Happy Endings. . .

Three things have "ended" or changed this weekend here in Nicaland.

1) On Friday, Mr. Ippel said goodbye to his trusty sidekick and assistant Sandra Telleria. Mrs. Sandra has worked in the PreK2 classroom at NCA for almost five years; both of her children are NCA graduates and now attend university in California. Since her son, Orlando, moved to the US last year, Sandra has been living alone. While she LOVED her job at NCA (and did a great job guiding me during those first crazy months!), she had a pretty big hole in her heart being far from her own children, and decided to fill that hole by moving up to Riverside this month to be with her kids. We will miss her. . .Sandra is a very loving person and has given a lot of that love to Henry, Mae, and Charlotte in addition to the nineteen students we care for together. I will miss working side-by-side with this wonderful woman of God. I am thankful to have "Mrs. Ana" ready to take over on Monday. . .Ana has been helping out all year in all three preschool classrooms so she knows the students and our routine; she'll do a great job helping us finish up the school year smoothly. I pray for peace during this transition for Sandra--many tears were shed (by both of us) on Friday. . .this was not an easy decision for her. I ask God to guide her path in the US, both as a mom of adult kids and as someone who will be looking for work and settling into a new home again.



2) Last night, NCA high school students completed their last performance of "The Desires of Your Heart," a musical about the book of Esther. This was a big deal for the school--they've never done a musical before. They've never used our new Eagle Center stage for a play before. Lights and microphones were new. Building a set was new. Students, many of whom speak Spanish as a first language, did an incredible job memorizing a completely English script. A fellow teacher pulled together a small orchestra of 8, also a first for NCA. It was a big deal for me as well--I played piano for the production, which involved 2-5 afternoons each week after school since January, culminating this weekend with three performances, all requiring me to get through 35 songs (or 154 pages of difficult piano music) each night without making too many errors! My brain was absolutely DEAD after each show--a true musical challenge for me. It was so fun to be a part of the production, and to get to know a few "big kids" at NCA--I'm hoping that the Fine Arts program can continue to grow at NCA, to give a nurturing place for students to use their God-given gifts in the public arena. That said, both my wife and I are looking forward to a bit more time at home. . .thanks to Ruth for allowing me to play for the show. It was a big sacrifice on her part as well!

3) Friday night was Dexter's last night of sleeping indoors. He's been in a very small empty room, containing  a few branches and a laundry basket to sleep in. This room, off of our laundry area, was a bit. . .gross. Every two days, the floor was covered in monkey pee, poop, and old food. . .yes, our monkey lacks proper etiquette when it comes to eating and voiding. We are SO thankful for the help of our neighbor Travis, who spent ALL day Saturday with me sawing, nailing, cutting fence, making a door frame and a door . . .basically doing things I would have no clue how to do on his own. Dexter enjoyed his outdoor cage (situated conveniently under our water tower) last night, and now has much more room to soak up the sun, play, and explore (and poop and pee, too), and watch the world go by.

So yup, Monday begins a new chapter of life for me. Mrs. Sandra won't be at school to greet me. . .I can go home directly after school to hang out with the family. . .and I don't need to spend 30 minutes scrubbing the floor in Dexter's room when I get home from school!

8 Things We've Learned in 8 Months

Today marks 8 months since we left our home in Grand Rapids and arrived at out new home here in Nicaragua.  To celebrate and reflect, I’d like to share with you 8 things we have learned in the past 8 months:

1)      Just because we live in a Spanish-speaking country, our kids becoming bilingual is not a given.  We are realizing that for this to happen it means that we will have to be intentional about the situations we place them in, and it will take effort on our part and theirs. 

2)      When you have to go to multiple stores searching for an item you think you need to buy, with no guarantee that you’ll ever find it, it’s better to just go without the item in the first place. We have learned that very few things are absolute necessities.

3)      When you live in a country with frequent earthquakes, it is a good idea to sleep fully clothed.

4)      As a missionary, it is very possible to move to a different country and still live in your comfort zone.  If we wanted to, we could only invest in relationships with English-speaking North Americans.  While this is a temptation and will no doubt remain one, we are committed to challenging ourselves and daily stepping into our “uncomfort” zones--something difficult yet rewarding.

