Missionaries are always going through transitions, and while adults get used to it, our little ones are spinning thinking about going to America in July. Ben called out for me the other night because of a bad dream, and after I had laid with him for awhile, he started snoring and I thought it was safe for me to slip back to bed. A short time later, he called out again:
Ben: Dad, the bad dream is not going away.
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High on the list of charming things I do in Kenya occurs after I drop off Ben and Kate at school. As I walk to my office, I pass many young impressionable students. My combination of sensitivity and gentle wit serves me well as I yell loudly at young people: `It’s MY sidewalk. Off, off, off! It’s MINE.’
There was a particular group of second grade girls whom I so delighted in instructing this way. I loved how they...
Continue ReadingThe tradition at RVA is a nice one; the kindergarteners through sixth graders (the titchies) collect money all term, and we use the money to buy food hampers for the elderly around us. Right before Christmas, we deliver the food to over sixty people.
There is usually a hitch, and the one this year was that it has rained almost every day for the past two months. It has made the already problematic roads amazingly worse, and then there...
Continue ReadingThey say this is the season of peace and joy, but you couldn’t tell it from our household. It has been pretty tense around here.
Part of the conflict has been Christmas music. My favorite Christmas song has somehow become `The Christmas Polka’ by Jim Reeves. More importantly, it is Ben’s favorite song, and he asks for it to be played OFTEN. This causes Nancy, JT, Matthew and now Katie to flee the room. But it is so catchy...
Continue ReadingAnother headline you might not see in America:
I know it may be hard to read, but there are rewards in this article besides the headlines. (Note especially the last paragraph of the first column.)
This is my crazy time of year, where I am writing recommendations and sending out college applications. Because we are a boarding school and because many of our families do not have access to the internet or secure mailings, I am working day and night...
Continue ReadingIt was probably because we had boys before, but I don’t remember much skipping with the older kids. Then again, I was gone before they woke up and they were driven to school.
Nancy has a 7:45 class, so I get to take the twins to school which begins at 8. It isn’t five minutes away, but it is my favorite part of the day. Part of it is how much they love school, but most of it is the skipping....
Continue ReadingAn exciting opportunity and a daunting task; go to the US for 10 days to attend an educational conference on admissions and have the chance to tell 450 colleges about RVA kids. The daunting part was to not get jetlagged so I could be lucid.
My flight left at midnight on October 2. I arrived in London at 6:20 am and left London at 9:30am to fly to Chicago. I had a four hour layover, and my brother drove...
Continue ReadingGod is so good! An overused statement, but only because it is so true. And one proof of His goodness to me is the trip I got to take to Paris this summer with JT.
When I was first asked to teach French I was a bit overwhelmed. After all, I last used French over 30 years ago (ouch, yes, I’m that old!). But I was excited nonetheless. Then the opportunity came for me to go to...
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