I haven't updated our blog in months! Not much to tell...not much to do here in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. We live on a compound that is literally a master planned resort. Unfortunately there is little contact or integration in to the local culture. We are just like one big American neighborhood set in the middle of Saudi Arabia....except our neighborhood is guarded with machine guns and the Saudi National Guard...they are disguised for the most part.It's kind of sad how little contact we have with other cultures. Madeline has more contact with different nationalities as there are lots of different countries represented at her school.
Madeline goes to the International School here in Jubail. Americans seem to be the minority there. The majority of the Americans that attend school there are the CPChem kids. Half of the school (and our compound) is French. Total, a French company, is building a plant here so there is a large group of French people. Maddie has friends from Asia, South Africa, New Zealand, Venezuela, Canada, etc. We really like the school here...and she has some awesome teachers! The teachers really seem to want to be here (unlike the Bahrain School) and many of them are from Canada. Unfortunately this is the last year Madeline can attend...they do have a tenth grade, but it only has a few kids and it gets harder and harder to get a kid into boarding school the older they are...for whatever reason. She is in choir and theater and loves them both...she also has Rock Band as an after school activity two days a week. She wants to play soccer too....she was too sick during volleyball season so she had to miss that.
Janie is still home schooling. Those of you that know Janie know my challenge with this...lol. She is finishing up three classes in the next week or so. We have had some internet challenges, but she shall overcome! She taught two cheerleading clinics in October that were very successful. The first clinic we had 15 girls and it was so successful that the teacher/sponsor asked if she would do another one. The second clinic she had 30 little girls. It was so much fun! She starts teaching a cheerleading class after school the first week of December. Some of the little girls that joined have never even heard of cheerleading. They are so excited and full of energy! I am excited that Janie will have something do to outside of this compound even if it is only once or twice a week.
John is working all the time. He is in Italy on business right now. They are having some difficulty getting the (Italian made) equipment started....the plant can't start until his compressors do soooooooo....Hopefully the plant will be up and running by the end of the year so that he won't have to work 14-16 hour days anymore. He loves his job so that is good.
We are planning on going to Istanbul, Turkey for Christmas vacation. Alison is coming to visit for a couple of weeks, but we have to take a vacation somewhere because it isn't very fun to be here on this compound for more than a week. I miss Alison desperately and I cannot wait to see her!!!
We are planning on coming home July 1st. I am counting the days. Madeline is trying to decide where she wants to go to school next year. She is leaning towards a boarding school in Dobbs Ferry, New York. It makes me sick that I won't be with her every day, but it is what it is. We are praying about it and I know that God will reveal his plan for her and us.
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