Festival, school and heart...

Hi Everyone!

It's been a busy couple of days, and it's probably going to stay that way for most of this week, but that's not always a bad thing when you're half way around the world without your closest family and friends :).

Things have been really good though, for the most part, this week! :) Yesterday I went with my roommate Talitha and a couple of other friends to a festival about an hour outside of Prague. It was a gorgeous day and lots of fun spending time together, outside of the house. We spent about five hours there and then went back to one of the girl's house for dinner and more chatting. These are some of Talitha's friends from church and it's been great getting to know them better. We also had another Czech friend of Talitha's over to our flat for dinner tonight and that was great too- again, connecting and forming relationships with more people. We're actually going over to her house for dinner tomorrow night as well.
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Talitha and I

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I think I mentioned earlier that my school was starting on Oct. 5 - well I found out at our training that it's actually starting this Wednesday. :) It doesn't really change anything, I'm just glad I found out about it in time lol. But yes, Friday I went back up to the school to decorate my classroom (I get my very own!) and the only thing I have left to do is finalize my lesson plans for this week. I met the other girl who is teaching like I am, and my Czech/English speaking assistant who I will have for all of my classes. Both of them are extremely nice and helpful and I'm excited to work with and get to know them!! My Tuesdays and Thursdays are filled with four classes each day, and Monday, Wednesday and Fridays I have just one class each. I'm hoping to pick up a few more hours doing some private tutoring, but I still have to look into that.

So Wednesday night was the official week-long mark since leaving home and flying over here. (By now it's almost been two! :) I don't know if it was the fact that it had been a week, or it was just "one of those days," but I wasn't feeling the greatest about being gone. Now, I realize that being sad and missing people is simply part of the package, and it's not even a bad thing!! However, when those thoughts and feelings are what consumes you, or when they keep you from living life and embracing what God has for you, it's not a good situation. And it isn't healthy to constantly give in to those thoughts and feelings either, simply because it's the easiest thing to do (and so many times it feels like it is!). Talking with another friend about this, I thought of 2 Cor. 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." So much of the battle that takes place in our heart/mind rests on us clinging to what we KNOW to be true, even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment. Taking every thought captive to make it OBEDIENT to Christ. Again, this is more easily said than done, and it often feels so much better to just give in to our thoughts and feelings. But not giving in is what we have to strive to do. So that's what I've been trying to do lately. Focus on what I know to be true, and then go on living life. Think about my friends and family back home, who I love and miss so much, but thank God for being here with me now. Focus on looking at today, rather than the next ten months stretched out in front of me, and strive to make myself available to God and what he is doing in the lives of those around me. Doing that brings such a sense of peace and even excitement, rather than worry, anxiety or fear. And yes, I'll take that trade any day. :)


Here is the link for the rest of my pictures on FB from the festival this weekend:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011530&id=142700074&l=4c85b2d6be