See You Later Greenville, South Carolina

 

Since mid-October I have been living in Greenville, South Carolina.   It has been a great place to chill and get involved in community.     While I am from Colorado and my parents grew up in the South I have never considered my self a southerner.    This was made very obvious my first few weeks in the "true"south.  

While it is true that there is nothing like southern hospitality I have learned a lot of "other" really neat things about the South.

• Y'all is a true word used in almost any conversation.   I've even found myself saying it a time or two. :0)
•  It is very common to meet people who have two first names.   Emma Grace,  Mary Beth etc.  
• Keeping your car washed seems to be a very important thing.    There are lots of Hand Wash car washed around town.
• People love good food.  YUM.   There are restaurants referred to as Meat and 3's.  This means that it is a restaurant that serves a meat and 3 side dish options for a stellar price.  All home cooked of course.
• Most people are very outdoorsy.    At least in the Greenville area.   There are people biking, running, camping and hiking everywhere you go.   It is great to see.

Here are just a pics of places I have spent lots of time at in Greenville.


 Downtown Campus Grace Church

A side view of the church cause I couldn't fit it all in.

While It says Downtown Baptist Church the building was donated to Grace over a year ago and due to its historic status they cannot change the name on the building.  It is a beautiful building and I have had the privilege of working with Grace and helping with a tutoring program for kids two afternoons a week.   It has been a blast.   During a character lesson last week a really funny exchange took place I can't help but share with you.   

Carey:  What kinds of jobs do people have where they care for others?

Noah:  The President.

John:   I could be the president.

Clarise:   Yeah he could be like JFK 'cause his name is John

John:   Yeah I COULD be the president.

Carey:  You're right you could work hard and be a president.  How does a president care for others?

John:  He gives you stuff. 

From Blogger Pictures

 Greenville has been a part of the rails to trails program and has turned a  great railroad track into an awesome running and biking path that spans pretty much the whole city. This path is called the Swamp Rabbit and runs along the Reedy River. I've spent many, many hours on it biking and running.   It has been a place to think, pray and listen to a lot of good sermons.



 Also, not pictured are the The Eshelman's house.   Ann and Jim have been so gracious to let me stay with them during my stay in Greenville.   They have blessed me more than words could express.  I am so thankful for God's provision through them.    Also not pictured is Mary Ezzell's house.   I've spent man, many hours at her house chatting, laughing, crying, studying and even frosting cookies.  Her home has been a home away from home.  Of course there are many more places and faces that I've come to love and cherish but there just isn't enough time or space to squeeze them all in. :-)

Greenville has been a great place to connect with people and have some time to think, reflect and build some new friendships.  I am grateful for the glimpses of heaven that I have seen through friendship, creation, and community here.

On the Road Again

My time of Furlough in the US is drawing near its end and now it is time to prepare to return to Nicaragua.  This time of furlough has been a refreshing and renewing time.   I am so thankful for the opportunity that God has granted me to find rest and refreshment in His Word and through fellowship and community these past few months.

During the next few weeks I'll be taking time to come and visit many of you my faithful friends and supporters.  I look forward to meeting with you and seeing what great things are taking place in your lives as well as sharing about the next steps for life and ministry in Nicaragua.   
Here is the rough schedule of when I'll be where.   If I will be in your area please email or call me 719.203.8460 so we can put something on the schedule.

Washington DC Area                February 29-March 6
Raleigh, NC Area                     March 6-12
Clarkesville, Tennessee/ KY    March 12-13
Oklahoma                                 March 14-18
Texas                                        March 19-28
Seattle, WA/ BC Canada          March 29-April 7
Colorado                                   April 8-18

See ya soon!

A New Twist on the Same Journey

Over seven years ago I began a journey into the education world in Nicaragua.  I packed my bags and as many teaching supplies and books as I could manage into a 70 lb suitcase (back then you could take 70lbs internationally).   While teaching first grade at Nicaragua Christian Academy I learned a lot about the state of the public school system in Nicaragua.

 

I saw kids go to school only to be sent home because their teacher didn't come to school that day.   Severely overcrowded classrooms, underpaid, untrained teachers, broken desks, doors and chairs, lack of basic school supplies and curriculum are just a few of the struggles that schools in Nicaragua face.   A recent study showed that only 47% of children who begin the first grade will complete 6th grade and even fewer of those who complete 6th grade graduate from high school.    In order for a teacher to teach in a public school the only requirement is that they have graduated from high school.    All of these discoveries have given me a greater burden for training and mentoring for teachers in Nicaragua.

