30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 4--Magic Jack

We are thankful for our Magic Jack. Magic Jack is this wonderful and magical thing that allows us to have a Michigan phone number and call friends and family in the US any time we want to!  What a blessing--communication is SO mush easier now than when my family was living as missionaries in Africa 20 years ago.  Magic Jack is internet based, and our internet is often patchy, but we’ve found that if we unplug and plug it in enough we can usually get it to work. Call us anytime… we’d love to chat (and if we don't answer or if we hang up on you, it's because our internet isn't working--it's not because we don't like you)!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 3--A Bike

We only have one (wonderful) car here, and there are often times where Andrew and I both need to be in different places.  Our solution (for now) is that Andrew bought a $50 Japanese-made bike, which he rides down the Cow Trail to school 3-4 mornings a week, freeing up the car for Ruth to grocery shop, volunteer at the clinic and do car-pool runs.  The ride is 3 miles downhill, and only takes him about 15 minutes.  It is always an early morning adrenaline rush for Andrew, dodging puddles, chickens, moto-taxis, busses, large flying insects and rabid dogs (okay, they probably aren't rabid, but it makes it exciting to THINK that they are rabid while biking away from them as they chase him).  He hasn’t attempt the ride up the hill from school to home yet—it would be killer. We just throw the bike in the back of the van and drive it back up at the end of each day. We are very thankful for his safety in biking so far;  there are no bike helmets in Nicaragua big enough to fit Andrew’s massive head, so we will have Ruth’s sister bring one when she comes for Thanksgiving. We also are thankful for Chepe, a gardener at NCA who is also a bike mechanic extraordinaire! His skills have already come in handy.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 2--Taco Seasoning!

November 2:  We are thankful for Taco Seasoning

I have to say that this is one of the things that we miss the most here in Nicaragua.  Before coming here, I never that it would be at the top of my list (because people who speak Spanish eat tacos, right?  Yeah, just a different kind of tacos.) We are thankful, though, because a friend from church sent us several packets of taco seasoning, and we have been thoroughly enjoying them! Thanks Tammy!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: November 1--Hot Water Heater!

November is here, and Thanksgiving is around the corner! I'm not sure how much turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes we'll be eating this year in the land of Nicaragua. . .but regardless of what we eat on November whatever-the-date-is, we certainly want to spend intentional time being thankful, celebrating the joys of our new life in Nicaragua-- both the interesting and the mundane. So each day in November, we'll share one thing for which we give thanks, in no particular order. THANKS for reading:)

November 1: Hot Water Heater

Our house has a hot water heater, which is rare here in Nicaragua.  Many of our friends either have no hot water or use “duchas” which are electric heaters that are attached to your shower head, also known as “widow makers”--mixing water and electricity isn't ever a great idea. Because electricity here is so expensive, we try to only turn on our hot water heater for about 15 minutes a day for morning showers, but we are so thankful that we have it!  We are feeling especially thankful for it now because Andrew recently locked the door to the water heater closet before realizing we didn’t have a key, so we were without hot water for several days until a locksmith replaced the lock!

Control!

I like to be in control. Being in a new country makes it a bit tough to feel that sense of control that felt so good and normal in the US. A couple of things happened this past week:

1) We lost our internet for a few days. Not a big deal in the States, but here, our internet feels a bit like our lifeline. That isn't necessarily a good thing, and it annoyed me how annoyed I was about not having access to email and Facebook and news and phone calls to family for 48 hours. But I was irritable and upset, especially that I couldn't figure out what was wrong with our internet. And we can't just call Claro for help, as there isn't a "Press 2 for English" option here in Nicaragua!  It turns out, we just hadn't paid the bill for three months. Oops. And once we paid, the internet was on again. Thanks to a bilingual neighbor for helping us out here.

2) We had an appointment at the American Embassy today to authenticate some documents for the process of gaining residency in Nicaragua. Well, they couldn't do it what we needed them to do today. We are here on tourist visas, good for 90 days. Today is, I believe, day 89. And we feel like we're "stuck" in the process, or at least clueless in this maze of paperwork and bureaucracy. And very soon, we're going to technically be living here "illegally." Let me tell you--my empathy for the plight of "illegal immigrants" in the US has grown considerably. But what can we do???? Nothing.

