A Decade and a Half

Yes, it has been almost 19 years since ovarian cancer caused our little family of four (pictured here) to move back to the US after our first 9 years of service in the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes."

...and exactly 15 since my first wife took leave of this earth to take up residence in Heaven.  The empty tomb, of course, is the very reason for our conviction and hope in this regard.

Grace and I are now in our 8th year in Nicaragua, building on the foundation laid by Lana and all the other heroes of the faith who have been called to invest in the next generation through the ministries of the Nicaragua Christian Academy.

Happy Easter, Everyone!

Middle & High School Retreat

"I spent the weekend with 100 teenagers" is not often the lead-in to a positive blog entry, but truth is this weekend's retreat at the Young Life Camp in Jinotega was everything we hoped it would be.  It included several activities that challenged the kids to think about their relationships with God.

Friday night they were each given a lit candle and challenged to carry it through a maze of bushes following the footprints that would lead them to the cross.  They were warned there would be hurdles and distractions along the way (courtesy of their teachers), the last of which was the temptation to head straight for the cross at this point just 10 yards from the objective, even though the footprints veered right and clear of the danger that snuffed out the candle for the majority who got this far.

Six arrived at the cross with their candles still burning... 

Let's hope all of them learned a life lesson they can apply to their walks of faith!

Home Run Champ

Denzel Quinn (10) with this weekend's hardware

We don't have a baseball team at the Nicaragua Christian Academy, but some of our students play on club teams, and this 5th grade third baseman/slugger brought home top honors in the Home Run department on his little league team!

Twenty-Twenty Won?

Crazy that I only made one post last year with all that happened especially beginning March 23rd when we went on-line with classes, transitioning to a dual platform (half on-campus/half online) in July.  This year, we are back on-campus for a full day of classes, with a slew of COVID protocols.  Pictured are our 7th-11th graders at Hour-of-Faith featuring the testimony of one of our seniors. (They call 11th graders "seniors" in Central America, because it's the last year of high school)

The 2020 School Year

The world seems to be a bit of a mess right now; I'll spare you mention of the evidence...

Just wanted to share this photo of the faculty and staff God has blessed me to work with at 

NCA Matagalpa  (click on this link to see our website)

I could not be prouder to serve as their director.  On average, they earn roughly $280/month and don't own a home or car of their own, but please don't feel sorry for them; they have taken up the crosses God has called on each of them to carry with joy in their hearts, and are making true disciples of Jesus Christ in this beautiful little nation.  If you'd like to partner with us in this venture, drop me a line, and I'll be happy to explore the possibilities with you!

The Team God Assembled for the 2020 School Year @NCAM (photo at the entrance to the main campus in Managua)

Quick Trip to Atlanta

Perhaps the toughest aspect for those of us called to serve internationally is the distance it puts between us and our kids and grandchildren.
Our fourth grandson was born November 4th, and Grace is "holding down the fort" at nca.edu.ni/matagalpa while I spend six days with Kara, Eddie and Win!

As a bonus, Tim & Anna flew up from Orlando for the weekend and we took time out of the fun to snap this picture on one of our walks around town.

The NCA Matagalpa Class of 2019

I fly back to Managua this afternoon to wrap up the 2019 school year... graduation is November 30th!!

Big News!

My Firstborn announces the birth of hers...
          last night (November 4th) around 11 p.m.!!
Edwin "Win" Kelly IV tipped the scales at:

7 lbs. 15 oz.

                ...and measures 21.75" as of right now.

Proud parents and cute son are doing well... and are most thankful for your prayers and well-wishes as the former join the wonderful world of parenting!

Proud grandfather "Pops" will fly up from Nicaragua to spend time with them next week!! ;-)