5)      When a Spanish speaker asks you, “habla español?” and you answer “un poquito,” it is essentially the same as saying no. 

6)      When you don’t have family nearby, others become your family quickly (not that our families could ever be replaced).  We are beyond grateful for the deep, loving relationships that we have formed that have been an incredible support to us throughout this transition, and amid the normal stresses of life (parenting, busyness of live, etc.).

7)      We have learned how to drink beverages out of bags, a very common practice here. Charlotte is probably the best in our family at biting off the corner and sucking the whole bag down.

8)      God truly is faithful.  We hear this a lot, but over the past year since we made our decision to move to Nicaragua, we have lived this truth.  In March of 2013 we received an email offering Andrew a teaching position at Nicaragua Christian Academy. At that time making it a reality—selling our home and car, raising enough financial support to meet our needs, dealing with all of our belongings and making an international move—seemed very nearly impossible.  But here we are.  God has made possible everything we had labeled impossible, and brought us to where we are now. As I was reflecting on this today, a song that I sang in Gospel Choir at Calvin College was stuck on repeat in my head, and very appropriately so:

I’ve got so much to thank God for,

So many wonderful blessings, and so many open doors,

A brand new mercy along with each new day,

That’s why I praise him, and for this I give him praise.

For every mountain You brought me over,
For every trial you've seen me through,
For every blessing,
Hallelujah, for this I give You praise!

NCAI, NCAN, NCAM. . .

The acronyms are only slightly less confusing here than when you are trying to find your way around the campus of Calvin College (go from the CFAC past the SLC in the CA to BV by way of SE, for example). Nicaragua Christian Academy (NCA) is composed of three distinct campuses--NCA International, NCA Nejapa, and NCA Matagalpa--with hopes to continue to expand within many major cities throughout Nicaragua. I teach at the English-speaking International campus in Managua, Nicaragua. I had the privilege last week to spend a school day at each of the other two campuses, which was one of my goals for this school year. I love the mission of NCAI, but I also love that NCA is bigger than my campus, and that the work we do at NCAI is linked into the bigger picture of God's transformational work in education in Nicaragua.

NCA Nejapa:
Only 5 minutes from NCAI, and located on the same campus as the Nehemiah Center since being established in 2005, NCAN has enrollment that now surpasses the original campus. It provides a Christian education in the Spanish language for students at about $60 per month for tuition.  The preschool department at our school is currently participating in a "cooperative learning exchange" with the preschool teachers at Nejapa--a pilot program of sorts to see how these two distinct campuses can share resources and talent with one another. So far, I've enjoyed two days at their school, and they observed in our classrooms for two days. Following our visit, we've enjoyed food and conversation about our observations--offering suggestions bundled with affirmations. I am the only non-Spanish speaker in the group, which made the process a bit tough, but it was great practice for me! Throughout the process, Carla, the PreK2 teacher at Nejapa, has done an incredible job of transforming her classroom into a place of active learning, songs, centers, thematic units, and hands-on activities. The parents of her students now complain that the kids are coming home dirty, which I think is a huge compliment about the quality of education those preschoolers are getting. I was able to get ideas from Carla as well--she did a remarkable job of tying her academic goals into activities throughout the entire school day. Kids were bombarded with the stuff they were learning, and that is something I want to develop more within my classroom. I hope these teacher exchanges continue at other grade levels, for though we are only a few kilometers away, the gap that exists between our two schools is very, very wide. It has been a privilege to be a part of the beginning of narrowing that gap.

NCA Matagalpa:
Matagalpa is a town in the foothills of Nicaragua, about 2 and 1/2 hours away from Managua. It's cool coffee country up there. . . it is impossible to miss all of the bright red berries laying out on large blankets in fields to dry before processing as you drive up to the hills to Matagalpa. (On a side note, Dexter the monkey was purchased along the road in this region). NCAM began two years ago; they saw their student population triple in size this year! I went on an overnight adventure to NCAM as part of a team of folks from Tesoros de Dios (the organization that works with kids with disabilities), with the purpose to assist teachers of students who are experiencing difficulties within the classroom. Our work consisted of a school tour (a BEAUTIFUL new building set along a river in the hills), a morning of brief 20-minute observations of 8 identified students, followed up by a time to write ideas/suggestions for the teachers to use as they attempt to include these children within their classroom. In the afternoon, we spent time talking as a group about the need for a more developed program for students with disabilities in the Matagalpa area. The dreams are big and seem distant, but the reality is that there are MANY kids with special needs that are not receiving the services that they need to be successful within the general education classroom in the Matagalpa community. Disability can be a taboo for Nicaraguan parents; many are in denial that their child is "different." In addition, Nicaraguan-trained teachers receive little to no training as to how to assist diverse learners. These two issues combined make this a complicated process! It was so fun for me to be back in the "special education world" again, even if only for a day, and I hope to continue to be able to assist all three NCA schools in this area in the future.

