Boo-yaa

SERIOUSLY... Don't you love to sit back and watch Him just be God and show off? He has been so bold with challenges, creation, answers, and affirmations. 

> Challenges- Born in the good ole' small southern town of McDonough, raised by a family that kept her in line and in church, in Bible class every day at E-L-C-A (it's a great day) and that group of friends in college that pointed her to the cross. That is me. Shelby. The point of that description is one word, "bubble". As wild and adventurous as I am, I tend to pretty much stay inside that bubble. While I am more than thankful for my up-bringing, it makes the world outside a lot more challenging. But we all know that. There is no option for a bubble here in Guatemala. Thursday at the hospital, we were taking the kids to church and this happens:

Volunteer says: These poor kids don't want to go to church. I mean I wouldn't want to go sing and pray to some crazy god who claims to do all these impossible things either. Don't you feel bad for them?

Shelby froze as she was stuck in her bubble. Waits for 30 seconds and turns red-faced.

Shelby: Oh it is good for them. 

Volunteer: No it is not, you don't believe in God do you?

Shelby: Actually, yes I do....

Volunteer: Oh wow, you are crazy too then!

NEVER, have I had someone just flat out tell me that my God is crazy and boy was it a wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee kinda moment. Where do you even begin with someone like this? I was flustered and frustrated for the rest of the day at work. Beating myself up with how sad my response was. I couldn't seem to get past it until I made myself sit back, relax and just pray about it. While yes, I did stand up for my beliefs, I was disappointed because I didn't sit there and convert her to Christianity. Y'all I had it so wrong. As Christians, we are asked to love them as ourselves in Mark 12:31, to proclaim the gospel in Mark 16:15 and to be imitators of Christ in 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 and more. We aren't asked to convert people or change people. Don't y'all find comfort in that? Praise the Lord that it is His job and not our job to do the changing. However, I am doing everything I can to present the Gospel in the best way I know how. Pray for Ester.

> Creation- Much to my surprise (and yours), I agreed to hike a volcano with a co-workers nephew that is in town from London. I hiked Table Mountain in South Africa and while the view up top was INDESCRIBABLE, the trek up and down is just not to my likings. I decided that it was my last hiking adventure. Well I was wrong and again did not like the trek up this time and did not like the trek down either. But OH HEAVENS this view up top. IT. WAS. A. VOLCANO. To be honest, I really couldn't wrap my mind around it and maybe used to think they weren't real until today. Volcan de Pacaya. Indeed, it is real my friends. It was puffing smoke out about every 2 minutes. It erupted back in 2010 and caused damage and death so they would only let us get so close. Coolest. Thing. Ever. I am still not a hiker girl, though. We are about 3.5 km up in this picture. I don't know how people can see things like this and still not believe that there is a God.

> Answers- So we all know I have been praying/googling for friends here in Antigua. We also know that I am learning to let Jesus satisfy that craving. He is but He is also providing. He is answering prayers. Wednesday I walked into work to meet a new temporary volunteer, Lisa Lee. She is Korean but grew up in Australia. What a fun mix right? Adore her (and her accent) and have known her for 3 days. We clicked immediately. Goes to Hillsong Australia back home (jealous). She is who I have been praying for and would you like to know that she is only here for another week. You know what though, small praises. I am thankful for even a 10 day friendship with Lisa. 

> Affirmations- I was sick Monday and Tuesday so I couldn't go into work. Satan attempted to use that as a way to tell me that I am not making a difference here and don't have any business here. I got frustrated with my Spanish this week. He used that to make me think I was dumb. When you give him and inch, he will run a mile. He kept running with my inch. I started feeling so overwhelmed by the need here thinking I am too small and know too little to make a difference here. Nehemiah 6:3... I said it over and over again. "I am going a great work, and I cannot come down." Where are the affirmations? Well, Byron, one of the kids at work has been severely ill since I started work. I am no nurse but I said from day 1 at the hospital that his signs/symptoms seemed to be pneumonia. They finally listened and are treating his pneumonia. My precious angel, Leslita I could tell was not feeling well but they claimed that she did not have a temperature. I checked it on my own and that. girl. was. on. fire. After hours of holding her and a little medicine, she seemed to be feeling MUCH better. My Spanish lesson Thursday went great. I feel like I am finally getting it, just gotta get more confidence to speak. Why didn't I pay attention in high school? Where I was overwhelmed with the needs and did not know where to begin, I have come in contact with a family with 9 soon-to-be 10 children. While they are just like a lot of families here, lacking food on the table and water to drink, lacking clothes on their back and shoes on their feet- they just tugged at my heart and I am so excited to be able to help them with the money/materials that people so generously sent me here with. Affirmations, I needed. Affirmations, He provided. 

choose Joy today! (thanks, KD)

- Shel