Misión Completo

Noah’s graduation from 8th grade in Chile was something we never imagined. Not because Noah would not graduate …but to see him IN ACTION, arms around his friends and watch the pure joy was a parent’s dream. When we started to brainstorm our sabbatical we imagined great adventure, time off and desire for our boys to experience something new and different at an important developmental time in their lives. But we think we underestimated what would happen for our boys on so many levels.

School work was hard - well of course it was, it was in Spanish. Noah would come home some days and say “Well I failed that test.” This was a new comment and sometimes frustrating for him as he has always had an academic drive and love for performing in his school work. We would remind him, “you are not going to school in Chile to get A’s.” You are going to learn Spanish and connect with a community. Well he did just that.

His small class of 18 bonded and he was in it like glue. In that final ritual of graduation and followed by his 8th grade fiesta it all came together.

As he completed his final moments of school and time with his classmates the tears rolled down his face like a river.

“Misión completo.” Mission complete, one of Noah’s buddies mom stated. So true - Mission complete.