A Farewell Letter from Ginnie
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Randy and I have prayed these words from Psalm 127 for many years, and as I come to the close of my Ambleside tenure, I can testify that these words are true—the Lord has built the house and the Lord has guarded the city. Ambleside is evidence of His masterful workmanship, His constant protection, and his unceasing provision of laborers and watchmen for this ministry to young people.
Randy and I have been tremendously blessed by the outpouring of love and appreciation from you over the past weeks. The Farewell Picnic at Great Country Farms was unforgettable, and we are so grateful for all of you who worked to make that occasion special.
We saw people who have been with the school from the beginning and labored in the trenches with us—Mike and Sarah Bruce, Leslie Voorhees, Martha James, Pam and Ken Rogers, Shannon Seiberlich, Richard and Julia McDonnell, Jacki and Mike Abbey, and Bill and Maryellen St Cyr. We saw so many dear alumni families and alumni students, leaders of other Ambleside schools who flew in for the event, and so many current families, faculty, and staff.
As we listened to story after story of how God has carried this school through difficult times, I was reminded of the story in Joshua. God told the Israelites to pick up stones from the middle of the river and pile them on the other side so that they would remember to tell their children about the crossing of the Jordan.
The Joshua Monument was built, over 17 years ago out of river rocks, laid on an altar of gratitude, as we gathered after a difficult year as a school community. There had been a cancelled lease, a frantic search for a new location, and school in a barn where classrooms were set up and broken down each day. As we sang, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” the stones we piled one by one became the Joshua Monument that now stands at the entrance to the school. Its inscription reads, “So that all may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you will Love the Lord your God forever.”
Over the past weeks, Randy and I, along with others, have had many opportunities to tell the story of Ambleside, and one common thread has emerged over and over again. God has been faithful to build our house and to watch over the city, as he promised in Psalm 127.
As we come to this new crossing in the life of Ambleside School, and welcome the leadership of our new Head of School, Mrs. Kristin Nowak, I can only celebrate all the ways God has cared for His children.
Below are some of the videos of the past weeks that capture some of those stories, including the now famous song my five children sang to honor us.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (5th grade)
Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew (6th grade)
Shakespeare’s Hamlet (7th & 8th grades)
Psalm 127 closes with these words, “Children are a gift of the Lord...like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
I have been truly blessed by my own children, and by all the children I have had the opportunity to serve. God has built His house, and He will continue to build it for future generations. Thank you for giving me the privilege of being one of His laborers.
May God bless you and keep you.
For the children’s sake,
Virginia R. Wilcox
Head of School
