at long last.

I've got a river of living water

a fountain that never will run dry

It's an open heaven

You're releasing

and we will never be denied

Last day of program. My sweet, sweet Sebastian 

'Cause you're stirring up deep, deep wells

You're stirring up deep, deep waters

We're gonna dance in the river, 

dance in the river

'Cause you're stirring up deep, deep wells

You're stirring up deep, deep waters
We're gonna jump in the river, 

jump in the river

Last moments at Exodus

Inwood love

Play in a fire hydrant: Check.

Deep cries out to, deep cries out to

deep cries out to, deep cries out to

Deep cries out to, deep cries out to you, Jesus

Last day of program celebration - so much love.

Posing at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon

"See you soon." CCF friends get it. 

We're falling into deeper waters

calling out to you

We're falling into deeper waters

going after you

My darling Rosdaly - how I will miss her!

Last night celebrating Hannah's birthday a day early

If he goes to the left
then we're going to the left
And if he goes to the right
then we're going to the right
We're gonna jump, jump 
jump in the river
Jump, jump, jump in the river
We're gonna dance, dance
dance in the river
dance, dance, dance in the river!


And so it ends. The last stop on the A train - 207 street - provided the title for the final Exodus post. I can't help but feel like I've left so much out. "Deep Cries Out" does a good job of summarizing the summer, though. Streams of living water saturated my soul and the Spirit overflowed at Inwood. My kids taught me so much about grace, joy and the love of the Father. 

But oh!

How I wish a hug and simple "I'm sorry" could fix relationship problems!

I wish band-aids could still heal every pain.

My heart lingers in the world of my little ones

and in the Heights

But I've tasted it. 

What? 

His faithfulness. His power. 

How can I not trust him?

As Sebastian has been a constant reminder of truth to me, whether through the joy he exudes through every action or the true words he prays in front of assembly,  and I am thankful for his prayers. I can still hear his slightly muffled voice lisping out the words.

"...Thank you for you. Thank you for your son Jesus 'cause he died for us. Thank you for creating the earth. We love you. Amen."

Thank you for YOU. Whenever those words come out of his mouth I want to cry for joy. Sebastian GETS it. Thank you for, YOU, God! Glory to your name, Jesus! 


At long last, we've reached the end of our summer at Exodus. But it is indeed not the end.

Credit goes to Bobbi Jo Brooks. She is amazing.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

1 John 5:1-4

fullness

This has been a summer of shattered expectations.

And the last week of program at Inwood was no exception.

But in those shattered expectations is new life

new discoveries.

so much joy

and so much love.

I would be empty, but for the one who fills me up

with living water.

I find fullness in Christ.

Kindergarten Love<3

Monday morning during the tutor devotional time, while listening to worship music 
and basking in the presence of the Lord, I looked up to see Manny's face inches away from mine.

“Do you want to do the devotional?” 

In my confusion, I somehow managed to agree. 
I had nothing prepared and in less than a minute, the song was over. 

I sat there for a moment, horrified, 
wondering if I should run to the office to print off the devotional I had planned for last Wednesday 
when I accidentally came late and missed it. 

I just sat there, feeling very unprepared, but then

I pulled out my Bible and flipped to 1 John, 

where my heart has been meditating for some time. 

The Spirit is working through this book 
and testifies to the love of God and the love in his people. 
I began to read and then I spoke about it for a little bit. 
I wanted to share what I saw and felt during our worship time, 
but I didn't have the words at the time. I’m no speaker, after all. 
But what I had seen was this: Jesus hugging me.

I felt a real, warm hug, like him saying “I love you so much.” 

And I knew he really meant it. 

I was confident in this love because of his sacrifice for me. 

He was thinking of the Father and his people.

Who do I think of most of the time? 

How can I selflessly give my thoughts away to be totally the Lord’s? 

I was overwhelmed by his LOVE and I began to weep quietly. His love is so unfathomable.
So beautiful. 

He MEANS it. 

He will never let us down or change his mind. 

His mind has already been made up.

I had many come-to-Jesus moments this week, but he taught me so much. 
So did my kids. They honestly taught me more than I taught them. 
And so I am incredibly grateful to them.


We reviewed telling time this week and read a lot, as usual. We learned about symmetry and practiced sight words. 
They continued to wow me with their creativity and insights!
The Lord revealed himself through them and used their mouths to speak truth into my life.

Even though they aren't supposed to write on the board, sometimes it's okay:)

Sweet Jose

Thank you cards for volunteers....uhhh?

We wear them out!

Oh Roman & Jose...thank you for letting me entertain myself by doing your hair

Wednesday was most likely the hardest day of program all summer, 
but thankfully I was still able to leave with a smile. 

It began with promise - a trip day, so no need to plan for instructional time, 
and it was going to be the biggest trip of the summer - Medieval times. 
We got to Exodus on time and headed upstairs for one of the last tutor meetings.

