High School Bound

So Joy & Journey completed the school year yesterday. As I reflected upon the faithfulness of our God, I couldn’t help thinking how Journey was only 2yrs old, and Joy 4yrs old when we moved from Austell to Buford. We moved for 2 reasons. To raise the girls in a life-giving church, and to get them into a good school district.

We didn’t have friends or family on this side of town, and we were literally tripling our commute time by moving this far out. The first sermon we would hear when we visited Free Chapel (Gainesville) as we sought God that very first time was titled “Fear Not, it is I”. We held fast to that word and within a few months moved to Buford, trusting that God would be our full support system through and through.

When I look at the verdancy, the spiritual formation and foundation, the thriving school, the beautiful friends and families God has brought into our lives these past TEN years, yes, it’s been that long. I am simply amazed by our God’s faithfulness.

Both girls ended the school year with Straight A’s. Both received Citizenship Awards, and Joy even received The President’s Award for Educational Excellence (signed by The Secretary of Education AND President Joe Biden). All her teachers have recommended her for high school honor classes, and she even earned her first (1/2) Carnegie high school credit in Spanish, along with an invitation to visit Spain next year. She is taking up Dance in High school, a long awaited dream!

Earlier this week, Maina and I were honored to attend the Theater Awards for Buford High School & Middle School students where Journey was officially inducted into the Jr. Thespians Society. She loves, theater!

A humbling surprise for Journey who was named Rising Star & Best New Actress!

Best New Actress – Journey Maina

As a Mother in Buford, serving 48 students that God has entrusted into our care, it is really important to me that while Newton & I are making untold sacrifices to affect change in our community, that our own children feel deeply loved, supported, and seen. I am humbled to return my thanks to the Living God who led us here, and who has continued to uphold us with His righteous right hand. I give Him ALL the glory for what He has made possible, and what is to be. Not just the mountain peaks, but the valleys also. He can be trusted. He is enough!

To Joy and Journey: I am so proud of you my girls! It is an absolute honor to be your Mom. I pray you will never stop being kind, loving, selfless, respectful, and living your faith and values with full conviction. May God Himself stand with you through every storm, triumph, mountain peak, and valley, and may He make you for Himself a people after His own heart. I love you with every square inch of my heart!

Love,

Mom