Taste of things to come...

Juan and Axel getting some work done...

We are 1 1/2 weeks into the school year for all 27 of our kids...  4 schmidts and the 23 Gateway grads...all are doing amazing.  As I type I am out of breath a little, but the work is spread out enough to catch it again, just in time for the next round of kids to come through the house.  As we saw the program double from year 1 to year 2 we were anticipating a great ride in 2012 and have tried to be as prepared as possible.  Many of our conversations as Gina and I debrief, center around how ready for our for "the bldg", the home of EducateBV and all these initiatives.  Today alone we had kids showing up at around 10 a.m., off and on, until 8:15 p.m. when I took them back to Buena Vista tonight.

Gina has been so gracious, helping to parent these kids.  I've loved watching her and the other kids "serve" the grads.  Not one comes through the home that doesn't get a fresh drink, a snack, or normally a plate of whatever we are eating as a family.  This is definitely a "taste" of what is to come for our family, the Harmans (joining us in the fall) and the EducateBV family.  We've steadily been feeding a dozen or more kids each of the computer times that we've had and it only excites us for the time where we will have the space to really "feed" them, a place that they can come and enjoy not just the solid meal, but time with our families and sharing life.

HEBER (Ever)

One of the kids who stopped by today was Heber ("ever").  He lives in Tablon and is Milagros' son, family whose husband/father was killed 2 days before Christmas.  Just to get to us, to practice his computer skills, he walked over an hour... (watch interview here)  We have him and 5 other boys who live in the village of Tablon, walking this distance to get their studies done.  Just knowing that makes us eager to have our home / educatebv / located closer and more convenient to all of them.

Pray with us as we continue to love on these teens.  They are all amazing people, full of potential and longing for connection and purpose.  For more on each of them, check out www.educatebv.com