First school day

(Nanci lines the students up for a trip to school. Carmelita, Alejandro, William, Maria, Mauricio, Sandara, Irene, Roy, and Francisco.)


School’s in session, and The Bridge is smack in the middle of getting another crop of schoolkids through the opening days and into a more-or-less regular class schedule. Espy makes a dandy school bus! The Christmas Miracle continues – a Dad steps up to the plate. Bob & Nani visit The Bridge, and provide some demographics before they go. You can volunteer in the jungle without ever leaving home! Progress on “Buying The Farm” – almost there! Finally, an updated website is yours for the reading – tune in and see what’s up now!

ESPY IS A SCHOOL BUS

We have a little four-door car. Espy’s a real workhorse. She has a strong heart, even if her “skin” is having a few problems. On one of the First-Days-Of-School, she had her chance to prove herself once again.

Oh – there is one more passenger not shown in the picture. Mother Maria also wanted to go. Those of you who’ve met Maria know she’s a pretty, uh, er, “substantial” woman. So she sat in the front seat with a niño on each knee, while the rest of the crowd piled into the back seat.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, I imagined I could hear a banjo picking out the strains of a popular hillbilly tune...

“Oh, I’m going down to Puerto
With a niño on my knee...”


MORE ON MIRACLES

Looks like the Christmas Miracle has taken on a life of its own, continuing of its own accord into the school year.

(Mayra, Irene, Sandara, and Dad Abel... stop by The Bridge on the first day of school, all walking into school together.)

First days of school – there is no such thing as THE first day here, are quite a busy time. Irene, 9 years old, is in first grade, and 6-year-old Sandara’s in Kinder. A kinder student has to be presented at the school by an adult, and Abel is set to deliver her. And, as it turned out later, to pick her up as well. On a later day in the week, Abel was seen walking to school to get Sandara with 15-year-old Francisco and 12-year-old Roy in tow. “Here’s how it’s done, boys”. Good going, Abel.

If you haven’t figured it out already, Abel is the man we’ve been praying for, the Dad who said “I don’t want to lose my children.”

And there’s one more thing – it may or may not be easy to figure out. The fact that Roy and Francisco were out of school, walking down to pick up their sisters who were IN school, is one sign that the school scheduling is fast-and-loose. Classes change, the school is open, unless it isn’t. The teacher is at the school, unless she isn’t. The day starts at 7 AM, unless it doesn’t. The appearance is that the school Director and teachers just don’t place any real priority on, or importance on, education.

We’re trying to show that getting an education is important. How can we do that when the school appears to not give a darn?

We’ll be working on that one. Time for another miracle!

And yes, it appears that there’s a contradiction, Nanci giving the girls a ride to school, and Abel & Mayra walking the kids to school. Both of these things appear to be true at the same time. Bienvenido a Costa Rica.