First Time for Everything

I know, I know. I'm a terrible blogger and correspondent.

In thinking about the need to write a new blog post for the last two months, I've debated what to write about, because there is so much to share, but I have decided, for this blog post, to share all the new things in my life.

Life With Roomies
In my last blog, I shared that I am now living with three other young women. This has been such a blessing, but it has been an adjustment. I am trying to be aware of things like if I'm using the entire kitchen to make a sandwich while others need to eat or yelling at the Colts game when others are working or napping. I think it's going quite splendidly... at least they haven't told me otherwise. ;)

We did "family pictures" and had a blast with it!

Okay, we look super cute, but don't you love those hexagon shelves?

New Classes

This year, my schedule is a little different. I'm not teaching Math Applications or AP Statistics, and instead I'm teaching Biblical Ethics and Domestic Arts. Biblical Ethics is a class for 10th graders (girls this semester, boys next semester) that takes place 3 days a week. The purpose of the class is to discuss how we see and respond to issues in the world from a Biblical perspective. It's very discussion heavy, and I get to play devil's advocate a lot, which I love. Domestic Arts has been so much fun. We've done various projects such as book making, crocheting, and card making. I like having the opportunity to flex my creative side of my brain. Next semester, I'll teach Culinary Arts, so I'm anticipating needing bigger clothes. :)

That Coach Life
I got involved last year playing volleyball every other Wednesday. Volleyball is the one sport I've ever felt like I could be good at, and my skills have improved (I think) with the addition of being an assistant coach for our girls' volleyball team. It's a short season, only 6 weeks long, but I loved working with the girls. The improvement that we saw was undeniable, and I am so proud of all of the girls' hard work. This has been a joy, and it's something I hope to continue with.

What's Life Without a Little Music?
At the beginning of the school year, our director approached me and asked if I would sing on the praise team about once a month with him and a few others at the international church I attend. I said yes, and I have had the privilege to sing three times with that group of people and once with another group. I love music, and I enjoy helping lead worship.

Leading worship for the first time

I think that's it for now. There are other little "firsts" that remind me continually of how blessed I am to be here. I am so thankful for the opportunity to call this country my home.

Second Year, But Everything is New

Well, I'm back! I'm back in the country I love with the people I love doing what I love. Basically, it's just a lotta love!

Summer was very difficult, to say the least. I wasn't sure if school would resume, if I would get the green light from OMS to return, if I even wanted to return. People kept asking questions, and all I could say was, "I don't know." That may have been frustrating for them to hear, but I promise it was even more frustrating to say.

But God is good. He worked everything out perfectly, as per usual. I arrived in Managua on August 1. A friend picked me up at the airport, and the drive home was bizarre. It was about 8:00, still relatively early, but the streets were deserted. The barricades that blocked so much of the country have all been removed, so what little traffic there was flowed smoothly. It seemed surreal.

On our first day of teacher training, our director had a very frank conversation with us. He said we are living in a "tense calm" where everything appears to be normal, but everyone knows there is still stuff brewing under the surface. He also gave us a list of precautions to take. There was nothing completely jarring or unreasonable. I can still go to the store, go out for a bite to eat, etc. But we check for news of protests and marches to know what areas of town to avoid. Overall, we feel very fortunate for where we live and work, because this side of town is so quiet.

We had two weeks of staff training instead of the normal one week. This was very nice to have that extra time to be in the classroom and prep, but also led to some procrastination. "Eh, I still have a week to do that." The thing that consumed most of my first two weeks here were my car. Yes, my poor Charlotte and her accident from March 6. That was five months ago. This whole experience with insurance and the car shop has led me to decide that I should never have a car accident in Nicaragua ever again. I'd write up the whole process for you to read, but it honestly would take too long to explain. Maybe I'll do a Facebook live video again and explain the process.

My biggest life change is that I have moved out of my one bedroom apartment and into a 3 bedroom duplex with 3 other young women. Two are fellow teachers at NCA, and the third, and my roommate, works at an organization called Tesoros de Dios, which works with children with special needs and their families. Other than the periods of time that I stayed with my parents, I haven't lived with anybody since college. It's definitely been a great transition, and I fully believe it was the right move. But there are still moments that I have to figure out. I just have to shake my head and smile at how God brought us all together. We are such different personalities (I'm the only extrovert and a seriously external processor) and yet we are so similar. Have you ever heard of or read about the 5 love languages? Well, we are all physical touch people. So tonight, as we watched The Bourne Legacy, we were all four of us on the 3 person couch and happy as could be all snuggled up. We are still working at making the space our own, but pleased with how things are coming along.

Erika, Alex, and I on our first day of school!

