Monthly Updates

JULY/AUGUST - 2026

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Thank you everyone for your patience! Between trying to recharge during the end of our summer and starting a new school year, things have fallen a bit behind with updates…but we are back! (This update will serve both July and August).

We ended our summer in Davao with Ellie’s parents. It was a much needed time: Quality family time, fellowship with brothers and sisters in the Faith through house church, a boat trip, hanging out on the water, and PRAYING over our family and school year. Thank you Lord for Your comfort, rest and encouragement. Along with rest and relaxation, something else was brewing behind the scenes - our new Dormies were being accepted and placed! Which leads us to…

The 2026-2027 school year has begun! We came home to some newly renovated spaces in the Dorm. We then welcomed (after many late nights at the airport) 5 new Dormies! 4 of these “newbies” are brand new to Boarding and Faith Academy while 1 was acquired from another Dorm. We are praising God for bringing us a batch of Dormies who all seem enthusiastic to be a part of our Dorm 1 (“The Neethling Nest”) family. As the students say, “the vibes are immaculate.”

The beginning of the school year is always a “hit the ground running” experience. We started the year with “Family Home Weekend.” While the big trip to the beach is reserved for 2nd semester’s FHW, 1st semester we stay local and introduce the newbies to all the stuff: we had a pizza/game night along with some orientation, took them on their first outing in the city (arcade, indoor play place and mall for lunch/shopping), All-Dorm cookout (main course cooked by Tyler) and finally All-Dorm Church on Sunday to conclude. Whew…what a weekend; a great success given by our Great God and a great team.

Transitioning to a new school year after a very “low-key” summer has been eventful for the kids. Eva has aggressively adapted to her new schedule and teachers and is crushing it (as she does). She is also having many “deepening of her faith” moments with us and we are praying these moments will stick. Levi is enjoying a lighter academic workload and is thrilled to be with his friends again, while also learning the classroom dynamic set by his new teacher. Vonna is still having difficulty with the stimulation and demands of school. There have been some difficult moments with many tears, much prayer, consistent reading of Scripture and setting aside intentional time to be with her.

Please continue to pray for our family. We truly believe that God is doing a mighty work in our family, our Dorm, and our school, but that means our enemy is on high alert. Pray for protection; pray for peace; pray we would always remember:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment.”

- 2 Timothy 1:7

may - 2026

The Class of 2026 was the largest graduating class in Faith Academy history. Graduation marks the end of these Senior's high school careers along with the end of our first year as Boarding Home Parents. The month of May was a whirlwind academically with logisitics regarding graduating seniors, studying for Final Exams and AP Exams, and attending presentations. Relationally, May was our favorite month of the whole year: our Dorm truly bonded and our culture was more firmly established. This month of celebration and bonding concluded with 2 more of our Dormies obeying the Lord in Baptism on Graduation morning.

Our children are breathing a huge sigh of relief now that they have completed their first year of school not at home! They all finished very strong academically and are relishing their new-found free time. While we miss everyone in the States and are sad we could not swing a trip back this summer, we were blessed to have Grandpa Darrell stay with us for the first 2 weeks of summer break! Those of you who live in close proximity to him, be sure to ask him all about his time here with us!

June, for us, will be spent in the Dorm: homemaking, resting, looking over all the new construction (so much maintenance happens over the summers), and meeting with our team regarding the new arrivals for next year. July, we will spend the majority of the month in Davao with Ellie's parents.

Thank you all so much for your love and support over this year. "Faithfulness" is the word that repeatedly comes to mind as we reflect on the year. Jesus' faithfulness to our family and to the ministry He has called us to is so clear. He has sustained us when we were weak; He has provided when we were unsure; He has brought students to saving faith. This summer, we lean on His faithfulness and ask for His wisdom regarding the future along with resting in all that He has accomplished. Pray with us and praise with us!

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" - Matthew 11:28

April - 2026

This month has been a time of "Huh... This may just be possible afterall." Personal adjustments are beginning to feel more second-nature; our understanding of the job itself has seemed to settle into our minds well; balancing Dorm parenting and actual parenting is feeling more acheivable; relationships have begun to pay off through a tangible sense of family and comraderie; overall, God has been graciously allowing us to take a deep breath and simply appreciate it all.

We now look to the end of the school year: concerts, plays, exams, conferences, meetings, more exams and even more exams... and at the end of it all? SUMMER! Our summer plans have finally been solidified: a visit from Grandpa, connecting with Faith Academy friends and a month in Davao with Ellie's parents. Praise God for His provision of our plane tickets amidst the oil crisis.

Family Home Weekend was quite the learning experience. Managing 50 teenagers going to and from each activity, being possibly marooned our last day, then pivoting to a completely different route home...phew. Despite the exhaustion we feel right now, the results are unmistakeable: the blessing of bonding with one another. The Dorm has a deeper sense of family now.

We look forward to what The Lord Jesus has in store for the remaining few weeks of the school year. Pray with us as we look to wrap up our first year as excellently as possible!

March - 2026 (Quarterly update)

Three quarters of our children's first school experience have been completed. Three quarters of our first year of being Boarding Home Parents have been completed. Three quarters of living oversees, missing home, being on mission...Completed.

If you have been keeping up with our updates, you know that this new life God has given our family has been filled with ups, downs, lessons, adventures, tears, and everything in between. Much like our children have grown taller, more resilient, and more educated, so has the Lord done the same for our walk with Him.

Dependency: this is the key word for our first year, thus far. Dependency on His Word and on prayer when coming up on decisions; dependency on His provision for support and logistics; dependency on His Peace while the Philippines in under state of national emergency (see Prayer page).

This final quarter, we are told, goes by very fast. Another Dorm trip on the horizon, seniors graduating, finals, AP Exams, drama productions, concerts, and before we know it, summer break! Pray with us as we seek to faithfully and excellently close our first year here at Faith Academy!

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