<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1737" style="width: 300px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1737">Parents watching band concert</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_876" style="width: 300px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-876">Kids loading into the plane for return to UBAC</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1795" style="width: 300px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1795">Truck loaded with kids heading back to UBAC</figcaption></figure>

This is part 3 of a 5 part series titled: The Boarding School Dilemma – Balancing Mission and Family – The Parents’ Viewpoint.  Part 1 laid out the dilemma of the issue and how few parents have discussed the experience with their children. This was followed by Part 2 that drilled down into the Ubangi Academy (UBAC), which was the school we attended, along with the dormitory facilities, routines, and culture. This episode focuses on the Parents. How did they handle and reconcile with sending their children away? I interview several parents: one who was a UBAC attendee, then as an adult, sent his children to the dorm, thus experiencing both sides of the equation. The second interviewee sent his kids away to UBAC then became the dorm parent for a period of time. And the third interviewee, Anonymous, also shares some viewpoints. Most parents grieved and struggled with sending their children away, and prayed for the best. Many made extra efforts for spending quality family time during vacations. Others tried to visit mid-term when they could. But all parents knew it was a sacrifice that would impact their family, to serve in Congo, while sending their children away to boarding school.  In Part 4, kids are interviewed and you will hear from them about the experience. And the final episode will be a wrap up and take-away of what we can learn about all of this and how to move forward. Special thanks to Kim Cone, Jim Snyder, and Anonymous for being interviewed for this episode. Thanks too to Ruth Hill for her comments and insights. Also, appreciation is extended to those who returned the surveys as numerous responses were used in this episode to round it out.

 

**Rated in 2024 to the TOP 25 Best “Life Stories” Themed Podcasts Worldwide – https://blog.feedspot.com/life_stories_podcasts/