First day of school was a success. I got to see my sweet angels, although they weren't so angelic during the tape game. More on that in a minute. Our school day has been slightly altered. We start 15 minutes earlier and end 45 minutes earlier. This meant that the traditional first day activities had to be changed slightly, but we were still able to keep the spirit of the day and welcome students back in style. This included the annual traditional tape game. If you haven't heard about this game, here's what you need to know: you get a piece of tape on your shirt. Your grade level is your team (teachers are their own team). Protect your tape. Get tape off of others. Girls can get tape from boys or girls, but boys can only get tape from boys. That's it. There are not really any rules beyond that. I didn't play last year, but I did play this year and it was pretty great. I had to ice my arm and I got my clock cleaned by a senior. But the teachers won, so it was all worth it in the end.

The teacher team before the madness began.

An action shot. No, they didn't get my tape.

A little view of some of the action.

After the tape game. I was a little muddy.

The first two weeks have gone very smoothly. With my different schedule, I have my prep time earlier in the day, which makes a huge difference with my brain power and energy levels. But really, I'm just so happy to be surrounded by my students and colleagues again. I'll write more about all that next time.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. I don't think I would have made it back home without you all.

Finding Peace in the Storm

I have been staring at this blank page for a couple of days now trying to figure out what to write. I want to share what's going on, but the truth is that I don't know the truth or entirety of what is happening. So I guess I'll do my best.

On Thursday, we were released early from school due to protests that started taking place across Managua in response to the government making changes to the social security system and existing pensions. School for Friday was cancelled that evening. The protests continued throughout the weekend, usually starting mid afternoon and continuing into the late evening and even early morning hours. I was able to go with some friends on Friday and Saturday to the store, more because we wanted to get out more than an actual need for anything. We stuck pretty close to home, and we saw minimal signs of protests.

Other cities have begun protesting as well, and the national police have been responding. I can't speak with 100% certainty with who is starting what, so I'll leave it at that. Probably the most disconcerting thing is how difficult it is to get the truth of the matter. On Thursday evening, the government ordered all local news stations off the air. As a result, to find any news or information, I have to scroll through social media, which is full of one-sided opinions, photos, and videos, or search for news stories. And with my Spanish not being that great, I can't understand a lot of the stories that have been published. Honestly, if it weren't for social media, I would have no idea of what is going on out there.

I know the president was on TV today, and I believe, if I understood some of the messages correctly, that he was saying they will put a hold on the social security increases since nothing is set in stone yet. However, I don't know if that will be enough to calm the masses. People here, on both sides, have been very frustrated for a long time.

As for me, I am safe. I am well-stocked on provisions. I have my vicious attack dog who has enjoyed having me home and slept for probably 22 out of 24 hours of each day. Maybe she's part koala? Here is a map that someone shared. The red pins are the protests happening around Managua. I marked a blue star to show where I am in relation to the protests.

I don't fear for myself. I am worried about the response of the police to protesters. I am worried about the mob mentality that could take over. I am worried about some of my students who go out to protest. And, this may seem silly to some, but I am worried about the rest of the school year. We had classes for tomorrow and Tuesday cancelled, and beyond that is unclear. I have students who will take the AP Statistics test on May 17, and they are missing out on valuable learning time. My other students are probably going to have units cut if we miss much more. I know that is such a low priority compared to some of the things happening, but I'm a teacher - that's what is on my mind. But I know that God is the author and perfecter of all things.

I was able to go to church today at International Christian Fellowship, the English-speaking church I attend. We spent time praying in groups for this beautiful country we call home and for everyone involved. Would you please join us in prayer? Here are some specific ways you can pray:

• Pray for peace. There is a march scheduled for tomorrow. Please pray that people are able to march and express themselves peacefully without fear. 
• Pray for Godly leaders. There are so many lies and so much deceit swirling around. We prayed this morning that God would raise up men and women who will speak truth on both sides of the conversation.
• Pray for safety. The numbers of deaths I've heard are all over the board, but the most consistent I've heard is that more than 25 people, mostly college students, have died. Please pray that the bloodshed would end.

Thank you friends. Please feel free to share with friends and family these prayer requests. We are trusting in God to provide and to intervene. 

In church this morning, part of our prayer time was spent praying Psalm 91. Let these words sink in and become your prayer for Nicaragua. 

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

New Year, Same Old Habits

It may be a new year, but not much has changed. For example, I still am not doing well with consistently updating my blog about how things are going. I still don't reach out to people and let them know I am thinking of them and appreciate them as often as I should. But it's not all negative things. I still love my job. I still love my students, even when they make me want to pull my hair out. ;)

The semester started off with a wonderful additional to my humble abode: Kira came back with me! I think it's safe to say she is settling in well.

