your heart is flooded with the joy of this truth.