Momi Bay

So this past week I got to spend in Momi Bay, which is around 45 minutes from where I'm staying in Naisoso. There is a kindergarten there that has 2 fabulous teachers, but one of them was away because she is doing an internship-type thing at another school to get her teacher's certificate. She said she had been praying for a helper for Kesa, the other teacher! So that was encouraging to see how God had planned that all out :)

I had a truly wonderful time. It was great getting to know the kids and Kesa. I also learned how to cook some pretty yummy food!
The kindergarten was so great. I wish I could upload a video of the kids singing, but it would seriously take forever, so here's one of the pics

There were about 16 kids each day, and I helped with the reading lesson, and then every other day rotated between history and science. For history, I talked about America, obviously! One lesson I taught was about snow and I had them make paper snowflakes (of course I didn't think to grab my camera). It was so funny watching them try to imagine what it was like. I told them it felt like when you open the freezer... only outside! Then for science, I did lessons on exercise! Which of course, thrilled me to death and the kids loved getting some energy out! I think they enjoyed learning how to do jumping jacks :)
The best part about the Kindy is that they openly share the Gospel. It was truly a blessing to hear these kids sing praises to Jesus and recite their memory verses. Keep praying for them!

Kesa also took me to the beach one evening to see the sunset. It was beautiful

...I also wanted to share some things that I learned this week that have been on my heart. On the drive to Momi, Ray (one of the missionaries) and I were talking about what I had been blogging about before. He said that he saw one of my struggles as focusing so much on what I DO rather than who I AM. Which I hate to admit, is so stinking true. As an American, and even a Health Educator, my natural inclination is to quantify everything to measure if it is successful or not. How many programs can we have? What surveys can we give? How can we give more things to help more people? How can I create the biggest change? Not that wanting to create change or have programs is bad. But rather than focus on quantity, focus on quality. Let God determine what "success" is. I came across these verses this week and it's really hit me.

1 Corinthians 3:5-15

 ⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own ^[b]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s ^[c]field, God’s building.
 ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, ^[d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[e]the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

So first of all, it's GOD's job to do the growing. We can't measure that and count it as successful to us. And secondly, God cares about the Quality of our work.


The Lord isn't looking for us to do a bunch of things, take some pictures to show how good we are, then check it off our "good things we've done as Christians" list. He cares about our hearts. He cares about our relationship with Him. So some things I've been asking myself...

Am I doing things out of love?
Am I sharing the word of God in action and in truth?
Do I care more about quality or quantity?
And do I help people to make myself feel good, or because I truly love them because they are God's awesome creation?

Just some things to think about. And with that, I will leave you with some pretty adorable puppy pictures from Momi.

So cute! By the way, meet Setaita. A fun-loving little girl with a big smile and an even bigger heart.