Monday 29 April 2019

War of Color


Xu An Lim

On April 26th, the eighth graders and all of the high school were engaged in StuCo’s Color War, which lasted for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

At 6:30p the eighth graders and the high schoolers met on the outdoor basketball court. The war was a version of Capture the Flag, Freeze Tag, and darts: the teams had to throw stockings full of colored powder onto the other team’s target, which was the replacement of a flag, or at an opposing team member in order to tag them out, freezing them where they were hit. To get untagged, someone from your own team had to tap you and bring you back to your team’s base camp. After twenty minutes, whichever team received the most points on the target won the game.

The teams of the first round were a combination of the eighth and tenth graders, who used yellow powder, versus the ninth and twelfth graders, who used green. The first round was already underway when I arrived because I was taking my AP Bio mock exam. When I arrived, I untagged a member of my team and was told the rules of the game, as well as how to win. I also got pelted by color from my own teammates because they wanted me to look like I’ve been there for a long time. Miss Grad who was on neither team also pelted me with color.

When the round was over, Miss Grad informed us that the winners were the ninth and twelfth graders, and that there were free drinks and snacks for us to enjoy. She also announced that the eighth graders would be playing against all of the high school students for the second round. After making those announcements, the participants went to get food and drinks. It was during this time that I asked some people about how the Color War was so far. Jaqueline Leech (12) said, “it was a lot of fun and a lot of color.” 

When the break was over, the teams went to their respective sides and round two began. In the second round, the high schoolers used red, and the eighth graders used green; the new rule stated that nobody was allowed to stand very close to the centerline, puppy guarding. I ran to get color on the enemy target but got tagged. After a while, I got untagged and changed my strategy to tagging anyone who crossed the line. I managed to tag some people before the round ended. The winner was announced as the high schoolers, and with that, the Color War came to an end.

After the war, I walked straight home with all of the fun memories and a colorful—once white—shirt. I had a lot fun, and I was glad that I chose to go to the Color War.

Monday 22 April 2019

Nothing Can Stop Me; I’m All the Way Up


Nathan Chand

100 feet in the air, dangling from a parachute and clothes drenched, Seong Min Kim (12) extended his massive JSB asking sign out to be seen by his girlfriend, En Min Saw (12), who stood on the beach; the sign read, “Will you go to JSB with me?” He was met with an ecstatic ‘yes’,  in which Saw jumped into the ‘yes’ hole that Kim had dug in the beach. Smiles were on everyone’s faces, though they all stood in disbelief: an asking, which had been fantasized for years, had finally come true; somebody actually went to great lengths to perform such an extravagant asking. When he finally came down from the parasail, he met En Min with a huge hug, and it was time to take photos. You could see the joy on both of their faces.

On the other side of campus, there was another asking going on: Min Guk Kong (12) recreated a scene from How I Met Your Mother by making the “perfect date,” all in just two minutes! “It was one of the most intimate asking’s I’ve seen!” exclaimed Nicholas Khor (12).

The entire week of askings was full of wonderful surprises. People got super creative with their askings, using parasails, cars, boxes, and so much more. One asking was done by Jeremiah Worten (12), Linus Lim (12), and Alex Ruble (12). They rented jets skis and rode in from the sea to ask their dates, Lydia Kim (12), Mandy Lim (12), and Julia Jun (11), who were watching from the dorm, just to see their painted chests spell out: JSB.

Yes, during the last few weeks “love has been in the air” for it was JSB asking season. There have been so many memorable askings this year for JSB, while at the same time, there have been many romantic asks as well. JSB asking has been a Dalat tradition for the longest time, and it is sure to keep up; many of the askings this year will go down in Dalat’s history to be remembered by students for generations to come.

Tuesday 16 April 2019

Beginning of the Lasts


Ryna Mayekar

A mix of emotions led up to this meaningful week for the varsity football girls. Many were excited for all their hard work and painful diets to pay off. As their last practice on Monday came to an end, the reality of how soon the end was coming hit the departing players. With around eight weeks left till the seniors graduate, this was going to be one of the many lasts coming their way.

Two of the seven seniors had put the ball in the back of the net by the end of their first game with a final score of 4-0 against Morrison Academy-Kaohsiung. The win made the entire team’s morale even stronger than it initially was. With a sense of belonging on the field, as coach would tell them, they took on every game with the best possible mindset.

