Easter Lily

Fall is in the air, which seems strange and normal at the same time, but is beautiful!  We've had a few cold and rainy days, which sounds like it's how the winter is here.  However, our internal temperature gauge may be a little different, as we are dressed for summer most days when others have their sweaters and coats on!  What can we say?  We're from Colorado:).

It seems like there are quite a few "holidays" in South Africa in April, which has given us time to be refreshed.  Good Friday, and the Monday after Easter are public holidays here, so that was nice to have an extended weekend.  Although it rained all day Saturday and most of Sunday, the sun came out for the perfect amount of time for an Easter egg hunt after church in the yard of the Joostenberg Vineyard.  It was perfect!  We had a wonderful Easter celebration.  It didn't seem to be much of a tradition here to dress up for Easter, but the girls had been asking to wear their Easter dresses for weeks!  We used pink sand pails for Easter baskets had some plastic eggs for the traditional Easter egg hunt (thanks to the vision trip), but in South Africa they hunt for chocolate eggs.  Basically, Easter is way more commercialized in America, which isn't surprising.  It was quite nice to keep it simple.  This was the first year we've ever attended a Good Friday service, and that was very special in keeping focused on Christ.

Lily started back with her 2nd term of Grade R (Kindergarten) after Easter.  She had a 2 week break between terms, which seems to be the norm.  It will be strange that she will be in school now until the end of June, when she will get a few weeks off again.  I really like her school and "Teacher Trudi".  She is very compassionate and gentle with Lily.  I've been learning a lot about Lily's temperament and personality lately.  Our counselor referred us to the book "The Highly Sensitive Child"by Elaine Aron, and though I am only on the fourth chapter, it is making so much sense!  Lily is a highly sensitive person, along with 20% of the population.  It's not a disorder- just a temperament- like "strong willed" would be considered.  It's genetically determined and present from birth.  Basically it just means that Lily's own feelings and interpretations of others emotions and her environment are heightened.  Some of her types of "sensitivity" are:  Notices subtle scents and sounds, does not like crowds or bustling places, picks up on the mood of others, has interesting insights about what is going on with people, notices small changes in room or my clothing, prefers little or only gradual changes, hesitant in all new environments, slow to warm up again with someone she has not seen for awhile, notices small changes in people after not seeing them for a while, does not like to be in large groups when some are strangers, does not like to be the center of attention among strangers (or in any group), does not like to be questioned by a stranger, and does not like meeting a lot of new people at once.  Normally, people with this temperament are "labeled" as shy or introverted, but it is more encompassing than that.  I've gained so much insight and feel like I can relate more to Lily now that I understand some of what she must be feeling.  The book is full of very helpful and practical parenting advice.  There are many strengths to highly sensitive people as well!  Many times they are artistic, scientific, patient, empathetic, conscientious, spiritually interested, intelligent, kind, and have a high concern for social justice.  I see many of those in Lily, especially in her artistic abilities!  I just see God's hand in bringing all of this understanding together...Lily's Soetlief class in helping her to understand her emotions, her teacher at school is familiar with the highly sensitive child and is a highly sensitive person, herself, and my friend and teammate, Lauren, is a highly sensitive person with much in common with Lily.  All the while, the Lord has been speaking to my heart through His Word about His love being patient and kind, and being quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry.  I'm so grateful for who Lily is, and I'm grateful to be able to understand her more to be able to communicate, protect, shepherd and love her in a way that will help her to become more of who she's created to be!
This week Lily accidentally ran into a boy at school and ended up with a busted lip!  Teacher Trudi called me to come see and comfort Lily.  She was calm and coloring when I arrived, but her lip was pretty swollen and still bleeding.  It's such an awkward place for a cut!  Even though she was fine, Trudi thought it best to bring her home for the day.  So we had fun:).  But that night and the next day the anxiety of going back to school and having everyone look at her hit.  She kept saying she wished she would have watched where she was going, that the cut would have been anywhere else but her face, that she'll be embarrassed when the kids look at her and ask her what happened, etc.  I had just read about how highly sensitive people think about how they could fail or what could happen, and how it can be helpful to plant the seed of "coping", by helping them know what they could say or do if those scenarios happen.  So I tried it.  We still had to coax her into school, but Teacher Trudi was very helpful in not drawing attention and understanding what she needed.  All went well, and her lip is already almost healed.  Poor thing!
The same day of Lily's accident, I took Anya to an eye specialist.  The sty on her eye has been hanging on now for 3 months!  And we found out she has one forming in her other eye now too.  The doctor didn't want to have to schedule surgery (he called it "theater") to slit it open until it was the absolute last resort.  So he gave us some drops and will continue with the ointment for 4 weeks and PRAY they heal!  Please pray that with us!  Thank you!
Ministry is mostly encouraging- a couple weeks ago Christian led 5 people to Christ!  Praise God!  And he's been having really neat discipleship appointments with the leaders and new believers he's meeting with.  After walking through the 4 Spiritual Laws this week with a new believer, the guy said "How many more of these do you have? Everyone needs to hear this- it's so clear!  We all need to share this with our friends and multiply our faith"!  They are all deepening in their love for Jesus and heart for the lost.
Our women leaders are still loving Jesus with their whole hearts, but we've encountered a few challenges in talking through personal convictions.  Please pray that Jesus will remain central, and the peripheral issues of behavior will all come through looking at truth in the Word, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Pray also for wisdom and humility as we continue to dialog.  Things are going so well, it's just like Satan to want to get in there and twist the truth, cause dissension, and confusion.  Pray against his attack and the "religious" spirit of things beaming more about what we "do".
Tomorrow we are going to Pastor J's orphanage in Gugulethu to paint their house and help with projects that need to be done before the rain comes.  We will take the kids with us and play with their 21 children!  Pray for a dry, sunny day, and that we can thoroughly bless Pastor J and his wife and kids!  Pray also for Lily, as I know it will be an uncomfortable day for her in such a new environment with new people, and seeing such need.  Pray for Lily and Anya in all they will be exposed to- that the Lord will help them process and learn from the kids. Thank you!