Each noon during the national exams the Philo students left their testing site at the National School in Pignon and walked a short distance to meet the IPB driver and school cooks to receive a special hot lunch.
This year students were particularly blessed as a woman offered her shady courtyard and the chairs that she stores for her church during the week.
The meals were different every day. IPB provided the basics of beans, rice, oil and spices and students chipped in for extra treats like chicken legs and salad. They also bought sodas and juices.
Most of our students rarely eat delicacies like this, so it made a memorable end to their school journey together. One day they were joined by a hopeful, little neighbor boy.
May God’s name be praised! As He has done for our students so often, He provided for this young heart. We were afraid this little guy would eat himself sick as he just kept shoveling food into his mouth until his cheeks were bulging.
When IPB Director, Phanes Charles visited the students they were able to show him a few copies of that morning’s Social Science test they were allowed to keep. They were able to discuss the test with each other and leave it with their teachers to help students prepare for the next year.
The students had an hour or more break before starting on the Biology and Economics test, their second 2-hour test of the day.
On the way home from the last day of tests, the students stopped at a Pignon restaurant for a special treat. At HAFF they brought special thanks to the missionaries for their help during their school. Though the rain was starting to gently fall, bittersweet final photos were taken as some might not see each other for several years. They promised the HAFF staff to keep in touch and wanted reassurance that they would always be welcomed by their alma mater, their teachers and the missionaries who all played such an important part in their lives.
Dear Lord, please help the students who are going to university find the necessary funds. For those praying for such opportunities, help them as they transition from this period of intense self-discipline and focus, into a life with much less structure and intellectual stimulation. Help them focus on You as their Hope and Peace as You lead them into the future You have planned specifically for them.