So thankful for modern technology: Skyped (3-way skyping, so cool) with daughter, Jessica Powell and son, Nathan at 8a this morning, so she could tell me about her first day teaching her kindergarten students (she teaches at GEMS Dubai American Academy, so is 9 hours ahead of us) and so we could both send Nathan best wishes on his first day at Northwest Missouri State University (first class at 11am is accounting).
Interesting class she has: 22 students representing Sweden, UAE, US, Canada, France, Jordan, Germany, and somewhere else i can’t remember. All speak English and some speak 3 or more languages! Kids these days…… Totally different than Tegucigalpa where the first several weeks were spent teaching English.
These past two months have been such a blessing with our whole family together at home. Â Daughter Jessica, returned in June from her two years in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, having taught kindergarten at The American School. Â She made so many friends, both at the school and the US Embassy. Â She had purchased a car and explored the countryside as much as possible on long weekends. Â On longer breaks, she took in Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. Â She was able to come home for visits occasionally. Â She will miss her classroom assistant, Ms Cuty, very much – she just loved that wonderful lady. Â As she gave me a hug (the boys and i visited Thanksgiving 2013), she says to me, ‘in the classroom, Miss Jessica is my boss, outside, she is my daughter.’ Â I will never be able to adequately thank this wonderful lady!.
Now, she has just landed in Dubai, UAE via Delta Airlines for her next two year stint at teaching. Â This time, she will be teaching kindergarten at Dubai American Academy, a world class private school.
Taking her to Kansas City International Airport yesterday was a difficult task for me.  Emotionally, i’m just a basket case.  Of course, i’m thrilled she has the courage, tenacity, and hard work ethic to graduate number one in her Central Methodist University class of 2013 with honors at age 21, then to apply for and obtain a foreign teaching job, then do it again, travel all over while she’s in those areas, but at the same time, I want her safe at home.  But she’s probably not in any more in danger on her travels than she is on our north Missouri farm.
Successful college career. Number one in her class, with honors and a 4.0 GPA Summa Cum Laude
It was certainly nice not to have to leave home at 2am to make the flight like it was for Tegucigalpa! Â But it is now 23 hours from our house to her apartment in Dubai.
So, maybe i burst into tears occasionally because of the change? Â my children are grown and leaving (left) the nest? Â making lives of their own? Â Geesh, those should make me happy! Â What’s wrong here? Â I am happy – just not ready.
Since it is Friday, we probably won’t hear from her until Sunday or Monday, when she is settled into her apartment and utilities are turned on.  What a difference in weather and culture!  It’s currently 93 feels like 107F in Dubai – not bad, we’ve been having that in  north Missouri, EXCEPT, it’s 1 am in Dubai.
Tannachton Farm 