One of my favorite things is to visit with or catch up with students I've taught from years past. I've been teaching for 20 years now, so some of those "kids" are married with kids of their own. Above is a picture of Thad and his family, who I had the gift of spending time with a few weeks back. They recently moved to KY where I also had gone to speak and see supporters/friends.
I knew Thad first back in Bolivia where he grew up as a missionary kid. To see him and his wife (Ruth) and their sweet kids**, and their interaction, was a blessing! :) Thad is a farrier in KY (he shoes horses) and the family has served in Honduras as missionaries as well as lived in New England before moving to KY.
Now you might have also seen a lovely photo of Bruno and Sybil, another couple who are dear friends (he was another former student from Bolivia), but time slipped away from our brief visit and we missed the photo opportunity. They have 4 adorable children. Bruno works for Toyota while Sybil cares for the kids and keeps their home running smoothly.
Why do I like catching up with former students? I love hearing their success stories. Whether jobs, marriages, kids, educations, or other accomplishments, it is neat to see who they've become, comfortable in their own skin. So often (as we all are fully aware), teenagers are not yet personally confident or self-assured. They're still figuring out their values, ideals and dreams. So to see these former students who have figured out some life questions- it is a blessing. And certainly I'm most proud and thankful when they first choose Christ and are living a life following Him (both Thad's and Bruno's families are Christ-followers!). And I pray for those who are still trying to figure things out.
** please note, on purpose I am working to NOT identify children for their privacy rights. I also don't usually include last names of adults for the same reason, unless they are with WGM, and then I only sometimes post the last name of the adult... The web can become too invasive and it is simply a security feature I'm now working to honor in light of today's techie and voyeuristic world.