Sugar and Spice...

If the saying is true, then my class is all sugar, spice, and everything nice this year! Yes, all five of them are girls!

We have spent the last two weeks getting off to a wonderful start! These young ladies have been wonderful and I am looking forward to a really fantastic year!

Please pray for us as we build community in our classroom, work hard, explore and learn about the world God created, and grow in our relationships with Jesus. Our school theme this year is "Unity Throughout". Pray for us as we discover what unity is in new ways this year, and as we seek to glorify God with one heart and one mouth as it says in our theme verse in Romans 15:5-6.

I am so thankful for the once in a lifetime opportunity this year to love and work with these young ladies. God has uniquely and purposefully gifted each of them in special ways. It is my joy to help them continue to establish their identity as children of God! Girls face such unique challenges and pressures in today's world. It is my prayer that this year we will build a solid spiritual, emotional, and academic foundation from which these ladies will grow and develop into beautiful women of God ready to serve Him where ever He calls them!

We have serious goals this year, but we are having a really fun time reaching them! We often have to stop ourselves from going "off on a rabbit trail" with "girl talk"!! It is a good thing there are no boys, they wouldn't get a word in edgewise with all these girls around!

Learning to Swim!

Meet Duncan... my parent's Paws with a Cause puppy! Duncan is in training to be a service dog someday, but for the time being, he lives with my parents getting totally spoiled and loved on! My six weeks at home this summer were all the more delightful with this furry bundle of joy underfoot every minute! Even though he's growing (by the minute) he's still such a puppy!

While up north with the family, Duncan took his first swim. It all happened quite by accident. Molly and Brad and I had walked the two dogs, Duncan and Max, down to the boat launch. We were all on the dock when Duncan just took a step right off the end and into the water. Having never been near the lake before, he seemed to think that he could just walk off the dock, and onto the water as if it were dry land! The look on his face was priceless as he plunged in, then started paddling furiously! It took a few tries, but once Duncan realized that the water would hold him up if he paddled, he was hooked, happily splashing about and having the time of his life!

As I get ready to board the plane back to Taiwan tomorrow, I feel a bit like Duncan. I too am standing on the edge of the dock, about to plunge into the unknown! It can be a daunting task to step off of familiar ground and into a year full of new experiences and challenges! No wonder Duncan had such a surprised and confused look on his face when he stepped off the dock! But, just like Duncan came to realize that the water could hold him up, and that things in the water were exciting and even fun... I also know that God surrounds me and holds me up as I step off as well!

Learning to swim was a great adventure for Duncan! I know this second year of living and working in Taiwan will also be a great adventure for me! I appreciate your prayers as I dive in to all that God has waiting for me on the other side of the world!