Challenging Times

Not sure how many of you back in the US may have gotten wind, but things are happening here in the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes".  Schools have been closed across the country since dismissal last Thursday (Grace's 60th birthday), and everyone is anxious to see what is next.

Without getting into the politics of the matter, Grace and I are here to serve regardless of who might be in power, and are committed to being a part of all the good things God has going in this beautiful country.  One of the things He has put on our hearts, is to see the families of those we work with grow strong and prosper as they live out His calling in their lives.  Pictured are Juan Pérez and his wife Marjorie Orozco; he is an electrician and she our 3rd grade teacher.  They are incredibly hard-working professionals with a combined salary of under $700/month, because that is what people earn here (and much less). 

It has been their dream to have a home of their own... through God's favor, impressive stewardship of their resources, and a construction fund made available to our teachers and staff through the generosity of some of our supporters, their dream will soon be a reality.  Their daughter, Jazmín, is in our preschool.  Families like theirs give us hope for the future of this country!

Pioneer

She may not seem all that excited to be photographed with her new principal, but I'm thrilled to have been able to say "yes" to her parents after they completed the application process!

Alisbell "Allie" Ocón is officially the first student with Down syndrome ever accepted by NCA Matagalpa.  We have been praying for the right combination of our maturity as a school, supportive parents and class dynamics ...if her first day in our Kindergarten is any indication, this was God's timing!!

First Day of School

This is the team God has assembled for the 2018 school year at Nicaragua Christian Academy Matagalpa (the Art and 4th grade teachers had to leave the Open House early and missed the photo).

Standing L2R: Dagny Dunham, Grace Kynast, Kristie Mattenley, Ben Dunham, Otoniel Martínez, Melba Gámez, Nora López, Julieth Rodríguez, Brian Baker, Sayling Benavidez, Yudit Altamirano, Marjorie Orozco, Karla García, Suyapa Tórrez, Gloria Orozco, Glenda Méndez, Martha Flores, Migdalia Rodríguez, Evelia Oporta, Martha Castro, Annel Flores.

Crouching L2R: César López, Ulises Urbina, Jeffry Laguna, David Mejía, David Zeledón, Greg Kynast

Team from our Church in Jacksonville

We had the joy of hosting five from Chets Creek Church who came to serve in a variety of ways at our school.  Chris, Bill, Pam, Megan & Delaney did everything from labeling and cataloguing books for the library to assisting teachers in the classroom and speaking to groups of students in class or at the middle school retreat!

We miss them already and look forward to our next opportunity to host... them or YOU!

Dance Recital

Grace and I are empty nesters now, but that doesn't mean we don't get invited to our kids' performances.  Last night, it was a dance recital in the Municipal Theater that will host our school's first high school graduation December 2nd.

Featured in the photo is one of our 6th graders (in green and red).

Will Visits

Sure was fun having our youngest son, Will, with us this week... he's the first of our five to visit since we made Matagalpa our newest base of operations almost exactly two years ago!

We have a team of six from Chets Creek Church in Jacksonville, Florida coming to help at the school in two weeks...

The photo was taken in the bell tower of the beautiful main cathedral in Granada.

Grace Reads to First Graders

...in SPANISH!!!!
I'm so proud of this girl... DuoLingo still says she's 50% fluent; she contends they're being generous, but the fact is she's doing GREAT!

She has also been God's provision for the need we had in the library.  I have no idea what we would be doing if it weren't for the fact that she has dug right into the job of running things there... labelling, printing bar codes, entering new additions to the database, managing circulation, re-shelving returned books, reading to the kids, etc.