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Newsletters
Jun 2010 |
Newsletters - Jul 2005Alongside Ministries en Nicaragua Dear Friends, Winter is here… the rainy season that is. But winter for us means summer up there and we’re excited about what your summer is going to bring our way. June started with a wonderful visit from our middle son, Britton, who was here for 2 short weeks. We had a great time with him. It felt a lot like vacation! He left the 15th and 2 days later our next guests, Jason Porter and his father Jeff, arrived for a mini-mission of a week and a half. Half way into their trip the Woodinville Community Church youth team arrived and with them a whole lot of energy! This team of 19 high schoolers, college students and adults came prepared to work and minister to us and our community. They have shared their evangelistic puppet show with 6 different communities, made and served a sandwich lunch at El Farito ministry center, delivered Usborne books to the children at Christ Comes Christian School, hosted a clothing sale and have worked and played hard at El Salero sports center. They have painted, raked, planted grass, shoveled dirt, cut weeds, and helped Steve Walner with construction in the kitchen of the ranchon and other miscellaneous building projects. This group has left a positive mark on our lives, on the sports center and on the communities where they have visited and shared the joy of the Lord. You have all heard about our little preschool – The Little Lighthouse Christian Preschool that we started a year and a half ago. We are about half way through our second year and continue to be so encouraged with the children that are attending and with the progress that they are making. After the end of the last school year and on into this year Kathy has been thinking and praying about starting up a scholarship program for some of the graduates of The Little Lighthouse preschool. Recently 3 different incidents have prompted her to “go public” with this idea and to share it with you – our friends and supporters. One of these incidents is the opening of a new Christian school in a nearby neighborhood. Some of you may have heard of the Nicaragua Christian Academy (NCA) – an English speaking Christian school which serves many missionary families and upper-class Nicaraguan families. It is an outstanding school that easily compares with many fine Christian schools in the states. The caliber of teaching, quality of learning environment and high standard of Christian education is excellent. This past year NCA opened a second campus to house a daughter school that is designed with the same high standards but is fully staffed by nationals and with a lower tuition to serve more of the middle class of Nicaragua. They have had a very successful start to their first year and are expecting a lot of growth in the coming years. This would be the perfect environment for some our preschool graduates as they move into elementary school. Please take a few minutes to see check out this new school on a link through the Nicaragua Christian Academy web site: www.nca.edu.ni The second incident that has encouraged plans for a scholarship program is some of the students that have been faithfully attending the Little Lighthouse preschool. There are three in particular who have demonstrated such a spark for learning. They are eager to learn and have responded so positively to our “American” style of instruction – learning through doing (singing, moving, making, listening…). These students each come from solid family units, 2 of which are strong Christian families in the Cedro Galan neighborhood. Not only do these children show an interest for learning, their parents (all of which attend the adult English class held on Tuesday evenings) also show support and interest in education. It would be so exciting to be able to help them provide their children with quality education in the elementary years. The last incident happened just a week ago during a preschool session. One of the summer volunteers with the Manna Project group had been helping at the preschool and after a few short weeks she, too, recognized the potential in these children. She approached Lori (the Manna Project preschool teacher) with the idea of being able to “adopt a student” and to provide for his/her tuition for a year. Since she was leaving shortly we needed to make a decision . . . Where should she send the money? . . . Who would take responsibility for the management of the scholarship program? . . . Do we even have a scholarship program? Well, at that point Kathy decided, “Yes! We’ve got a scholarship program.” This volunteer was the encouragement that Kathy needed to move forward with what had previously been only a thought and prayer. Now we’d like to turn this over to you to place in your thoughts and prayers. There are many areas of ministry that need support but maybe you’ve been waiting for an opportunity that felt particularly right for you. Perhaps supporting a child in their education is that opportunity. We will be organizing and managing a scholarship program and hope to be able to send as many as three students to the Spanish Nicaragua Christian Academy next year (the Nica school year starts in February). The costs for NCA Nejapa (named for the neighborhood where it is located) are as follows:
Goal: Scholarship 3 students at NCA Nejapa for $3300/yr or $276/mo Serving Together, Thank you for supporting our ministry in Nicaragua. Eastside Development |
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