Jason: I'm sad. I'm also thankful.

I'm sad because it is raining -- or at least I assume it still is -- as it has been pretty much constantly for... well, literally countless days now. The obvious remark: imagine how Noah must have felt. And certainly, our school campus is nearing flood stage. The road out-front has already -- twice or three times now -- flooded to the point of needing a bridge to get across! I'm not exaggerating; they really made a bridge. At first it was just some hop-stones pulled up from the sidewalk tiles, that and a few bamboo pallets at another spot, but then someone actually installed a bridge -- if you want to call it that -- so more than one person at a time could get to the other side of the street. I haven't got a picture, but I'd be surprised if the Hardins don't have.
Anyway, that's not the only reason I feel sad.
I'm also discouraged because our "seeker" thing we had planned for this week only had three people in attendance -- only one of whom is in the "seeking" category.
But I know to be thankful.
Like, on the up-side, one of the people who came over hadn't been around in a while -- although she's been family for a few years now -- and we could tell that being involved was actually very good for her. And the other sister, too, was encouraged and probably learned some things -- or at least saw a new way of sharing what she already knew. And then there's that "one lost soul" whom I should be thankful to have met, rather than "counting her as loss" for the sake of so few coming.
But still, it was disheartening at the time. Because, by the way, they were about an hour late, so it was like we're sitting there going "is anyone going to show up for this?"
So I guess, while I'm thinking of it, I should ask that your "keep us in mind," if you will, with regard to meetings and that sort of thing. And with regard to our feelings overall, as this rainy season promises to drag on into this next month.
Something else I am thankful for: having the blog, having Skype, having facebook... having e-mail [which sounds strangely old-fashioned nowadays; I mean, e-mail... that's so '90s]... being able to receive packages from home; being able to gather information, resources, and news from the Internet.
Also, for Bonnie Ray. She and I were skyping just as I began to write this entry. What she said really cheered me up. Actually, she's made it rather difficult to write about how sad I am. [Gee, thanks, Bonnie.] She reminds us that whatever we do, whatever efforts we make, they are in the hands of a more skilled teacher whose words are never in vain.
In fact, you know what? I'm just going to go ahead and stop writing.
I'm going to read or even listen to some NPR, do our daily reading, get some rest...
I think I'm going to just be thankful and not worry about the outcome right now.
Goodnight.