Wednesday, February 24, 2016

How the Ippels recharge

We have been busy lately.  We are always busy (and if we are honest, we kind of like being busy), but these past couple of month have seemed even busier than normal—we are coming off 2 and a half months full of visitors, our ministry responsibilities (NCA, Tesoros de Dios, AMOS, House of Hope, church) are in full swing, Andrew is involved with the high school musical and currently has daily rehearsals, we are preparing to host a 7th grade NCA student in our home during the school week, and more!  These are all great things, but you may be wondering what we are doing to stay sane and emotionally healthy—what we do to recharge. 


I (Ruth) am the Rest and Relaxation Dictator in our family.  These are some of the things I try to make sure happen on a regular basis:

Watch TV.  Most nights, after we tuck our kids and monkey into bed, Andrew and I watch a TV show.  We are very thankful for Netflix (did you know that Netflix is different in different countries? We have some of the same shows that you have in the US, but a lot of different ones too).  Often, we fall asleep before the show is done—evidence of how tired we are.

Play sports. One of my favorite ways to recharge is to play sports.  Most Sundays, we play Ultimate Frisbee at the school.  On Wednesday evenings, I play volleyball.  Any time there is an opportunity to play a sport, I jump on it (we even tried football one day… we probably won’t do that again).
Andrew playing Ultimate


Have games nights.  We have several friends who we play games with on a regular basis.  This is a great time to fellowship, catch up with each other, and just have fun. Some of our favorite games right now are Settlers of Catan, 7 Wonders, Euchre, Rook, and Sushi Go.

Go on dates. If you would have told me 3 years ago that I would eat Sushi in a developing country, I would have told you you were crazy.  Now, sushi is our date food of choice.  We go on a date at least once a month, sometimes more often.  We have started taking our kids on dates as well. Henry’s first choice is also sushi. His other date request is to go to our brand new Walmart.
Andrew and Mae on a date--Mae choice? TGI Fridays and gelato


In the midst of our busyness, we recognize the importance of these seemingly unimportant habits.  We want to live well and serve well, so these are the things we do behind the scenes to recharge for the days, months and years to come. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Volunteers! We need you!

The SOAAR program at NCA has ONLY come to fruition this year due to the commitment of several volunteers this year. . .Gina, Katelyn, Olinda, James, and Candace have enabled NCA to serve SO many more students that I could ever do on my own. Some volunteers spend most of their time with one student with significant needs, while others float from class to class to give additional support to small groups of students. As we begin to think about school year 2016-2017, I am a little anxious regarding the SOAAR assistants. I know that God will provide the perfect people for the job. . .he certainly did this year!. . .and I need to trust that. At the same time, I'm excited to the get the word out! Please inform your friends, neighbors, and recently graduating college students that we need YOU at NCA International!

I sat down with current volunteers Olinda Keegstra and Jim and Candace Ducharme to ask them some questions about their experience volunteering with the SOAAR program, to give potential volunteers a little more information about what it might be like. Okay, in truth I actually emailed them these questions as we rarely have time to all sit down together:) I'm thankful they took the time to respond to my questions.

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself--where are you from? What is your education background?

Olinda :I am from a small town in British Columbia Canada called Houston. I was raised on a farm and love the outdoors as well as traveling. I have an Educational Assistant Certificate. I have worked in multiple schools over the last couple years.
Jim and Candace: We are Jim and Candace Ducharme and we are from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. We've been married for 39 years and have 2 sons, 1 daughter, a daughter-in-law, son-in-law and a total of 5 grandchildren. Over the past decade we have been blessed to be able to serve the Lord through teaching English in the Dominican Republic, being House Parents at a home for at risk teens, working for Youth for Christ as well as assisting mentally and physically handicapped individuals reach their full potential.Jim's focus of education was in Residential Youth Care as well as with Vulnerable Persons.Candace's background is in Bookkeeping and Counseling.

2. How did you hear about NCA and the SOAAR program?

O: I receive the CRWM volunteer newsletter. There was an advertisement that said "Educational Assistant needed in Nicaragua to help with children who have special needs in a SOAAR program."
J and C: We heard about NCA while searching the internet for a place to serve. The positions that were available at NCA International seemed to be a perfect fit for both of us as well as NCA.

3. How are you paying for this volunteering experience? Are you with an organization?

O: Over the summer prior to leaving for Nicaragua I did some fundraising booths at farmer markets. And now I also have support from my home church as well as another church that I had attended.
J and C: We were blessed to be able to save up money over the summer to cover a large part of our expenses here. Candace's parents also contributed and very dear friends of ours, who have huge hearts for missions but are no longer able to go themselves, covered our return airfare. We are not with any organization and right now the exchange on the US dollar is brutal for us Canadians making this a much more expensive venture than we were expecting.

4. In a few sentences, summarize your job duties as a SOAAR volunteer.

O: In the mornings I work with a PreK student who needs support in language and social skills. In the afternoons I mostly help out in other elementary classrooms with reading support.
J and C: Jim has been focusing a lot of his time being a support worker for a 2nd grader with Asperger's Syndrome, general grade 2 classroom assistance and a bit of remedial work with a few other students as identified by the SOAAR program and classroom teachers.
Candace has been doing remedial work consisting mainly of math and English language skills with several students, assisting in various classrooms as needed and tutoring.

