ado annie

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. What generous friends I have in bloggerville who are willing to share these very experiences for the greater good.

The nice thing about believing that there is a plan for my life, is the fact that I also believe that can't mess things up. I can't. There is no decision that I make that will be outside of that plan. That doesn't mean I'm a little robot. Predestination and free will are not mutually exclusive.

Okay, let's say that I plan for my students to have an extra recess on Friday afternoon. There is, actually, some math that we could finish up instead, but I've planned for recess. I ask the class if they would rather finish up math or go outside. If they say they'd like to finish math, we will finish math. But, they say they'd like to go outside and we have recess as I planned. They didn't know this was the plan, but they chose it.

That's a very poor illustration of how I think free will and predestination work.

(Boy, am I getting preachy these days. Pretty pictures tomorrow.)

So, no matter what I say, it will all come out right. My decision is already planned.

But, since I've asked over and over not to have to say "no" to a child (even though a little part of me still thinks I might have to...) I am going to be Ado Annie, that infamous I'm just a girl who cain't say no girl. Except I can. I can say no. I just won't.

Just because I was surprised, doesn't mean I'm going to say no. I'm ready to meet these girls! And, the nice thing about me is that my little dilemmas generally sort themselves out quickly. I was surprised, but not doubting.

Remember the last possible? She was seven. And, I never quite warmed to her. But, I kept going. (Really, there are very, very few children that I don't eventually understand and love. And those few had...parental handicaps.) And, because of the first possible, I started corresponding with a family who had their own possible from the same pen-pal situation. The MOE voiced my same concern about my possible and didn't invite me to meet her. The family turned down their possible. And now I have a friend who is interested in pursuing the other family's declined referral. A family could be united...partly because I didn't say no. (Okay, I almost called this post "ripples" ala Joan of Arcadia--a show everyone should watch. )

So I'm waiting to hear if I get to meet these girls. If it's a go I have SHOPPING to do! Shame, huh? ;>

Yes, my brain is in practical mode.

• I need to find out if it's required for the girls to have their own beds or if they can share.
• I will need more clothes in bigger sizes. Smaller sizes can be donated to the local orphanages, given to my favorite caretaker at Lapouhinka for her granddaughter and sold on eBay.
• I need a bigger pair of sunglasses for big sis.
• I need more sticker books and introductory activities in an older age range.
• I need to know when their birthdays are so that I know how to increase the age range in both my homestudies. (One sw has been contacted and the other is on holiday until next week.)
• I will be teaching internationally longer, most likely, to provide for two girls. I should get my masters...but that will continue to be put off.
• I looked at the database and found a sibling possibility for these ages. If it's them, and they're so precious that I can't let myself think it IS them, then they have lovely names and I know what middle names I'll add.

So I guess I better get busy.

It's possible we'll hear about the possibles later today...