Teeth & Tears

Last week was multiplication week. Before my students could enter or leave my classroom they would have to correctly answer a multiplication fact. Friday was the big day - the oral multiplication fact test. I told the 3rd grade teacher about it, who told me they were going to begin basic multiplication soon. So in class the next day she warned her students that next year they would have to know all their multiplication facts because Miss Eberly was going to give them a big test. One of the students burst into tears! This is the first time I have ever made a student cry - and a future student at that. Yikes. Hopefully they will start practicing this weekend... 

My fourth graders kept it equally entertaining this week.

Thursday's morning journal prompt: "How many teeth have you lost?"

One student's answer: "I hate teeth. You have to wash them." 

I have a prayer request: 

The second week in February the 4th - 6th graders are going on an over night retreat. Our theme is the Amazing Race and we will be talking about Hebrews 12: 1-3.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The other two teachers and I are new to NCA so we have never led this retreat before. We will have challenges like on the show the Amazing Race that will push the students and encourage team work, but our overall goal is for them to grow spiritually. I will keep you update as the retreat approaches. Also, if you have any great ideas about what challenges we should do, please pass them on. Thank you!

Time for me to get on with my Saturday night (aka grading papers). 

xoxoxoxo

Laura

Inauguration

Today President Daniel Ortega was inaugurated for his third term as president of Nicaragua among protests and celebrations. Iran's Ahmadinejad also dropped in for a visit today to attend the inauguration and meet with the President before he finishes his Latin America tour. More news here: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/10/world/americas/latin-america-ahmadinejad-visit/index.html?hpt=ila_c1

Thankfully, where I live is generally out of the way of the protests and political rallies that go on. On my way home from school tonight there were some protesters on our street that blocked up traffic for a while, but besides that it has been calm on my side of town.

Please pray for stability and peace in Nicaragua!

Suppose God...

Tomorrow school starts up again. My classroom is clean, reorganized, and ready for my class of now 18 students. Two new students start tomorrow!
I enjoyed my break but I missed my kids and I am eager to get back to teaching. We are starting multiple digit multiplication and for some reason I am really excited to teach it. Plus I know my students received some new books for Christmas and now we can all share and talk about the new things they are reading!

Here's a review if you need to practice your multiplication as well...

Earlier this week I was reading in My Utmost for His Highest something that has stuck with me all week and I thought I would share it with you here:

Have you been asking God what he is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you who He is. Do you believe in a miracle working God, and will you go out in surrender to Him until you are not surprised an atom at anything He does? Suppose God is the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him - what an impertinence worry is!


Have a great week!
Laura

Feliz Año Nuevo

Very Happy New Year! I have almost been in Nicaragua for half a year. I am looking forward to seeing my students again next week as they return from vacation. I believe God has some good things in store for them as they continue to learn, learn, learn in 4th grade.

Since school has been out, my roommate and I have been doing some serious sight seeing and just got back from a lovely beach trip.

Yay beach!

Ready for a top five of my Christmas vacation?

Number Five:
Visiting Laguna de Apoyo

We lounged around the crater of Apoyo Volcano 

Number Four:
Sleeping. Man, I love to sleep in. I'll spare you a picture of this one.

Number Three:
Seeing sea turtles at San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur is a beach town, known for fishing and surfing. The 2010 season of Survivor was filmed on  a couple of the beaches there. I enjoyed lounging on the beach, but the best part was seeing sea turtles. My roommate and I went on a trip to a nature reserve on one of the beaches. We were told we would probably just see some baby turtles, because the turtle season was almost over. We got a treat! We saw a mother turtle dig a nest and lay about 15 eggs and then make the long trek back to the ocean. We saw newly hatched baby turtles dig themselves out of their buried nest. Then we followed the babies as they made their way to the ocean. It was amazing.

Only one in one thousand turtles make it to adulthood. It is hard enough just for the babies to make it to the ocean. First of all, its a pretty long journey for the little guys who are just learning how to use their flippers. The turtles also face the risk of egg poachers, the babies can get trapped in crap holes, or other animals can eat them.

Momma turtle on her way back to the ocean

The nest before the momma turtle buries her eggs

Babies on the long trek to the ocean

Amazing!

Number Two:
A very Nica Christmas

After Christmas Eve service at church, my roommate and I joined one of our fellow teachers at her in-laws house to see Christmas Nica style. Imagine a crazy fireworks display at midnight with fireworks that would never be allowed in the U.S., Christmas chicken shortly after midnight, followed by early morning opening presents. We made it back home around 3:00 am!

The street after the fireworks

Rebecca, Kelly, and me

Number One:
Visiting Leon

Three summers ago I studied abroad in Spain. I loved the history, castles, and cathedrals. I had a little flash back to that when I visited the city of Leon, Nicaragua. There is a large cathedral in the town square and we got to do some exploring on the roof top.

Christmas Vacation Bonus:
Egg nog in a juice box.

Many blessings on your New Year!

xoxoxoo
Laura

Christmas is Here, Bringing Good Cheer

Merry Christmas family and friends!

