Sunday School, Revisted

Last year at about this time, after being approached by our pastor and his wife, I committed to teaching Sunday School at Iglesia Bautista Esperanza to a group of 8-10 8-10 year-olds. I love being involved in church more than just as a pew-sitter, and this seemed to be a good opportunity to get more involved in the church we were calling home. Last year teaching Sunday School was both wonderful and stretching—I enjoyed teaching the group so much, but felt overwhelmed, mostly with the language factor of teaching the Bible story or lesson. While my Spanish was/is steadily (albeit VERY slowly) improving, and while my students were extremely forgiving, it was frustrating to NOT be the same kind of teacher I could be in my native tongue. I felt less fun, less creative, and less understandable. It was also fatiguing to teach every nearly single Sunday with no scheduled breaks and no substitutes. If we were gone, my students would join the 11-12 year old class, taught by the great team Maxwell and Carol, but it was already a large group of kids. 

As we prepared to leave last summer for our two months in MI and NM, a young man named Denis from our church joined our class as an apprentice/observer/helper, as did a young teen named José David. The idea was that Denis would be our “substitute” teacher while we were gone this summer, and José David would assist as needed.

This has turned out to be an answer to prayer that I had never even prayed. When we arrived back in Nicaragua after our time in the US, we took Denis and José David out to lunch to thank them for covering for me, and we were thrilled to find out that Denis and José David were willing (and excited!) to continue to teach Sunday School. So we made a plan: Denis would pick the theme and teach the Bible lesson, Facebook message me the scripture references during the week, and I would come with a related activity, game, and/or craft.

Denis, me, and Jose David

The “sharing of the responsibilities” is going so well! I can still serve and use my gifts coming up with creative activities, but alongside of Denis, a gifted teacher who the kids don’t have to struggle to understand as he teaches Bible lessons. Sundays are full of more joy, and less frustration. I can also miss a Sunday once in a while, for a Boy Scouts activity, illness, or to attend the English-speaking church, and someone is ready to take over!

God is good, and today I’m thankful to be part of a Sunday School team with Denis and José David.

Here's a few pics from our Sunday morning today:

Rushing out of the house in the AM always involves leaving a sink full of breakfast dishes!

Rainy season challenges:) Avoiding the mud puddles!

We did our 20 minute drive to church twice today because when we were almost there, we realized we had left behind the popcorn popper that Andrew needed for his Sunday School activity. 

Our Sunday school class (can you find Henry?), which meets from 9:00-10:00

Dennis, the master teacher

Mae is always proud to show off her own Sunday school work

As is Charlotte! 

Between Sunday School and church, we usually walk to the nearby park to buy some gum for the kids. Today, though, we had no small change so we just hung around. I got to hear what Jonathan has been learning in his piano lessons.

Danny also serves the church through music--he is a great guitar player!

Church begins at 10:30, and usually goes to about 12:00

Today, Ruth was serving in the nursery with a LOT of beautiful kids, for a very long service!

Our Sunday tradition: go out to eat after church! Air conditioning is a must!

Any guesses as to where we ate today?

Ruth Ippel, SN (School Nurse)

I love nursing because of the variety of jobs that go along with it.  This week I had a new “first” as a nurse: I subbed for the school nurse at NCA. I’ve always kind of thought I’d like to be a school nurse, mostly because then Andrew and I could blissfully enjoy free summers together, and these two days gave me a chance to give it a try. I know two days can’t give me a full picture what it is really like, and the fact that the nurse’s office is one of the few air conditioned rooms on campus probably really impacted my level of satisfaction, but I really did enjoy it.  By far the most interesting thing I did was pull a staple out of a kid’s thumb… he had an explanation, but I still don’t totally understand how it got there. The runner ups were irrigating an ear, and treating scraped armpits.  The first day, I had 36 “patients,” which made me wonder, how do schools in the US do it?  School nurses in the US have really become a thing of the past, with hours being cut and positions being replaced by health assistants or even just the school secretary.  At this relatively small school, I was busy all day!  I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the students, hearing their stories, and being the recipient of their hugs.  I don’t know if I would want to do it all the time, but I would certainly do it again.

Seeing others through the eyes of a child

Yesterday Andrew led chapel for two different groups of elementary students at NCA. His task was to cover the topic of respect. One activity he did was to have students compare two different pictures of children, assuming that the kids in chapel would highlight the obvious differences between them. His plan was then to help the kids focus on the fact that despite the differences between us, ALL are created in the Image of God--we always have that in common.

