Fasten Your Seat Belts Everyone... God Answers Prayers!

While reading a book, probably about four years ago, the author challenged me to pray that God would continue to make me more Christ-like, and that God would let His will be done in my life. The author also warned that this prayer would be completely life changing. If I allowed God to, He would answer. Well guess what, He did. I now have a job I love, teaching amazing kids in Prague, Czech Republic. I have had amazing opportunities. I have met amazing people. It has been one crazy ride, and I often think back to that prayer challenge and reflect on how God has answered that prayer since then.

I am learning more and more that God answer prayers many ways, often in ways you don't expect. Since the beginning of the school year, many CISP teachers have been praying for more elementary students, specifically in grades one and two. Since the beginning of the year, our only grade two female student has been praying for more girls in her class. Personally, I was praying for more students in my PE class, because there are only so many activities and games you can play with only two students. This is what my class looked like the first week:

Prayer paid off. I had some home-school students added to my Tuesday PE class. We also had one female student join our school for about five weeks. God was answering prayer. My class on Tuesdays looked like this: 

Ready for the "fasten your seat belts" part? At the beginning of January, we enrolled three new Korean girls. The next week, we added two more Korean girls to that same class. (Notice they are all girls, and our second grade girl was praying for girls.) The same week the first set of girls came, the Russian school we share a building with added four of their students to my PE class. The next week, the same week the other two girls came, the Russian school added about five more students to my PE class. I don't have any pictures (it was too crazy to have time for pictures), but imagine adding three home-schoolers, five Koreans, and nine Russians to the first pictures. 

God answered our prayers, that is for sure. He brought more students. He brought more girls. If you don't think about the language barrier with fourteen of these students, we are theoretically able to play more games now. My new prayer is that God gives me the wisdom, strength, and energy to teach these students. Honestly, I don't know how I am supposed overcome this drastic of a change and this percentage of non-English speakers in my class. Looking back, He has answered prayers. He has done amazing things in my life through answered prayers. He has done amazing things at CISP through answered prayers. Looking forward, I know He will continue to answer prayers. 

The quote that has been on the white board near my apartment door is very appropriate and has been proven true. I will leave you with this quote:

"If we pray through, the breakthrough is inevitable." - Mark Batterson, pastor and author in the US.