These "out of my control" moments are consistent reminders that our sense of control is always merely a façade--God is truly the one in control. But it is quite a journey to recognize that truth, and I'm not there yet. It's funny, but tonight driving home from Tesoros de Dios, scripture popped into my head. . .and trust me. . .I'm not saying this to sound super-spiritual. I'm actually giving credit to my preschoolers here, because that isn't necessarily what happens often. We're learning about poor Joseph, who had to trust God in all types of crazy situations all over the place, and our verse of the week is as follows:

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15)

We're just learning the first part--hey, we're only four years old. But we've been saying it a lot over the last two days, chanting it and reading it and singing about it. And so it popped into my head, this promise of God filling a void of nervousness surrounding some unknowns and this "out of control" situation in my life. And it did give me comfort.

For a moment anyway. And then when I got home I immediately headed to the computer to try to research our options in regards to overstaying our tourist visa--could we get deported? How much are the fines? Is there a way to extend our tourist visa? Blah blah blah. Trying to comfort myself with control of the situation and head knowledge again rather than holding on to the promise that no matter what, God is absolutely holding our family in his hand. He's driving. As Charlotte loves to say lately, "Hallelujah!"

God's Treasures

On Tuesday afternoons at 3:00 on the dot, I jump in our trusty red minivan and head out from NCA up the hill a few minutes to reach a ministry called Tesoros de Dios. From their website (tesorosdedios.org):

Tesoros de Dios, translated as "God's Treasures," is a ministry in Managua, Nicaragua, that serves over 80 children with a variety of developmental disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Hydrocephaly, Autism, Brain Damage, and others. Through programs offered and family support, the center provides tools to help the children reach their fullest potential physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually


Honestly, Tesoros de Dios is how we ended up in Managua. Through some Google searching, we came across this Christian organization that works with kids with disabilities--a passion of mine that has been my vocation for the past 9 years. The director, Michelle, is the one who told me about Nicaragua Christian Academy, as I don't have the Spanish-speaking skills to work primarily with Spanish-speaking kids at their organization. I emailed NCA and the rest is history. . .

So, while teaching preschool NCA is my full-time job (which I love!), I've committed to spending one afternoon a week at Tesoros de Dios to continue work with persons with disabilities. The kids who are there rotate through a variety of therapies (including horse and physical therapy) and Special Education programs. Parents have to attend Tesoros with their children, so that they can learn interventions and techniques to use at home. I've been working with a few kids with disabilities who attend NCA Nejapa (our Spanish-speaking "sister" school--inclusion is quite a radical thing for Nicaragua), who need some extra support especially with their English homework. (I'm qualified for that job, at least!) Kevin and David have been gracious and are helping me with my Spanish at the same time.

Pictures of Tesoros de Dios from their website, tesorosdedios.org. I haven't taken any pictures there yet!

Being at Tesoros is a weekly reminder about the importance of the ministry of "being"--something I'm not great at. I like to do stuff and contribute and see quick progress, and I want to offer my services and expertise and education to help people here in Nicaragua. I want to be needed. But as of now, the biggest thing I'm doing at Tesoros de Dios is just showing up. I stumble through conversations and smile and nod a lot when I'm being spoken too and honestly, the kids would get their homework done with or without me. . but I'm.trusting that God has a plan for me at Tesoros. And the plan might be just being, learning from those with disabilities who have always been the best "teachers of life" to me.

 

I'm sure I'll have more stories about Tesoros to share with you in the future. . .it is a great organization worth learning more about, filling a huge void in Nicaragua in terms of providing services for kids and families who need it most!

A day in the life of a NCA PreK2er!

So, if you were ever thinking about going back to school for more education, you are welcome to join us in my preschool classroom at NCA. . .I know I'M learning a lot each day! Here is a "typical" day in the life of a 4-year old at NCA--for Nicole, Mae, Sun Kyo, Ruth, Sadie, Micah, Nahima, Nahum, Beckett, Benjamin 1 and 2, Katherine 1 and 2, Celeste, Leonte, Isabella, Esther, and Lorena.

