April & May: Saying Goodbye To More Than Just a School Year

April and May were the final two months of our school year, and we are currently writing this now while back in the U.S. for summer break. The school year is always tough towards the end, but what made it even more challenging this time was saying goodbye to this senior class. The past two months were filled with a lot of fun opportunities and joyful moments. In the end however we had to say goodbye to a group that both Audrey and I have grown close to. We look forward to seeing what God will do in their lives, and are comforted by the fact that they are in His hands.

Both of us grew close to this graduating class over the years, but in the past year especially as some of them became a bigger part of our lives and our growing family. Naturally many of the girls gravitated towards Adeline, and helped out on several occasions to babysit and support us when it came to her. On other occasions they would come over to cook or bake with Audrey. Mark even developed a friendly rivalry over playing an NHL video game with one of them.

These opportunities also opened up doors and conversations to where with this group we really felt like we were being used by God to mentor and encourage them. Things like the senior bonfire turned all-nighter sleepover at the school brought deeper conversations of how God had used Highlands and shaped the students over the years. Every year Mark runs a stock market simulation game with his seniors as part of his Economics class and at the end of the school year the class goes out for burgers and Mark pays for the winner's food. It's really cool to see how even things like that can turn into nights of reflection and opportunities to go deeper with the students.

There have been a lot of amazing moments with this group of graduates, and it is very encouraging to see God use broken people like us to impact their lives and point them to Christ. One major celebration we had in these last two months was Mark's opportunity to baptize one of his students. The invitation was an honor for Mark, but the real joy was seeing the work that God had done in this student's life and their desire to make the public profession of faith in front of family, friends, and community. God is indeed working all the time, even if we can't always see it.

However, whenever we do get to see glimpse of the work He is doing it is always a little extra special. For this girl who got baptized we feel like another set of parents, and our hearts were so warmed to see her profess her faith and dedication to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In addition to that celebration was another major celebration of graduation. This is one of the bigger events that Audrey is in charge of at the school and it was an especially tough task this year as everyone wanted to honor and remember a classmate that would have been graduating with them if not for his sudden passing two years ago. The ceremony served both as a celebration of the class's accomplishments and as a heartfelt tribute to a classmate whose absence was deeply felt. It was also one last opportunity for Mark to speak into their lives as a group. He was chosen by them to be the staff speaker. He gave them one last charge to be strong and courageous just as Joshua had been commanded in Joshua 1:9.

This class will be greatly missed because they were greatly cared for. It is comforting to know that many of them expressed a desire to keep in touch, and we pray that God continues to work in their lives. It has made us reflect on the work we do at Highlands and the importance of relationships and opportunities to model Christ. We seek to make the most of all the chances that He gives us to pour into the students and Highlands community. Those avenues over the past two months alone have been things like community service days where we serve alongside our students in less fortunate parts of La Paz and try to model servant leadership and Christ-like compassion. Other occasions have us learn traditional Bolivian dances and wear ridiculous "lampshade" hats that no one could ever possibly look good in and then perform those dances at a community day called Bolivia Day. Those moments can even be found in on the soccer field where students face off against teachers.

Some of you may have recently seen in the news about La Paz being under siege for the last month as a result of political friction and economic woes. This situation resulted in five online days in our final month of school, two of which were the final two days of school which was a sad way to end the school year. Protests and blockades created a gas shortage and empty shelves with no beef or chicken as other things saw a drastic price increase.

Please pray for Bolivia and the political and economic situation. We think of those who don't get to leave the country for summer break like we do, those like Adeline's nanny who has been so good to us and to our baby. Please pray that things like this point people to God and to an eternal hope. So as we turn the page on another school year (15 years for Mark,7 of which have been at Highlands, and 6 for Audrey) we celebrate God's goodness to our family. Even through challenging circumstances He remains good and faithful. Thank you for taking the time to keep up with us, and for all your prayers. God Bless.