I open this update with the usual apologies for not providing more timely, pertinent information, but I suppose you are used to that by now. Anyway, please accept.
A Call to Action…
Paola hated going to school. The main reason she disliked it so much was that she was so far behind. Living on the streets and in a children’s home meant she was ill prepared with basic supplies to go to school. Unfortunately, most of the schools and children are lacking the most fundamental materials needed to succeed in school. Thus is the plight of a developing nation with a sub-standard, under-resourced education system. Please consider joining me as we honor our precious angel’s passing by providing an opportunity other children will not have without our help.
The last two years you have helped in a most practical, completely free activity that goes to serve the churches and schools with which we work. It is time again to ask any school you know to collect the pencils, colors, spirals, composition books, construction and manila paper, scissors, chalk, markers and any other supplies that have life remaining in them and will be thrown into the trash can as school ends. The last two years Palmer ISD, Mitchell Elementary (Georgetown ISD) and Harts Bluff ISD have lead the way. Others have also contributed, but these schools made it an incredible success by going above and beyond. Fourth grade students in Harts Bluff made it a class project that they took school-wide. Your contributions to this effort promote success in the public schools and Sunday schools here in Nicaragua. We can arrange for free pick up of the supplies. For more info, send me an email or Facebook message.
If you are not a school employee, teacher, parent, grandparent or have some other connection to a school, please visit a local school and ask if they will participate. Then, send me contact information and I will make contact and explain how simple this really is.
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| Argentina organizing a small portion of the donated school supplies. |
Vision Program…
Our vision screening activities have been limited by some issues we have had with equipment and space. We expect the repaired equipment to be back in our hands by next week. Our construction crew has remodeled the vision office in the Misión Para Cristo medical clinic so that we have efficient, useful space for Sheila to operate the clinic on selected days. She has continued to work from the space we have, but we finally were able to purchase the materials to make the much needed modifications.
We will once again begin screening vision of children in the local schools when the visiting groups begin arriving in May. This will be a twice-a-week project and we should be able to complete it in the months of June and July. It is estimated that there are just less than 9,000 students in the public schools in the city of Jinotega.
After scheduling issues and variety of other types of interference I will be bringing in 6 children from the town of Yalí, where Misión Para Christo operates one of the three One Child Matters programs, to get their eyes checked by an optometrist and get glasses ordered as needed.
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| Children from the Yali One Child Matters program meet the Optometrist and workers at Munkel Opticas for a complete eye exam if our screening identified a possible vision issue. |
Children’s Programming…
Sheila has once again begun meeting with the facilitators of the One Child Matters program to conduct training a couple times a month. She continues to work along with Colette Price to organize, translate, package and label curriculum for local churches to use.
We have initiated the Children’s bible class programs again and have been averaging 75 at the Jinotega program on Sundays (Hijos del Rey – Children of God) and 95 at the Apanas program on Saturdays (Rescate los Niños y Jóvenes – Rescuing the Children and Youth). I have conducted a training for the workers in Apanas and am excited about the progress they are making in presenting lessons. Their commitment is to be commended. We recently had 136 children and workers in Apanas.
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| Gathering in Apanas for Saturday Bible Class Rescate los Ninos y Jovenes. |
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| Colette Price (blue dress) joins Jinotega teens teaching at Hijos del Rey Sunday outreach Bible class for children. |
Sheila will be teaching a session at a local teacher training seminar on Saturday, 23 April. One issue education in general faces in Nicaragua is one of classroom space. For example, in the class where our boy attends at a local public school there are 42 second graders. Desks are crammed in with little space to move. As educators, we understand that motion is important to information retention. However, it is just not an option in this country. Also, as a developing nation, students have limited access to learning materials. Almost everything The Boy studies has to be copied into notebooks. It is a slow process.
Sheila continues to teach the Tuesday night Children’s English class while I try to help wrangle the crowd. We average about 40 each Tuesday night. We have completed a series on the Fruit of the Spirit and have just begun a series on the life of Christ we call, “Jesus Loves Me.” The topics chosen allow us to have memory verse and song association that helps with both the English aspect and delivering the message.
Youth Events
On Friday, 29 April I will take the youth from the Apanas congregation, along with Juan Carlos, their leader, to a recreation center where they will be able to play, swim and have a day of relaxation. These are primarily the workers for the Saturday Bible class program and some other students who are heavily involved in Juan Carlos’ Saturday afternoon youth Bible study. On Saturday night, 30 April, I will facilitate entertainment and ice-breaker activities for an area youth gathering in the Yalí community. They will stay overnight. I will NOT.
