aftermath

In the aftermath of my two years as a teacher lies much destruction, suffering, and death. Just kidding. That's the aftermath of Hurricane Felix. It's still too recent to clearly see what's been left in my wake...the dust is still settling. I finished up my responsibilities as a teacher a week before heading back to the US, and that was almost two weeks ago. It seems like so long ago already. Grading is done. Exams are done. Calculating notes is done. Talking with parents is done. The making of reparation exams is done (one student out of 65 failed English, so maybe there is some suffering here, but much less than Felix left behind). Certainly I enjoyed very much this experience, but I'm also relieved to be done.

Back to Felix. During the week before coming home, I spent a few days in a sort of orientation for my new job. The orientation included some boring (yes, I honestly almost fell asleep..and may have actually dozed off for fractions of a second...but hey, give me a break...it was the end of a long, difficult year and I didn't get any time to relax before jumping into orientation!) sessions about the policies and history of the Nehemiah Center. Actually, the history section was quite interesting but my tiredness was overwhelming. The orientation also involved a highly interesting trip to the Carribean coast of Nicaragua. I was a tag along for a program evaluation. The CRC was involved there in the relief efforts after Hurricane Felix--and that's how this all connects to the first sentence of this paragraph. I had never been out east and it's far different than Managua and the central region of Nicaragua. I was struck by the destruction I could still see two months after the hurricane hit Nicaragua. Rated as category 5 and with winds of 160mph, it left all of the crops destroyed as well as I could see almost all of the natural vegetation. In the region we visited, 80% of the homes were destroyed.

Slideshow

It opened my eyes to a bunch of things. It is so important to have a reliable and thoughtful distribution network for relief efforts, especially in underdeveloped areas. This would have been a daunting task and hugely unorganized without the presence of Accion Medica. Quality of materials donated also for the first time really struck me. I saw some other roofing materials, (not of the CRC) that looked like paper--metal that could be bent by hand. Maybe more importantly, what struck me was the need for help. Without outside help, many, many people would have probably died for lack of food. Disease would have spread without medical help and shelter. At least in this area, the relief was very well organized. And while I knew it beforehand, I got to see firsthand the need for empowering communities and teaching them to work together.

I should mention that this is the Lord's work--meeting needs and caring for people in a wholesome way. I am glad to be joining other Christians in their work here in Nicaragua. I pray that I can learn as much as possible about what it means to serve the Lord in this way. I am blessed to work with such committed people and organizations. Hopefully as I learn I can also contribute to what is happening and have a positive impact.

Since I've been back I've been enjoying time with family and friends. Every once in a while I see things, or hear things, or smell things I love and miss. But, I know that I'm in the right place and would not change it.

I want to take this opportunity to briefly share my financial need. Without going into detail, in this new position I'm going to be relying entirely on support from friends and family and church for my income. The Nejemiah Center won't pay any wages. If you were considering a one-time gift, or just feel led to give before the end of the year, all money will come straight to me. After the new year, my designation with CRC will change from "Partner Missionary" to "Volunteer" and while donations will happen the same from your end, from my end I'll be recieving money on more of a reimbursement basis. When it comes right down to it, any gifts would be great anytime, but there's something nice about recieving it directly rather than a reimbursement. I'd be glad to explain this confusing change, but I think it might just get more confusing on this blog!

Thank you for your support during the last two years. I pray you'll continue to support me and hold me in your prayers during the next two (and maybe beyond!) as I continue to serve the Lord and his people in Central America.

prayer items:

-humility and a heart ready to learn as I begin the new position
-intelligence, wisdom, creativity, and drive, too!
-personal safety and health. I've come through two years virtually
unscathed, but there's always that risk.
-for two replacements to fill my shoes at the school! They want
to expand the program, but haven't even found one replacement yet.