As I reflect on the last nine years of serving on the Board of Directors of Gjerasim D. Qiriazi International Christian School and the last eight years of serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors, I’m taking stock of what I’ve learned. One thing I know is this – I have a lot to be grateful for.

Fellow Board Members

From the first time I sat down with the other board members on a sunny afternoon near Pazar i Ri in 2014 until now, you have invested time to think carefully on behalf of the school’s stakeholders. I’ve been sharpened, challenged, and encouraged many times over the years. I remember what Calvin Tiessen, a fellow board member and vice-chair, said, “Everyone benefits when you and others invest time in these conversations.”

Two Tremendous Directors

I’m grateful for Lori Neuman and Roger Pearce.

After the initial accreditation process was completed, I remember Roger affirming the GDQ staff for their work and quoting the proverb, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

I remember being in a circle at a cafe with the staff as Lori sat down next to a teacher and gently shared words of condolence for a staff member who had just lost a loved one. And I remember more recently Lori ending the summer break early to jump on a plane and help get the high school ready due to an unexpected building issue.

Teachers that LOVE the students

I look back at a video I made six years ago to promote teaching opportunities and laugh at how formal I sounded. But I did get one thing right. “What makes GDQ such a special place are the teachers.” You’ve given up better salaries, secure futures, and much more to serve a unique group of students. I celebrate the creativity, the joy, and the honesty that you bring to the classroom and your work.

Inspiring Students

Care. When my son Ben was younger, he would take the hand of another boy in class, and they’d run around the field together. A parent of the other boy once told me, “I don’t know how our son would make it at GDQ if it wasn’t for Ben.” Please forgive me for indulging in bragging about my own kids.

Courage. As I write this, we are in the middle of 16 Days of a Call from UN-Women to end gender-based violence. When I read “1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime,” my fists clenched and my neck became hot as images came to mind of what I have witnessed and heard. I’m grateful for my daughters and other students who have had the courage to confront wrong actions and also who have had the courage to educate others about the type of environment that discourages wrong actions. #NoExcuse

Honesty. I’m grateful for the students who have had the courage to speak the truth, to share what’s going well and what needs to change. As adults, we need to hear from you. When you explain from your experience what your life and the world, you give us the opportunity to grow. Even when what you say may not come in the form that we desire to hear it, your honesty is always in some ways a mirror that you hold up to help us see ourselves.

I cherish the boys and girls on the sports teams I’ve coached, the beauty in the music and dance so many have been a part of and the achievement of completing studies at GDQ.

Parents

When I was telling a friend from Wheaton College that our daughter Sarah was doing really well, he said, “I’m glad to hear that because you know the saying – you’re never happier than your most unhappy child.” As a fellow-parent, I experienced a lot of grief and sadness during the isolation of the pandemic–I recognize how hard it is to see your children struggle.

As parents, you bear the burdens of your children. You cheer them on. You advocate for them.

I’m grateful for all the parents that have been at GDQ. Thank you to those that have trusted me–and by extension, the board as a whole–by sharing your hearts, your desires, your dreams, your frustrations, and your grief. One father comes to mind, after an end-of-the-year school event who told me with tears in his eyes, “I don’t just send me daughter to GDQ for the academics but also for the values.”

Our Founders

A few years ago, we had the great joy of John and Lynne Quanrud, some of GDQ’s founding parents and Board Members to join us for a board meeting, some prayer times, and one meeting with parents. I loved listening to John as he described the early days of the first schoolhouse, six students, Luanna Patten, and others that were a part of the endeavor, about naming the school after Gjerasim Qiriazi, a courageous evangelist and educational pioneer who got the vision for influencing society through education while he was held in captivity after being kidnapped.

Those that will Lead in the Future

I’m confident in those who will lead in the future. As I think about our community in the future, here is what comes to my mind:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…. so that they may be brought to complete unity.” – Jesus

“I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.” – Nene Tereze

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb