By The Wagner Family
Hello, PBC! Wow, what an incredible month it has been! Kris and I are excited to share stories of how God has been showing up in our lives. Thanks for being a part of our journey!! Six days a week we ride the school bus with the kids to school and to church. It’s a 45+ min. ride one way, so we get lots of time with the orphaned kids. They are quick to call themselves a family, not an orphanage, and we are seeing how true that is.
Kris enjoys sharing moments Bible-swapping on the bus with Nicholas. He gives Kris the Spanish bible and Kris gives him the English bible. Then they take turns reading verse by verse. They like to go through Psalms. Kris is pretty sure that Nicholas understands what he is reading much more than he does. Another student that sits near Kris is Josue, and he enjoys looking at the Where’s Waldo book with Kris. Josue is more fascinated with the crazy pictures and all the colors than looking for Waldo though. And, boy, does he (and all the other kids!) enjoy having Kris make animal sounds.
I’ve really enjoyed the girls braiding my hair while we drive through the mountains, see the ocean, share stories, and enjoy the steady noise of some 70+ kids chatting. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Myra, who is almost 17, and as she gives piggyback rides to Alex and Jon, they’re really having fun with her too! School itself is going well. Kris has 19 fourth graders, and I am co-teaching 33 second graders. We have our doors set up, our classrooms ready, and lots of rambunctious kiddos each day!!
Here is a quick glimpse of our school day:
• 4:30am: I’m usually up and helping the fam. to wake up
• 5:30am: We eat breakfast with the children
• 6am: We head off to school in the big bus
• 7:30am: We arrive at school after picking up lots of people along the way
• 7:30am-2:30pm: School day!!
• 3:45pm: We arrive home
• 4:30pm: We eat dinner with the children
• 7:00pm: Bedtime for the boys (and sometimes for us too lol)
There are moments of rest and preparation available to us throughout the day, so, while the schedule is full, such is Life no matter where you are, right? We are adjusting, and also enjoying the restful and playful moments we receive. Honestly, the main struggle is when the power goes out (due to our remote area, or the corrupt government), because not only are there no lights/fans/AC, but there’s no water either (runs off of a special pump which requires electricity). We’re learning to take showers, do work, charge flashlights, clean the house when we can, and to keep a good supply of water on hand as well. It’s a different way of doing life, and we’re figuring it out more and more as each day passes.
One special time I had was the other night when we had the chance to play with all the boys (over 20) while we were all waiting for dinner to be ready. We threw rocks at spiders, caught frogs (big ones and baby ones!), taught each other Spanish and English Bible verses, told jokes, ran around, and watched the stars come out. It was a lot of fun for all of us, and as we share meals and life with each other, it’s been precious to put real people to stories I’ve heard and read. By the way, if you would like to read some of the stories of the kids, head over here to check them out. Since most are heartbreaking, please uplift these precious ones to Jesus as you read a snippet of their stories.
That’s all I have for now Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Please continue uplifting our health, sleep, energy, and minds, as we teach and live life alongside so many children. We’ll try to update the blog with pictures and stories soon, so keep a look out!
Much love,
Kris, Carlene, Alex, and Jon
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