Dear Friends and Family,
Two weeks ago (I write this on June 15), our kids celebrated the last day of the school year. Dressed in their best for the final ceremony, they recited poems, sang songs and thanked their teachers for the days of learning that are now behind them. We were proud of the graduating ninth grade class who actually finished up their final exams during the first few weeks of June. One of the ninth graders, a girl who has been a consistent volunteer in our after-school program and who also has no one to support her, will be moving into a transitional living home for adolescent girls. We are happy for her as we walk alongside her in this transition and are grateful for her desire to continue helping out at the after-school program even after she has left the boarding school.
Some happenings in the month of June:
• The servant team of three girls from North America who were with us for three months left at the beginning of June. Please say a prayer for them as they transition into life back home and discern what step is next in life. We will miss them.
• We hosted a team of ten students from George Fox University (Newberg, Oregon) for five days during the second week of June. They were able to have a taste of Moldova through visits to a museum, a village, the summer camp where our kids are staying and the city center as well as through discussions about the history of Moldova and issues of poverty. The team was also an enormous help to us in cleaning and repairing our facilities. Thanks, George Fox! After this, the team will be spending two weeks with our sister community in Galati, Romania.
• In collaboration with another organization, we were able to provide a special summer camp experience for ten children from our after-school program during the first week of June as a positive consequence for their consistent attendance and good behavior throughout the school year.
• We will be spending the third week of June in meetings evaluating all aspects of our after-school program and our overall organizational capacity. We’ll also be going over several personality and team role assessments to better understand who we are and how we work together.
• We will be visiting the children at the camp where they spend the summer several times a week. Many of the children in our after-school program spend the entire summer at this camp, while those who have parents or relatives to go to might spend part of the summer at home.
• On June 1, Rachel and I covenanted with our community to continue living and serving here in Moldova for at least two more years. Please say a prayer for us as we seek to deepen our relationships and commitment here.
With love,
John & Rachel