Leap Year, Nigeria 1972
At our boarding school in Nigeria, girls were allowed to ask guys on a date since it was Leap Year. Deciding who to ask out was fun, but complicated.
Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk
When I returned to boarding school after a wonderful Christmas holiday, I again felt homesick and out of place. Eating in the large, noisy dining hall was especially distressing.
Don’t Cry, Little Debbie
O Lord, you know everything about me. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away…and when I rest at home. You place your hand of blessing on my head. (Excerpts from Psalm 139:1-5 NLT) “Welcome back to Kent Academy for second grade,” the Auntie said with a smile. I carefully stepped out of the blue VW van parked on the playground in front of the girls’ dorm in Miango, Nigeria. “Follow me, Debbie, and I’ll show you to your…
Going Home Tomorrow
At the end of my first year at boarding school I was so excited to go home. I’d made a few friends and learned the ropes but hoped I wouldn’t ever return.
Tell Me the Story Again
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering … the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4,5 (NIV) “In place of our usual devotion time tonight, we have a special speaker,” the Dorm Uncle announced to the eager first-through-third graders gathered in the lounge. After dinner, I had expected our usual Bible reading in the dorm in our pajamas. Instead, we had walked from the dining room, across…
Pressure to Succeed
In first grade at boarding school I decided to cheat on a test and hoped I would get sent home. I missed my little brothers and new baby sister.
The Scary Bunk Bed
On my first night in the dormitory at Kent Academy, the auntie on duty pointed toward the tall bunk bed against the right-hand wall of Room 15. “You’re in the top bunk,” she said. In my unfamiliar bedroom at the end of the first-grade hall, my stomach tightened, and my six-year-old voice squeaked like a mouse. “Do I have to sleep way up there? But how do I get up so high?” I’ve never slept so high off the ground….