Forgot to mention yesterday:
1. The lawyer that T works for is our principal's son! What a small world!
2. As Stacy and I walked home from our team meeting last night, I saw something that I dearly wish I could've photographed. Two women were talking towards us. As they passed, the verse flashed through my mind, they are "blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." The first of the two women was rather tall and thin with a patch over one eye; her other was squinted shut. She had a deformity in one leg that made walking difficult. Her light-colored clothing was frayed and barely seemed to cover her long extremities. Holding her hand was another woman who was in many ways a complete opposite. Shorter and wider than her companion, the second woman was dressed in a black burka, an ensemble that completely covers the body, including the eyes. It was difficult to say who was leading whom ... an obvious parallel to the statement Jesus made.
May 1st:
Sent Mom an e-card with flowers for May Day. When we were in elementary school, Hannah and I used to pick a bunch of flowers on the way home from school, leave them on the doorstep, and run away after we rang the doorbell. As we got older and moved out of the house, we would order flowers and have them delivered. Now, I have to send her virtual ones!
Today is Labor Day here, so we didn't have any school. It was a pretty relaxed morning. I really felt the need to talk to Mom, but it was already 10pm their time. I was asking the Lord to help me look to Him for my comfort, when the thought crossed my mind that I ought to check Skype. God is so good to give us the earthly comforts we need ... Mom was online! She was just reading my blog and sending me an email, so we were in the same mindset! Had an encouraging time talking to her. She is always faithful to point me to the Lord and encourage me in truth.
Visited with Mary afterwards. With all the company and sight-seeing we haven't really been able to talk, so it was refreshing to know how she was doing and just get caught up on each other's lives. The enemy is quick to mark the slightest lack of communication and use that to stir up strife. I am so thankful for a team that squelches those attacks right away.
Stacy and I went out in the afternoon and bought ice cream, then brought them back to eat with Mary. (The guys went to Amedy, so it was just us girls). I spent most of the day catching up on emails and preparing the final examination for math.
For dinner, Stacy and I were planning on going to Sarky's, but they were closed. We ended up meeting John, Mary et al at the Tantuni restaurant, where they serve the rolled up sandwiches. Stacy and I had some time to kill before meeting them, so we went to a bookstore and I finally found a map of Iraq in English, an English-Kurdish verb book, and a picture dictionary in English-Kurdish! I've been looking for the last three months for resources like these and just now found them ... better late than never! After dinner, we all walked to a "gift store" about two blocks away - they have a lot of antiques there and some locally made things. Everything is heaped up in piles and crowded onto a few shelves against the wall. There is barely enough room to move around. All six of us piled in and reached over each other trying to find some good deals. Some of the items were pretty expensive, but we dug for the cheaper things and bartered with the owner. When I got back home, I went through my list of gifts to buy ... I think I am officially done! There are a few perishable things I want to get right before I leave, but I'm glad to know that I've found a lot of things I wanted to bring home and share with everyone.
May 2nd:
Funny how a day of doing nothing can make me so tired! A little slow getting up, but after my "cardio kickboxing" routine I was ready to go.
Had a pretty good class this morning ... at least they are improving. [I was telling Stacy how it used to be, "at the beginning of the year there were ten or so boys who were acting up. As soon as I disciplined one, another one popped up shouting and then another standing on his desk. You know it was like that game..." Stacy finished my sentence, "you mean, Whack-a-mole?" We busted up laughing!] Nowadays I really only have to deal with about three of the boys and talk to them after class; the rest I can look at and they'll quiet down.
[I have my window open as I'm writing this and I can hear thunder outside. It was pretty overcast today, sounds like a storm is moving in.]
Today was one class after the other. I had two art classes back-to-back. Both worked on their books really well. The first class had to sit quietly with their arms folded for a couple minutes, but then they got into their drawings and were fine for the rest of class. I was feeling a little discouraged during their session because during the break right before, the vice principal asked me to help at the art show (which I've already been working on with the other teachers). I failed to realize that he was asking for extra help (not asking if I had finished my portion), answered hastily, and immediately regretted not being more patient, especially as I realized that the rest of the teachers in the room were listening. A poor testimony on my part since I know that most of the teachers have little respect for the v.p. already. Another reminder not to walk in my own strength, trying to prove that I am capable! Anyway, I was little more subdued, but my kids never fail to cheer me up.
The 11am class was amazing ... again! I am so thankful for them. I've really seen a turn-around in two of the boys. They were the worst ones and made the class difficult. Now they are my best artists! The two pout-y girls have also come 180 degrees, so the class is pretty mild now.
Had a short lunch break, then off to the 12:15 math class. They are doing really well, even though I have two boys in the back who have turned their desk into a soccer field. By the end of the session, I have a handful of "soccer balls" (paper wads) that I've confiscated. Graded some papers, then off to the 1:45 art class. They usually start out a little rowdy, but settle down once we start drawing. Most of the girls want to take their books home to finish since they spend so much time coming up with a clever idea, start to draw, erase, and start again...
Walked home as fast as I could, then J (T re-named her, "Julee" after our first interview, so I'll start using that...) picked me up and we went to the girls' orphanage. We brought some beads and elastic so they could make bracelets and necklaces. The younger girls enjoyed it, but the older girls pulled me away after a little bit and we hung out in their room. We pieced together a conversation in English and Kurdish ... The call to prayer went out (or "answers to prayer" as Zander calls it), and the girls asked me how I pray in America. I tried to explain, but they didn't understand, so I asked them if they wanted me to show them. Even though they didn't understand most of it, I asked God to bless our time and help me learn to communicate with them. I had an enjoyable time. Julee dropped me back off at home, then I unwound for a bit before getting motivated to grade a stack of math papers.
Skyped with Lisa in the evening regarding the art show tomorrow ... her phone ran out of minutes. Technology is awfully convenient! Then headed for bed.
