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!

Hot Season Happenings

About My Girls...

Choose beautiful. Many of us have seen these campaigns either on television or the internet sponsored by Dove. Over the past two months, I have been teaching my 7th grade girls how to love themselves. Teaching girls to have a high self-esteem is no easy task. I have shared stories from other girls going through the same phase in life. Remembering when I was in 7th grade, I share stories of my insecurities as an awkward pre-teen girl in junior high. Sure, they giggle and say, "No way, Mrs. Kane, you could never be insecure!"  On Thursday, I shared the "Choose Beautiful" video.

Afterwards, I asked how many would choose to walk through the "beautiful" door. Sadly, not many of my girls said they would. My prayer is for each of these young ladies to see themselves the way God sees them--as unique, beautiful creations. Thankfully, it appears that I have earned the right to speak into their lives. I pray now for the right words to say!

 

Semana Santa

The week before Easter is know as Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Although we were out of school for the entire week, the rest of Nicaragua began the festivities on Wednesday. Our family had made plans to go back Finca Argentina to visit the Rizzo family, but a message from the U.S. Embassy halted our plans. Basically, the message indicated that beginning on Wednesday through Easter Sunday, U.S. citizens were to be on alert as crime rates are higher and there are more police checkpoints. One would think that police checkpoints would be a good thing, but not necessarily. Unfortunately, there are many corrupt officers that will stop you for no apparent reason and demand a "multa" or fine, right there on the spot or they threaten to take your license. This has happened to us on more than one occasion. Luckily, we were able to negotiate our way through the situations by basically saying nothing (easy for us since we don't know the language well). The opinions on how to handle theses situations vary within the mssionary community. Some say to give them the fine-which is basically a bribe since no citation is ever written and therefore the traffic stop didn't happen-to avoid the full day ordeal of retrieving your license. Others say that giving them the money is feeding the beast of corruptness. And still others go as far as writing down the officer's badge number if they request a fine, and notify the powers that be. With all of this being said, a four hour trek each direction to northern Nicaragua did not seem to be the wisest choice for our family. So, we stayed home. I found an inflatable pool volleyball net for $10 at the local supermarket to have some fun at the pool!

Other News!

This Thursday, Spencer and the rest of his basketball team will be traveling to Costa Rica to play in an international tournament. They will be playing against teams from Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Panama among other Central American countries. Thank you to all of you who helped him attend this tournament! Please pray for their safety and the opportunity to share Christ through their sportsmanship.

Also, the library is now open for business! I take my students every Thursday to check out books and enjoy the new facility. There is still no A/C and this is the hottest time of year, but that doesn't seem to bother my kiddos. They love to read!

Wrinkles...They Do Iron Out

Library Woes

Our new library was scheduled to open on January 24th, however there were a few wrinkles. Somehow, the cost of air conditioning the new building jumped to a whopping $30,000, when it was originally quoted much much lower. Here we are, at the beginning of March without a new facility. The library has been packed up and ready to move since early January. The most frustrating piece of the puzzle is my 7th grade accelerated reader class. In anticipation of the library closure, my kiddos checked out two books each in December to begin for this semester's course. Certainly this was enough material to get through 3 weeks of school. But, the weeks of a closed library began to add up.

Unlike the United States, books are a high commodity here, especially those written in English. I wish it were as simple as heading to the local thrift store to stock my classroom library, but unfortunately that's just not the case. We are fortunate, however, that the librarian unpacked a box of books for the students two weeks ago for them to choose a new title.

Good news, the school has renegotiated a price and hopefully, the new library will open in two weeks. Please pray for this to happen!

Festival

NCA 3K or 5K Fun Run to raise money for a pool.

 

On a lighter note, NCA organized a festival to raise money for our homeroom parents' wish list item...a new pool. Several other larger schools in the country have pools, and our parents decided that this should be NCA's newest endeavor. Did you know that a high percentage of Nicaraguan people do not know how to swim? I assumed that with the great number of huge lakes and two coast lines, Nicas were born with fins and gills. Not true! This pool can be used as a mission to teach people how to swim as well as add to the PE and extra-curriculur activity program at NCA. 

Each classroom was responsible for a game, somewhat like a fall or spring festival at U.S. schools. My girls and I decided to offer a service instead! Yes, a hair painting and nail salon! For just under a dollar, kids could get their hair painted or a get a manicure. It was huge success--too bad we ran out of hair paint 2 hours into the festival. The most popular attraction was the jail. Festival-goers could pay to have someone carted off to jail. Some put up a good fight, some went quietly, and some tried to escape...

Jeremy's Classes

Wrinkles continue to iron out for Jeremy, too. Many of you know that Jeremy is teaching Apologetics, the one class he didn't want to teach! God has a sense of humor, does He not? The first semester was a bit of challenge, but Jeremy has finally settled in and is enjoying teaching.

His newest endeavor this semester is teaching Domestic Arts. He is teaching students the arts of cooking, repurposing, and many other handy things. When he arrived, the kitchen classroom needed some work, so Jeremy worked his magic to update it and make it functional. Part of his makeover included a pot rack and a super cool demonstration mirror for the cooking unit.

