Bottom of the 9th!

May...have electric, May...not. May...have water, May...not.

So here we are at the end of  May also know as "hot/dry season" and at the end of the school year. Students are restless and ready to be done with school. They are hot, tired, hot, overloaded, hot, and mentally checked out of school. Their exhaustion is validated with daily heat indexes in the 100's and nightly lows in the 80's. Friends back east--air conditioning is your saving grace. Friends out west--you have considerably lower humidity levels. When sweat begins to trickle down your back at 10:00A.M., you know you're in for a whopper of a day here near the equator.

Our school has experienced some challenges, too. Over the past several months we have been experiencing water shortages. Each day around 11:00 A.M. our tanks run out of water. This makes for times that are difficult and unsanitary. We are still waiting for the new transformer so that our library can be air conditioned. Only three areas of our school have that luxury: our library, the administration offices, and the computer lab. On average, electricity here costs six times the kilowatt rate paid in the states. And, if you live in certain higher income areas of the city, the rate is even higher. The average electric bill for our school to run lights, fans, technology, and two air conditioned areas is approximately $5000.00 per month. Even with these exhorbitant rates, power is not reliable. On the hottest day of the year thus far, we lost power at the school. This meant no fans, no lights, and no technology. Keeping students focused during these times is certainly a challenge!

For us, school is out on June 3rd. For the rest of Nicaragua, school continues through November. Traditionally, students in Nicaragua have the months of November, December, and January off from school. Since NCAI is a North American based educational platform and many of its teachers are North American, we follow a similar schedule as the United States. This last full week, students in grades 7-12 will be preparing for their semester cumulative exams.

World Studies 3rd Period Class

A few weeks ago, our Student Council put together something called "Lunch Box Social." On this special day, students gather in groups and choose to either make lunch or purchase lunch. Those groups who made lunch set up their meal in a predetermined classroom while the "buying groups" collected in the Eagle Center to bid on the meal they wanted. The meals are auctioned off to the highest bidding group. Themed meals included spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken, Nica cuisine, Korean, and Chinese fare.  This was a great fund-raiser and a great way to connect a variety of students who may not normally spend time together.

Our Lunch Box Social Group

Serving Lunch

Apples in Nicaragua cost $1-$2 EACH!

Spencer Making Dinner for the Rizzo Family

May 1st is Nicaragua's Dia del Trabajo or "Labor Day". Since we had that a long weekend, we took the opportunity to go visit the family in northern Nicaragua again. Before we went, we asked the family if there was anything we could bring them. Their answer: soda, ice, and apples. Remember, this family has no refrigerator, so ice is a special treat! Apples are generally $1-$2 EACH here; we rarely buy apples for ourselves. So, we took off for La Finca Argentina with a cooler of ice, a dozen apples, and several 3 liters of soda. It's become a tradition that they cook for us the first night, and we cook for them on the second night. This time, we prepared barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. With 14 people to cook for, this was no easy task. They really enjoyed their feast!

Jeremy and His Co-Pilot, Oliver, driving to
Northern Nicaragua.

 

Ice is a Luxury for Many
Nica Families.

Moving!

In a few weeks, the sublease of the apartment we are currently living in will be finished. We have found a small house in a great community near the school. This home will provide a patio for hanging a hammock, a small yard for working outside, and a bedroom big enough for Spencer! Spencer has been staying in a room that was meant to be a maid's quarters. It is only large enough for a twin bed and his feet hang off the edge. Four people living in a small apartment has been a challenge, but we were well prepared for this at Camp Cedaredge!

Our soon- to- be new home!

We are so appreciative of your support through prayer and financial gifts. Thank you for making God's work through the Kane Family in Nicaragua possible!