"Mrs. Kelley, you scared of the storm?"

The city holds her breath. Everywhere you go people are whispering, or talking, or joking about Gustav. Tomorrow is the third anniversary of Katrina and the city will bury the 80 something bodies that were never identified after the storm. I cannot count the number of students who wanted to know where I would run to hide from the storm. At age 9 and 10, my students vividly remember the last devastating hurricane. They expect Gustav to wipe their lives away. I try to explain that we just don't know what will happen yet...but I can see the worry in their eyes.

We have no idea what will happen. As my mom and Kyle both pointed out, this storm is going somewhere, and it will cause trouble and pain for someone. Because we are connected to the seminary, we are required to leave in the event of a mandatory evacuation. Also, we have had plans in place for weeks now to visit Birmingham for the Labor Day weekend. Our plane leaves Friday night, so rest assured, we will be safe, whatever happens. Kyle and a neighbor will be bringing some of our belongings from the storage unit to keep in the hotel while we are gone. The risk of flooding is much lower in our second story room.

Meanwhile, we hold our breath along with the rest of the Gulf Coast, and we wait. I am spending my evening grading papers and planning lessons. Kyle has to work tonight (did I mention that he has a job?!), so he'll sit in the technology office and do homework. Business as usual.

We are safe. I worry more for my students. Pray for them. For their safety, for their worries.

More updates to come!! Sorry we've been so lazy about updates...school and work have a way of taking over life! We'll try to keep you updated as the hurricane drama plays out.

First days of School

Yikes! It has been a long time since we last updated! I (Becca) started teaching on Monday, August 11. I will be teaching Science and Math to 4th and 5th graders. The first two days went smoothly. Tomorrow I will begin the "real" teaching. Students will change classes for the first time, and I will truly begin teaching, instead of simply teaching rules and procedures.

I am encouraged after two days of teaching. The students are wonderful--full of personality. They are very social creatures, which suits me very well. My only struggle right now is with myself. I am the type of person who likes to plan well in advance. If it were up to me, I would have planned the entire school year a month ago. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Instead, I found out on Friday (the 8th) that I would teach 5th grade, and then changed it on Monday (the 11th) to a departmentalized 4th/5th math/science. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about my teaching assignment. But it is totally against my personality to "fly by the seat of my pants." I get home at the end of the day--exhausted--and then proceed to spend a few hours trying to plan the next day. I am hoping to get ahead soon, so that I can relax and live life a little!

Kyle is the perfect husband...he is completely patient with me. He takes care of me when I'm too tired to cook, and he has been very understanding of the difficult situation work has put me in. As I said before, hopefully I can get ahead soon, so that I can live life...maybe I can take care of him sometime too!

The Lord continues to provide. He has given us plenty of food each day, a wonderful shelter, and an amazing support system. We have found a church that we love, and will probably join soon. He sent my parents at just the time we would need them most. (They came this past weekend and spent almost their entire 24 hour vacation in my classroom, cleaning and unpacking and repacking.) He is faithful in all things.