one more year...

(living room windows... )

(a sunny view out the living room... more pics to come)

So... back in Panama and getting used to all over again everything... the spanish, the traffic, the heat. It has been such a blessing to arrive and have an apartment, electricity, internet and all the other things my team worked so hard to set up. Our apartment is such a blessing! We're in a quieter area of the city but still close to buses, groceries and everything we can need. There's even a massive park across the street that we can jog in and play soccer or frisbee in. As I've had a couple of days to settle in and unpack its been a huge blessing to have this weekend to chill before we get on campus full time tomorrow... which is super exciting. I've been reading through the book of Job and found a passage that really spoke to me;

"How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion? See how he scatters his lightning about him,bathing the depths of the sea. This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach."
Job 36:26-33

I think sometimes I forget the majestic character of God. In chapter 38 of Job the Lord finally speaks to Job and asks him question upon question. As I read through those I realized that there's no way I could answer any of them. I can't control the constellations (38:31) or the storehouses of snow (38:22) and yet God in His power can. And yet He loves us. In all of our weaknesses and imperfection He simply loves us. In Matthew 11 He calls the weary and burdened to come to Him and find rest. And so.... in the middle of settling back into a strange and yet familiar culture I was quieted by His love this afternoon as I realized in spite of His majesty He loves me and desires to call me His own.