Announcement (from my Feb update)

Dear friends and family,

As I read the daily weather and facebook posts about all the snow and ice back home, it makes me even happier to feel the warm breezes and see all the green trees and blooming plants! I pray that those of you at home are warm and safe.

School is back in full swing and we have already hosted our first group of the year. We had a wonderful time with the students from Hume Lake's Joshua Program. They were a huge help and had amazing attitudes toward service and missions. We are anticipating many more teams this year and it seems we may only have up to 3 weeks between any given team, and most of the time less than 3 weeks.

If you haven't heard I am now the director of Centro Especial Genesis. Fausto resigned from the ministry for personal reasons and the leadership at SI asked if i would step in. The first 3 weeks on the job have gone well. I am very busy and I am learning a lot, but God has been more than faithful in his provision of strength and grace.

This brings my to my bigger announcement. I am coming home in August! I know in my last newsletter I said I was not leaving anytime soon, but it seems that inevitably when I think I know what is going on in my life, God has other plans. Before SI approached me about becoming director of the special ed school, I had already decided to come home. God was very clear in his leading...He even passed me a note! A friend of mine who had no idea what I was praying through, handed me a note after a night of prayer. It said, "Well done! You have been faithful. Now it is time, it is okay to rest!" I am not sure that God could have been clearer if He had hit me on the head.

I have a lot of questions about the timing and have been tempted to stay on in spite of God's leading because of the need that I see at the school. I cannot stay, however, when I know God has called me home. I am praying and trusting that we at SI are going to see God work in amazing, miraculous ways in this year. I am excited about coming home and heart broken to leave all my "family" here. I am sure there will be many more blogs and updates lamenting the fact that I am moving on from the last 4 years.

I am not without direction however. I hope to go back to work as an OT while I finish my degree. As I told you I am back in school, studying for a Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education. I am enjoying my studies and my brief experience as director has shown me the need I have for this degree. I am still planning to go back out at some point in the future to start another special needs school.

Thank you for all your prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for God's provision of people to lead the special ed school and the developmental therapy site!

Blessings,

Amy