Each school is distinct--culturally, geographically, and even educationally. The challenge is to keep us united in the work we do. I'm thankful for Mission statement that unites all of the schools in common purpose: all 3 schools exist to "equip children of Christian parents with the spiritual discernment, the moral courage, and the academic excellence to impact society through Christian living motivated by a heartfelt love for God." The entire staff at NCAI, from the teachers and janitors to the administration and cleaning ladies, just memorized our mission statement. . .keeping us focused on why we do what we do. Thank you for supporting the mission of NCAI, N, and M!

Onion Rings & Ice Cream Cones

Over Christmas break this year, we celebrated by going out to Burger King (yes, there are Burger Kings here in Managua—one of two restaurants that give free refills!). We had promised our kids ice cream after their meal, so after we finished eating and the kids were playing on the play place, Andrew went up and ordered 5 ice cream cones.  The server offered to bring them out to us, so Andrew came back and sat down by me.  I can’t remember what we were chatting about when the server began walking toward us, but as soon as we saw what was on the tray she was holding, we stopped talking, looked at each other and shook our heads.  On her tray was 5 orders of onion rings!  She set them down and Andrew and I both said “Gracias” with big eyes, and then burst out laughing as soon as she made it back behind the counter.  Andrew had obviously messed up his Spanish somehow, although we can’t figure out how he messed up THAT badly—the words aren’t even that similar; ice cream is “helado” or “cono” and onion rings are “aros de cebolla.”

Obviously getting onion rings instead of ice cream cones is not the end of the world (especially since after Andrew explained his mistake, the workers at Burger King were kind enough to exchange our onion rings for ice cream cones), but this is just one example of the many miscommunications that we have had because of the language barrier we face.  Most of the time, it is funny--Andrew just last week was talking to a student about eating a dust sandwich (“polvo”) instead of a turkey sandwich (“pavo”)—sometimes it’s frustrating, and sometimes it’s downright discouraging making us feel inadequate. 

The hardest thing for me has been my decreased ability to build relationships.  I am such an extrovert and a people-person, and I sometimes feel like my limited understanding of Spanish has stripped my personality of those characteristics.  When I am at the clinic taking a patient’s temperature, which as we all know takes FOREVER with a regular ‘ole thermometer, I want so badly to engage in small talk to pass the awkward time and put the patient at ease.  When I am at church chatting with Jocelyn, a 21 year old who I have become friends with, I want so badly to ask her about all the details of her love life so that I can tease her later.  These conversations are a part of who I am, and a part of who I have lost in the Spanish speaking world we live in. 

The upside to frustration is that it can be motivating.  Andrew and I have a strong desire and commitment to learn Spanish well so that we can build and engage in friendships here in Nicaragua (and so that we can order what we intend to at Burger King!).  We recently started meeting with a Spanish tutor three times a week to expedite this process.  This is a big time commitment, and often when we start our lesson after we tuck our kids into bed (which we do twice a week) our brains are already fried from the day of working in the heat, struggling to communicate, and avoiding cows and potholes in the car.  BUT, we are hopeful, and really, there are so many days when we are encouraged.  We have learned so much and come so far.  Our tutor, David, is great, and we know that with his help, and with lots of practice, patience and prayer we will be well on our way to making small talk, teasing and ordering ice cream instead of onion rings. 

From the Mouth of Carla. . .

