R&R Crazy Perk #1 - Many Thanks!

A great big THANK YOU to all of our financial supporters for the 2012-2013 school year:

(We've only used first names to protect privacy.)

Renee, Paul, Charles & Dominica, Amy, Jonathan & Allane, Grace, Tim & Debbie, Keith, Patty, Gary, Kara, Nora, Russ, Sandy & Al, Gladdie, Sy & Renessa, Betty & Jim, Ann, Michael & Family, Don & Melodie, Rick, Bob & Peggy, William & Peggy, Ching Sui, Lisa, Rob & Julie, DJ, Matt & Liz, Kimberly, Mike & Family, Vic & Jan, Ron, Scott & Emily, Adelina, Jay & Debbie, Jonathan, Mark & Gabie, Amy, Sam & Emily, Melissa, John & Marylou, Jim, Grace Bible Church of Hollidaysburg, The Chapel at Crosspoint, Pennwood Bible Church, Valley Grace Brethren Church, First Grace Brethren Church of Altoona

We hope you all know how much good you've done this past school year!  We're so thankful to God for working through you to help these kids!

(If we've missed anyone, please let us know!)

Influenza of the Heart

    I think my heart's caught a flu.  It's honestly nice just to know I've still got a heart. I was getting worried toward the end of the semester that it had just become one big callous.  It just gets so hard that you've got to keep your skin tough to keep out the bad.  A kid says something really cutting to me.  Meh.  Part of my job. I hear an abuse story.  Part of my job.  A baby dies.  Part of my job.  I'm pleading self-defense here.

     But the good seems to get shut out with the bad and can't get through either.  Edison holds my hand for the first time.  Part of my job.  Nicole presses my cheeks between her hands and kisses them.  Part of my job.  Paola is crying because she misses her mom so bad and I make her a cup of tea.  Part of my job.  Two little girls and I break out in dance to "Jungle Boogie," and they look the happiest I've seen them all week, and I can see in their eyes that they finally trust me - love me.  Finally.  After a year with them.  And I'm leaving them in a year.  And I can't think about it.  Oh God, I can't think about it.  So... meh.  Part of my job.

     And then, as soon as my heart has a little room to breathe... some time away... it all just comes flooding out, triggered at any time by the tiniest of things: seeing a mom chasing her toddler or catching "A Series of Unfortunate Events" on TV.  Or coming across baby pictures of Nicole in the orphanage, and realizing she *grew up* there, without a mommy to mark her height on the wall, to take pictures of her 4th birthday, to hold her on her lap for five minutes when she has a bad day at school.

     I wouldn't trade them for the world - these kids, all the things they've taught me, all the ways I've grown.  But buddy! It's hard stuff!  And I think I'm going to bunker down for day and make *myself* a cup of tea.

Rich

I can't watch videos or look at photos anymore of the children of friends and family without noting the stark comparison between the love lavished on their kids, and the shocking deficit of love experienced by our students.

Think about the million little things you do for, say to, or think of your kids every day.  There is NO ONE doing that for our students on a consistent, parental, never-failing-always-there-unconditional-love basis.

A Nasty Fall

    I took a nasty spill down the unfinished, concrete stairs at school, and look who came to my rescue!  Third-grade English Class!  They were SO enamored of the blood and gore!  

    My heroes!

Phew!

Cristofer giving you the thumbs-up!

    Phew!  Classes are done!  And a certain two teachers you know and love are feelin' pretty done too!  We still have two weeks of in-service, but at least things are a leeeetle more laid-back.

    And now that I'm not stressed to the max, I feel like I can really appreciate moments like these.  I actually got to sit and just chat with kids for about a half an hour yesterday between tasks.  And the day before, I got to sit and paint nails with some of the older girls - fun time that I almost never get to indulge in, and, by the way, one of the reasons we decided to STAY THROUGH THE SUMMER.

    That's right.  The decision has been made, and we will be staying here in Shell.  We're hoping this will help round out the "fun side" of our relationship with the kids a bit, as well as save us some cash and buy us some time on policy-writing for the upcoming school year.