Roller Coaster

The last three months have been very hard on our family.  Nine weeks of online classes meant a lot of added stress for Liam (as Director and Bible teacher), Jessica (as K-12 Art Teacher), our kids (some of whom required a lot more parental help than others), and all of us (yes, there is such a thing as too much family time!).

We had plans to visit with many of you this summer, and were really looking forward to summer travels, especially this year!  Unfortunately, our flights were cancelled 8 times on 3 different airlines (not an exaggeration), and we finally gave up on trying to reschedule them after the latest news that all commercial flights to Nicaragua are cancelled through the end of July.

We are still grieving the loss of so many of our hopes and plans for this year.  We know that many of you have experienced great loss as well.  Times like this make us think of Paul's words in Romans 8:22, where he says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."  It is a reminder to all of us to store up our treasures in heaven and place our hope in what is eternal, not what is temporary.

Impact in Nicaragua

The global pandemic has been especially complicated in Nicaragua.  Hospitals have been completely full for the past month and we know of several people who were turned away when seeking medical care because the hospital did not have capacity.

Over 30 members of the NCAI community reported symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing), and 5 of them died, but only 1 of them was officially recognized in the national statistics.  The impact at our two sister schools was similar.

Despite lack of regulation, most people we know are taking precautions to keep themselves safe.  Grocery stores and banks check the temperature of clients before entry, and some stores require hand washing and masks.  Many other businesses and restaurants have closed, either for safety or due to financial hardship.  About 90% of people we see walking around are wearing masks.

We Made It

Perhaps you noticed our 3-month quiet period from March to June 2020.  Or, it's entirely possible that you didn't notice, as the whole world simultaneously battled the spread of COVID-19.

In many ways our senior graduation, which was partly filmed in the NCAI parking lot and premiered on June 5, felt like just as much of an accomplishment for Liam as it did for our graduates.  Similar to many other schools, NCAI switched to online learning on March 24.  Our teachers and administrators worked hard to adapt to new challenges and honor our commitment to excellence.

This short NCAI Teacher Appreciation Day video sums up our sentiment toward our innovative and committed faculty during the fourth quarter.

What did this look like for Liam and other members of our school leadership team?  It was exhausting!  Every aspect, event, process and procedure of school needed to be reinvented, redesigned, and replanned.

Many of you may recall that just two years ago, we faced a period of civil unrest in Nicaragua that had a profound impact on the way we do things.  In May 2018, we were forced to switch to online instruction for the last month of school.  As a result, although in some ways we were better prepared for 2020, the experience also felt more traumatic and brought back many vivid memories of the past.

As we move forward, we continue to face an uncertain future.  We are already working on plans for next school year. However, we know that God is faithful and will continue to use Nicaragua Christian Academy schools to bring more people to Him!