Noel left for the states on Monday for his training. Every two years our King Air pilots need to go through simulator training to simulate situations you wouldn’t want to do in an actual airplane. Noel took a few days to go meet his new nephew Sawyer in Seattle and spend time with his sister Amy and husband Tim. Now he is headed to Virginia for his training. He will land back in Kabul on the 19th with his parents.
While Noel is gone, our friend Amy has been staying with us. Her husband is also doing the simulator training. It makes life here a bit more fun and she doesn’t have to be on a compound all alone. Amy is also a high school math teacher at the International School. The week has been full of getting lots of school prep and grading done, eating David’s homemade ice cream, and just hanging out. I have still been getting a few new students but my classes have leveled out a bit. My biggest class is 23 with my smallest class having 6 students. For those of you who get our picture of the week, my PreAlgebra did lose a few students that needed Algebra I and I was able to get desks for all my students. In case, you were wondering if they were still sitting on the floor. I am enjoying my schedule and my students. I have my PreAlgebra and Algebra I in the morning and my Precalculus and Consumer Math in the afternoon. Amy teaches the 7th grade math, Algebra II and Geometry so we trade lots of math and school stories. Below is a picture of Amy and I.
This week has also been full of Afghan ladies. My cleaning lady hurt her leg so this past week my friend Anifa came and helped out a bit so we weren’t overwhelmed with all the things that need to be done. It was interesting trying to find some of the dishes she had put away. Since Anifa is always needing money, it was a good way for me to help her out as she helped me. On Monday, I had a visit from two Afghan ladies. I had met one at the 65th birthday party and she wanted to come visit. Really she just wanted to come and show me what she is selling. The ladies and I enjoyed sitting and chatting for a while before they showed me the purses and others things they had made. I did find a bag that I could use as a gift and Amy ended up getting some Christmas ornaments that she could give as presents to friends and supporters in the states. I am still learning how to balance situations like this and don’t always do it as gracefully as I would like. I hate saying no and would like to help the ladies out in some way. I also love sitting and talking in Dari to the ladies. On the other side, I don’t need more stuff and need to make wise purchases. To the ladies’ credit, they are trying to earn money to support their family. One of the lady’s husbands has taken a second wife so she feels she needs to earn all the money needed to care for herself and her children. So for me, I need to find out how to have boundaries but also be able to reach out and help these ladies even if it is just sitting and talking for a bit. I also have to remind myself that their well being does not rest on me alone but to lift them up to the Father who cares for even the sparrows.
This weekend will be a social one for us. This afternoon and evening many of the lady ISK teachers will be coming over to hang out. It will be a good way for Amy who is new to the school to get to know them better. It will be good for the ISK teachers to get off the ISK compound since they have been on lockdown this week due to 9/11 and other things. Tomorrow we will have small group at our house. I decided it was easier to host than to find a ride to group since my driver (Noel) is in the states. We are studying soul care and for this season it is a welcome topic. On a fun note, Noel did let me drive around our neighborhood before we left just to know I could. We both decided that right now I won’t drive unless it was an emergency but somehow knowing I could drive if I needed to makes me feel better about not driving.
Lastly, the kids and I have been praying for many of you these past few weeks. We have a can that has all of your names on popsicle sticks and each day we each draw out a few to pray for. Let us know if there is a way we can pray for you. You can send your request to teresa@foutsfamily.org . Thanks for your support in so many ways. Teresa
Sounds like you are keeping very busy! Praying your time goes well until Noel returns, and that you have a great time with his parents while they visit.
Love and miss you!