Goodbye and off to the Future

The last day of school...the final goodbyes...the roller coaster of emotions.
Today I witnessed this in Kindergarten and Grade 12.
Do you remember these times?
The scene holds the same feel. Moms and dads with tears in theirs eyes either from how far their child has come, how much heartache the child has brought, or uncertainty of the child's future. Teachers stand proud some with tears, many exhausted and ready to disappear before they start again, amazement at how far they have come, and all praising God for His help through out the year. The kids themselves are excited, nervous to be on stage and about what lies ahead, and possibly thinking about the after party ;)

But here in Ukarumpa, a few more elements are added to this picture. Unlike America where most children move to a new school or go off to college and see their school friends over breaks, our goodbye is more final. It doesn't have to be...in fact we encourage students to keep in touch with each other (which is easier now with Digicel phones, skype, Internet, text, etc) however, DISTANCE separates us. Each class is sprinkled with individuals from countries all around the world and when these kids graduate they return to these, as we call them "passport", countries which makes the goodbye even more difficult. Papua New Guinea, Ukarumpa, has become their home. The kids in their class...have become their family. And though the future may be wrapped in excitement it also brings uncertainty and more change.

As I hugged my Kindergarten students goodbye today I wondered what would become of them. Many of them have big changes coming up. Just this week three of them leave the country or province while many have to say goodbye to friends leaving for a few months to a year. Will they come back or go finish? Will they adjust well to the change they are about to have? Will they continue to do well in school? Do they understand what is happening?

This is the life of a missionary kid. Don't get me wrong, it is a great life, but it can be trying. I loved being a missionary kid! I loved mud sliding, running around barefoot, riding horses and motorcycles, swimming in the winter, and building forts in the jungle. We are exposed to a special kind of community. We are given opportunities to learn new languages, cultures, our worldview is widened, and are flexible.There are many wonderful things about being a missionary and a missionary kid but goodbyes...are not a party.

Tonight I sat and listened to one of the teachers stand up to give the Benediction. He stood their and looked at the graduates and said, "What can I say that I haven't said already?" It was obvious that this teacher loved his students. He reminded me again of why I am here. I am PASSIONATE about sharing God's love with these children, I am PASSIONATE about caring for, leading, and instructing them in the way of the Lord. In this community you are an important part of the lives of these children. When we send them on, wither from Kindergarten or 12th Grade we can only pray that we did our best to reflect Christ.

At the end they sang "I will Follow" by Chris Tomlin. Amen!