A few years ago, Liam and the school board at NCA took a step of faith and increased the minimum commitment for teachers to three years of service, instead of only two. Teacher turnover in international schools tends to be very high. Many young people are looking for an overseas experience or an adventure, but are unwilling to make a long term commitment.
Having lived in Nicaragua for years now, Liam and I have seen many teachers come and go. Every year we say some goodbyes and welcome new faces. However, there are a number of individuals in the NCA community who have been at the school since before either of us arrived, and will likely be there for many years. Who? The Nicaraguan staff. There are 28 Nicaraguan staff members who work at NCA in various capacities--security, janitorial, maintenance, cafeteria, etc. These are individuals who have great gifts, who invest in relationships with North American teachers knowing that those teachers may leave; who let us practice our Spanish, who invite us into their simple homes, and who serve both students and faculty selflessly. Today I smiled as I watched three of our maintenance staff helping some high school students hang up decorations for tomorrow night's talent show. Even though they don't teach, our non-instructional staff members definitely see their job as a ministry in support of Christian education.
We are so thankful for these individuals, and recently have decided to start making occasional weekend visits in order to get to know them better and to show respect and thanks for all they do. Caleb and Judah enjoyed going along with Liam last week to visit Jorge, one of our gardeners, and were excited to find that he had kittens, rabbits, and chickens in his home! We look forward to continuing to visit with different staff members and their families. These relationships provide opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges, but we can always celebrate our unity as brothers and sisters in Christ.
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