One of the highlights of this semester so far has been being invited to the senior retreat. We left on Wednesday February 7 for two and a half days away at a lake house. We swam, ate, played games, ate, visited Granada, oh, and ate some more. Check out some of the highlights!

The house we stayed in. The picture doesn't do it justice.

One of the fiercer games of Uno I've ever played.

More card games! (Don't worry, no money exchanged hands. :) )

Had to teach these kids how to be awesome at Dutch Blitz.

 

In Granada, we went to see the giant hammock. They said to sit on it. They neglected to mention that we would hit the ground. It took us a while to stop laughing.

The seniors!

This past week was tough. I was fighting a cold, but I think I may have kicked it. Fingers crossed!

Looming on the horizon is a trip to Colombia. I am an adviser for HACIA democracy, which is similar to Model UN. I am so excited for this opportunity to help students succeed and reach their goals. The next two and a half weeks are going to fly by, and there is still so much to do. But I am still loving it here, and I am cherishing every minute I have with my students. I'm thankful for every day I have here.

The Value of Independence and Relaxation

I recognize that it has been a while since I updated all of my avid readers and followers, but then again, I didn't get any perturbed messages asking when I was going to update my blog. So maybe time is flying by for all of you as quickly as it is for me.

At about two and a half weeks after my last blog post, I thought, "I should really update my blog. Hmm... I think I'll wait until I have something more exciting to share, something more than the fact that school is still going, I'm still teaching, and my students are still (hopefully) learning."

Then exciting things happened. Like, a lot of exciting things. But I also got bogged down in wrapping up the first quarter and the craziness that naturally comes with that. Now, I guess it's time to stop pushing things off and let you all in on the craziness that is my life.

On September 23, 2017, I added a new member to my little family. Meet Charlotte.

She is a 2014 Honda CRV. I looked long and hard, and I feel good about this purchase. I came to Nicaragua thinking that I'd have a car in less than a month. 2 months and 1 day after arriving in Nicaragua, I bought a car. I've learned to readjust my expectations and, more specifically, my timeline for when things will happen here. If I was in Indiana trying to buy a car, I could find a car online or on a used car lot, call/talk to the person selling the car, and negotiate everything myself. Here, I had to rely on someone else to drive me to multiply locations to see potential cars, talk to the sellers for me, and contact someone with more mechanical expertise than I could ever hope to have to check out the car and make sure it's okay. If you know me, you know that patience and asking for help wouldn't exactly make my top three skills/personality traits. Or top 10. Or top 50.

**Big shout out to Kim Rumley-Wells for her invaluable help. Seriously. I cannot adequately express my gratitude. You rock.

After 2 months of asking for help, I am so glad to be able to be the one offering help to others who need a ride. It's quite refreshing, really.

Charlotte!!! Isn't she pretty? 

After my first drive. We both survived!

Charlotte's first big outing was to drive Kim, her husband, Mike, and her son, Corin, to San Juan del Sur on Friday September 29. It was about a two and a half hour drive. We drove to a very nice little villa where we met up with another NCA family and one of our SOARR (special ed) volunteers. We stayed the night and got up the next morning for a sailing trip!

Quick interjection: my stay at the villa marked the first shower I've taken with warm water since arriving in Nicaragua, and because there was AC, I got to snuggle under the covers, which is just a little thing that I've missed being here. Okay. Now we're back.

We drove to a hotel called Pelican Eyes where we boarded a mini bus that took us to the dock where we boarded a little boat that took us to the bigger sail boat. Let me just say that this was a huge learning experience for me. For one, I learned that, given my choice in how I want to travel anywhere in the world, boat will not be my first choice. I didn't feel sick to my stomach, but the rocking motion seriously messed with my already precarious sense of balance, so I spent the majority of the time on the boat laying down. Secondly, it apparently is necessary to reapply sunscreen every 15 minutes. Although I did do some reapplications, I clearly did not reapply enough, as you will see in later photos. Check out some of the pictures from our adventure.

Preparing to depart on our sail boat!

Having fun in the Pacific Ocean! Can you see my shorts burn lines? 

My sweet friend and coworker, Kelly. She pretty much planned the whole trip. Love her!

Love this sweet girl! Emily is a SOARR volunteer for NCA this year. We both got a little toasty. The orange walls downplay the red in our faces. :)

This past week brought a whole new flurry of excitement at school. It was spirit week! Check out these photos of me and my students.

Monday was pajama day. Of course, it also gave me the chance to represent my Colts!

