Let the Nations Be Glad!

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Most days at HOPAC, ethnicity is forgotten, even though our kids come from 30 different countries. Our students have names like Tsiry and Hyungmuk and Dasha, they bring chopsticks and sushi to school for lunch, and speak many different languages at home, but in their blue uniforms and the universality of childhood, their differences fade into the background. HOPAC certainly has cliques and rivalries just like any other school, but they are not based on race.

But one day a year, those differences are celebrated. International Day has always been one of the highlights of the year. Students dress in their national costumes, parents set up booths full of artifacts and food from their home countries, and dances and songs are performed. This day never fails to bring me to tears, as I always get the distinct impression that we are witnessing a foretaste of heaven from the Creator and Lover of culture.

Many of the nationalities at HOPAC come from business people working in Tanzania, but more encouraging is that many are MK’s–from Sweden, Spain, Korea, Germany, UK, Australia, Finland…the list goes on. What an amazing experience to witness the worldwide Body of Christ.

11th Grade Girls and Their Science Teacher