Great News, Hard Times

Here's the latest on what's going on:  The new school building is ours!  We're going to see it tomorrow & I'll write more on that when I've seen the building in person and have more definite information on the state of things.  All this means that there will be some major changes beginning very soon, and I've got lots of things to pray about.  I've offered to stay most of the summer to help get the building ready for school in August because I really want to be a part of that.  (I'm sure most of you know how much I love that sort of thing.)  Also, I spoke to the superintendent about not wanting to be a teacher next year.  I told him that I wanted to do a different type of "ministry," but that I would still like to be involved with the school.  I've been given the option to be an assistant in the classroom, since our class sizes will be bigger next year, and then to be a part of starting a ministry with the Arab teachers and even the mothers of the students, and anything else I would like to do.  As an assistant, I would help the slower students in the classroom (which I would love), and I would continue to help with the "extra curricular" programs for the students, and at the end of the day, be able to leave the classroom behind and have the freedom to be involved in other interests.  However, I would have to teach 2nd grade again for 3 months of school because the lead 2nd grade teacher is pregnant.  By the way, Wilma has been given the same option and she would also have to teach for 3 months because the lead 4th grade teacher is also pregnant.  What's so providential about this is that since Wilma and I already teach these grades we won't have to learn a new curriculum & it's only for 3 months.  It sounds incredible, but I have to admit that I feel quite intimidated.  Starting a ministry is way more than I imagined happening.  I really didn't think that I would be here again next year, but now I'm thinking that I probably will be.  As I said, I've got a lot to pray about.

It's clear that God is blessing the school and opening lots of doors, and when that happens, it's certain that the enemy will do what he can to stop it or bring discouragement.  It has come partially in the form of some parents starting a "PTA," though there are no "T's" involved.  They've been handing out letters to other parents and picketing the school, claiming that they and the students don't have rights, and they basically don't believe that its costs as much as it does to run the school.  There's a lot of ignorance and gossip involved - lots of people saying things that they have no clue about.  (That's actually one of the things I dislike most about this culture; it's a really big problem here.)  Right now we're just trying to keep a godly attitude and wait for the truth and the integrity of the school to show through all of this.  Last Thursday Wilma and I had back-gate duty and a picketing parent was outside and basically inciting a lot of the kids to chant "We want rights!"  (The "rights" they want are for a better playground, science labs, a nicer school, etc.  What's so ridiculous is that they know that we're getting the new building and that we'll have all those things once we're in it.  There's no way to have any of that right now in the buildings we're in, and so it's pointless to even discuss it.  They all know this, and knew this when they put their kids in our school, but for some reason it's coming up just now.)  So, a mob of kids were chanting and then they started running everywhere in the street and a fight broke out & Wilma had to run up the street to deal with it.  While this was going on, I had to deal with some other unruly kids and send them on their way to Ms. Mary's office.  After all this, and most of the kids were gone, I went inside to talk to Ms. Mary about what had happened.  One of the Arab teachers left to go home & came back in sobbing.  Someone had thrown a rock through her back window and messed up her side mirrors and license plates.  It was awful.  There's also been lots of arguing among the teachers - again gossip is a key factor, along with some back-biting.  Needless to say, we need LOTS of prayer right now.  Thankfully, God can handle all of this and so much more, so we can confidently trust Him in this.  We can and we should; please pray that we would - sometimes it's easier said than done.