animated, back in the capital

Sometimes, when you're learning a new language, words you've been using your whole life begin to take on a new richness.  The obvious translation for the word "animado" in Spanish is "animated" in English.  When we hear the English version, we often think first of animated films.  Then, if we think a bit further, we might imagine an animated person--someone who is lively and energetic.  In

Spanish, we think of something slightly different, someone who is is in good spirits, encouraged, or excited.  More than a personal characteristic, it's an emotional state, and is often used as a verb (animar) to indicate the giving of encouragement.  Yet the two words have a similar root and when you take each of them together, the the meaning is richer and more powerful.  In the same way that cartoons are animated when they are moved into action by an artist, we as people are moved into action and encouraged by something in our lives.  I suppose you could say that God is the ultimate animator.  He's the one that breathes life into us, encourages us, moves us, and makes us alive.  But he's also created us in such a way that because of our individual giftedness we also feel that movement, that excitement, that life when we experience different things in the world around us.

These ideas have been circulating in my head because right now I'm feeling "animado".  And what is it that has been "animating" me?  I think it's the sense of being caught up in a greater story.  God is doing some really neat things here, and has brought a lot of talented people around.  Sometimes I get to thinking that I'm not prepared enough, or smart enough, or dedicated enough to be able to do what he's called me to here.  But despite that, he is using me and encouraging me.  I'm excited to share about it here.  Read on for more details!

Refocusing on the Forest

As many readers will recall, two years ago I packed up my stuff in Managua and moved north to Matagalpa, leaving my work with the Nehemiah Center and returning to Nicaragua Christian Academy.  I would be their director of technology.  They had just planted a brand new school, number three, in a town two hours north of Managua.  NCA sent me there to help train their teachers to use computers and integrate them into their classes, and to be available to help out in any other way I could.  The idea was to also be working with the first two NCA schools, but based in Matagalpa.  Well, as it turns out, I did a lot of helping out in other ways in Matagalpa and ended up neglecting the other two campuses.  I took on supervising the security guards and maintenance man, and facilitating a larger construction project, all of which were significantly challenging.  Thankfully, during the last quarter of 2014, we hired welcomed in an operations manager. 

Chapel at the end of the year in Matagalpa.

Also due to growth of the student body, we also hired a full time technology specialist.  Funny enough, the technology specialist is named David, as well, and while he is a native of the area, his light skin, blue eyes, and blond hair do little to convince his fellow Matagalpinos that he really is one of them.  Well, they asked me to find someone like me...so I did!  :)  These two new staff members have now taken on all of the day-to-day stuff that kept me tied down at NCA Matagalpa.  Because of them, I am now able to take a step back from the trees and look once again at the forest.

So, while I have been the director of technology for the last two years, I am now finally able to really focus on it at an Association level.  This means regular visits

Student body at NCA Nejapa - Start of year.

to all three of the NCA schools, many meetings with principals and vice principals, meetings with the techies at each campus, reviewing and consulting on technology purchases, training administrators and faculty, reviewing curriculum, troubleshooting network issues.  We have recently started working on a 5-year vision for NCA.  I will be working specifically with each campus to develop what we are calling the "2020 Vision" for technology.  I will share more with you about what these visions entail in a later post, but suffice it to say that we are planning a lot of growth.

I am excited about two of our campuses, which are both starting to teach programming at the middle school level.  In fact, at NCA Matagalpa, programming is the very first computer class they will take.  It's called Scratch, and is a visual, drag and drop based kind of programming that allows students to easily create stories, games, and animations, and then share them with others.  The exciting part about this is that it requires problem solving, logical thinking skills, trouble shooting, analysis, and creativity.  I can't wait to see what students come up with.  Again, I hope to share these things in the future as they become available.

Beyond NCA - RedProCom

All the participants of the December training.

One of the exciting things about NCA for me is their desire to reach beyond their own walls to impact other schools.  I am expected to be involved with sister schools, and spurring on technological growth around the country.  For me, this largely comes through RedProCom, the Network of Christian School Computer Teachers.  I initiated the group over four years ago.  It's been struggling to survive and thrive, but it has a core of dedicated members.  Since being relieved of my daily duties at NCAM, I have had more time to invest into building up this group and its leaders.  We had a four-day training in December, where we invited Dr. Derek Schuurman of Redeemer University to come and help us launch a pilot project based on the Raspberry Pi.  Perhaps I will write more about the "Pi Pilot" in a future post, but if you have a few minutes, you should head here to read an article Derek wrote.  It was a fantastic time of learning and growing together.

Learning together how to install a server.

This year, I've been working establishing some foundations for RedProCom that will hopefully set the stage for more solid growth.  Until now, the group has been quite informal.  Leaders have emerged and agreed to help in differentways, but there has always been a noticeable lack of structure.  I've been working on a constitution for the group that will help establish a governing or advisory group as well as positions of leadership with clear expectations.  I hope that this document will help guide us as we, as a network of teachers, will be able to better cast a vision for who we want to be and how we want to impact education in Nicaragua and beyond.

Back at home in Managua

After two years in Matagalpa, it was sad to leave the relationships and the community that was forming there (not to mention the very beautiful climate!).  For the first time perhaps since my college days, I felt like I was part of a vibrant and growing community.  Gifts were celebrated, God was honored, people of different races and abilities were living together in harmony.  At the center of it was Christ, transforming our teachers, our students, our families, and breathing

The three bandidos.

new life in the town of Matagalpa.  So many healthy things were happening, that I didn't really want to leave.  But since I knew that my job required me to be in Managua I packed up and came back.

Another reason I didn't want to leave Matagalpa was for Breyling, the young man whom I  taking care of during the past year in Matagalpa.  Breyling, who is from Managua, had been having difficulties staying in school, and it looked like he was not going to make if there wasn't a major change in his situation.  I decided to invite him to live with me two hours north and attend NCAM, which he did.  It was a fantastic year of growth for him, and he finished the year with remarkable grades and many new friends.  For him, as well, it was a year of new life.  The decision to return to Managua indeed meant leaving behind things he didn't want to leave.  After some discussion with his mother, we decided that this year he would continue living with me for this school year but switch to NCA Nejapa in Managua, which is just down the street from our house.  In preparation for the transition I asked him how many times he'd changed schools during his life.  Before completing 7th grade in Matagalpa, he had changed schools 7 times.  With the move to Managua again, it would be 8.

Being in Managua will also enable me to spend more time with Mauro, another young man that I've been mentoring for many years.  Breyling and Mauro were both in my first and second grade English classes when I first came to Nicaragua.  You may read more about them in previous posts.

Thank you

I just want to say thank you to those of you who have contributed to supporting me in my work here in Nicaragua.  It is because of you that I am able to live and work here and contribute to both NCA and the Christian school movement.  And it's because of you that have the freedom to invest in Breyling and Mauro.  Because of my extensive role in Breyling's life this year and last, my expenses have increased.  I have not yet changed my budget with World Missions to reflect that this, but it will be happening soon.  I am still a bit behind in fundraising, so if you are interested in helping me cover his costs, please contact me for the details.

Prayer Items

• Pray for me as I lead the campuses through the process to develop the 2020 Vision.  Each school has its own challenges.
• Pray for Breyling as he starts a new school year in a another new school.  Pray that I will know how to disciple both him and Mauro.
• Pray for RedProCom as we try to lay foundations for healthy growth, and as we try to steer schools in the right direction with technology.