Todo va a estar bien - Everything will be alright
I always love it when my students introduce me to worship songs and so often God speaks to me directly through them. Here's one that one of my South American students recently asked me to play in class and it's just exactly the song for my heart this season:
Be Alright (Evan Craft, Redimi2, Danny Gokey)
There's a name that can silence every fear
There's a love that embraces
The heartache, the pain and the tears
Through my faith and my doubting
I know one thing for sure
His word is unfailing
His promise secure
Todo va a estar bien
Everything will be alright
The whole world's in His hands
Your whole world's in His hands
In the darkness and the trials
He's faithful and He is true
The whole world's in His hands
Y todo va a estar bien, oh
Everything will be alright, oh....
THE JOYS:
I am LOVING teaching my students, Grade 4A. There are 14 of them aged 9-11 They are so full of life, ideas, joy, and getting to speak into their lives and pray with them and teach them day by day is just so much fun. I am grateful that God has given me this part to play in their lives and I really long to steward them well for the time that I have them (which is rapidly running out!) 4 more weeks of this term, 8 weeks next term and then it will be the summer already!
I am also loving being a youth leader, it is so wonderful to get to spend time every week with so many young people (often around 60 of them, many of whom I have taught at KISC in previous years) and to journey with them. A lot of snacks get eaten, lots of crazy games played, then we get to worship together, hear something from God's Word and have small group discussion and pray for each other. And these youth keep coming back, week after week - many from KISC but also a significant number of home schooling families too - and it's so beautiful to walk with them, encourage them, check in with them. Now that the youth group in its current iteration has been going for a couple of years, it's easier to go deeper and young people often come and find me to tell me how God has been answering prayer or to share things that have encouraged them.
We are currently in the middle of 40 day prayer, fasting and worship with Iris in the run up to Easter so there are worship nights every night. The prayer room at the base is perhaps my favourite room in the world! When I was in the UK during Covid times I used to close my eyes and picture being in the prayer room. Many nations have gathered there for years to pray and seek God's face and He showed me a picture of the prayer room, at the top of the world, with worship in many languages and the incense rising to heaven from that place and the anointing pouring down into the city and the country but also into the other nations like oil or water or wine or honey. Last night we had a praise party for the nations and so we worshipped in so many languages, jumped between African dancing, Jewish dancing and Nepali dancing and different people prayed aloud in their home languages and it was so fun and such a picture of heaven on earth.
I love my colleagues and getting to be a team with them - laughing together, eating together, crying together, praying together. This community is so real and so diverse and so precious and I never want to take it for granted.
It was the mid-term break a couple of weeks ago so Karen, my housemate, and I headed to Langkawi in Malaysia. It was SO good - our hotel was right on the beach, we had breakfast included so just ate loads in the morning to see us through the day! One day we went island hopping and saw some fish-eating eagles being fed and swam in a huge lake, another day we went to Underwater World and had dinner at a restaurant on the beach watching the sunset. We drank out of fresh coconuts and ate lots of masala dosas! And it was just so restful and refreshing, exactly what my soul needed! Enjoy the photos 😊
THE CHALLENGES:
Probably the hardest thing for me right now is being so far away from my family with my dad being unwell and with the various challenges that we are going through because of that. I know that so many of you are praying and tracking with us and I am very grateful to you, thank you. Times like this re-shift your focus, priorities and perspective on life and on God - when it comes down to it, what do we really believe about Him and His goodness? The answer for me remains that I KNOW He is good. I know that He is the Healer. And I trust Him, even if I don't understand the circumstances around me. I am heading back to the UK for the Easter break on 29th March and then also for the summer break in June.
Within our school community there are a significant number of people who are walking through very difficult seasons right now. Please uphold us as a community in prayer.
I've injured myself a couple of times over the last few weeks - I was playing netball with the staff and went over on my ankle. My right ankle is weaker than my left anyway as I have torn ligaments in the past. And then, last week, I tripped on the steps going up my house in the dark and grazed my knee significantly. I think it may have become infected. I now have antibiotic cream and am washing it and dressing it, so don't worry. Just please pray for protection physically as well as spiritually and emotionally!
Staffing for next year - we are losing quite a lot of colleagues at the end of this academic year and therefore there are a lot of vacancies. PLEASE PRAY that God prompts the right people to apply for the positions and for wisdom for the school leadership and recruitment team. Please spread the word that KISC is looking for teachers and direct anyone here (https://www.kisc.edu.np/vacancies) who may be interested.
If you feel led to support me financially so that I can continue serving in this nation through teaching as a volunteer as well as in many other ways, the information you need is here:
or Miss H L Stewart, account number: 00398628 Sort code: 11-08-62
Coming back to the song from the beginning - Todo va a estar bien, everything will be alright. Even though the world is shaking and there is heartbreak and devastation everywhere - be that on a global level, a national level, a community level or a personal level. But, I am not losing heart because He is God and He is good and He is always worthy to be praised. And... we know the end of the story!
Thank you for reading, praying, supporting and for journeying with me.
Hannah x
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