Fruition

Well, we've crossed the line. Passed our first big milestone. Three months of classes all boiled down to five hours this weekend when we took the SAT. We woke before the sun and gathered in the driveway, waiting to make sure everyone was there before we left. At seven, as the first rays of light were first breaking over the surrounding hills, we piled into our cars and left the villas in one long caravan. Nobody was on the road yet, and I enjoyed watching the taillights of the cars ahead of me mingle with the orange sunrise as we made our way to the school. As much as I enjoyed the feeling of fellowship, I couldn't help but feel like a prisoner preparing for a dawn execution. We arrived at the center earlier than anyone else and waited by the doors, mingling with the other teens, waiting patiently. The doors finally opened, and we filed through, signed in, and took our seats in half a dozen rooms through the school.

The feeling of being a prisoner passed as the proctors passed out our tests. I picked up my flimsy booklet and I felt like I was in control again I heard the repetitive instructions for the third time. I launched into my test with a little apprehension and a lot of excitement. My first section after the essay was mathematics, and I charged in, as in practice, quickly answering the easier questions at the beginning to get to the harder ones at the end. At least, that was the idea. I breezed through question after question, and I began to get suspicious. I was reminded of a time when I was playing paintball with my church group. My brother and I breached a door to a fort, only to find the courtyard empty and silent. Silent, that is, until they came from behind and mowed us down. The test felt the same way: far too easy. I slowed down and began to answer cautiously, but I still finished with plenty of time to spare, something I never did in practice. After another test passed the same way, I realized that it was actually easier than what we'd been practicing, whether because it had been dumbed down since the guide was written, or because the book was written to a higher level of preparation. Encouraged, I continued, finishing every section with time to go back and check. I noticed my fellows doing the same thing. I loved the feeling of being trained and prepared: something I'd never experienced on an SAT before.

The test all went by fairly quickly, and we were done practically before we started. Exchanging high-fives all around, we got out of there and regrouped by the door, talking about the test and how we felt. I was relieved to find out that I was not the only one who thought it was easy. In fact, the vote was unanimous. We celebrated with pizza and then went to a park, blowing off the rest of the day in games and then swimming. As much as we look forward to our scores, we're content with what we've accomplished. Three months of hard work has paid off. We are done with the SAT.

If this were a normal story, it would end there, the screen would fade black, and credits would roll but that's just not the way Mrs. Bortins does things. We still have two full semesters, and she's only getting started. She introduced trigonometry to us about a month ago, and she started physics on Monday. So far, we've really been enjoying physics. It hasn't gotten crazy yet, but I'm sure that's coming later. One last thing before I sign off. Caleb has been teaching us a song from the psalter: psalm 119X. We sang it as a prelude to the worship service this Sunday. It was beautiful, and we sang it with all the gusto of a fellowship intent on praising the Lord who brought us together and blessed us so graciously. We truly have been blessed.

Until next time,
Barnabas