Another Post on Language Learning

I am just over 8 months pregnant and am feeling better, health wise, now than I think I have felt the entire pregnancy.  Weird, huh?  This pregnancy has been, by far, the most difficult pregnancy yet and I often seem to be trying to figure out why.   This last couple weeks I have had time.  Time to read, sleep, sit, or do absolutely nothing.  I have been very thankful.  There has been so little of the above mentioned pastimes in the past eight months.  I am beginning to wonder if the fullness of the past year had something to do with my inability to keep up.  Well, this last week, I had an enormous encouragement.  A few weeks back I took a language evaluation, in order to find out what level I have achieved in language learning.  Last week I found out that it was decided I have achieved a Level 3, Advanced Low in language proficiency.  This means many, many things for us but the biggest one is that I no longer will be in full-time language learning.  I no longer will be meeting every day with my tutor, and studying every other chance I get.   Our family has worked so, so hard this past year to get me to this point.  The boys have been in local school each morning, (Jacob started when he was only 2 1/2) so that I could meet with a tutor, my mind was mush by the time everyone was home for lunch, and by 7:30pm each evening I was dead tired and ready for bed but still needed to get in study time to be ready for tutor the next morning. Jared has also been taking on a lot of the shopping and getting kids to school in order to give me the time to study.  I am far from finished learning language, and will continue to study and meet with a tutor, but it will look completely different than what this past year has involved.  Boys will continue to go to local school, and Emma will start up in the future, although I will wait until she is 3!  I will also have more opportunities to be available for Jared,  our kids, and others I have developed relationships with.  I am very thankful to Father for the struggles of this past year.  I have learned to rely more fully on His strength and ability, knowing that my own would, and did, fail miserably every day.  I am also thankful to be closing the chapter of this phase in our time here and getting ready to open a new chapter.  Just in time for the arrival of a new family member!   I hope too this can be an encouragement to those of you that are in the midst of juggling language study, taking care of a family, and living cross-culturally.  It is not easy, it is hard work!  And, Father is Faithful!!