I figured out I had some the other day when Kelsey, our live-in homeschool teacher, was testing Carmen on the seasons.
Kesley: "Carmen, how many seasons does America have?"
Carmen: "3. Hot, Rainy and cool."
Kelsey: "No, actually, America has 4 seasons."
Carmen: "Really? Huh. Hot, rainy, cool and...."
Since it's been awhile since I have written (many moons, in fact), let's catch you up with the Hanover family!
Curt: work is busy and going well. He always feels like it is 2 steps forward and 1.5 steps back. Curt's main prayer request is perseverance and patience. He spends most of his time engaging other ex-pats in numerous countries to help them get the J film into the language of the people group they are working with. The details and steps are numerous and often there are missing puzzle pieces. Need-less-to-say, nothing is straight forward, hence the prayer for perseverance and patience. The Lord is doing amazing things (if you don't get our prayer letter, email me at janna.hanover@gmail.com and we will send you an email copy) but He still gives Curt a lot of legwork :).
Turism (16 next month) is entering a new phase of life: COLLEGE! She has decided to basically do a dual-credit program, in which she will start working on her bachelors degree next month. She is rolling 11th and 12th grade up with her 4 years of college. Lord willing, she will finish her bachelors degree in about 3 years. She seems to be leaning toward international law with a focus on human trafficking. Time will tell and there is lots of it in the next 3 years but, as a typical, driven first-born, she is thrilled with the efficiency of doing high school and college together.
Bitsuanit (15 in August) is definitely in the "sweet spot" of life. She has done her homeschool program long enough that she has mastered it. She knows how to do her work well and quickly and so has most of her late afternoons, nights and weekends free. She is very happy with where her life is right now and spends her free time working on art while listening to the Adventures in Odyssey series from Focus on the Family. She also has started her own business: she teaches English to a neighbor for $3/hour. Word has leaked out about how cheap her rates are (usually rates run from $7-$10/hour) and we are having other people ask for her services. Not bad for a 15 year old :)! She will be starting HIGH SCHOOL next month!!
Tihitina (11) is slowly growing into her own. She, too, has seem to mastered our curriculum and so can finish her work quickly as well...as long as she is motivated too :). A lot of her free time goes to helping at local orphanages, studying Thai and hanging out with the only other foreign family in the area but she does enjoy reading as well, when she gets the chance. She is currently loving The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho (if you look it up online, you will see what I mean about me having third culture kids :)). She will be starting 8th grade next month.
Carmen (6 in August) will be starting 2nd grade next month. Carmen really enjoys school. Our curriculum pushes writing, which he doesn't love, but he loves reading, history, science and math. It's really fun to watch him learn. He works very well with Kelsey and is generally very easy to teach. His biggest joy is reading. Carmen LOVES reading and is currently devouring all of Kate DiCamillo's books (he just finished most of Roald Dahl's books). His other favorite thing is K'Nex (kind of the next step up from Legos). He still attends Thai preschool Tuesday-Fridays and is the best Thai reader and writer in his class, according to his teacher. He told me he wants to be a translator when he grows up.
Zoya (4.5) just began Kindergarten last week! She is slowly learning to read and write but, in general, loves school because she get to be with Kelsey. She is a social butterfly and the most loving creature you would ever meet. She also enjoys Thai preschool but, I think, still a little confused why they don't speak English :). Zoya tells me she wants to be a pirate when she grows up. Hey, we say shoot for the stars.
Elden (3 next month!!) is learning right along with Zoya. He knows his letters and sounds. He loves looking at books so I guess we will have another reader on our hands. He also attends Thai preschool and really enjoys playing with the kids. He is at the perfect age where kids don't realize he's different (they are the only foreigners who have every attended that school) so he has true friends in his class.
And me? I juggle all the balls above. Besides attending Thai preschool every morning with the kids (I stay), working out, continuing to learn language and doing every day life stuff, I have started teaching one of our house helpers, who is a believer, to read...in Thai. That is a HUGE challenge as I have to read each story ahead of time (we are learning from the Thai Jesus Storybook Bible) and make sure I not only know pronunciation but TONES as well. Ha! But it is worth it when I get moments like explaining why the Jews had to put blood on their doors during the original Passover. To watch that "aha!" moment on someone's face is priceless. AND I have to read each story with our other, Buddhist, house helper ahead of time. Slow, but sure, discipleship!
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