So Long My Funky Family!

"If you go, we will go." 


No, this isn't a line from "Titanic," it's what my friends Xiaoling and Qiupeng (I've changed their names for security reasons) told me at a house church in Beijing. After four years of living in Beijing, teaching English, learning Chinese and leading Bible studies I was wrestling with the thought of coming back to America to to invest in a relationship with my then-girlfriend Kayla. It was a hard decision - leaving the land, job, friends, food you love for the woman you love. I was sharing my feelings with Xiaopeng and Qiuling and both mothers assured me that if you are going to America, our sons (Simon and Andrew) will follow you there. And "there" was to the Student Homes of Wisconsin Lutheran High School. 


That's how I came back to Wisco after graduating in 2006, now I was part of the faculty (where most of my "collegues" were my teachers and mentors) and expected to start a boarding program from scratch. The first year (2014-2015) of running the Wisco Student Homes we had 17 scholars and started to call ourselves "Our Funky Family." There were so many eager ideas that seemed great in my brain but soured in reality. However, I think we failed forward. The following year we grew to 26 scholars, our handbook became more substantial and the HPs and I continued to grow in our leadership roles. The third year the Student Homes was home to 36 scholars from around the country and the globe and I think we finally hit our stride as a program and the recipe for our "special sauce" was ready to unveil . . . 


WE ARE FAMILY
We aren't just a dorm with 150 kids. We are a funky family. Each house (we have five different homes) has their own flavor but we form a unified, quirky, fun-loving, hard-working family.


LOW HP TO STUDENT RATIO
In 2016-2017 our HP to student ratio was 1 HP to 3.3 students. That's unheard of for any boarding school! That low ratio allows us to know, discipline, invest in and love our kids on a personal level that you wouldn't find in a dorm. 


ACTIVITIES
I don't know any other boarding school that funds, plans and enjoys as many activities as we do. This year we offered 74 fun activities and volunteer activites for our students (36 first semester and 38 second semester)! We want our kids to have device-free fun, make memories that last a lifetime and make a difference in our community. 


JESUS
Jesus is our Cornerstone. He's the rock that doesn't move. Our common faith in Him is a bond that is tighter than Gorilla Glue and He's constantly wooing the souls of our kids. He's the reason repentance can be real and relationships can be eternal. 



So there's our recipe. Simple, but effective and can hopefully endure no matter who is in charge. 

I am so grateful that God orchestrated the orbits of my life to be "Grandpa Gary" for these three years. I wouldn't trade it for anything! I've grown professionally and spiritually and have learned quite a bit of humility. It's bittersweet to say goodbye to the students and collegues you've grown to love and admire. But my beautiful wife and I really wanted to do ministry in China before we had kids, so we're off to Kunming (the Albequerque of China) to study Chinese and share some Living Water with thirsty souls. 

Thank you Wisco for these three wonderful years! And I hope my favorite verse in the Bible can be a blessing to you . . . 


Yet O LORD. 
You are our Father.
We are the clay;
you are the potter. 
We are all the work of your hands. 
Isaiah 64:8