This school year has definitely had a different feel to it. As we start the fourth quarter of Ella’s senior year, it has really hit me that we are headed into a different stage of our lives. I have been preparing my heart for sending our daughter to the States to attend college without us, but somehow, all the prep isn’t quite enough. Everything we have done this year seems deeper and more significant because it is more than likely our last time doing it with Ella.
As emotional as it is knowing Ella is leaving us, it is almost equally emotional knowing her group of fellow seniors is leaving as well. This group has been something special. They were the first class I taught when we arrived here ten year ago and they are just a really great group of amazing kids.
I have learned many things in teaching here ten years and watching ten groups of students walk across our rickety, wooden stage as graduates. One of the things I have learned is that every time one group graduates, another group matures and steps-up to the task of being the next leaders of our school. We got to see that played out in beautiful ways this February as our entire school took part in a VBS for the special needs students of Refugio de Esperanza, the school right behind our property.
For months, our high schoolers not only prepped and planned bible lessons, crafts and games in Spanish, but also adapted those activities further for hearing and sight impaired students.
The week of VBS, we were joined by an energetic group of teens from Carmel Christian School in North Carolina. Together our two groups of students pulled off an incredible week of laughing, playing and sharing faith…in three languages: Spanish, English and Peruvian Sign Language!
During our debriefs each day, I loved seeing my students faces light up as they told me all about their new friends from Refugio. But what made it awesome was more than just new relationships. Their new friends were all deaf students–each day of the VBS, our hearing students worked diligently with gestures and newly learned signs to hold meaningful conversations with their new friends.
During VBS we used our Economics unit to pull off a pretty cool side gig. Our Elementary students planned, prepared and sold yummy baked goods as a fundraiser for the Refugio de Esperanza Special Needs programs. They raised s/400, over $100! They were so excited with their business venture!
We are so excited for the connections that were made with Carmel Christian School. They are already planning on joining us again next year for a possible river ministry trip! We are even more excited to build a lasting relationship with our neighbor school, Refugio de Esperanza, and their amazing kids.
Even with so much time devoted to pulling off a successful VBS, we still managed to squeeze in some other events this quarter. The anatomy class got some hands-on experience while dissecting a cow heart in class. Of course we have to be a little extra: the kids used clean utensils, cutting boards and gloves so they could make anticuchos (grilled cow heart) and enjoy them for lunch afterwards!
Also our school soccer team got a little extra practice in against some neighborhood teams in a recent tournament held here at the school.
Besides being busy, this quarter’s weather has also thrown us a curveball. The wettest rainy season seen in Pucallpa in the past 30 years has lead to immense flooding around and outside the city. Thankfully our base is in town away from water, but the SAM Air Base and other housing areas where are students live were saturated with high water. We have had some unique modes of school transportation during this time, including transporting students on tractor beds and taking motor boats. Please pray as the water began to recede but is still remaining higher than normal.
In addition to prayers for the Pucallpa community, we’d appreciate personal prayer as we as a family prepare not just for furlough this summer, but also prepare to settle Ella in to college life in the US. She hopes to attend Penn State Fayette and live with family while studying nursing. After watching her help with medical teams that work in our area, I can say I am really excited to watch her enter the field of nursing. It is bittersweet however, knowing she will be starting this part of her life journey far away from us.
As we prepare to furlough, we must also already begin to prepare for what the next school year will look like. We are praying fervently for teachers especially in the elementary and upper math and English areas. While we have some possibilities in the pipeline, pray for God to smooth out the details and for us to trust in His perfect timing.
As always, we thank you for partnering in this wonderful work with us and send our love your way! We look forward to seeing many of you this summer!!
Family of 4 Serving 1 