Have a Great Summer!

Dear Friends,

Thank you all so much for a great year! As I have said many times, I don't think a year has flown by as fast as this one! Watch for announcements of social events this summer. I hope we can get together!

Thank you all for your very delicious, beautiful and thoughtful gifts. I love spending time with you and getting to know all of you. I think of you often and you have a special place in my heart.

Our schedule for next year can be found here:
http://indyinternationalfriends.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html
and here;
http://indyinternationalfriends.blogspot.com/p/international-friends-offerings.html

Have a great summer!

Love,
Carolyn

International Bible Study
We read Luke 10:25-11:28. We broke into pairs to read and report. Wow! Did we cover a lot of ground in a short time!

• Luke 10:25-37: the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This is a story Jesus told when an expert in the Jewish laws tested Jesus. He asked, "What must I do to inherent eternal life?" Jesus turns the question back on him and the expert recites: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus tells him that that was correct: Do this and you will live. Luke tells us that he follows with a question to justify himself: And who is my neighbor. Jesus then tells the famous story where a man who is robbed is passed by a Jewish priest a Jewish law expert, but is rescued and taken care of by the foreigner who was had no ties to the man. Jesus asks who is the neighbor, the man answers: the foreigner. 
• Luke 10:38-42: Jesus is visiting His dear friends Mary and Martha. Martha works hard preparing their home for the guests. Mary sits by Jesus and listens to Him. Martha complains to Jesus. Jesus tells her, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." We discovered that many times we get caught up in work and become angry when we don't have help with our choices. We talked about one of the ways we show our love and is to serve others. Mary chose to spend time with her friend. Martha chose to serve by working to make her guests welcome, but then she angry that she didn't have help. Jesus invites us to sit down with Him. You can be sure that He will lend a hand with the work that needs to be done. 
• Luke 11:1-12: Jesus teaches us to pray. Jesus is praying and friends ask Him how to talk to God. Jesus gives them the words and then he goes on to explain that when we ask God, He always will give us not just what we ask for but He will give is even more than what we could ever dream of wanting or needing because He is our Father and He loves us.
• Luke 11:14-28: Jesus drives a demon out of a man. Some people want a sign from heaven to prove that Jesus wasn't doing the work of the devil. Jesus points out that if He is doing the work of the Devil, then the other people who were doing the same work must also be doing the work of the devil. Jesus then points out that if He is driving out demons "by the finger of God" then the kingdom of God has come to you."20 How amazing! We don't have to find the kingdom of God, it comes to us. Jesus then tells the people that if they aren't for Him, they are against Him. They are destructive. As Jesus continues to teach, a woman calls out a blessing on Jesus and on His mother. Jesus replies, "Blessed rather are those who hear the world of God and obey it." God sees our love for each other and He recognizes it.  

International Friends
We wrapped up this year in style. Even though the weather was uncooperative for picnicing, we still had a great pitch in and made do with the oven and stove. We had a great time and stayed late.

cover a lot of ground: do very much;
recites: repeats by memory thinking about how to say the words and not what the words necessarily mean
justify:  prove to be reasonable; this can be when people try to explain why they do something to make themself correct
dear friends: close or well loved friends
ties: connections; relationship
spend time: loiter; hang out;
lend a hand: help
goes on to: continues
destructive: tearing down, ruining
rather: instead or more properly or more correctly
even though: contrary to facts
uncooperative: not helpful
made do: managed; was able to get something done using what is available