#laesperanzagranada

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 54

6/28/17

I meant to post this yesterday and then I got busy... Oops.

So I didn’t post yesterday, but it was definitely a sad day. Fourth grade was already on vacation so I didn’t get to say goodbye to them. The kids cried, I cried, there was lots of crying. However, there were lots of smiles and giggles. There were too many pictures. I had all of the kids sign a small poster so I could remember them and their school, and we took pictures with it. 

At the meeting later that night, I stood up and announced to the director that I was very unpleased with the way things unfolded. Many others in various English teams stood up for me, and I felt such a strong sense of community in that moment. It was cool to see God work in the hearts of so many people, even if they didn’t realize it was happening. We all came for different reasons, and we all have different backgrounds, but we all understood that the way things happened could have been done so much better and were completely out of line. The director seemed unfazed, claimed she had no idea the events unfolded in the manner that they did, and then sent an email today claiming that she has confidence in her staff in whatever manner they wish to do things (hashtag perks of volunteering with a secular organization, she typed with sarcasm). So many of us couldn’t believe the audacity of the email (in which she said I was from a different school, because yes, she name- dropped me), and we decided that the only thing to do is to push on with a positive attitude. So that brings me to the new learning center. Y’all. It isn’t even done!! We’re supposed to open on Monday and the men are still doing construction… So maybe pray that there’s some kind of miracle with that? Idk. Anyway, today we walked around a new barrio called Sabaneta (I think that’s how its spelled) and went door to door. Literally door to door like we were Girl Scouts or Jehovahs Witnesses. We would just shout “Buenas!” and then ask the kids if their mom or dad was home. Then we explained that the learning center is opening up, it offered tutoring and such, and it’s free. The families were able to sign up on the spot. Seeing the joy in the kids’ faces was so sweet. Seeing the disbelief in the parents’ faces when we said it was free was amazing because I knew that we were offering something that would help them out. Some families had such tiny houses with just a tin roof and a dirt floor, but with they heard us coming, they yelled at the kids to grab some chairs. They invited us to sit on the “porch” with the family and talk about what we were doing. They were so open to hearing what we had to talk about and were so welcoming when we arrived. it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in the States and it filled my heart all the way to the top. Although I am still a little salty about the way things played out with how La Esperanza handled things, I am genuinely excited for this new opportunity that God has given me and I think that these classes will be nothing short of amazing starting on Monday. 

So that’s it for now. Please continue to pray for this new transition. Also, I will be going to Leon tomorrow so I can have a day with my Compassion kid on Friday. Please pray for safe travels and lots of fun! 

Stay Salty & Shine Bright, Heather

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 52

6/26/17

So I guess a lot has happened in the past week. I don’t even know how to smoosh it all in to one post. I had taught a lot. I spent a lot of time with my Jesus- loving friends. I spent some time with my volunteer friends. I went to church and to a worship night. I finally got to go to Laguna de Apoyo again (and I went for literally the entire day). I improved even more on my Spanish because of my Spanish classes.

I also cried. I had a very emotional weekend, and I’m going to tell you why because I know y’all are dying to know. On Friday, Christina (the other English team member at my school) and I got ready for our meeting, and found out the meeting was actually going to be held in our house and not at the offices. The meeting is always in the office. So that was weird. Then, after we planned for the entire next week, the ayudantes went to the offices, were told some things by admin, and came back to our house. They told us that the English team is disappearing and that after Tuesday June 27, we will no longer be teaching English in the public schools. The ayudantes will no longer be in the same schools starting this week. Our ayudante never got to say goodbye to the kids that he built relationships with for the entire year. The volunteers had to go to the schools and tell the principal, the teachers, and the students that English will no longer be taught, and we won’t be in the schools anymore. We told half the school today and the kids were crying, some were angry, the teachers were shocked and upset, and the principal was so disappointed. I fully believe that news like that should have been delivered by administration, not by volunteers. I also don’t think that such a big change should have been implemented half way through the school year, nor should it have been done so quickly. We found out in a roundabout way on Friday, and apparently admin decided this two weeks ago. Ending an entire program that’s been around for years with a decision that took two weeks to make seems a little rash, and I think it was unnecessary at this point of the year. It upsets that teachers’ schedules, and it upsets the kids’ routines. The kids have also gotten so excited about learning English, and now they’re getting it taken away, as if they did something wrong, but they didn’t. 

