Devon Graduation June 11, 2009

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I heard information that a high place adminstrator told Devon's home school teacher, that Devon would NEVER pass the high school exit exam and graduate high school.

Devon has been a kid, that would never take 'No' for an answer. I wonder where he got that from????? After Gail's passing in June 2007, we had a meeting with school administrators and Devon had a choice of either getting:

1. His GED

2. Certificate of completion

3. His high school diploma

He answered right away. I want my high school diploma. I want to graduate and walk with my class!!!

The Lord provided people like Aaron Reed, his homeschool teacher, Lisa Mo, who graciously opened her home, Aaron's generosity to allow Gail to trade admin for tuition, Nancy Z who tutored him in Math, Brendan K., who tutored him Math, Sa bu Nim Paul Carmody @ Half Moon Bay Kuk Sool Won who taught Devon to do his best and never give up, Bible Study Fellowship and Taylor McCormick and learning about God and how to walk in His Ways, Grandma and Grandpa, who always got in Devon's face and JiChan and Baachan who came up over and over again just to be with us. Greg Lim's guys, group, the fishing trips with the guys, Jeff Bovero calling Devon up. The C-Pals and Big Wave embracing Devon and me as they always have. And Devon playing on the big couagars and learning what means to cooperate, trust your teammates, Greg Off, Jeff and Val Peck, Bob Deaver, the prayer team @ Mariner's and Anaheim, the Ladida group. Pam and Joey Sayles and others that have walked the walk. Family. Lo, Joy-JOy, uncle Mike workin out and listening, Auntie Katie and Uncle Leigh shopping and doting over Devon yet making him pick up poop too!!! Uncles and Aunties and friends that walked and continue to Walk.

God, you made all this possibe. You are the miralce maker. You are the one who can bring beauty from ashes. New life out of death. You are the overcomer. You have overcome. There is NO OTHER.

Love,

Jon

2 Years..retrospective from July 2007

Hi Everyone-

We are thankful to the God for seeing us through to this point...He has made good on His promise to neve leave us nor forsake us.

Every call, card, E-Mail, prayer and just hanging out has made us keenly aware of the goodness of God in our lives. We are living proof. That does NOT mean that our life has been easy. It hasn't. There are ongoing disppointments, grief, anger and hurt to process. We are grateful that we do not have to go through this alone, but you have reached out to us. Even the 'unspoken' and 'quiet' ways, have meant the world to us. We thank God for you.

I wanted to share with you something that Devon wrote shortly after Gail passed away in June of 2007. We were on our morning walk and he asked me what I was concerned about and I told him that I was concerned that I could not be both his mother and father, and that I didn't know what I was going to do about that. I remember it was on a Sunday morning walk. I suggested that he think of eveything that he could of what was important to him at that point of his life and write it down. I told him that I would do the same thing and that we would compare notes and then order our lives around those things that were the most important.

I am sharing the list that Devon wrote as a testimony to how Father God has provided for our needs.

From Devon:

"For a successful year, I need to......

1. Do homework and turn it in on time.
2. Feed the cats
3. Clean their litter box
4. Fill up their water
5. Make my bed
6. Go to Bible Study Fellowship and do my lessons.
7. Get good grades
8. To maintain a good relationship wtih God and follow Him and his calling.
9. To organize my homework.
10. To make sure that either I have my lunch packed or have enough money for lunch.
11. To be able to have all my school supplies before school starts.
12. To be able to be a impact in people's lives.
13. To spend more time with things that are important
14. To be able to be open my heart to new ideas.
15. To be able to stay strong for my loved ones
16. To be able to honor my Dad.
17. To become cool tempered.
18. To go deeper in my faith.
19. to honor God and His commandments
20. To grow more closer with God.
21. To stay in shape.
22. to be an active member in the church
23. To be able to go from ground zero to ground 10


The Father has been faithful. Devon set his mind two years ago to graduate. In order to do that, he had to pass the Math and English exit exam. He persisted and did not give up, even though Math is tough for him.

Devon was able to attend Bible Study Fellowship this year and we studied the Life of Moses and how God made a new and living way for his people that were trapped in slavery. There were numerous stories of how God was faithful, patient and provided for his people that continually complained and grumbled. They were great life lessons for Devon and his Dad. We learned that Moses had a personal ongoing conversation/relationship with God and walked in the Lord's ways. We learned about the offerings and rituals listed in Leviticus and how the sin offering was the first in a series of offerings and why the sin offering was the first one offered. It is because no matter hard we try, there is no basis to come to God with anything that we have done, because we are all sinners, all the time, needing forgiveness.

Devon was able to participate in a guy's group on Wednesday night @ Mariners church in Half Moon Bay.

Devon will be attendng Foothill College starting June 29th-August 6th. He will be a one year program called 'Transition to Work' Foothill College is in Los Altos. It is a beautiful campus with buildings right out of 'Sunset' magazine. It has a homey feel to it. Please pray for this transition as most of his friends are attending College of San Mateo. In a few weeks Devon will be trained on how to use the local transportation system. He will be taking two busses and a train to get to and from school. He will be picking up an important life skill.

He will soon be testing to obtain his learner's permit and hopefully will be able to obtain his driver's license later this summer.

Shortly after he finishes his first quarter @ Foothill, we will be travelling to Connenicutt to visit brother Jeff and Susan Yoshimine who recently moved from Santa Barbara. We have never been back east before. Our parents will be going also. I would like to attend a Boston Red Sox baseball game @ Fenway and take the "Freedom Walk' in Boston. Other than that, we will be just hanging out.

We are still processing our grief and walk it out. We covet your prayers as we walk our future out together.

I will ask Devon to share soon about how he feels about graduating and his future.

Love,

Jon

'Ark Memories' from Gail.....

the following reflection is written in 1997 before we moved to Half Moon Bay. It was written after a reflection that Gail had after reviewing her life from 1989-1997.

Background: Two great guys, Bruce and Brice, together with Gail and I purchased a 5 bedroom home together, within 2 miles of our home church in order to live 'in community'. We wanted the house to be used as a 'safe house' where anyone could just drop in and be welcomed with the love of Jesus......It was lovingly referred to as 'the Ark'

'Ark Memories' .....by Gail Yoshimine

tears of gratitude......
realizing God's goodness, God's love, God's power in and through faith community.

'the Wee three,

Brice, Bruce, Jon and me
willing to follow the Mighty Three in One
the Father, Son and Holy Spirt
into joining our lots and less of faith, monies and friendship
to seeking to share our hearts
to seeking to make a home together
Reflecting on God's faithfulness fills me with awe and wonder
Remembering God's planting seeds, watering, weeding
and bearing fruit...
at our home, in the Ark!!

Community in Christ poured into us.....
courage to color beyond the lines-take risks, bring life to ideas,
bring others onboard

Strength to persevere-to swim upstream, withstand the darts of the enemy, and keep striving adn straining in prayer for
the Lord's presence

******
Reasons to celebrate and the place to come together to do just that!!!!