First full day at Calvin

Good day yesterday.  Thank you for the prayers for Eli, our family, and Haiti. Looks like parts of Haiti received rain and wind on the news but could have been worse. Not sure when we'll be able to talk to the staff at Fauche but will update when we can.

We did a few things before heading back to Calvin including a bit of shopping.

We joined the rest of the students and parents for lunch.  Following lunch the whole group went to a banking talk and students signed up for the local bank.

Then the parents loaded into a couple of old-fashioned trolleys for a tour of Grand Rapids. This was a fun and interesting way to learn a bit more about Calvin and Grand Rapids.

Then we had a bit of down time before a Welcoming reception and Dinner. The president of Calvin, Michael Le Roy spoke as well as some of the staff for international students.

Interesting many of the 'third culture kids' growing up in a culture other than that of their parent's nationalities are missionary kids from Korea growing up in other cultures like countries in Africa or Asia.

I had a cultural moment with a grandfather from the Netherlands noticed my name tag and asked if TerAvest was Dutch. He noted that they did not print the space and that it wasn't a very common name even in the Netherlands.

At the dinner they asked various groups of the students to stand. Eli's the only new student coming from Haiti but we met a Mom who lived in Haiti as a child.

Surprising that only two were from Europe! Only about 20-30 are American TCK's.

Today and tomorrow Anna will come with us. Will be a long day today with visit to the Frederik Meijer Garden, a shopping trip to Meijer store with our students, an Asian dinner followed by the major cultural groups student acted interpretation of Romeo & Juliet....not sure if Eli will be in the African group [culture] or Latin America [location].

So a late night and then back early for breakfast and worship.