From the desk of Shawn Rhoads, Director of Residential Life:

This past Friday night was our annual Brook Hill Auction.  The theme for this year’s auction was International Block Party, featuring our students from around the world, representing eighteen countries.

After learning about the vision for the boarding program at Brook Hill that the Lord gave Mr. Dement, back in 1989, attendees then had the opportunity to meet and hear from international students from Thailand, Cameroon, Angola, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mexico, Nigeria and many other nations.  Each student introduced themselves, told where they were from and then said “Thank You” in their own language.  Three students, including Ben Nguyen (Vietnam), Shoa Domia (Nigeria) and Fereshta Tori Jan (Afghanistan), then shared what Brook Hill has meant to them and how it had blessed them through relationships and even rescuing them from perilous situations in their home countries. To conclude that segment of the evening Blessing Kim (Cameroon) prayed for Brook Hill and those in attendance.

It was an incredibly special time and particularly meaningful for me as Director of Residence Life.  I am so thankful for the vision that God gave Mr. Dement and grateful that he responded in faith to that vision.  I can’t imagine an East Texas, USA or world without Brook Hill and the vacuum it would leave, and I’m sure that our international families share my sentiments.

A special thanks to all our international students who represented Brook Hill so well last Friday, including those students previously mentioned as well as Tito Babatunde (Nigeria), Alex Corpuz (the Philippines), Sarah Wegner (USA), Hadi Javed (Pakistan), Cowboy Xie (China), Nutchapon Patamakiljakul (Thailand), Fernanda Alvarez (Mexico), Natalie Yuen (Hong Kong), BoHee Kim (Korea), Chasca Ortega (Ecuador), Danielle Adams (Federated States of Micronesia) and Natilse Lourenco (Angola).