Finitoque

Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord - 2Cor. 10:17

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. -Jeremiah 9:23-24

Three years ago, I began a journey that seemed endless. I embarked on an adventure of university education in a second language, Dutch. I don't remember my first class vividly but what I can recall was that it was not great. I sat at the very back of the auditorium, alone and uncertain, hardly understanding what my Chemistry professor was explaining. I went home dejected. The following classes from different courses followed a similar pattern. However, as time went on, I made friends who helped me understand the courses better. With time I became more and more independent, I was learning and understanding. I was diligent with my studies. During examination periods and projects, I almost cracked from immense stress. I cried numerous times but I have been encouraged numerous times too. I started at the lower ranks but God uplifted me to the higher ranks. This journey is now over, I now have my bachelor degree and I want to take this opportunity to say thank you.

I would love to thank:
 God, first and far most, because without His abundant grace, there is no way that I would have even began such a journey. Without His love and strength, I would have never made it. He provided me with a great sister and a team of lovely people who have played their important roles.

My family, my parents who supported my education thus enabling me to concentrate completely on my studies and not on bills etc! :) My awesome totally amazing big sister, Chibwe! Man, I love this girl. She always has my back (unless we are arguing) but I am truly thankful that she has always believed in me and encouraged me and helped and done a lot!

My (ex)friends; those who taught me how to study so as to understand and not to cram, Naomi who taught me not to fear exams but trust that God is able to see me through every time, Severien who has been such a great  friend, classmate and project partner, and everyone else who helped through prayers, notes from previous years etc. You all have a special place in my heart!

My church, especially pastor Seth and Mama, who encouraged us to study and also prayed fervently for us all.

May God bless you all abundantly for all you have done for me!

God is Good

Before I register for the new academic year, I would like to say a big thank You to God for the previous one.

I started my 2nd year of Bio-Medical Sciences on shaky feet. I was unable to resit my Physics exam and therefore, I had the option of either redoing the class or tolerating it. After seeking advice from the first year supervisor, I choose to tolerate the class. That meant that I would start the 2nd year Physics class without passing the one from the 1st year. And so, I applied for my 2nd year.

My first semester consisted of 5 subjects, of which one was a subject that spanned the whole year. As the weeks went by, I became more anxious and worrisome. Exams were drawing near and I was not prepared. I still could not grasp Analytical Chemistry, Physics involved a large amount of calculus, and with math being my weak point, I was sure I was destined for failure in everything except for Cell Physiology. I did have a chance of passing Metabolism if I just worked harder and if I  had more time. I remember going to Chibwe and telling her that I would quit Chemistry and thus give myself more time to study and therefore a greater chance to pass the other exams. She talked me out of it. We needed to visit our family in Suriname during the summer, so August resits were not an option. I placed the matter into God's hands. After God revealed to me that I need not be afraid of failure, because He was in complete control, I experienced such great peace about the the whole exam period. I wrote all my exams, some were harder than others, and by God's great grace, I passed them all.

I had been told that the 2nd semester of the 2nd year is the most challenging of all semesters in the course and it was. I had 6 subjects, of which 4 out of the 6 had more than one professor. It was a heavy load. I started studying at the beginning of the semester but by the end, I had forgotten most of what I had learned. Another panic attack. So much to do, so little time. I kept telling myself that if only I had one more month then I would have been sure of my success. Luckily, a few good friends of mine and my lovely sister were there to encourage me and told me that I should let go and let God. They didn't know how God would enable me through my exams but they knew He would. I studied what I could and I stood on God's Word. I place sticky notes with verses on my computer and on the wall across my study table. I prayed and praised God before every single exam. A week after the June exam period, I got my results. Not only had I passed everything, but my average grade had also increased and I got a grade that I had not expected for Microbiology.

Last academic year, I learned a lot but the ones that I will never forget are these simple but powerful truths:
1. It's good to be surrounded by people who encourage you in your belief.

2. Faith works wonders.

3. God is not stingy, instead He lavishly pours out mouth-opening blessings on us. He is the God "who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).

4. "When I am weak, then I am strong" because His grace is all I need and His power works perfectly in weakness (2Corthinians 12:9-10).

Please leave comments about how good God has been to you too :)