The end of a chapter

This past week, the homeschool co-op ended the term. The kids presented Psalm 91 and sang the hymns we had learned for the families, followed by a time of snacks and Christmas carols together. It was a sweet time, but a little hard, too, since the family who began the co-op and has been co-leading it with Alesha is moving in January. We are excited to see what the Lord has planned for them, but they will leave a large hole. Adding to the transition, the library itself will also be moving in January! (More about this in a coming post!!!) So, before we jump into new adventures, I want to reflect a bit on God’s goodness to us here.

*Co-op has been a sweet time of friendship for everyone involved: the moms, the school-age kids, and even their younger siblings.

*It has forced us to talk about academic things in Spanish, at least one day a week! I can see a huge improvement in the Spanish of several of the kids who speak English at home. When we assigned a Spanish book to be read over the term, several weren’t sure they could do it, but they proved themselves wrong!

*We were able to see and be a part of so much emotional growth in the kids. One young boy, who would barely speak to me two years ago, recently stood in front of the class and gave a presentation on how to make chocolate. He also recited his part of the Bible verse in front of everyone this year instead of from his seat. We are so proud of him!

*The co-op is what indirectly brought about the library project: two years ago, the Co-op Christmas program was held in the library space of the (closed) Nate Saint Memorial School. For years, the English-speaking families had been given sporadic access to the treasure trove of books left behind, and for that night, we had asked to use the space for our bilingual co-op. (Back in those days, the co-op itself was being held on my dear friend’s picnic table). As we saw the families milling around looking at the library, Taylor realized that there was nothing like this here in any language. On the way home, he challenged me to consider re-opening it, with the hope to making it bilingual in time. Our friends that had begun the co-op backed us up from the beginning and are a huge part of why the library is here and moving forward.

So, as we look forward to a new year, we see a lot of change coming for the group, but are thankful for what the Lord has done and confident that He knows what He is doing!