Therefore, the last two weeks at school have been a strange mixture of mid-semester testing and preparation for our grand celebration of Nicaragua's independence. My responsibility in this preparatory phase was to teach 8-10 students how to do puppets. Ha! That was a challenge...how to put on a puppet show with no actual puppet materials? We ended up finding some puppets a team had brought down that were essentially clay heads glued to an over-sized Popsicle stick. The beautiful thing about these puppets was that when the sun came out, they became soft and their little plastic bobble eyes fell off. I had the intention of gluing them all back on, but I turned my back for two seconds and some little kid walked off with all the eyes! So, some of our puppets had one eye, or no eyes at all. Let's just say that in the end our puppet show required A LOT of imagination.
'Congreso is so much fun!- Pre-schoolers....Two of my 1st graders getting ready for the art contest.
Anyways, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this last week we held a "congreso" for the kids, which is basically like an all day school assembly. We had an art contest, a popularity contest in which the students voted for one girl and one boy from each class, soccer games, kickball games, and lunch. It was a lot of work, and challenging to try and keep all of the kids from getting totally out of control.
Top: "Stop cheering...it's so loud!"....racing to put the objects in the circles the fastest.
Middle: Making flags for our parade...and the concentration required to win an art contest!
Bottom: Me and Yaritza...The traditional outfits for Nicaraguan folk dancing.
Finally, on Friday was the last day in which we celebrated Nicaragua's Independence Day (two days early) with a march through Los Cedros and a talent show from the kids. During the march, we were accompanied by the band of one of the public schools. The band consists of two parts. The girls who march and dance in the front and the boys who bang on their drums and dance around with what looks like a large cheese grater they wail on with a metal stick...perhaps it would be better described if you could see/hear it for yourself (i.e. check out the video below). Our kids followed behind the band waving flags and carrying banners and the national flag.
Top: View of the Indpendence Day parade. Josh and me in our "traditional" Nica shirts
Bottom: Mf and all the teachers in our matching shirts. The token male teachers (Josh and Carlos) modeling their matching shirts.
Once we got back to the school, the real ceremony began. Most of the kids were involved with various "talent" performances. We had kids quoting patriotic poetry and doing interpretive dances to their all time favorite worship song "Tomalo" (Take it all), and the highlight of the performances our awesome puppet show (j/k). One of the things I love the most though is seeing the kids participating in the traditional folk dances of Nicaragua. It is so fun to see the girls dressed up in their brightly colored dresses with flowers in their hair participating in part of their cultural heritage.
A few of the elementary girls showing of their folk dancing skills...A proud display of the Nica flag.
Beyond all the fanfare of the last few weeks, life has been pretty steady for us. One interesting change has been that Josh has taken on a new and often frustrating role of being the "Inspector of behavior." One of the frustrating parts of the school has been that there is not a very successful discipline structure at the school. Part of the problem is that, according to Nicaraguan law in the public schools, they are not allowed to give students detention, are not allowed to deny them entrance to classes, or take away recess, or really discipline the students at all. Therefore your classes end up looking like barely managed chaos and your teachers get worn out very very quickly. We, however, are outside of that jurisdiction to some extent since we are a private school. As a result, Josh, David and I have helped institute an actual disciplinary system, and Josh has been elected to enforce it. We will see how it works, but for now the students have the "fear of Josh" in them.
Our recent house guest thanks to all the rain :)
Well, I think we've run out of stories so I will let the pictures and videos do the rest of the writing.
4 comments:
We appreciate your meaningful service and sacrifice as you encourage those you serve. Truth be known, you are encouraging us stateside-folk as well!
As I read your blog and watched the videos, I was filled with such gratefulness for you two sharing your lives with the students and staff at the school and with their families. I can just imagine God smiling with all you are doing, how you are living your lives and the way you are impacting the people in Los Cedros. I certainly know you put a big smile on my face. I miss you and love you, mom
Well you two...I'm back from Winter Park, Colorado and tomorrow head off to Spokane, with son Clark to follow later in the evening where he'll scope out Whitworth n' spend the weekend with Joseph b4 we send him off to Capernwray, England next Thursday. As I watched the video and looked over your wonderful photos and commentary I too, like Joanne, was struck by the gift you two are and will yet be to those you're serving in Los Cedros. I'm so glad you have Papa Tom there with you now too! Greet him for me. Tu papa "hijo de Carlos" :-)
Wow, what a celebration! I hope you got a picture of the puppet show, that I want to see! I'm sure the kids enjoyed it either way. Brian and I send you two big hugs and lots of prayers! Love you guys!
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