I just received a letter today from NCA outlining their plans and needs for building a group of houses for teachers and others to live in. I encourage you to briefly scan it and see if you might feel inclined to give. They are also looking for low- or no-interest loans. Let me know what you think. Could possibly be a very beneficial option for the school. Click here to see the letter.
Also, it might be interesting--at least it was for me--to see the different needs at NCA and NCA Nejapa (both prayer, and monetary). They're listed on the web here. Please take a look.
Thanks!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
florida for a spot
First, a little update on the car. Last week I finally got the windows replaced. A friend was able find replacements for 4000 córdobas...approximtely $250. Another estimate put the windows at 9000 córdobas, more than double, so I feel like I got a good price. It's good to have windows again.
I am writing this blog from Florida. I made an unexpected trip here on Tuesday. The husband of my cousin in southern Florida suddenly took his own life the week before--which came as a complete surprise to everyone who knew him. So I have been here for the past four days to be with my cousin and honor her husband. It has also been nice to be able to be together with other family who came for the same reason.
I also was able to see a Michigan friend last night for a couple hours. I met Adam Koetje and we did some catching up. I haven't seen the guy in about a year and a half since I left for Nicaragua. It was very good.
Not sure if you noticed, but there is another album on my photo page. It's from the trip to Santa Lucia. I mentioned it in the last blog but have been able to upload some photos since then. Check it out here.
Prayer Items:
- Please continue to pray for strength in my teaching and understanding with the students. The previous four weeks have been difficult. I know we have made good progress in some classes, but in others I am less confident. That's all for now.
I am writing this blog from Florida. I made an unexpected trip here on Tuesday. The husband of my cousin in southern Florida suddenly took his own life the week before--which came as a complete surprise to everyone who knew him. So I have been here for the past four days to be with my cousin and honor her husband. It has also been nice to be able to be together with other family who came for the same reason.
I also was able to see a Michigan friend last night for a couple hours. I met Adam Koetje and we did some catching up. I haven't seen the guy in about a year and a half since I left for Nicaragua. It was very good.
Not sure if you noticed, but there is another album on my photo page. It's from the trip to Santa Lucia. I mentioned it in the last blog but have been able to upload some photos since then. Check it out here.
Prayer Items:
- Please continue to pray for strength in my teaching and understanding with the students. The previous four weeks have been difficult. I know we have made good progress in some classes, but in others I am less confident. That's all for now.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
después
I must say that last week was a good week. As usual, the break was too short. I could have used a little more work time during the break. That's not to say I didn't have some free time that could have been used for working, but I also really needed that down time. As the week approached, I was really feeling uncertain about my level 2 high school class. They had been behaving poorly, slacking on homework, and generally making me feel a little bit lost. Over the break, I had a some time to think and talk with others about things I could do. I came to the conclusion that a change of attitude was something I needed to make. That's going to be challenging, but I need to stop taking their lack of respect personally. Instead, I need to be patient as they learn correct behavior, and as I teach them in a calm and organized way. This isn't exactly a breakthrough, I realize. But I guess it was good for me to realize that again because I was becoming quite frustrated in the classroom. I realized again the need to set boundaries and then enforce them. I pray that I can do this effectively.
I spent the first several days of vacation in Honduras at a hotel called "Hotel Candien". It's a nice place. For sale for $3 million. If you're interested, I can give you more info. I was there with about 40 other CRC North America people living and working in Central America. We met and learned about the history of the church in Latin America. Quite interesting. A little disturbing at points, but nevertheless very interesting. See here for a few pictures:
The last two days of the break I spent in Santa Lucia, about an hour and a half northeast from Managua. It's a small town, very nice. Mark Vanderwees, a CRC missionary, parters with and supports a community organization there which tries to train community leaders (both church leaders and general community leaders) and farmers. It was absolutely amazing there. The scenery was spectacular. Mom and dad--we're going to spend at least a day there, maybe a night, too. We climbed to the top of the ridge overlooking the city, some 200 meters up. Then we had breakfast at a farm on the top and climbed back to town for lunch at another farm. I believe they are both involved with the organization. There will be more pictures on this later. I haven't had time to prepare them for the blog.
This morning I woke up to a strange sight. My car was missing three windows. They were stolen last night from my car, which was parked on the street outside my house. there is supposed to be a guard on the street 24 hours. He may be responsible for two streets, I have to figure that out yet. Nothing was taken from inside the car. I had some tools in the back and a nice flashlight in the front. Didn't touch it. Just took the windows. See the pictures.
Okay. I have to run. I've already spent more time than I have writing this blog. More for another time.
I spent the first several days of vacation in Honduras at a hotel called "Hotel Candien". It's a nice place. For sale for $3 million. If you're interested, I can give you more info. I was there with about 40 other CRC North America people living and working in Central America. We met and learned about the history of the church in Latin America. Quite interesting. A little disturbing at points, but nevertheless very interesting. See here for a few pictures:
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| Honduras |
The last two days of the break I spent in Santa Lucia, about an hour and a half northeast from Managua. It's a small town, very nice. Mark Vanderwees, a CRC missionary, parters with and supports a community organization there which tries to train community leaders (both church leaders and general community leaders) and farmers. It was absolutely amazing there. The scenery was spectacular. Mom and dad--we're going to spend at least a day there, maybe a night, too. We climbed to the top of the ridge overlooking the city, some 200 meters up. Then we had breakfast at a farm on the top and climbed back to town for lunch at another farm. I believe they are both involved with the organization. There will be more pictures on this later. I haven't had time to prepare them for the blog.
