Upcoming Events

Parenting, in any circumstance, is not for the faint of heart. When our kids are young, parenting demands constant minute-by-minute decision-making like, “Should I let him play in the rain without shoes?” or “How high should I let her climb up the tree?” or “If I give him a snack now will he still eat his dinner?” Though exhausting in the moment, and if I’m honest sometimes annoying, this constant barrage of small decisions is a walk in the park compared to the complicated, heart-wrenching processes of faith, friendship, and future plans that we help our maturing kids navigate.

The longer I venture into this parenting journey the more reliant I become on trusted friends to share wisdom with me. And I need particular insight into parenting in our context in Cambodia. It’s for this reason that HOPE school has been such a gift. In years past I received encouragement from the casual interactions with teachers at pick-up time. I teared at many assemblies as I watched students worship together. I also benefited from conversations with other parents over passion fruit sodas while the kids played on the playground after school. In my experience, parents at HOPE support each others’ differing parenting styles and decisions and act as mentors for each others’ kids. I’ve seen parents model forgiveness and healing when they’ve been hurt, and compassion when others are going through tough situations.

I joined the Parent Council last year and assumed the Parent Council position on HOPE’s Board this year because of the way my family has benefitted from the community at HOPE. This community is worth the investment of time and effort so that the strong social fabric of the school continues to be strengthened to support more families in Cambodia.

This year the HOPE community is taking a different shape due to the restrictions from COVID-19. But the support is there nonetheless. The love of this community is the reason my kids haven’t complained about wearing a mask, or not being able to play on the playground or go to the library. It's the reason parents are still reaching out to new families and continuing to meet off campus to pray. It’s the reason many teachers and staff are willingly taking on extra responsibilities to fill gaps.

While parenting this year has come with its fair share of heartaches, the community here helps us to live out James’ charge to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2) So thank you teachers, staff, and parents for bringing the joy of togetherness and may we continue to walk in that joy with our children as the year progresses.

Emily Prichard, Parent Council Representative to the Board