5-day forecast

It looks like this week will be another one of much scrambling and little sleep. Unfortunately I had a good weekend and didn't accomplish much at all on Friday or Saturday. At the end of this week I will have to create and submit my first test to the principal. She wants to see them before our first week of exams begin on the 13th. I'm struggling to know exactly how to test the first graders who hardly have the capacity to read or write anything. There will likely be much drawing and circling for them. :) Anyway, it will be a week full of much work and much planning.

The nice thing about this week, though, is that it will give way to a much slower, more relaxed week next week as we just administer exams all week.

A few prayer requests at this time are below.

1) In case it wasn't clear enough above--please pray that this week will go well. I will need to plan and utilize my time effectively in order to accomplish the goals. I will also need the energy and ability to concentrate.
2) I will be implementing a new crowd control tactic in class--the green, yellow, and red card. I won't get into how it works, but you can pray that the students understand quickly and learn to behave better by these means.
3) Thank the Lord for a good staff at Nejapa. I knew that this was true before, but I discovered it anew when I realized that a 3 of the teachers travel 1.5 hours or more to get to the school in the morning and the same in the afternoon to get home.

thoughts on donors and funding

Because I am asking for financial support during my time at Nejapa, I am often interested in what others have to say about support raising. I came across these articles by John Armstrong on his website under the category "Donors and Funding". I post it here merely for your personal interest. Aside from sheer interest, I find two things in these articles personally challenging:
1) "One clear benefit of giving...is the discipline that charity brings to spending habits."
2) "Get to know those ministries you support and pray for them. Read carefully what they say and watch what they really do. Share generously if you believe in their work."

hope

Yesterday was a difficult day. I thought I was going to lose my voice. I had a very hard time with the second grade class. They would not listen to me or do what I asked--everyone needed a personal invitation, and after I invited them and went to the next person, they would put their stuff away or take out other papers/books/puzzles. I told their normal teacher that it was a very bad day in her class why (as best I could in Spanish). Apparently, she took some time after lunch to have a class discussion. They talked about how they could behave better in my class. A few of them apologized, and they all made cards for me about how they were sorry for not behaving and indicating that they would do better. Today it was like night and day difference. They were far quieter and they all had their homework (or at least many more of them). They showed me their cards (which were glued to a posterboard with a larger note attached for me).

Thank you for your prayers, and please pray for more days like today! What a difference it makes for me!

hay fotos

Here are some photos from the last two days at Nejapa. My parents requested to see a few, so I thought I'd put them on here. First is the picture of the school as the day is ending. First graders are have exited the room on the right (where there is a teacher in the doorway) and fourth graders have come out of the room on the right (where there is another teacher).

Next is a random closer shot of a few of my students. The two you can see most clearly are both first graders. The boy in the front is quite vocal and isn't shy about yelling out what he knows :). The girl is quite the opposite.





Third is the picture of the teacher workroom. My legs just fit under the siderail. :)








The last picture is one of the first grade class brushing their teeth on the steps of the school. They just had a lesson on hygiene and they were given a Colgate toothbrush and small pack of toothpaste. I was walking past and thought it was funny to see them all brushing their teeth together...so I ran back and in and got my camera.

This week was another one of ups and downs. I had to make a decision on Wednesday night to have a different attitude for starting Thursday. I was starting to yell too much, and not enjoy the time at all. I think the students weren't liking it either... they weren't paying attention. I think there's killer combination at work: they can't understand me, I can't understand them, they have a short attention span, I don't have highly engaging lessons...They're not entirely at fault. Anyway, I am learning how to compensate for all of these things and remain positive during the day.

a decent start

Well, it's been a while since I posted last, and much has happened.

I started teaching two weeks ago on February 6. It has been a fast two weeks. I find it hard to believe that I've had ten classes already! Teaching has been alright and looks like it will get better. Already I have had some good days and some bad days. I am teaching grades 1-4. My second grade class is a difficult on, and originally I thought it might be the most difficult. There are 21 students in that class, and many of them don't seem highly interested in learning English. My third grade class is proving to be difficult, as well. I think I would be naive, though, if I didn't consider that perhaps my teaching and classroom management play a role in their interest levels. :) This I'm sure will develop over the next several weeks, months, and years. I may have started a little soft, but there is still time to teach them to behave in class. My predecessor told me that discipline and classroom management were among the most difficult things for her, so I knew this would be a challenge. I am starting to get to know the students--learning their personalities, guaging their their English knowledge, etc. I've enjoyed hanging out with them a bit at recesses and learning small amounts of Spanish from them. Most of them time, I'm scrambling with some last minute preparations for my next class, though. :)


I have continued to enjoy the other teachers at my school. They are a wonderful group--talented, intelligent, very committed, and very friendly. I have been able to communicate with them fairly well. They are patient with me as I struggle with Spanish and are usually eager to teach me more. Last weekend one of the other guy teachers took a few of us to some thermal springs near his house. He paid our way and brought lunch for everyone. I was blown away by his hospitality. The teachers at Nejapa make less than what is considered middle-class income here. Only one of the other teachers has a car. The rest bus it to the school every day.

Another interesting aspect of life here is the water shortages. The water gets turned off everyday for most of the day. I think we only have city water from between 5 and 6am until between 9 and 11am, and then it's off until between 6 and 7pm and is only on for another 1-4 hours. Basically, the water is off almost 24-7. We mostly us purified water from a large container for drinking, and I bought a bucket to fill with water for bathing when the water is off. I'd say that I bucket-bathe about 1/3 of the time. When I'm not doing that, we're usually running on water from the water tanks here at the apartments. When we're not on city water, the pressure is not very good. And with the shower head I have, I almost have to run around in the shower to get wet.

That's enough for now. I have to get to planning. My Saturday is hopefully going to be filled with planning and supply getting. If you have been praying for me--thank you immensely. I have experienced some difficult times during the last two and a half weeks, and have felt the strength of the Lord lifting me up. It has been a bit like I anticipated in terms of being difficult and wondering how I could do it. The Lord has been faithful in being there for me to lean on and giving me strength.

Also, those who have sent contributions, thank you immensely as well. I haven't yet recieved a statement from CRWM indicating who has given. Hopefully I will be get that soon so I can thank you individually.

I want to mention one more thing. Last time I mentioned that NCA Nejapa is entirely unique in wanting to provide a quality education for the middle-class. I'm not sure that's entirely true. I've since learned of other schools being started in poor areas. I think it is at least somewhat unique in the fact that it is the offspring of a school that only the wealthy can afford.

Until next time...keep it real.

Prayer requests at this time:

* Daily courage and strength for planning and managing and loving the students. I am learning what courage means in a new way. I am learning to lean on the Lord more as I am out of my area of experience and expertise.
* Continued health. With the water "offages", we at school often don't have water to wash our hands (or some people end up using a 50 gallon drum of water to wash their hands--dipping their hands in the water). Thankfully I have been healthy so far, and I'm thankful for it.
* The elections for a new president are approaching. I'm not sure how soon, but who is voted in will have a large impact on the well-being of this country. Pray that the Lord will move in the hearts of Nicaraguans giving them wisdom in who to choose.