The pace of life
hasn’t slowed at all since we landed in MVD (three weeks ago): hosting friends,
returning to school, running errands for end-of-the-year programs and
rehearsals, attending birthday parties and Christmas Programs, and – for an added challenge – having two members of our family fighting summer colds!
As I try to catch
up with my own life, I feel like we went from running in MVD in mid-October, to
running in the USA for seven weeks, to running even faster once we landed back
here!
E and DJ were looking forward to returning to their respective schools. (And I was thankful
to see them so content!)
We have so much to
be thankful for!
DJ’s
End-of-the-Year Program & K-5 Graduation (12/17)
The boy who would not talk at school for the entirety of K-4 and halfway through
K-5 had a major speaking role in his graduation program. In spite of the fact
that he was running a low-grade fever that morning, he insisted on attending
and doing his part!
Christmas Programs
(12/18)
In the morning, we
attended the Christmas Program at Templo Calvario (almost next-door). And in
the afternoon, Daniel and Viviana once again put together a simple Christmas Program, alternating Christmas songs with corresponding Scripture passages and inspiring
stories, involving the congregation.
Baseball Party
(12/19)
...and again in
Greenville at “Toys R Us” – with Geoffrey the Giraffe!
But he so much enjoyed
learning a bit about baseball – and watching his Daddy’s favorite team win the World Series! – while in the USA that he kept
asking for a baseball-themed party. So we threw one together on what may have
been the only “free” evening on the calendar.
E’s
End-of-the-Year Program (12/20)
We got a huge
surprise on Tuesday, December 13, when E announced to us that she’d been chosen
as an “Honor Guard” for the National Flag! This academic honor has no exact
equivalent in the USA but would be similar to being “salutatorian” – except on the upper elementary level.
We’re pretty proud of her!
She’d actually been
aiming for this achievement since early March (when the school year begins here) and
had worked hard academically all year, but we’d figured that her “absences”
(due to our trip) would make it impossible. In the end, however, her academic performance
(in equivalent areas) at BJA – combined with her standardized test scores (the Iowa Assessments required to enroll at BJA) – more than made up for any “absences” from school
here.
She did very well in that one month of
study in what was a totally new environment for her, and it reflected well on the
academic preparation she has received from the school here, especially in this
past year with Nibia, the fifth-grade teacher.
Our Shepherd has
proven Himself exceedingly kind in the challenges of these past two academic years – and we praise Him for proving Himself faithful, over and over again, in giving
us joy in lessons learned along the way. HE is good to remind us that we desperately
need His grace. And we are thankful beyond words that He stands ready
to freely give us all things – including the ability to rejoice in trials – of all sorts.
He who did not
spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with
Him freely give us all things?
