whop-whop!

Since I talked to you yesterday, a lot has happened...going from, "I miss my sister" to, "I wonder how I could try to get to Philly to see her somehow this semester?", to "I wonder when she has to go back to work from maternity leave?" to "Evie's passport just came!" to "Huh...I wonder how much tickets are?" to....

My sister and Evelyn are coming on FRIDAY!

I don't think I've ever worked out anything so spontaneous in my life, but she heads back to work the end of September, and it was now or never.  Yay for now!

Meanwhile, ALL our Visiting Professors arrived safely WITH their bags and are looking forward to a great two weeks together!  Over the years we have come to know and love this bunch so well (and even have a new VP, too!)....so thankful to be with them again!

 Carol and I are ALL caught up on past and current booking issues, have closed for August, and now have a whole week together to work on reporting for our board, the government, etc.  SO THANKFUL.

The girls uniforms are done, and Matt ran by the school Friday to make sure they are absolutely starting Monday (the joys of a verbal communication culture :)

The Lord really answered my prayers through this visit...

I've been needing confirmation that this is the right thing for our girls (sending your little ones off is SO hard to do, isn't it!).  When Matt came back from the school, he was glowing.  "That is just such a special place," he exuded when he came in.  "All the staff was there, the spirit was just so positive and Spirit-filled, and just hanging out with everyone for a few moments made me SO THANKFUL that our girls get to go to that school."

Additionally, after working through their extreme personality issues last year, Lily's teacher and her have SO enjoyed each other that I've been praying and praying that whoever Lily's NEW teacher was would be a godly woman and a great match for Lily, just as Guiluse ended up being.  Lily'd been so sad to learn that she would have a new teacher...and while Matt was there, Guiluse ran up to him and told him that she is teaching first grade this year instead of kindergarten, and that Lily would be in her class!

THEN, upon asking about Sofie, we learned that Sofie will have the same two gentle, patient and kind kind teachers that Lily had in preschool, Nata and Roselore, and I almost cried.

Heading into this new school year already knowing and loving the three women who will be teaching our children, and having our children already know and love them is HUGE...an answer to prayer...the peace that I needed.

Gotta keep stepping out on Him.  Gotta.  

He knows, He cares, and He DOES something about it, too.  

Every time.