This morning I woke up to a strange sight. My car was missing three windows. They were stolen last night from my car, which was parked on the street outside my house. there is supposed to be a guard on the street 24 hours. He may be responsible for two streets, I have to figure that out yet. Nothing was taken from inside the car. I had some tools in the back and a nice flashlight in the front. Didn't touch it. Just took the windows. See the pictures.
Okay. I have to run. I've already spent more time than I have writing this blog. More for another time.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
santa week
It's been a crazy week. Aside from the normal ebb and flow school, I have been taking care of a few other things. First, I'm getting ready to leave early on Saturday morning for about 5 days in Honduras. Next week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Latin America. It is a multinational time of no work, some worship, lots of parties, and basically a time to break the routine. Most people actually work until Wednesday at noon, but for us at the school, our vacation starts this Friday at noon and ends a week and a few days later after an additional Monday at the other end of Semana Santa. Some of my American teacher friends are going to the US. Some are going to Guatemala. Some are going to Costa Rica. I am going to Honduras for a CRC-Central America retreat. I went last year, but this year it is different. The language of the seminars alternates each year between Spanish or English. Last year was English, so this year will be all Spanish--a good test and practice for me. But, because of this few others (from NCA) have decided to go. I am the only NCA representative this year.
Second, I have been trying to figure out my housing, both short term and long term, because I have to be out of the house by the end of this week. It was a bit crazy as I was trying to make arrangements, but I finally decided to move across the street to a one-room "apartment". It's an "apartment" because it really isn't. It's one bedroom, with a shared bathroom. Nothing more. Nothing less. A hallway from the front door to my room has four locked doors. Mine is the third one. I will be sharing a bathroom with a good friend, Lennin. He's a Nicaraguan I've mentioned before. Very friendly, considerate, and all that good stuff. I'm looking forward to getting to know him better. The room will cost me $70/month, including water, electricity, and a maid to clean the room and bathroom (it's extremely dusty here, so these things have to be done every other day at least). I'm going to be paying another maid to wash my clothes. The rate is set at approximately $1 for every 12 pieces of clothing. She will wash them by hand. I might have to pay an extra $10 per month if I want to purchase a small refrigerator, because it will be running all the time. I'd use that for breakfast foods and a few drinks. I've worked out a deal to eat dinner with the family I have been living with, as they will be living conveniently close to the school. There are some details that have to be worked out, yet, but I'm sure things will come out alright.
What can I say about my classes? Some of them are encouraging, and others just aren't. I can't figure out high school. Monday was absolutely terrible, and Tuesday was an about-face. Wednesday was mediocre, and today I didn't have that class. I don't know what to expect from them. I had to lay down the law in third grade today. They've been talking like crazy in my class. I don't know how it got so bad, but today I stopped class and gave them lines to write, with more lines to write as extra homework. They seemed to be receptive. We'll see how long I can use this approach. Or maybe I should say, how long I have to use this approach.
I've gotten a few comments on my Spanish lately, which has been encouraging. I feel much more capable lately of conversation. Still, the need remains to actually study the language. I haven't taken any lessons since returning.
Prayer items:
- Please pray for a restful week off. I need to be re-energized.
- Please pray for patience and wisdom with troublesome classes/students (as always!)
- Thanks for the strength that I've been given. I think I've stayed very positive this year where there has been great opportunity to be negative--and I am very thankful that I have not been overcome by a negative attitude.
Second, I have been trying to figure out my housing, both short term and long term, because I have to be out of the house by the end of this week. It was a bit crazy as I was trying to make arrangements, but I finally decided to move across the street to a one-room "apartment". It's an "apartment" because it really isn't. It's one bedroom, with a shared bathroom. Nothing more. Nothing less. A hallway from the front door to my room has four locked doors. Mine is the third one. I will be sharing a bathroom with a good friend, Lennin. He's a Nicaraguan I've mentioned before. Very friendly, considerate, and all that good stuff. I'm looking forward to getting to know him better. The room will cost me $70/month, including water, electricity, and a maid to clean the room and bathroom (it's extremely dusty here, so these things have to be done every other day at least). I'm going to be paying another maid to wash my clothes. The rate is set at approximately $1 for every 12 pieces of clothing. She will wash them by hand. I might have to pay an extra $10 per month if I want to purchase a small refrigerator, because it will be running all the time. I'd use that for breakfast foods and a few drinks. I've worked out a deal to eat dinner with the family I have been living with, as they will be living conveniently close to the school. There are some details that have to be worked out, yet, but I'm sure things will come out alright.
What can I say about my classes? Some of them are encouraging, and others just aren't. I can't figure out high school. Monday was absolutely terrible, and Tuesday was an about-face. Wednesday was mediocre, and today I didn't have that class. I don't know what to expect from them. I had to lay down the law in third grade today. They've been talking like crazy in my class. I don't know how it got so bad, but today I stopped class and gave them lines to write, with more lines to write as extra homework. They seemed to be receptive. We'll see how long I can use this approach. Or maybe I should say, how long I have to use this approach.
I've gotten a few comments on my Spanish lately, which has been encouraging. I feel much more capable lately of conversation. Still, the need remains to actually study the language. I haven't taken any lessons since returning.
Prayer items:
- Please pray for a restful week off. I need to be re-energized.
- Please pray for patience and wisdom with troublesome classes/students (as always!)
- Thanks for the strength that I've been given. I think I've stayed very positive this year where there has been great opportunity to be negative--and I am very thankful that I have not been overcome by a negative attitude.
Monday, March 12, 2007
pictures, yay!
Click on the picture below to take you to my photo album. Then try clicking on the "slideshow" button when you get there.
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| A Catch Up |
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