We were surprised at the contrast in the responses between the younger (PreK-2nd grade) and older (3rd-6th grade) students.  When shown the pictures, here were their observations:

PreK-2^nd: “They are both smiling/happy.”

3^rd-6^th: “One is outside, one is inside.”

PreK-2^nd: “They are both girls.”

3^rd-6^th: “One is sitting in a wheelchair, the other isn’t.”

 

PreK-2^nd: “They are all boys.”

3^rd-6^th: “One is alone, the other has lots of friends.”

PreK-2^nd: “They both have long hair.”

3^rd-6^th: “One looks like she has a disability, the other doesn’t.”

PreK-2^nd: “They are both boys”

3^rd-6^th: “One can hear, the other can’t”

As the younger children gave their answers, it warmed our hearts… all they saw were the similarities and commonalities! As the older children gave the answers that Andrew had been setting them up for, we began to wonder…

At what point to kids stop focusing on similarities and start focusing on differences?

Is focusing on differences something that our children are learning as they grow older? If so, from where?

How do these differing thought patterns affect the way they see each other and interact with each other?

Which group do I think more like? Which group should I think more like?

I fully recognize that there is beauty in appreciating and celebrating differences, but I don’t know if this is the best place to start. I think that if we could model the mindset of these young children as we meet new people and build relationships, beginning first by focusing on our similarities, it could create a better foundation for loving each other the way that Jesus taught us to love. 

A Typical Day in the Life of the SOAAR Coordinator

So, the title of this post is a bit misleading. Honestly, three weeks after beginning the SOAAR program, and I would say there isn't yet a typical day. There are wonderful days. There are busy days. There are overwhelming and discouraging days. But each day truly is a gift--I'm able to use my passion and experience at NCA in ways I never dreamed possible a year ago. God is good!

So, while I don't have a typical day yet (and probably never will), here are some things that keep me busy during the day:

1) Teaching a preschool student in my classroom (primarily communication and social skills), and helping coordinate his activities in his own classroom through intentional inclusion. That includes working closely with a classroom assistant, who works with him 1-on-1 throughout the school day. This is my biggest joy and challenge right now, and certainly takes the majority of my brainspace and energy. I'm SO thankful for this student. (daily 1.5-2 hours)

2) Teaching reading, writing, and spelling skills 1-on-1 to two elementary students. (1.25 hours)

3) Teaching a middle school study skills class, and a one-on-one high school study skills class (daily). (1.75 hours)

4) Observing students in classrooms, emailing teachers, emailing parents, scheduling IEP meetings, writing plans for students, trouble-shooting behavior and academic concerns. (minimum 1 hour)

5) Meeting daily afterschool with a middle school student to assist with homework planning, goal setting, and grade tracking. (10 min)

6) Meetings! I have a lot now. They are good and important and consuming. Ruth already rolls her eyes when I talk about the dreaded "m" word! (0-2 hours)

7) Working with a student weekly to work through social skills, anxiety, and how to navigate the playground--we may be beginning a "Circle of Friends" program for this student in particular. This student was having meltdowns about dancing for our upcoming school program; we did some social stories together and I provided some noise-blocking headphones for him to use. . .and he PARTICIPATED in the dance practice! Little accomplishments bring me HUGE joy this year. (0-1 hour)

Here are a few pictures of  my classroom space, in development of course. I'm still lacking some furniture, bulliten boards, white boards, and decorations, but we are making due in the meantime! 

Two computer stations with my middle school study skills students, and a cool mural (containing the words of Isaiah 40:31) painted by Katelyn, a CRWM volunteer

I have a mini-kitchen in my classroom (okay, I guess that just means I have a sink, but there is potential!) We have a great cross breeze and very nice fans to keep us cool during the day.

Food coloring plus diet coke bottles: great classroom art.

Sensory tools and toys

More sensory tools. . .kids LOVE the beanbags and trampoline

A push bike and a sleeping bag--classroom requirements!

Working with PreK2 (my former classroom!) on a lesson about inclusion

And we're (heading) back!

Tomorrow, we fly on a plane from Grand Rapids to Managua. We've had a PACKED summer and now we are mostly PACKED for our trip (five large suitcases, five carry-ons, and five backpacks!)--Ruth has been extra gracious as probably half of our luggage contains items for the SOAAR program!

The current state of our stuff.

