| Penrhy's
Newsletter 10 August 22, 2005 “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which must look out Christ’s compassion on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.” Where do I even begin? I am not even sure if this letter will adequately sum up my year in Penrhys. I apologize if it is too long, so bare with me J I have been home in the USA for a little over a week now and still feel like I am in a dream world, not fully able to soak up all that happened this year. It has been wonderful to be back home with my family and friends and have time to sit back and relax. But it has also been hard to look around my settings and realize that my new family in Penrhys is no longer around me. I miss them terribly and am so grateful for all of their love this year. The first Sunday that I was in Penrhys two members of the church asked me about my family, and before I could get out their names tears began to fall. They were so friendly and excited to learn more about who I was and where I had come from. When I left Penrhys on my last day of worship tears fell before I could get out the words to express how much Penrhys has meant to me. I had to leave my family and friends to go to Penrhys, but at the end of the year I had to leave my new family and friends to go home. Many times God calls us to do something that is beyond anything we understand, but he blesses us if we just listen. “Now God said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 The first thing I remember about Wales was walking off of the bus in the Central Station in Cardiff thinking how in the world am I supposed to know who my supervisor was. All I knew was her name and the sound of her voice via the telephone. It was so nice to be greeted by her smile and warm heart that day. I don’t know how she knew who I was, but I am glad she did. When we arrived in Penrhys I remember thinking I was living in a jail because I had no car and was on top of a mountain. I had no clue how I was going to survive for a whole year. The only thing I knew was the understanding and peace that God gave me about serving him this year in Penrhys. It has been that strength and peace that God has given me each day at a time that has helped me get through this year. I have had my ups and my downs, and I am thankful for every bit of it. It is through the challenging moments I have learned the most, and it has helped me appreciate the good times so much more. Challenges are the Shepherd’s opportunities to prove His faithfulness- again and again! “He will send down help from heaven…because of His love and His faithfulness…” Psalm 57:3 Penrhys to me is a community that is full of life and energy even though at times people might think otherwise. It is a community on its own but the same as communities all over the world. It has been the people that have impacted me most this year in Penrhys. It hasn’t been easy to find my place among them, and I am not sure if I ever did find that place either, but I know that one thing is for sure. They are forever a part of my life. I will never forget some of the people that I have met up there. I love how they always want to know where you are going or what is new in your life. If you ever get lonely all you have to do is go into the café during the day and they will cheer you up in their own special way. The children have been a big part of my time over there this year. I always love the way the kids always make you feel important. Sometimes you think that you fail them when you discipline them or don’t have the energy to play with them, yet they still turn around and love you. I am so thankful that kids were involved in this job. It makes what’s happening in Penrhys so much more enjoyable. The teenagers there were definitely a handful, but I am glad they were. They always have so much energy and just don’t know how to let go of that energy. I pray that the new volunteers might listen to them and meet them were they need to be met. I pray that they also can be a good influence, and I pray that they don’t turn away when it seems too challenging. They truly have touched my life in so many ways and it has been encouraging in the week that I have been back the letters that I have received from them. The beauty of Wales is something that I will miss the most. I loved being able to look out of my bedroom window and see the mountains, the sheep, and the communities below us. It gave me just a slight idea how awesome it must be for God to look down on all of us. They did it right by building this community on the mountain! I love how there is sometimes mist just hanging over the tops of the mountains. And the waterfalls are absolutely gorgeous around there. My supervisor, Sharon, and I once talked about how it is so awesome to just sit and enjoy the beauty that God created. And how it keeps on going even though there is so much violence, poverty, hatred, and problems all over the world. It is just amazing to think about all of the things God has done and continues to do. God has blessed me with this opportunity to come to Penrhys and for that I am grateful. I feel that I have received so much more than I have given. This year has been a time in my life for growth and transformation. I have learned many hard and easy lessons here in Penrhys. I have learned how to open my eyes to more things around me. “I lift my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth” Psalm 121: 1-2. It has been this that has helped me also see God from a different perspective and to deepen my relationship with him. I am beginning to learn how to let go and let God be in control of my life. This is an important lesson that I will always carry with me because I love to be in control and it has been good for me to be knocked back a few times and realize I can’t do anything on my own. I have learned that even though we might think we have failed in so many ways, God has this awesome plan that works beyond our imperfection and ability to do things. I have always known this, but this year has helped me to realize that sometimes its ok not to know everything. So many times this year I felt like I failed and did not do things well enough. But God blessed me with the love from the residents of Penrhys this year. He blessed me with a peace beyond understanding to know that He loves each and every person in Penrhys and around the world more than we will ever know and that all we need to do is trust him and allow him to work through us. God has also begun to work on my heart with respects to why we live our lives. He taught me that it is He and He alone that we live our lives and we need to work as for working for Him and not for men. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” Colossians 3:23. It is important to respect everyone and love everyone but it is most important to let God be number one in our lives and everything will fall into place. But I think one of the greatest lessons that I am learning is about Love. “Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” 1 John 3:18. Love comes in many forms and each one is amazing. But it’s through the Lord that we can truly love and be loved. It has been the love of the children, the adults in the Penrhys community, the Good Shepherd Family, my roommates, and my immediate family and friends that has opened my heart to so much more than I realized was there. I want to thank all of you for your love and support throughout this year. I have enjoyed your letters and phone calls. I love how God blessed us with community. It is a gift that helps us learn, encourage, and strengthen each other. If any of you would like to talk or find out more about this year please don’t hesitate to email. I would love to share my heart with all of you in more depth than this letter allows. Thanks again for everything. May all of you be blessed in everything that you do and encounter today. In Christ’s Love, Kari “Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character, and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:3-5 |