Looking back

As I write this entry there is just one day to go in 2010. It has been a year of change, of being broken, and of growth. It has also been a year of much pleasure, especially as I watched my students grow and mature. Here's a list of just a few of the events of this year.

January

• Greg & Srey Dawson's wedding
• Starting school again at the new Logos campus
• 46th Birthday

February

• Annual Logos Carnival & 1st ever Book Fair
• News that I was not being offered a contract at Logos for the 2010-11 school year
• Weekend escape to Bangkok
• Northbridge Invitation Field Day for Grades 3 to 5

March

• Continuing lack of electricity at school as the weather warms up
• Highs and lows in the job search
• Report cards
• Brokenness before our Heavenly Father
• Loving care of friends & reassurances of God's loving hands holding me up

April

• SATs
• Easter
• Khmer New Year (holidays - hooray)
• A growing knowledge of the special needs of my friend's baby (born in December)
• The importance and joy of honest and loving friends
• A contract for 2010

May

• Electricity at last!
• I'm teaching 3rd grade next year!
• Time with friends
• More report cards
• Last day of school
• Packing up!
• Farewells (at school and church)

June

• Holidays down under
• Lots of appointments
• Orff Schulwerk workshop

July

• Refresh 2010 in Chiang Mai
• Flight of the Gibbon
• Holidaying in Chiang Mai - fun with Relle, Robyn & Terry
• Coming Home to Phnom Penh
• Information received at last - working through issues & learning

August

• Relaxing, sorting, planning, learning
• A new start at a new school
• Flooded roads
• First day with my new class

September

• Precious memories
• Swimming lessons
• Getting sick
• Lots of fun in the classroom
• Starting the classroom library
• Getting to know my students

October

• Lots of learning
• Skipping rope
• More floods - even nastier than last time
• Writing stories
• Getting letters and writing them
• Visiting the police station

November

• Sharing writing
• Cold weather
• "I like Maths now!"
• Clowns
• Water Festival - the stampede
• Mourning and thanksgiving
• More germs
• Leaking fuel

December

• Busy days
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Classroom observations
• Time to reflect and think about "control"
• Traffic
• Bush Dancing
• Cookery
• Christmas in Cambodia

As I look back over the year, I have to admit that it hasn't been the easiest of years, but God never said life would be easy. I will definitely admit that I have learned a lot this year. I've learned a lot about myself, and done a lot of thinking about how I live my life. If you had told me on the 1st of January 2010 that I would still be in Cambodia on the 31st December 2010, I wouldn't have been surprised, but if you'd also told me that I wouldn't be at Logos any more, and that I'd be teaching 3rd grade at a secular school, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Isn't God's timing wonderful. Through out this year, I would have to say the most valuable thing for me has been the assurance of God's loving care and His plan for my life. Thanks God.