October ’16 Highlights (Photo Blog)

This has been a beautiful month filled with much-needed rains. Although the abundance of rain has slowed down our regular schedule, there is still much to be thankful for this month. Here are the highlights: 

We started off this month finishing off the 2nd season for the baseball league (last baseball Saturday of the season- pictured above). I have been amazed at how much this ministry has grown during this past year and how incredible and fun it is to watch them play. Jeff has done an amazing job leading this ministry and the kids love it so much! I love to see them praying together before the start of their games. 

 

I love to see our students becoming avid readers! I absolutely loved reading as a child (and as an adult) and adore the opportunity to provide them with books and to see the way that reading opens doors to new worlds and new vocabulary. Our kids in Santa Matilde (like Carlos- pictured above) come to tutoring early every week so that they can sit and read.  

 

I have loved spending time with these sweet little girls. Katalin and Crismalda have had my heart since they were born. They are precious. It has been such a blessing this month to have time to hug these little loves, sit and talk with them and to hear their imaginative stories. I can’t believe that they are now turning 5 and 6. 

 

This month as the school year is winding down our kids have been struggling with the end of the year exams. Our sweet Santa Matilde third graders are such a smart group of kids, but several of them needed help with their math review. I love this group of kids so much! I had them in my tutoring group while they were in first and second grade. I have loved to have the opportunity to work with them again. They are just precious! 

 

Our staff spent a few days in Matagalpa looking back on all that God has done in this past year and planning ahead for the next year of ministry. It was such a beautiful, encouraging time together. And Cadence and I even got to stay a little extra time to order backpacks for the next year and to spend a day with the George family at Selva Negra. They showed us this awesome swing that made for such a joyful afternoon! (pictured above) I am thankful for those days in the mountains and excited to see what’s to come in this next year. 

 

While we were at Selva Negra, Cadence and I found pumpkin cheesecake. It was just the PERFECT taste of fall! We have both been missing fall and all things pumpkin so this was just a little gift for our hearts. Thank You Jesus! 

 

Cadence and I finally were able to make it to Camila and Yeva’s dance recital. We have been longing to go and see the girls perform and it finally happened. They were the cutest! 

 

My favorite moment of the month was taking our top students to volcano board at Cerro Negro (pictured above at the top of the volcano)! It was such a perfect day and a beautiful opportunity to celebrate their success. Education is about so much more than your work in the classroom. You learn so much through your experiences and I loved getting to take our youth to experience new beauty in their own country. They did such a great job! They worked together and encouraged each other. They all made it to the top of the mountain and even though many of them were scared they all boarded down the volcano. Most of them loved it! It was just such a beautiful day with teens that make me incredibly proud!!