Chikungunya

All of you have heard of Malaria.  Many of you will have heard of Dengue Fever.  But have any of you heard of Chikungunya?  I (Jessica) had not heard of it six months ago, but now I know more than I ever needed to.  Chikungunya is a virus that is spread by mosquitos, and recently arrived in Nicaragua.  It has been prevalent in areas of Africa, Asia, Haiti, and South America for years, and it’s coming to a country near you.

I hesitated to write anything about it in a newsletter, lest it sound like complaining, but it has been a big part of my life for the past 7 or 8 weeks.  I contracted Chikungunya around the third week of February.  It begins with joint pain and 3-7 days of high fever, accompanied by a wonderful rash.  I also had a few days of horrible mouth sores that made it difficult to even drink water, along with a few days of depression, which is also a symptom.  Then it all fades a bit, and just when you think it’s gone…it comes back!  And sticks around for a long time.  Over the past 7 weeks I have had severe pain in my feet, knees, wrists, and knuckles.  Sometimes it is just a little sore, other times I can hardly walk on what feel like broken feet.  Opening any bottles, or sometimes even turning a door handle can be excruciating.  Picking up toddlers is difficult, and getting down onto the floor to play with the kids or then back up again, has been nearly impossible.

The internet, and friends who have had it, say that these symptoms can last up to a year, but that probably at the three month mark, things will be much improved.  I am thankful that no one else in our family has gotten it, and that you can only get it once.  It has also taught me a few important lessons that I think I have learned in the past but need to keep learning again and again.

1. Good health is a gift!  A gift that I need to be thankful for each day.  This is temporary, but there are so many people who have chronic pain or illness, and they need our love, prayers, and practical support.
2. It has made me wonder if I could still be thankful and honor God with my attitude if I had chronic pain…it has been a challenge to live thankfully and joyfully over the past weeks, but we know that our joy does not come from our physical bodies or life, but from a greater hope.  It is challenging to live in that truth despite our circumstances.
3. No matter how self- sufficient or accomplished I may feel some days, I need to recognize that it is only through the strength, body, and mind that God has given me that I am able to do anything at all. We are not in control, which can be both reassuring and frightening at the same time!

We would appreciate your prayers that the pain would continue to lessen, and that even amidst our daily struggles that we would be able to have the joy of the Lord and point others to Him. Thank you!

SOAAR Program

This has been a year of much growth at Nicaragua Christian Academy.  Liam has kept very busy with helping provide direction to the school for many of these changes, including developing a new association of international schools in Managua, unifying preschool learning standards at our three NCA schools, overseeing the design and construction of a new library, and helping to develop a new child protection policy for the safety of our students and staff.

Another huge change that we are all very excited about is the SOAAR program.  Thanks to Andrew Ippel, the originator of the program and its first coordinator, the SOAAR (Students of All Abilities Recognized) Program will allow students with significant disabilities to attend NCA International.  Until now, there are no English-language educational opportunities for children with disabilities in Nicaragua (and very limited services available in Spanish).  NCA International will be the first to offer such services.

There are three primary reasons for the development of this new program.  First, we believe that as a Christian school, it is part of our vocation to reach out to all of God’s children.  By inviting students with disabilities into our school, we show God’s love and help them fulfill God’s calling on their lives.  Second, we believe it is important for all of our students to develop genuine and meaningful relationships with kids who are different from them in one way or another.  We hope that this will help our students be better advocates for justice and inclusion of people with disabilities in society.  Third, we know that NCA International’s unique founding mission is to serve the educational needs of missionary families.  In some past cases, missionary families have been forced to leave Nicaragua due to lack of educational services for their children with disabilities.  We are excited to take on the challenge of providing these services and enabling families to receive the support they need.

As we begin this new program, please pray for our school.  There are many new aspects of what we are doing and there will be new challenges along the way.  Our desire is that God will be glorified in the way we do this.