back at it...one last time

Apologies to my faithful readers for my two-month silence. Much hath occurred this spring in my life here in Parral. The following is a brief summary:

1. Spring Break - I was heavily involved with our numerous youth activities during the first week of spring break (Mexico has two weeks, called Semana Santa), in which we decorated the house of prayer at the church, cleaned parts of the church building, and hosted a group of youth from San Luis Potosí, a large city in central Mexico. During the second week, I was able to take a bus trip up to Ciudad Juárez and meet the youth group from my church in Kenosha at an orphanage there, where we spent a week with the children, serving and loving them in whatever way we could. 

2. Swine Flu and a Trip Home - Upon returning from Juárez, we had classes for a few weeks, but then the global panic about swine flu began to hit the fan the last week of April. I had a plane ticket bought for the first of May to go home and visit my family and watch my brother graduate from college, but a nationwide school suspension and a generous move of my parents brought me home a few days early. I enjoyed a week in Kenosha, reuniting with different folks from the Body there and receiving much from good fellowship. Then my mom and I drove to Joplin and spent time with my grandparents for a day before going down to Siloam Springs and visiting my brother at JBU. After a sweet reunion with several JBU friends and professors at graduation (and hearing an excellent graduation speech from my bro), Mom took me to the airport in Tulsa, which eventually landed me back in Parral, after an overnight stay in El Paso with a delightful missionary family. 

3. A Big Decision - As the title of this post gives away, I have finally made the official decision to return to the States after this year of teaching is over. The school year terminates in early July, and I will moving back home and (hopefully) starting at seminary in the fall, as well as become involved in my local church in Kenosha and (again hopefully) find a part-time job as I go to school. It was a difficult decision in that I will certainly miss the people of the church and school down here, but God made it very clear that this is the right direction in which to head. 

So, I would covet your prayers as I finish this school year. I have two months to faithfully love and serve this school and church, and I want to do it with all my heart, unto the Lord. Please pray that I remain faithful and that I don't give into the temptation to mentally "check out" (believe me, that temptation is very real!). And if you have been praying for me and the work of the Gospel here, I thank you wholeheartedly! May our God continue to establish the work of our hands as we toil for his service and unto his glory.