School's Out!

When I was a senior in high school back in 1990, I remember anxiously waiting for the final school bell to toll releasing my class from high school forever.  With great joy, my classmates and I joined Alice Cooper in singing his rendition of "School's Out".  It was a glorious moment.  Of course, the song ended and with it the excitement of school being out.  I watched this roller coaster of emotions in my students again this year.  Being an international school changes the way everyone views the end of school.  It is a time of celebration, but tears flow freely because each students knows this very well could be the last time they will see some of their classmates and teachers.
This year marks the end of our three-year commitment to Mountainview International Christian School.  Our time in Indonesia has flown by.  I have not loved every minute of it, but I have greatly enjoyed most of it.  I will miss the students and their rich diversity, I will miss the staff, both expat and national and I will miss the people of Indonesia.
At the close of school this year I found myself trying to do what I have been encouraging students, especially seniors to do; allow yourself to be both happy and sad.  Happy and excited about what the future holds and sad to leave the things you know behind.  With one week to go, I find myself filled more with sadness than excitement.  For three years I have poured myself into students that they may know God.  With tears, I embraced them Thursday (Graduation Day) and told them good bye.  It has been very good to be in Indonesia.
We started this blog as a way of communicating with friends and family what God is doing on this side of the planet.  Indeed we have seen God at work in Indonesia.  He has been changing peoples' lives through missionaries serving in the area.  He has been transforming students from what they want to be to wanting what God wants them to be.  And He has been at work in our own lives teaching us that the Gospel is indeed for everyone.
As for our future, we anticipate boarding a plane to return to the US Sunday, June 3.  We will stop in Beijing, China to do some sight-seeing before heading to back to Oklahoma.  We are looking forward to seeing friends and family.  Blessings to you in the name of Christ. ~Jeff