So now English teams will be going to one of the two new learning centers. We will be teaching English to middle school and high school students Monday- Friday before they go to school in the afternoon. I’m trying to stay hopeful, but I’m obviously still a little apprehensive and a little upset. However, we are doing a barrio walk on Wednesday to advertise what we are doing, so we will be getting the kids who want to learn, and in turn we will all have excited students. 

This is something I prayed about all weekend. After the terrible implementation/ execution of this new program and the removal of the old, I thought about leaving the program and asking to teach with El Puente’s private school or to help with the missions teams. However, after a lot of prayer, I whole- heartedly believe that God wants me in the learning center teaching English to the older kids. It’s not what I came here to do, because I came to teach English to elementary school kids in a public school,  but I believe at this point I have given it up to God and He will do something amazing with it. 

So pray that tomorrow isn’t too terrible when I say goodbye to the kids I have grown to love for the past two months. Pray that I can embrace this new English change with an amazing amount of tenacity and positivity. Also, please start praying for an upcoming trip this weekend. I will be traveling to Leon to visit my Compassion child! I’m so excited, but a little bit nervous because I still need to find a hostel or a cheap enough hotel, and I have a bus change in Managua but I’ve never had to do a bus change in managua before. So please pray that everything works out well!

Stay Salty & Shine Bright, Heather

Ps I’ll post pics tomorrow, after I finish taking more pics at school :)

Also, my YouCaring is always open if you feel called to offer financial support (Granada is very touristy and is un poco more expensive compared to Jinotega from last year) https://www.youcaring.com/heather-fagan-673341

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 44

6/18/17

What a great weekend! So many adventures, which as many of you know, fill my heart with such happiness. Yesterday we wanted to go to the butterfly garden, so we took a taxi to the cemetery (apparently the butterflies are near the cemetery). When we got there, we started following signs, but wound up in a barrio. I stopped to ask some kids where the butterfly garden was, and they said it was way far away up the hill. So we took another taxi, but this time all six of us piled into one car. It was definitely an adventure. When we got there, the butterflies were gorgeous. I loved it. We also had the sweetest little old man as our tour guid, Ronoldo. Once we were done with the butterfly garden, we took a moto taxi (just google it) down the hill (all six of us).  Once we got back home, we went to Managua to pick up the next mission team coming to El Puente. Their plane was delayed by an hour so we all hung out in the airport eating ice cream and talking. The team is super sweet, too. They seem real excited to get down to work, which is so great. 

Today, we went to church and planned to go to Laguna de Apoyo after. Laguna didn’t happen, though, because the weather was super super yucky. That was completely fine with me, however, because I know there will be more days. Instead, the boys and I went to Managua to see Cars 3 in theaters.. in Spanish! It was lots of fun. The theater was just like an American theater, but cheaper prices. 10/10 would recommend. So that was my exciting weekend. I can’t wait to see what the week brings with Nueva Esperanza, the team (hopefully I can join VBS this week), and any other adventures. 

Please pray that school goes well this week. We’re starting a new lesson and I would love for it to go off without a hitch (like no fights). Also, please pray for next two weeks of my Spanish classes. I only have two weeks left and I’ve already learned so much! Here’s to praying that I learn so much more!

Stay Salty & Shine Bright, Heather

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 41

6/ 15/ 17

Late post: So I wrote this on Tuesday, but then got too busy to post. Awk. “When it rains, it pours.” Literally speaking, I suppose. I felt so bad for the nugs today because it was literally pouring this morning right when we were supposed to leave for school. unfortunately, when it pours here, most schools get cancelled. Our school, in particular, is so far out in the barrios that there aren’t paved roads for at least a mile. That means most kids live on dirt roads. When dirt and rain mix, a lot of mud happens. The kids slip and fall in the mud, then their only uniform (or one of their only sets of clothes) gets dirty. Once their clothes gets dirty, their mothers have to hand- scrub the clothes to get them clean, and dry them out in the sun. So today school was cancelled, and the kids had to stay at home and inside. 

