One of our most vivid memories from our pre-departure missionary training in Colorado was being locked into a room with the thirty or so other missionary candidates with whom we had just spent an intense few weeks of living and learning together. Our mission? To say goodbye to everyone in the room before we could leave.
There were grateful tears as we shared how certain folks had touched our hearts. There were awkward moments saying goodbye to acquaintances we doubted we would ever see again. There was joy in being able to say “thank you” to those from whom we had learned so much. And there were plenty of hugs to go around. When we finally left, we felt a closure about having said “good” goodbyes and we felt freedom to move on to the next stage of our lives.
The end of the school year is a bittersweet time that brings up the question: how will we say goodbye? None of us enjoy saying goodbye to departing students and staff, but in a mobile community like the Alliance Academy International (AAI), it’s a fact of life. It’s easy for kids who see people move in and out of their lives all the time to become jaded about relationships or just to keep things superficial so as not to get hurt. One of the most common defense mechanisms is just to walk away from relationships without saying goodbye. But reflecting back on our friendships and then talking directly with our friends about the blessings and challenges is an important way to deal with our grief. And that’s exactly what Dave had the high school and middle students do when he led one of the last chapels of the year.
Keeping it light at first, Dave started by asking the students (and faculty present) to find someone who had made them laugh that year and to give them a hug. Then he moved on to other topics, like finding someone who taught them the most, someone who they wanted to thank, someone from whom they needed to ask forgiveness, someone for whom they could pray a blessing. It’s the third year in a row that Dave has led this chapel and it has become a real highlight for students looking for a way to find closure and comfort in saying goodbyes.
We’re saying goodbye to a number of our adult friends, too, and ask you to please pray for us - both to be able to have “good” goodbyes and to keep doing the hard work of opening our hearts to new friendships. One great aspect of being children of God is knowing that no goodbye is forever since we’ll meet again in heaven!
Even in the midst of many farewells, we are preparing for a big hello. The fourth Saavedra baby will be arriving sometime around November 14. The big brothers are very excited to meet our new addition (Levi pats Beth’s tummy and asks, “Is our little girl in there?” while Luke insists that he’s going to have another brother).
The first trimester was very challenging physically and emotionally for Beth (one reason for the delay in our news, since she’s the chief letter writer). But now that we’re into the second trimester, things are starting to look up. We’re so grateful for your prayers for our growing family, especially for health for the baby and energy for Beth.
Keeping Up the Work
What else has been going on for us over the last few months? There’s always a steady stream of activity!
In May, we had two ER visits, one for Dave, who got a minor dog bite while walking to work, and one for Luke, who got five stitches in his forehead after a fall. When Beth wasn’t running down to the hospital, she was going to the transit authority to work on replacing her lost driver’s license. It took seven trips, making us nostalgic for the DMV in the U.S.
Dave feels more confident all the time in the classroom and fills most of his lunch hours meeting with students. It was hugely encouraging to hear one graduating senior (who Dave met as a troubled sophomore) say, “I am coming away from this school confident that I am a Christian. And after taking your discipleship class, I know that I am the beloved.”
Thank you so much for your help in making our work here with HCJB possible! We deeply appreciate the faithful prayers and sacrificial giving of so many of you.
Right now we are running about $400/month under our recommended support level, so if you have been thinking about starting to give, or about increasing your gift, now is a great time to do so. For information on how to give or how to change the amount you give, please contact HCJB Global (info on front page). Donations to HCJB Global are tax-deductible.
Thank You!
Bonus Video: Blast from the Past!
This seven minute clip is from February/March of this year. It includes a walk to the neighborhood park and interviews with family members.
