Family Versus School...

Prayer Request:

Dennis wants to go to Chile for 2 weeks at the end of September/the beginning of October. It's something I've been blogging about a little bit because I'm excited about leaving the country and really excited about seeing his family again. This would mean missing 2 weeks of school.

I talked to one of my professors, and he wasn't mean but he was against the idea, understandably. The question is, should I go to Chile or stay and not miss school?

I feel like I really should go- it would mean a lot to Dennis if I was with him while he sorts out things with the girls and visiting his family. It would mean a lot to both of us to see his brother, who has been sick with cancer. I feel like, in the long term, it would be more damaging to my relationships with my husband and with his family if I chose to stay because of school. But school is very important to me and I can also rationalize how missing school would be an error. My brother-in-law is very sick but he isn't dying. I really want to visit with my step daughters but I would feel just awful to miss class, mainly because I really don't want to disappoint the professors that have influence on my grades and even eventually whether or not I pass the exams to get my degree. It is just two weeks and I am really struggling with how to either tell my family that I cannot make it, or tell my professors that I cannot be the student that I wish I was. I haven't missed this much school in years. It feels like Family vs. School. I can rationalize both ways and I am going to pray about it for a few days. He hasn't bought the tickets yet but this is the best time for Dennis to go even though it isn't for me. We are going to try to see if we can move the travel time to be around holidays but it looks like this will be Dennis's best window for traveling, for his job. One of the things that sticks in my head is that I haven't seen my Chilean family in 4 years. It is a lot easier to travel to family in the states and there is a possibility that it will be another 4 years before I get another chance, which is meaningful if my brother in law continues to be ill.


So, I would really appreciate any advice (I keep waffling on what to decide) and prayers for me and for Dennis, to make the wisest decisions. Ever the humanitarian, I am so afraid and so I do pray that I make a wise decision with courage.