I had a very relaxing day, however. I relaxed all morning, listening to music and browsing Pinterest looking for new lesson plan ideas. I’ve been into this group called Shane and Shane after Lydia introduced them to me. They’re so good! Anyway, once I got bored, I decided to treat myself to brunch, so I went to Kathy’s waffle house. I should’ve taken a pic of my food because it was so hashtag Nica. I had gallo pinto, eggs, bacon, and a thick piece of toast. I also had coffee… the good Nica coffee, not the yucky American stuff. As I casually ate brunch, I played catch up with El Internado. I’m so close to finishing the series and it’s really helping me with my Spanish!

After brunch, I went to Spanish class. The walk there was surprisingly nice because it was cool since it had just rained. Class went really well today. I was able to talk a lot and understand almost everything, so I really feel like I’m improving. Who knows, maybe I’ll be basically fluent by the time I return home *she said with a glimmer of hope in her voice*.

After Spanish and before the Tuesday meeting for La Esperanza volunteers, there was an awkward time gap, so I decided to re- listen to a podcast I listened to yesterday. I listened to a Hillsong podcast called #LEVELS and it was SO good, but I was listening for enjoyment. I miss hearing my normal 3- point messages with a clearly defined outline and goal. Yesterday’s message was so good that I want to listen again and take notes, because I really think it totally applies to my life right now. 

The meeting was of course, pointless. I truly don’t understand why we have them. We make the new volunteers say their name (even though we send an email to everyone saying who the people are) and we make the old volunteers say goodbye. At least it was quick, so that was good.  Afterwards, I was able to hang out with the interns. We had good talks and lots of laughs.

The past two days have been great at school, except for one hiccup. We had to have a kid physically removed and carried to the principal’s office because he wouldn’t stop fighting the other students, teachers, and volunteers. So that was sad. Luckily, he was able to regain his composure and come back to class. So we finally released my “big” idea with the kids. It didn’t exactly work out as planned because hashtag Nica probs (ex. canceled class, not knowing which classes will show up, lack of materials, etc.), but it’s okay because the kids loved it and we made do with what we had. We had a… Fashion Show! In most of the classes, we moved the desks to the sides of the room to create a runway and then had a chair for the kids to stand on when they got to the end of the runway. When they got on the chair, they were able to announce what they were wearing. We’ve been learning how to describe things (ex. green shirt, or black shoes). One class even got to use the stage in the front of the school and the other kids got to stand in front of the stage clapping and cheering. It was so much fun and so exciting to see the kids strutting down the runway. 

After school today, I went to Spanish class. Even though I was completely exhausted, I pushed through and I learned a lot and remembered even more than I thought I would. I was pretty proud of myself. 

Tonight I’m going to worship night with the interns and the mission team that’s here this week, and after that I’m going to celebrate Jada (the middle child in the Sandino dam… se previous posts)! It’s her birthday so we’re going to Wok in Roll, which is literally the best Asian restaurant in Nicaragua. 

So overall, everything is going really well. Please pray for a great planning period tomorrow. It will be the last planning period with Lucas, the only boy on our English team, because he’s going home this weekend. On that note, please pray that we either get another strong male figure, or that the team and I can step up in incredible ways to really get these kids under control (mostly concerned with the fist fights). 

Stay Salty & Shine Bright, Heather

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 38

6/12/17

So this weekend was SO good because guess what? Interns are finally here!! Y’all. This is big. Lydia and I finally go from a super itty bitty gang to a really cool small gang. Now there are 5 interns plus me. I’m the honorary intern with El Puente. I could not be more excited to have fellowship with Jesus loving people who are my age. So basically I spent the entire weekend with them, and every minute was awesome.

It started with an unexpected “Buenas!” at my door on Friday evening. Lydia surprised me by bringing the interns by and we all got fritanga. Honestly, everyone at this point knows that fritanga is the way to my heart so that was a great start. Once we got fritanga, everyone went back to the girls’ house and we hung out, ate fritanga, and got to know each other. We’re all from different states and different denominations, so it’s pretty cool. There’s obviously Lydia and me. Then there’s Becca, Claire, Jacob, and Massey. I’ll probably talk about them a lot from now on. 

