Hittin' the Books

The kids finish their school year next week.  I've got six weeks left in my term!  Yes, that's right, I've gone back to school.  Through much prayer and discussion Dara and I decided that it was time.  I am seeking a degree in Organizational Leadership from Regent University, a Christian university in Virginia Beach.  I didn't get a degree out of high school, though I did take some community college courses that have transferred over.  I am technically a Sophomore.  Regent offers several degrees that are entirely available through online learning.  It has been a bit of a challenge to adjust to non-classroom learning but I'm getting used to it now. 

My first session I took Public Speaking, which was a significant challenge as it required uploading recorded videos of the speeches I delivered.  Seems straightforward enough - except that our incredibly narrow satellite internet bandwidth doesn't support large uploads or any streaming media.  Thankfully our Information Services department took pity on me and made a few timely exceptions.  Last session (Regent has a semester system that they then break into two, eight week session each) I took Academic Research and Writing and Making of the Christian Mind (a Christian worldview course).  I got 4.0 in all three courses.  I am currently taking Shakespeare, which is proving my most difficult class so far, and Introduction to Christian History and Thought.  These classes, as you can see, are general education requirements and are not Organizational Leadership specific.  I am taking a hiatus from classes for the second summer session but will take my first Organizational Leadership course in the Fall along with French. 

The kids start their Summer Program soon.  It is sort of like day camp.  They do art projects, games, go on field trips, etc.  They start school again in August.

We pay school fees for the kids and tuition, of course, for my university courses.  I have received the Pell Grant which covers a fair bit of the cost but not all of it.  And there are still books to buy, which we have to ship via international mail at a very high cost because the required course book list is not published early enough for us to have them shipped via container.  If you are interested in helping to cover school costs for the kids or me, you can do so via this web page: http://mercyships-us.donorpages.com/crewmates/koontzp/.  There is a note section where you can write in what the donation is for. 

We would also appreciate your prayers, both for our current courses (Grace has finals next week) and the next school year.