a few random thoughts

-1-

I love the students at AAG. I told them that I was going to teach at the school at the church.  One of their responses made me laugh a lot (on the inside).

 

 

"Miss...I don't think you should go there.  That sounds awfully religious. Do they have to like, cover their heads like the nuns?"

I assured them that no, they are just normal kids and they wear a normal uniform...

But isn't it funny that Muslim girls are concerned that these students have to cover their heads? :)  Oh, the irony.  Pretty sure that's the response I get (and give!) whenever I tell people in Canada that I work at an all-girls school in Kuwait.

-2-

On Monday, I visited my new school, TLA. I dropped the other teachers off at AAG at 6:50am and then hit the highway...and met early morning rush-hour!  What normally takes about 15/20 minutes ended up taking twice that...and I arrived at the school at 7:29.  Which I suppose was the answer to my prayer ("God, please get me there before 7:30...").  So I guess He's teaching me to be more specific in the praying department ;)

The day consisted of many meetings with the director (aka Pastor Jerry’s wife), interrupting every class on the compound, playing soccer with the 7th graders, playing the recorder with the 4th graders, facilitating the 7th grade art class, laughing with the other Ms. Katie during the 5th grade silent reading time (and getting dirty looks from the students), and planning a trip to New York.

Sometimes I still wonder if I was supposed to leave AAG, though. I guess we'll find out.  It's hard signing another 2-year contract.  But we'll see what the Big Guy has in store for the next 2 years. I have a feeling it's going to be adventurous, rocky, and full of drama. He's certainly not a boring God, that's for sure.

Let me just say that I never imagined staying in Kuwait for 5 years.  And I’d never even let myself consider living overseas. And yet here we are.

 -3- 

So I signed my contract for TLA today.  She kept explaining the importance of the Letter of Intent...which is a letter that we sign in January, stating whether we'd be returning or not.  To her, it seems to be as strong as the contract itself.  "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." It's Biblical.

I'm extremely convicted - we had our Letters of Intent for AAG in November.  And I said, "yes, I intend to return" (even though at the time, it was the LAST THING I WANTED TO DO.  But I didn’t know what else TO do.) I also offered to do new teacher orientation in January, and signed my salary agreement in March.  And then resigned two weeks later.  I feel that I need to confess this to Mrs. Jacque - but she must have an idea, which may be why she was so adamant about the importance of the letter.  I saw her after the church service and totally chickened out.  I will definitely tell her the next time we have a meeting.  Why is honesty so darn hard?

 -4-

We have all of 4 days of class left.  6 days of exams.  Followed by 2.5 weeks of cleaning our classrooms.  Is that insane or what? Just thought I'd share. I never thought I'd get through the year… And here we are!  The end.

 -5- 

My final thought for the night is about blog stalking. Or rather, Blog Families.

Because that's really what it feels like.  What do you mean, Jen and Beth aren't my friends? I feel like I’ve known them forever...

But it's amazing how people whom you don't know from Adam, whose blog you just happened to come upon one day, become part of your life.  I started reading them because they are both fantastic writers.  Mostly I like watching their lives unfold.  How much has changed over the past year or two?

I'm praying for Jen right now because she's going through an ectopic pregnancy.  She's had one heck of a month.  So if you could just say a little prayer on her behalf right now, that'd be greatly appreciated.  God has blessed them so much, and He will continue blessing them. They'll meet this little one in heaven, and they'll know each other.  I'm sure of it.