School Days!!

Allee and Jadon started back to school last week (5th and 1st) and it has been a great start this year! Allee was a bit nervous about a week before school started and was just loving summer and didn't want it to end! I was sad about that because it just seemed out of character and she has always been so exuberant and joyful about school. I guess it is a lot harder now that she is getting older!

Anyways, about five days before it started, we took a walk to the mailbox and what was there but a letter from her teacher, Mrs. Elliot! Mrs. Elliot had planned to retire from teaching last year and Allee had been sad because she was really looking forward to having her. Well, Mrs. Elliot wrote that she felt that the Lord was calling her back for another year and that she was so excited about what He was going to this year. It was just a great moment, and somehow, the words that this sweet, godly woman wrote, just turned Allee's entire perspective and suddenly she was excited about school! We are just thanking the Lord for such wonderful teachers at this school who are there to serve and glorify Him by teaching, equipping, and inspiring the students. I just can't say how thankful we are for Mrs. Elliot and expect her to be one of those teachers that you just never forget! Then we went to orientation and found that there is a new little girl in Allee's class - that is exciting as well because not many new students transfer in by 5th grade. Allee told me that she imagined that the girl was both excited and nervous and that she could understand because she was in her shoes just a year ago. She said that she hoped to help her feel comfortable - I just love her kind heart!

Jadon is also off to a great start with school - we had known who his teacher was for a long time. She goes to our church and is another amazing woman whom we have heard is one of those you never forget as well! We are just so excited to be going into a year where our children have been placed with teachers who understand and support the journey our family is on and the challenges that may cause this year and who are ready to support our children through this process. We could not have handpicked more perfect teachers for them this year but of course we didn't have to!! Jadon is already loving first grade (can he really be that old?!?) and will learn so much this year. He looks SO big in his uniform!

We are just unbelievably grateful for The Master's School. I have posted about it before, but I have just never seen a school like it before. Some really neat things are happenning in the life of the school right now and we finally have a permanent location (that we will move to in a few weeks - for now we are in a church that is sharing their space with us). Despite the fact that it was not ready on time due to some unforseen setbacks, the Lord provided and pulled together many people within the community, including the city council and the mayor, and as a result, the Lord is being glorified as so many people are watching how He has provided and how the leadership has responded to some difficult issues with grace and faith. It has been awesome to watch!