Monday, November 26th:
After an extended weekend, the kids were surprisingly quiet. We worked through two lessons in all of my classes without too much disruption. It was raining and overcast all day, and I think my students were a little lethargic. There is a spot in the outdoor patio where a steady stream of droplets comes seeping through the roof. After getting a bucketful down my neck, I tried to avoid it each time I passed through. Besides a cold, wet neck, my day was fairly uneventful. I loved seeing my kids again and they were happy to see me too. We joked about bringing shampoo to the patio and taking showers under the leaky roof!
After school, Sarah and I taxied home together. I finished my grading before we headed out for team time at Andy and Lisa's. With the Bishop's van, there seem to be boundless dinner options available to us now. What would have normally taken two taxis and several minutes of waiting became an easy venture. We even changed our minds about which restaurant to go to as we were driving! Dinner at Malta was good ... we were able to talk about some "hard" things at the end of our meal, encouraging one another in the truth of God's Word. I struggle with participating in those discussions. I'd rather say nothing than say the wrong thing. But I'm learning that this reveals the Lord is not my portion. My ability to not offend is dearer to me than trusting the Lord with the words of my mouth. As I was learning last year that God is the strength of my heart, I am learning this year that He must be more than that, He must be my portion. So many other "portions" must be laid aside - figuring things out, being understood, not offending, the list grows longer by the day.
It was nice to have a quiet evening without the pressure of grading or cooking or planning. I was actually able to spend an hour praying over the things we'd discussed at dinner. My prayer time in the morning isn't usually very extensive. It was refreshing to spend an uninterrupted block of time bringing every concern to the Lord and asking Him for things outside the normal requests.
Tuesday, November 27th:
Awoke to a bright, beautiful morning. Mary and I agreed that it was nice walk to school. All of my classes had a test today, so it was less intensive for me. During their test a couple weeks ago, I could tell that the students didn't even try, but took the easy route and just asked me for help. For today's test I told them that I wouldn't be answering questions. They resisted at first, but pretty soon they settled down to try to figure it out themselves. In a couple classes I read the problems aloud, and at the end of class helped a few students who had been diligently struggling along.
In 5A, I asked the students to draw a picture on the back of their papers and tell me something they learned this year. I didn't intend for them to write anything deep or insightful (I was really just trying to keep them occupied until the other students had finished their tests). As I graded the tests later, Prissy's answer surprised me. She wrote, "I learned to be kind." After all we've been through since we met in January, Prissy's response was a merciful blessing from the Lord (and an answer to prayer from last night!)
Another answer to prayer came as students sought me out during the break, eagerly chatting about little nothings just to be close and have my attention. It took a moment for me to come out of the routine and enjoy my students' affections. I watched my fifth graders play in a championship football game, shot hoops with some of my sixth grade boys, and soaked up hugs from my girls. One of my quiet fifth graders, a new student this year, couldn't stop smiling as he stood on the outskirts of one of my conversations. I drew him into the conversation with a couple of questions. Listening closely to hear his answers, I learned a little bit about his family and heard him say more than he has all year!
A little before 2pm, I finally walked home. The sun was still shining. In its warmth, I thought happily about the day and God's answers to prayer. John came over in the afternoon and caulked my window while it was dry. Hopefully the caulking will keep the rain out! At 4, Mary and I went with an expat friend to try on her wedding dress. She is marrying an Egyptian man early next month. It was fun to be part of her special day (the wedding will be in Egypt so we will have to wait to see pictures afterwards). Baby showers and bridal gowns ... feels a bit like life back in America!
Mary invited us over for dinner - turkey and vegetable soup with homemade rolls. Mmmm good! I finished my grading, then settled in for another restful evening.
