Review, Top 10, Summer 2007
One week from today, Lord-willing, I'll be in Moscow unpacking for my second year of teaching 5th grade at Hinkson Christian Academy, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Before I give you a brief wrap-up of last year, I would like to bring a few important prayer requests to you. Please join me in bringing these to the throne of Almighty God!
-HCA is still in need of a 1st grade teacher, computer coordinator, and another elementary aide. School starts in two weeks, and we need these positions filled!
-A number of school staff are experiencing visa problems and will not be able to arrive in Moscow until after the school year starts. Please pray for these problems to be solved and for our current staff, who will be carrying an extra load until they arrive.
-Praise God for the great news that HCA has officially been declared accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International! This is the highest honor that Hinkson could receive, and it was the result of three years of tireless work on the part of all staff members. The decision was made in June and was based largely upon the recommendation of the visiting team that came to our school at the end of April. To God be the glory!
As for the final three weeks of the '06-'07 school year, they were a flurry of activity and an avalanche of God's goodness. Especially notable was our class field trip to a local planetarium; the spring elementary musical; the 5th grade guys sleepover at Mr. Hays' apartment (the boys absolutely LOVED this, and I was able to exhort them to grow into godly young men through some good conversation and Bible study - later they put shaving cream all over my face after I fell asleep!); the 5th grade promotion on May 31 during which I honored each student with awards, a recollection of memories, and what I see as the legacy they will leave on the world; and the final day of school on June 1 during which we joined hands in circular fashion around the classroom one more time to pray as a "family". I was so overcome with emotion and gratitude while I was praying, that I cried through the whole thing! It was in that moment that I realized that I had reached the culmination of my first year of teaching, a year marked by much struggle and many late nights, many mistakes and priceless teachable moments, loneliness and finding that loneliness absorbed by the love of my kids and many others. Needless to say, my entire class was teary-eyed, but it was so sweet as we bade each other farewell - some just for the summer, some for a year, and some for the last time this side of heaven.
Below is the "Top 10" list of lessons I learned this year (there is a common theme of words that start with the letter "L"):
#10 - Living in another culture can get really hairy at times! Before leaving last summer, the only word God gave me to describe how my experience would be was "tough." And it certainly was! Through many feelings of isolation, difficult living situations at times, and the extremely heavy load of my first year of teaching, God was faithful and showed me new levels of His strength!
#9 - It is possible to have a lice day!
#8 - Living in a big city gives you a greater likelihood of seeing your lookalike!
#7 - God's love sometimes comes in cute, little, fluffy forms, like my adorable kittens, Sasha and Ira!
#6 - I may dress and look like Superman, but I certainly shouldn't live like him! This year more than any other taught me to prioritize my life, to live in a more balanced way. The culmination was when I had to give up my Russian class because everything I had going was too much!
#5 - Worshiping the Lord in another language is awesome! I was able to use my larynx to sing in the praise team at Moscow First Church of the Nazarene every other Sunday (and all the songs were in Russian!) It was also a language connection that allowed me to meet my dear friend Dima, who began attending the church shortly after coming to our English language class.
#4 - Light a fire in children's hearts, and it can spread farther than imagined! In conjunction with our Africa unit in social studies, I decided to cast a vision for my 5th graders, a vision of the world that includes those who are in great suffering and are experiencing tremendous injustice, many of them children. Upon learning about some of the atrocities occurring in the continent of Africa, my 5th graders took the "Africa Children Project" by storm, and through their own effort in marketing, three major "fundraisers", and much prayer, the 5th grade class of room 201 at HCA raised an unprecedented $1,000! And this came in a community of missionaries where money just doesn't flow freely or grow on trees! Pictured above are my 5th graders diligently working during their own time (they gave up their recess on many days to make this project work)!
#3 - Love knows no language. Pictured above is Rima Ivanovna, the precious woman at Moscow First who has done nothing but lavish her love and hugs on me week after week. While we don't understand much of what we say to each other, the love that is shared is communicated in a crystal clear manner!
#2 - Listening = Obeying, and obeying leads to surprise blessings. When I signed my contract to teach at Hinkson one year ago, I knew I was obeying God's call on my life. What I did not know was the many scores of surprise blessings that He would send my way at just the right time! Pictured above is Eelbove, my street-sweeper friend whom I either wave to or talk with almost every day on my way to school. Also pictured is my girlfriend, Leigh Sullan. After God's gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, as my Savior and Lord, she is the greatest blessing to come into my life, and I thank God every day for her! He knew exactly when I would need the "companionship" of a very close friend, and He made the connection from across the Atlantic!
#1 - A legacy of love is the greatest gift we could ever give. On the last day of school, I shed many tears because I realized that my 5th graders' best and most meaningful learning had taken place as I lived my life before their eyes, loving them on their level. But more than that, I realized how deeply they had touched my life through their uninhibited love. What a year!
And now for a brief pictoral summary of this summer!
The tradition continues! This was year #2 of meeting to climb mountains with my dear friends Andrew and Matt. We became accountability partners at Olivet, and we never want the bond to be broken! Here we are on the peak of Mt. Bierstadt in Colorado.
One day after arriving back in Michigan, my brother Lance graduated from Flushing High School! I just loved working side by side with him this summer as we did yardwork and bonded as brothers and lifelong friends.
It was an honor to serve as the best man for my college roommate and dear friend, Jake Chastain, as he married Rachel Bernhardt on June 30. I'm so happy for him! Sabikabitz (secret roommate terminology)!
What would a summer be without the annual July 4 bike trip with Dad over into Shiawassee County? What a priceless tradition and memory to cherish with my hero!
My grandparents, Larry and Virginia Wright, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this summer! What a testament to the tireless commitment of two people whose paths were crossed by God and who truly love each other! What's the Good Book say? "Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13:8a)
The Hays family took an unforgettable vacation for a couple days up to Harrisville, MI, where we camped directly on Lake Huron. We greatly enjoyed the time together before we all scatter to the four winds (Lance to college, Elizabeth getting married next May, Luke going to Moscow). Going to sleep with the sound of the waves was pretty spectacular as well!
Although Leigh and I will soon be transitioning into a long-distance relationship once again, I am certain that by God's grace we will keep our ocean-spanning connection strong!
posted by Luke Hays @ 10:32 PM
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