Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23

Tuesday 21st
Today is my grand daughter’s birthday. The day began early when I woke up at 5:58 AM. Some of the team has been walking at 6:00 AM and the route they follow gives everyone a chance to see some of the nearby neighborhoods so I figured I’d check it out. I jumped into a pair of shorts which are allowable for athletic activities and walked around the building. Carolyn and Peggy were in the Commons but Carolyn was not feeling very well. There is a stomach thing wandering about with most of us.
The lights went out. I walked Carolyn to her door with my cell phone as a flashlight and now little bugs are swarming to my computer screen so I think I will just stop for tonight.
It is after lunch on Wednesday and I have a little free time so I will pick up where I left off.
I went around to see if the sisters were going and learned that Ann had picked up the stomach bug. Glenda apprised me of the fact that no one was going until 6:15. I went back to the Commons to wait for a few minutes and learned that Marceline was not feeling well either. Glenda and I decided not to walk but someone suggested bananas might be good. There is a stand down the street so owe offered to go. We walked past several which were not open yet and finally turned around. As we returned we saw a few set out for sale two houses away from the gate.
I got ready for my morning activities and rushed down to get a quick breakfast. Everyone, both well and not so well were in the Commons for a circle of prayer. I tossed a bowl of oatmeal in the micro joined the circle, prayed first and had to run to my first appointment which was teacher devotions at 8:00. I was presenting so I did not want to be late. I gave a lesson from Psalm 16 about places. We are so concerned with our places but if we put Him in His rightful place He will put us in all the right places. From there I went up to the K-2 group for a Bible lesson on a beatitude blessed are those who mourn. During the course of the lesson a little boy said he was crying because he was sick but his mom did such nice things for him that he was so happy afterward. I needed to say no more. Next was the 5th and 6th grade with whom I am teaching two beatitudes each day. The kids had play practice in the afternoon. We were to have them for the last hour but it started to rain. I was in the boukarou with some of the kids and they were sliding around on the wet floor calling it a dance contest. One of the girls started teaching us a Scottish dance and soon the rain stopped. I got a bunch of them out on the grass a called an a capella Virginia Reel. The sloshy grass landed me on my side with a big red muddy patch for the proof but that was not enough to stop the festivities until the parents arrived.
Soon after that it was time to start packing the van with the luggage for those who were leaving. We then had supper and most of us road out to the airport for the sendoff. It took quite a while for everyone to get their luggage checked. There had been a power outage so maybe the computers were getting rebooted. Once they went up the stairs to the security we came back to the compound.
Wednesday the 22nd
Today began much as yesterday devotions with the teachers and the k-2 group. Then it was off to teach a math lesson using tan grams after a lesson on two more Beatitudes. Then I had to prepare a science lesson since the sixth graders were gone for the day and the science groups had both fifth and sixth graders in them. I decided to experiment with drops of various liquids. We had water, oil, glycerin and alcohol. Everyone in the office helped me to find enough equipment. Barb came through with some supplies from the kitchen. I remembered enough of an old unit on the subject to take up the full hour. I had a little time after lunch for a nap and then helped Carolyn with her pre-school kids since she was not feeling well and is still on a full day schedule. It was really a little eerie around here today with five out of our team of nine missing. You expect a letdown at the end when everything is over but this trip has a double duty dip.
Late this afternoon we attended a dedication of a new airplane hangar. It was a time of praise and prayer and celebration of God’s goodness for the opportunity to receive a rundown hangar and by the grace of God and the help of many volunteers (the lights just went out and the bugs are back on my screen. I am trying to send them over to the candle) a hangar is almost finished that will house the new and bigger plane that is expected soon.
The Commons don’t seem the same this evening something is missing but we just have tonight and three more and we’ll be heading home.