GRADUATION

The BCA Class of 2008 has officially graduated! These six kids (yes, they're still kids to us) are all dear to us, and now they are all off in different directions: Kyle (the valedictorian, pictured above with Tony) is heading to Trinity Western in Canada; Lauren (the salutatorian) is going to Minnesota; Kyle is headed to Union in Tennessee; Rachael is going to college in Salem, Oregon; and Sean and Christina are staying in Bucharest one more year to attend a local university that has a degree program in English.

Tony MC'ed the graduation ceremony on May 30, and Chrissy helped with rehearsal and the closing benediction. That last week of school, with the yearbook presentation on Wednesday (Chrissy is the yearbook adviser), Field Day on Thursday (Tony is almost completely recovered from his injury. Whose idea was it to do a relay that requires you to spin around the number of times equal to your age???), and graduation on Friday -- it left us speechless on the way home Friday night: simultaneously proud of the graduates, exhausted from all the late nights, and sad to see so many students and families leaving Bucharest.

It is the nature of our work that relationships develop quickly, run deep, and are faced with frequent separations. But what a blessing to be part of the body of Christ in such a unique, boundary-crossing way!

BACK IN THE USA!

Well we made it. Three planes, 10 bags (only 9 made it), and a two-hour drive brought us to Anderson, S.C. where Tony's parents live.

It was a pretty smooth trip with all 3 kids and we had nice new planes with plenty of room. And even the missing bag was eventually found. (They even gave us $150 for our inconvenience - thank you American Airlines!)

Our time here will begin in South Carolina where we will speak at Cornerstone Assembly in Anderson. Then a family vacation in the Tennessee mountains with Grandma and Grandpa. Then we head south to Orlando, Miami, and Bradenton, where we will speak at four more churches.

We have been having a great time so far watching the kids play with their grandparents and sliding down the slip and slide. We thank God for this time we have to tell others about Romania and what God is doing there. We still have some time open if you have a group or church you think would be interested in hearing about missions or Romania. We are also looking for people who are willing to host a dessert night in their home as a more informal opportunity for others to learn about our ministries in Romania. If you would be up for hosting a dessert night, please contact us ASAP.

The best thing about being back (besides being with friends and family) is the great gas prices! No joke; we pay about $6.25 back in Bucharest!