December 8 was my 6-month marker for being in Nicaragua and what a 6 months it has been! I remember in the first few months, when I wanted more than anything to be out of the heat and sitting with my parents at a Razorback football game, dividing my planner up to when I’d be home and feeling like the day would never come. But here we are. Right now I sit at my parent’s kitchen table in Arkansas for Christmas and then I’m Denver-bound for a week to visit friends and spend New Years Eve before I go back.
Knowing a trip home was coming up I started to think through my time in Nicaragua – what I had been doing, things I had learned, and lessons God had taught me. It took several days to sort through it all, but I came to the conclusion that the last 6 months had been incredibly challenging, but, more so, incredibly rich. I have seen God work in ways, that to me, were so big – transforming a wall-less pavilion into a classroom 2 days a week, for example. I experienced moments of what seemed like total dependence on God and saw Him work everything out in the best way. I met people who have beautifully genuine hearts for the Lord and I was able to walk alongside them, learn from them, and enjoy who God has made them to be. I have been in uncomfortable situations that completely stretched me and, from that, I am not the same person. I have worked with the most precious kids and now know 10 more wonderful families in Pantanal. I have learned more about God’s love and character. I have been given experiences to trust Him and see His faithfulness. I have laughed and cried and been frustrated and joyful, all the while marveling at the fact that God saw me and allowed me to be a part of this piece of His plan in these people’s lives. Rich. So very rich.
The year with our kiddos ended better than I could have imagined. The last day was December 5 and we played games, made crafts, ate snacks (each family contributed snacks for the party, which was a cool way to have everyone involved), and played with the parachute and water balloons!
At the last Pulperia kids had a chance to reserve a spot on the Zoo Field Trip with their class money so Tuesday, December 10 we loaded up a school bus with 8 of our kids, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmas, and headed to the Managua zoo.
They. Loved. It.
There was a Butterfly Exhibit that, thanks to Charles and Sarah, everyone was able to see. There was a video on the life cycle of a butterfly and then we were free to walk around with the butterflies. They were everywhere!
I really loved seeing the families be together and the kids have that time with their parents.
A couple hours later we had all seen the zoo, the butterfly exhibit, and were ready to head back.
The last thing we had planned was our Celebration. The school season in Nicaragua runs from February to December so we were coming to the end of the year. We had prepared certificates, bags (filled with paper books, playdough, crayons, toothbrushes, a bible, etc) and portfolios for each kid. The portfolio (decorated with a butterfly made from their feet – so cute!) contained work they had done throughout the program including, my favorite, a book they had made called “Dios Es…” (“God Is…”). We had each child stand as we called their name (so cute watching them soak up the spotlight!) and then called them to retrieve their certificate with one of their parents. We also gave 3 awards for Perseverance, Good Behavior, and Participation. After that we handed out their bags and butterfly portfolios.
The Celebration was a hit!
With all of that said, the 5 months I planned and worked on this program with Heather, I could not have been more blessed by the teachers we worked with, the kids I got to love on, and the families I got to know through it all. I was teaching and my heart was happy. As much as I loved what I was doing, I did need to reevaluate some things at the end, though, as Heather was going back to the states and I wasn’t sure if everything we had been doing was sustainable for another 6 months. Something just felt a little unsettled so I prayed through all of the thoughts I had and really felt like God was telling me to hold off on continuing the program.
So, I will not be starting back up in February like originally planned, but I’m confident this is the direction God wants to take with the school. Most of the kids that we worked with will go into Kindergarten this February at a public school. The main reason for not continuing is that laying the groundwork for the school is a very careful process and takes a lot of time. The goals and needs for the school didn’t seem to line up with what I was doing with the program. I will, however, continue to work with the teachers and keep the relationships with the families and kids I have gotten to know. My days are changing, but I’m looking forward to what God will bring about. I have some ideas, but I’m still praying through them and right now I’m just enjoying time at home for the holidays. : )
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your continued support and prayers. I will keep everyone updated as God continues to reveal himself in Nicaragua. I pray that everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that God blesses you with a Happy New Year!
Until next time…
Much love!
