Friend raising

When I last left you, I was right about to leave for a conference in Baltimore. I returned safely Friday afternoon. The conference was called "Strengthening our Schools" and was hosted by the National Catholic Educators Association. The conference's purpose is to help schools raise money through development. At first I felt out of my league; I was the youngest person there by at least 15 years, and the job title answers went like this: "president, head of school, development director, principal, advancement director, board member, technology teacher." Guess which one I was! I was fortunately to be able to contribute to the discussions as the tech guy, which made me feel more confident and a needed/wanted part of the group. It was nice to walk away with a free mug and some useful ideas!

Raising money isn't something that naturally appeals to me by title. It's not something I've ever tried before, but it is area that intrigues me. I love getting to know people, meeting new people, learning about people's hobbies/interests/passions, and spending time with them. Actually, while I was there, I was reminded of a clear picture/vision I had of myself standing up in front of a group of people telling them about an experience I had in another culture. That thought first came to me several years ago, and I've been reminded of it from time to time. Perhaps I will be raising money someday, and if so, God may have used this conference to prepare me for that.

While I was in Baltimore, my sister Maria had some spills! She's been sick for a few weeks with mono-like symptoms. After some negative test results, the doctor decided it was a weird virus that had paralyzed her energy system. She missed several days from student teaching as a result. Her first day back to school, however, she fell down the stairs and severely sprained her ankle! She's on crutches now, but she'll hopefully be off them soon. Between visits to the doctor, hospital, student teaching communications and conflicts, and overall disappointment for not being 100%, she had a rough week. Please keep her in your prayers!