Well. I've officially ended my teaching career in the good ol' United States of America. The end of school was crazy. . . .bordering on chaos a lot of the time, actually. BUT on the last day I was glad I had been at Anderson this year. I cried. A lot. My kids cried. . .even ones who I didn't think cared. I had more parents tell me what a difference I had made in their child's life this year, and how they were sad that the year was over. One mom even cried with me. It was sweet and touching and made all the hardships of this year seem not so bad. I watched my kids leave, I hugged my partner teacher good-bye, and then. . . .it was off to the next chapter in my life!
While driving to the airport, by way of a stop at my grandparent's house where Melissa and I left my car, we encountered some terrible weather. I was on the verge of a freakout, but called my mom, who told me that our flight had been delayed---PTL!!! It ended up that our flight was delayed for four and a half hours. We ended up at the seminary where SIIP is at about 2:30am. It was a LONG night, but we were thankful to be here.
I'm going to write a longer blog when I have time so all I'll say right now is that I am LOVING my time here. The session are 1.5 hours long, but the time FLIES by. Every time Paul (the teacher) says that we're running out of time I am shocked. It seems like we have just started. We had our mosque visit yesterday, and it really brought to life the actualization of what Islam means to its participants. I knew from my time in North Africa last summer that it was a real thing, but I didn't have the opportunity to participate in any way in a Friday service. It broke my heart to see the lies that these women were believing. It just made it all really real. I feel like a true passion has been birthed in me for these women. I am now excited---REALLY excited---to get to North Africa to get to make friends with women in my country. I want to share with them the Truth. God has blessed me to be able to do this, and it is my prayer that I can do this well. I know that it's not going to be easy, and that I'll get discouraged at times. However, I know that this is what God has called me to do.
I have met several people who will end up in my country within the next year or so, and I am looking foward to keeping in touch with them over this next year until they are there with Mel and I. God is good and provides us with more than we need!!!
You can pray that as we plug along in SIIP that we will take in everything we can and not feel overwhelmed. You can pray also for the two women we met in the mosque yesterday--we've been affectionately calling them burqa-lady and purple-hijab-lady. We did not get their names, but they are definitely living a deceived life.
More soon! There's a lot of reading involved so I will try to update as much as possible. There also might not be a lot to tell. . . .we'll just be learning :]
Love you guys. . . .Thanks for reading!
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5 comments:
Glad to hear of where you're headed. So exciting!!!
Glad to hear you're doing well and enjoying your time!
That's really cool. Sounds like things are starting off great. We'll miss you guys this morning at church.
What a great closing to one chapter of your life in your last day of school...God's used you there more than you know. And it's so neat to hear how God is preparing your heart for what He has waiting for you. I pray a closeness with Him while you are in training...soak it in! :)
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