Our Plan for the Fall

As Noel and I sit in the airport waiting to check in for our flight back to Kabul, it seems unreal that we are heading back without the kids.   Both Winter and David are checked in at their schools and have started their new adventure.  We are blessed that they are both in great places that are just right for this season.

I guess you could say that Noel and I are now empty nesters though I don’t like to use that term.  Without kids, what does this fall look like for us?  Well, first of all, we are moving to a different city.   In the spring, we moved most of our families out to Bamian where it is quieter and safer.  Originally Noel and I had planned to stay in Kabul and help hold down the fort there but then a need came up.   The elementary school we are starting there was in need of an extra teacher.  So I, Teresa, am going to be that extra teacher.

Tomorrow we land in Kabul and hit the ground running.  Our goal is to finish up packing and get moved as soon as possible.  Hopefully we will be in Bamian on the 7^th of September settling into our new apartment.  We will be living above one of our other families there.  Our place will be simple with a kitchen/living area and a bedroom.  We will share the laundry and a storage area with the other family.  We also have a nice roof top area where we can set out a few chairs and such.  It will be small but  with in walking distance of the school.  We will miss our old house but are excited about a new beginning in a new place.

I, Teresa, will start school on September 14^th.  I will have one 5^th grade student for all the basic subjects.  I will also be teaching math for one second and one third grader and possibly helping with the bible time each morning.  Since I am a high school teacher, I will be learning a lot about elementary methods.  It helps that I have homeschooled Winter and David at different stages which makes this new job not quite so scary.

Noel’s job will stay the same.  Due to his role in Flight Ops, he will have to overnight in Kabul some which will be sad but doable.   Once we have flight permissions, he should be home most nights.  It will be a new season with some new adjustments.

Why is this move important?  Education is one of the main reasons that families leave the field.  For some families, homeschooling is not a good fit.  That’s why we are starting a small school in Bamian.  The main teacher has done a great job of getting the school all set up and ready to go, but she can’t teach all grades.  In fact, she is teaching  K-3^rd grade with some help from the moms.   Hopefully I will be able to be a good support to her during the year.  This fall, another elementary teacher is arriving to help.   We are excited to add one more teacher to the mix.

If you could join us in prayer for the following requests.

• Flight permissions and that some needed paperwork from the states will be finished sooner than later.
• Winter and David to thrive and grow at their new schools.
• For Noel and I’s move and the start of the new school.
• For Noel and I as we adjust to a new city and a new job for me.
• For the new family coming in that they will arrive in God’s timing.  They are trying to get their kids into the school where David is attending.  Pray that the school will find room for both of them.

Blessings, Teresa