My Big Top Adventure

OK, I think this may have worked...click on the picture and it should take you to my album. Enjoy!

Is it really almost October?!?!?!?!

Hi friends and family-

I hope this finds you all well! I should apologize for not being a very "updative" person...it's been a busy week! THANKS for those of you who check in with me over e-mail and Facebook...you're so sweet to send notes of encouragement and prayers on my behalf. They are SO appreciated and I am truly grateful!

I'm not sure when I even last updated, so I'll start where I think I left off.

September has been a busy month, including a super fun surprise visit to the States :-) We had time of for Nicaragua Independance Day (September 15) and the Battle of San Juancito day (September 14) so I came home. I think I got every one pretty good! I flew in to Chicago on September 11 where Amy picked me up and took me to Rock Island, Illinois to surprise my family. The only thoughts I really have on that is that is worked! I think everyone was pretty surprised. If you want the best version of the story, ask Don DeWaard :-) It was AMAZING to be home for a week and to see so many familiar faces. I would say that I have learned how very true the statement is about not knowing what you've got until it's gone. I miss everyone so much...it's tough some days. But I know I'm in the right place and it makes it just that much more sweet to come home!

So, after a week in the States, I flew back to Nicaragua on September 18 to the HOTNESS and rain once again. This week has been good, but it's been adjusting back in to my new life. Most of the kids were pretty excited when I was back at school on Monday morning, and I have to admit, it was great to see them too...

This week has been good, but brought lots of prayer requests:

Samuel (one of my ESL boys) was playing futbol on the playground and he fell. He ended up being taken to the hospital in the ambulance with an incomplete fracture to his collar bone. He was one scared little boy, so pray for quick and complete healing for him. Pray also that the boys pick up on the language and that what I am teaching them is helpful. So many days I feel inadequate to be teaching them, and I just pray that what I teach them will be used to help them.

We had a special meeting on Thursday morning at school. There is a family who has pulled their children from NCA because they believe that a situation dealing with the discipline of their child was inappropriate and they have taken legal action against the school. It has been on the Nicaragua news, and the lawyer working with this family is relentless. God's hand has been seen in SO many ways over the past few days, but PLEASE pray for God's protection over the school, the students, and all of us teachers. People go all out here in Nicaragua, and Liam told us basically not to talk to anyone that we don't know...he's unsure of what this lawyer will all do to get our name run through the mud. So, this is a big concern for all of us now. As of now, nothing has happened but I just ask that you pray that continues.

Safety...we are sandwiched between 2 hurricanes right now and we just CAN NOT handle the rain right now. So much flooding and destruction that is just not helpful in this country. Hurricane Matthew was supposed to be very unkind to us on Friday and Saturday, and PRAISE GOD we did not see much rain. However, there is apparently another one coming. So, please pray that these hurricanes change their paths, or better yet, dissolve.

I have been able to get back in to a work out routine and run around my complex. However, my hip has been really bothering me and I just ask that you would pray that my hip pain would go away and that I would be able to continue getting active again :-) Some mornings it's tough to walk for about a half hour, so it's not so much fun, but it has been feeling somewhat better, so for that I'm thankful.

It is time for me to decide what to do next semester. Just be in prayer for me to make the best decision for me. My desires and the Lord's may be different, just pray that we get in sync and that His will is carried out in my life! I know what I want to do, but I want to be sure that it's the right thing...

THANKS to God for the cooler weather, I've been wearing sweaters. One good thing about these hurricanes is that it really cools things off. I am so glad that I did bring a fleece blanket and some sweaters, they've been useful.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support, it's awesome!

I have tried unsucessfully several times to get picutres on here, as soon as I can find someone who knows what they are doing...I'll add them here :-)

Blessings~

Angie

dear Mis angei...

Hello Friends and Supporters~

WOW, God is good!

Nicaragua has been great, and I'm having a great experience. Today is my official 4 week mark, and yet in some ways it feels like I left the States yesterday, and in other ways I feel like I've been here forever! Things have been going really well, and I feel like my transition has been smooth. There are always bumps im the road, but I suppose those are to be expected.

NCA has been doing well! I am spending my mornings in the first grade classroom with my 20 kiddos whom have gained much of my affection...well, most of them anyways! We have a few who are TOUGH kids from TOUGH homes and they decide if they're going to have a great day or a not so great day. So, that's been fun. I wake up every morning not really knowing what I'm going to get with a few of them. However, today the kids were learning how to write a letter and they all wrote them to Ms. Franklin, except one little sweeite who wrote to me. I'll give you a snipet of his letter to me (spelling of course done by him;-)

dear Miss angei-you are my Favorite teacher. I love you! miss Angei, can i come to your house? will you read books with me? You are butifool and I love you! Your friend, Oscar


AAHHH...makes all the bad days worth it in a small moment of sweet time!