• Jacob, Claire, Lydia, Becca, Massey, ME • 

On Saturday we got ready for baseball outreach (just like always) but unfortunately it was raining so we had to cancel. It was fine but us though, because we went to the Brooks’ house and went swimming and ate pizza instead! Once pizza and swims were over, everyone went to youth group to hang out with the big kids of El Puente, and then we went back to the girls’ house to hang and chat. We even played some crazy games of HeadsUp. On Sunday it was another great service, but because our normal pastor is on vacation, we had the American missions pastor again. I liked it because it was familiar to have an American sermon. There was no post- church nap yesterday, though. We decided to be tourists. We got gelato and went to one of the huge cathedrals in Granada. It was gorgeous. We even got to go up in the bell tower and look at the city and take pictures. 

• Mini Cathedral •

• Cathedral Wall •

• Cathedral Lookout •

• On the balcony of the cathedral •

Today was a win, as well. there were a total of zero •fist• fights between the students! Seeing as that happens a lot, I was definitely proud of the little nugs. After school got out early (because one of the teachers just didn’t show up today) I took a taxi home and started on my Spanish homework. When I finished it, I went to class and had a super productive day of class. When class finished (it went by so fast today) I went home and got my laundry together. Laundry has been so hard the past few days. It’s been raining so much that I can’t set it out on the line! I’ll do the laundry, set it out, and then it will rain. So I took my gathered laundry to the laundromat that volunteers get a discount at, and I had them do it. I dropped it right before they closed so I’ll be able to pick it up tomorrow. 

So that’s it. A very busy, but very exciting past few days. I would love prayers for even smoother English classes. Having kids fight is rough, but days like today were great. More days like today would be even better. 

Stay Salty and Shine Bright, Heather

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 33- 34

6/ 7-8/ 17

Yesterday was so good. On my way to school, two of the preschool teachers saw me walking and stopped to pick me up (they have a truck) so I literally didn’t have to walk to final 20 minutes of the walk. Also, I was able to co- teach with my English partner, and the day was much smoother than it was on Tuesday. We even played a new competition- styled game that the kids really enjoyed and had a lot of fun with! When school ended, we went to the library. Prayer is strong, let me tell you! School let out an hour early and seven little nugs came with me to the library. They were SO excited to go! When we got to the library, it wasn’t the one I was thinking of, but the kids were still happy. I was able to ask the librarian for seven books (one for each kid) and the librarian chose seven random books. The room with the books was small, but the area for reading was spacious, and the kids could go outside. We went outside and read for 45 minutes, and the kids were able to trade their books out for new ones when they were done. They shared books together and giggled as they read funny stories. On our way back, every single one of them asked if we could go again the next day. I had to explain that I take Spanish classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, but I would be willing to go on Wednesday if they wanted. They happily accepted the offer. After I went home, I went to ABC learning school. It’s a school for native Nicas to learn English, and for English speakers to learn Spanish. Nicas pay a monthly fee and take courses, and when English speakers come in, they are able to have authentic conversation. Likewise, English speakers get to practice their Spanish with the Nicas, but it’s free for us. It’s truly a wonderful program. I went for two hours yesterday and had a lot of fun.

• Reading •

• Reading •

Today was a bit of a different day at school. We celebrated dis de los ninos with a proper fiesta, even though the holiday itself was actually on June first. Everything in Nica is very relaxed, though, so it was okay to have a celebration this late. The kids all made masks and they were so proud of their creations. A couple of the first grade students even put on a short production on the stage. Afterwards, the kids got to eat cookies and drink juice. It was quite the treat for them! Once school was over, I got ready for Spanish class. Class went really well today, I thought. I’m starting to understand a lot of what it said in class and I feel like I’m able to communicate even more than I used to be able to, which is obviously the goal. When I was done with class, I went to La Colonia because I cannot even remember the last time I went grocery shopping, which is obviously an issue. The shopping was great, the AC was better. As soon as I got home, I threw my groceries in the fridge and then set of for ABC school. I only stayed for an hour today, then came back to cook dinner and go to bed. I feel like today was so long, but still a nice day.