The girls lost their next game 1-0 against Grace International School, but didn’t allow their teammates to feel low since they had more games to play. The next day consisted of two games. They put up a tough battle against the champions of the tournament, ICS Hong Kong, and lost 3-0. This completed the pool play and pushed the girls into the losing bracket.

This didn’t stop the girls from playing to their fullest. They came out on top of the bracket, placing 5th after winning their next two games, 4-0 each time. They never got to play 2nd place Morrison Academy Central, 4th place ICS Bangkok, or last place Yongsan International School-Seoul.

This ACSC was set to mark the last 5 games of the seniors’ high school football careers. After that last game, an era in their life was over. For some, this meant the world to them. Throughout their second match up against MAK, words along the lines of “last one for the seniors” was shared across the field. Seconds after the whistle blew to signify the end of their last ever ACSC, tears began to fall. Within 10 minutes, the entire team was bawling their eyes out, embracing one another. The next team coming on to the pitch surely gave them some odd looks since they saw that Dalat had just won their game. Many meaningful words were exchanged such as, “it breaks my heart to know that this is the last game I will ever play with these girls, but all the laughter, memories, friendships, wins, and losses that this team has brought me is something I would never trade for anything else,” said Mandy Lim (12).

The below picture was taken while some of us were still crying, right after our last game. Coach Frohlich is holding flowers the girls got for her as it was also her last game coaching us.


Champions at Heart


Mandy Lim                                                              

The week after the treasured spring break, the varsity soccer girls went on the long-awaited ACSC trip to Morrison Acadmey in Taiwan.

They arrived at the campus on Tuesday, April 9th and rested up before the big day- game against MAK. Lethal: it’s a word that encapsulates what the girls will be as they approach the first game of the tournament. It’s a word that Coach Frohlich first mentioned during a practice, and it stuck with the girls ever since. Their lethality shone through as each goal served as a stepping stone for the next. In celebration of their 4-0 win, the girls gathered at an open spot on campus and played some hilarious games.

The soccer girls finished off the tournament with three wins and two losses, coming in fifth place out of eight teams. Apart from the games they played, they made some unforgettable memories with each other. On the field, the girls were hardworking, strong, intimidating, and lethal. But off the field, they had spontaneous dance parties, played telephone charades, made memes of each other, drank bubble tea every night, played spicy UNO with miniature cards, raided a nearby 7-Eleven store, turned into squealing pterodactyls, spilled each other’s secrets, and bawled their eyes out together.

As Bethany Davis (midfielder, 12) put it, “Although being on the field was fun, what was much more memorable was all the time spent off the field together. Living together and sharing memories made the week together much more than just playing soccer.”

The girls came home with a fifth place title on the record, but a first place title in their hearts. They fought hard and pushed through to the end, but what they really came away with were the memories that they made over the course of the trip. The time the girls spent together and the bonds that they made with each other can’t be replaced. What was truly meaningful could never be represented by a trophy.


Impact Trip


Alex Shing

Touchdown in the Philippines! Impact Team Manila left on the 23rd of March, early in the morning. Gathering together in a huddle, with parents standing on the outskirts to send their last minute well wishes, Mr. Ronzheimer and Mr. McClary blessed the group with their prayers before they jumped on the bus to the airport. The plane was bound for Singapore, and after having lunch at the lounge, the team was treated to another transfer flight, this time with onboard movies! It was 1 in the morning when the team left the Manila Airport; after the whole day of traveling, they were exhausted. It was there that they met up with their guides for the trip, Jake and Norman, who transported them to Yunjin Lyso Ministry Center (YMC) headquarters. Their journey had just begun.

No time for a long restful slumber, the team was woken up again to go to church the very next day. Made up of a very diverse congregation, the Impact team was able to meet up with many of the students who attended the school next door. As soon as the message was over, they were free to explore their surroundings. Practicing flexibility, one of the core tenets of FLOSS that Mr. McClary teaches all Impact trip participants, the team suddenly came across the kids they were to serve for the next week from the children’s home. Wearing their Sunday best, this didn’t prevent the Manila team members from spontaneously engaging in games and conversations, as the basketball court in front of the school erupted with much activity: basketball, volleyball, and soccer, just to name a few. Children gathered around Mr. McClary in lines to get a feel for his clean-shaven head, many mimicking a bright light being shone at them as they marveled at the highly reflective surface. Gathering for a group photo afterward, children’s home kids huddled with Impact trip members as the beginning of new friendships were formed.