2 mornings a week I'm meeting with 2 students in the 5th grade classroom on the counseling side of things. This week was my first week, but both kids really opened up to me, in fact I had to kick them out of the office :-) Both kids have trouble making and keeping friends, and I have a feeling I'll discover some pretty tough home lives once our relationships grow. Both are sweeties, just need a little good adult attention. Plus, considering I'm the "adult" we just have fun together :-) Both of these kids could use prayers, just in their own lives and in helping me to effectively help them.

OH, to my ESL days! My boys are great...but so frustrating! I feel like the blind leading the blind. It's been a tough thing to take on, but I know we must just keep going. The boys are great, but they are so done by 1:30 in the afternoon, and honestly so am I. So, motivation to get anything done has not been real easy. On a positive note, I have seem some progress with each of the boys and for that I am grateful. I just hope that whatever it is that we are doing that it does benefit them in some way!

So, that's a typical day in my life. Of course, there are some fun things too...

On Saturday, my roomate and a fellow co-worker at NCA are heading to San Juan del Sur. For those of you who don't know what that is...it's paradise :-) It's a great beach town on the Pacific Ocean, and also where they are currently filming SURVIVOR. So, pray for safety and RELAXATION this weekend, I know we are all looking forward to it! We have a teacher inservice day on Monday, so no kiddos but we have meetings all day. I have spent every Labor Day in Kanawha with my grandparents for my entire life, so it will be a little bit tough to not be there, but I know I'll have fun too.

Next week at school we also have an Independance Day festival. The kids do presentations on Nicaragua and the festival includes dances by all the classes...and the teachers! We have dance practice 2 days a week and it's been really fun so far. I get a traditional Nica dress and I have to wear bright red lipstick. I'll be sure to post pictures on my blog (www.adewaard.blogspot.com) after the festival. I have attended one year when I was here to visit and I KNOW it will be a good time.

Sorry this got so wordy, I need to update more often so it doesn't have to be so long. A few more things...

Today at lunch some of the teachers were talking about a girl named Rachel who came to Nicaragua this week Monday and is REALLY wanting to go back to the States already. So, I got her number and called her and she's coming over tomorrow night. Please pray for Rachel, the first few days and weeks are such a whirlwind of emotions and I just pray that she would do what is best for her. Pray that I may help her in any way I can. I know I haven't been here too long, but I wanted to reach out to her. Movie and pizza night at our house, fun times!!

Another thing I wanted to share. I have been reading the book Crazy Love which I would highly recommend to anyone. One quote from the book that is really standing out to me is this:

God knew who He was creating, and He designed me for a specific work.

My prayer is that this statement is true for all of us...may we all find that specific work that we are designed to do.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement. I'm so sorry if I don't keep up well with e-mail. I've been getting quite a few (which I LOVE) but I just can't respond as quickly as I would like. Please keep in touch, it's so good for me to hear from home!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Blessings and Love~

Angie

Update from the South

Things have been going very well in Nicaragua, I've felt really great about being in here, knowing that I'm doing the right thing! Last week, I was very sick and missed a few days of school. Last week was really tough because being sick made me feel very homesick, and it was a difficult week. However, I'm so happy to report that I am feeling totally better and adjusting has been a challenging and fun experience. I do ask for prayers in continued positive adjustments :-) I do miss my family and friends VERY much, but SKYPE is a wonderful thing and we use it alot.

Things at school are going well, and I just want to update everyone on my roles there. My mornings are spent with the 1st grade classroom of 20 kids. The maximum per class at NCA is 14, so by the numbers you can see that we're over. We have 11 children who speak English as a second language, so my role in the classroom is a very obvious need! It's been an interesting experience, but the adjustment has gone well.

Another one of my roles at NCA will be to work with the counselor. My first 2 students are both 5th graders just needing some help with emotional maturity and social skills. So, I start meeting with them next week. Pray that the tools that I use will be effective in shaping these young people.

And my last SUPRISE role is teaching an ESL class to 2 boys (brothers) who are in 3rd and 4th grade. THis is brand new, something that is causing me some stress but I know that God will use me in the best ways that he can. I will be having an intensive hour with these guys at the end of the school day EVERY DAY!! Yes, that's 5 hours of me being a teacher a week. Ain't God funny?? Please pray that this goes well, I'm apprehensive about this opportunity as I'm feeling equipped in NO WAY to take on this task. But, I have great support from the principal on this...and hey, my roomie is an ESL teacher so I can't get a better resource. This class starts Monday. Lessons plan, grading homework, creating assignments...all this teacher lingo will be added to my vocabulary soon.