Through connections with churches and friends I have had the opportunity to do several workshops with teachers both in Managua and in Jinotepe.   These have been great opportunities to discuss and share new ideas about classroom basics with teachers such as classroom rules and procedures, how to write a lesson plan, daily routines, homework check-in and transitions.   All of these opportunities have fueled my desire to do more to help these teachers.

What's next!!  I have been asked to help start a new school  Nicaragua Christian Academy in Matagalpa, Nicaragua.  It is a small rural town in the mountains.  Matagalpa is about 2 1/2 hours from Managua where I have lived for the past 7 years.    This new position will afford me the opportunity to work with teachers at the ground level helping them understand and implement good classroom practices.   All of the details of my new role and position are not yet fully defined but the is what I know so far. :-)   I'll be helping hire and train new teachers, serve as the elementary principal, help with curriculum development and teacher mentoring, English teacher, as well as start our school library.   YIKES!  Does that sound like a lot?   It is and it is going to be a very stretching and growing time both personally and professionally but I am excited to see how God will be glorified through it all.

Here are a few facts about the school

• The school will be in Spanish and will start with grades 1-7 and grow a few grades each year as we are able
• School will officially open in February of 2013
• Construction has begun on the property and we are hopeful that it will be finished by October sometime
• This school will serve students and families from the middle class in the Matagalpa area
• Our mission is to provide students with  academic excellence and a Biblical worldview so that they can enact greater change and transformation in their own home, neighborhood, business and community

Ways you can be praying

• Pray for a Nicaraguan Director from Matagalpa who has a heart and passion for education and his community
• Teachers who love the Lord and are passionate about teaching as well as eager to learn and try new things
• Continued support and backing from community leaders, pastors and universities in the area
• For wisdom for me as I step out and learn how to humbly lead and learn
• For financial provision for me as I take on this new role.  Donate 

Unexpected Blessings

In January I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Nicaragua for a week.  After 7 years of living in a place it becomes more and more of a home than where you came from originally.    As soon as I stepped off the plane and soaked in a long, deep breath of that warm, humid air I knew I was home.

The week at "home" was packed with lots of fun meetings with my friends and co-workers with Christ For the City Nicaragua (CFCI).   God has been so faithful in providing direction for my next steps in ministry in Nicaragua.   I'll tell you more about those next steps in another post. :-)

Anyone who has spent anytime overseas knows that things don't move as fast or go as smoothly as we often expect and hope.   This trip was quite the opposite of most of my experiences in Nicaragua.   Here are a few examples of how God blessed every step of my journey to Nicaragua.

• My luggage was lost but the airline called me and sent it out to me the very next day.   (In all of my time in Nicaragua I have never seen this happen)
• I was able to participate in CFCI devotions and meetings as we prepare for the upcoming year and ministry
• My friend Melissa got married the weekend I was in town and was able to go to the wedding!
• The annual Triathlon that NCA  does also was the same weekend and I was able to help organize final details and even participate.   I placed first in the women's division.
• Another friend Alicia had just had her first baby the week before I arrived and we were able to visit and catch up and I was able to attend her baby shower.
• Opportunities to watch little 6mo David try carrots for the first time.  It was very entertaining.
• Prayer and fellowship with friends at church
• Vision sharing with the person heading up plans for the new school I am going to be working with.  (more to come on this)
• Rattling around in my Nissan truck and remembering how to drive NICA style.  :-)
• Reading some SkippyJon Jones with my last first grade class.
• Catching up with all of the ladies at the school cafeteria and sharing lots of great laughter with them and seeing Doña Blanca  finding joy in little things after her world was changed 1 1/2 years ago with the death of her 15yr old daughter.

The time seemed to multiply and I had great conversations, prayer and fellowship with so many people and I never felt rushed!  I praise God for the blessings he continues to lavish on me. 

Sorry I didn't take many pictures while I was there but I managed to capture a few Nica moments.

I went into the immigration office for a few minutes and came out to find the car next to me so close I really had to squeeze to get back into my car.  I didn't even realize that I had become used to so much SPACE in the US parking lots. :-)

Who says you can't use a truck for almost anything?   We were hanging up the Finish sign for the Triathlon.  Believe it or not this is actually safer than what we did last year.