2nd day-- teens students and their days

(Photo from my mentor's home page: http://denrigen.googlepages.com/)
Glory to God for this new day. This morning my friends commented about the hill weather, look there was spots of dews on the windows and it's 'too cold' for us last night. Sometimes it is a struggle to adapt to a new environment. In the night, average temperature here is about 15-16 Celsius and for us Indonesians, that's enough for us to be called 'very cold'. That's why my friends got chilling this morning. Eventually, we went to the school for the second day practicum.

I am very glad because yesterday my mentor Ms Yanti asked me to lead the students morning devotion. So last night I prayed and prepared the reading for today's devotion. It's exciting for me personally because what is sweeter and deeper joy than to tell the students how The Lord has been very faithful and loving me and us? I read the Psalm 146:1-2 for my students:

"Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

It's very good when I 'introduced' St. Anthony the Great and shared a little bit story of his life with the students and of course, also his instruction for us:

Someone asked Abba Anthony, ‘What must one do in order to please God?’ The old man replied, ‘Pay attention to what I tell you: Whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes. Whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. In whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved.’

(c.f. Orthodox resources web page).

So, I encouraged the students, and not only the students but myself to have the remembrance of God always in our hearts, to revere and fear Him and thus begin to learn to love Him; to keep seeing and focusing in Him and say: I have my Christ. He was crucified for me and so loves me.

Like myself, I know that my students and all of us are living in the corrupted world. It's no secret that teens nowadays, especially my students have to face such great challenges in their days either from substance abuse, pornography, etc. But it's no secret that God has planted eternity in their heart, a longing to Him and His Love, because they are created in His image. I pray that they could know and live the Orthodox faith even though may be it's started just by a little seeds in their hearts. Lord have mercy on us!

still from Sentul Hill with love,

Yudhie