Newsletters - Oct 2007
Alongside Ministries en Nicaragua
Evangelism Through Relationships
Halle and Kathy August, Missionaries
amen@ibw.com.ni
www.alongsideministries.org
Oct 2007
(See Pictures attached)
Dear Friends,
Fall is here and for most of you that means back-to-school season. It’s not really fall here in Nicaragua. It’s actually the final month or two of the rainy season which for the children of Nicaragua means the end of the school year is just around the corner. These children enjoy their “summer vacation” – a two month vacation from school, during December and January so for us it will be here before we know it.
At El Farito Christian Preschool that means that we are working hard to try to fit all our learning activities, stories, songs and projects into the last five weeks of class. This is one of my favorite times of the year when we get to really enjoy watching and working with our students as they show their self-confidence in their work and learning. Once again we have a wonderful group of students that will be moving on to Kindergarten. Of our ten students 4 will graduate from our program and are ready to enter Kindergarten (or Level III Preschool). We expect to see the other six enrolled again next year along with additional new students.
With our on-going and still growing scholarship program our plans are to continue to scholarship the seven students currently enrolled at Covanic (a local private Christian school) for 1st and 2nd grade where they will attend class until 3:00 in the afternoon rather than just half day as is common in the public school system. These children are receiving a high quality academic and Christian education along with English and computer skills education. All of them are growing and maturing in every aspect of their lives and their experience at this Christian school is providing the well-rounded instruction to facilitate this growth.
As we look ahead to the 2008 school year we are prayerfully considering what we can provide in the way of scholarships for our current preschoolers. At this time we are hoping to be able to offer a Kindergarten scholarship to our up-coming preschool graduates so that they may follow in the footsteps of the group of students mentioned above. Our scholarship program is a partnership with the parents where we carry the majority of the financial burden but ask the parents to invest financially as much as they would to attend public school and also to invest of themselves by participating in school activities (monthly parent/community meetings), parent/teacher meetings and to volunteer their assistance as they are able in various activities at the school. In addition we have set standards for their continuing participation in the scholarship program which includes attendance and passing marks at each grade level.
Please join us in prayer for this endeavor. We strongly believe that to assist in making positive changes in Nicaragua we must assist the youth of this country in making positive changes in their own lives and character. We believe a Christian education will provide a foundation that will affect such changes.
If you have already been supporting this scholarship program by sponsoring a child or by contributing to the general scholarship fund we want to thank you very much. We hope you will prayerfully consider continuing your support. If you are not currently supporting this program and you believe as we do in the importance of Christian education would you please pray and consider if God may be encouraging you to support this program at this time.
Approximate Annual Costs for 1 Kindergarten Student (half day)
Registration $ 33
Uniforms (1 school uniform, 1 PE uniform, 1 pair of shoes) $ 30
Books and Materials $ 75
Miscellaneous (extra supplies, field trips, etc.) $ 5
Transportation $115
Monthly Tuition: $26 (x 12 payments) $312
Total $570
Approximate Annual Costs for 1 First Grade Student (full day)
Registration $ 33
Uniforms (1 school uniform, 1 PE uniform, 1 pair of shoes) $ 30
Books and Materials $100
Miscellaneous (extra supplies, field trips, etc.) $ 5
Monthly Tuition: $60 (x 12 payments) $720
Total $888
Thank you for your consideration to support this program. We know that each year this program has the potential to grow and grow. When we stop and think about the future it seems like it has the potential to grow into something far greater than we would ever think about or plan for today. However, we know that with God all things are possible. If God chooses to bless this endeavor we know He will provide the funds as well as the ability on our part to manage it well. Please pray with us and ask God to reveal his plan to each of us and that we might respond in obedience to Him.
Please take a minute to click on the attachment. You will have a chance to meet our current preschoolers who we hope to support with our scholarship program.
If you would like to “adopt” one of these children and sponsor him/her for a year or more please let us know. We would like to send you personal information about that child and his/her family so that you can pray for them and write to them if you wish. Please email us at amen@ibw.com.ni and let us know of your interest.
If you would like to support the general scholarship fund, which we will use to scholarship those students who aren’t “adopted”, you can be assured that your gift will be used to cover the costs mentioned above and will help provide one of our children a great education.
If you are not in a position to support this program financially at this time please remember to pray for this scholarship program and these children. Your prayer support is as valuable to us as anything else you could give. Thank you for praying!
Serving Together,
Halle and Kathy August
AMEN
Alongside Ministries en Nicaragua
Thank you for supporting our ministry in Nicaragua.
Your gifts, sent to Eastside Development (formally The NEO Foundation),
will be used for our general ministry activities or wherever you designate.
Eastside Development
PO Box 301471
Portland, OR 97294 |