New Developments

We've almost reached the two week mark since returning to campus! If we can make it to three weeks, that'll be the longest we've stayed in one place since the sale of our home in July! Since the National Hurricane Center's website says there are no tropical systems in the Atlantic right now, I have high hopes!

As we are again settling in, everyone who is in school is doing well. Jon Thomas is learning to read while Jonathan reads for hours each day! They both have earned exceptional grades, and I am very proud of them! Jonathan's job continues to be great and a huge blessing to our family! He is teaching three 50 minute classes each day that the principal graciously scheduled around his class schedule. The curriculum is already laid out for the entire year, so the planning and preparation for each class is minimal. He also has a fantastic, blonde grader that helps with all the paperwork, so I think he is set!

We are diligently trying to find a place of service in the city. You would not believe the number of wonderful opportunities there are to serve here - and all of them are vastly different. We are working through our options, but it is a really difficult choice! It's only been two weeks, but I really am getting antsy to get busy in some service capacity. It seems that I just can't sit still for long.

One program we decided to participate in begins next week. We will be partnering with an organization from the University of New Orleans to "adopt" a couple of international students for the semester. We will be assigned one or two international students from UNO with the intent that we will develop relationships with them and help teach them about 'American life'. We will have an informational dinner and meet our student(s) next Friday night!

Also next week, we will be meeting our consultant for the second time. We hope this meeting will be productive and encouraging. The process is really slow, and we have already faced some discouragement. However, we are determined to remain positive as we know the doors will open at the right time.

That about covers all of our new developments! We are still missing our 'home' in Alabama and working hard to form new relationships in our new 'home'! If you read this and are from Huntsville, please hug a member of MZBC just for me!