We were joined last week by two visitors--Jan Arrowsmith (Ruth's mom) and Carla Marion, a dear friend/former neighbor/First CRC church family/pseudo-family member (see below!). The furthest Carla has traveled from her hometown, Grand Rapids, is Indiana. . .until now! From the moment we told Carla we were moving to Nicaragua last spring, she was determined to visit. She began saving money from her monthly checks, and was able to save enough for a passport, the majority of a ticket, and enough to pay for food and gifts while here in Nicaragua! We admire Carla for her determination to make this dream a reality and we thank many First Church members and certainly Jan for doing their parts to make this happen. We absolutely loved hosting Carla and seeing things already familiar to us through her unique viewpoint, which is why I wanted to interview Carla before she left. I tried to type out word-for-word Carla's responses to my questions. . .here they are! Enjoy reading and getting to know Carla a bit if you don't already. We are thankful to have Carla in the life of our family, and we thank God for building and sustaining this relationship even as we are apart.

Andrew: Why come to Nicaragua?

Carla: To be with the family, my neighbors . . .my parents. . .I call you my parents.

Why do you call us your parents?

Because I made you my parents; I kind of used to help you out and you’d help me out and I’d do my washing and I felt that you were a good family for me, which I really never had. . .a religious, loving family that I could call a family until I met you guys. . .I just feel that I’m a part of the family. I love the kids and I’ve taken to Mae; she’s still as cute as a bug’s ear and so is Charlotte. Henry is kind of a shy person towards me.

 

How did you feel when you found out we were moving to Nicaragua?

I wanted to come; everyone asked me at church. . . “Carla, are you happy you can go visit them? Carla, we wish WE could go to Nicaragua”. . .I was just so excited and wound up that I could see you for a whole week. . .the plane was a whole ‘nother thing, since I’ve never been on one before. . .and it was alright as long as the turbulence was alright and the plane doesn’t tip! I watch every movement. I was really. . .I just couldn’t lay down and rest and sleep, really. I dream about you guys and that made me miss you more as a family, and I missed the kids. And I was really interested to see if the kids had grown since you left for Nicaragua.

What were your highlights of your trip?

Being on the plane, which I’d never been on before.

Being at that orphanage, and the day care that Ruth took me to.

Seeing the volcano; I’m glad I didn’t get no closer to that volcano than I did. It smelled gassy, but you couldn’t hardly see down in it because it was so smoky.

The [Preschool students] enjoyed me reading and I know I surprised you guys.

 

What were some things that surprised you?

The narrow streets and the busses. . .city busses are school busses! The little moto. . .mototaxis and motorcycles. I don’t see them in Grand Rapids until the snow goes away; a lot of people on horses and buggies. And the horses! I never thought horses would be here. I love horses. And the palm trees. I never imagined they were here. . .I don’t know why I didn’t. And I didn’t realize you lived in a villa; I thought you lived in a regular house. . .and seeing the maid. . .I loved seeing the lights of the city from up in the plane, too.

 

Did anything make you feel sad?

Seeing those kids in the orphanage and seeing the kids in the handicap thing made me feel sad. Being in your room didn’t make me feel sad , reallybut it reminded me of working in the schools in Grand Rapids.

What would you say that Nicaragua needs?

The people living in these run-down houses need money. ..so run-down. It takes me back to where I live; you see it all over.

What did you think of the weather?

I liked it! It reminded me or summer or spring in Grand Rapids. Every morning I’d wake up and say “Where am I?” I had to remember I was in another part of the world. I haven’t missed my bed and my stairway I have to go up it; my narrow stairway. I said goodbye to it and I’m sorry I’ll have to say hello to it when I get back.

And the monkey?

They said at church--Klasien said, “Be sure to bring that monkey back here. I need it back.” And I began to wonder if it was her monkey or yours. She told me that at church, twice. I told her I don’t know if I can bring it back; not on a plane; I don’t think I’d look cute on a plane with a monkey; that’s what I told her.

 

What’d you think of the food?

The food was kind of spicy and you know. . I loved the watermelon and the smoothies and the French toast that Ruth had made. The grocery store was similar to the grocery stores in Grand Rapids.

Would you recommend visiting Nicaragua?

Yeah. They all be hollerin’ about they want to come.

Was there anything you didn’t like?

No, I don’t think so. . .there was nothing. Change the way they live different here; even the rich looks like they live as poor people do.  . .the rich help out poor people here. And the neighbors are nice. . .or just. . .you had them all wound up when you told them about me coming! Cause I was really wound up! My insides was all wound up. . during Joys and Concerns I couldn’t even think of your names. Randy kept saying “Who you going to see? Who you goin’ to see?” I just couldn’t wait to get here! Being at the airport was just such a hubbub.

