In the thick of things--still a peek at the in-between posts.

The past week (second week of October, I think) has been characterized by joy and exhaustion.

Receiving and giving love in different ways and gritting out the imperfection of life.

Miss Linnea —Cute: morning hugs and playing with my hair when I accompany Sarah for dorm devos. My grade 5 students aren’t the only ones who recognize me and want my attention, although I struggle with their attention games, lamenting the fact that I cannot be everyone’s private tutor—pushing them to challenge themselves and each other, too! All of the students at KIS bring me joy and make me want to love children forever. “I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always…” Yes, they are frustrating beyond words when they whine, tattle, “Miss!,” scream, disengage etc. Still, understanding just the slightest slice of the perspective (we’re talking about that tomorrow in Language Arts) of our “precious heavenly Father.” My students all pushed each other in maths this week and were crazily distracted working on grammar, sat enthralled for poetry and begged to get the chance to work on their summative assessments.

Ok, so I know what goes on in my class (to some extent!), but it turns out we had a little barber shop during Tamil (second language class)—not sure how that happened. “But I told him only to cut a little!” oops.  This is the humorous side, but there are also issues of bullying and home life/dorm life to consider and pray about and about which to communicate with students and superiors.

Basketball is a joy, a challenge, and a frustration in a different realm. We have our tournament in a little over a week. Yikes. Strikes. I like working with Beth and wish I could be more of a support in the rest of life. Everyone feels over-worked, including the high-schoolers with their own stress. My players are still afraid of me “because [I’m] tall.” That’s what the children at the orphanage said, and they, legitimately small, got over it in a couple of hours! We have lots to work on, what with missing girls to any number of sicknesses, injury, school event or life challenge. Pricked to pray and be diligent with them! Don’t worry, I don’t make them do crazy running unless I participate. Just another thing I never suspected I’d be doing!

My little friend Ezme wrote me a simple note she eagerly asked me to open the other day which reads, “Ezme loves Linnea.” Do I send these notes to others often enough? Do I tell this to my lover constantly in what I do and say? Do I read the greatest love letter of all as the sustaining nourishment it is?

Forced to stop on Monday—sicky sick. Ok, great. The smallest acts of kindness nearly brought me to exhausted tears that day, but Tuesday was more than enough of “it gets worse before it gets better.”  I’m determined to keep going and have felt immensely improved this week!

Tastes of fall: the air, sarah’s apple pie, leaves changing colors, football, planning the school fall celebrations, hikes through the woods, masala tea . . .

Little adventures and unexpeteds: speaking Spanish, making fry-ems into “pasta”?, coaching soccer a little, going to Tibs—again. Playing mofia, meeting business execs, feeling lonely, reading my Not So Common book and poetry with students . . .

And life goes on.