Winter Break 2024

As I waited in the airport with our homebound students, I smiled and surreptitiously snapped a photo of our Puerto Rico Mission Trip group hanging out together – comfortable, uninhibited, trusting, connected.  There’s something about working towards a common goal that unites.  

We swatted mosquitoes in the humid tropical heat while clearing land for a local church member who grows yuccas to provide food for his congregation.  We sweated in the hot sun while painting our Puerto Rican partners’ church building. We ventured out of our comfort zone on a “prayer walk” excursion, stopping to pray for those in a local neighborhood who wanted prayer.  We sang at a group home, played with kids during VBS, ate new and unique foods, and toured the historical sites.  The students did this with an incredibly positive attitude of service and just rolled with whatever came their way. I was proud of them, and know that stretching them through these experiences has helped them grow and broaden their horizons. 

Perhaps one of the most notable highlights was when three of our students decided to follow Christ in baptism.  As their parents video-called in to join the ceremony, local Pastor David Figueroa and I baptized the students in the ocean as they made their public profession of faith in front of their peers.  I pray this will just be one step in a lifetime of committed service to Christ! 

From the 8th grade Arizona mission trip, to the You Fed Me food packing event, to local service opportunities and ongoing community service, to our students who chose to use their winter break for a mission opportunity in Puerto Rico, our students are challenged to look outside themselves.  This is a reminder of the many ways our students are challenged to live out our mission of academic excellence, spiritual growth, and a lifelong love and desire for learning!

Blessings, 

Jim