Field Trip!

I am so proud of Linda!! We had a wonderful time on the field trip today and I was reminded just how wonderful and special she really is.

Our day started by getting up at 5:30 a.m. to be at the school at 6:15. We were at school on time, but the buses weren't. In fact, we didn't leave the school until almost 8:30!! All of the kids handled the delay really well, which I was very impressed with. It took about 3 hours to get to DC, and everyone had fun on the bus and was pretty well behaved. Linda and I were pretty tired so we actually both slept a bit on the ride down.

When we arrived in DC we drove past the Capitol building and then headed to the White House. From there we visited the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. All of the kids were fascinated that Martin Luther King Jr. has once stood at the Lincoln Memorial. We ate lunch at the Lincoln Memorial and then headed back to the buses to go to the Air and Space Museum. We spent about 2 hours there, and that was when I was most impressed with Linda.

It was pretty hot outside, and we had to walk A LOT, but she didn't complain at all (and I'm pretty sure she was the only one...seriously). Then, while we were in the museum she was actually very interested in everything! All of the other girls in our group (I had 5 girls total with me, all from Linda's class) were trying to get through as fast as possible so they could buy ice cream. Linda, however, wanted to stop at every exhibit and learn as much as she could. She was like a kid in a candy store, but she was in a museum! I was SO IMPRESSED!!! I had a blast walking around and learning with her. I was so impressed, in fact, that I am trying to figure out a way to make another trip to DC with her so we can see more things and she will actually have the time to see the things that she wants to see without having to listen to the complaining of her classmates.

After we finished at the museum we all headed to a buffet for dinner, and from there headed home. In all, we didn't get to see a whole lot, but its a hard trip to do in a day, especially when you have an entire 6th grade to take care of. Linda and I had a blast though, and that's all that really matters to me.

I was actually a bit heartbroken as we were driving home and I started thinking about how excited Linda was to learn. I really wish I could home school her, or get her into a Christian school that would take her away from a lot of the negative influences around her. Linda is VERY affected by her environment and I really wonder how different things would be for her if she didn't have to go to a Philadelphia public school. As much fun as she and I had today, I can't count the number of times I heard attitude given to authority or vulgar language coming out of a kid's mouth. It really broke my heart to think about how difficult it mush be for her to grow into the woman she was created to be when most of the time she is surrounded by that. Its not any better at home for her either. That is making the idea of leaving Philly, or even stepping back from ministry even harder and harder to grasp.

On that subject, I finally have my resume finished and have applied for a few jobs. All of this is feeling VERY overwhelming to me, but I'm still pursuing it, until God tells me otherwise. More than anything I am continuing to seek His wisdom and direction. Honestly, I still feel pretty lost, but I don't feel like He has abandoned me, so even if I am walking in the wrong direction, I know He will gently place me on the path that He has for me. Please keep praying though, its just so much!!