Breakdown

Ok so... this week I almost had a breakdown. School has started back and I am feverishly working on my research, while working, and continuing to help in the Tuscaloosa recovery efforts.. among the every day life things... I am so proud to say that Tuscaloosa is beginning to rebuild. 'We will return' signs are being posted, I saw a home actually get a new roof and so much debris is being cleaned up. My mother asked me yesterday... "How does it look?" I simply told her.. a disaster, but it is getting better. If you saw Tuscaloosa for the first time, it would knock you off your feet... but for those of us who have been here since April 27th, progress is being made! Praise the Lord!

Hunter has been gone for a month now. It has been a month (WOW, a whole month) since we have actually spoken or seen each other. Time has passed quickly overall... but some days really drag. I have been blessed however, in the fact that he writes me every day. Now, due to mail carriers etc. I don't always get them each day... the funniest thing is when I get a whole bunch in a day. This week I hadn't received any mail. I was disheartened, but blamed it on the holiday weekend. It was the longest time that I have went without receiving correspondence from him. Yeah, yeah, gag me. I haven't heard from the boy in a week. I know, I am super gagarific right now. But yesterday, much to my delight, I received 5 letters. I was overjoyed! I couldn't contain my laughter as I pulled each one from my mailbox. Who would have thought, letters... Don't get me wrong. I LOVE getting mail. So when Hunter told me that the only way we would be able to communicate was through letters I was somewhat excited. However, it has taken some getting used to in our fast paced, 'I want it now,' society. It takes the letters an average of three days to make it from Ft. LW to Tuscaloosa and vice versa. So as I write him and he writes me, it takes a little while for a conversation to actually get going, and to finish. It is so good to hear from him, and the letters are truly a blessing. What a treasure to have when I am older. No matter what happens in our relationship... Handwritten letters, what a legacy to share with children, grandchildren and family who will be completely immersed in the digital age!

The first set of letters I received, no return address... so I couldn't respond for about two weeks when we finally received his address. When he came down after the Tornado, he brought and extra set of dog tags for me to have. Isn't that sweet? I still can't believe he drove through the night, from Arkansas to Alabama.. just to make sure I was ok. But enough on that... haha. I can't complain about missing him. I knew what I was getting into from the beginning. And I have to say, that I am completely blessed by this situation. I am learning  to lean on God and trust Him more through this.. and that is invaluable.

As for school, thankfully I have a BEST FRIEND who majored in English in college. Praise the LORD for Mary-Anne!!! Me, being a math major, equals not good at writing papers. This summer I am doing my research.. hoping to be a published mathematician in the end of it all. And it has been crazy. One of the articles I was asked to read was 85 pages. When I get home from a long day of work, I definitely don't want to sit and read articles. But, I worked through it, and got my first paper submitted, (after Mary-Anne's careful combing through my grammatical mistakes) and my professor reviewed it.

Here is what he had to say:

You have done a great job on the paper. As you work through the comments and edits that I have done, I would like you to focus on making this a complete article written to help mathematics faculty understand these courses. Particularly those faculty who have not had much experience dealing with teachers, but are now told they will be teaching a math course for elementary teachers.
........
I think that this by itself could easily be published in a less research intensive journal and would make a great start to your masters project.
 
PRAISE THE LORD!!! My hard work, tears... frustrations and confusions.. I actually did something RIGHT! I can't wait to continue working on this paper, and to start actually meeting with my professor to work on it. Right now we are doing email correspondence since he is out of town. Wow, what an opportunity... and to now know, I am headed in the right direction! God provides, protects and blesses. Even when we think nothing is going right... He is working behind the scenes in our favor.

 

Praise the Lord!