Saying Goodbye

As I left my kids in the classroom for rest time, I told them that they must be very quite. They must sit in their desks and not talk. They could not play games on their cellphones, they couldn't take all the things off the teacher's desk and put it in the team mailbox. They couldn't mess with the TV. They must be very quite.

After rest time was over, I went back to the classroom for the last small group before I left. I quietly walked up to the door. I peeked in and saw them up, walking around, and talking. :-( I went inside prepared to jump their case for being disobedient. As soon as I went in, they ran back to their seats, and the room was dead silent. Each child looking at me with their most angelic face. And then I saw it. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I read on the blackboard...THANK YOU TEACHER JANE! They had decorated it and signed their names. Then, if that weren't enough, they each came up to me and presented me with a thank you card they had made during rest time. We spent the remainder of the class time playing UNO, signing books and papers, giving gifts, and taking pictures. No lecturing.

I am going to miss my kids from camp. I am going to miss Jessica, my TA (Taiwanese Assistant). I am going to miss my team in Kinmen (Andrew, Lucas, Rebekah, Megan, Lauren, Rachel, Jarita, Dominique, and Wei-Lun). I am going to miss the big team in Taiwan. I am going to miss the Taiwanese people. I am going to miss my friends that I have gotten to know and love. I am going to miss my schools. I am going to miss my students. I am going to miss the people of Kinmen.

I pray that God will bless each one of you tremendously! I am so glad and feel so privileged to have worked and spent time with you this past year. I hope that we will see each other again soon. Either here, There, or in the air!

And now, the lyrics to the song that has been running through my head for the past two or three days...

Saying Goodbye (from the Muppet's)

Saying Goodbye, going away
Seems like goodbye's such a hard thing to say
Touching a hand, wondering why
It's time for saying goodbye

Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we've had
Much more to say, foolish to try
It's time for saying goodbye.

Don't want to leave, but we both know
Sometimes it's better to go
Somehow I know we'll meet again
Not sure quite where, and I don't know just when

You're in my heart, so until then
Wanna smile, wanna cry
Saying goodbye
It's time for saying goodbye.