The following journal was written by Karen Dutcher, a mission volunteer from California. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In February, a small group left Riverside, California, for a delightful reunion with our Nicaragua family. Everyone on this team has made multiple trips there, and we looked forward to connecting with established relationships and making new ones while we work alongside these beloved servants of God.  As always, blessings abound when serving the Lord provides the focus for our intentions.

In Rama, we reunited with Doña Argentina, Scarlet, Onell, and little Esther. We also had time with Blanca and her daughter who has a precious connection with Esther. Here in Rama the Lord has established Centro Educativo Bethel as a secondary school ministry to the community with Scarlet’s primary leadership, along with her work in the church ministry as well. Since the government does not require students to continue studying beyond primary school, the community needs to be encouraged to see the importance of the children committing to further study over the choice to begin earning a little bit of money to help the family. Before we could begin teacher training, Scarlet and the teachers had to canvas the neighborhood talking to parents with students who recently finished sixth grade and should think about continuing with school. I know this is quite different from stateside requirements! Nevertheless, with their mission accomplished, the teachers were ready to sit down with us to examine the materials we brought for the school, and talk about being intentional with critical and creative thinking using tangrams. We all shared in the challenge and the fun, including Julio Rodriguez invited by Scarlet from the Ministry of Education. Critical and creative thinking can be part of the discussion every time, I think.

In the future, we pray that God will bless the school with microscopes, chemistry equipment, maps and books so the teachers can help their students learn the concepts set before them. The two woodworkers on our team spent the week making teacher desks and a work table. God made a way for this work in a situation quite different from the one they might have envisioned. Materials and tools are noticeably different when you leave the States. In the end, the products were awesome as you might expect with the Lord in charge. Our time in Rama was all the sweeter as we gathered together around the table for meals and worshiped together on Sunday evening.

In Bluefields, my teammate and I hit the ground straight away from the dock following a perfect panga boat ride out of Rama, thanks to absolutely wonderful weather on the river. We visited the brand new preschool filled with 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old boys and girls in their sharp navy blue and white school uniforms. The Bluefields church continues to be flexible with the use of the facilities that God has given as they stay connected with their neighbors and the needs of the community. The Day Care was a new idea a few years ago, and the preschool is the new idea this year. Working with government regulations is a challenge, but Ketly is up to the challenge with church elders at her side. She is always preparing regular church staff over time to move into new positions like the director’s role for the preschool.

The newest government idea to promote is the new country motto: “Live clean, healthy, beautiful, good/happy…with a focus on improving the environment”. We talked together about how this could work into thematic planning for lessons that can develop godly character. Our discussions looked into the use of centers designed with a bubble-map, using a flexible but intentional schedule, and considering appropriate service projects for the children to put lessons into action. In the afternoon, my teammate Torrie gave a very engaging read-aloud demonstration, as well as shared the materials we brought for the school along with suggestions for how they can be used in circle time (here the circle time could be called “momento de maestra!”). Future conversations can develop more thinking on age-level adaptations for lessons to provide a school-wide consistency, looking at variety in painting techniques. and considering indoor physical education ideas. The Day Care can benefit from these discussions about centers and scheduling, especially because a number of the preschool students move over to the Day Care for their afternoon time. Everything is these programs is promising and benefiting from encouragement. The staff works with joy, and we see that God is present in every way.

In Kukra Hill, we enjoyed a breathless few hours with Pastor Joel and his staff. After another perfect panga ride, we hit the ground running when we arrived, and saw all the teachers in their chairs waiting for us! With blessed teamwork, Torrie started to present on personal white-boards while I unpacked our bags of materials. I posted our objective: Today you will experiment with new materials by working in small groups. This objective helped me to review the idea of the 2-part objective which I followed with a review of concepts from Bloom’s Taxonomy. These teachers are already well-trained, but so interested in challenging themselves with new ideas and finding ways to make them fit their thinking! Getting into the materials further, we worked with story cubes, tangrams, and Cornell notes. Pastor Joel reviewed important points with his teachers before dismissing the group. Torrie and I expressed our thanks to Obelvis, who was a superb translator. Future workshop topics can include grouping for instruction and close reading strategies. Even though our day trip gave us limited time, we experienced rich blessings in the teachers’ attention and enthusiasm, as well as in Pastor Joel’s leadership. The growth in student body and skill in Pastor Joel’s leading are evidence of God’s rich blessing on the school.

Sweet relationships in the presence of the Lord flavor the work of short-term missions. Many people have never considered giving time and resources for this kind of ministry. Some people have already said it’s just not for them; they have no special skills to offer.  All believers, however, need to listen to the Holy Spirit. Be surprised by God’s faithfulness; let your own faith grow as you move forward with obedience. Every time we have found that we can never out-give God. Everyone has a place in the family of God; let Him show you where yours is!

In Christ’s Service,
                                   
Karen Dutcher
FBC/Riverside Nicaragua Mission Trip Member

To see the Pierre’s MPT website, go to -- www.missionbluefields.org