After a short assembly, we headed upstairs for a little reading before we were going to leave for the trip. 
We arrived at the designated time of departure in the chapel. 
We waited a few minutes. And a few more minutes. 
The time grew longer. And longer. And the kids grew more and more ansy. 
Finally, we had to do something. Manny made all of Exodus gather in a big circle and praising Jesus began.
 I will alway appreciate Manny’s zeal for worshiping the Lord. 
He thinks every time is a good time to praise Jesus - and it is! 
So, after some great dancing and singing, it was already after 11:00AM. 
I knew there was no hope for our trip today. 
The buses hadn’t showed up yet, and no one knew what was going on. The kids were starting to go crazy.
Finally, the decision was made and thankfully, it was good news.
The trip was rescheduled for Friday. 
So it was disappointing, but it wasn't cancelled. 
My kids took it pretty well, so we marched to lunch and to the park like a normal day.
I will spare you the details of the rest of the day, but let's just say 
I was reminded that working with kids isn't all sunshine and flowers.

Our last morning tutor meeting on Friday we all went around 
and shared one thing God taught us through Exodus this summer. 
I learned so much, but one thing in particular was this: I learned how to show grace like God does. 
Some of my come-to-Jesus moments involved getting really fed up with certain kids. 
But instead of going off and trying to yell them into submission, the Spirit prodded my heart. 
He told me to talk to them. To love them. To listen to them. So, I did. 
And I found such grace in those moments, much like when the Father extends grace to us. 
He is just and righteous and has every right to punish us when we do wrong. 
The times when we are sad, lonely and frustrated could be 
prime opportunities for him to make us feel guilty and bad for how much we mess up. 
Instead, he wraps us in his arms and says, 
"What's wrong? Let's talk about this. I love you and I care about you. 
Let's figure this out." That is one of many things I learned from my kids.

We FINALLY made it Medieval Times! The kids loved it!

Alina's long-awaited birthday celebration

Strategizing

The Lord has been gripping my heart using Paul's words to the Colossians. 
Read this passage out loud and listen to the POWER of the cross.



For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 
and you have been given fullness in Christ, 
who is the head over every power and authority. 
In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,
not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 
having been buried with him in baptism
and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,
God made you alive with Christ.
He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, 
that was against us and that stood opposed to us; 
he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, 
he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:9-15


I have a final wrap-up post coming, even though we are already in Georgia for MTW's debrief.


May the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior FILL you up.

the unexpected

Oh, Sebastian

How to expect the unexpected: A Recipe.


1. Do not presume to know anything. At all.
2. Stir in a lot of flexibility. Blend well.
3. Add in a healthy amount of laughter.
4. Remember to be surprised by nothing.
5. Mix well with spontaneity.
6. Add a pinch of "faking it even when you have no idea what is happening"
7. Pray hard, pray frequently.
8. Pour into the pan and believe that Jesus is going to make it turn out all right.
9. Set the timer and use each minute wisely.
10. The unexpected will come out differently every time, so don't expect it to look
one way. There is no set time to bake, either. Just use your God-given intuition.


This is a recipe I'm learning this summer at Operation Exodus. From being dragged through the sprinklers at the park because Sebastian and a first grade girl overpowered me, to getting so little sleep I can barely think, the Lord has helped me not only tolerate, but embrace the unexpected.


Monday morning began with lots of fun and learning. This included counting and sorting Fruit Loops and then making necklaces!

Spiro and Aaron working hard

One of these things is not like the others...Mr. Hugo joins the Fruit Loop fun

My sweet ray of sunshine, Sebastian

Besines getting creative during necklace making

Read closely. Sometimes, encouraging sentences show up in the alphabet!

My kindergarteners worked hard and I was so proud of them. It is the little moments, friends. I appreciate their hearts and abounding love. I appreciate their boundless energy and curiosity. Sometimes it is difficult for me to understand their mindset and learn how to value the things they value, but the Lord allows me some measure of understanding. 

What would we do without the sweet Pre-K, Jordyn, to keep things interesting?

On Thursday, we introduced the Olympics to our kids. We learned about the Olympic flag, watched some of the different sports in the Olympics, learned about the torch, the medals and sportsmanship. These are some pictures of our kids working as a team to color our own Kindergarten Olympics banner. 

Coloring: A Kindergarten Favorite

This is Spiro. As I headed down to assembly on Thursday morning, Spiro's mom stopped me and handed me a big bag. She told me that Spiro asked if they could bring fruit for his whole class. 


"So, I got some fruit. And here it is."


Wow! We had an delicious, fresh snack of fruit because of Spiro and his mom. I honored him later in the day with a shout-out for his thoughtfulness. I thought it was awesome of him to think about his whole class. What an unexpected blessing!

My prayer is this week is one of thankfulness.
I returned to New York City and I am learning how to serve and love like Jesus.
Living in community and having sweet fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ
is an encouragement.
We proclaim the gospel to one another and to the world.
A gospel of grace.
                     freedom.
                     love.
                     joy.
a scandalous gospel.
an unexpected gospel.
a much-needed gospel.
a daily gospel.
JESUS,
Thank you for meeting me where I was,
but loving me too much
to let me stay there.
Thank you for the transforming power of your WORD.
Thank you for shining your light in my darkness
and changing me.
Thank you for freeing me from the lies I believed.
Thank you for healing me of my blindness.
To God be the glory.


