There Is A Time For Everything . . .

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to learn Polish,
a time to be involved in ministry . . .

No, that is not really what Ecclesiastes 3 says, but it is how I feel right now. I had lunch with my country leader and his family today. It was a great time of reconnecting. He asked how things are going and I smiled. It came to my attention yesterday, as I was thinking through the past few weeks, that I am frustrated with the fact that my ministry is learning Polish, not working with youth. I know that Polish is my link to these young people, but it does not make the desire to just jump back into ministry (even without Polish) NOW! I LOVE to be in involved with young people and right now I can not at the level I would like, so it is a very difficult time for me!

I have been reading through the bible this year and just finished Job and getting done with Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. They are all showing me the passion that God has for ME! Even when things are tough and frustrating, God PASSIONATELY loves ME!

I think I have been feeling this way because last Monday I was asked to talk to our youth group about suicide and the effects on people who are left behind. It was a very emotional talk for me and yet being with the "youth group bug" bit me again and all I want to do is to get more involved with this wonderful group of "kids". I can't though, not now anyway. I need to concentrate on Polish and even though it is hard, it is my act of worship to my Father.

One great gift God has given me though is that I am involved with our city-wide monthly youth group meetings called MOOSK. These meetings are very much like my youth group meeting in the 80's when I was in high school. We get to do all of the fun games that we no longer can do in American because they are deemed too "dangerous". "Vegimatic" here I come!!! (You who understand that one will know that we are doing the WHOLE Vegimatic!) Yahoo! :) We are also doing a work day at Josiah Venture (Poland)'s new camp facility as a city-wide youth group. It is our way of teaching service to these young people. I am excited about this opportunity!