 

Field Trip

The 7th and 8th grade students took a field trip to La Maquina for science explorations. Each team had a list of items to find including decomposition, autotrophs, and lots of other scientific terms I have forgotten over the years. Luckily, my girls knew what they were doing!

Influence

Many of you may have seen my facebook post earlier this week where a student proclaimed I should be a preacher. That statement made my heart sing! Each and every day, I do my best to weave God's word and love into the classroom and it's working! Moments like these are such an affirmation of God's place for us right now. Here are all of my students except a new young man from Zimbabwe that started last week. Please keep them in your prayers, the future leaders of Nicaragua, Korea, the United States and other nations. Don't misunderstand my words, these are not just the next generation, but the next leaders of our land. Many of these kiddos come from highly inflential families. You are supporting, thorough your prayers and financial gifts, the future.

NCA 7th Grade Class 2014-15

NCA 8th Grade Class 2014-15

A Patchy Post

So much has happened in the past month that it was difficult to name this post! I kept contemplating which things to write about, so I decided to make this post a sort of bulletin to share life in the mission field.

Our Second Christmas

We celebrated our second Christmas in Nicaragua. Last year, as you may have read, was filled with exploration and adventure. This year, things were quiet. Almost too quiet. Many missionaries often feel a sense of loneliness at different times while they are in the field. Christmas morning was the first time I felt this. I think it was the isolation of being in a foreign country combined with the new season of our lives where the excitement of Christmas morning has lost its pizzazz. What Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and cinnamon rolls could not fix, prayer and perseverance did.

Trip to La Finca Argentina

After Christmas, our family went north into the mountains to stay with a Nicaraguan family for a few days. On this farm they plant, harvest, and prepare coffee as well as other typical farm chores. Experiencing life with a Nica family was enlightening, peaceful, and reflecive. Gallo pinto and Nica cheese were served at each meal with either soup, fresh chicken or eggs. The house had electricity, but it ran on solar power only. The sunlight charged a battery pack that powered the home with lights, and even television. Little 5 year old Maria Belin knew that no sun means no cartoons today. All of the water was directed to the house from a spring that runs through the farm. 

In return for their hospitality, our family prepared an Italian meal for their family-15 people to be exact. Jeremy prepared chicken fettucine alfredo, I prepared a salad and garlic bread, and Spencer and Hannah served them. They were refusing to eat until we sat down with them, but Jeremy convinced the family that this is something we wanted to do for them. Reluctantly, they started without us. Here are a few moments from our time with Nelson Rizo and family.

Sharing Spencer's guitar. Douglas had not played in years!

Picking my one of my favorite things...COFFEE!

Spencer hauling 150 pound bags of coffee to the husker.

This little guy works at the farm. La Finca Argentina
employs over 20 people.

Jeremy & Spencer sorting the grades of beans.

Teacher Retreat

Each year before the beginning of second semester, NCA teachers and staff get together to refresh, reconnect, and rejuvenate. It was a great time of relection on our relationships with Christ and team building.

Jeremy in catching marshmallows from his
teammates.

The van push/pull relay.

Arrival of an Intern

In early January, we had an intern from Cedaredge arrive to spend two months with us! Megan Bradshaw will be working at a local orphanage, helping out at NCA with the library move in the coming weeks, and experiencing life on the mission field. We are happy to have her!

Spiritual Emphasis Week

As the second semester is in full swing, we experienced yet another first. This past week was Spiritual Emphasis Week at NCA. Throughout the week special activities led to up Friday, where normal classes were cancelled in exchange for praise and worship, breakout sessions, and a wonferful keynote speaker. Students were able to choose from sessions such as "The Connection Between Science and Faith", "Worth the Wait (ladies only)", "Dealing with Depression", and "Coping with Stress and Worry." Although there were many more sessions from which to choose, students had to decide on four. Tough questions were answered in a safe place as relationships were fostered between teachers, students, and the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ. 

I think that sums up our busy month! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!

Reflections: San Juan del Sur 2013

On Christmas Day 2013, our family made the trek south to San Juan del Sur for some much needed relaxation. I had just completed a full year of studies including both summer terms while working full time. My family vaguely remembered who I was! We decided to take a mini vacation at Playa Marsella Beachfront Hotel for 5 nights. We settled in for 5 days of nothingness. Beach, pool, naps, and reading consumed our days.

One of the days, we ventured to SJDS town to explore the town and some select real estate. Walking into a RE/Max agency, we inquired about a particular property of interest. And, yes, it was still on the market.

In my spring semester world geography course, I chose to do a missions project for my final assignment. The goal of the assignment was to choose a particular area of the world and apply the 5 themes of geography. I took it a step further and researched San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Why Nicaragua? Ten years ago in the highlight of my travel agent experience, Jeremy saw a documentary about Nicaragua. Then, over and over again through various outlets, Nicaragua kept reappearing in our lives. So, I dug in, and developed a geography assignment like no other.

