Saturday,
November 10th:
Just
after I woke up this morning, I could hear the little critter noises in my room
again. The wall nearest my bed, where the split is located and where the noises
have been coming from, is adjacent to our balcony. I tiptoed to the balcony and
discovered that the split hose exits out a hole in the wall. Much to my relief,
the fluttering noises I’d been hearing were coming from a little bird (and not
a rodent) that found the hole and has decided to build a nest there. We’ll
probably need him to vacate unless he can come up with suitable rent.
I was
able to get quite a bit done this morning before going to basketball. I spent
time on the Internet, taking care of the things I’d prepped last night –
sending out my update letter, replying to emails, and posting to the blog.
The rain
came last night, right in time for the basketball clinic. So far, it’s only
rained on basketball days! We were soaked by the time the girls’ session was
over, but it was a good experience for the girls, teaching them that they are
much tougher than they think they are. I am enjoying the clinic as it gives me
an opportunity to interact with the older girls in our school, get some exercise,
and play basketball (all those years of playing by myself in middle school have
finally come in handy!)
Lisa
dropped me off at one of the local markets on the way home. I grabbed some
yogurt, cheese and milk (yogurt with granola for breakfast, cheese for tuna
casserole, and milk for hot chocolate). The rain had slackened, and I was
thinking about walking home, but the tile was still pretty slick. I hailed a
taxi; the driver greeted me in English. After I told him where I was going, he
told me that he had just recently started driving a taxi. He had previously worked
for an oil company where he learned to speak English. I directed him down the
right roads, and in the end he only charged me 1000 (which is half of what they
usually ask). The encounter reminded me that God has ordained all of my
relationships here. I need to seek His guidance for all of my interactions and
responses, even the ones that seem trivial and routine.
I made
some soup for lunch (seemed to fit with the rainy day atmosphere), then made a
tuna casserole for dinner. Bacon bits on the top made it that much better! I
got a lot of studying and prep for school completed.
Henry
went to the doctor in the afternoon, so I went over to Mary’s for an update
after his bedtime. John was with the doctor to discuss the blood test results. The
doctor had been much more professional in his examination, which had helped
relieve some of their anxieties. While I was with Mary, John called. The doctor
thought it was probably a virus and should improve within a few days. He also
came to the same conclusion as Mary’s sister-in-law, that this was something
different from whatever had caused Henry’s previous fever. The doctor told John
to come back on Monday, even though that was his day off. He wanted to make sure
Henry was improving. We were very thankful, seeing many answers to prayer.
When I
got home, I made a large mug of hot chocolate and got online. My friend Jessica
was online too! I had hoped to catch up with her, but wasn’t sure if the timing
would work. Even though we haven’t talked since I left in August, we picked up
our conversation as though we’d just been apart for a few days. It was
encouraging to hear about all the happenings at home. I felt like I was right
there, having those experiences with her. I’ll miss not being home when her
baby is born in March, but I’m thankful we can keep in touch without waiting for
the next ship to sail by, as they would’ve back in Ann Judson’s day.
Sunday,
November 11th:
Happy
Veterans Day!
Today was
a little harder with the kids. They took a test, which is never easy on the
first day back. Unfortunately, none of them even seemed to be trying. “Miss,
Miss, Miss” is all I kept hearing as they asked me for the answers. I tried to “reset”
before each class, but all of the students were in a similar mood. By the end
of each class I was exhausted. I ended up telling my sixth grade classes that I
was disappointed by their lack of effort and wouldn’t be answering any
questions for the next test.
I walked
home at noon, the sun was shining; I actually felt hot under my sweater and
dress pants. At 1pm, I had hoped to Skype with my friend teaching in the Philippines,
but with the tropical storms in their area, the internet has not been reliable.
The afternoon was spent grading all 91 tests and miscellaneous homework
assignments. I started listening to an audiobook while grading, which helped
keep the time from dragging. At 5:30p, I went across the hall to join Mary and
John for soup and bread. It was delicious! Even though my mom taught me it was
rude to eat and run, I did, so I could Skype with my family at 6pm. (Mary
forgave me for my impoliteness – she had just finished Skyping with her
family.)
I had a
really encouraging talk with Dad. I am thankful for a family that wants to discuss
spiritual things. Like Christian, Faithful, and Hopeful, we are pilgrims on the
same journey, and we are able to challenge one another in truth, exhort each
other in love, and encourage one another in faith.
I finished
the last of the grading, then crawled into bed. Outside I could hear the rain
and thunder, and watched as lightning flashed through the window … lulled to
sleep with the feeling that I was back in Oregon!
