Poor Habits

Or falling out of good habits. Same, same.

So, to repent, I'm writing, with a hope that I'll take a moment and write again in a week, and again. Until it is back in the routine.

We are home, unpacked, a little disorganised, well fed, still a little drowsy and ready for the first day of school tomorrow. Looking back, life seems like a whirlwind. Estonia and Finland were both breathtaking and worth visiting again for longer amounts of time. We used AirBnb in both cities. I had a preference for Tallin's old town and cobblestoned streets lined with shops over the more oppressive (cold war feeling) neighborhood of Helsinki. Both cities had huge parks, oceanscapes and fresh air which was the most important part- we spent most of our time outside anyway.

Dan raced well. Really well. He wouldn't say it, but I think he is very please. Really, it's amazing and it is such a good reminder to me that we should do difficult things and be disciplined. Not that the training is easy for me to support, but I do love the active lifestyle, that Dan is strong and healthy, that our children enjoy traveling and cheering, and that Dan's hobby takes us places that would never be on our bucket list in the near future.

Speaking of bucket list, we've decided to postpone Accra, again. While in the US, we sent our passports, immunisation records and applications in for the 3rd visa attempt.  The associate tasked with our application set it aside and forgot about them. By the time Dan requested the passports to be returned it was too late for them to process any visa. It is unfortunate that we would have three different failed attempts all due to processing errors or our inability to travel to Tokyo to request them in person. And then, maybe it is providence and really not the year to go. Our catalyst to going in 2018 was that Mary Teichert's was living in Accra with her son and husband, but their experience is wrapping up. They will be returning the first of September. (Our decision to let this rest was in no way influenced by our return flights home... haha.)

I have felt very fortunate with the children's assigned teachers this year. At the end of the last school year we had some difficulties and I remember telling Dan, "Maybe we should be fasting all summer for the children to have different experiences at SAS next year." We fasted once. We boarded the plane, played all summer and then last week as we were packing I began to feel anxious again. "Dan, did you even think about school this summer?" Nope, neither of us had given it much thought or energy. I felt almost sick, like I had lost a great opportunity. School assignments came out this week and as we went in to visit teachers and see class lists it was like hitting the jackpot. Maeser was assigned the school's best 2nd grade teacher AND Valentine was assigned to the same class. Abraham and 2 of his closest friends were assigned the most coveted dual classroom (two classes combined) which has received scholarships and grants to further research dual teaching and outdoor learning. His class is the only 4th grade class to have over night campouts or to utilise the extra funding. Walking into his classroom is like walking into an auditorium with a college laboratory on one side and a library on the other. There are 44 students (it's huge) with two teachers who have 24 years of combined teaching with 8 teacher aids. (Unreal.) I hate to continue, because it seems like bragging, but not to leave Mary out... she is starting middle school. Her homeroom teacher is Dr. Howitt who is head of the math department and his homeroom shares their morning meeting with the 6th grade counselor. Mary was relieved to find out that one of the 12 students in her homeroom is the other 11 year old boy from church. I'm am so thankful, and relieved, that each of the children have good teachers AND a good friend.

Honestly, for a moment I left the school with a sinking sensation that if the kids were going to have it so good that there must be some trial that would demand a lot from us this year. Today, for fast Sunday, we fasted with gratitude. I really have so much to be thankful for, and for the fact that I know the Lord answers simple prayers is top of the list.

The new Mission President and his Wife spoke in our ward today. I thought of you. He pulled two chopsticks out of his jacket to use in an object lesson. If handed one chopstick and asked to pick up a pea or a bean you would be unsuccessful. Given two, you can be successful. The word for it is , or that the whole is greater than the sum of two parts. One chopstick is the missionaries, their going to do great! The other is the ward members, they too will do great! But together, they can work wonders.