Christianity Oasis Forum

[kimby]

In just over twenty-four hours, I will walk down the stairs, load my luggage, and drive away from my home for the last time. I will get on a plane and fly thousands of miles from the people who have come to mean so much. Twenty-four hours seems like so little time.

I have come to the conclusion that as much as this is God's plan, I will still miss things. Not things, I suppose, but people. Peter was thrilled to hear that he and Pete would be my second most missed after my boss and his wife. Nothing like inflating the boy's head little more. He is a great kid...I will miss the times he would pop in my room, and we would have deep discussions. I will miss the craic when both the Peters and I would get together in the house and attempt crazy stunts or even simply share a meal together. I will miss the strains of worship music coming from wherever in the house Peter was practicing. I will miss working for Ivan...and I will definitely miss all the hugs I get here. There is an awful lot of good in this tiny town to be missed.

I never knew obedience could be so painful.

[dema]

[kimby]

I am back in America....after a delayed flight, a cancelled flight, another delayed flight, and an aborted landing. I thought it was statistically impossible for an airline to lose five pieces of luggage. It is not.

The goodbyes were gut-wrenching...more so than I thought. The hellos, though, were better also. My new boss greeted me with a hug. Three long days of meetings and working in my new classroom and I am almost ready. I worked sixteen hours yesterday so that I could take the entire weekend off. A long day, but still the right choice.

So far things with the parents have been okay. Still can't have a conversation with mom though, unless it consists primarily of me listening and her talking.

I won't have consistent internet access for a while, but I will stop in when I can. I do miss you all.

[Dora]

I've been thinking of you and missing you sooooooo much.

You're in my prayers.

[kimby]

I have discovered this weekend that down time is a very, very bad thing. I need to stay immensely busy if I am going to cope. Tomorrow morning can't come soon enough. I am totally homesick, but keep telling myself that this is where God wants me and it is in my best interest. I wish that helped more than it does, but it doesn't begin to touch the homesickness.

[kimby]

Wow! It is only the second day of school, and I am exhausted. This group of students is by far the most challenging I have had so far. Individually they are great kids, as a mix, it is tough. I am going to need A LOT of wisdom to be the best I can be for them.

[Dora]

Maybe that is why he sent YOU. He wanted to do this for them through his girl.

God bless.

Was thinking of you today. And missing you.

[momof3]

I gotta agree with Pinesters....nothing like when the Lord asks us to step out of the boat where we are warm, dry and comfortable You are faithful...you will be blessed...and so will the ones He sent you to. You may not see it, but He will work through you. Good stuff. God is good...in ALL things. One door closes..another opens. He's good that way..even if we dont understand it all right now.

In Jesus,
love momo

[kimby]

I have been faithful to mention when the school day hasn't gone well, I need to be equally as faithful to mention those days that weren't a nightmare. Yesterday, aside from about the last hour, was really a pretty good day. I didn't feel on edge all day.
It was wonderful, but I am not sure it can be replicated...I think a lot of this was due to one student being absent and another for the second time all year having a good day. The student who was absent isn't a bad child at all. He just requires a lot of my time and attention. I have to walk on tiptoes to not set him off. Doing all that takes a lot of my focus from the rest of the class...which allows things to flair up elsewhere in the room.
My student that was decently behaved for only the second time this year has conduct disorder...among a list of others. I learned a little bit more about it yesterday. It is scary. For a child to be diagnosed they have to have done something illegal or highly disturbing such as hurting a younger child, purposefully injuring or killing small animals, etc. We believe he was diagnosed (at nine years old) because he intentionally set fire to his home. This is the one thing we know of, but there might be others. As I shared with the school counselors and principal what I have been seeing, it seems that he is escalating a lot quicker than last year. We are looking into what will be best for him and his classmates. Please pray he gets the help he truly needs as up to this point he has managed to fall through even the smallest of cracks.

I talked with my principal yesterday after school and the conversation turned to how I came to be interviewed and why I decided to accept the position. I already knew what happened on my end. After hearing the account from her point of view, it truly seems that this is where I am meant to be. I am still struggling to see it though, to see what possible good I am doing for these kids.
This has been hard. Harder than any school year ever and it is only the second week. I have never struggled to maintain classroom control. Never. Here I am struggling. I have never had a difficult time keeping the majority of the students engaged. It is getting a bit better, but still difficult. I was lead teacher for several years at my old school, here I feel like I am floundering to know what to do. I taught an all-boys class one year and loved it. It was hard, but nothing like this. I don't say all that to simply list my credentials or qualifications. Not at all. I say it only to make the point that this should not be as hard as it is. I feel like I am failing horribly most of the time. It seems like God sent me here for a reason and that I have botched it beyond redemption already.

I have certainly come into this weekend less stressed, and I am grateful for that. I am trying not to worry about what Monday will be like until Monday. I don't know if I will manage. I am still missing 'home' desperately. I simply can't think about it or I cry, and I don't have the time to do that. I feel very unsettled still. I have been forced to leave home, but this hasn't become home.

But yesterday was better. For now I will try and hold on to that.

[xxJILLxx]

kimby!

Heres a hug for you and i dont think teachers get enough credit than they deserve. I tried teaching a sunday school class of just 4 kids and i went away crying . Sooooo God bless you and all your efforts! First couple weeks are very hard in any new situation, especialy taking into consideration of all that you had to "change" to get where you are today. That shows courage and strength and how BIG your faith is in Him! You are a blessing and am lifting up prayers for every soul in that classroom, as well as your living situation.

love u much
♥Jill

[kimby]

We took the students on a field trip today. Two of my more disruptive ones weren't allowed to go. It was the best behaved this class has ever been! They even came back and wrote in their journals without getting out of control. We still had about an hour so they were able to play a game together as a class without fighting and we spent some time reading the book that they normally get to listen to after lunch. I think I want field trips everyday! I hope and pray this is genuine progress and success we can build on.

[Dora]

Terrific!!! That made me smile.