Kenneth...

The last few days have been difficult.  I'm not sure how coherent this is going to be...I'm filled with so much emotion and don't seem to be able to get it out as well as I would like.  

This past weekend, I told Jim I felt like we needed to go check on Kenneth.  I couldn’t explain why, but I was feeling uneasy.  So Tuesday, we made the decision to go to Managua on Wednesday.  I canceled our Thursday classes and rearranged our schedule for other things. 

Wednesday morning, I called Danelia.  I thought it was Kenneth who answered the phone and although the voice was soft, I was surprised it was as strong as it was.  I asked if it was Kenneth and there was no answer and so I then asked for Danelia.  I was told she had gone to buy something so I just said that we would be there the next day and was told that was fine and the phone call was over.  That very brief and mainly one-sided conversation left me with the idea that although Kenneth sounded weaker, he still sounded much better than I had anticipated after receiving Dr. Ortiz’s e-mail and for just a moment, I reconsidered the idea of making the trip.  Thankfully, we stayed with our plans to go.

I had decided my uneasy feelings were just my imagination getting the best of me and so we left Wednesday afternoon for Managua in good spirits.  We went directly to Susanna’s house and unloaded the car and dropped Pixie off.   Susanna is always so gracious to let us stay with her now when we are in town and it is such a blessing to not have to worry about the trouble and expense of hotel accommodations.  We then headed out to do our Managua errands. 

Thursday morning, we stopped by the grocery store so we could get some fresh fruit to take with us to Kenneth and the family and I picked out all the things that I knew were his favorites…nice fresh bananas, apples, grapes, plums and limones for juice.   We also grabbed a Spiderman cake and a couple of books (one for Lindsey) as an early birthday present for Kenneth in case we couldn’t make it back the end of this month.

When we got to Danelia’s she told me that Kenneth was out back because it was so hot in the house (and it was brutally hot there Thursday).  We walked out back and Kenneth had his back to me, sitting in the rocker with pillows all around him.  I said hi to him as I walked around the side of the chair and could not believe what I saw. 

Kenneth was so terribly thin and his eyes were vacant…looking, but not really taking anything in and he was basically disengaged, although awake.  His cheeks were sunken in and his mouth had sores covering the inside of his lips.  He was bone thin…literally.  I could not believe how much he had deteriorated since we had seen him the last time we were there…which was a little over a month ago.  He seemed so exhausted that even holding his head up appeared to take such effort and his eyes kept closing although he wasn’t really sleeping.    

Kenneth had on a t-shirt and nothing else sitting with his knees bent so that his legs were up in the chair and a fan was just a foot away, blowing directly on him.  His groin area looked as though someone had poured scalding water on him.  Even through the thick white burn cream that was smeared all over the “burned” area, it was easy to see that he should be in terrible pain with this. 

When I asked her what had happened, Danelia explained that the doctor said that the combination of keeping him in the diapers all the time, his constant strong diarrhea (caused by his meds), the natural heat of sitting and not being able to get up and move around, the unbearable heat wave that had hit plus his zero immune system had provided the Perfect Storm, so to speak, for a horribly gaulded young man.   His skin is breaking down and more and more pressure sores are now starting to appear.  There was a small-fist-sized growth that was protruding from his chest with the skin stretched so tightly against it that the veins could be clearly seen.  Much of his skin seemed to be taking on a more translucent quality.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing…the child I was looking at barely resembled the Kenneth we know. 

I wanted to burst in to tears at that moment.  I wanted to collapse in a heap and refuse to see what I was seeing.  I wanted to scream and to be angry at everyone and everything.  I wanted to scoop him up and smuggle him back to the States.  I want him strong and well and whole.  I want what I want.  God wants something different.  And so, I took a deep breath, glanced at Jim and saw on his face the same expression that I feared must have been on my own and realized this wasn’t what Danelia needed to see at the moment.  So, I pulled up a chair and sat down next to Kenneth, and began gently stroking his face and his arms. 

