What I did this summer...

Well, since I'm in School and will soon be teaching as well, it seems only proper to fulfill the timeless after summer project... So, here is what I did this summer.
Humbling...that about sums up my summer! I suppose there was a lot of change, but change seems to be a constant in my life so that wasn't out of the ordinary. What was extra-ordinary was the rethinking of some of my presuppositions and misconceptions, primarily about mother-hood and ministry.
So this summer started off with a crash...literally. As I sat in the back of our teamates car, holding my two screaming children, all I could think about was getting them out of the car to safety. And thus began our summer. Andy did a lot of running around trying to take care of the the wrecked car and getting it sold and all that entailed. It tooke literally all summer, but we praise God that our family was fine.

About a week later another process began... our teamates began considering the possibility of returning to the US for further education...a process that at first strained but ultimately stregthened our team more than we could have ever imagined!! The result of our prayers and seeking resulted in a descision being made a few weeks later and a month later we we were stashing their belongings in any nook and crany we could find in our apt as they headed back to the States. When it rains it pours!!

We were very sad to see them go, but we believe in their decision and look fwd to working with them again in a year or so! As a side note, Jason was teaching classes at a local school not far from our home and so, starting in a week, I will be taking over one of his classes--a late evening class. It starts on Mon and will last for 12 weeks, five days a week for an 1 1/2 each night. Whew! I'm getting overwhelmed just think about it, along with my language learning and being a wife and a mother.... which brings me back around to the main point...

While this made the summer interesting, all of this has just been the back-drop to a lot of my soul-searching. In May, things with my eldest had me at my wits-in. I love the little munchkin, and my parents constantly remind me that most of his quirks were mine at that age, but how to mold that little strong-willed child without breaking his spirit was beyond me... until a my teamate lent me a great set of books, "To train up a child" (www.nogreaterjoy.org). They're principles and outlook have been very refreshing to my stagnet parenting. My education and experience have made me a skeptic, and while I don't agree with everything they say, they have given me lot to think about and renewed my spirit and refocused my goals in parenting. But before I could even begin to change my tactics, I had to take the hardest step of all, swallowing my pride and realizing I need some help and then accepting the humbling that came with realizing how so many of my tactics were misguided and ineffective. That was hard. It stung, but I kept reminding myself that my love for my children could leave no room for pride. And so I was humbled and began to renew my efforts to train my children to become the godly men I know my Lord desires.

That humbling over the last few weeks has become a joy to me. They have become a joy to me. It is so hard for me to be consistent and joyful in my training of them, but I pray that He will strengthen me and give me wisdom, because their souls are precious and eternal, but my time with my little ones is not!! They will grow so quickly and I must redeem the time I have with them! So, this summer I was humbled, it was bitter, but it's become a joy!