Tuesday was crazy hair day. I don't think I'll let these girls near my hair any time soon.

Out of all my students, this junior won the day for me.

Wednesday was Meme day. You can't see it, but I had some memes taped to my shirt.

Thursday was color scheme day. Dress all in one color!

Friday was the day we were all supposed to wear our class shirts, but due to heavy rains and Tropical Storm Nate, school was dismissed early at 1 pm on Thursday and then cancelled on Friday. So class shirt day has been postponed to next Friday.

Please be praying for everyone who has been affected by the heavy flooding. There are people who have lost everything because the water levels were over their house. I am okay, and the school is okay, but there are people who are trying to rebuild now. 

Last little update: one of the pastors from my home church, New Hope, came to Nicaragua to visit. I had the privilege of spending Thursday afternoon and evening catching up with him. He was also kind enough to bring a suitcase from my parents filled with things I couldn't bring the first time around. My parents included a little early birthday gift for me, since I can't really get packages sent to me. 

How cute is my mom?

I haven't been able to watch any DVDs here, so this is a wonderful treat. I finally got to watch some Psych with my friend, Kayla. Haven't been able to do that since I got here.

Thank you to everyone who continues to pray, support, and ask about me. Let me know if you have any questions about what's going on here. I think it's almost time for another live blog. :)

Special Edition: Live Blog - The Great Chili Cooking Event

This weekend, I was faced with the ultimate question: what do I want to cook and subsequently eat as leftovers this week. I decided my mom's chili sounded great. What has transpired so far inspired me to follow in the steps of my friend and adopted sister, Jessica Hollopeter, and do a live blog as I go. Here we go!

1:37 pm: I messaged mom and asked for the recipe. 

1:42 pm: No response from Mom. So I called her. I explained what I needed, and after hanging up, she sent it to me, and I embarked on a journey to La Colonia to get what is necessary. Here are the required ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef

2/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup water

1 can condensed beef broth

1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste

1 can kidney beans, drained, rinsed

3 tsp. chili powder

I already have the ground beef, onion, and water. 

3:00 pm: I enter La Colonia. I find the tomato paste easily, but there is no 8 oz tomato sauce, so I settle for the 15 oz tomato sauce. Then I peruse the bean options. There. Are. No. Kidney. Beans. Seriously - zip, zilch, nada. So then I have to decide what type of beans to go with. Obviously, black beans are a no. So I settle for "Blancas Guisadas." Not really sure what that means. But it'll be an adventure. Then I find the chili powder. All that is left is the beef broth. There is no beef broth. But there are individual packets of powdered beef broth. I figure I can translate and do the mixing at home.

5:07 pm: Armed with all of the necessary ingredients, some Fresca, a jar of pickles (for sustenance), and "Gilmore Girls" playing on the iPad, I embark on the journey!

5:11 pm: I decide that having the pickles out is too much of a distraction, so I put them away, get out the onion, and start chopping. Oh, and the Fresca is gone.

5:22 pm: The onion is chopped and the beef is browning.

5:25 pm: I mix the onions with the ground beef. Now I need to stick my face in the freezer because my eyes are watering.

5:27 pm: While waiting for the meat and onions, I decide I should wash some dishes. 

5:33 pm: Dishes are clean. Meat still isn't done. It smells good though. Note to self: Cook with onions more often.

5:40 pm: I have opened all of the cans and drained the beans. The meat is nearly ready to drain. I'm a nervous wreck.

5:43 pm: It's ready to drain! I'm using a strainer. We will see how this goes.

5:54 pm: All of the ingredients have been combined. Not to let it simmer and see how it turns out. :)

6:02 pm: Took a taste test. ... Apparently chili powder here is different. I think I ate molten lava. 

6:06 pm: Okay. After some brief research, I added some sour cream and the heat is off. Time to poor myself a bowl and douse it in cheese. I'll have the fire extinguisher handy.

6:38 pm: Two glasses of water, more sour cream, and 16 crackers with peanut butter later, I almost finished the bowl. My lips are tingling and I can't feel my tongue. The logical thing to do would be to throw it out. But it seems so wasteful. So what I'll probably end up doing is putting it in the freezer for the next 3 months and then throwing it out. 

The Great Chili Cooking Event did not turn out the way I planned, but I have the perfect solution: make homemade chocolate chip cookies! Thanks for joining me on this journey! :D

I Live Here

Well, I'm overdue for a blog update. So here goes!

