The Journey Lens - take six

This past Saturday, my roommates Hannah, Candace and I, hosted my class for an afternoon of fun at our home. We went to pick the students at FHS at 1:30pm. Not a single one was late (very un-African), but rather, many had arrive at 12 noon, so eager and excited for the event. My love for children, teaching, and cooking combined as I invited the students into the kitchen for some baking fun. We played many games, ate supper together, and watched a movie. I hope you enjoy a few of the pictures from the afternoon.

Baking began with the girls.

Teaching baking techniques and fractions through measurement ( yes, I made an exception and actually measured while baking. This might be a shocker to some, but it was for the benefit of these students' education :)

Emma in particular (the girl in the striped orange shirt) was most excited to take part.

I was delighted to see the girls work together as a team and all take part and take turns.

An empty bowl and sticky fingers -  a sign of a job well done. This photo was taken right before I told the girls they could finally lick their fingers. They were THRILLED!!  (Can you guess which hand is mine?)

Waiting excitedly to put the cookies (also known as 'fat cakes') in the oven.

And then it was the boys' turn. (They had found party hats somewhere in our house and thought they would help themselves and wear them for the afternoon)

Not quite so talented in the kitchen, but they had a ton of fun. Unlike the girls, they could not wait until the end to lick their fingers, but rather had to have a taste of all ingredients, and every step of the cooking process. I think I must have gotten them to wash their hands a good 20 times. In the end, they probably made about half the cookies the girls did as they had eaten most of the dough. I will say though, we sure had a lot of laughs in the process. 

Following baking, games, and a delicious and nutritious supper, it was time to relax to a movie.

The afternoon was certainly a busy one, but the Lord very much provided in many ways, and all went relatively smoothly. Thank you for your prayers. It was such a joy to offer hospitality to these precious students. It was so wonderful to see  their incredible excitement during the week of anticipation, and they are still talking about the day at school this week, drawing maps of the house I'm staying in and commenting on how full they were after supper. I am still amazed at how a little hospitality can speak such huge volumes in showing the love of our Lord. It can be so easy to get caught up in our busyness, and forget the needs of others around us, but if we make the time to reach out, to care for those around us, the Lord promises to guide us, to satisfy our needs, to hear our cries for help, to strengthen our frame.

I have been both challenged and encouraged by the following passage in Isaiah 58: 6-11. I have posted a few verses from that chapter before, but it is just so good that I thought I'd do it again. God is such a provider; He is so faithful. It is such a blessing to see the truth of His Word and of His great promises reveal themselves in countless ways. I pray that God will use His word to encourage and challenge you today. Know that you are deeply loved by a truly Awesome God.  

Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement and support. Thank you for being a part of God's work in Namibia. Thank you for reading. 

With much love and hugs,
~Heather

 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

   “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
   with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
   and your night will become like the noonday.
 

The LORD will guide you always;
   he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
   and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
   like a spring whose waters never fail."

- Isaiah 58:6-11