Grace | Amy Medina

Those Kids: Term 1 at HOPAC

On December 22, 2014

Lily and friends during Pamoja Week (kind of like Spirit Week)

Grace joined the swim team….this is at her first Gala!

Kindergarteners are always excellent at walking in line

Grace in her Term 1 assembly

(This is one of my favorite parts of HOPAC….each class takes a turn each term to put on an assembly. By the time they get to fifth grade, none of the kids have stage fright and all are completely comfortable performing!)

Josiah’s first grade class

Little Miss Kindergarten

Josiah’s first grade assembly

Lily’s kindergarten assembly

Grace’s field trip to test out their hand-made boats

Josiah’s field trip to the tide pools

Welcome to Our School

By Amy Medina

On August 22, 2014

In Other

So this is how you know that your child’s uniform shirts were not manufactured in or for America:

Doesn’t even bother with “Tumble Dry Low.”

Lily’s kindergarten teacher is Tanzanian.

Josiah’s first grade teacher is American.

Grace’s third grade teacher is British.

And she is totally back in her element.

And I am in my happy place.

It was strange being “just a parent” on the first day of school, after 10 years of ministry there. My responsibilities included getting a good breakfast into my kids, making sure they didn’t forget their water bottles, and meeting new parents. My name is no longer on a box in the staff room, I had no photo-copies to make, and Gil was not speaking on the first-day assembly, like he did for 8 years. I came home to a quiet house and had a Swahili lesson and then went to a meeting with our new partners in ministry. It felt weird.

But I can’t tell you how grateful I am that we still get to be a part of Haven of Peace Academy, that my kids get to attend here and learn from all of these amazing people. The very existence of this school enhances our new ministry in every way.

And if you haven’t watched this video yet, please do! Not only does it give a great picture of HOPAC, it also features Mark (our new co-worker) and our new ministry training Tanzanian church leaders. (And it’s only four minutes long!)

Eight

By Amy Medina

On January 6, 2014

In Other

She’s halfway to 16.

But how is that possible, since it can’t have been eight years since this?

She’s my good-natured, easy-going, happy, friendly, sweetheart. She’s a peacemaker, a hard worker, and she leads by enthusiasm.

We celebrated with miniature golf and rock climbing with her friend Kylie. Later we celebrated with family and a chocolate-peanut-butter cake that she was thrilled to make herself.

She’s God’s Grace to me.

She’s a fragrance of Grace to everyone she meets.

Here’s to the next eight years.

The Wonderful Life of Grace Medina

By Amy Medina

On April 1, 2013

In Other

When you’re seven years old, growing up in Tanzania….

….not only do you get to spend a few weeks learning about the Masai tribe, but then they visit your class and teach you how to kill lions and jump really high.