We have so much to be thankful for as we conclude our time spent in the US--13 provided beds over these last 7 weeks on which to lay our heads, family and friends that go above and beyond for us while we are here, four churches that want to know how we're doing and what we're up to and support our ministry, a new brother-in-law (Amele, my sister, was married in June), a van that we were able to use during the entire month of July (please personally thank Bob and Annette Yff if you know them.. . .they need to know how thankful we are for their van!), and 3 not-always-perfect kids but kids that have been absolute troopers as we dragged  them around the country, into so many homes and churches, expecting them to recognize long-lost faces or at least act like they do!

We're all looking forward to heading home to Nicaragua. Furlough or home visit or summer vacation--whatever you might call it--is an awesome gift, but it is far from relaxing and rejuvenating (though there are moments along the way for these things). As we wrap up another summer in the US, here are some observations about this time.

1. It's home, but it isn't really home. We're so happy to be "back" and we yet we can't wait to go "back." Our hearts and heads are a little confused. And I think that is okay.

2. We get to answer the same questions all summer long. Do you still have your monkey? Tell me about the SOAAR program? What is the weather like down there?  This is a repetitive task but NOT annoying and we are SO thankful that people care enough to ask us questions about our lives. Thank you for your questions. We also want to know how you are doing. Your lives matter just as much to us! So hopefully we were able to learn a bit about how you are doing and what you're up to these days. That was always our challenge to our kids this summer. . .at each visit, they had to ask 1-2 good questions of the person we visited. "What is your favorite color?" was probably their best question--we have some room for growth in this area!

3. Summer time is spent in two primary ways: seeing people and buying/organizing/packing/moving stuff. We are SO sick of the stuff aspect at this point. But clothes shopping for 5 people for the entire year is a necessary evil, and I was just an absolute sucker when it came to buying stuff to put in my new classroom. Couldn't stop! We MUCH prefer the gatherings and meals and hang-out times with people to the stuff aspect of being in the US, but even visiting is exhausting after a while! But that's okay. . .it is worth it to us to see you!

A fun visit with Gam Gam (Ruth's mom's mom) in Cincinnati. 

4. Health stuff is crammed into the summer. While we could get medical/dental stuff done in Nicaragua, Ruth has a bit more faith in the system here. We had physicals. Kids pooped in cups. Charlotte got a needle shoved in her leg. I had two chunks of skin taken out of the back of my neck after the discovery of a suspicious mole (please pray for this. . .I get a lab report Wednesday). We bought a lot of meds to get us through the year. Henry broke a tooth in half and got the remainder pulled out. . .like a it-took-20-minutes-of-yanking-and-drilling-to-get-this-tooth-out-and-I-had-to-watch-the-whole-thing type of pulled out. We're a little anxious to see how health insurance works; we've had the same company now for two years and this is the first time we're using it! Hopefully we'll have a very healthy year.

The current state of my neck. Sorry if it grosses you out. . .I'm just thankful that I never have to see it!

Please pray for us as we transition back to ministry in Nicaragua tomorrow! We are so appreciative of you and enjoyed seeing so many of you this summer. Until June 2016!

(Did you miss a church presentation this summer? Feel free to click this link to see the pictures used in our presentation this summer.)

Looking forward to what's next. . .

Tomorrow, we will hop on a plane from Managua to Albuquerque. We are so looking forward to the change of routine, seeing family and friends, connecting with our faithful supporters and churches. And the non-essential things, too, that we sometimes miss while living here: like driving on nicely paved roads, eating at Taco Bell, shopping at Target, drinking out of the tap, speaking English while we're out and about, and flushing toilet paper.

We know these next two months will fly by. . .which is actually okay. Saying goodbye to our home, neighbors, school, and church here in Nicaragua isn't that fun, . .we will look forward to returning at the end of summer! I'm especially looking forward to the beginning of the SOAAR program. We've worked very hard this last semester, readying ourselves for the expansion of our inclusive special education program at NCA.

It's been great to work on this project as a team; I'm certainly not doing this alone! Thanks to Kevin (our current learning resources teacher), Marysol, Susan, and Sylvia  (administrators) for all of your hard work and the many hours you've spent with me this past semester as we dream and plan.

As a committee, we've done a lot of work on paper and through conversation. All parents at NCA just recieved a one-page fact sheet regarding the program; I'm hoping and praying it is well-received by our wider school community, as this is quite a shift of how our school operates.

Now some "concrete" things are happening, too, as we begin to expand our area where special education services at NCA will be housed. Here are some pictures of Kevin's current classroom (also known as a closet!), where she does an amazing job using her tiny space so well with over 20 students throughout each day!

