Independence

Time again for another update.  Here are some highlights of what has been happening round these parts.  Vehicle purchased, construction advances and new students, independence day for Central America, and a Raspberry Pi class.

First Graders Performing a Traditional Dance for Independance Day.

Justice, Mercy, and Adjusting Expectations

Life isn't always easy.  Nobody said it would be, but we often seem to expect that it will be anyway.  This blog entry will give you a glimpse into some of the things that I have been wrestling with lately.  Some specific and some general.  They will distill down into my prayer requests at the bottom.  Life has been full of learning, changes, excitement, challenges, and growth.  Thanks for reading!

Next wing of classrooms to house new grades next year...
a large part of the growth that's been happening.

time flies when you're having fun

Or as a frog once told me... "Time's fun when you're having flies."

Typing class on Book Day...the chef from Dragon Soup.

The school year marches on.  We're nearing the end of our first semester.  We're up to 41 students at NCA Matagalpa, and we expect another small wave around the beginning of the second semester.  There has been talk recently, that in addition to adding 8th grade next year we'll also be adding kindergarten.  There is a lot of demand for kindergarten, as many of our current students have younger siblings that would attend our school if they could.

rollin, rollin, rollin...

I can't believe it's already mid-March.  Next week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) and it seems far too soon.  As they say, time flies when you're having fun.  It's actually been a bit of a challenge finding time to write a blog as things have been clipping along at a pretty good pace from day one back in January.  I've been looking forward to filling you on all the things that are going on.  Actually...I doubt I could fill you in on all of it.  I'll have to try to select the most noteworthy parts.

I've been traveling a fair bit, back and forth from Matagalpa to Managua, a 2-2.5 hour trip.  In fact, I'm getting close to breaking my record for days-in-a-row spent in Matagalpa.  I've been here for almost a full a week now, and just spent my second full weekend here.  That's a lot of back-and-forth, and while it's fun, it is nice to also have a bit of stability.

a new chapter has begun

Happy 2013 to all of my readers.  I hope you are enjoying the new year.  For most of us, most of the time, the new year doesn't really bring much new with it.  But for me, 2013 brings some significant changes.  A new chapter has opened in my life and in my service here in Nicaragua.