coolness

Good Saturday evening to everyone. At least, that's how it is for me. The weather here is quite unusual. This may not sound strange to you, but I'm sitting here in jeans and a t-shirt, with no fan, and wondering if I should put on my sweatshirt and some socks. I wouldn't say it's cold, but it's certainly close to it. I just checked the temperature on AccuWeather.com and they say it's 79°F. I've made jokes about it before...about how anytime it get under 80, we start to think it's cold...and under 70 is down right freezing. There is some truth to that, especially when it's raining and we haven't seen the sun much. And it's been raining for the past week solid. Starting to feel like Michigan with all of the gray days we've been having. I like it, really. It reminds me of fall.

I've had a few people request a photo of my motorcycle. Unfortunately I lost my camera about the same time I got my motorcycle, so it's been a little less convenient to ask others to take pictures and then get the pictures from them. Below are a few pictures taken last weekend (before the rain started) of my bike, along with 5 others. One missionary, who's been here for 9 years led us out to a community he's been working along side since he arrived. We took the bikes down some paved roads and also did some off-roading. It was good for me to get more practice and I really enjoyed both seeing the community and the ride itself.

In this photo, we are sitting outside a small roadside store along the way. Stopped for a few cold drinks after riding for an hour or more. The roads at this intersection are nicely paved but we were going through mud only minutes before.



Here we're fixing a couple of things. My bike and Luke's bike (we bought them together) both have faulty battery boxes which are breaking off at the mount point. His fell off completely first, and his battery was hanging by the wires. When we stopped to try to figure out what to do I also checked mine only to find it was about to break.



In this photo, we're looking at a business that was started maybe 8 years ago in the area where the missionary has been working. They cut some kind of stone out of the ground. probably sandstone. some.



This picture was taken on the ocean just outside Transito, the community we visited. I'm with Luke.



Pressing on with teaching. Some days are good, and other days are very challenging. Nothing new in that regard. :) A few weeks ago the parents of one of the primary grades launched a list of complaints aimed at almost every class, including English. Actually, a separate list for each class. Among the complaints against the English program were that the only students who received good grades were those who either came from a bilingual background or took English lessons outside of classes at Nejapa. As the strongest complaint, it angered me and disappointed me when I heard it. I know it's not entirely true, first of all, and secondly, if it is partly true, it's at least due in large part to the attitudes of the students. For a long time, the students in this class were among my most difficult, and while they have grown they continue to be a difficult class. I had the opportunity to write a response, and I tried to put some of the responsibility back on the students for their own learning. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure if the parents have received the response, or how they will receive it (I think the director will be moderating/speaking on my behalf).

In other ways I have felt successful as a teacher and as a mentor of sorts. My youngest students are kindergarteners, and I have learned/am learning a lot about little people. It's definitely a big challenge and I always wonder if it's normal to have to deal with the same behavioral issues day in and day out. I seem to generally hear confirmation that it's not uncommon. Small steps, I guess, are important at young ages.

With 3 of my classes, we have finished the material in the curriculum, so we'll be moving on to next year's books (photocopied). This is pretty good considering that last year we were finishing much closer to the end.

Informal discussions have been happening between the principals directors and teachers about really bolstering the English program at Nejapa. Parents have made it clear that it is something very important for them. We'll be looking at hiring a replacement for me, as well as another 2 new teachers, effectively doubling the EFL staff. If you know anyone who is a skilled teacher and loves both the Lord and English (English in an appropriate, subordinate sort of love to the love for the Lord), please tell them about the need we have. Unfortunately I am not a good fit for the role, but it truly is an amazing opportunity in so many ways--personally, professionally, and spiritually.

I received an email several weeks ago, now, that kind of outlines my new job starting at the end of this year. I thought it would be interesting, so here is the list:

1) provide administrative and technical support to the Nehemiah media center
2) Provide technical assistance to the coordinator of planning, monitoring and evaluation (Luz)
3) Assist CRWRC in planning, monitoring and evaluation of special grants
4) Information technology support for the Nehemiah Center
5) Provide small business consulting to ACJ

If you had forgotten, ACJ (Asociación de Cristianos Jovenes) is the YMCA of Nicaragua. Number five refers to the work I'll be doing in Santa Lucia with the women's co-op. The folks at the Nehemiah Center have asked me to do a week of orientation before I leave for the states this December. This basically means that teaching will end on Friday (Nov. 30) and I'll start the following Monday (Dec. 3). One day of in-office orientation, three days going to a community on the Carribean coast of Nicaragua, and then one more day back at the office will leave me with just enough time to gather my things and run to the airport on that next Saturday (Dec. 8) to catch a plane heading to the US. I am really looking forward to this new position. It will be entirely different having much less structure and working with adults. A couple of the people I know there (the fellow CRCers) have told me that they're really looking forward to working with me and getting to know me better as a colleague and friend. It's encouraging to hear this, and there are many reasons I'm looking forward to joining them as well.

Thanks for your continued prayer, financial, and other support. All are greatly appreciated. Here is a list of some important prayer requests:

- prayer for strength to continue this year strong. I definitely feel the temptation to have an attitude of "just finish" but I want to finish feeling good about what we've accomplished up until the end.
- prayer for wisdom and humility for the schools leaders as they face both challenges and growth.
- prayer that I am able to balance the important areas of my life: rest, work, play, devotion, misc. :)