Sympathy Funk!

The past few days have not been the best.  I've been in this funk - near tears, exhausted, even having  a migraine headache yesterday.  Not been a fun start to the week to say the least.

After talking with the kiddos, I think I've figured it out!  I'm in a sympathy funk!  Yep, I am feeling the funk that my kids are feeling.  It's the end of the school year, and they are sick of school!  I remember that, which is maybe why I've slipped into this yuck of not wanting to do anything, getting frustrated by the smallest thing, etc.  Just a theory.

Recently I saw a video about emotions.  The lady was talking about how good emotions are because they are signals to our bodies for different reasons.  She said that when we are sad, our bodies are telling us that we need to take a break, to slow down.  That really resonated with me since Monday I was just sad and couldn't figure out why.  Last week was a very busy and packed week for me including lots of travel, stressful situations, physically demanding times, emotionally difficult moments, and more.  My body was exhausted, and it came out as sadness.  On Tuesday, that turned into a migraine headache.  So what did I do?  I slept.  And slept. And rested.

And the sun is coming out again.  My kids will finish school, and we'll have a great time together this summer!  My week is not so busy this week, so I have the opportunity to rest and re-energize.  And I'm giving thanks. 

Language Exam

On Wednesday, I went to Belgrade to take a language exam.  It was suggested to me to do this to not only get an assessment of my proficiency, but also to evaluate the system that we are using.

I went with great trepidation because it had been more than five years since my last exam.  And that last exam was only an oral exam, not written!  I wasn't nervous about the spoken part - I speak every day and feel pretty confident, even though I know I make mistakes.  But a written test, focused on grammar?  Not so confident.

The people at the language school were wonderful!  It was really cool to learn that one man is an Aggie, too!  And it was good to see others whom I met in other places, but who now work there.  Everyone was very friendly, and we had a great time just talking.

Then it was time for the exam.  I went in the room with Mila, whom I have heard so much about since she is the teacher for several of my teammates.  She's wonderful!  We had a great time talking, laughing, and getting to know one another.  That was the easy part of the test!  :)  She then handed me the written part.  Which was more difficult.  Why didn't I study more?  I think if I had been taking classes, it would've been much easier, but it's been so long since I studied grammar.  I just speak it!

Well, I scored 80% on my written test for Level 8 (out of 10), so I was extremely pleased!  I'll take that any day!  It's over, and for that I am very thankful.  I was also so pleased with the entire process for evaluation and believe that they are very knowledgeable about assessing language proficiency.  So we will continue to use their services.

Hooray!

Going to Dad's House

I recently had a dream.

I was at my Dad's house (but it didn't look a thing like my Dad's house).  Karl and Scott were with me.  There was a knock on the door, and a group of young people stood on the porch.  They said they came to help, as we requested.  So, we let them in.  We were talking and getting to know them. They sat in chairs and talked, talked, talked, all the while looking at their own belongings.  Occasionally, one would hop out of their chair and run to something in the room, squealing and pointing and talking about how that looked like something from their home.  Then, they all started roughhousing and playing games with each other.  One of the girls opened a large door to run in and hide.  It was a cabinet that was full of delicate crystal and other breakables.  The girl just tromped through, breaking things along the way.  She came out, giggling, but also apologizing.  I looked in and saw some of my Mom's antiques and fragile belongings.  I went to begin cleaning it all up, with tears in my eyes, not for the physical loss, but for the loss of something that belonged to my Mom, who died years ago.  The girl was already on the other side of the room, laughing and talking with someone else.  Dad just silently helped clean it up with tears in his eyes.

Then, we offered them something to eat.  They quickly gobbled up all that we had and asked for more.  We had to tell them that this was all that we had, but that we were working on getting more.  We told them of things that they could help us do around the house.  They got started on some jobs, but then asked why Dad had some things like he did, why he didn't have more of this or less of that.  They asked why the house wasn't like houses where they lived.  They quickly lost interest in the jobs they were doing, and only half-completed the work.

Then I woke up.

It was a strange dream, and really made me sad.  Right before going to sleep, I had been working on updating our volunteer orientation manual.

It makes me sad to think that there are sometimes teams that go to areas and do more damage than good.  We've only had that experience a couple of times in eleven years.  But it does happen.  Unless we are servants wherever we go.  Unless we think more about the people, culture, and history of the place than we do about ourselves.  Unless we strive to show genuine love.  Love, which means thinking more about someone else than we do about ourselves.  Love and respect.  Respecting God's house - which is not a church, but all of the people on the earth, their countries, their histories.  And what God is already doing in and among them.  

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou has been, thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!


Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Thomas Chisolm (1866-1960)

Tired...

I'm tired...

March was a really busy month.  Between volunteers, conference in Budapest (along with more than 12 hours of travel each way), normal every day stuff, I'm tired...

And Karl, the Energizer Bunny, just keeps going and going.  Ok, he did crash last night around 5:30 when he got home.  Thankfully, Scott is home and is helping him work.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to catch up on computer work - reports, letters, translations, updates, etc.  Then I really need to catch up on cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc.

Think it'll be an early night tonight.  Praying for energy to make it until a decent bedtime.  6:30 pm is just too early....even for me.