It's that time of year

It has been a crazy, busy last few weeks. The end of the school year always seems to be filled with lots of activities. Added to this, we were a family of 11 for just over 2 weeks. The son of the doctor we replaced, really wanted to spend the final semester with his graduating class at Faith. He actually finished high school early so in January he could come and spend time with kids he has known since 3rd grade. This is a common thing for Faith kids who have to move on before graduation. Lots of them return to end their high school days here or visit during graduation time. Steven has been living with us and the Nelsen's off and on since January. His Mom, adopted Filipino twin brothers, his sister, her husband, and 10 month old baby all joined us for the last 2 weeks. It has been a great time. Will and the twins, Josh and Caleb, enjoyed picking up their friendship from Greenwood days. They are so much alike and the 3 of them would disappear for hours playing legos and anything Star Wars. It was fun to experience life in the Philippines through Billie and her family's memories and experiences.

The missions life is constantly changing, but one thing stays the same....the never ending parade of Goodbyes. The end of the school year at Faith Academy is a great period of change. Families leave the PI head back to their homelands. Some for just a month or two during the summer, others for a year or more furlough, and some for good. Both years our kids have been at Faith, they have made good friends who have left at the end of the year and will not return.

One of the hardest goodbyes was to our neighbors from the fall, the Brewers. They headed back to Kansas on Monday, May 26th to work at a Christian school in Wichita. We enjoyed spending our last Sunday together, eating out at the one Taco Bell in Manila, shopping, visiting, and taking care of a few of their last minute errands. The kids are really going to miss Mark and Megan and Allan and I will miss Matt and Mary. We will all miss Michael too! Emily and I will definately miss our tennis partners.

Some goodbyes were definately hard on the missions community as a whole. Just before the final week of school, we said a final earthly goodbye to Dennis Gunderson. Dennis and his family run a birthing home and orphange close to our house. He and his family are special to us and our ministry because his orphanage is where the Holmes adopted Josh and Caleb. Dennis became ill suddenly and passed away at a local hospital.