surprise

The cold is nowhere to be found. I don't lose sleep over that one since I prefer sunshine and swimsuits over parkas. It's allowing me warmth a little while longer I guess. Time is passing quicker and quicker. Only two or so months till I turn twenty, only two or so years till I wave good-bye to College Station and a life I believe I just began. I'm sure you can relate wherever you find yourself. Everything is always a countdown for us, isn't it? I try to grab hold of it, breathe deeper, do more yoga, but to no avail.

Sophomore year is not freshman year. It's more mature, scheduled, foggy, the in-between, but thrilling. Things matter more. A ferral cat is still my good luck charm, but I have less of an inclination to woo him into my backpack. That's sophomore year. Common sense. You know that moment when you are standing at the base of an escalator and you look down, stick your foot out and decide which step to stand on? It's quick. If you don't move, you'll miss it and the step will pass you.

I've stepped, and I'm moving.

The Lord has remained. 20 years and counting. Doesn't surprise me, really. Actually, He has remained for much longer than my microscopic 20 years.

His provision is sufficient.

Until now, I had been staring down at the escalator. If you look up and set your foot down, it will catch you. He has promised it.

Life happens when you act in God-granted opportunity. Stability is found in your gaze.

"Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" Daniel answered, "O King, live forever! My God sent his angel and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6:20-23

Be surprised this fall. Let yourself be surprised. I think if we allowed ourselves to feel a little less deserving and qualified, the little things would surprise us more. And who doesn't like the thrill of surprise?

my sister needs your help.

Dear Friends and Family,

This summer I went to the Dominican Republic for 8 days with 20 other people from Austin Stone Community Church. This was my first experience in a third world country, or even out of the United States. I really did not know what to expect; all I knew is that the Lord told me to go. Our main focus while we were there was to love on the Dominican Children, and to help construct the remaining portion of a local school called Makarios. Every day was completely different and new. The Lord was teaching me how to work whole heartedly, and to serve others before myself. I developed a love for the kids I encountered everyday that I had never felt before. The local kids around the school were joyfully and willingly serving US by shoveling gravel and moving cement cinder blocks, even though they did not have to. Despite their living conditions and the fact that they may not have had a meal that day,they were laughing and singing during the Vacation Bible School we put on for them. They gave the most loving hugs to me and everyone else. I could truly see the joy of the Lord through them. Me and two other girls were in charge of the 'song' portion of the VBS... my initial reaction was 1.) I can NOT sing and 2.) Hopefully this will be fun! We chose the song " I've Got the Joy" to teach the children. It goes something like this:
Yo tengo gozo, gozo, gozo, gozo
en mi corazon. Donde?
En my Corazon.
Translation: I've got the joy, joy, joy
down in my heart. Where?
down in my heart.
How awesome is the Lord? He chose THIS song, those words, to show me that through these kids, pure joy only comes in HIM, and HIM alone. Not from possessions, desires, or anyone else.
This trip really changed my heart and gave me the want to do something. When I found out that Makarios needs $20,000 to finish building the school, I really felt the Lord was calling me to help.
This is where I need YOUR help. Makarios School needs this money to completely finish building the school, without taking money from their alternate funds. There is an entire 2nd story that needs finishing up.
Here is some needed background info on the school:
Makarios is a nonprofit organization that is in the process of building an addition to their small school on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The school currently serves 60 students from impoverished villages, and with the addition, they will be able to reach up to 100 kids who otherwise would not have quality educational opportunities. The school has classes for preschool through 1st grade, and is adding a grade each year. Students will begin class as soon as the building is complete, but they still need $20,000 to complete the project. Your contribution will help provide a much needed education for these kids, along with two meals a day, health care, and love!

Makarios is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educational development in the Dominican Republic and other impoverished areas of the world. Makarios is affiliated with Dominican Joe coffee shop on the corner of Congress and Riverside in Austin, TX. Makarios imports the coffee and sells it to Dominican Joe, acting as the middle man. By purchasing the coffee, Dominican Joe helps provide fair wages to the coffee farmers and helps support schools in the Dominican Republic. Buying your coffee at Dominican Joe helps make a difference in the world.

There are a couple of ways that you can donate. The first being just one click away! Click on this link and it will lead you to a simple online donating process.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4236376
Another way would be mailing checks or cash directly to Makarios at this address:
3267 Bee Caves Rd. Suite 107-71, Austin, TX 78746
All donations are tax deductible.

Also, THIS SATURDAY, October 9th, my Dad, Tom, will be participating in a Rowing Marathon! You can sponsor him per meter of the race. It is 42,195 meters. This is a fun/different way to donate to Makarios, and you can send a penny per meter, or however much you choose to the PayPal website or by mail to the Makarios Mailbox.

Attached to this are just a few of my favorite pictures from my trip... I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!


Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read about how Makarios changed my life, and how it will change the lives of hundreds of children in the future! Each contribution matters immensely.
Sincerely,
Catherine Jordan (read less)