The End of the Year

As the end of the year is drawing closer and closer, I can't help but reflect back on this previous year and our time here in Austria. (It also helps that we do a yearly report). There have been many highs and lows throughout the year but overall I have really enjoyed it. It is exciting to think of how much we have learned in this past year. However this evening I have been thinking been thinking much more about what our next year will look like. As relationships have developed in this past year, I have begun meeting more and more with various youth girls. I have had the privilege this week to meet one-on-one with 3 different wonderful girls from the youth group. After every meeting I have come away thinking about a few different things. 1. How blessed I was growing up having Christian friends not only at my church but at my school as well that were able to build me up and support me. Just about every youth I know here, is unaware of any other believers that goes to their school. Just today I was meeting with a youth girl and she was talking about how lonely she feels at school. That she is exhausted always standing up for what she believes and constantly experiencing teachers and "friends" that are trying to tear her down or make fun of what she believes. Sure that is something that I experienced going through High school, but only a couple times, definitely not something that would often happen. I often forget what a blessing that was. 2. How doing things with your hands, pretty much always will get girls talking. Baking cookies, making supper, doing a puzzle, making crafts...it doesn't really matter what. It is awesome how God can use such simple things to bring up conversations about Him. 3. That these girls long to be heard. They want someone to listen to the things that are going on in their life. Not someone that will give advice right away or scold or praise them for their behavior but someone that will simply listen. 4. These girls long to better understand God and the Bible. This is exciting for me to see and hear. They do not settle for reading something and completely misunderstanding. They search for the truth and ways to better explain what they believe or what the Bible says to their friends. 5. I love my job. I absolutely love that it is work to bake cookies and talk about Jesus, that it is work to read through a Bible passage and discuss it, it is work to be there and support these wonderful girls that I care about so much. In essence, my job is to be me. :) In this coming year, I am so excited to see how God will continue to use me in this area. I know lots of things will change with us adding a member into our family but it doesn't change the fact that God will continue to use me, especially in the lives of the youth here in Austria.