I kissed his forehead and asked how he was.  He whispered, “un poco major”…a little better.  There, hidden inside that broken, deteriorating shell, I found Kenneth.  He didn’t look better.  He didn’t sound better.  He certainly didn’t feel better…but even in his semi-shutdown state, he was positive.   That’s our boy…that’s the boy I have fallen in love with and the one I struggle to release to the One I know loves him even more than his family does, than we do.

I showed him his cake and one corner of his mouth turned up the tiniest bit.  I showed him the book we got him…he wasn’t even strong enough to hold it.  I then showed him the package that we had received for him from two very special little twin girls, Audrey and Taylor, who have been praying for Kenneth.  They had sent their pictures, drawings, a Hot Wheel truck and a card which I read and translated for him.  I showed him the part their mother, Jaclyn, had written and then where each of the girls had said that they loved him and were praying for him and had signed their names.  He couldn’t quite stay focused but I think he understood.   I know Danelia did.  I looked up and her eyes were filled with tears. 

We stayed for awhile and talked with Danelia.  That's when I found out that it was Lindsey that had answered the phone when I called the day before...which made so much more sense when I thought about it.  I had been having such a difficult time in trying to reconcile the strength that I had heard the day before with the weakness I could see before me.   

Lindsey was clingy and so I played with her, held her, snuggled with her (in that ridiculously oppressive heat) and kissed on her.  After awhile, she seemed content to watch the t.v. with its grainy, fuzzy picture along with Ezekiel, her cousin who is the same age and lives next door.  Kenneth would open his eyes periodically but it seemed that most of his efforts were concentrated on just being.  His breathing was rapid and labored.

Danelia told me all about their visit to the doctor the previous Friday…this is the visit where Dr. Ortiz had e-mailed me afterwards.  Danelia had called the doctor a few days before and told her about Kenneth’s “rash” in his groin area.  The doctor told her that since his appt. was in just a couple of days that they could wait until then. 

Arturo had taken off work to go with them that Friday.  They had a terrible time trying to get a taxi to agree to take them to the hospital…those who would, either wanted to charge them an exorbitant fare or to charge them an extra person charge for the wheelchair.  Seriously.

The rest of what I will share must be filtered through the knowledge that this is coming from a woman who is losing her child to a lengthy battle with cancer, who is more exhausted than any words could convey, who has had to deal with more challenges that have taken her far past the point that would have probably broken the rest of us and a woman who knows that she has no other recourse at this point than to watch her dearly loved son die.

Without going in to all the details, I will highlight what that last appointment was like for this family.  Although Dr. Ortiz is a very good oncologist, she is not good at comforting or consoling nor is she a believer in our God who cares for His children.  She and Danelia have butted heads from Day One and evidently, this last appointment was not much different. 

There were discussions about what the doctor perceived as a delay in seeking treatment for Kenneth’s latest skin condition.  Danelia’s response was that she had brought him in when directed and then he had to sit for four hours in a diaper that could not be changed before he was seen.  She reminded the doctor that it was not easy for them to get there.  She also reminded her that it would be much easier to just bring Kenneth there and leave him at the hospital but that is not what any of them want to do.  She loves her son and wants to take care of him and she believes she can do a better job of tending to his needs than a nurse who occasionally comes in to the room to check on whether his iv is through or not.  At the hospital, Danelia is still responsible for keeping Kenneth clean, feeding him, taking him to the bathroom plus mopping their own floor and cleaning their own room.  She would rather do all of that at home where she can get the help from other family members.

 There was a huge disagreement about the need for the family to consult with the psychologist.  Danelia and Arturo refused and refused to let the psychologist speak to Kenneth.  Their stance remains that they need someone who can provide spiritual guidance and not psycho-babble…I agree.  The medical professionals think that is a foolish pursuit…Danelia thinks that they’re the fools.  That discussion ended up with the psychologist becoming angry and leaving the doctor’s room and refusing to sign the paperwork that was necessary for Arturo to have for his work.  Childish behavior at best in my mind.  They finally came to an agreement that if Kenneth needed some sort of emergency treatment that could improve the quality of his remaining days, then they were to come to the hospital…if not, then they were to stay home.  So, future appointments are on an as needed basis. 

