As promised...Emma's First Day of School...& writing numbers on pink forms

This first picture doesn't really have anything to do with the first day of school...just thought it was amusing.  This is Emma's semi-usual first attempt at being picked up.  Which is immediately followed by me saying, "try again. name, request, please."  which is sometimes followed by her saying "Mama, can you pick me up, please?" (and sometimes it's followed with more fussing).

Not this mama's favorite thing to look at (well, I like looking at her fine...just  not a fan of the fussing)

On to actual "first day of school" stuff:  

emma's hair do of choice today...she got to pick her clothes, too. 

In her classroom getting ready for me to leave...she's holding a heart she drew on for her teacher.  She cried a bit when I left - but she's always done that...even at Christ Community back home.  She's just trying to make me feel loved and special.  riiiight.  She stopped crying about 10 seconds after I left...I waited & listened in the hall!



A sneak peak through the window of her classroom about an hour and a half in (I didn't want her to see me so I just raised the camera and pointed...).  It's not the best of pictures - but it captures her entire class:  all 3 kids (emma, malachi & adelyn) and both teachers (Mrs. Herma & Mrs. Elizabeth)

Emma's artwork!  

Things I know Emma did today at "school": artwork, played with water out on deck 7, sang "head and shoulders, knees & toes", drank juice.  All the essentials of nursery/playschool :)  I think "school" agrees with Emma - she's been happier this afternoon than I've seen her in a while! 

 

And what did I do with my first morning with all 3 kids in school?  I got to combine a few of my favorite things: being helpful, filling out forms, prayer & worship!  I found someone who had something that needed to be done...the little pink rectangle post-it in the first picture below is my instructions - basically, I wrote numbers & a country code on pink pieces of paper.  I've made it from 17,971 to 19,100 (I think the beginning number for Guinea was 17,500).  My goal is 19,500.   

This is the kind of mindless work I love - the kind that allows me to get a job done and have my mind somewhere else.  Though in this case, my mind was kind of still on the pink forms. These are the forms that will be used in the patient screenings coming up in a few weeks. These are the forms where information will be written regarding life-changing operations and procedures. These are the forms that will be used to determine who gets surgery and when.

What a privilege to be able to pray for those who will be doing the screening and for the Africans who will come through the screenings with high hopes. What sadness to think of those who might come with problems that this ship isn't able to solve. What delight knowing that our God sees and knows each one - He knows the number of hairs on each of their heads. He knows who He has surgery in store for...and He knows how the others will be healed.

And to be able to do this while listening to a God-ordained playlist on my ipod, with a cup of coffee, a roll of green mentos and (after the coffee) a cup of ice - all-in-all it was a terrific way to spend a couple of hours on a Wednesday morning. 

Surely there will be more to come.