Each trip out things get easier. We are slowly picking up the language and navigation is a snap with WAZE ( a real time GPS app that tells you where accidents, construction, heavy traffic, and the police are located).  Today, Hannah and I made a  run to the open air market looking for a tarp (no luck) but we were able to find her two pair of shoes for school for under $20.

Market

A Happy Camper

Tomorrow starts a new adventure for me. Since I only teach three days a week at the school, I have Mondays and Wednesdays to explore and get to know the people in the surrounding community. Last friday I was introduced to a lady who spends her mornings cooking for the people who work at a factory close to our house. My friend interpreted to her that I loved to cook and needed to learn spanish. So, she told me to be there Monday morning at 8am to learn to cook "Nica style" food. This will all be done over open fire and totally in Spanish. 

These pictures are similar to her kitchen but are not the actual one I will be working in. After I get permission to take some pictures I will post them 

Stay tuned, more to follow.......Jeremy

Well we have been here in Nicaragua for close to 3 months now and I have to tell ya so far it has been an awesome experience.

Before we came we had people say things like: Isn't it dangerous there? How are you all going to get by? You don't even know the language. Won't you miss your friends?

Well I have to tell ya, we DO miss our friends. It has been the hardest part of the whole thing. That, coupled with not knowing the language making it harder to make new friends is hard on all of us. Sure there are English speaking people who work at the school with us and they are super nice. I'm sure we will become great friends, but one of my desires is to be able to make Nica friends here as well.

We were blessed to find a great apartment in a super nice facility with a pool, but many of the people here are North Americans who teach at the school where we teach. So it's kinda like we live in an Americanized bubble in a foreign land (don't get me wrong it has it's advantages).  However, those of you who know me, know that I have never met a stranger (at least once I met them they weren't a stranger for long) So, to not be able to strike up a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store or on the chicken bus is frustrating. Luckily Spanish classes start tomorrow!

Here is a snippet of one of my favorite routes home. This cobblestone road is called "The Cow Road"

As for being dangerous, I feel just as safe here as I would in Clarksville, Louisville or Denver. We have not run in to,  or heard of anyone running in to any problems thus far. People are poor here and they are opportunists. For example, if you leave a package in your car with the windows down while you go into a store, it may or may not be there when you come out (lesson learned).

On the other hand, we were at the beach Sunday afternoon and I got our vehicle hung up in the sand. Thankfully I didn't bury it. As I was digging the sand from around the wheels in an attempt to free us from this gritty peril, a couple sets of gringos rode past on rented four wheelers offering no help, but within a few minutes we had close to fifteen Nicas offering to help push, pull, dig whatever it took to free us.  The people here are very friendly and for that we are thankful.

Lastly how are we getting by? Well thanks to the support of friends and family we are making ends meet. Food is a lot more expensive than we budgeted for but we are making cuts elsewhere. For example, filtered water is $48 cords per bottle (about $2) and we go through about  5-6 a week $10 to $12 per week. So the other day we purchased this filter that will pay for itself in 1 month and reduce our monthly budget needs by about $45 a month.

Our New Filter

We are extremely grateful to everyone who is sending support, monetarily or through prayer. We are still in need of supporters who are willing to commit to a monthly donation, REMEMBER no amount is too big or too small. Contact us through email kanefamilynicaragua@gmail.com or find us on facebook.

Point of View: Spencer & Hannah

Now that we have been living in Nicaragua for a little over two months, we have settled into our apartment, our mission, and our overall general routine. I decided to survey the kids to see how they feel about living in Nicaragua. Here is the summary of my Q & A interview with them. Enjoy!

Q: Hannah, what is the best part of living in Nicaragua?
A: I like that I have new friends, and the school is good. It makes me happy when I see the bright, colorful, cheerful views from Laguna de Apoyo.

Spencer in Masaya looking over Laguna de Apoyo Crater Lake

Q: Spencer, How do you feel about living in Nicaragua?

A: When I actually understand what people are saying, they are super nice and polite to me. However, when my parents turn to me and ask, "What did he say?" it gets super frustrating. Nicaraguans speak Spanish very quickly and I don't always understand what they are saying.

Q: Hannah, is there anything you don't like about living in Nicaragua?

A: I am sad that my friends can't come see us. I miss them. I wish my Granny Kay could come with us. Also, it would be nice if my classroom had an air conditioner. It is SUPER hot here!

Q: Spencer, what are you unhappy about living in Nicaragua?

A: I am sad that my friends in Colorado miss me. I especially miss my closest friend, Kaleigh. But, one thing that brings a smile to my face is the writing on the desks as school. They say things like, "I love God" instead of bad words.

Q: Spencer, how have you seen God work since you've been in Nicaragua?

