Prayer and Praise from RVA 30th April 1999 Okay - We're all back again and things are flowing. News of the month: Brian and Gaylene DeMars left suddenly in order to help their son Kevin get the proper orthodontal and speech therapy work that was needed. They'll be gone for 15 months and are relocating in Fresno CA. Melanie Spears, who was teaching 8th grade English, remained home permanently in April after a visit to her mother who was sick with cancer. Mrs. Shirley Eppy has had the first of several chemo treatments in Calgary, Alberta. The Eppys have found their dream home looking out on the Rockie Mountains. Keep praying for Shirley's health and for a job for Garry. The Swansons are now back in the States readjusting and looking for a new teaching position. With all these folks leaving our third term has left us stretched a bit. We have had Wally and Donna Coots arrive to take over Westervelt dorm and Ethics. Wally has been a youth pastor for 25 years and is full of energy. He's about 6' 4" and a basketball fanatic. Several of our seniors have been disappointed by their financial aid packages or been turned down by the College of their choice. Most of you will remember this time of uncertainty when you re-examine your dreams. The valley and hillsides are green but the children in the Valley are starving still. We're trying desperately to raise funds to feed the kids til the crops are grown in another few months. Besides offering we're having a 30 hour fast to raise funds. Anyone who knows someone looking for a worthy cause could send it to the AIM office and mark it RVA - for the Longonot famine relief out here. Titchies got a whole new sound system for outreach and for concerts. Miss Love is beaming. They're doing a concert for Titchie Sunday but they're also taking their concert on tour in the valley over the next month. We still don't have a Chaplain for next year. 36 staff are leaving and half of the replacements are struggling to raise support. Pray for staffing. The new computer labs and classrooms attached to CB and the Library are officially finished and the classes are functional. The classrooms with their new style furniture would make alumni green with envy. The junior high will soon be moved in above the science rooms. The sports teams are off and running and passing and kicking and bumping and setting and spiking. Lots of bodies out there trying out. Prescott is scheduled for grad or the day before so we'll see if adjustments can be made. 50 new computers are about to arrive and be set up. Y2K. what's that? We've got several empty spaces these days in titchie dorms. Home schooling is taking off for the younger kids. Do we rethink how we operate? Keep praying for administrative wisdom on this and other issues. RVA got a new van which is nice and comfortable for any lucky passengers. The spiritual pulse of the school seems to be quickening again after being knocked for a loop with Ruth Evan's death and all the other events of last term. Some have reached a deep centering of their faith and some have had to hang on and rework their beliefs. There are a good number already signing up for the baptismal service on the last Sunday of term. The heaviness seems to have lifted and there's some renewed energy among staff and students. Stephanie Law says the girls in Ruth's dorm have come back with a different spirit this term. Pray for 3 girls still struggling. A few health issues are already cropping up and could use prayer. Pray for spiritual protection of the campus. Security gates are just about in. Visitors to RVA will need to phone ahead from the gates and obtain passes if they are new to the campus. The community and respective embassies have asked the school to install the fencing and gates to make RVA less of a target after the US Embassy Nairobi bombing. Unfortunately, for some, the station is now clearly divided with RVA campus having only three access or departure points. The drama production, Fiddler on the Roof is rehearsing at full speed getting ready for an incredible production. Choir and Band are getting ready for tour and life is flying. For the next several weeks we are gearing up for the APs. Thanks for your faithful thoughts, messages, and prayers. We count on all of you to keep remembering. That's it for now. Until next time. - Jack Taylor