Our Town

Rosslyn Academy High School Theatre Presents

O u r   T o w n

By Thornton Wilder

November 13, 14 and 15, 2014

Mr. Webb (Tristan Kenny) introduces Grover’s Corners 

with Stage Manager (Emmanuel Undie)

This past weekend, we had the joy of seeing Tristan and several of his friends in their theatrical fall production of Our Town. This was the first Rosslyn play directed by Mr. Steven Slaughter, who did an incredible job helping the students refine their acting skills in this minimalist staged play that stripped away sets and props and focused on the actors who had to mime actions and create for the audience the town and life of the fictional Grovers Corner’s, New Hampshire.

The entire cast and crew did an fabulous job in the most moving and beautiful performance that we’ve experienced. Here are a few snap shots of the play thanks to Carey Wagner who volunteered as the photographer.

Act 1: The Daily Life

“Look at that moon. Potato weather for sure!"

Emily Webb (Emerson Slaughter) gives her dad a peck on the cheek

George Gibbs (Jon Michael Halvorson) with eyes for Emily Webb

Mrs. Gibbs (Abigail Kroening) fixing breakfast

Our Town focuses on a non-linear narrative of two families, the Gibbs and the Webbs, as we experience life at the turn of the century.

George Gibbs with Dr. Gibbs (Josh Hravatic)

George and his sister Rebecca Gibbs (Caeli Kean) 

admiring a moonlit evening from their bedroom window

Act 2: Love and Marriage

"People are meant to go through life two by two. 

’Tain’t natural to be lonesome"

Mrs. Webb (Janet Lee) keeping George 

from seeing the bride on their wedding day

Mr. Webb giving George some marriage advice

George taking it well

George and Emily at the Malt Shop

 Mrs. Webb reflecting on marriage

Act 3: Death and Eternity

“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?

--every, every minute?"

One of the dead (Chris Adewole)

The Psalm Life

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not, in mournful numbers

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal

Dust thou art, to dust returnest

Was not spoken of the soul.

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time

Let us, then, be up and doing

With a heart for any fate

Still achieving, still pursuing 

Learn to labor and to wait.

Celebrating the final show!

Huram, Tristan, Chris, Katie, Caeli, and Ezra

Erica and I had the pleasure of hosting the cast party at our home on Saturday evening. We are so grateful for the wonderful teachers and friends that make up this community!

Drama Mamas at the cast party

Tristan, Brian, Rachel and Abi

2014 Advent Reader

Over the past few years, our family has benefitted from Advent reflections shared by pastors and Christians leaders from across our wide Canadian Baptist family. Daily advent readings, candle lighting and prayer has become an important part of our family Christmas tradition.

It has been a great privilege for us to have been invited to make contributions as members of Canadian Baptist Ministries Africa team. This year, Erica has provided a reflection on experiencing Christmas in Africa.

The annual reader is a free resource that anyone can download, or order as a hard copy, for your family, church or small group.

The Advent Reader begins on November 30th.

You can sign up for a daily email by simply Clicking Here

FAll 2014 Mosaic

Please click on open publication to view in full size.

Praying for Peace in South Sudan

Over the past year, Canadian Baptist Ministries’ partner the Faith Evangelical Baptist Church (FEBAC) of South Sudan, has been responding to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the brutal conflict that erupted in December 2013.

Attempts at reconciliation among the South Sudanese leadership have continued to be a struggle. Just days ago on November 2, President Kiir withdrew his negotiating team from peace talks being held in Ethiopia. With ongoing violence and displacement within South Sudan, thousands of refugees have continued to flee to camps in Uganda and Kenya. 

The largest group of South Sudanese refugees is gathered in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya, where over 90,000 Sudanese people are now living, they are over half the population of the camp that has grown to 180,000.

Sadly, the conflicts and ethnic divisions of their country have followed these families into the camps. Over this past weekend, sexual assault accusations against one Dinka man led to mass unrest, as thousands of Nuer and Dinka refugees fought and by Sunday evening, 20 people were dead. This latest conflict is not the first within Kakuma. Only a week prior, a violent clash led to the deaths of 8 other men, among them was Athiei Machol, a relative of our friend Rev. Saphano.

Kenyan police moved in and restored calm, but this is a fragile peace.

Please pray with us for the people of South Sudan and especially for the countries leaders, that they might each make the courageous and sacrificial steps critical for peace. Please remember the church of South Sudan as we pray for the pastors and lay leaders of FEBAC who are seeking to restore trust and compassion across tribal identities in transforming conflict to lasting reconciliation.


So when the shoe fits
the foot is forgotten,
when the belt fits
the belly is forgotten,
when the heart is right
“for” and “against” are forgotten.
Thomas Merton (1915-1968)