In the afternoon, Norman brought the group through the YMC facilities. From the school and the children’s home to the construction site in which there is a plan to build a school, the Impact team was shown what good work they were doing in the communities around them. The entire team was inspired by stories of miracles and visions that were only made possible by the grace of God and the hard work of many teams that had gone before them. The tour ended with a visit to the children’s home, where the team engaged in further sports with the children there, with renewed energy.

With a clearer picture of what their surrounding is like, the Manila Impact team began serving within their various positions, with the intention of rotating through three different locations over the next three days. The first location was to paint the fences and level the ground at the construction site. The second location was to go on a feeding trip to the surrounding slums, bringing around a large tub of food to be distributed to the children. The third location was the school next door, which was in their final weeks of class. They were in the middle of a sports festival; along with this, the seniors were preparing to graduate. Entering into this situation, the team began sharing their interests and finding many conversation starters along the way, at the same time cheering their classmates in the basketball tournament they were in. Members expressed enjoyment at the chance to converse fluently with peers their age.

Later in the evening, the team congregated together and headed to the children’s home. Their objective? To run a devotional time with the kids there, and engage them with stories of the Bible. Over the course of the next three days, the team sang songs, did dances, taught, and let kids draw out Noah’s ark, the fruits of the Spirit, and more. Older children went to a separate room to do small group, where they were challenged with difficult questions that initiated further discussion. The end of devotions gave time for children home kids and Impact team members alike to hang out and just have fun. Hudson Morgan (11) and a few other boys impressed everyone with their front-flips, to which Kimberly Hills said, “I wish I could do that!”

As soon as the trip had begun, it was coming to a close. On the very last day, after long hours of work, the team took a fun trip to a nearby waterfall and was able to spend more time hanging out together. After many dives into the pool, Bethany Davis (12) and Lydia Kim (12), always the dynamic duo, initiated many opportunities for everyone to pick up the Asa hand game. At the very last devotional, the team was able to give out goodie bags and play a massive game of Asa, which ended with more than a few people receiving slaps! Many bittersweet words were exchanged before they separated. Returning back from the trip, each of the students could confidently say that they were reconnected to their faith, and rededicated themselves to a constant mindset of service.

Monday 8 April 2019

Depravity, Darkness, and the Light that Still Shines

Kristiana Phillips
 Silently taking in the darkness hanging heavily about them, the Southwest Thailand Impact trip team followed Mr. McClary into a cave-like area, looping around a large cluster of bars. Even in the late morning, the aftermath of an evil night haunted the now-abandoned bars. A menacing tiger statue, an entrance shaped like a grotesquely leering mouth, and a red shop with a sign reading “The Devil’s Playground” all screamed silently of the rampant depravity so glorified in Patong Beach, Thailand.

Reflecting on the experience, senior Nicholas Khor observed that “the literal emptiness of the bars showed the gravity of the sex industry and...represented that emptiness of sin.”

Another senior, Seth Kelley, remarked, “It was one of the heaviest things I’ve ever had to witness, but it gave me a more realistic sense of how depraved the world can be. It also showed me how imperative it is that Christians go out and reflect Christ’s light in these places.”

In fact, the theme of Impact this year was taken from Philippians 2:6-7, calling followers of Christ to adapt the attitude of their Savior, “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” Further along in the chapter, believers are called to “become blameless and pure ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation’” with the promise that “then you will shine like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (verse 15).

Many students on the Southwest Thailand team took this passage to heart, asking God to empower them to shine for Him. Through the chaos of many changed plans, through the busyness of organizing a kids’ camp, and even through the darkness of Patong Beach, God was incredibly present on the trip, encouraging His children and blessing them as they stepped out to serve.

As trip leader, Ms. Heidi Keas, reflected, “More than anything else, God was encouraging and affirming me in my calling and letting me taste the pure joy that can be found when we surrender our lives to His will!”

On the very same trip where students were forced to face the worst of humanity, they were also given hope—both through time spent alone with God and through time spent together, serving. Two days after the unsettling trip to Patong Beach, the team was given an opportunity to lead a kids’ camp at a local Thai church.

