83.3

Degrees F right now here in my bedroom. That's with the blinds closed to block the sun and the fan going. BUT it isn't too humid, so that's great. i'm enjoying the warm weather (except for the two hours on weekday afternoons when it gets horrifically hot and humid and there's so little air movement in my classroom that all 18 of us in the room are just turning into little piles of sticky nothingness and getting 17 little sticky piles of nothingness to do reading lessons just isn't fun).

two weeks of school are done! 38 more to go! Friday was a very good day, praise Jesus, and i'm feeling hopeful and excited about the prospects of my classroom this year! new year, new class, new routines, all things that I am trying to figure out as we go... Friday there were several moments of "ah ha! THAT'S how i can do that!" in my daily routines with the kids. i have a total of 12 girls and 5 boys! (that's better than the 15 girls and 3 boys i was expecting!) three of the boys are new students from non-Christian homes, and it's interesting to see them learn how to use a Bible, memorize verses, listen to well-known stories for the first time (Jonah, for example). I am also learning to appreciate girls more, and to have more patience with them in groups! (don't know why, buy i have more patience with boys in classroom settings...)

please continue to pray for "my boys" that I taught last year. the now-fourth-graders are still the same old boys, with only 2 girls this year, and yesterday saw the first major "incident" involving at least 4 of them and at least 2 sets of parents. Pray particulary for salvation for all the boys (i don't want to give specific names) because there are two in particular who derive great pleasure in the control they have over manipulating the tempers of their classmates, pressing buttons until explosions occur. It makes me so sad to see; even more sad is that one of the boys who IS saved and has a sweet heart will follow his non-saved friend's example in this respect, and seems to be doing so even more this year than last. Pray also for the ONE girl in the class that was here last year: she misses the other two from last year (one is in the States, one's family is experiencing financial hardship and can't afford tuition) and the new girl isn't exactly the optimal personality match. So please pray for Maia.

I am excited to begin to know all my "new kids" and look forward to sharing them with all of you. I will be dumping our camera into the computer later today, so hope to upload some pics soon!

with love and thanks to all of my friends who are family and family who are friends,
emily