Did you learn any Spanish?

A little bit. Thank you is. . .I can’t remember it. . .and uh. . .senorita. “Senorita” is a woman. And uh. . .then I learned. . .I tried to learn “thank you” in Spanish but I couldn’t remember. Spanish sounds like some mumbo-jumbo-upped words and I can’t understand it.  I kept sayin’ to people ‘I can’t speak your language . . . I’m not from here. Just go to Andrew or Ruth or Jan. I don’t speak that language.

Did you miss anything while you were gone?

No. I was kind of happy here! A lot of things in here are similar to things in Grand Rapids. People live similar. But they don’t have the motorbikes and they don’t have the horses going down the street. They have the cars and if you want a horse and buggy you have to go downtown and pay a pretty penny!

Do you think it was a good decision for us to serve here in Nicaragua?

I think God put you in this world to be missionaries and be thankful that you got a job here teaching and Ruth once in a while has her job nursing and I mean. . .I’m just gonna have to get back to the change of being in GR and seeing that snow that I don’t want to see. I’m gonna have to go back to it.

 

One cog in the wheel. . .

I am teaching preschool at Nicaragua Christian Academy International. A little known secret that some of you may or may not know: teaching at a school for missionary kids and for nationals able to afford quality Christian education in a developing country wasn't ever really my dream. . .I always wanted to do the "real" work of educating and equipping the poor, the destitute, the kids with disabilities that have zero access to services and no hope for a brighter future. And those kids aren't really present in our school. We serve a different clientele altogether. Yet, we are here. . .and now that we're here, I'm finding out first-hand the important role that a school like NCA International plays within this community.

Post-"calling" to NCA International--and I really did/do feel called to this school--I'm finding that I am truly excited to work and serve in this organization for a variety of reasons. One reason, of course, is to teach and plant seeds within the 12 Nicaraguan kids in my classroom. These kids are the future leaders of Nicaragua. By the time they graduate from NCA 12 or 13 years from now, they will be bilingual. They will have received a really good education, enabling them to continue on at college or university here in Nicaragua or abroad. And most importantly, they will be rooted in the love of Jesus, and equipped to sow seeds and bear fruit wherever God calls them in life--my prayer would be that many would remain in Nicaragua as transformational leaders in government, business, the church, and education.

I'm grateful for my role as teacher of the 7 missionary kids in my classroom, too--for the same reasons listed above, but also because of the role I play in allowing their families to live and serve in Nicaragua. Without a place to educate their children, many families would not be able to serve in Managua. Home-schooling and local public schools are not viable options are all families. So while I still don't always feel that I'm "on the field" or "in the trenches" of Nicaragua, I'm finding vicarious joy in supporting the work of the missionary parents of my students! Check out some of the ministries represented in my classroom:

Beckett's dad teaches high school social studies here at NCA and his mom supports families that come to Nicaragua to adopt. Micah's dad and mom have planted a few churches in Nicaragua, and his dad currently shepherds a vibrant faith community in Managua. Sadie's parents operate a feeding center, an orphanage, relief and development work through an organization called "New Life Nicaragua." Katherine's mom teaches 3-year old preschool here at NCA (my school neighbor!) and her dad teaches music lessons and music at an area Christian school. . .he's an amazing classical pianist, too! I appreciate his vision for music education in the schools. Lucas's dad directs the Nicaragua Christian Academy Association, providing support to and building bridges between all NCA schools, especially those that serve Spanish-speaking lower-middle class students (NCA Nejapa and NCA Matagalpa). Ruth's parents work with the Vineyard church and are working on providing a place for teams to learn and serve here in Managua. Mae's dad is. . .oh yeah. . .me. You know what I do!

(As a disclaimer, this was NOT a complete list of ministries represented in my classroom, by any means. . .I don't even know all of the ministries that my parents/spouses are involved in. . .this is just a glimpse! Know, too, that many of my Nicaraguan parents are also involved in local ministries, even if they aren't technically "missionaries" here!)

