Pole sana! That is kiswahili for “I am very sorry!” that it took so long to finish my tale of our incredible Avatar themed event… (if you’re not sure what I’m talking about, go find “The Big Event: Preparation” to hear of all that went into making this night a huge success!!!) The day was pulled off without a hitch. All morning parents and students … Continue reading The Big Event: Execution
Monday July 14th I emerged for graduation to watch the class of 2025 walk across the stage with pride, coming in a little late and leaving a little early to man my merchandise booth on behalf of the class of 2026. I didn’t even get time to stop for pictures with any of my favorite grads. Bummer. After a celebratory lunch I headed back to … Continue reading The Long End: The End
I woke up early once more on Saturday July 12th, repeating the previous Saturdays to-do list from class party, and then some: -Roll out the Grills-Get meat from the cafo-Set out condiments-Make sure ordering systems are a go-Do we have all the meat out and thawed?-Make sure all students are reporting for shifts-Are the merchandise sellers out and prepared?-Are the cash boxes counted?-Is the ice-cream … Continue reading The Long End: Day 9
The next morning, I struggled to get out of bed exhausted already from the previous two days shenanigans, but I was roused by an exciting thought: Sunday July 6th. TODAY IS THE DAY! Today is the day Rachael comes. My sweet friend who was my duplex neighbor for two years returned for a short trip to clean out her things, some to the community, the … Continue reading The Long End: Days 3-8
I slept fitfully, fully aware of the impending alarm that I feared I would not wake up to. We’d had a meeting early in the week and had laid out the parameters they were given to work within: -They were not allowed to delay the seniors past 5:10am so there wouldn’t be a chance they’d miss their train-They were not to use unauthorized school equipment-They … Continue reading The Long End: Day 2
Once more, one of my favorite times of the school year has come and gone. It used to be called interim, but now has more aptly been renamed “African Field Studies (AFS).” It’s a time where our 11th and 12th grade students head off on adventures all across the continent, many in Kenya but a few beyond, to learn about other cultures, ministry contexts, some … Continue reading Adventure Is Out There!!!
If you’ve chatted with me at all while I’ve been home or around, you know that one of my prayer requests has been for the class of 2026. I began sponsoring them over two years ago, that is, working with their student officers, planning monthly weekend activities called “class nights.” Class nights always mean providing snack for 65+ students, organizing a prayer time for our … Continue reading Twenty Six
Staffing here at RVA can sometimes be a challenge with the home assignment/furlough cycle of people needing coverage, and with the shot-term pattern missions seems to be shifting toward, RVA has seen a lot of staffing turn over in the past couple of years. This year, the staffing shortage seems to be exacerbated just a bit, leaving gaps in unexpected places, and stretching some staff … Continue reading A Recipe For Success
Faithful Footsteps 