And the rains come

It’s hard to believe that May has come and gone already. It has been a month full of adventures, change, successes and new beginnings for us. One of the most obvious has been the tri-weekly torrential down pours that have come due to the change of seasons. It seems so cliché to be writing about the weather, but seriously Nicaraguan rain is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. I’ve lived through part of a Nicaraguan rainy season before, so the type of rain is not new to me, but being here for the transition from the dry to rainy season was new. Let me tell you, prior to May 13^th every day was crystal clear blue skies with a blazing hot sun that was impossible to escape from. Then, May 13^th came and the sun was gone, there was no transition period, no warning of the impending change. We just woke up one day and the skies were filled with the most glorious dark thunder heads you’ve ever seen…and you knew the rains had come. Since this change of weather we’ve traded dust for mud, dirt roads that have changed to river beds, crackling heat for smothering humidity, bug-less nights for bombarding beetles, crazy flying termites and a multitude of mosquito bites. Yet, we are thankful for the change and refreshing relief the rain brings. Plus, it’s just really cool to see how much rain can come out of those clouds.

Okay, one more thing about the rain and I’ll move on. At home we cancel classes due to snow, never did I think I’d see the day that classes would be canceled on account of too much rain. However, I experienced this for the first time last week when the skies opened and a torrential down pour unleashed upon the metal roof of my second grade classroom. It was so loud you could stand next to someone and not be able to clearly hear what they’d said. Needless to say, class came to a stop and the next 45 minutes was spent in a state of semi-managed chaos with 24 second graders trapped in their classroom with nothing to do. I have a sneaking suspicion there are more of these days in store for me.

An example of the rain of Nicaragua.

Well, there is more to life down here than the rain. Things around the school continue to grow and change. For example, I have started up a bi-weekly evening English class for the teachers and several other people from the church we attend. We have been meeting for the last three weeks and will continue on until October. Personally, the change of pace from teaching the kids to teaching adults has been very refreshing. It’s nice to not have to spend so much time with classroom management, discipline, or being the motivating factor for learning. Plus, the teachers are so excited to be able to learn things they can use with all of you who come down and visit. Even if it’s only a few phrases for now, I’m hoping that this is the beginning of a new open door for them.

Another cool development at the school has been organizing a boy’s soccer team. Josh and Carlos (one of the other Nica teachers) are coaching 15 of the 5^th and 6^th graders to develop a Colegio Cristiana Havilah soccer team. They will be playing against 8 other local schools in a one-day tournament. We are hoping to hold the tournament at our school, thanks to the funding for the other soccer goal coming in, and hope that this will spur on a continuing soccer program at the school. Stay tuned for an update on how the soccer tournament goes.

Our soccer team in action!

Finally, the last highlight of this month was a glorious week spent with Josh’s parents and youngest sister. While it was hard for us to have them here for such a short time, it was rejuvenating and encouraging for us either way. There is just something about being able to share a piece of your world with family that is so important and meaningful and we are grateful we got to spend time with them down here. So, the last week of May has been filled with re-painting the outside of our house (thank-you Tom and Josh), having a few extra hands in my classes, seeing Narnia in our VIP lazy-boy recliner movie theater, visiting Laguna de Apoyo, and eating lots of ice cream together. But now it is back to life as usual and we await the beginning of June, our 5^th month here, and the stories and experiences that will come with it.

Waiting for the rain to pass on the front porch. Tom and Josh painting our house a lovely shade of yellow!

Chelsea waiting out the rain with the crazy second graders...and the family looking good on Sunday!

Cooking traditional Nica food with Pastora....Singing in the Rain, just singing in the rain!

Top: The end result of our dinner preparation..mmm soo good! Joanne trying desperately to fit her favorite fruit, papaya, into her mouth. Bottom: All of us with Ms. Ruby after praying and going to the dump. Josh with Dianna one of the newest additions to Casa Havilah (rescue home for girls from the dump).

On a side note we have a couple of prayer requests:

• Our car blew a head gasket this last week and we are continuing to have trouble with it even after having the problem “fixed.” This is a strain not only financially but also on our time as the nearest mechanic to us is 25 minutes away.
• Finally, we’d ask for endurance and a continued vision for our time here. Living out in Los Cedros can be lonely and discouraging at times, and while we are confident we are where the Lord wants us to be, it can be a struggle nonetheless.