An In2 House Volunteer Celebration

Last night we celebrated one of our volunteers here at CCA. Oscar is a Nicaraguan and is a sophomore in college, his time as a volunteer is ending this week as he is starting back up at school. So last night the volunteers living in the In2 House threw him a going away party. Rebecca made brownies and banana bread and many other delicious treats. Some girls blew up many balloons, and Sunny made a fabulous poster. Kristie and my job was to set up games for us all to play. We played sherades and ....has anyone played the game "Zip-BONG" ? The purpose of this game is to not show your teeth. Everyone sits in a close circle and to pass you say ZIP and to reverse you say BONG. Its hilarious because of all the crazy faces people make trying to not show their teeth. We had a blast playing it!  Oh some of these photos may look dark, well because the power went out ;)

We had to wear head lamps because of the dark. We also have a spare cordless light for these dark occurences.

This is Oscar

Auntie Joyce and Rebecca acting out "Chasing a Tornado" for sherades

It was Kristie and my turn to make food for the volunteer family. We chose to introduce a little bit of America and cook good ol' hamburgers and fries. So AMERICAN! I think we did well.

Classroom Fun

Its been a while since I have updated what is going on here in Nicaragua. This week I have been taking class photos and individual photos of all the students at CCA. My last group to take photos of was my third grade class, the class I teach English to 4 days a week. Today they have a test over Los Emotiones/ Emotions and Tiempo/ Time. After I took their individual pictures I got a quick fun group photo of them that I would love to share. They are quite the crew!

I have also mentioned that I teach computer classes. I teach 3^rd through 7^th grade computers. I have noticed that these classes havn’t learned much structure in how to use basic applications nor have they learned the terms and definitions of computer terms. So this week I have been teaching computer parts, the differences between hard ware and software, how to open and close a word document, how to make a new file, and how to turn the computer on and off properly. The level of how much each student knows about these topics varies from class to class. Therefore I have been able to either add material or disclude some depending on what they currently know. I also took some photos of me with my 3^rd grade class in the computer lab. Kristie and I would like to add some learning visuals to the classroom this coming week. We are thinking to put up a large painting of a keyboard that shows the correct placement of fingers on the keyboard. I found a colorful picture on pinterest that I think we may use.

Beyond teaching English to the kids I have taken every opportunity to teach English to teachers here. Its something that they are eager to learn, but also need a lot of encouragement to learn. In the teacher room when I prepare classes I have been helping David (the PE teacher) to learn the vocabulary and phrases I am teaching to third grade class.  He doesn’t know too much now, but in due time hopefully we can get him to speak more English.

My Girl Kristie

What a joy it was to pick up one of my best friends Kristie Beavert from the airport in Managua on Tuesday evening! I am so excited to live life for three months with such a positive, adventurous and loving spirit.  I feel very blessed to have this time to serve alongside one another, and to be challenged in the same way from a friend back home.

A little bit about Kristie…she works at Mt. Hood in Oregon as a ski patrol. When she is not working during the week saving lives (here is a news video report of her and her team doing just that: http://www.kgw.com/story/news/2015/01/31/three-climbers-fall-on-mount-hood/22653161/ ), she climbs to the top of mountains on her free time AS IN THE TOPS OF MOUNTAIN RIDGES! To name a few Mt. Hood (4 times), Adams, Glacier, Helens, Baker, Broken Top, South Sister, oh and she has attempted Jefferson twice! [These are all mountains back in our home of the Pacific Northwest]. She inspires me J I love that she brought a map of Mt. Hood, it really has brought a homie feeling into our room.

How we became friends? It all began in our home state, the green state of Oregon. We had mutual friends from high school and we met our first year at Chemeketa Community College. From then we really just meshed well and had very similar interests, a passion for the outdoors, and a desire to serve the Lord the best we could at our age. We clicked! Our first biggest adventure together was the summer I somehow convinced her to work on a berry farm with me.  When meeting Barry she told him I convinced her to get rid of her “perfectly good job” at a skate shop to join me in the manual labor of working a night shift at a berry farm in Amity, Oregon. I told her that working on the farm from 8 AM to 8 PM, 6 days a week would definitely be the way to make a nice college student’s summer earning. It was the worst job and the best job all in one! And I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. That was a great bonding time for us. Since then we have enjoyed backpacking trips, motorcycle rides, and wake boarding adventures. I am excited for yet another to share with such a great friend.

Backpacking near Mt. Jefferson, Oregon

On the berry picker getting a back massage during our night shift. Oh and a midnight serenade from our dearest Emily.

Three summers ago out wake boarding :)

OUR NEWEST ADVENTURE BEGINS IN NICARAGUA.

Mi Primer Dia del Escuela

Hoy era mi primer dia del escuela! For my time here I am the 3rd grade English teacher. I will also be teaching computer classes to 2nd through 7th graders. My primer clase de English fue mas bien tan pense que seria. (My first english class went better than I thought it would.) In total I taught three classes: one English and two computer classes. My school day teaching lasts from 7am to 2:30pm.

En la manana yo ayuda la maestra de preschool con sus estudiantes. Hay 29 estudiantes en su clase. (There are 29 students in her class!) Ellos son tres anos! (They are three years old). This week the preschool class stays at school for two and a half hours, next week for three and a half, and the third through the rest of the school year for four and a half hours. The idea is to get the accustomed slowly to school life because they tend to miss their parents.  One little girl would not stop crying for her mommy. After much consoling she feel right asleep in my arms :)

"There is nothing worse than not having the right set of tools"

This is something I ALWAYS would hear from my Papa and my dad. Both Mr. Fix-Its, continuously working on some type of house, car, yard, or work project, tools helped them get the job done!  Beyond the basic screwdriver, hammer, and nails they were sure to have the “right” tools.  Air compressor, weed eater, automatic nail gun, tire wrenches, table saw, welder, any tool, you name it, they had it! Not to mention they could do ANY job with those tools as well.