When I arrive in Nicaragua in late July, our new space (that I was able to design!) will be move-in ready. No more closets for students with learning differences!

We're expanding our old library, and dividing it into two classrooms for Kevin and myself with a shared conference room. Keep in mind, too, that using the inclusion model, most of our student learning will actually take place in the general education classrooms! So thankful for our school. . .their increased commitment to serve children with disabilities is being witnessed by increase in staff, space, and resources!

The last thing I did today with the manager of the project was look at paint colors. . .I had to laugh when the first light blue paint color I turned to was named "Soar." I chose it without hesitation, loving the silly coincidences God places in our lives as confirmation that we're moving in His direction.

Airplane Conversations. . .

I was on my way home from Grand Rapids. It had been a great 5-day marathon journey, beginning in Chicago with a college graduation (yeah, Michael!), ending with a poignant celebration of Grandpa Ippel's life. The time between these celebrations was filled with visiting friends, reconnecting with family, rubbing shoulders with folks that I hadn't seen in a while.

One special exchange was with my aunt, Barb Newman. She is a special education inclusion guru, author of a variety of resources for folks beginning inclusion programs at schools and churches--pretty amazing, considering that is exactly what we are doing at Nicaragua Christian Academy right now. Not only did Barb give me some wise words, but she handed me a pile of her books for me to take back to Nicaragua as we continue to develop the SOAAR program at NCA.

As I boarded the airplane to Managua, I wasn't in the mood for conversation. This was my last three hours without my kids, which meant this time had to be either productive or spent taking a nap. When I realized that my window seat was surrounded by a loud, boisterous church mission team (extremely typical on flights to and from Nicaragua!), rocking their matching T-shirts, I figured I'd be safe from conversation but probably wouldn't get a nap! They could have their own pre-Nicaraguan mission trip chatter, and I could rotate between eavesdropping and browsing through the inclusion resources my aunt had given me.

After about an hour, the girl next to me passed out asleep, and the guy on the aisle decided to strike up conversation OVER her. Looking up from his Bible that he'd been studying, he asked me if I was excited to visit Nicaragua. He explained that he was so excited to share the love of God and Jesus with the people in Nicaragua. I explained that I  actually lived in Nicaragua, leading to an overview of our lives as "missionaries." Eventually, I told him about our plans at NCA to expand our special education program next year. A strange look came over his face, and he leaned a little closer. "I don't usually tell people this, but I have autism. I'm really high functioning, so you might not have guessed. I just want you to know that this will be really appreciated in Nicaragua."

His openness led to a long conversation. With his permission, I asked him to describe how school had "worked" for him, now a university computer science student . He gave me a long list of things that might help kids on the autism spectrum at NCA, recognizing that each kid with that label is different. He was pretty honest with his personal struggles growing up--limited friendships, bullying that resulted in home schooling, maddening sensory overload that took years to figure out. He was quick to describe some benefits of autism, too, like his ability to "hyper-focus" on a task, and his loyalty to friends and people that he could trust. I asked him about his church, too, and how he felt included or excluded at his church home. He said that his faith in God and Jesus helped him throughout his struggles growing up. I asked him, "Is faith stuff, like believing in God, tough for someone with autism? When it is abstract and not very concrete?" He smiled. "I've never really thought of that before. For me, God was always something that made sense."

I reached into my backpack and handed my new acquaintance one of the books that my aunt had just published, "Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship," which I hadn't read yet. He was really excited about it. "I am definitely going to check this out when I get home." He wrote down the title and the author in his journal, skimmed the chapter titles,and read the introduction (which, I later learned, just so happened to begin with a sad anecdote of a woman challenging the notion that folks with autism could understand an "abstract" God!)

As we drew closer to Managua, and began to see the city lights, my neighbor asked again about the name of my school. He wrote it down in his journal. "We have a pretty good website," I said, figuring he was just information gathering or asking to be polite. "Oh, I just want to pray for you and your school as you begin your program next year. You need to know, it really will be a blessing to people like me."

I looked back out the window, hiding the fact that my eyes were tearing up with joy and emotion and awe in a God that had placed such specific people in my life at just the right time: a prolific, wise aunt bursting with resources regarding beautiful inclusive education programs. . . and a brave young man with autism in my row of seats on Delta 369, heading to Nicaragua to serve a God he loved so much--a concrete God he couldn't WAIT to talk about, a young man committing to pray for me and for the SOAAR program.

Our God is so good!