RAIN!!!!!!!

I awoke at 5 am to the sound of rain! Shortly after came the thunder and lightening. We had quite a thunderstorm in the early morning hours. It was a lovely sound because I knew it also meant the temperature would be lower today. It has been so hot for the past several days that the relief was very welcomed. It rained hard for a couple of hours, let up long enough for me to walk to school, and then the next wave came and it rained until early afternoon.

Very few children came to school today. Many have a long walk and would have been soaked by the time they got to school. Others were home because their parents believe being in the rain will make them sick. I wasn't worried about getting sick but was a little apprehensive about walking across a metal bridge over a river while it was lightening. Fortunately, I didn't have to solve that dilemma.

It's been an emotionally challenging week, and I would like to ask you to include us in your prayers. "Dora", the sweet young girl about whom I have written before, had another awful experience with her step-father over the weekend. I'll spare you the details, but just know it included choking, bruises, arrest, children taken from the home and now children returned to the home. Pray for "Dora's" safety.

My special friend Valdimir is having a harder than expected time in St. Louis. He went for more surgeries on his foot. He has a terrible infection in one foot that has invaded the bones in his ankle. The doctors are doing everything possible to save his foot. This is so sad because he has come so far since his first surgery and is so happy to be able to stand and walk. Please pray for Valdimir and his doctors.

Linda, our incredible school secretary and bookkeeper, is having significant health issues this week that involved a very scary spike in blood pressure yesterday. We hope new medicine and rest will be the ticket to having her back with us soon. I hope things don't fall apart at Holy Cross with me trying to manage the office. Thank goodness everyone who called on the phone today spoke English! Pray for Linda's speedy recovery.

Tomorrow is the payday halfday. But, May 1 is Labor Day in Belize. Many businesses will be closed on Saturday, but the banks are closing tomorrow at noon for the holiday. Things are very complicated for our teachers who need access to their pay for weekend travel and bill paying. Not being able to get to their money until Monday is not a good situation for many.

Have a good weekend.