I would have thought that all of this would have been upsetting to Danelia, but she was probably stronger and more focused than I’ve seen her for some time.  She said that she did not want any more people speaking negativity in to her life or the life of Kenneth and that her faith was stronger than it has ever been.  She said that she knows God has a plan and that she has asked Him what she is to do and He has told her to stay firm in her faith.  She said that she still prays for a miracle but He has not answered that way…He has said that He sees her and He knows what they are facing.  And, she trusts Him. 

She then asked me what I thought she should do with Kenneth and I told her that whatever they decided, it had to be their decision and they had to be comfortable with it, regardless.  If Kenneth would rather be at home and that is what the family wants, then that’s what they should do.  I told her it didn’t matter what others may think that they had to do what was best for their family.  I have no doubt that Danelia knows that his time is limited…but she also knows that she wants to make this limited time count for as much as they can and they don’t feel like they can do that in the hospital.  So, for now, the decision is to keep him at home.

We discussed the new medications that he’s taking and she told me that she’s not supposed to put the disposable diapers back on him for now.  One of the neighbors gave her two, very thin used cotton diapers, one of which she was using under him and the other one was hung up to dry.  The fan that they had was a terrible fan and not moving hardly any air.             

After leaving them on Thursday, we made a quick trip to the Boer Market and we bought a dozen cloth diapers and a good oscillating floor fan which offered various speeds.  We also bought a large box of sterile gauze pads.  On Friday morning, we stopped back by Danelia’s on our way to Somoto.  Susanna had some donations left of non-sterile pads and packing material plus two tubes of the cream for his “burned” area so she sent those things with us, also.

Jim unloaded the items and then got back in the car to stay with Pixie while I went back to check on Kenneth.  Danelia was overcome with emotion when she saw what we had brought her…the tears started but she quickly gained control.  Her sister was there with her and was busy fanning Kenneth with a cloth to keep the flies off of him.  He was laying down on the bed that was moved outside and once again, had on only his t-shirt.  In that position, I was able to see much better, how terribly thin he had become.  He reminded me of pictures I have seen of starving children in Africa but he doesn’t even have the rounded tummy.  The bones in his back, his ribs and his shoulders made me think of the pictures I’ve seen of holocaust victims.  And I was reminded of Yamuleith. 

From that position, I was also able to observe his bottom area where the giant pressure wound still remains.  Danelia removed the pad to show me how much better it looked.  It was true that it wasn’t as deep as it had been at one time, but it was definitely larger around…and other areas were starting to be more evident.  It’s as though what little skin and under-lying tissue that he has left is just dissolving…he truly is wasting away.

I bent over and kissed his cheek and he gave me the weakest smile.  I told him I loved him and he smiled again and he closed his eyes, once again, going to that place he goes to when he shuts out the rest of us.  I didn’t stay long as Jim was waiting in the car but made Danelia promise to call me if there were any significant changes.  She tearfully nodded her head that she would.  I pressed some money in to her hand and told her that would help with making sure he had enough medication to keep him as comfortable as possible.  Again, she nodded her head.  When she hugged me good-bye, she thanked me for all of the things but most of all, for loving her son.  That did it and I began to cry.  I told her that they were like our family and that I loved her children as if they were our own grandchildren.  She said she knew that and that they know that, too.

And then we left.  It was a tearful trip home.  The tears have continued to come off and on since then.   I can’t seem to control them.  I can’t stand seeing Kenneth like this and a part of me is ready to let him go…and yet, the thought of not seeing him again in this life, is too painful to consider right now…but that time is coming and I believe it’s coming very quickly.  Just thinking about that coming day makes my chest constrict and hurt...and it makes the tears come again.    