Personally speaking…
We all continue to seek counseling after the accident that occurred almost seven months ago. The grieving continues, but most days seem to pass with less tears. The hole in my heart will remain forever, but will grow increasing smaller. I have had the opportunity to watch Kung Fu Panda, both available versions that we have, multiple times lately as my little karate kid likes to mimic the action of the Kung Fu Warrior. One of the characters makes the statement that scars heal. Another corrects him and says, “No, wounds heal, scars remain forever.” (That may have been from some other movie, but as many times as I have watched King Fu Panda lately I assume that is where it comes from.)
I am enjoying brighter days and believe the rest of the family is as well. I have solace in reading the continual verses my mother-in-law, Elma Clark, sends me each day. I also was gifted the Sarah Young daily devotion book, Jesus Calling, by Dr. Patti Patterson. These are both elements to making each day a step better. Writing is difficult for me because it seems to bring out the rawest of emotions for some reasons. I guess bottom line is that I am making personal strides but do now and will forever miss my precious angel. I look forward to the days I can flood the updates with pictures that display her physical beauty and beauty of the spirit she possessed.
In regards to the adoption we had an appointment with the judge two weeks ago to present papers for his review, leading to his decision. This would not be the final step, but the precursor to him making a ruling. It was postponed and we have heard nothing further. So the waiting continues. I am equally excited about sharing the pleasure The Boy has been so far and continues to be. His sense of humor, his sponge-like soaking up of the English language (thanks to a mother who has the skills to make it a priority and help him enjoy it) and his propensity for things to be in order are all amusing and occasionally challenging.
We celebrated Easter with an Easter egg hunt and invited many of the children form the neighborhood. They had a great time and finished off the warm afternoon with a swim. I’m still not sure they have any idea why eggs were hidden in the yard.
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| Easter with our neighborhood |
Sheila has battled a sore thought for a couple of weeks, and an occasional fever, but we believe to have finally found an antibiotic that is knocking it out. I am well other than being at my heaviest ever. I’m sure I have an eating disorder and await the next great parasite to help me shed the unwanted weight. A broken bone in my foot that doesn’t seem to want to heal, and the scrapes and bruises one gets from falling through a ceiling have made for some sleepless nights. By the way, I didn’t fall all the way to the floor. Believe it or not, I was saved by my physique. Not all of me will fit through a 12” by 14” hole.
My parents would have celebrated their anniversary on 6 Abril, either their 64th or 65th. I paid homage to my father by climbing up on a ladder to replace a light bulb. Having the same physical shape as him means that reaching overhead while standing in limited foot space reduces one’s waist size so that it is smaller than that of your pants. It is hard to climb off a ladder when you are not in a position to successfully reach your pants which have gathered at your ankles.
Thanks to all of you who dug into your pockets a little deeper to help us cover unexpected costs. We were able to cover a majority of the cemetery expenses and purchase a used truck. We are thankful now and in the future for the financial generosity and eternally thankful for your spiritual support and prayers. We continue to covet the prayers as we battle the dark road and enjoy brighter days ahead.
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| Sunshine on Jinotega from the girls' place in the Jinotega cemetary. Roxana, Josaira, Paola |
For your prayerful consideration
What we are thankful for…
A sign, even though minimal and brief, that the adoption process might be continuing.
A smart, affectionate, beautiful, little boy that makes us laugh, gives us a reason to go on, and enjoys life to the fullest.
Friends and family who have not given up on us when we feel like giving up on ourselves.
Your continued giving of resources: financially as you are able, but mainly that of your time to pray as we look to realign ourselves with the core spiritual values with which we were raised.
Grief counselors who know what they are doing.
What we are needing…
Completion of the adoption process
A more complete return to the “new normal” so we can better serve the people of Jinotega
A school that offers an affordable (in missionary language that means FREE) Master’s degree of some kind. (My preference would be Organizational Leadership, but I am open to anything anyone has to offer.)
Continued progress on learning Spanish
To be rid of the allergy issues, minor aches and pains and about 60 extra pounds.
Your used school supplies
We are always in need of youth baseball gloves, baseballs, soccer balls and youth bats. You collect and we will get them picked up.