So, as you can see I'll be very busy, and still excited to be able to do it :-)

A few other personal things:

I have a co-worker who is very involved in an orphanage in Managua. She has told me that when I'm ready she would love to have me along. I know this will be an emotional experience for me, but one that I finally feel I'm ready for. So, I'm excited to get invovled in that...

OK, now any one who is a MAMA (especially my mama) stop reading!

There has been some violence in the streets. A few teachers have experienced it first hand, I have not. People are getting robbed in their cars. They (robbers) will attack the car, start shaking the car and demanding money. They have even started tires on fire and it has been very violent the past few days. So, please pray that this violence will stop and for safety for me and all the other teachers. This is scary, but we know that God is always with us, protecting us.

Thanks for checking in on me, ya'll are the best (can you tell I live with 2 southern Belles)?!?!?

Made it!

I made it to Nicaragua! After a very long and TOUGH day on Thursday, I got to my new home around 9:30 pm. They were not kidding when they said my room was small...but it's ok for me because I didn't bring a whole lot of stuff along. I went to school yesterday (Friday) and found out that I will be in the 1st grade classroom 100% of the time for the beginning for the school year. I'll be working with Ms. Carey Franklin in her classroom of 20 kiddos...11 of whom speak English as a second language!! With me speaking very little Spanish, this will get interesting! After the first month of school of so, we are going to try to start getting me in working with Marysol, the school psychologist. This excites me because she has an air conditioned office :-) Last night we had open house at NCA so it was great to meet the kids and some of their parents. I think it's going to be a great semester!

Well, it's hot and rainy here, but I knew what I was getting in to. I have 2 roommates and they are both teachers at NCA as well. We were up late chatting last night, so I can only imagine how many more nights that will happen :-)

Thanks for checking in on me, I appreciate your support and encouragement. A few prayers requests:

~Monday is the first day of school, pray that all goes well!!
~Adjusting has come pretty easy so far, but I know there will be days when it's tough to be so far from home. Pray that I will adjust well in learning my new culture.
~Pray for the 20 kids coming in to the classroom on Monday, SO much diversity and different home backgrounds...

I will post some pictures as soon as I take any!!

48 hours and counting...

Well, it's almost here, I fly out at 6:45 am on Thursday morning, August 5. People keep asking me how I'm feeling about it, and the only word that comes to mind is content. I am feeling great about my decison (most of the time) and know that God has called me to a special place. I am truly blessed to get this opportunity.

As I spend my last few days on family vacation, I'm picking up on the little things that I will miss about each one of them (and the things I won't miss :-) I have conisdered myself very fortunate to be able to watch each of my 4 nieces and nephews grow up in to the little people they are becoming and it's been great, I do think that will be the hardest part of my time in Nicaragua. BUT I know that God has called me to do His work in Nicaragua, I just look at it as gaining 100+ more nieces and nephews to love on!

So, as I prepare to head out of the US for a while, I ask for prayers for safe travel and getting thorough customs with ease, physical strength for me as we begin school on August 9, and emotional strength as I take this huge leap of faith and begin a new chapter in my life. I am very excited to see how God is going to grow me in to the person He wants me to be, and I hope to develop a lot of new relationships and have lots of fun along the way...

The calendar flipped...

OK, it's July 1! WOW!!! I'm really doing this. It's really unbelievable that I'm moving next month!! I don't have a lot of time to update, but I just want to share a few quick things.

First of all...the support from all of you has been epic, I will never be able to thank you! Your smiles and words of encouragement are just little God winks...little ways for me to know that I'm doing the right thing.

Second, I'm cleaing out my office. My official last day at COC is July 2...crazy!!

I told Amy that when the calendar flipped to July 1 I would start to question and struggle...it's happening! Please pray for me for that reassurance that I am doing the right thing. I was reminded by a co-worker today that although it will not always be easy to be in Nicaraugua, it will be great!! I'm beginning to wonder how this is really going to work, however when cleaning out my office this afternoon, I found a photo book from my trip last June. Gets me WAY excited for my big move. My most favorite song just came on the radio as well...By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North. Listen to the words sometime, this is my song of truth and reassurance that God's plan is always best.

And lastly, I have to throw it out there. If you're interested in supporting me finanacially go to www.crwm.org/donate. Look for my name and get your credit card :-) I truly appreciate each and every gift whether big or small.

Please pray for smooth transitions in the next month, that all support will be provided, and that God will continue to place His hand of confidence over me.

Thanks guys...you're a blessing to me!