Abundant Blessings

Yes, Thanksgiving is over and now everyone is gearing up for Christmas.    I feel like I have received a great early Christmas gift from God.    After 3 months of car searching, saving and praying I have a new car.  

It's a 2004 Toyota RAV 4 with 4WD.    It is in terrific shape with low miles and came at just the right time.    The car is more than I imagined but is a tremendous blessing.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying and helping  financially.   God is good.

Let Me Count The Ways....

Let me count the ways God continues to show His faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness, lovingkindness and well all the rest.

The truth be known I could never count up all the ways that God has blessed, protected, corrected, loved and forgiven me but I can give testimony to these things and continue to live  under His mercy and grace each new day.

Here are just a few of the things that I am grateful for today.

Annel, Flor and a friend

• Over the past few months I have had more car troubles than I can count on one hand.  While these have served as challenges and frustrations at times I can see God's hand of protection.   Every time that I have broken down I have been near a city where I can call someone to help me.   In addition God has provided great mechanics to help as well.

• Flor de Liz joined our staff last month and it has been such a joy to have someone so friendly and helpful to work with.  
• As we continue to interview teacher candidates God has brought us some amazing people.   We now have all but two positions filled.   I look forward to seeing the team work together.
• Safety, safety, safety.   Lots of miles back and forth between Managua and Matagalpa and God has been faithful to provide safety, alertness and vehicles to borrow for my travels.

New Parents Bethany, Chris and Vincent

Bethany and Marnie, Vincent and Corbin sporting their Nica shirts

Meme and Corbin

Ready for a party!

Jared, Nick and Mary camping with some of their Nica snacks

• A SWEET visit home for a few days to meet my new nephew Vincent and celebrate my other nephew Corbin's 4th birthday.   Being so far away and missing so many of those special events makes the ones I can attend that much more special.

•  A timely visit from 3 dear friends from South Carolina.  They provided some great man power in prep for our Open House as well as lots of laughs and encouragement. 

On this special Thanksgiving Day I have so many reasons to sing of God's goodness and presence in my life.   The song "Bless the Lord" by Matt Redman has been a song I have found myself singing over and over these days reminding myself to bless the Lord in all things.   There are two lines that stand out today.

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me let me be singing when the evening comes.

For all your goodness I will keep on singing, 10,000 reasons for my heart to find, bless the Lord oh my soul.

I pray that my eyes would always be open to the reasons to bless the Lord.

Here is the song on youtube if you want to enjoy it too!

Christmas Giving Opportunity!

Christmas is just around the corner and NCA Matagalpa is closing in on the start of a brand new school year.    We still stand in need of a few things.   Consider an alternative to traditional gift giving this year and give towards gifts that will last for years to come.
Here is a clean link:  Christmas Giving

If the email does not show up correctly, please view it in your browser. If interested in supporting you may donate directly through ACSI here: https://33138.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=377 To give using the link above, simply change the Designation to Nicaragua Christian Academy. You may also email the school director at matagalpa@nca.edu.ni if you have any questions.

Open House Success

Looking down the hallway from the office

Saturday we hosted our Open House for the community of Matagalpa to come and see the school.   There were over 30 families that attended  and we are certain that they went home talking about all that they saw and experienced while on our campus.  God showed his faithfulness in the details of allowing chairs, tables and bookshelves to arrive just in time.   He has also showed his greatness providing  a group of Matagalpinos that have been amazing in their support and help in getting the word out about the school.

One of our new classrooms

Flor and Evalia

Annel giving a tour

Pastor Javier and Eric

Several car loads of people came up from Managua to show support and help us welcome Matagalpa to their new school.   The most exciting part was seeing our new teachers showing off their new school.     I can't wait to get the school year started and have the opportunity to work with these ladies and gentlemen every day.

Michelle, Ismara and Carey

Annel, Flor and a friend blowing up balloons

Please continue to keep these things lifted up in prayer

• Finding and hiring teachers  there are still several positions that we have not been able to fill.   One of them is for an English teacher from the States.    If you know anyone that might be interested please put them in contact with me.  
• Wisdom  as we begin accepting applications for students to enroll in NCA Matagalpa.
• Unity for the NCA Matagalpa team.  
• Continued safety and timlieness with construction.

Exciting Happenigs

This past week has been full of lots of added adventures, blessings and progress on the school.

I had 3 friends Mary, Jared and Nick visit from Greenville, SC.   It was great to have our camping crew together and then to be together in Nicaragua made it even sweeter.  The week was full of laughter, hard work, lots of paint and good coffee.    What a blessing it was to be encouraged by good friends and fellowship after a couple of really tough weeks.

 


We have also been making steady progress on getting things ready for our open house  at the school.   There are now flyers and banners all over the city and a few radio ads playing too.   Two of the radio stations are interviewing me tomorrow as we gear up for Open House.   If anyone ever told me that one day I would be on the radio in Nicaragua I think I would have laughed.    So, here I sit laughing!  

Mike letting the creative juices go as he designs the tree

Also a group of guys that work at NCA Nejapa's vocational program through ESVO ministries have been designing some iron bars for the window of the front entrance at NCA Matagalpa.   Nick and Jared had the opportunity to work with them forging the leaves for the amazing tree that now sits in front of our school.    The ESVO guys made it up this week to install the tree in preparation for our open house.

The guys with their finished product

The tree evokes so much in me it is hard to put it all into words.   First it reminds me of Scripture.

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

That is our prayer that all of our students would be like trees planted by streams of water that will yield their fruit in season.  

On Your Mark Get Set.......GO!

On Friday I shared two urgent prayer requests.   Thank you all for praying for NCA Matagalpa and all that is taking place both on and off campus.  

I wanted to share with you the results of your prayers.    God alone deserves all the glory.   Friday afternoon around 3:00pm Mountain Standard Time we received our provisional approval letter.   YEAH!!!!!  

What does this mean now?   It means that for the next two  weeks we will be on the campaign trail to spread the word about NCA around the city of Matagalpa.   We want everyone to know about the new school and to come to our Open House on October 20th.    Two weeks is not much time to print brochures, make signs,  and record our radio ad.   We are confident that God is with us as He continues to show Himself as the author of this project.

Thank you!

Prayer Request

I would like to share 2 urgent prayer requests with you and ask that you join me in praying for God's provision and revelation.

• First, we continue to wait for our approval with the Ministry of Education.   It is a slow process here.  I have been told that we will be given a provisional letter on Friday.   They have already told me this several times so it is hard to believe that it will actually be ready which is why we need to pray for God's revelation for the people responsible to move forward with our process.  Until we have this letter we can not print promotional material, make a sign for the school or begin accepting enrollment for the school.     We have scheduled an Open House for October 20th pending our approval.   The date is quickly approaching.   Pray for movement in the right direction and a completed, signed, stamped letter on Friday (October 5th).

• The second prayer request is for a car.   God provided a buyer for my truck that was in need of an overhaul on the engine.   I had another vehicle lined up  to purchase upon the sale of my truck and  well let's just say that the vehicle broke down and is now a vehicle that I do not want to buy any longer.    In the mean time I'm in need of a vehicle to complete my job here.   Please join me in praying that God would direct me to the right   vehicle and that the funds needed will be there as well.   

Thank you!