What a week!

Hey all, here's a list of the haps around here....

• We have started homeschooling! So far, I'm really happy with my curriculum choices for this year. I learned a ton last year and we've tweaked some things - added some things and taken a few things away. I love getting to plan and create our very own homeschool and tailor it to our needs. And then it comes in the mail.... Oh, the joys of opening up boxes and boxes of new books and materials! I'm in a tiny bit of heaven just now. I'm also a tiny bit of a nerd - or so I've been told.
• My kids are maybe less enthusiastic about our new stuff. They are, however, working hard anyway and as we get accustomed to our new routine, things are getting easier for all of us.
• We are getting things ready for MAF teammates, the Rogers, to come to Palangkaraya from Tarakan (the other MAF Kalimantan base) to help us out through the end of the year. We're super-excited to see them come!
• My niece is in Hawaii for college now. Part of me is devastated (she's in college?!) and part of me is kinda happy (she's like half a world closer!). So proud of that girl.
• Brooklyn is sick...with something. She's had a low-grade fever and has not been herself for several days and yesterday I finally took her in to the lab to be tested just to rule out things like malaria and dengue. Those tests came back negative. It looks like she may have a touch of some kind of intestinal bug. We're watching her closely to see if we need to go to a doctor or get some medicine. She hasn't been horribly sick...just "off." Today, she hasn't had the fever but is obviously not feeling great. Please pray.
• We are heading into a five-day weekend! Friday is Indonesia's Independence Day and Sunday begins the major Muslim holiday of Idul Fitri (end of the fasting month of Ramadan). Sean will only be flying for emergencies and we don't really have anything planned - it's such a crazy, busy time (equivalent to Christmas for Christians) that we'll most likely just lay low at home. Not a bad prospect, actually!
• I love this post about house help overseas. The truth is, I could not be here without house help. I certainly wouldn't be hosting an English Club for 70 kids or doing very well at homeschooling my kids or even getting dinner on the table, let alone being a parent, supportive wife, or friend. The only time I've really struggled as a missionary was the 6 months that I had to do all the back-breaking housework by myself. Any other difficult things that came my way were amplified by the fact that I simply could not keep up with all the work in my home. It's hard to describe the workload of life outside the modern world but to give you an idea of how much work there is to do I'll say this: even with a helper coming every morning for 4+ hours, I still do a lot of housework after she leaves, my girls still have long lists of chores to do daily to help keep our house clean, and Sean helps out with dishes or clean-up every evening. And no, our house is not spotless - very far from it. I think MAF wife, Suzanne, does a great job of explaining the need for a good helper. My helper, Mama Eki, is my best friend in Indonesia and a true gift from God.
• MAF has a new logo! Go here to see more information and watch a great timeline video of MAF's history (and past logos).

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