End of the Year...this post is long.

As we end out the year I can't believe it is already december.  I feel like just yesterday I was back home and we have already finished a semester.  This semester has proven to be quite the challenge.  Many of you asked what I was hoping for coming into this year and I don't think any of those things have happened. Most of them had to be dropped within the first few weeks. :) The weeks seem to be flying by. It's weird to think I'll be visiting Colorado in a month! The next few weeks will be packed while we finish things up at school and get ready for the Christmas performance. Then a week off and then right back to the work for two weeks of intense planning for the english camps coming up in February.  A group of us got together to adopt a family for Christmas and everyone is coming over tomorrow to wrap the gifts.  So tonight I am doing about 2 months of cleaning and organizing in an evening. It's 8:45pm and I'm not even done with one room....yikes! ;)

This semester I was able to help PROeM start an english school in Lodz. I currently am not doing the teaching. My duties we were able to cut down to just keeping track of the money. This keeps me busy only a couple days a month. I had come into this year wanting to work with some of the college aged students and build a ministry in that area but some other things were put into place for them. :) I dove right into school when I could and about by the end of october I just wanted to be at school with my students. I love the work I am doing with english with these students. They work very hard for me. Some of the younger classes aren't making as much improvements as I hoped for but we still have another semester to go.  I have been able to continue to build relationships with the teachers at the school.  They are great women and I love each and everyone of them in their special ways. They are a fiery group of women so it is never a dull moment at the school. :) My work with the school requires a lot of work. I found a great curriculum for this year BUT it is all in polish. I believe this would be the case for most of the curriculums.  So every night I must translate the lessons. This takes many hours each night (which I still have to do tonight). Right now I am trying to finish the unit before Christmas break so it is requiring lots of translating each night to get it finished.  I still try to check in with the preschool english and make sure they are running smoothly.

While I am home in January I am hoping to visit with friends and family. I will be just staying in Colorado for this trip (sorry!).  I hope to have a bit of a relaxing time when I can. If you are in colorado and want to get together let me know I'd love to just hang out! I already know and can taste the Cheeky monk and my favorite sushi restaurant..make that two favorite sushi restaurants!

As I told many of you that I am going to wait until February to decide what is going to happen next year.  The thought of this is so daunting and gives me butterflies in my stomach.  Right now there are several options. I have been offered a new opportunity to stay here in Poland, I have been leaning towards going home and working on my masters as I found a inexpensive program.  I have never lost the desire to go to Afghanistan as well. I am not sure how and when to start that process. Also, I do realize the challenges it poses on a single person. I feel I need to take those into account..not that these will stop me but I need to think through and pray about some of these things.  Also, after hearing one of the sermons from my church in Colorado I couldn't help but have that fire for Afghanistan to grow stronger. The past year and half and the next half year are not in vein in any way! But I was reminded about how God calls us to run after and take care of the widows and orphans in the world. I want to do more of this.  There are several ideas of I have come up with how this could happen BUT not sure how much of it all is doable.  Please pray and continue to pray for these decisions.

Also this semester, God has really worked on me in finding Joy in Him even during the hard times and the times I'm not happy but to just continue to lean into him for guidance and help through it.  It has also been a time of making sure I have my time with Him even though things are so busy.  In all the business it has been pretty lonely and God has still taken care of me in it. I cherish every email and message I get from friends and family.  It has been quite the year/semester. I am thankful for each and every moment and God's continuing provision through it all.  Thanks for being apart of it.