Last week was a case of opposites. I had an great time serving at Teen Challenge while Teresa & the kids had a really challenging week together. But over all God is good because good doesn't mean easy.
It's really hard when Esme's only 2 friends have stopped home schooling & are now attending a Korean school. Both her friends are finding Korean school a challenge because their speaking skills are good, but need to increase their speed in reading & writing leaving really only the weekends to play. Kiel's last 2 good friends left months ago & he has not found anyone to replace them so both the kids really feel like caged animals. They have so much they want to do, but don't have anyone to do it with.
I am so thankful for the miracle God has given thus far with the kids. They usually end up playing together most days & usually play well for hours at a time & only have the occasional argument. When I think about other kids being stuck playing with their brother or sister for 4 hours a day most days of the week they usually want to kill each other. But, it's a real challenge when they (Teresa, Kiel & Esme) are together all week most weeks. They all love each other dearly, but want to kill each other most weeks because they are always together. The saying "distance makes the heart grow fonder" rings so true with the 3 of them bing together so much. They need more time away from each other & with friends their own age. The kids are always asking if we can find more families with kids to play with their own age, but sadly there are not many.
Last week the kids were disciplined & lost the use of electronic devices. It was really hard for them, but they both discovered that playing old fashion card/board games is fun. Kiel discovered that reading is fun & read a chapter book (150-200 pages) a day. Esme spent more time making crafts for people to show her love & appreciation of them.
This week I am homeschooling the kids while Teresa is in class finishing her leadership class. It's a nice change for everyone I think.
Last week I taught a 1 hour Bible study to the Mongolian men at Teen Challenge, followed by a 3 hour English class. I then ate lunch with them, spent time with Aндре finding out more about him & then he taught me my 1st Russian language class. Then the next day taught another English class to the Mongolian men. They asked me to join them for supper, but sadly had to go home, but told them I would join them next time. Deep down a really can't express in words how awesome spending time with Aндре & these Mongolian men is. It is a real gift to be able to be part of Teen Challenge these last few weeks before we return to Canada for a time to rest & transition into our next overseas mission. I know that God will provide someone better suited to live & serve these men in the future. But, in the meantime will continue to study Russian, teach them from God's word, teach them English & eat meals together.