firsts

One of the advantages of living in a different country is getting to experience lots of "firsts," like my first time scoring a goal in a soccer game (okay, so the jovenes were being easy on me...but even so), or my first time getting lost on a colectivo (long story short, I found myself 30 minutes away in the heart of downtown Asunción before I realized I was nowhere near Escuela Marangatu. A mother of one of my students happened to be on the same bus, recognized me in the crowd, and took me back to the school herself. That, my friends, is AMAZING GRACE!).

Although it's been almost four months now, I'm glad there are still many firsts to encounter. I'm humbly reminded that I have much to learn -- especially in the common mistakes I continue to make, like taking the wrong bus or committing a cultural faux pas. But in faith-stretching times, God's faithfulness is made all the more evident, and it's with a thankful heart that I welcome these new and challenging experiences.

A hodgepodge of firsts from this weekend:

1. Riding a motorcycle (don't worry Mom, I just rode on the back of one. With a helmet)
   
   
   
   
2. Seeing a live scorpion (it crawled up from my kitchen sink as I was washing dishes. No wonder they're always used in torture scenes or scary movies...these are gnarly little buggers)
   
   



3. Learning that cockroaches poop (everywhere)
   
   
   
   
4. Teaching Paraguayans how to cook Korean food (it was a good opportunity to a) practice my Spanish, b) share a bit of my culture, and c) build deeper relationships with the locals. Also learned that they really, really, really like kimchi)
   
   
   
   
5. Having laptop issues in a foreign country (it stays stuck on the start-up screen and won't load the desktop...Mac users, help? But besides the minor inconvenience of not being able to update as often or check e-mails from home, it's actually quite liberating to not have constant Internet as an additional distraction. I've been kept company by the likes of A.W. Tozer, R.C. Sproul, C.S. Lewis, John Bunyan, Charlotte Bronte...just of a few of the authors whose books I've had more time to read lately. I was surprised to find such a selection from our school's library)
   
   

My firsts may range from the good, the bad, and the creepy, but at the end of the day I'm always reminded that He who is First makes these firsts even possible. The Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and End. Nothing happens by chance, luck, or fate, but only by God's sovereign hand and His perfect will. What peace this brings, to know that He's got it all under control.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Prayer: trust, obedience, and flexibility in the work laid out for me in Paraguay

Peteĩ, mokõi, mbohapy
One, two, three