I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount this week as well as learning more about the miracles of Jesus. He continues to amaze me. I am still cut to the heart when I read about the new law that governs not our outward actions, but the deepest desires of our hearts. It is convicting, but it is here that I also find freedom. I cannot keep the law because I was sinful from birth and will be until the day I die. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it, and it is finished. Praise God. Continue to work in my heart, Lord, and change me. 


May the grace and peace of our Lord fill your hearts and cover your lives.

in the presence of the living God

"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living..." 
Mark 12:27

The Lord's faithfulness continues to overwhelm me. 
"Oh, how he loves us!"
He revealed to me the power of his presence this week.
He asked me the question:
"How could you think that it is possible to be in the presence of the living God and not be changed?” 
And I prayed, Lord, break my heart of stone. 
Give me a new, fleshy heart that beats with strength 
and feels all the pain there is to feel.
Yes, the pain may come back, but so will life. 
I want a heart of flesh and blood. 
Sitting in the room with the tutors 
opening up my heart to the Lord 
and being in his presence was beautiful. 
The waterworks began as I imagined a stone crust breaking off 
a bloody, red, beating heart. 
But, Lord, forgive me if ever my heart becomes hard. 
Break the stone and give me a new heart!

After all, He reserved harshest judgment for the hypocrites and religious types.

God, save my heart from moralism masquerading as Christianity!
Wreck my heart to teach me the truth.
Hold my heart.
And mold it,
Master craftsman, Potter.
I have read and heard of your miracles
and I believe you are the God of the LIVING.
The living God.

The week began and looked something like a princess party:

One of our little girls, Viviana, had a birthday over the weekend and her parents went all out. When I say all out, I mean a pizza party, decorations, a cake, cupcakes and lots of pictures. Oh, and Viviana came dressed head to toe as Jasmine. What a little princess. We celebrated on Monday.

Tuesday, we learned about animals! We were getting ready to take our trip the Bronx Zoo on Wednesday. I had planned a little more thoroughly (but not enough, as I learned) and the animal lesson went okay. I overshot it, though, and it was a little above them, but I improvised and revised it on the spot. I seriously have to acknowledge the hand of God when I am up in front of kindergarteners changing my plans as I have quick realizations what I'm doing isn't working. We made animals masks and Besines told me she wanted to name her puppy after me because she liked my name. Melt my heart!

Puppy love

Sweet Kaitlyn

That night, we had our traditional "Bedtime Stories with Bobbi Jo," featuring one of the many children's books I snatched to use while lesson planning. Love the late night chats. Love these ladies.

Wednesday, we took the two Pre-K classes and our class to the Bronx Zoo for our trip. It was insane, and we didn't get to see a lot of animals. But it was still enjoyable for the kids, though the heat drained them pretty quickly. We got to ride on the carousel, though!

Sweet Christian

Sometimes, riding the train with kids is a lot of fun. They are so cute. 

Sebastion & Aaron

And sometimes, my kids bring pancakes. (Every day this week) (What?)

Spiro with a light morning snack of pancakes

Thursday was a day of relying on the strength of the Lord. He blew me away with his great mercy to me as I rested in his presence. Mary Frances was sick and stayed back, so I was wondering how the day would go, how many kids would show up, etc. The Lord was so gracious and gave me a great day. I taught a lesson on money and they were so good all day. I was so impressed and gave a ton of shout-outs at the end of the day to acknowledge the good things my whole class and individuals had done. We also made fun crafts during creative time! The girls decorated flapper dresses and the boys colored 1920's style outfits to model, since our theme this week was the early 1900's.

Sweet, sweet Roman

My little diva, Alina

Patick & Aaron being silly

I could go on and on because I am just so proud of them. We won an ice cream party for our class because of how much we have been reading. And yes, that does look differently for kindergarteners than it does for the older kids. I am all about literacy! I read to them at least once a day and then we have an additional reading time where we can work with them individually or they can read on their own if they are able. Thursday was a great day and ended wonderfully by sharing "Brinner" with Bobbi Jo and the short term teams at Exodus in the Heights. 

Despite a late night spent with sweet friends, I arose early the next morning and the Lord continued to give me strength to make it through the day. Friday was more of a relaxed, fun day, but we had some special visitors (aka Mary Frances and Rachel, the Exodus resident storyteller/actress) tell us about their lives when they immigrated to the US! It was a lot of fun. We ended up having an improvised ice cream party later, due to unforeseen circumstances, but it was still a lot of fun. 

I was overjoyed this week to see my kids finally participating in and loving praise time! Usually they just sleep through it or stay sitting, but at the end of this week they were going up on stage and dancing their little hearts out for the Lord! Such joy.

Friday evening we were blessed to spend with our co-workers outside of work! Martha left for home, just for this week, and Hannah moved into our apartment! Next week will probably look very different than the last three, but I am excited. 

It is late, and I'm getting up early to help CCF with worship tomorrow. This is already a giant blog post, but I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here. 
In the Heights. 
This summer. 
With these people.
Praise God.

May the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior fill your hearts.