5. What is the hardest part of your job?

O: I would have to say working with the PreK2 student. I need to be on my toes and always trying to think one step ahead of him. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with him.
J and C: Watching students struggle with learning issues.

6. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

O: It is rewarding for me to see the PreK2 student do well in his classes and with his friends (like when he voluntarily shares with another student.)
J and C: When even the smallest of goals have been achieved and we can celebrate the successes.

7. What qualities or previous experiences do you think are important in a potential SOAAR volunteer?

O: I think anyone who works in the SOAAR program should have some previous experience working with students who have special needs or has a deep desire and willingness to help and not be
J and C: Our thoughts are that some background in Special Needs experience, be it through formal education or personal experience, would be an invaluable asset. It is the type of work that can be both mentally and physically demanding so coming into it with that knowledge base would be a big plus.
Set aside your own agenda and any pre-conceived notions of how things should be done. Come with a willingness to serve the kids you're going to be working with, it's not about your own abilities, it's about what God can bring about through your willingness to serve.

8. Tell me a little about your living situation and community.

O: I live with a missionary family, They work at the school so I ride with them. I like the feel of family life and she cooks gluten-free things which helps me out a lot. They live in a community where a few other teachers with families and single teachers live, so I can walk over to hang out with them too.
J and C: We live in Quinta Allyson which is a gated apartment/townhouse community where many of the teachers and other NCA staff make their homes. We have a small 1 bedroom apt. that is absolutely all we require. We've only been here a month but so far the internet has been pretty decent so that's a plus. Speaking of pluses, you will pay extra for internet. The place has a nice pool area, the grounds are clean and it is only about a 10 minute walk from the school, if you want/need to walk. There is not, however, any place convenient to walk to for just a few groceries and Quinta Allyson and the school are situated out of Managua itself.

9. What are the biggest challenges of living in Nicaragua?

O: . The biggest challenge for me is not knowing the language and not having a vehicle.
J and C: For us the biggest challenge is not having our own transportation; we really miss the independence of going places and doing things on our own schedule. There are buses but since Managua streets are not marked it is hard to even know where you are never mind where you want to go until you know the city somewhat. Taxis are normally an option but when the support is meager you may just be staying home.

10. What is next for you?
O: I don't know yet.
J and C: Back to Canada for a few months, renew family ties and friendships and we'll have to see what's after that.

For a specific job description and application, please click here.

For information about parterning with the SOAAR program through Christian Reformed World Missions, click here.

Any questions? Please contact Andrew Ippel (aippel62@gmail.com)

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

SOAAR Semester 2

The new program of SOAAR (Students of All Abilities Recognized) continues to grow and develop at NCA International. I remember towards the beginning of the first semester feeling very discouraged and down about the program that I had hoped and prayed for--was it really needed? Was this a waste of resources? Would we even have enough students?  There were days that I was. . .yes. . .bored! As we enter month two of second semester, I find myself longing for those days:) My days are full now (over-filled, actually) and SOAAR students are keeping two teachers and four assistants VERY busy from 7:30-2:30 five days a week! So yes, I've answered my own question. . .the SOAAR program WAS needed and is needed, and is providing important space and important resources for many NCA students. Here's a smattering of successes from the last week or so--a testimony of God's faithfulness.

--A preschool student entered his classroom during circle time a week ago, and found two kids in his normal spot. He said, "Move, please." The kids moved. He sat down. The lesson continued uninteruppted. You have no idea what a huge success this is. . .language skills! Social skills! Managing impulse and behavior! Wow! Praise God!

--A middle school student chronically fails to complete long-term assignments. The assignments are overwhelming, and the feeling of overwhelm can be very paralyzing for this student. So at the beginning of January, we made a very detailed outline of an upcoming Bible assignment that required 20ish summaries of Bible chapters to be done. A few days before it was due, I checked her assignment. My heart sank; she hadn't stuck with the plan. We made a revised plan, but I decided to let her manage the work and figure out how to get the massive amount of work done on her own. And she did it! It was turned in, and turned in one day early! Praise God!

--A second grade student is now supported by a classroom assistant for about half of the day to help him navigate the social waters of school and to help him manage behavior and emotions. Last semester, without the support, this child was in my room multiple times a day, crying and upset and frustrated. This semester, with increased support, this student is SO successful in his classroom. I see him daily, still, but only ever with huge smiles! He is relaxed, enjoying school, and learning so much--not just school stuff, but social stuff, too. Praise God!

--A new Kindergarten student joined our school in January. With a physical impairment similar to cerebral palsy, this student is unable to sit or walk unassisted. She requires a lot of support with motor tasks, and while she is learning English, she has no cognitive or learning challenges--the challenge is for us, figuring out how to give her a voice and involve her in the classroom. It is beautiful to see her hands (one of which is missing fingers) being held so lovingly by classmates, whom initially were filled with some fear and apprehension. This young girl is open about her emotions--when she is sad or upset, she'll certainly let you know--so I know that she loves being included at NCA by the smile she wears! She enjoys our time together in the SOAAR classroom, but when our 30 minute sessions are finished, and I ask her if she's ready to get back into her classroom, you should see her face light up as she nods "yes" vigorously! That maybe should make me sad, but it's quite the opposite! I'm glad my classroom is not her educational home! Read more about this student and her Kinder experience in a beautiful blogpost written by her teacher here.  Praise God for this child and the way she is being included at NCA!