Eleven years in, it is interesting to me how each new school year has its own unique feel. This school year, we have several new families in our elementary and I love the personality they have brought to the group. Along with new elementary families, we have a few new European faces as well. We are so thankful for the partnership we have with Mision Suiza in being able to educate their Swiss and German students. One of our teachers ran into a Member Care representative from the Swiss Mission at a conference. This person thanked the school for our work with MK’s saying that she was very impressed with how prepared for life outside of High School our students were as they left Peru and returned to their European passport countries. It was huge for us to hear that compliment, not just from another mission, but from a different culture as well!
Along with new faces, we have several “news” this year…
New schedules: Mike has a very different schedule now as he teaches all the middle school and high school sciences and the high school math, while administrating somewhere in there! This new schedule comes as a result of a saying “Good-bye” to one of our amazing teachers: Mr. Bill. He and his wife Joy, our neighbors and good friends, are leaving the Pucallpa field to join the staff at Moody Aviation where they will be tutoring, training and discipling the next generation of Missionary Pilots. It is an exciting change for them and we praise God for the work they will be doing, but they do leave a mighty big hole here in our school and missionary family!
New teachers: As we wave-off the Carrera’s this week, we also welcome in our new elementary teacher! We are excited to have Kayla Johnson join our elementary staff in 2nd and 3rd grade this coming quarter . Please pray for Kayla as she settles into life in Pucallpa and also starts her very first year of teaching!
New rooms: In making space for new teachers, we are also needing new rooms! In his side job in construction, Mike has been renovating an entrance of one of our older dorm buildings to be a temporary art room. This will open up the current art room, the room right next to mine, to be an elementary classroom for Miss Kayla’s class. It is always a fun job when the wiring is an intricate puzzle and the building isn’t quite level, but Mike has done a fantastic job and we are thankful for the volunteers, students and adults, who will help this week to move the art room and set up a classroom space for Miss Kayla.
New high-schooler: We have a new high-schooler in the family and he is stepping it up my friends! It has been a bit of an adjustment coming into the school year two weeks after his friends already started and got into the swing of things, but Liam has done amazing. This past week he followed in his sister’s footsteps working with Scalpel at the cross. He worked in intake, meeting patients as they came in and registering their information. He also snazzed up for Fall Ball this year. Check out all our beautiful and handsome high schoolers!
In addition to Fall Ball this week, our high schoolers also took part in English week at Colegio Hosanna. Three of our boys led chapel, giving a devotion in English and Spanish to the Peruvian school’s student body. Our students also participated in English classes having one-on-one conversations with their students. We have a really great relationship with this school and are so thankful for the opportunity for our kids to interact with the students there.
And finally, New-ish Experiences: With my pilot friend Joy leaving, we took the opportunity to have a “girls’ flight” over Pucallpa. I haven’t flown in a SAM Air plane since our first trip to Mazamari, Peru in 2013! It was so incredible to see our city from above, but also to look out at the stretch of jungle beyond. So many amazing God-things are happening here! Thank you for your prayers and support that keep us here on the ground, pouring into the lives of these Missionary families!
Family of 4 Serving 1 