• Dia de los Niños •

• Dia de los Niños •

As always, keep the prayers coming. Pray that tomorrow’s English team meeting is really productive. Also pray for more rain because it helps to cool down the city and helps keep the dust away. Other than that, things are really great right now. The kids are doing well and they’re truly learning a lot!

Stay Salty & Shine Bright,

Heather

[navigatingnica-blog]

Day 31

6/5/17

I’ve officially been here for over a month, y’all! It feels like I just got to Granada, but at the same time feels like I’ve been here my whole life. The past week was filled with so many little nuts running around. I even went to school on Friday (instead of having our usual English team meeting) and I was able to work with first graders. On Saturday I went to the barrios to play baseball with the kids, like I normally do, but I was also given the opportunity to give a short message about the prodigal son, and had the American pastor (who is also a Nica) translate in Spanish. It was so cool. Then Lydia and I got pizza for lunch, and went swimming with all of the PKs at one of their houses. Bless up y’all because private pools in Granada are rare, and the heat index is constantly over 100. After swimming, we went back home, and made cookies with the middle child, Jada. She’s nine and she loved it. We also had a family game night with me, Lydia, and the two girls (Lauren and Jada). It was a long, but much- needed fun day. On Sunday I was able to enjoy church again and grab Chinese food with Lydia after, because weekends are for being piggies.

Today I went to school and taught two classes, then the kids got out early because it’s Dia de los ninos (kid’s day). It was also different day because one of our volunteers had her mom, sister, and best friend visiting! This volunteer has been here for ten months, and still has another two months to go. The kids thought it was so cool to meet her family, and it was really sweet to see her mom get so excited to see the work she has been doing here. After school, another boy from the English team and I got together to lesson plan for the next two weeks since we didn’t get time for planning last week. We have BIG plans for the kids and I can’t wait to share it with you when it happens! Once planning was done, I had Spanish class. My teacher, Maria, truly is such a sweet lady. I really enjoy going to class and catching up with her. After class, Lydia and I hung out for a bit, got a smoothie, and chatted about English. When it was time to go home, she left, and I went with the volunteers to… SALSA CLASS! Yes friends, ya girl danced Salsa. Also, I really wasn’t bad! 10/10 would go back for more classes.

Well, that’s all for now. Pray that the next couple weeks go well in school because our English team will be short on people. Also pray that I am able to take the kids to the library on Wednesday. I know where it is now in relation to the school, so I’m hoping to having a little field trip when classes end on Wednesday.

Stay Salty & Shine Bright,

Heather

[navigatingnica-blog]

Days 19- 20

5/ 24-25/ 17

These past two days have flown by! School has been going really well. The kids seem to be responding to us now that we have at least some sort of control of the classroom and a clear plan for what is getting taught. Both Wednesday and Thursday, however, the kids got out early and no one knows why. It’s so strange here. The kids just all seem to leave the classes and the teachers are like, “OK, adios!” So I’m like… “Como??” But then everyone acts like it’s normal. So that’s a thing. Today we had our weekly picnic, but since I had spent so much time talking with the kids all day, I was spaced out for almost the entire picnic. Most of the other volunteers are pretty fluent, but it still takes some time for me to actual listen to what was said in Spanish, translate in my head, think up a response in English, translate that response in Spanish, and then say it. It’s mentally exhausting. Other than the mental exhaustion, though, my Spanish has been getting better and I should be starting lessons (hopefully) next week! 

Other than that, I’ve been trying to explore more of the city. I popped in to a cute spa and got a $10 pedicure. It was wonderful. I’ve also been getting better regarding my struggles with being directionally challenged. Since I walk everywhere I legitimately feel as though I am one with the city. It’s insane. Anyway, hopefully I’ll have more to post about this weekend. Almost every volunteer is gone because the kids don’t have school Friday (they never have school on the last Friday of the month) so people are checking out San Juan del Sur, Leon, and I think even Matagalpa. I’m content with staying in Granada for right now, though since I’ve basically just arrived and I’m still getting in to my groove. Besides, I’ve already promised my nug Ronny (see previous blog post) that I’ll be at baseball on Saturday!

Stay Salty & Shine Bright,

Heather