A: At Ignite last weekend, we went to a Nicaraguan family home with dirt floors and made of cinder blocks. With a translator, my dad and I talked to them, just getting to know them. Then, I used my special skills to chop wood for them. We plan to take some rice and beans back to the family this week, since most people eat gallo pinto each day. It was cool to spend time with them and get to know them. Hopefully, we'll get to talk them about Jesus soon.

Well, there is how an 11 year old and a 15 year old view their lives in Nicaragua!

What Will They Do With This?

We are three weeks into the school year at Nicaragua Christian Academy. Since the New Teacher Orientation, something has been weighing on my mind. You see, in Nicaragua, education means something vastly different than to parents, educators, and students in the United States. Those of you who know me have often called me a "natural-born teacher." Until recently, I never understood what that title truly meant. I learned that in most Nicaraguan schools, "learning" consists of copying textbooks and dictation from the teacher. Then students would simply memorize key facts and respond accordingly on tests.

Hallway at Nicaragua Christian Academy

My teaching style has always been anything but rote memorization, so you can imagine how I responded to this. How can true learning take place in these little minds?  Then, our director made a point to explain the difference that NCA is making in Nicaragua. Focusing on academic excellence with a biblical foundation- that is the school's mission. After hearing this, I decided to reevaluate the definition of "academic excellence."

Academic excellence is so much more than the regurgitation of facts and figures; it is so much more than letter grades on a transcript. Academic excellence is the ability to think-to think critically, and to solve problems. The true definition of learning requires a change in behavior. We must do something with the knowledge we obtain....Well, I 'll get back to that later.

So, on the first day of class, I asked each of my classes what their individual goals were for the school year.

Each student wrote down a goal and then a way he or she could work towards that goal on a post-it note. Then they stuck each note to our class poster. I took some time after class on the first day to read their responses. To my surprise, the number one goal hands down was to make good grades. The number one way to attain this goal was to study. I decided to pray over these responses and for each of the students who wrote them. I asked God how I should respond to the message they were sending me. "Mrs. Kane, good grades equal success, and I want to be successful." Few of the goals were to "learn something new" or "have fun." God showed me that I needed to think about my goals for the students. Why did He bring me to Nicaragua? To lecture and give tests? No, He sent me to teach the future generations how to think, and how to think critically from a biblical perspective. And He is equipping me daily for this task.


My response to the students' message began on Day 2. I decided to incorporate a collaborative learning

World Studies Students Working Together to Solve Problems

environment where students would have to work together, listen to one another's ideas, and collectively respond to questions like: "What would you have done differently if you were in his or her shoes?" Students have varying responsibilities within the group and everyone's point of view is equally valuable. The environment is created to be a safe way to explore new ideas in light of what we learned. We compare and contrast, analyze and synthesize, and most importantly, evaluate ideas in light of what we know. Certainly, there are facts to be learned, but what they do with those facts is far more beneficial to the mind than simply getting a good grade because they remembered them correctly for an exam.

This brings me back to my earlier point. "Learning is a change in behavior." When we learn, we change our

Future Leaders of Nicaragua and Other Nations

habits, redirect our behavior, and adjust our methods. When we obtain knowledge we must do something with it. We can know all of the facts about the Bible, just like the Pharisees. But, do we have the critical thinking skills to apply what we know to daily life? That is the mission here. To teach students how to use what they know to help future generations.

Each Wednesday, in addition to daily Bible classes, all students attend Chapel. When I attended the first chapel, I stepped back and watched the future generations of Nicaragua, as well as other nations, absorb the Word of God. I found myself asking, "What will they do with this?" My prayer is that true learning takes place in the heads, hearts, and lives of future generations.

What's Black & Red & Rolls All Over?

The Kane family's new Nica vehicle that's what! 

     We are truly blessed to have found and secured this 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser. Apparently this will be a necessity for getting around in some of the more remote areas during the rainy season, because we have been told that a lot of the roads wash out and become impassable.

     Although I have been told the process went quickly and fairly smooth, the process was a bit more than I expected. Once we found the vehicle (which was no easy task) we had to go see it and test drive it. The next step was to hire a mechanic (who showed up on a motorcycle, wearing a suit and tie)  to come see it and give us his two cents worth (in Spanish, which we had to have translated by a friend). After that, came the negotiation process (we got the price down $500 from what the seller listed). Once a price was agreed upon, we had to have the school cut us a check for the purchase price, fax the seller's lawyer copies of our drivers license and passports and wait for an appointment. (this meant three days of hoping no one else would come buy it out from under us which had already happened with the first car we were going to buy). Upon receiving an appointment, I had to go with the seller (an ex-pat from Italy who sought asylum in Nicaragua for undisclosed reasons) to the (Spanish speaking) lawyer's office and complete the paperwork (also all in Spanish). The vehicle was now ours (we hope)! Finding my way back to the school on my own through the narrow streets of Nica in an area of town I hadn't been to yet was another leg of the adventure of becoming a car owner in Nicaragua. This vehicle was priced within the mean for used cars of this type, although it needs about $300 in repairs, our colleagues at the school feel like we got a decent deal. 

