The clouds bring the rain.

malai vanakkam! (phonetic, of course, because I don't type in tamil script ; ))

If I could play you a few of the various sounds I have heard today, they would include: truck idling, beep/honk/helllooo!/hi!, crickets' chorus, students voices calling to one another as they play, clattering in the dining hall…Soon the pitter patter to drumming of consistent rain falls as the fog and dampness sets in for the afternoon, and the women next to Midori and I in the teachers’ lounge commence the nasal, undulating singing of traditional songs in practice for Independence Day.

( I should really learn the national anthem—the celebration’s on Monday! We student teacher’s will surely look absolutely Indian in our sarees and flowers to adorn our hair. ; ) we didn’t even buy skirts with our sarees at first—oops! )

This week has been mostly observation and jumping in as far as school goes. Everyone knows the new student teacher came, and I finally will have my identification card today or tomorrow which I was supposed to have to get in to any of the compounds a week ago. I was welcomed well by students and staff alike, but I still do not completely belong as of yet—do any of us, really??
Pearlin Joseph is my cooperating teacher—what an adventure to work with a fellow educator from such a different background! She is eager to bless and to challenge. The pictures are of our classroom and our students working on an ooblex experiment.

Thursday I got to share with the 8th grade boys for dorm devotions and play football (soccer) with them afterwards. Such a different life as dorm kids—they need prayer and friendship.
Prayer please for the Christian community to stand strong in the Lord with boldness from the Holy Spirit.

(fellow student-teacher/friend, Sarah, refreshing at the vista on last week's hike)

Life lesson/encouragement as once again my body shut down in protest to my burn-out pace. [upon arriving I went for a hike the very next morning and never slowed down from there : }] We often times lament the clouds as we have basked in the sunshine and smiles, but perhaps we need to look beyond the clouds and, in fact, continue singing praise. What is it we always said as children? April showers bring May flowers. The clouds bring the rain, as Ecclesiastes reminds us, and we need that refreshment, nourishment, challenge. As many cultures celebrate with rain dances and are accustomed to monsoon season, there is something to consider in the very lifeblood of creation. May it take us further into worship of the Creator—to ponder his majesty, consider and reflect his glory in ever-increasing likeness. Perhaps we buckle-down, maybe we grit it out, hopefully sometimes we dance. Singin’ in the rain.

home sweet home--part of The lake :)