Winds are blowin...

I originally had this as one long post with the one below but decided to break it up into two. Somehow, I think that makes me appear less windy! :0) And speaking of windy...it's another windy day…but that’s okay. The temps here are starting to climb so the wind makes it much more pleasant. Even so, we live in muggy Managua and it’s only going to get worse in the next few months. I’m glad we’re going to be home in March…or at least I think I am. As long as the snowy, icy weather that they’re experiencing now is a distant memory by then. I think our blood has thinned the last few years.
We’re getting ready for the new school year at Los Cedros. School begins next Tuesday. I’m excited about seeing the kids again and yet already feeling apprehensive about the class that is now going to be in sixth grade. They were such a challenge last year…I’m not exactly sure how this year is going to go. I’ve been praying God will give me guidance with all the kids but especially with this particular class.
We also go to Tipitapa tomorrow. I’m excited to see Kenneth and how he’s faring with this last round of chemo. It’s been two weeks since we were there last and a lot can happen with him in that time. We’ll take another can of Sustagen and large bag of powdered milk plus fruits and veggies for him. The doctors have said that bettering his nutrition has been a great benefit to his health in many respects. He is less susceptible to what could potentially be life-threatening secondary infections now (like pneumonia). He is also much more alert and his stamina has increased. At times, he is very much a little boy…other times, he’s like a little old man in a shrunken body. But regardless of how he’s feeling, he continues to have the sweetest smile and the most positive attitude.
We also are going to have to make a decision tomorrow regarding one of our English & Bible study students. He’s only come several times before and sadly, I can’t remember his name. Two weeks ago, he approached me after class (Leonard, Nancy & Debbie were with us that day) and asked if Jim and I would consider helping him with his education. He wants to take a Saturday class which will help him progress much more rapidly with his English and it’s a course he says he needs for his degree. I don’t know that it is necessarily true but we’ll find out more tomorrow. If I remember right, I think he said he wants to become a doctor.
The course isn’t terribly expensive but it’s more than he can afford – about $25 a month. My first reaction is to say yes to his request. But there’s something in my spirit that is saying to be wise in how we go about this. We don’t know him other than just seeing him in class a few times and it’s pretty presumptuous for him to come and ask such a thing...even in a culture such as this. Begging at the street corners is one thing but asking to pay for an education is another.
We have done this before and have not seen the outcome for which we were hoping. One was a school loan which was never paid back and the young man disappeared and the other is a school loan which the young man is behind in his payments. He has completed the course but is without work and doesn’t seem to be too interested in finding it. So disappointing. I think sometimes, a “free” education has only has much value as it has cost the one receiving it.
Jim and I’ve talked about paying ½ and requiring the young man to pay ½. But, if he truly can’t afford it and really does want to better his life’s circumstances, we don’t want to put up barriers that can’t be overcome. I’m asking God to give us wisdom in this situation and hopefully, we’ll have a clear idea of what needs to be done by the time Jim has finished his conversation with him tomorrow. There are just some questions we need to have answered first.
A bright spot re: one of our other students named Juan. He is an excellent student and is very self-motivated to learn. He’s young…I think around 15 years of age but has done so well in our English class that we have friends here who are going to scholarship him at Cornerstone, one of the leading language schools that teaches English here in Managua. I see a bright future for this young man and hope that we can continue to keep tabs on him. He has such a great smile and he always brightens my Saturday class when I see him walk through the door.
We are going to check out a possible new ministry opportunity this afternoon. We had read about this small orphanage about a month ago. We are on an e-mail news chain for ex-pats, missionaries, etc. here in Managua and I read about it on that. They are looking for some additional in-country help and when we first read about this, it crossed my mind to check in to it but I didn’t say anything to Jim other than just to mention I had read about it. He had read it also and that was all that was said.
One afternoon, while we were in Miami, we were taking a walk. Out of what appeared to be the clear blue sky, Jim mentioned the orphanage and said he thought we ought to check in to it. But, knowing Jim as I do, this comment didn’t come out of the clear blue sky at all. He had been thinking on it for some time. When Jim speaks on something like this, believe me, I listen. He doesn’t make rash decisions.
God has created us so differently…Jim is one who takes a situation and studies it, carefully looking at it from every angle and playing out every scenario he can possibly imagine. He treats it like a puzzle, patiently trying each piece, seeing how it fits before deciding which one he’ll go with. This is not a speedy process…which you can well imagine to how I respond. But once he’s made up his mind, it’s made up. The word “patient” is a perfect term to describe my husband…believe me, there are many times I should be very thankful that he is so patient. I think God must have been in a very serious and thoughtful mood when He created Jim.
Who knows what He was up to when I was conceived?! I know God does nothing in a capricious manner but there are times I have to wonder what He was thinking when creating me popped in to His mind. To me, exhibiting patience, isn’t thoughtfully examining every possibility to a problem…it is not choking my beloved husband while he’s thoughtfully examining every possibility to a problem! I see and I react. Sometimes that works out great…sometimes, not so great.
There is much to be said both for and against each of our manners of decision making. Jim tempers me and I stir him. He operates from a “head” position whereas I tend to operate from a “heart” position. They each have their place and we work best when we can combine those strengths. As different as we both are, both our personalities share something in common that is critical. We both have to be listening to the Holy Spirit and following His guiding or neither one of us will come to a good decision.
So, when Jim mentioned checking in to the work at the orphanage, my first reaction was one of surprise. This was just not something I would have imagined he would be interested in but God has been doing a lot of work in both of us the last few years so what may initially appear as a deviation from our “norms” is often nothing more than God stretching us and asking us to take yet another step out in faith. I don’t know if that’s what this afternoon is going to be about or not. I’m not sure yet what our role is to be in any of this or if we’re to have a role at all. At the very least, we’ll have the opportunity to see how God is working in another venue here and that’s never a waste of time, in my opinion. We'll see what change God might be blowing in with these winds...I’ll let you know what we find out.