WRAPPING UP OUR FIRST SCHOOL YEAR

These last few weeks have been emotional, tiring, rewarding and ... blessed.  We've been wrapping up our first school year at Cowman and prepping for a two-and-a-half month long trip back to the States.

Here is a small fraction of the pictures I've taken in the last 14 days or so: 



End-of-year testing.

Sarah giving her little friend Lilly a goodbye hug.  The Ayars were the first missionary family to leave the field for the summer - we'll be next.

The last days of school were filled with all sorts of special events.  Like the Parents Vs. Teachers soccer match.  The teachers had a pretty intimidating starting line-up, no?

Not surprisingly, the parents won the trophy.  They were quite proud. My sister-in-law, Kristine, would get a kick out of knowing that I had to leave the game early after taking a soccer ball to the face and losing a contact.

I've lost count of how many times we've had our "last time with the Heckmans".  This was our last time with the Heckmans at the beach.  Last night, they surprised us and our kids by taking our four for an overnighter at their house out at the seminary.  So our kids spent all day yesterday with Haylie and Ethan at a pool (pictures below) and then overnight at their house and then to church this morning together.  It's Sunday night as I write this and Hannah just stumbled out of her bedroom after a four hour nap saying, "Where is everybody?" "They went out to eat with the Heckmans." "Without ME???" "We asked you four times if you were going to get out of bed - we figured you were sick, and I'm running a fever so the two of us stayed home." Then she burst into tears at the thought that she missed her FINAL "last time to see the Heckmans" for the summer.  Poor thing.

This past Sunday I got to sneak in a new experience - my first time preaching on a Sunday morning to a Haitian congregation.  Pastor James Israel (who teaches next door to me at Cowman) invited me to come to his church, Grace en Zion, and he acted as my translator.  I preached on Joshua 1 and the Lord telling Joshua to be "courageous and strong".  I got a few laughs and a few Amens, so I must have done alright.

The last three academic days of the school year were all themed - Monday was Mis-Match Day.

Tuesday was Dress Like an Adult Day.

Samuel dressed as his hero.  ;-)

Wednesday: Crazy Hair and Hat Day.

Two of my students reading their last letters from their pen pals in Mrs. Prestel's class back in Indiana.

Thursday was the last day in school and the afternoon was "Fun in the Sun" time.  Johnny, Mikenn and Ruysdael had no school, so they volunteered to help fill water balloons.  Not sure they knew what they were in for!

Coach David carting balloons to various spots around the campus for all the different game stations.

Caleb and Jake helped too.

My station was Water Balloon Volleyball.

My Friday morning was spent in finalizing report cards and then the afternoon brought our closing program at the Radio 4VEH station next door. Can't believe Caleb will be in 8th grade, Hannah in 7th, Samuel in 6th and Sarah in 2nd next year!

Everyone was quite dressed up!

 

 

Each class performed a song or read poems.  Here, Melissa's kindergarten and first grade perform "Who Let the Letters Out?"

Pastor Steve MacInnis helped us close the program with a song that reminds us that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

After the Cowman program, there were tons of refreshments and then it was off to my final adult English class of the year. Philippe gave me a wooden sculpture of Haiti as a year-end gift. Remember that Haitians don't generally smile for photos.  The result is that it looks like I forced him - and the students below - at gun point to pose with me for a picture.  But the pictures were THEIR ideas!

On Saturday (yesterday), we finally got to relax a bit.  This time it was a Cowman staff pool party.  Here's Hannah with an exceptional young lady named Susie who worked with us at Cowman over the last three months or so.  Hannah made her a bracelet and ring as a going-away gift.

Sarah and Kristina were inseparable all day.

The Heckman kids, Bundy kids, and Gross kids.

We have a full day tomorrow of last minute this and that and a few more goodbyes.  Tuesday we board a plane for Fort Pierce, Florida.  From there we rent a vehicle and head to Orlando for a few days of "decompression".  Melissa's mom is flying down from Indiana to spend those days with us and then will help drive us up to Columbus, Indiana on Friday, June 6th.  God willing!!

It is shaping up to be a busy, but fun, summer.  I will post a schedule soon.  We want to see EVERYBODY!  ;-)

Time to take the plunge!