School is in Session!

 Every missionary is faced with educating their children, and there are as many ways that God provides as there are challenges. For us in this season, living in Nairobi, we have the option of Rosslyn Academy. It is a faith-based school for kids from KG-12, and priority is given for missionary kids. It's the school where Anya and Ethan attended when we lived here before, and we remembered it as a great community, a rigorous college-prep curriculum that matches US standards, and a beautiful campus where children are safe and loved and nurtured and directed to Jesus. 

Now that school has started, the reality is just as wonderful as we remembered it being, and more so. 

Isaac is in grade 10, and Omara is in grade 7 this year. They have fit right in and are enjoying smaller class sizes and community-building events. Isaac is already working on the set and lights/sound support for the "fall" performance of Emma and is attending a boys' Bible study and Friday night fellowship hangouts. Omara is also attending a girls' Bible study and has a great group of friends already--friends who are American, Indian, Canadian, Korean and Kenyan. Both kids are doing a great job keeping up with classwork, and when I see them before they know I'm there, they both look happy and well-adjusted. When I ask them, though, both kids will say they still prefer their old schools in Hilliard. I think the transition from 'adventure travel in Africa' to 'this is home' is a long one. They're making progress, but they're not fully there yet. There are many days I'm not quite there yet either, so I blame them exactly zero. 

In the time we've been gone, Rosslyn has added a Commons that serves hot lunches (not particularly affordable nor gluten free, so we don't make use of that!) and, more "importantly," they have a cafe. This is 'important' for several reasons. 

1. the roads are so rough, even here in the capital, that we cannot take hot beverages in travel mugs for fear of either wearing the contents in our laps or having the mug jump straight out of the cupholder and land upside down in a purse (yes, I know this by experience). 

2. traffic is pretty terrible, so we leave the house at 7:15 and arrive at the school around 7:45. School doesn't start until 8:30, but if we left any later, we would be late as the traffic builds. So we have to kill time for up to 45 minutes. 

3. I love caffeine in all its flavors and forms. There are so many ills and stressors that a good latte can soothe! Or chai- the sweet, milky tea that Kenya has perfected. Or a chai latte. Really, the options are endless! 

4. As established above, I love my caffeine. But I am also frugal, and I typically refuse to buy what I can easily make myself. In my life, I have walked away from many-a needed stress-soothing latte because how can "they" charge $7 for a coffee??? BUT...back to Rosslyn Academy's cafe. Early morning drives without travel mugs of coffee and 30-minute dead time could be so painful. But all I have to say is $1.50 lattes. Even in my frugal state, I'm worth a $1.50 cup of frothy goodness, looking over the beauty of the campus, embarrassing our kids by speaking to them in public and visiting with other parents.

So in summary, there are things that are hard about living overseas; sacrifices made and costs counted. But for us, the kids' education is not one of those things. We are so grateful for the IMB covering the cost of tuition, and for the generous donations made to the IMB that make it possible. Enjoy these video clips of the campus, and picture me soaking it all in with a latte or two!