OH MY GOSH, IT WAS DISGUSTING!!

I seriously regret not getting a better picture of this animal. The image you see is actually only half of it. The story goes something like this:

My two friends had come over for dinner while the upper school teachers (including Dan) had their "back to school night" meeting. We quickly made grilled cheese and tomatoes, because the power had been going out all night, and we weren't sure when it would go out again. Midway through the meal, I see something out of the corner of my eye, and as I turn to see what it was, I could do nothing more than shriek. There it was, a centipede quickly maneuvering it's way out of the kitchen doorway and under my friend Heather's chair. I began pointing, and then seriously let out the most earth shaking scream. We all jumped up, my two friends not really knowing what was going on yet, and I ran into the kitchen. I grabbed the frying pan that was still hot from cooking our sandwiches, and I ran at the thing, smacking it once. I really wanted it to be all over after just one hit, but as I lifted up the pan, I saw that it was nearly split in half but still moving!!! AHHHH, I screamed again. Actually, by this point, we were all screaming like crazy. I smacked it one more time, and then Heather smacked it while I got something to cover it until Dan got home. Jay came over to see what was going on. I'm sure he thought it was something horrible. He cleaned it up for us and reassured us that it was harmless, but I didn't believe him. How can something THAT ugly be harmless???

Please pray that I will sleep tonight. I have been having a lot of nightmares about all of the creatures that live inside, outside and in between our house, and tonight's experience will only worsen this problem. I can't really blame the dreams on the malaria meds because I'm actually not on them right now. The clinic ran out of larium, but our Doctor is actually going back to the States tomorrow and will bring some back with him later this month. I am seriously considering not going back on it, so please pray that I would have wisdom with that decision.

On a different note (not really good or bad), "back to school" night went alright for me. I feel as though I was able to explain clearly all of the things that I wanted to get across, and of course it was good to see/talk with my parents without all the kids being crazy. However, there were some parents that were difficult, and I actually had another difficult situation with a parent today after school. It felt as though they were trying to catch me off guard or something. I truly feel as though I am being as truthful and loving as I can be, but I also need to stick to my guns as far as rules go. It is hard to be firm, and yet caring, and I must say, I am really worn out by it all. Please pray that I will be gracious and understanding towards parents. Also, pray that parents will be gracious and encouraging to me. Actually, pray for all the teachers. I can speak for most of them when I say that we feel a little run down and unsupported in certain areas, so please pray for unity for everyone on campus. We really need to be encouraging each other more, not making things harder for each other. There are some things that need to be communicated over the next few weeks, so again be praying for grace and understanding.

Also (as if there isn't already enough to be praying for...), I had an absolutely horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day. It was one of those days when something would happen just about every 15 minutes, and I would quickly need to solve a problem or change my schedule. Like I mentioned earlier, my day ended with a very unhappy parent who was upset about my decision to discipline their child today. It was hard for me to stand up to the parent, but it is also important for me to be true to what I think should/should not happen in my classroom. Over all, I am tired, but afraid to sleep. I burst into tears 3 times today, but had a moment to sing a hymn to myself in order to remind myself of why I am here. I am realizing more and more that it is so crucial to stay focussed on the task that the Lord has given me, while also remembering that He has brought me here and He will carry me through this time. I think I need to visit the Crisis Nursery tomorrow and hug me some babies.

Sleep well!