It's Official!

This was the scene Wednesday evening as Grace and I accepted the directorship of NCA Matagalpa from representatives of the Board of Directors and the person through whom God has given the school its great start (Carey Franklin, pictured far right)!

School Assembly

To give you an idea of the size of the school I've been called to lead, I'm sharing these pictures taken in the assembly held this morning... at right, the Art/Music teacher leads the entire student body (205 strong), plus the faculty and a few parents in song.  Below is a bird's eye view of the same assembly.
Officially, I take the hand-off one week from today... next year's projected enrollment: 250 (in grades K-10th)!

Settling In

We were awakened our first Saturday in Matagalpa by the sound of construction going on just outside our front door... when we opened it, this is the scene that greeted us!  The neighbor across the street is putting a second story on his house; the truck is there to haul away all the debris created in the process! 
Meanwhile, Grace and I have been scrubbing and organizing our new apartment to make it feel more welcoming for guests... you!

Not Forgotten

One of the many things that have warmed our hearts and made us feel welcomed was this plaque that one of the NCA families gave to honor my first wife, whose ministry to the school included the building of two prayer gardens on the campus (with the help of a team from Westside Baptist Church)... the Maranhaos credit the prayers of their daughter for their joy in the Lord, and the fact that they are still married and celebrating their 29th anniversary today!

Ready to Fly South

We're taking four 50-lb suitcases, two carry-ons and a backpack to Nicaragua tomorrow, but admittedly that isn't all we own... we have this little 5'x10' storage unit in Jax, with a trunk for each of our five 'kids', 30 years worth of picture albums, and a few items for use during our time in the US... which in 2016 will include a week or so in North Carolina for the June 25th wedding of our son, Tim and his fiancee, Anna Somerville in Montreat!  In the meantime, let us know when you'd like to visit us in Matagalpa! :-)

Nica Connections

Spreading the word about our future field of service at the church Grace was a part of for 13 years, and this young lady came up to say, "I'm from Nicaragua!"
She introduced herself as Daria Tater from Bluefields, an English-speaking town on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua, where most of the people are of Jamaican ancestry... so, we asked her if she knew of anyone who might be interested in teaching English in Matagalpa... wouldn't it be cool if we ended up filling one of our faculty vacancies through this connection?

T Minus Two Weeks!

This is where we hope to be in two weeks... packed and ready to go!
The photo was actually taken three years ago when we were headed to Beijing, China...
October 29th we take the 2 1/2 hour flight from Miami to Managua, Nicaragua to begin a new chapter in our lives...
We look forward to sharing our experiences with all of you and to partner with those who feel led to join us!!