1. Arrival
Students trickle in between 7:15-7:35. If they get through the school gate after 7:27, they are tardy! Students sit at a table by their name tag and fill out a "daily plan" (a picture of something they hope to do that day) and write their name. Some students who wrote their name with a scribble at the beginning of the year can now write their name fairly clearly! When they have their plan finished, they go to the circle time rug and play with a "carpet activity" until we're all ready to move on.

2. Circle Time!
Time for Mr. Ippel to get silly. Who knew that singing about the days and months of the week could be so exciting! Can you believe that counting how many days we've been in school so far could be hilarious? We review what classroom "jobs" students have, which they take pretty seriously. And we talk about our schedule for the day. Finally, we always review some vocabulary words for the week for our English Language learners, and this is NEVER boring:) It truly feels like I'm inside Barney sometimes (I mean that in the best way possible:)

3. Free Choice/Planned Play Time
Twice a day students spend a half hour as they choose. They can freely rotate between our water table, playdoh table, art studio, "house," sand bucket (it truly is just a bucket with sand in it), reading corner, puzzle area, block center. We change a few things about each center on a weekly basis to keep it interesting. Kids, I've learned, do not get bored. They don't! If I were them, I'd be so sick of the same toys and stations. . .but they just don't get bored. I'm amazed to see how they combine ideas from our books and Bible story with their play time. And how they combine toys from around the room. For example, they might make a block road leading to the sand bucket and place cars and animals on the road, with playdoh people driving the cars.  Sound like a mess? It totally is. But they do a great job cleaning up after each play time, surprisingly!

 

4. Specials/Preps!
My students give me a little peace and quiet at least once a day. They get PE (twice a week!), art, music, computers, library (twice a week). I don't mind a bit!

5. Recess/Snack
Students have outside recess twice a day. The first recess is combined with snack that they bring for home. . .they take snack seriously! Gallo pinto, fried cheese, plantains, sliced fruit, packaged cookies, Cacao drink (think chocolatey eggnog), left-over pizza, juice boxes. . .it's like a mini-lunch for some kids. The playground consists of a climbing structure with slide, a few sand boxes(dirt boxes), a "casista" (a wooden play house), three swings and a tire swing, and a LOT of dirt. No grass or mulch. Not up to "code" in any sense of the word! Our classroom is swept and mopped like three times a day, a constant battle over the stuff our kids track in each day after recess, especially during the rainy season. I love playing with the kids during recess. . ."Can you poosh me pleeze?" seems to be the first English phase of many of my students!

6. Circle Time 2 and 3
We gather two more times at the Circle Time rug for literacy learning activities, reading stories, working with letters and words, chanting and singing, being goofy, doing Show and Tell (I really, really, really dislike show and tell!). We have a good reading curriculum that I enjoy, and seems to be geared for kids learning English.

 

 

7. Math/Spanish
Mrs. Sandra (my trusty side-kick) and I split the class four times a week for math or Spanish. You can probably guess who teaches what. It is fun to work with a smaller group--kids are smart thinkers! We were doing division last week, making sure Mr. and Mrs. Monkey both had the same number of bananas on their plate. They could totally do it, and even figured out to cut bananas in half as needed! I like to do math that we can eat.

 

7. Worship
My favorite half-hour of the day. Each week we dive into a story of the Bible, that is told and reviewed in various ways throughout the week. Kids even learn a memory verse related to the topic--and they can learn it! My little non-English speaking kids are memorizing scripture, and SO proud of it. I'm humbled. Of course, we start each worship time with LOTS of singing. They LOVE to sing. And we often end sharing prayer requests. . .which takes a long time. Everyone has a sick mom, dad, or pet. All the time:) We often act out the story at some point during the week. . .Noah and the Ark was an epic production this week!

 

By 12:30, we're tired out and ready to head home. Kids leave, but I don't! Dismissal wraps up at 12:45, I eat school lunch with the other staff until 1:15, and then I have until 3:00 to get stuff ready for the next day. I was a little over-confident at the beginning of the year, thinking I would be absolutely bored during this HUGE amount of prep time each day. But I'm finding that time to go extremely fast, and I have yet to run out of things to do to improve my classroom.

THE END! That was long. . .sorry! I absolutely LOVE my job. I really, really do. So thanks for allowing me to be a preschool teacher at NCA through your prayers and support. I hope that I am a blessing to my students; I KNOW that they are a blessing to me.