Monday, July 21, 2008

So Who Are We?

Since we're going to be one big happy (and sometimes grumpy) family, it behooves me to introduce everyone.

First of all the Big Picture:

We are part of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists (NSD).  It covers China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia and Taiwan.

Within NSD we belong to the Chinese Union Mission (CHUM).  It covers Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia and Taiwan).

Adventist Educational Holdings (AEH) is part of CHUM.  AEH is charged with two tasks:

1.  Overseeing operations of international educational institutions and programs within CHUM
2.  Developing and launching new educational institutions and projects for CHUM

Currently AEH oversees the following educational entities:

a. Adventist International Schools:  
- Hong Kong Adventist Academy (HKAA)
- Taipei Adventist Preparatory Academy (TAPA)
- Taiwan Adventist International School (TAIS)

b. International Partnership School Programs:
- Da Rong International School (DRIS)
- Hua Mei International School (HMIS)

c. Educational Partnership Programs:
- Taipei County English Language Camps (TPEC)
- Taipei County Accent Neutralization Program (TPAN)

We are working on the following new projects for the 2009/2010 Academic Year:

- An American two-year junior college called Taipei Adventist American College (TAAC)
- An English Language Institute Network in China
- Adventist Educational Consulting Services

More Details:

DRIS
- Grades 1-6 American/Taiwanese school-within-a-school and bilingual high school
- Located in Ta Yung Senior High School, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Geoff McRae, Director
- 40 students in international school, 190 bilingual high school
- 6 teachers and staff

HKAA
- Grades 7-12 American/Hong Kong curriculum boarding school
- Located in Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong
- Kris Erskine, Principal
- 45 students
- 10 teachers and staff

HMIS
- Grade 1 American/Chinese school-within-a-school
- Located in Huamei Private School, Guangzhou, China
- Karen Saarinen, Director
- 25 students
- 4 teachers and staff

TAIS
- Grades 1-12 American/Taiwanese bilingual boarding school (7-12)
- Located in Yuchih Township, Nantou, Taiwan
- Jeremy Everhart, Principal
- 45 students
- 12 teachers and staff

TAPA
- Grades 9-12 American Curriculum high school
- Located in Shihlin District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Steve Adams, Principal
- 130 students
- 18 teachers and staff

TPAN
- Accent training program for Taipei County elementary school English teachers
- Operating out of eight language labs in Taipei County, Taiwan
- Ashim Phierim, Director
- 440 English teachers at 40 per one-month program
- 6 teachers and staff

TPEC
- Grade 5 English language boarding camp (five days, four nights)
- Located in Shihmen Township, Taipei, Taiwan
- David Robinson, Director
- 2,400 students (at 80 students per week)
- 12 teachers and staff







Friday, July 11, 2008

To us, the Founders, Welcome!

The Leap

Some people let time choose where to push them, 
Some choose the when-fore and where-fore of their own futures

This blog is dedicated to those of us who chose, 
Who jumped before we were pushed,
Who volunteered before life assigned us.

The Beginning

What was once just an idea became a concept 
and the concept becomes a proposal.
Then the proposal became a presentation 
and the presentation became a Work in Progress.

Welcome, welcome to us committed few, us Band of Founders

Here we are, on the cusp of something historic. All of us are the founding group, the ones who's faces will shine on all to come, the ones who started it all.  This place in the history of each of our organizations is something nobody can ever take away from us. This will become our birthright.

Who are we, this intrepid band of pioneers? We are Adventists. We are educators. We are missionaries. We are professionals. We are brave and we are blessed each with unique skills and talents that will be called into service before the job is done.  It is this wonderful concoction that will win the day, that will guarantee the success of our endeavors. 

For those of us who have taken this plunge before and come out the other side wearied but stronger, older but richer for it, it is another success to be relished. For those of who are staring into the challenge for the first time, it will be an experience you will never forget and will always, always cherish as highlights of your lives.

I envy those who are young and get to launch their careers in this manner. I wish I had had an opportunity like this when I was young. Yet I have been blessed that when offered the chance I took the challenge. And because I have been there and back, I come to you and say, "Let's go boldly into the future, creating as we go along. So that when we leave, the world will be a better place for having us pass by."

We are following in the hallowed footsteps of some of our greatest pioneers, those early missionary founders who have left behind schools, hospitals, industries and churches where there was nothing before.  When I visit these institutions I can't help but thank God for giving those pioneers the vision and the determination to start something and to persevere against the odds until their creations became the pillars of church and community they are now.  

Yet I also thrill at the knowledge that I am part of a new wave of creation as we build new institutions that will take their places in their communities as witnesses to our church and our faith.   And just like thousands of people have been blessed because of those silent founders who came before us, so will thousands be blessed by what we are doing.

We are embarking into the religious wilderness that is Greater China and we will carve out something that will be a blessing to thousands of families.  And this creation will be what it is because of each of us.  We will all leave our perspectives, commitments, skills and love so clearly imprinted on our schools that we can point to them and say "That's me!" 
 
This is the gift being offered us.  And at this fork in the road, our less travelled path will take us to our Land of Wonder.  

Let us start the journey now!