New Beginnings

One of the things I like about teaching is the cycle.

There is a beginning.

There is an ending.

Every year, a start and a finish.

This, for some people, would drive them crazy. But not me.

I like it.

The beginning of this school year was a slight bit different thnt the previous four. As much as I like beginnings and endings, I dislike being late.

Due to uncontrollable circumstances, I showed up to work 6 hours late. Good thing it was just teacher work week and not the actual week with students. School wide devotions began at 8:50 Monday morning, followed by the typical beginning of the year meetings. 

Instead of occupying my usual chair on the front seat, I was still on a plane somewhere over the East China Sea. Don't feel too bad for me. The airline compensated our traveling woes by upgrading our seats to economy comfort.

Our travels were doomed almost from the beginning. A delay, even so slight, can throw a wrench into international travel. Our delay, 4 hours, turned into arriving in Taichung  fourteen hours behind schedule.

But, once again don't feel too bad for us, God was in control the whole time.

I'm so glad the problem with the computers was discovered long before we boarded our flight to Japan. That's something I simply don't want to find out 30,000 feet above sea level. I'm just thankful that another plane was available for our use.

 Originally, Jacob and I were to land in Taipei at 7:30 pm. After going through immigration and customs, we planned utilizing Taiwan's awesome bus and taxi infrastructure to complete our travels. I was slightly concerned about navigating through the process with very little Chinese, and more importantly, very little sleep. But by missing our connecting flight, we spent the night at a very nice Tokyo hotel. And while we didn't get a full night's sleep, we did get more than we would have if there hadn't been a delay. So instead of nighttime, darkness, and sleepiness, it was morning, daytime, and restfulness.  I don't know about you, but I function better under those circumstances. 

Another blessing in disguise when none of our four suitcases made an appearance. I watched every piece of luggage roll past me, some two or three times. Not one of them belonged to me. Strange as it seems, I thanked God. Not a typical reaction, but once again my God was in control and knew what I could and could not handle. God knew that even together, Jacob and I could not easily manage four suitcases, two carry-ons, and two backpacks onto a bus and later a taxi. Let me pause here to say that while Jacob and I could have done it, it would not have been fun. The word stressful pops into mind. But God knew that. So He arranged for the bags to be conveniently misplaced, requiring the airlines to deliver it almost to my front door. They actually came to the gate house at the entrance of school and then Jaco rolled them home. 

So that was the beginning of school year 2016 - 2017.

Despite getting a late start, I was ready to roll Monday morning!

And here they are.....

The class of 2027!

We now have week one under our belts. 

However, I miss Nick.

I miss Ben.

I miss Abbi.

And I definitely miss Carl. 

I have a new appreciation for single parents, trying to balance being a good parent while doing their job well. It's a constant battle, both physically and emotionally: it's a battle that I am glad I only have to face for two more weeks.

This is one time I don't mind time going fast!