Sitting in the Girls Dorm

So the longer story about the flood isn't coming. I'm so sorry. It was a crazy experience that we are still digesting and discussing and recovering from. That fear was something I would never wish upon anyone. The screams of the Filipino families across the river were horrific. The terror of not knowing where Tim, Anna, and Carla were was heart-stopping. But we continually thank the Lord for His hand of protection that was on us that night and in the days following. My mom brought up pictures of Nasuli when she was here last. Just three weeks after the traumatic event, most of the brown had been replaced by green. Although the mud laid just below, the grass seemed more full and even more green.

Now, eight weeks after that night, I am sitting in the girls dorm listening to the sounds of studying. Study hour lasts for another 40 minutes and I think it might be the death of some. It is a good reminder of my previous life here. I sat at these tables, in these chairs, under these lights and enjoyed life. I wish I could tell my younger self that those problems that felt so monstrous at the time weren't so dramatic. I wish I could tell my younger self to have more fun and get into a bit more trouble. And one more, I wish I could tell my younger self to pick up something besides Christian romance novels. Agh.

We've dormsat three times now in the past two weeks. It is fun to hang out with the kids and hear their perspectives on things. Twice in the last week we've been at the girls dorm giving their dormparents just the evening off. It's a really tough job. You know - free dinner, good conversation, and an hour and half of quiet to get a few things done. My other dormsitting experience was two weekends ago at my brother's dorm. An entire weekend - Friday to Sunday - of 17 high school boys plus the dormparents' 4 kids. I love being able to help out in this way!

I promise to be a bit more proactive with my blogging. No more 1 1/2 months off.