A letter from our Head of School
September 8, 2021
Dear Brookstone Community—
With so many heart-wrenching challenges in our country and world right now—from the condition in Afghanistan, to the earthquake in Haiti, to the fires in Western America, to the damage and loss of life to Hurricane Ida, to the continued strife in Myanmar, to the spreading variants of COVID, to name a few—there is a lot that can discourage us. When we add our own personal struggles, it can be a very overwhelming time.
In my devotional this week, I have been studying Matthew 11 and the charge Jesus gave to the people: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Turning to the Gospel of Jesus and relying on his strength, not my own, has made a tremendous difference during times of trial. I have also found it a great encouragement and blessing to write down the things in my life that I can be thankful to God.
Such as the privilege of serving at Brookstone.
First, I am so thankful for our families and students supporting our mask policy. While school districts around the country that aren’t requiring masks are experiencing COVID outbreaks that are causing them to go completely virtual again, we have only had two student COVID cases in our first three weeks. Praise be to God!
Second, I am so thankful for our record enrollment this year—212 students—as well as the new initiatives and provisions the LORD has provided for us to better our students’ experiences. Along these lines, I hope you will take moment to watch the short video that shows the improvements in the school, which I pray will be a blessing to you.
Lastly, I am deeply thankful for our partnership with First Baptist Church. They have made many upgrades to their facilities this year to better accommodate us—ones that greatly benefit our teachers and students. Again, I encourage you to preview the below video to see these wonderful additions!
Please know how much we appreciate your prayers as we navigate the many challenges in school year two of COVID and how deeply thankful we are for your generous support.
God bless you and your family,
John