I have posted several pictures for you.  You can see for yourself how much he has deteriorated in six weeks which is the time span between the two sets of pictures.  But, if you look really hard in to those apparently blank eyes, you can see the sweetest, kindest and most gentle of souls…and if you listen very carefully, you can hear him tell you that he’s fine. And he will be soon. 

            

     

Catching up...

Catch-up time: 

We went out to El Melonar yesterday and delivered the translated letters that some of the FBC Cassville kids had written to students there.  The children were so excited to get a letter with a picture!  They really enjoyed seeing the faces of their new friends.  While there, Prof. Mario also had me work with the kids for a few minutes on their English.  Since this was a surprise, I had nothing planned.  So, I started reviewing the vocabulary that the children had learned from the Creation Story taught by the FBC team a few weeks ago...and those kids were able to respond correctly (or close enough) to almost every question I asked them!  The fact that these kids could still remember something they had not had reviewed with them for a few weeks was so exciting!  We couldn't have been more pumped with this kind of response!

While there, we were able to meet a new student who had just started school the day before.  Keyling is a very quiet young girl who is in the 5th grade and is about 4 weeks behind the other students.  She lives some distance from the school and was not going to attend but Mario had encouraged the family to go ahead and send her.  We told her that when classes resume after Semana Santa (Holy Week which begins tomorrow), that we will have uniforms, school supplies and a backpack waiting for her.  She was so excited!

And…I just realized that I still have to tell you all about the week that the FBC Cassville team was here!  What a great week that was and it was so wonderful to see God working as He was.  I’m going to have to share all of that in another post.  Just not enough time to do so in this one. 

I still have not seemed to have caught up from life during the last few weeks…I’ve actually been pretty tired.  The team came March 3^rd and were here through the 10^th…that week flew by!  We stayed in Managua after taking the team to the airport to tearfully see them off and Jim spent the next two days getting the paperwork for us so that we could leave for Costa Rica to renew our visas.  We left for C.R. on Wednesday and were able to return to Managua that same evening.  I won’t go in to it here but I will say that we sure won’t be doing that again in that way!    

But, one of the positive things we were able to do while at the border, was to bring our friend, Walter and his mother, who live in Rivas, up to one of the hospitals in Managua.  Walter and Faber, another young man whom we’ve gotten to know somewhat, are the two young men we always rely on to help us with the border crossing process on the Nicaraguan side.  What is so amazing is that they always seem to recognize our car and I think they actually remember us because of the questions they ask!  Not quite sure how to interpret that!  J  

Both of the boys are very good with us and because this can be a time-consuming process, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to watch others who work there as they interact with other folks crossing the border.  I’m very thankful that God led us to Walter and Faber three years ago.  And for those of you who have followed us since we’ve arrived, Faber is the young man to whom we once gave a ride back to Rivas and who asked us what a missionary did, which led to a really good conversation with him. 

Okay…back to the story…Walter’s younger brother, José who is 17 years old, had been hit by a semi three weeks before and was still in serious condition.  While we were there at the border, Walter received a call from his mother and she said she needed Walter to leave work and take her on the bus to Managua, that José was not doing well and she felt like they needed to go asap.  Walter and José’s father had been there for the previous few days and it was his mother’s turn to go sit with him.  We offered to give Walter and his mother a ride to Managua which would save them their bus fare.  Walter was so taken aback when I asked if they would like a ride…he called his mother immediately and told her to go to the bus stop on the highway that goes through Rivas and we would come and pick her up on our way home.  I think she must have had to wait several hours before we actually got there.  We thoroughly enjoyed having their company on our trip back to Managua and as we dropped Walter and his mother off in front of the hospital, we also felt led to help the family with the some of the costs they were incurring with meds that were not being provided by the hospital.  It wasn’t much, but we knew that it would be of some help and considered it a privilege to be able to help this family whose son had always gone out of his way to be a help to us.   

