Zoya started crawling the day she turned 8 months. It's just taken me awhile to get it on here :). Just today she started cruising (walking around holding onto things). She walked down the length of the couch. I think she quickly got bored of crawling and moved on :). She also started signing last week. She can say she's "all done" and wants more. She is WAY ahead of Carmen, who started signing at 10 months and crawling at 9. I wonder if she is always going to "one-up" him :).
Everyone else is doing well. Curt and I started up work at campus this week. We had planned one outing (hiking Humphreys Peak here in Flagstaff; elevation 12,637 ft.) on Saturday, which fell through. We also had one climbing outing today in which 11 students came. The most fun part was that I put Carmen in a hiking backpack and went along for the morning. SO FUN getting to meet the 4 girls that came!!! Carmen was perfect. He was basically quiet and stayed out of the way but also the clown and entertained everyone at the perfect moments. He was really trying to climb too. It was so cute and we know he's going to love climbing when he's a little older!
The girls are great. Turism is really enjoying school. It's a lot more work this year (she's in 6th grade) but there is only one other girl in the older classroom with her so they have to be friends :). It's nice that there are no cliques. Tihitina LOVES school and is doing quite well. She wishes she could go 7 days/week. Bitsuanit would love to go to school but also really likes that she can focus and get her work done here at home. Being around others can make it hard for her to concentrate so she likes that she can sit down and do stuff in a quiet room. She gets off all the same days her sisters do so it's been going well.
Our school year has gotten off to a great start! I might have as many as 10 women in my study this year and I am so excited! I have been trying to meet with them all separately and it has been a joy getting to know them! Curt has also met quite a few new guys who might be joining his group that he is super-excited about, plus the guys from last year. There is a new climbing wall on campus that he is going to get to volunteer at, which is going to be a great way to meet people! Lots of open doors and real possibilities. Please pray for us. Pray for energy and endurance for this semester and for lots of open hearts among our students! Also, pray for wisdom as we balance family and ministry. Thank you!!!