Back-to-school time...

No new shoes. No new clothes. But Jim and I each got a brand new spiral notebook and with them came a few butterflies in our tummies. Yep, it’s back-to-school time and not just for the kids in the States, but also for this couple of oldies! After much prayer and discussion, we made the decision to discontinue our time with our private tutor and just go ahead and bite the bullet and enroll in a formal language school. I think it was a good decision…of course, we’re only three days in to it, but I believe this will be a very positive move for us.

The school is in what was once a house in a neighborhood off of a very busy street in Managua. As you can see, it is easy to spot with its bright blue color. It is one of only several language schools in Managua but this one is the most reputable. There are more to choose from in Granada, but that’s too far for us to drive every day…this one is far enough. Susanna went with us when we visited the school last week and she has had some personal experience with it. She agreed it was time we make the move to more formal instruction. We essentially are continuing with private tutoring as Jim and I are the only students in the session we chose…our timing for change (rather, God’s timing for us to change), couldn’t have worked out better.

We enrolled in the intensive language program which means we spend 20 hours a week in class and will be doing at least that amount of study at home with our “tarea”…our homework. We have two teachers, one works with us for 2 hours on conversational skills and the other is teaching us grammar in the remaining time of our class. We chose the afternoon session which allows me to get laundry done in the morning and to hang out it on the line for a while before we have to leave. On the mornings we don’t have other obligations (such as volunteering at the Children’s Center or working with Miguel on his English lessons), we don’t have to leave here until about 15 minutes past noon, but on those other mornings, where we are committed, we generally leave by 9:15 a.m. We will then eat lunch at a food court in a small mall that is near the school and then on to class. Class ends at 5:00 and then it takes between 40 minutes to an hour to get back home, depending on the traffic.

Once home, I have to get supper ready and then we finally settle down to study around 7:30. (I’ll be glad when these silly Olympics are over…I think our studying will be much more productive!!!) Then we struggle to memorize vocabulary, rules of grammar, correct pronunciation and intonation and common phrases, some of which are Nicaraguan in flavor…but all of it is in Spanish. It is quite a lot for us and it isn’t going to be easy, by any means, but we both feel that it is the foundation that is necessary for us to be effective in our communication with the people here.

There is such a need for God’s truth to be told. This culture has gone the way of most of the world in that it has created a God of its own making. That message is God wants us all to be happy, healthy and wealthy. The majority of the adults in this country appear to be resigned to life as it is – poverty, unfaithfulness and a sense of emptiness. Many battle what are often common and simple health ailments which could easily be treated and even prevented and yet, when gone unchecked due to the lack of finances or education, turn in to major health concerns. They sit at the opposite end of the wealth spectrum than where the prosperity gospel teaching tells them they should be. They keep hearing about a “god” who tells them they should have everything they don’t…and yet this “god” doesn’t provide a way for them to receive any of these things. It really is no wonder that God is not “real” in their lives.

They don’t know the God the preachers tell them about…but then, neither do I. Yet I desperately want them to know my God and I have to be able to converse with them adequately and effectively in order to be able to introduce them to Him. It’s a daunting task when I think of it in “me” terms. But I know this is the heart of God…He wants the people who know His name but not Him (as well as those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ) to have the opportunity to hear the truth about who He is. In my opinion, whoever came up with the notion this country is evangelized is off base…this country may be packed with churches, pastors and priests and drowning in religiosity, but evangelized? I don’t believe it.

Because our language skills have to be our priority right now, we will probably have to cut back on our other activities for awhile. I don’t like that we have to do that, but I do understand the need. I am hoping we can continue to see Miguel possibly twice a week. He and his wife are having a great deal of marital problems and although Miguel is a Christian, (I don’t believe his wife is) he is struggling to be the husband God has called him to be. I believe it is important we continue to maintain this contact with him and to be purposeful in our discipleship of him. The English classes are good but his walk as a Godly man is essential. And as much as I love the kids at the Center, we will most likely cut that back to maybe once a week…that’s hard to do, also…those kids are so precious. I’ll have to tell you about them another time.

Well, I need to get back to the books. This isn’t much of a blog, today, but it’s all I have time to do and my mind is pulled in other directions at the moment. Right now…school rules!