Surrounded by children who were easily engaged and eager to learn, it was impossible not to be softened by their wonder and innocence. Speaking about his time spent with the kids, Seth recalled, that they “...taught me that there are so many ways to break the language barrier...There’s fun, there’s smiling, there’s laughing, so many universal languages that do more wonders than words.”

The local church’s efforts to reach out to its community and the opportunity to come alongside them and pour into children’s lives was a refreshing reminder that hope and goodness still exist. 

For those who went on the Southwest Thailand Impact trip, God’s declaration that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5), rang especially clear and true.



Southwest Thailand Impact Trip

By Natasha Palanivel

Over spring break, twelve students made an adventurous and exciting journey to Phuket, Thailand for their Impact trip.

On Friday morning (March 29th), twelve students, along with Mr. McClary and Ms. Keas, enthusiastically boarded the flight to Phuket. None of them knew what the following week would bring. In the evening, Mr. Dan—a missionary in Phuket who was in charge of bringing the group around—came over to brief the team on the culture of Thailand, after which the motley crew headed to their rooms to rest.

The next day, Mr. Dan took the team to Patong Beach to see the depravity of the sex industry in Phuket. As the students walked down Patong Beach, it opened their eyes to the underlying sin that was going on. After that dark and heavy walk, the rest of the day was spent resting and bonding as a team.

Sunday finally rolled around, and the team got a chance to visit a Thai church. The students enjoyed the time of worship and sat through an entirely Thai speaking service. After church, the group headed back to prepare for the kids’ camp, which was the main service project for their Impact trip.

Kids’ camp took place on both Monday and Tuesday; both days were long and tiring—but also fulfilling. The students got to interact and play with the kids, as well as teach them English. In turn, the Thai kids attempted to teach some of the students certain words in Thai. On Tuesday night, the crew made their way to the headquarters of an organization called For Freedom International, which helps to fight the sex industry in Phuket. The students spent time getting to know the people of FFI through sports and pizza.

On Wednesday, the students went back to FFI and took a tour of their headquarters. The rest of the day was spent bonding as a team. At night, the group celebrated Ms. Keas birthday in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean and the stunning sunset. It was one last blast before the students made their way back home to Penang on Thursday.
Over the course of the week, the students made many memories and grew very close to one another. The students also had many encounters with God. Many experienced God through the morning and evening quiet times, and others experienced God through subtle things throughout the trip. Abby Owen (10) summarized her Impact experience this way: “Our Impact trip to Phuket was great. We taught and played with Thai kids through running kids camp along with learning about the sex trafficking industry from an organization there working to help stop it. This trip really showed me how similar people are across cultures and gave me an opportunity to grow closer to God.”

The Impact program truly is a wonderful way for students to serve, build relationships, and grow closer to God. 

A Spicy Week in ECHO

En Min Saw

“HUAHUAHUAHUAHUA…” Matthew Strong’s (12) contagious laughter echoed through the atmosphere. At 5:30a.m. on Sunday morning, the Northern Thailand Impact Team led by Ms. Munson, Aunt Jan, and Mr. Pagee embarked on their technology-free journey to discover more about agriculture. About ten tiring hours later, they arrived at the Chiang Mai International Airport, at which they were greeted with three vibrant red songthaews.

Surprisingly, the ride from the airport to the outskirt of Chiang Mai only lasted half an hour. The songthaew entered an enclosed area—the ECHO Research Center. At this center, the staff works hard to experiment with different methods of seed storage, which enables local farmers to grow consistent crops and prevent wipeouts of certain species. While gazing at a sheet of green rice paddies bathed under the sinking sun, the students couldn’t help but gasp at the beautiful view. “If I type ‘meadow’ into Google, this is actually what comes up,” exclaimed Mandy Lim (12), holding up her fingers to frame the paddies.

The next day, replenished with energy, the team was eager to get down and dirty. The morning began with a tour of the ECHO compound, through the compost station, plantations, the mirror-like pond, a mini barn, and seed storage rooms. The staff also explained to them the goals of this trip: complete the earth-bag house for seed storage, remove water plants for compost purposes, and assist in the seed plucking, germination, and storing processes.

The earth-bag house was a round-house with bags filled with mud as walls, thatched with straws. This allowed the temperature in the house to fluctuate less and therefore store seeds better. The students were tasked with the job of covering the interior and exterior with a thick layer of mud to solidify the building. Getting right to work, they had to first prepare the mud. To do so, a combination of soil and rice husks were made into a volcano-like shape then filled with water. The students stepped in the mixture in a circular motion while the mud gradually took shape. This mud was then slathered on the walls. Of course, cheeky Dalat students had to throw dirt on each other and start mud fights. Everybody was relatively amused amidst the labor work.

