Great first day!!

WAHOO!! Schools back!! YAY! I had a great first day!! God is SO good and once again proved how SUPREME He is today!! Let me fill you in!

This morning I got to school and a teacher came to see me and told me that she was teaching the grade 6 and 7 kids about this Japanese Festival today and asked if she could put up some bamboo on the posts outside the Chappys room for an activity with the kids. So, of course, I said yes. I went away and came back and she was putting it up so I offered a hand. We got talking and she explained what the festival was about and what the kids would be doing (much to my horror). Basically, every year the Japanese go to this festival and present a 'wish' before their 'gods'. If they've gone to alot of effort to present their wish then it might be granted. So, that's what the kids were doing. Decorating a card as best they could and writing a 'wish' on it to hang on the bamboo leaves in the hope that the 'gods' might grant their wish!

Well, of course, I was almost jumping out of my skin!! I didn't know what to say! She went on to say 'It's really interesting the things you get back...some students will write things like "I wish my family was happy" or "I wish mum and dad didn't fight anymore"...' I was a little worried at this point thinking....what if these kids really believe their wish will be granted!! She had said that they had to really put in effort on their cards if they wanted their wish granted. SHEESH!! So, if their wish wasn't granted (which it WONT be when they're asking random Japanese gods!) then they also feel like their effort wasn't good enough!! Oh dear!!

So, what do I do??...I PRAY!! I went in my room and PRAYED!! I asked God to put a protective seal over these childrens hearts so that they wouldn't take this stuff on board. I also prayed for opportunities to see the children who made those deep wishes so I could speak life and truth into them and share about a God who COULD hear their desires and WOULD look after them. Then I sat at the picnic bench outside my room doing my work while the kids trickled down, a few at a time, to hang their wishes on the bamboo. I took the opportunity to talk to them and ask how their holidays were and what they were wishing for. There were lots of 'I wish I was a millionaire' or 'I wish I had a Playstation DS' etc...but then there were the cards that read 'I wish my dad would be nice and pay my mum child support' and 'I wish my grandpa would get better'...then I met a little girl, Suzy* (*of course, I changed her name). Suzy tells me that her wish is that her family would be happy. She said that her family are fighting alot and not really talking to each other. She said her parents always yell at her and they're not really talking right now. Then she went back to class. I felt so sad knowing she was making this wish for the 'gods' who wouldn't even hear...and she didn't know that there is an AMAZING God who DOES hear...and He listens...and He cares...and He loves her!!

Anyway...I didn't know what class she was in...and I didn't know her name or when I would see her again...our interaction was short and quick. After 2nd break I went to a random grade 6 class room to offer help and the teacher accepted. I was helping a little boy with his reading and when he finished the teacher said to me 'Oh I don't know if you've met Suzy but I've noticed she's not herself today and she mentioned that things are not good at home. Her parents are yelling at her alot and she's really upset. Would you mind talking to her?!' I couldn't believe it!! WAHOO!! Thanks God!! So I got to chat with this girl and just listen to her story and talk with her and give her some ideas of how to handle situations...and I was able to speak life and value into her. She was SO receptive and just hung onto the words!! PRAISE GOD!!

So...my prayer from this morning was answered and I was given a very clear from God moment with this beautiful little girl!! When I spoke to Josh this afternoon (my awesome fellow Chappy in the school who was at another school today) I filled him in on what happened. He, like me, was a little nervous about the bamboo thing outside our room but we decided to leave it there. The kids are all talking about it and looking at it and because it's outside our room, so they were talking to me about it today and I'm sure they'll talk to us for the rest of the week about it...and it gives us an incredible opportunity to talk to the kids about the fact that it's not real (because even the teacher said to me 'It's a bit of a Santa Clause type of story' but the kids don't know that!) but that there is a TRUE God who loves and cares for each child and their desires. So THERE enemy!! Stick that in ya pipe and smoke it!! BAM SUCKERFISH!!! Our God REIGNS and nothing you say or do can stop our God and however you try to warp these young minds we're gonna grab hold of the truth and we're gonna counteract all your crap with the GLORY AND MAJESTY OF GOD!! YYYYEEEEEEAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you join with me and say AMEN!?! WOOHOO!!