I have finished my third week of teaching. That's right, third. It's okay. It doesn't seem real to me either. Day one went well. The secondary school has 20 minute class periods, then a big pizza lunch, and then it's on to the activities for the afternoon! Every year, the afternoon of the first day is spent in rotation games. This year's theme: game shows! We had Family Feud, NCA's Got Talent, Newlywed Game (for locker buddies), Master Chef, Bob Ross Painting, and America Ninja Warrior. Guess which station I was at. Go on... Yep! America Ninja Warrior. I know. It suits my personality and my personal life perfectly. The kids had a variety of obstacles to navigate. I was placed in charge of monitoring the balance beam and helping the kids count to 3 if they fell. It was a massive undertaking, but one I felt prepared for.

After all of the activity rotations, it was time for the infamous Tape Game. Here's the 30 second version: you get a piece of tape on your shirt across your belly. Student tape is worth 1 point a piece, teacher tape is worth 2 points a piece. The whistle blows. You watch "The Hunger Games" unfold in real life before you. I told our director we could sell footage to the Discovery channel to compare with the lions in Africa.

I did not participate in the Tape Game, mostly because I'm not convinced I didn't sprain my ankle back in June, and I didn't want to risk making it worse. It's probably a good thing I didn't play. The school should really make me sign a liability waiver before I participate in that.

With day one in the books, we moved on to day two, which was a normal day. It felt good to meet my students and feel like I have a purpose in being here. Thursday August 10 was a no school day due to a local holiday. So, some of my new teacher friends and I went exploring. We went to Momotombo, an active volcano. The pictures you see below are as close as we got. From there, we continued on to León. We wandered around the town square, inside of the massive cathedral (seriously. It rivals some European cathedrals in size!), and ate a little cafe. All-in-all, a lovely day. 

A view of Momtombo with smoke at the top.

The cathedral in León on the left with a storm moving in from the west.

 Week two came and went with nothing terribly exciting or out of the ordinary. Last Saturday, the school took a group of new teachers and their families on a tour of old town Managua. We saw the old cathedral that was condemned some time after the 1972 earthquake, and we went to this lovely park on a hill overlooking the whole city. Then we traveled on to Grenada where we saw the city's town square and cathedral (this seems to be a very common layout for a city established by Europeans in the 1500s). We ate lunch at a pizza place, then drove to a place where we piled into two boats and motored around the lake. There were beautiful homes, pretty much all owned by rich people and used for weekend or vacation getaways. I am not usually uneasy in boats, but I was on this trip. I think it was because I felt so very close to the water. The sides of the boat only came up to about the bottom of my rib cage when sitting, but we were still a good distance off the water. Plus, I felt like the boat was perpetually leaning toward my side. But I made it, and I didn't have to go swimming for valuables. 

Welcome to Grenada!

A view of the city from a window in the cathedral.

Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of the boat trip was Monkey Island. The kids (and some adults) got to feed the monkeys from the boat!

Week three was a blessing because the juniors and seniors had their annual retreat Thursday and Friday. I love my junior and senior classes, but it was nice to have only first and second period and then be done for the day. I didn't get caught up on as much as I would have liked, but I did get some good work done. 

So far, the transition has still been a good one. But every once in a while, I have this moment - sometimes even stopping dead in my tracks - and I just say, "Holy smokes. I live here." I'm not visiting or doing short-term mission work. I am building a life here, and that astounds me. I knew it was coming, but now it's reality and not just a dream or a vision. I live here. 

I, of course, miss people back in the States. But I am thankful for technology that allows me the little things like using WhatsApp to text people or Snapchat to check in on those hooligans from youth group (you know who you are), and FaceTime with my parents or my wonderful friend Kayla. This might sound silly to some, but the thing I am having the hardest time with is missing my dog. Now, before y'all get offended and think I don't miss you too, I do! Every day. But we can talk.  My sweet pup doesn't understand why Grandma and Grandpa put a screen in front of her with a warbly version of my voice. I miss my baby girl. So, don't judge, but that is one of the hardest things for me right now.

Now. I believe that there are some of you who may have questions about my life here, and I was thinking about how I may best answer those questions for a mass audience rather than 20 times individually. So, I am going to do a Facebook Live event and answer your questions! The plan is to have it this Wednesday August 20 at 5 pm my time (that's 7 pm for all you Hoosier folks). So bring your questions. If you can't "attend" but still have a question, send it to me in advance. It'll give me something to start with and make things less awkward if nobody jumps in. Although, now that I think about it, my mom is bound to put it in her phone calendar and "show up." She's a good mom like that. 

Well, that's it for now. See you all on Wednesday!

A little humor from my sophomores and their review teams. It was boys against girls, but they needed creative names. So the boys were "Legendary Handsome Ones" and girls were "Unicorns." They were proud of their pun work here. For those of you who don't know, maiz means corn. :)