School is out, I have been able to sleep in late (you all know this is one of my favorite things ever), and enjoy watching Christmas movies with my friends. It still hasn't snowed here in Nicaragua, but it is only 82 degrees here today, cloudy, and windy, and I am wearing a hoodie, so I feel pretty Christmasy. The Christmas scented candle right next to me is also helping out a lot.

Instead of working on lessons plans or cleaning up my classroom, I have been home today just doing things around the house, listening to some sermons, and trying to "be still and know" that He is God. It has been a little weird not being home for the Christmas season. My family has many traditions and it has always been a really special time for me to spend with my family, and this is the first time I have ever missed it. But this morning I just felt so blessed to be here in Nicaragua, to be walking out His plan for my life. Last year as I was preparing to come, I knew that it would not always be easy, but I wanted so much to give everything I am and had to please Him. I still want that. Thinking back on the fun week I had with my students - celebrating the birth of Jesus, playing with fake snow and seeing such joy in their faces - I am filled with so much happiness. Here I am and I was able to share the blessings of Christmas with my precious students. I had not intended to share all this today, but it has been swimming around in my head, so there it is.

And now take a peek at what my kids look like after school (at least on Christmas program days):

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. Today in the town of David, a savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2: 10-11

xoxoxo
Laura

Let it Snow!

What do snowmen do at night?
Most of my kids have never seen snow, much less have built a snowman, but they all came up with some pretty creative things that snowmen might do at night when no one is looking. Among many crazy ideas, my 4th graders said they sing Stayin' Alive, steal cookies, have a dance party, and join a neighborhood baseball game.

Here was a morning journal we had this week:
Have you ever seen snow? What do you think about it?

Here are two of  the responses:
"No, I haven't seen snow. I think snow is soft. I think I want to eat snow. It tastes cold. That would be so cool."
"Well, kind of. I saw snow when I was two years old. I think snow is like clouds. But melted clouds. They are very fluffy."

My dad (by the way he rejected my horse request) emailed me some pictures of the Omaha snow. I showed them to my kids and they freaked out. It makes me smile because I hate hate hate the snow. Yes, I think it is beautiful when it falls and when it covers Christmas lights, but that's it. I do not miss cold toes or frozen car doors or gray slush. My mom sent me some fake snow that we are going to try out at our Christmas party this week. I told the kids about it and they keep pestering me about it. Is it snow day? When are we going to do the snow? Did you already do the snow at your house? (Why would I do that??)

In unrelated exciting Nica news, I got my cedula. This means I am an official resident of Nicaragua! I had to leave school to go get it done, and so I had a substitute. I didn't tell my kids I was leaving, so some were unsure of where I went. The next morning when one girl in my class saw me, she bolted across the room and gave me a huge hug. This girl is not normally a hugger, so I was a little surprised. She looked up at me and said, " I thought you were in jail, I am so glad you are here." I had no idea what in the world she meant by that, but figured she thought I would go to jail if I didn't get my cedula or something. At the end of the week I read her morning journal. One of the prompts was about whether or not they remember their dreams and asked them to describe a dream they remembered. Turns out this girl had had a dream the day that I got my cedula. She had a dream that I had to miss school because I was arrested and got thrown in jail. They got a new substitute who didn't teach well and found out they would never see me again. She wasn't sure if the dream was real or not and only figured out when she saw me the next morning that I didn't actually go to jail.  I love my students. Never a dull moment.

Much love,
Laura

Thanksgiving Delights

Now that it is December and the Christmas Season is here, I feel like Thanksgiving was a long time ago and that this post is already out-dated even before I post it. Apparently it was just over a week ago, so I will continue on with my thoughts.

Even though Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday, we celebrate it at NCA. We put on a Thanksgiving program and put a huge emphasis in the classrooms on what it means to be thankful. Since we have been in the poetry mood in the 4th grade, we memorized a poem, created some actions, and presented it during our part of the program.

Reciting "Thanksgiving Delights"

The video is a little unfocused in parts, but it will give you an idea of what it was like. I love how they all remembered to wear their fall colors!

We had a couple of days off for Thanksgiving, some my roommates and I headed up to the mountains. We stopped in Jinotega where we helped bake and serve Thanksgiving dinner at an orphanage.

The potato peeling masters

The Feast

We left lots of kiddos with full bellies!

Some were unsure about the green bean casserole...

Everyone helps with the morning chores - feeding the chickens, cleaning up the yard - even the little ones.

The big kids go to school in the afternoon and the little ones stay and get lessons in the morning.

I could go on about the orphanage, but I think these pictures and their precious little smiles say enough. God has his hand upon them.

Next stop on our weekend adventure: Matagalpa. We stayed on a coffee plantation, and let me tell you, it was beautiful. I am continuously taken aback by the beauty of this country.

My favorite part was taking a horse back tour of the plantation. I would like to take this moment to make a public plea to my dad for a horse for Christmas. I ask for one every year, but so far it hasn't happened. Maybe this year, Dad?

"Please?"

"Pretty please?"

We will see if that works.

Happy December, friends.

xoxoxoxo
Laura