     God's provision has come through because of the awesome supporters He has put in our path. Thank you, God and thank you to all who have committed to supporting us for these three years.  

                                                          Stay Tuned for More on our Adventure in Gods Work field.....

                                                                                                                        Jeremy

New Perspective

This guy just wanted his picture taken.

Our first week in Nicaragua brought adventure and information overload, but perhaps the greatest gift this week was a new perspective. The word perspective conjures images of drawings at the correct height, width, and position in relation to one another when viewed from a particular reference point. This week our reference point changed drastically. Suddenly, in our drawing, all of our trees, pathways, and buildings were the wrong height and width and in the wrong spot. In a nutshell, living in Nicaragua forces you to shift your paradigm.

A typical fruit stand in Nicaragua.

Let's start with the basics: Shoppping.
Here, we have no Wal-Mart Super Centers or one-stop shopping (unless money is no object). To get the best deal on produce, shopping at a fruit stand like the one in the photo to the left or at the market is the key. If paper products and non-perishable items are on the list, Price Smart is the place to go. There is much debate on which grocery store chain is cheaper (La Colonia or La Union) for items such as meat and dairy. For bread, the best deal and quality is at the bakery, and all medical items from rubbing alcohol to antibiotics must be purchased at the Farmacia. Oh, and Farmacias carriy vastly different items and charge different prices for them. Stores such as Closeout and Mega Boutique are a thrift store scavenger's dream, while Pali and Maxi Pali offer a "Dollar General Store" atmosphere--but be careful, some items here are more expensive than at other places. Are you overwhelmed? Then let's move on to the real adventure-driving!

Window washing for money

Street vendors and furniture delivery.

Jeremy explains driving in Nicaragua as a multi-sensory, common sense experience. First, sharing the road with oxcarts, horses, pedestrians, "chicken buses," chickens, goats, and aggressive drivers heightens your awareness. Never cross a solid white line to turn, stay in your own lane in rotundas, and use your horn frequently to notify others of your intentions. Here, you can get your license taken by an officer if you change lanes too quickly after a turn. At traffic lights, you are almost always greeted by vendors selling snacks, candies, nuts, beverages in a baggie, and window washing services.

 A word about our window washer friends: If you don't want your windows washed, you should turn on your wipers, because they won't take no for an answer. On the flip side, they do a fairly decent job!

We have been using the school's van since we arrived, and we are on the hunt for our own vehicle. Used vehicles in Nicaragua are very expensive, relatively speaking. Yesterday, we looked at two vehicles along with another "gringo family" and a Nica mechanic. Unfortunately, it seems as if we are getting the "gringo sale price" (which is much higher than the "Nicaraguan sale price") for them. We will keep looking and adjusting our strategy.

In Nicaragua, if you venture out and accomplish even one item on your list, you have had a productive day. This is vastly different from the list of tasks you can accomplish in the states in a few hours. Further, you can ask five people the same question and get five different responses. We then take the information, sort through it, and come up with our own perspective. In the drawing of life, the Kane family is in the process of moving trees, pathways, and buildings to redesign our perspective.

T Minus 3 Days

Three more days in the United States. Three weeks ago we said our goodbyes in the Centennial State only to arrive in the Hoosier state (and that neighboring southern state that often bleeds blue) to say more goodbyes. When we arrived in Indiana after being removed by over 1300 miles and four states, we had a "bucket list" of things to complete during our time here. You see, out West, we have no Tumbleweed, Cheddar's, Papeno's Pizza, or White Castle. Although Elitch Gardens prevails in Denver, it pales in comparison to amusement parks in the Midwest. These are some of the most phenomenal on the planet. With Jeremy and myself being avid thrill-seekers, we simply could not pass up the opportunity to visit King's Island and Holiday World to re-experience some of these adrenaline pumping contraptions with our friends last week.

However, nothing can compare to the mix of emotions we are experiencing on this day. In just three days, we embark on an entirely new adventure prepared especially for us by God Himself. Yes, we've completed most items on our bucket list; I have eaten the Monte Cristo at Cheddar's, Jeremy experienced the White Chili at Tumbleweed, and we have all over indulged in White Castle hamburgers. Physically, we have dotted all of the "i's" and crossed all of the "t's" in preparation for this journey, but only God can prepare us emotionally and spiritually. We are ecstatic and terrified, eager and apprehensive.

Today, we say our final goodbyes to most of our family and friends to venture into the unknown. I suppose these feelings can be likened to experiencing a thrill ride at an amusement park. Once we finally board it, we have feelings of excitement, apprehension, and inklings of prayers that you will get through it safely. Then, we hold on tightly or hold our hands up to experience more "air time." The Kane family is ready for the ride!