12.27.07
Happy Holy Days!
Funny, “Happy Holidays” tends to be used in our 21st century society by groups who are trying to avoid the religious connotations of “Merry Christmas” . . . but the word “holidays” is itself a reminder that this is a time of year dedicated to praising and worshiping God.
We are doing pretty well. Mom flew home on Christmas Eve. We were sad to see her go, but I’m sure my family is glad to have her back. :-) The last few days have been an adventure as we try to adjust to being a three-some. Ioan is doing well. Mom and Dad have good days and bad days, mostly depending on how much sleep we got the night before.
Mike’s Christmas break ends on January 5th. Please keep him in prayer as he re-adjusts to working full time and dealing with the changes at home. Also, pray for me as I am having a hard time emotionally with not going back to school, and will also need to adjust to caring for Ioan on my own during the day.
God has provided a Spanish teacher - literally, as in from Spain - for my afternoon classes who is much more qualified to teach them than I am. I’m excited to hear how he will challenge and stretch the students. My Spanish II class is a little panicked, but I think they will rise to the occasion. Pray for the kids as they adjust to a new teacher, and for Jose’ as he adjusts to Uijongbu. Also pray that his visa paperwork would go through very quickly and he would be able to arrive early in the semester. We are still praying and looking for a math teacher. Right now, the plan is that the middle-school math teacher, who is also our pastor, will take the Algebra II class, while the Pre-Calculus class will be taught by our guidance counselor, who was the high school math teacher up until last year.
Mike will be speaking in chapel in January, and also possibly preaching sometime this winter. I will be continuing to teach the middle school girls’ Bible elective, and to be involved in the high school ladies’ Bible study. I am also involved in helping with the annual purity seminar, which will be held the first week in February. Please be praying for all of these things.
Little Ioan is already such a blessing. Every day he gets a little more alert to what’s going on around him, a little hungrier, a little more peaceful when he sleeps, and I realize a little more how totally dependent on us he is, even though he sometimes thinks he isn’t. It’s been a good reminder - to watch for God at work, to crave the bread of life, to rest in the knowledge that I am secure in him, and to remember that on my own I can’t do anything.
I hope your Christmas was enjoyable, and that the New Year brings you closer to Him.
- Mandie