Firsts

I’ve had a lot of roles during the 8 years we have served at HOPAC (though not all at the same time, of course!)

• 5th grade teacher

• 6th grade teacher

• 6th grade homeroom teacher

• 6th grade Bible teacher

• Coordinator of after-school activities

• Recruitment

• Graduation Committee

• Strategic Planning Committee

• Member of Parent-Teacher Association

• Substitute Teacher

• Student Council Advisor

• Teacher Care Coordinator

• Accreditation Committee

• Weekly Elementary Chapel Speaker

• Secretary to the Chaplain (that would be Gil)

• Youth Group leader

Yet there is one role I have never had until this day…..

PARENT!

She woke up this morning, shot out of bed, and said, “I can’t believe it!  It’s finally here!”

So yes, you could say she was excited. 

This really was her first day of school.  She did a couple of months of pre-school last fall, but it turned out to be a kind of traumatic experience for her.  And since none of the teachers were speaking to her in Swahili (which was the whole reason I enrolled her), we ended that situation pretty quickly.  So I’ve done pre-school here with her at home, which means this is her first really real time away from me. 

Sniff. 

But I’m so thankful she gets to go to the best school in the entire world.  There’s no other place I would rather her be.   

We love working at HOPAC.  But to know that my daughter is getting Christ-centered education with dedicated volunteer teachers who are willing to come to Africa to invest in my child is quite an amazing thought.  To know that Grace will play every day with kids from a multitude of ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds is just wonderful. 

With Miss Redfield, her fabulous teacher

(Josiah, looking forlorn)

But what I love even better about becoming a HOPAC parent is that it takes my relationships with other parents to a whole new level.  We’ve always wanted our ministry at HOPAC to be holistic to the whole family, and this gives us that chance. 

And to top off our very exciting day, Grace lost her very first tooth on her first day of school.  How do ya like that???  She was devastated to find out that she would be missing her second and third day of school, but she is also pretty excited about her little sister coming home.  A lot of excitement for one day in the life of a five-year-old. 

And this is only Monday!