Well, I started typing this newsletter back in the beginning of June–as you can tell from the late arrival, I didn’t get very far! We are full into the furlough schedule, visiting our wonderful churches, catching up with supporters and spending really special time with family and friends. We are also settling in the college graduate, doing all the adult things: setting up bank accounts, attending college orientation, learning to drive (Pray for me on that one!). Each moment has been good and sweet, though, and I am so thankful to be here in the US, even for just a short time. I don’t want to completely throw out the newsletter I started, however. So many good things happened at the end of the school year that I want to share with you. If you will, pretend for just a moment it is still just the beginning of summer, and check out how our SAM Academy school year ended…
I really can’t believe I am sitting on my parents’ porch watching my dad bail hay as I type this. It has been a surreal month full of exciting, yet bittersweet things. I guess we’ll start with…we have a new graduate in the family!!
Actually, we have two!!
The Brown family graduated a senior on to college and an 8th grader into high school! We are so proud of the young adults both of them have become!
My last post was full of emotions as I processed this new stage of life we are in and the urgency of hoping I had done all I needed to as a parent to send Ella into the world not just as a successful adult, but more importantly, as a Christian anchored deeply in her faith.
It hit me during this season that we have answered God’s call to serve the missionary families of Pucallpa in discipling and growing their children, but in the process, my own children have joined that precious group of MK’s. As Ella steps into the next phase of her life, she is leaving all she has known as “Home,” and entering a world that is familiar, but foreign to her.
So after landing on US soil, we hit the ground running, getting her set up with all the things: bank account, driver’s permit, college orientation, warm clothes to survive in the frigid AC…Haha, my poor little jungle bunny. Each of these things has come with big emotions–nervousness, worry, but also excitement as Ella starts to step out in adulthood on her own.
Mixed in with teaching our daughter to adult, we have also started our Home Ministry Assignment! We have been blessed to visit three four of our supporting church families and have been immensely encouraged by our time with them. Between now and September, we are looking forward to reconnecting with nine church families that we are privileged to be partnered with in ministry and well as our individual supporters who have blessed us so much.
We are really looking forward to the time with friends and family, as well as having some time “off the field” to refresh and reset before diving into our next school year. Before we commit 2024-2025 to the books, though, Graduation wasn’t the only exciting event to take place this last month.
Our high school drama class put on an absolute amazing rendition of “Little Women.” They have come such a long way with their confidence on-stage. We are so thankful to have one of our school moms, Joy Carrera, a full-time missionary with SAM Air, take time to coach and direct our students and give them this experience! If you enjoy student-productions and would like to see the play in its entirety, I’d love to share it with you!
Our elementary and middle school students took some time out of the normal class schedule to visit some of our really cool, local medical ministries. The students first visited the Swiss Mission Base to see firsthand their medical clinic and the care they are able to offer to the indigenous bible students who come through their mission year round. Next they visited the incredible new Miracle Campus that was built by Scalpel at the Cross. This center will serve as a prosthetic manufacturing center and rehab clinic, as well as a research center which will share best-practice information with other low-income parts of the world to help other ministries serve and be blessing to amputees. In our part of the world, many of these amputees are left with no hope in life. This clinic truly is a miracle campus, giving new life and the gospel to hurting people in our region, and all over!
Along with our 8th grade and 12th grade graduates, we also graduated our 5th graders into middle school. There wasn’t nearly the pomp and circumstance with their graduation, but it was a still a celebration as these two special girls moved up to join the “big kids.”
So many memorable things to celebrate…and so many good things to look forward to! We have already turned out minds to the next school year and are excited for what lies ahead. Please pray with us and we turn our attention to the 2025-2026 school year….
Some ways to pray:
-Our beloved Middle school/High school Math teacher and principal is moving on from life at SAM Academy after 12 years to other ministry. Would you pray for Bill and his family as they prepare for this transition and also our staff and we seek to fill a huge hole in our staff. Mike will be temporarily teaching all MS/HS Science and Math while continuing as head Administrator so please pray for his full year ahead. We’ve also been introduced to a possible fit for the Math position.
-We are onboarding a new Elementary teacher, which we are very excited about. Please pray for Kayla as she completes language study and then comes to us somewhere between October and January. Cristy and I will cover all elementary classes until her arrival, so pray for our creativity and energy as well as Kayla’s transition to Peru and our SAM Family.
-Please pray for our just graduated seniors, including our Ella, as they begin college classes and get settled into adult life. A huge praise has been all of the love and support Ella has received from our church families here in the US. It has been overwhelming, and so good for my heart!
How can we be praying for you? I’m sure we are not the only ones going through huge life milestones. We’d love to hear from you…mmbrown@southamericamission.org.
And now you can return to July:) Happy summer!!
Family of 4 Serving 1 