Overwhelmed

I am so overwhelmed right now, but I'm taking the time to write this update because I need the prayer support...

I spend every waking moment teaching or planning, and it's still not enough time. There are some lessons that fall flat on their faces or are just boring because I didn't have enough time to think about them. My 6th graders make me feel horrible, telling me they're bored and sometimes giggling throughout class. Some of them are always on task and eager to learn, but it's the rest of them that really draw my attention. I've learned how important it is to praise my students and motivate them with positive comments, but I so often find myself in that class unable to find anything good to say. My 5th graders make me feel wonderful most of the time... When they come into the classroom, I have them greet me with either a "hello", a high-five, a handshake, or a hug. There are a couple of girls who every day walk up to me and give me a high-five, then a handshake, and lastly a loving hug with a big smile on their faces. One of the other girls tells me every day, without fail, "Miss, you come another time pretty." Though they're not an easy group, and they give me plenty of classroom management challenges, I still feel they respect and admire me. I need prayer for the ability to get things done efficiently, creative ideas, a love for my students that they can see, rest... Also, a couple of certain students need prayer for the desire to be good and to learn. They need to realize that they can be good, and I need to find ways to encourage them and show I believe in them.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow is Children's Day, and I don't have to plan lessons because it's going to be a day of celebrations. Next week, we only have a day and a half of classes because it's Independence Week. So I'll have a chance to catch up a little, though I would like to go on an outing or two.

Because of the money I earned and received this summer, I have a financial cushion right now. But I am making payments on bills and loans from college. Come January, the payments will be much larger, and my paycheck will not cover them and my living expenses. So I need prayer for regular donations to come in.

Tova is enjoying his new living situation, but as it turns out, I can't leave him there for very much longer at all. So I brought up the dilemma to my students, saying I need someone to either take care of him for a year or buy him. They all want him, and so far one set of parents has agreed with their student that they will take him. They want to buy him, and as much as I hate to lose him, I'm thinking that option would be more convenient and economical for me. I've already poured so much money into him, and if I have someone take care of him for a year, I'll still be paying about $40/month in food, plus vet expenses. Please pray that I'll make the right decision and find the right home for him.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and the widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. -Psalm 146:8-9