So know that as you support my work at NCA, you are directly supporting the many, many ministries represented by the families within my classroom! So even if I'm not working with the poorest of the poor, I'm connected to the poor through the mission and vision of at least 6 other families living and working in Nicaragua as missionaries. Even if I'm not working directly with those marginalized by the education system of Nicaragua, I'm connected to them on another level. And even if I'm not serving the orphans, the hungry, the widows on a daily basis with my own two hands, I'm serving those that are serving those folks through many incredible Christ-centered ministries. And actually, so are you! Thank you.

Meet Dexter!

So. . .maybe we missed the session in our CRWM training entitled "10 Things New Missionary Families Should Never Do," but we bought a monkey. Sort of. Here's how Dexter the white-faced capuchin monkey came to be in the Ippel household.

Our neighbor Nathan, the director of the association of the three NCA schools, travels frequently to Matagalpa, a community in the forested mountains of Nicaragua. It isn't uncommon for him to see monkeys and parrots for sale along the side of the road. Ruth has often joked with Nathan, "Next time you go to Matagalpa, just buy a monkey for us!" Well, evidently Ruth joked a few too many times. Nathan called us on Wednesday evening and said, "I'll be by your house in 30 minutes. I have a monkey in my car. You can keep it or if you don't want it, we'll keep it." (Nathan grew up in Brazil and always had primate pets as a child, so I think he was glad to have an excuse to make this happen).

So, 30 minutes to make a decision that is sort of a big deal. Where does one go to seek advice in this situation? GOOGLE! 30 minutes of finding page after page of saying that monkey ownership is terrible, sinful, that your life will be over, that the monkey will eventually kill or maim all of your children and burn your house down. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but the general tone of internet discussion is that we should NOT own a monkey. So we decided to go with Google, and were prepared to tell Nathan "thanks for your impulsiveness but no thanks." We'll enjoy being neighbors of crazy people who own a monkey.

Well, Nathan pulled up to the house and Ruth and I went out to look at the monkey and to let Nathan know that he was the proud new owner of this monkey. Then the monkey climbed into Ruth's arm, and Ruth said (without looking at me), "We'll take him!" Yeah. Just like we DIDN'T decide! But for those of you who know Ruth (or her mother Jan), you probably aren't that surprised.  So suddenly we have a monkey in our house.

He's a boy, about 1 year old. Very clingy and loves to grab on to your forearm and just stay there all day, preventing you from doing dishes or changing your shirt. Dexter (his name is from the monkey on Night at the Museum) is on a short leash, but it isn't needed right now. He won't go far from us, though he is beginning to explore a bit. We need to construct some kind of house outside for Dexter. Right now, he is sleeping in a small room that had bikes/stroller in it, but as he hates being alone, his little cries echo through the house until he is sleeping. And yeah, monkeys do smell a bit like BO, so for that reason too we'd like an outside cage. He doesn't mind showers, though! We are experimenting with "preemie" diapers right now while he is inside. Yes, we slice a little hole in them for the tail. Ridiculous.

The kids LOVE him. . .Charlotte the least (love from a distance) and Henry the most (first thing Henry does in the morning is get Dexter from his room and play with him). We know it isn't going to be all fun. We are now the crazy neighbors with the monkey. And supposedly monkeys get less loving when they hit puberty. And they smell. And you can't do dishes or change your shirt when he is attached to your arm.

We know ALL pets take some time and energy, but yet we do NOT want pet ownership to take away from ministry opportunities that surround us. So while we are thankful that our kids have this fairly unique experience of ACTUALLY OWNING A MONKEY AS A PET, we have our hesitations and our excitement is tampered with a reality that this monkey is a fun thing for our family, but that monkey ownership won't dictate or consume our lives.

Our neighbor friend Taelor is the monkey's official aunt, and she spent all day with him today while we were at a Love and Logic seminar at my school. We are pretty sure the principals we learned today will not work on Dexter. "I see that you are hungry. I am so sorry that you feel that way. But I only give bananas to monkeys that clean up their poop off of the couch." Taylor is already planning on monkey-sitting the whole time we are in Michigan and New Mexico this summer, so we are thankful for that!

Anyway, I'm sure you'll hear more adventures about life with a monkey. Or, if we end up realizing that the internet was right all along, we'll let you know who the lucky new owners of Dexter are! Thanks, Grandpa Bandstra, for providing the Christmas monkey. . .I mean money. . .for this new addition to our family.