The Wagner’s have been a huge part of Phoenix Bible Church for a long time now. They served the people of Phoenix and loved Jesus well. But as God sometimes does, He has called this amazing family to another country, away from the comforts of home, to love, live, and lead others to Jesus in the country of Honduras. We had a chance to interview Kris, Carlene, and their two young boys before they set out on this new adventure on June 11th. Please pray for the Wagner family and consider partnering with them financially. We certainly will miss them, but know God has an amazing plan for them in Honduras!
– You’re a family of 4, kids in Kindergarten and 2nd Grade, live in El Mirage, own a home…what makes you move your family to Honduras to do something like this?
“We have been blessed to enjoy many of the opportunities our day and age offers: owning a home, a great school for our two boys, solid jobs, a 401(k), air conditioning …There’s no doubt we can live and serve the Lord right here in El Mirage, Arizona; however, over the last two years, God has really given us a “holy unrest.” We’ve been drawn to the forgotten, the downtrodden, and those with few, or no, options, in much deeper ways. We have worked with at-risk youth and the homeless in the past, and as we tried to get jobs (here in the U.S.) in those fields, nothing was working out. We also looked at ministry jobs, but still, for one reason or another, doors kept closing. We finally accepted that our rhythm of life here (working at QT, managing a mobile home park, local relationships) was what God wanted us to thrive in for this season.
Well, last August we heard that the school/orphanage Carlene’s family has worked with for years was needing teachers. We prayed about it for a week, and then contacted the organization. It was AMAZING to see doors flying open as we moved forward in this process! Things have still taken longer than we anticipated, but it’s been a great learning process of trusting in God’s timing, and not in our own.
We are thrilled to now be partnered with two amazing organizations who work with orphans in Honduras (check them out: Mission Encounters International and Worldwide Heart to Heart), and cannot wait to see how God molds and shapes our family in this new adventure. You can follow along with our story at our blog.”
– What are some of the things you’ll do while you there?
“We will be teaching at Heart2Heart’s K-12 English Immersion School. Their current needs have Kris teaching 4th grade, and Carlene teaching ESL to 1st-6th grade. Alex and Jon will also be attending the school. Because we will be living at the Children’s Village, next to many of the children who live at Heart2Heart, there will also be many moments to love on the kids as we live life alongside of them.”
– How can we help?
“Partnership. We need both members for our prayer team, as well as for our financial team. Because we will be transitioning into a new culture, there will be a large learning curve for all of us. Prayer is VITAL for helping us stay focused on the Lord, and in maintaining healthy boundaries for our family as we serve in new ways over the next two years. We also desire a strong group where we can send out our prayer requests, knowing they will be uplifted to our Father.
As far as finances go, we need to raise $2,000/month (food, lodging, transportation, insurance, etc.) and $15,000 in one-time expenses (airfare, passports, immunizations, our 2 month training, etc). We are currently around 60% covered in our one-time expenses, but only 20% covered in our monthly supporters. A little bit goes a long way, and if our friends in our community are able to offer $25/month, we will be covered! You can go here to visit our donation page. Thank you!”
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