The tale of the pond with the infestation of spiders and snails was well-known by the entire team. To remove the water plants for compost purposes, the team had to submerge themselves in waist-deep pond water to remove the plants. What was the worst part? The pond was filled with spiders, both tiny and large. Many members took up the courage to enter the “evil” pond despite their fear of insects. These water plants were then chopped up and played a significant role in the compost. Layers of fresh plants, followed by dried plants and cow manure, were compressed into a large cake-like mold with the constant pouring of water. According to the ECHO staff, this procedure speeds up the compost process by more than eighty percent.

Although managing seeds wasn’t as labor intensive as the previous jobs, it was a very tedious process that required patience. From retrieving the seeds to storing them, a lot of work was poured into this procedure. Along with the work, the students gained a few insights on the methods of seed storage.  

Free time and snacks were the rewards for the team’s hours of dedication under the sun. “Yo, who’s down to play a massive Spicy Uno game?” Duncan Magruder (11) offered.

Munching on chips and cookies, the students all responded with excitement. Spicy Uno became one of the staple board games of the Northern Thailand Impact Trip. The team did not survive one day without it. After a few days, Joel Kelley (11) introduced everyone to a game called “Murder in the Dark,” which provoked the detective side of the players. It was played in a dark compound, which made the situation even more nerve-wracking and thrilling. Other than that, the team swam in the pond, played casual games of badminton, volleyball, and ping-pong, and reflected about their day.

In a blink of an eye, six days flew by. Before the team even knew, they had to say goodbye. Bags packed, the leaders and students heavy-heartedly climbed onto the songthaews and returned to reality. Even though the trip ended, it was the beginning of the formation of new relationships and the strengthening of existing relationships.

“This Impact trip made me grow spiritually and taught me how to handle unexpected situations well. It also brought me closer to people I didn’t expect to bond with. During work, we lifted each other up through encouragement and motivation, and that truly solidified our relationships,” expressed Seong-Min Kim (12).

God Worked in Students at Impact Manila

Trevor Ronning

Eighteen anxious students stood around outside the Dalat front office on the 23 of March. These students were about to embark on an impact trip to Manila, the purpose of which is to learn through service. The group had been preparing to go on Impact for months through weekly 7am meetings and several lunch meetings. They left Dalat at noon to head off to Manila and the unknown. The team wasn’t quite sure what to expect; all they knew was that God would use the trip for his glory.

When the group arrived in Manila at 11pm at night, every student was excited to enter a new culture and leave an impact on people in the area. The team arrived at the guesthouse and crashed in their rooms quickly that night. The next morning, the team went to church next to the guesthouse. After church, the team got together outside of the church building and began playing with the kids in their church clothes. The kids had loads of fun playing basketball with students like Alix Stuart (10) and Tori Lindsey (12), and the kids were quite entertained by Hudson Morgan’s (11) backflips.

By the time the team was done playing with the kids, two hours had slipped by. Over the course of the trip, the students spent a lot of time with kids through serving food to them and devotional nights at the children’s homes. I think the whole team would agree that spending time serving the kids helped us to grow spiritually. This kind of selfless service turned out to be a source of tremendous joy for the team.

Besides spending time with the kids, the team grew spiritually through the morning small group sessions, where a theme for each day guided their conversation. The theme for one particular day—abide—left a lasting impact on our hearts about how joyful we can be when we are in Jesus. The theme of abide included a verse that says when we abide in Christ, our joy will be complete (John 15:11). That day, my small group prayed that our joy would be complete as we went through our day. At the end of the day, God surely answered our prayers—the team was full of unexplainable joy.

Many students shared that night that they came to see how a relationship with God is possible through this verse and theme. Regarding the trip experience, Tori Lindsey said, “It's always eye-opening to go into a country like the Philippines and experience their way of life. I loved every minute of the trip and all the work we had the opportunity to do. I loved experiencing the culture and sharing the love of God with the people. Overall, it was an incredibly fulfilling and joyful trip that I will remember forever.”

In conclusion, the team was able to encounter God in an incredible way in Manila through service and other activities.