senior events and little chicks

Last Friday night the high school students and the staff of PCS met together at the lovely home of one of the PCS families for the seniors' banquet. This year's class was large (for PCS) with eleven graduating, representing five different countries. The banquet was formal, and it was amazing to see how well the high schoolers "clean up." I enjoyed the chance to wear an outfit from Kenya that is too formal for most occasions.

After the second failure of the attempt to hatch eggs in my classroom, I told the kids I'd try to buy a couple of chicks for them to see. It took quite some looking to find any still at the cute, fluffy stage of life, but finally my roommate Janelle found a veterinarian that sells chicks. After a few attempts to arrive at his business when a) he was in and b) when he had chicks, she was finally able to buy them on Tuesday. My students are absolutely wildly ecstatic with the little peepers. For my part, I've discovered just how loud, messy, and demanding they can be! However, they are only in my care for one more week, and then one of the students will take them home, since school ends Friday.

Last night the eleven seniors graduated. The ceremony lasted two hours, what with most of the speeches having to be translated into Spanish. After the ceremony we stayed for the reception where the proud graduates and their parents and friends took millions of pictures, laughed, and cried. My own high school graduation doesn't seem that long ago, but that's how time flies. Please pray for these eleven as most of them soon leave their families, friends, and country for college.

While the graduation was cause for celebration and joy for the PCS family, the people of Dios es Amor had reason to mourn last week. A fifteen year old who had been part of the youth group on and off had a baby two weeks ago. She and the baby were both doing well until on Tuesday night the teen began having convulsions. Early Wednesday morning, she died. Her funeral was held Wednesday night at her home, and many of the church members attended. Her mother is not a believer, and of course the whole family is grieving. Pray for their peace and that Bety's death will bring the rest of her family to God.

Tentatively, I can declare I am returning here next school year. There has been so much confusion and difficulty with finding the classes I need to take to renew my credential over the summer, and for the last five months it has looked like I could not return. Things would fall into place and then just as soon fall out of place again. However, with two weeks before I return to the U.S., it finally seems all the pieces are in place. Thanks to those of you who prayed. Keep it up!