Wow! I have not been on here for a long time! I apologize to my faithful readers.  A lot has happened since my last note.

I went to IL to my youngest daughters for a week in June. We always have such a good time, doing nothing mostly, just enjoying each others company and going shopping for summer clothes for me.  And of course, my son-in-law reminding me, almost everyday, that when I leave HN I have a home there. Bless his heart and hers. But we will see what the Lord has to say about all of that when the time comes.  And  we were able to have lunch with a couple of sisters-in-law that I hadn't seen for some years.  It was a really enjoyable time together.  And as always, I was able to visit with my brother which is always fun. 

Well, let's see what has happened since the last time that I wrote. One Wednesday night before I went home in June, I locked myself out of the house! The minute the closed behind me, I knew that I didn't have my keys. So I couldn't get in my house or go out my gate! I tried everything possible to open the doors. Nothing worked. It had been raining off and on, so I thanked God for the hammock that hung on the porch. I could wrap up in it.  Not too warm, but better than nothing.  I didn't think that Will would come because of the rain. He doesn't have a key to my house, but he can get through the sky light after taking it apart!! So I'm laying there thinking there has to be a way to get into my house.  Finally, I thought of the key that Will uses for the rooms and bathroom that he uses when he is working here. So I jumped up to go get it and prayed that it would fit my door. It didn't, but it did fit the  bedroom door that used to be inside my house.  So I slept, if you can call it that, in one of them.  I had no more laid down when the rain came and rained most all night.  I praised the Lord for his goodness and safe keeping of me.  So when I got up the next morning very early, I was thinking about the teacher that rides the van with me.  She walks on the road next to the house.  So I hailed her as she went by and told her what had happened and to please pass it on to the director and to please call Becky who in turn would call Mario who would call Will, etc.  And then one of my students mother came by, so she told her daughter who came to the house about the same time that the van came.  Inside they were laughing but Eva had Becky on the phone.  So before long, Mario, Becky, Will, and my student were here.  So all turned out well.  I had put a key outside before but had taken it in the house, so Mario told me to put one outside, again.  And Will hadn't come the night before because his little one had had an asthma attack.  But God is so faithful to take care of us.  When my pastor found out why I hadn't attended church, he told me that their house was my house, and that I could have come there.  When I told him that I couldn't open the gate, he understood.  And in the back of my mind for the last two days had been the feeling that I needed to ask for that day off to get ready to go to the states.  Well I didn't pay attention to that "small voice" but ended up taking the day off anyway.  What an experience.  I'm so thankful that I know that the Lord is with me at all times by his Holy Spirit, and that I am never alone, and He knows the beginning to the end of whatever comes along.  He is not surprised by anything.  And of course, nothing happens to me without his approval.  but I don't want a repeat of the experience.  The teachers asked me if I had been afraid.  I told them no because I wasn't alone.  The Lord was with me.  They would have been afraid.  Of what?  No one could get on the property unless they cut the fence and crawled through somehow.  And I don't think they would have attempted that with Brownie barking and growling at them. 

What else?  I was asked to preach at the church on Wednesday night a couple of weeks ago.  One of the ladies that goes there speaks English translated for me.  She is the  English teacher  at her school where she teaches.  My pastor told me that he liked the message and that I could preach on Sunday.  I said oh, no, but I have a feeling that it is coming. Thank you Little Ethan for your prayers.  I was asked to give my testimony for the women's group in August.  I know that the Lord will sift through my 70 years and give me what I need to share.  

Every other Friday, we have the children's devotional at school.  There are three groups and each has its own devotional with a teacher presenting the Word.  So on the opposite Fridays, I have one class, if there isn't something else taking place, and usually there is.  So I'm going bonkers with nothing to do.  So beginning next week, I'm going to start taking Spanish classes at the language school around the corner from where I live on Fridays.  Yes, I can get by and have for seven years, but I want more than just getting by, and especially if the Lord is going to have me speaking His word.  I don't always want to have to have an interpreter.  And I want more.  There are people that I understand fairly well, and then there are those where I don't understand anything that they say.  And just like with English, they use idioms and expressions that I don't know.  And the slang??  Well, that's another issue.  One of my friends told me that it's considered rude when when you don't acknowledge someone that is passing by you on the street either with an adios or hola.  So she said that one day she said to herself that she needed to give a person the tongue of her shoe because they didn't greet her!  Get it?

So classes at school are going well.  I gave a little paper person to each of  my 9th graders.  They had to decide whether it was male or female and then give it an English name.  I was surprised that most of my girls said their's were male.  They were to take their "person" wherever they go, introduce him/her to their parents, etc.  Some were excited, and some just wanted to crawl under their desks! But we will see what happens.  They have a week's vacation, so hopefully they will practice their English this week.  I told them they could use the "crazy Gringa" as an excuse to help them through any embarrassment!! Their assignment is to speak English to him/her everyday and to write the conversations.  This will be used for their final for the next 9 week grading period.  We shall see what happens.

We have had this week off because it's the Week of the Student.  So for the last 3 days, my stomach has been giving me fits, but by faith in the stripes that Jesus bore for me, I know I'm healed. So until later.

God bless you all.