When my grandmother died in 2010, I decided to someday open a Christian school in her honor. I didn't know where, when, or how, but I knew it was what I was supposed to do...someday. Hence, the theme for my project. I researched the country of Nicaragua and its economy, government, education system, real estate, climate, and culture. Now, we were there, in reality, looking at the possibility of a Christian school on the square in a quaint red building in San Juan del Sur, NI. However, we all knew in our hearts that this was a future possibility, not for here and now.

So we relaxed for a few more days before our trek to Granada.

Reflections: Arrival 2013

8:34 p.m. December 24, 2013. The Managua airport welcomed the Kane family after a lengthy day of travel from Salt Lake City, UT. Gathering our luggage while adjusting to a 90 degree temperature difference, signs exclaiming, "Bienvenidos!" captured our attention. Sure, we have traveled to many countries over the years with similar customs and immigration experiences, but never with the intentions that we had for this trip.

After clearing immigration, we met our driver to take us to the Art Hotel in Managua for the night. Along the way, we experienced the sights and sounds of Christmas Eve in Nicaragua. It was anything but a silent night. Late into the evening when North American families were tucking their children into bed, Nicaraguans were lining the streets gearing up for a celebration.

When we arrived, the hotel attendant showed us to our room. Exhausted, we were ready to turn in. She gently explained that we should just stay awake, because at midnight we would be be awaken anyway. So, we decided to stay up to see what the hype was all about.
At 5 minutes till midnight, the popping and crackling of the fireworks began to increase. At midnight, the Kane family was immersed into a deep fryer of fireworks. The smell of sulphur and the remnants of paper filled the warm, humid air for nearly an hour. Our first Nica Christmas was louder and brighter than any Independence Day celebration we could imagine in the U.S. Once the commotion subsided, we settled in for a long, not-so-winter nap. For tomorrow, we would travel south to San Juan del Sur.

November in Nicaragua

Ahhh...well, the temperature has finally cooled to an average daytime high of 85 degrees. In the evenings temperatures are dropping to a pleasant 72. We are finishing out what is known as the "rainy season" in Nicaragua. Although we saw quite a bit of rain in the last month, the drought is still taking its toll on the country. Below, you can see and hear a heavy downpour we experienced during a thunderstorm a few weeks ago. Keep in mind, in these videos, we have no electricity and the lightning and thunder are quite intense.

 

Also, a few weeks ago, we experienced our first noticeable earthquake in Nicaragua. It was determined to be a 7.3 off the west coast of El Salvador and Nicaragua. For those of you who have never experienced an earthquake, the best way to describe it is a deep rumbling sound that makes the earth tremble beneath your feet. Oftentimes, I mistake the heavy machinery of roadwork outside our school entrance for the rumbling of another quake.

The results of the quake were frustrating to say the least. It seems that in recent years, the government in Nicaragua is exercising more control over the schools, both public and private. Even though the quake presented no additional major after shocks, the ministry of education declared a "yellow alert" for 4 school days. The frustration lies in the fact that, to keep our accreditation with ACSI, we must have 180 days of instruction. So, we improvised. On day two of the closure we implemented online schooling. In order to be prepared for future mandatory closures, the staff has been training students on how to use Google classroom, a pilot program in which NCA is currently involved.

In spite of earthquakes, downpours, and power outages, I continue to see my students grow and learn. In homeroom each morning, I get the privilege to talk with my girls about life, offer them God's word, and pray with them.

Academically, we are learning how rationalize our thought processes through debates and collaborative learning.

Thinking through problems in World Studies

High school students preparing to debate
legitimate topics.

Our first field trip was a service project to Tesoros de Dios meaning, "God's Treasures" where my 7th grade girls experienced serving God by serving those with developmental disabilities. The director of this mission is a graduate of NCA who went to college in the states and returned to serve in Nicaragua. Michelle is living example of the results of the mission work Jeremy and I are doing now. We may not see the fruits of our labor for many years, but God is blessing it now.

Painting--oh so messy.

Tesoros de Dios student
enjoying the puppets we
brought for a puppet
show

My girls helping in the physical
therapy area.

This link will take you to Tesoros de Dios,  God's Treasures in Nicaragua.

Finally, big things are happening at NCA! We are currently transforming our old chapel area into an amazing library! Scheduled to open on Spencer's birthday, January 24th, this library will allow our school to grow with a larger selection of materials, multimedia capabilities, and library class space. Our current library situation is organized but small, about the size of a typical classroom. We are very excited about this blessing. Here are some images of the construction process. Check out the styrofoam panels covered in cement and stabilized by reed bar to form the walls!

As I said earlier, in the type of mission work we are doing, we don't see the immediate fruits of of our labor. With many short term missions, there is the "satisfaction" of seeing lives changed, people fed (both physically and spiritually), churches and house built. But in our mission, we must rely on something I call "God winks." These are tiny little milestones where God let's me know, "Yeah, this is what I want you to do, Kim. This is how I designed you to serve Me."  One morning, I was in a fury trying to get things prepared for classes. I had copies to make, plans to print, supplies to gather. When I came into my classroom after a mad dash to the copy room, this is what I found:

Wow. Of course, I cried and joined my girls in a group hug. Relationships are being built. Lives are being changed. God's work is being done. 

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

                                          Romans 8:28.   

                                                             Still my life verse.