Dear Friends,
Last week, I was sitting inside one of our classrooms, and I could hear a small group of rambunctious 5-7 year-olds playing while they were waiting for their literacy class to begin. They kicked an old, under-inflated ball on the new road our older students recently installed.
Inside, 13 year-olds were putting together consonants and vowels and realizing that they were actually reading.
It’s almost lunchtime, and everyone will enjoy a hot meal of Valencia (tomato-based) rice and chicken, prepared for 150 by our culinary wizard, Isabel, and her wonderful helper Marisol.
Meanwhile, our adult women’s kickball team has been preparing, almost obsessively, for Sunday’s national tournament (results below). Several of the team members now attend Marvin’s English classes each week.
Our vivacious librarian is waiting for one of our literacy classes to arrive to rehearse a play and to paint some set designs. They’re dramatizing a children’s book the class recently read aloud together.
Because our vocational center is temporarily closed for three months – because of the construction of the youth center above it – our barbering graduates set up a couple chairs outside, and a four-year-old is receiving a haircut while a group of teens gather around to watch, critique, and learn from each other.
So much life!
At a parent’s meeting later that afternoon, a mother whom I had never met before approached me and hugged me. She said, “Please, tell your friends this: Five years ago, we had nothing here. Now, we have everything. It’s a miracle. God bless you all.”
Indeed…blessings…for them…for us…because of you.
With continued gratitude… Happy Easter and Happy Passover!
Chuck
Thank You for the Suitcases!
Our thanks for the large suitcases donated for this most recent trip. Regulations allow only two suitcases per person for Nicaragua. But that allows us to bring 100 pounds of clothing. While I traveled alone the time, in August at least four people will be going. We’ll need eight more suitcases to transport 400 pounds of clothing.
We leave the suitcases behind because barrio members use them to store clothes or dishes. (Most homes have no bureaus or cabinets). If you have a large suitcase you no longer use, or if you’re at a second-hand store and are willing to purchase one, please let us know. The photos below are from two weeks ago. Isabel, our cook, sorts and distributes the clothes because she knows our entire community.
Construction Is Ahead of Schedule
Two of our young men, Jefferson and Angelo, are earning a salary working with our two contractors, Roger and Will… and our roofer, Roberto. We hope to complete the building of our youth center by the end of April. Throughout the day, various students stop by to lend a hand, to observe, and to learn. This center will house Maycól’s office, a psychologist’s office, a student lounge for our adolescents, and a classroom dedicated to literacy for our older students. This is the result of last year’s annual appeal. Thank you!
Girl Power!
I enjoyed watching our two women’s kickball teams play and practice! Our local teams have gone nine years without anything official: uniforms, bases, flags, cones, etc. Now, they are empowered, regularly coached, registered in the national league, and determined.
The local games are big community events! On Sunday afternoons people come to cheer them on in a doubleheader under the hot sun. I was surprised that games are preceded by a Gospel reading and a 15-minute homily as well as another 15-minute pep talk. (The one I heard was about respecting one another…all this at a kickball game)!
Last weekend, our A-team competed in Managua in this year’s first national tournament. They placed…(drum roll, please)…FIRST! We’re so proud of them, and they are over the moon…and rightly so!
Our Wishlist Challenge
As strange as this may sound to us here…our school now has internet!
To assure efficient record keeping and good communication, we need to provide lap tops for key staff members. The laptops are basic, economical (as laptops go…$279) and more than sufficient for our needs.
An anonymous donor agreed to buy one of them if we have three others donated.
Of course, we are happy to provide a tax deduction for your generous help. Just please donate through our website (link below) or by sending a check, and mark your donation “laptop.” As always…Muchísimas Gracias!
The View of Mombacho Volcano from Our Soon-to-Be Second Floor Youth Center
