Developing Connections

This past week has been a meaningful one.

Unfortunately, the author of this blog has been struck down with some tummy/cold/sore throat ailments and I'm "home from school" to rest and get well. I've napped for the past 2 hours...so what else can I do?...BLOG!

During this past week we've seen more and more relationships begin to develop. It's been exciting. Within our school, the mix of faculty is fascinating with various backgrounds and belief traditions. This lends itself to stimulating exchange as the "new" is wearing off our "masks" and we're starting to see the people behind. (I do not mean to imply that only they, certainly us included, wear our bright and shiny "new" masks...just that the time is coming on now where 1st impressions are long gone and now we're "living" together in this place.)

An unusual opportunity presented itself involving a desire on the part of one of our student's who comes from a family that struggles financially. The student wanted to take a special "after-school program" that was offered. However, the administrative assistant for the school and I both knew that once the cost for the after-school program was published, that the child's family would have no way to fund the cost.

The administrative assistant is one of these relationships that's going deeper with us. She is a dear, dear soul for whom we have great affection. I had a discussion with her on the sly and asked her to assist us. Dad and I wanted to pay for the student's program, yet be very cautious that it was anonymous and that the family was able to save face. What began as a "co-conspirators" discussion, developed into a full-fledged..."Why?" conversation. We love "Why?" conversations because they open great doors before us to share more deeply about who we are and what our motivations in this life are!

The sum of money was not at all the issue of the discussion, by "The Old Place" standards it was nominal at best. But, both Dad and I felt that it was what we were supposed to do. So during the "Why?" discussion the admin. assistant said things like "But what would make you think of this?" and "I don't know anyone who would think of such a thing!" and "You are so lovely to do this!" (You would have thought that we'd volunteered a kidney in light of how she continued on.) But there was meaningful exchange that pleased all of us....we explained that we have been blessed with so much from our DAD that we considered it fun to share with others. That doing such a sneaky thing helped us pass on the mountain of blessings we have and spread them around to others.

The admin assistant was positively captivated. It was sheer joy.

There are others here from "The Old Place." No one we've known previously but dear ones with hearts aflame who've come here to teach in their single, post-college, pre-married (or early married) phase of life. We're coming into contact with many of them now through the foreign meeting group from Sundays that I've already told you about.

Last Sunday I had the enjoyable task of teaching many of them at the meeting place. While I loved being able to use my language to share truths that are crucial to live by (and to have those listening really be able to UNDERSTAND my language), I was thoroughly surprised by some of the feedback received. Many of these young adults communicated verbally and by email how we (the whole H Fam) were like their family here. That many come when they are young and "semi-unencumbered" but to see our crazy parade of parents in their mid-life and 5 kids under the age of 9 and hearing a bit of the life we loved back at "The Old Place" that we left behind was encouraging to them! We were startled by this as we would never think of ourselves in that way...but such comments tie into a Word that was given to us by a man back at "The Old Place."

This man, one we hadn't known well, confidently told us after a time of talking with DAD that our work here would be largely about "parenting." That he believed we would find ourselves in a role of "faith parents" to "spiritual orphans."

When he spoke this to us, some 8 months before we moved here and some 4 months before we ever knew about the working opportunity here...we were mystified by such a seemingly strange comment. Yet ever since our arrival we've had numerous ties that connect to that Word the example above, just the latest.

What a wild adventure to follow where He leads.

School is going well.

We're enjoying teaching more and more and Dad is quite the Social Studies and English teacher. While I am able to use pre-designed tests beautifully embedded within my turnkey curriculum...this is NOT the case for Dad. He has one Social Studies class (4 periods a week) in which he teaches a 6th grade and 2nd grade Non-native English speaker, and a 3rd grade and 1st grade native English speakers. He's using predominately a 6th grade text and so he spends hours modifying the lesson plans and creating new ways to teach to such a varied group. The tests that he writes himself are works of art.

I know he'd love to just go to a construction site and work on a railing bid right about now...but truly, I've never seen Dad more a peace. He seems stronger, happier, healthier and more confident that I've ever seen him in 12 years of marriage. When I asked him the other night about it he said..."I have a great peace, it's just not MY plan it's His. So I expect everyday that I'll have everything I need. I feel deeply at peace."

As I left him at the school building today he was busily finalizing the sketch of the school building, an exact to scale drawing that was the final element of his new "Fire Drill Evacuation Policy."

I've said for years he could have taught those boys at OSHA a thing or two...

Magpie is thrilled with her Tae Kwon Do class and her birthday present...the cat, Sweetie Pie. She engages absolutely everyone she can and practices her local dialect. She has taken to it like a duck to water...it's thrilling.

The Bug is reading up a storm and we always hear her striking up conversations with her school-mates about what she believes. She often lifts them up by name when we give thanks at the dinner table as a family. It sometimes moves me to tears.

Potato enjoys her kindergarten so much here in her birth country. She reports to me each day everything she ate and often relays the information in our second language. She delights everyone on the buses when we ride into town as many will speak to her in the local dialect and she just smiles and says back to them "I don't understand you, sorry, I'm from "The Old Place."...mind you, she says it all in the local dialect.

Brownie is flourishing, absolutely flourishing in school. She seems to be the most inclined to pick up language the fastest. She is perfectly happy here, she loves the people, loves her bed, and loves the new additions...the cats. I'm posting about them next if you haven't heard of them yet. We think she's an apprentice for the role of "crazy cat woman" currently being played by our dear friend MB back at "The Old Place." :) She (Brownie) needs only sit down and the cats come running to sit on her lap, purr and generally worship her.

Bub is the most constant, happy soul. I thought the other day...how can it be that this guy, at only 2 years old, can go ALL DAY. I mean, ALL DAY? When we go into town, very often we're on 2-3 buses, crammed into the masses of people, we walk 1- 1/2miles easily and then spend sometimes up to 4 hours round-trip commuting. Bub just keeps on keepin' on. He never complains...he is so low-maintenance that I often forget how old he is. He is DAD's gift as the caboose on this wild batch of gypsy traveling kids!

Sorry, I didn't mean for this to get so long...but, as I'm recuperating...thought I'd try to fill in some more details for our dear readers!

He has done great things for us and we are FILLED with JOY!