Hot Stuff

Earlier this year the Masaya Volcano had some seismic activity resulting in a better viewing angle.  We can now actually see a red hot bubbling lava!  As you can imagine, this is very difficult to describe in words... you really have to be there to experience the power and awesome nature of God's Creation!

Bursting At The Seams

For the past five years, Nicaragua Christian Academy International has been experiencing what many would consider a “good problem” -- too many students wanting to enroll!  Our admissions committee has been faced with the difficult task of selecting which interested new families we would be able to accept to join NCA.  Since our classes are limited to 22-25 students per grade, and the number of new student applications has far exceeded our capacity in most of the classes, there have been students on waiting lists in most of the grade levels since 2012.

On one hand, this clearly demonstrates that our school is doing well; new families usually learn of our school by personal recommendations from current families, since NCA has never done any commercial advertising.  On the other hand, an increasing number of the new families seeking enrollment are excellent fits for the school -- Christian families seeking “Academic Excellence with a Christian Foundation” (our school’s motto).  It is very difficult for us to turn away families who tell us that there is no other school in Nicaragua that they believe provides the education they desire for their children.

A few years ago NCA raised its ideal class limit from 20 to 22 students, which helped accommodate more students, but the demand has continued to increase.  We have already expanded outward by founding two additional schools (both in the Spanish language and at a lower cost).  The school board continues to focus on strengthening our existing schools, with a total enrollment of over 1075 students, while at the same time seeking God’s will regarding areas of future expansion.  For now, we give thanks for another strong enrollment year in 2016-2017 with a record high registration, and for God’s clear confirmation that NCA is fulfilling a very important purpose in Nicaragua!  We also pray that the opportunity we have to educate our 350 students (in partnership with their parents) will be fruitful and will result in a new generation of young men and women committed to living in God’s truth and expanding His Kingdom here on earth!

News and Prayer Requests

Back in February, I (Jessica) contracted the chikungunya virus, and although there are still some lasting effects, I have recovered!  Pray for the many others who are dealing with chikungunya now.  Although we have all been healthy for the past few months, Asher just started showing symptoms of it this morning.  The government has been proactive in fumigating profusely, and NCA has been fumigating (see photo of classroom doorway) as well in an attempt to keep the mosquito population down.

We give thanks to God for a great end to the 2014-15 school year at NCA, and a great beginning to this school year on August 10th.  God has provided a wonderful group of teachers, and we are excited about the growth that we see at NCA in its students, staff, program, and campus.

We also give thanks for a busy but fun summer, which was spent here in Nicaragua.  We enjoyed visits from old friends, said goodbye to friends who left Nicaragua after many years of living here, and spent time as a family.  We are thankful for God’s provision as we make a quick visit to Michigan in October for my sister’s wedding.

We are thankful for you!  So many of you have written to us or sent us cards and packages in the past number of months.  We are encouraged to know that you are praying for us, even those of you whom we have never met.  We are humbled to see how God blesses us through you, even when we don’t know exactly what we need—He does!

Two Opportunities

CRC Retreat: In April we enjoyed meeting up with other CRC missionaries from across Central America for our yearly retreat, which is held here in Nicaragua.  Each year we welcome a speaker from the United States, as well as a group to help lead our children’s programs for this retreat.  This year I am in charge of recruiting individuals for our children’s programs.  We are looking for 6-8 volunteers who are willing to serve and support the missionaries here by traveling to Nicaragua to provide a youth program for roughly 30 missionary youth, ages 1-18, at this retreat  The dates this year are March 19-23.  Please contact me if you want to find out more!  You could even write me if you aren't interested but can think of someone who might be.

CWF: For the past ten years or so, I have been a part of a ministry called the Christian Women’s Fellowship (CWF).  CWF is a group of English speaking women who gather together with the purpose of fellowship, encouragement and Bible study.  We meet monthly, and each year in May we put on a women’s retreat; this past year we had around 90 women attend.
The group is very diverse; we have young singles, older retired women, mothers with kids of all ages, missionaries, business women, those who have lived in Nicaragua for 15 years and those who have just arrived.  Our goal at the retreat is to provide a time where each woman can step back from her ordinary responsibilities, reflect on what God is doing in her life, and hopefully go back to those responsibilities encouraged and with renewed energy.

In anticipation of our retreat this year, I am looking for some women in the states to come alongside us as we prepare for it.  One thing we like to do at the retreat is make each woman feel special, and maybe just a little spoiled.   We usually try and bring gifts and treats from the U.S., and since I will be traveling to the U.S. next month, I am looking for some women, or maybe a group of women (a Bible study group?) who might want to help fund or even shop for some special things to bring back for the women here in Nicaragua.   As women, you know that sometimes a bar of dark chocolate, a sweet smelling candle or a good book can erase all traces of a bad day.   If you would like more specifics about this, please shoot me an email!  I’m excited to partner with some of you to encourage the women that I know and love here in Nicaragua.

A part of our retreat group enjoying the sunset on the beach.

A Few Pictures... Just Because

Asher and Belen... dangerous with markers

I don't even know the story, but Caleb definitely has a plan here!

Judah, Belen and Caleb riding horses at a volcanic crater lake

Asher, Jessica, Belen and Liam's Dad

Liam's new office at school

Judah and his classmates in a school program

Rhonda, Brady and Liam during a wonderful visit this summer

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.