3 months, 150 hours of language studies, over 60 hours driving, 5000km and…

I am finished with Language studies in Tilza! It is so very bitter-sweet. I have come to truly enjoy the people and town of Tilza. The people have and always will have a very special place in my heart. I have found great community there and great friendship as well. It will be hard to not be there in community with all of my dear friends as I was in the past three months.
Looking back on the past three months I cannot figure out how I actually did it!!! Thinking now as I sit here on a Wednesday night more rested and relaxed than I have been in a LONG time, then realizing that Wednesdays for the past moths have been a VERY LONG day!
Tuesday night packing, preparing to get up at 4am in the morning, drag my sorry butt out of bed to my car to drive for 3 to 4 hours depending on weather, to a desk to study language for 4 hours, makes for a stinkin’ long hard day! Praise Jesus that he is always so ever-present in my absolute weakness!
Thank you to all of you for your prayers and encouragement through this very difficult time and for your understanding with my lack of communication as well.

Now it is back to Riga! No, the language is not over! The way it is going I think I will be fluent by the age of 80! But I will not give up, no matter how hard it is and how slow I might be. I plan on working with a language helper at least 3 days a week and hopefully get into a tutoring class in the beginning of January.
My goal is to be able to have flowing conversation with Latvians by the time I return to Arizona in November 2008 for furlough. Keep praying! I will need it ;)