To some a dismay, my reluctance to pink clothes and Barbie dolls only drew me into, perhaps the handier side of things.  Though no expert, I have found myself interested and able to use some of these tools. With all of the praise to my dad who taught me, I have found myself rotating tires, cleaning a carburetor, changing oil, and doing maintenance on a rainwater catch system. Thanks dad! Far beyond the luxury of fine automatic tools, into the land of “developing,” finding the right tools in Nicaragua can be a pain. "There is nothing worse than not having the right set of tools."

Yesterday, as I sought to make some utensils for a team building activity, I needed a basic hammer and pliers. I was sent to the bodega—the closet.  Disorganized, this closet is filled with random utensils and donations, in desperate need of being organized by someone with fine Tetris skills. Light bulbs, toilet paper, donated sandals, pillows, pvc pipe elbows, door knobs, screws, etc.….it was obvious that I wouldn’t find the tools I needed here. I looked over all the shelves, in every drawer, still no hammer. Then after several moments passed, lo and behold, THE TOOL BOX! In here was the hammer and pliers I was looking for!

After my success, I began to think about what had just happened. Had the tools been readily available to me, in my sight, I could have used them. But they were instead hiding in the furthest corner, far away from the light.  This made me think of how it must be frustrating for God to use His own tools. We are God’s workmanship (his tools), though made by Him, we do not always stand available to be used by Him. Sometimes we instead hide far far away in order to not be used. Occasionally we allow God to use us in ways that we feel comfortable with, but then for another uncomfortable use, we hide, back into the toolbox in the dark corner. How hard it must be for God to complete His will, His work, if His tools are not willing to be available to Him. Are we making ourselves available to God to be used? Are we willing to be used? To do anything?

In Nicaragua we have a phrase here we like to repeat. “Dos por Uno.” Two for one. Because tools and resources are limited, the more use we get out of them the better! In the same way I think the Lord desires for us to be willing to be used in ANY and MANY ways that he sees fit. The Lord knows the best ways you can be used; after all He designed you.

Here in Nicaragua I have the job as team building facilitator, 3^rd grade English teacher, computer teacher, and I have been told that these may and will change. Teaching is not anything I would have thought myself to be doing, let alone teaching in another language! My educational background has centered my skills on creating things like hydrogeological models, or environmental management plans. But THIS is where God has me working now.  Nervous? Yes. How is this going to work out? I have no idea. Willing? Absolutely! Dos, tres, quarto, y mas por uno. I am His workmanship, and I am willing to serve in whatever and however many ways He sees fit.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

Wednesday: Team Building

Wednesday: Team Building

Today was team-building day! Today was my favorite day of being in Nicaragua at Carazo Christian Academy. I felt like today was a day I really was able to connect with teachers and them with me.  Our day was filled with presenting team dramas, giving group lectures, and me leading a session of team building activities!

Over the past two days 11 teachers and 5 volunteers have been grouped into teams to practice and present a drama. There are four teams total. Each team was given a children’s story for them to dramatize. The purpose of performing these dramas was 1) to build teamwork, 2) develop new ways for the Nicaraguan teachers to involve their students, 3) FUN! My team's drama was “Little Red Riding Hood.”

After lunch I had the opportunity to lead team-building activities. This was a great opportunity for me to apply my training and skills I have developed while working for Baylor Outdoor Adventure. For those who don’t know I have worked as a challenge course facilitator, outdoor adventure student guide, and climbing wall instructor for the past 2.5 years. Through these experiences I have developed team-building skills. So thank you Baylor Outdoor Adventure! I really enjoy being able to challenge groups, teams, students, and even summer campers to over come their fears and to work as a team. During my time with the Carazo Christian teachers today I was enthused to see their positive response to my leadership, and for them to set goals and accomplish them as a team. Even better, many were able to translate the lessons learned in the activities to their jobs as teachers here in Nicaragua.

For you challenge course facilitators…I lead Eagle Egg Pass and Toxic Waste. I wanted to show you the materials I used. It’s a developing country so I had to improvise. At the bottom I attached a picture of the Toxic Waste set up. Typically with a steel ring and twine; I cut out the ring of a pasta sauce can lid and tied plastic string. Instead of a pvc pipe for placing the ring, I used water jugs. And for eagle egg pass. The school did not have 50 tennis balls! We instead went to the market and I bought a sac of cebollas (onions)! I was proud of making this improvisation work and had to share :)

This is the game toxic waste. The objective is to transport the tennis ball (aka ball of toxic waste) from one transport (here water jug) to another. If the team drops the ball then they must start over. This is the teams second attempt. This time I made it harder for them by blind folding 5 and allowing only a few to talk.

They had to travel across the arena, and here also across and over the playground.

It is important for the leaders to lead and for the team to follow while still protecting those who can not see.

Almost there.

Buenos Trabajar equipo! Good job team. They did this well.

Another team building game we played was called "Eagle Egg Pass." Since this is a school, the scenario I used was that the teachers need to safely transport with care each of their "ninos" (really onions) from the beginning of the school year (basket one) to the end of the year (basket two). Rules: Each teacher needed to touch each onion once, and can't pass right next to them. Objective: create a goal of how many "students" they would take care of and put in the basket and goal of how many they would allow to land on the ground.

It took three times for them to accomplish their goal. Each time they worked to come up with new ideas to decrease the amount of students dropped and increase those that made it in the second basket.

My proud developing country improvisation for making equipment!