GOODBYES ARE NEVER EASY...

Progress reports are due on Monday, that means the quarter is running down and we only have about four weeks of teaching and then exams left. The last few weeks are always so full and stressful.

At a school like Hillcrest we not only have to deal with wrapping up the curriculum and have end-of-year activities like student council elections, awards ceremonies, and graduation itself, but we also have to deal with saying farewell to the graduating class and others that are leaving for good, or at least furlough.

I've only taught four years at Hillcrest, but goodbyes are never easy. In fact, I think saying goodbye is one of the hardest parts of being a missionary. First you have to say goodbye to family you leave behind and then there are frequent goodbyes on the mission field as other missionaries and their families are always coming and going.

Sometimes it makes it hard to want to get close to people, especially if they are only here a short time.

Marrying here, having my own family, and being part of Niger Wives, other women married to Nigerians, has made it easier, but I don't look forward to the next time one of my kids has to say goodbye to a special friend. I guess that's why I go through times of not wanting to reach out to people beyond my family and school, it's not easy to stretch oneself.

This week I am remembering the life of one of my Nigerian fathers, Dr. Rekab Bongi. Dr. Bongi died last week after being ill for some time. His wife was my principal and has been my Nigerian mother since I was teaching in a Lutheran Nigerian secondary school. When he retired from an administration post at a post-secondary training school they started a school for children of special needs, the first in the capital of Adamawa State. (This was in addition to the Lutheran Junior Seminary that Mrs. Bongi has run for over eleven years.) His leadership in that community will be sorely missed.

My husband will represent our family at the funeral. A part of me feels I should go, but mostly I am thankful that both my husband and Mrs. Bongi understand it is hard for me to get away. At the same time, I realize how easy it is to keep a degree of distance from the challenges of life and death in Nigeria. My work at Hillcrest allows me a kind of buffer from so many challenges people face here.

I believe that one day God will call my family back to work in Adamawa and I pray that I will be ready to face those challenges in a new way when the call is there; it can be very exhausting and the challenges are numerous. But at the moment, I am called to teach and disciple the students where I am and to see that our children have a chance to get a great education.

So for now, I deal with progress reports and saying goodbye to those God has called me to teach at Hillcrest. Next year there will be a great turnover of staff so I know that my being a source of continuity for my returning students and the school at-large is important.

I'd appreciate your thoughts and prayers during these next weeks. I have just recovered from a bout of malaria and we are at the beginning of rainy season and Nat and my husband Amson are both suffering from colds/allergies. Pray for our health and that God will see us through the end of the school year with its many year-end activities. Then, in the end of May we fly to US for almost two months to visit my mom and family in the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, there is MUCH to do, both at school and to prepare for our travels!

Dorthea