Next update…we have a new housekeeper.  Long story short, we felt the need to make a change asap and although this was someone we had met earlier and had decided against at the time for various reasons, we felt that God was definitely moving us in that direction to hire her at this time.  After a lot of prayer, we had made the decision to go ahead and terminate the lady who was not working out for us and to hire Ileana if she was available.  Before I even had the chance to call her to see if she would be interested in a job, she showed up on our doorstep, asking to come to work for us to pay off a small loan we had made to her a few months ago.  That was such an affirmation for us that we were making the right decision as we had not discussed this with anyone else at all! 

And so, Ileana started working for us this past Monday...and oh my goodness!...what a worker she is turning out to be!  We actually had to go out and tell her that it wasn't necessary to sweep the backyard!  A very typical thing to do here but not one that we feel a need to incorporate in to our way of living.  :)  We couldn't be more pleased with the job Ileana is doing.  She's very proactive about finding things to do as she whips through her daily tasks in no time.  I think she does an even better job cleaning than did Margarita and that’s some pretty high praise coming from me at this point.  Several of the things I most appreciate about Ileana are her humility and her honesty.  I'm truly hoping this all works out. 

I wrote last night on Facebook about our unseasonably heavy rain storm and the leaks in our kitchen.  Today, Jim was up on the roof trying to seal any areas he thought might be responsible for the waterfalls coming down our kitchen wall that we experienced last night.  He also cleaned out our gutters so that hopefully, with the next bout of rain, our rear patio won't be so prone to flooding. 

But, what we experienced with water in the kitchen was nothing compared to what Ileana had to deal with.  The storm ruined her outdoor kitchen.  We went over today to look at it and see what we could do to help.  She had mentioned that they would try to cover it with plastic but a wood fire inside a plastic covered enclosure is not a healthy thing to have…and it’s unbelievably hot and uncomfortable with all the smoke that swirls around. 

Jim did some estimating of what it would cost to build a simple structure to cover the cooking area and we told Ileana that we would supply the materials but that her husband and his friends from church would have to supply the labor.  Her husband is a pastor and we're both still a little hesitant to pursue much of a relationship with him at this time based on some past experiences.  But we know that Ileana needs a kitchen (and that term is used loosely here to describe any area where food preparation takes place)and from the looks of the house where they live, it would be a long time before she could ever have anything other than the plastic wrapped around the concrete fire pit...and even that is a questionable reality. 

Ileana thought for a moment and then thanked us profusely for wanting to help…but then very gently and what almost seemed fearfully, she refused our offer!   She said that their landlady is not honest with them, always asking for more money than the agreed upon rent among other things.  Ileana said they don't know if they're going to stay in that house or not and she didn't want us to spend the money for a roof over the outside kitchen when she might not even be able to use it in a month. 

Jim and I discussed some other options and we ended up deciding to get her a 2 burner gas stove top, which is relatively inexpensive and a full tank of gas, which is not.  This is also beyond anything that the family would ever be able to afford to obtain on their own but we felt that it was a viable option as they could take those things with them if they should have to move.  We also bought some plastic plates and bowls so that they could have something to eat out of besides their 3 cooking pans.  I will continue to look for an inexpensive but sturdy set of silverware for them...believe it or not, that's not an easy thing to find here!   

When we came back, Ileana was overwhelmed!  She had never had anything a cook top before.  She has always cooked over an open wood fire and so Jim had to show her how to connect and disconnect the tubing from the gas tank when they're not using it.  They live in a one room house and we want them to be as safe as possible.  He had her practice a few times while we were there so that she would know how to use it.    

Because the only surface they have for the cook top is a small plastic table, the cook top is now sitting on the floor.  The only other furniture that they have is a double bed which Ileana, her husband and Carina, their six-year-old daughter all share, and some plastic chairs.  We are going to be looking for a small simply made, inexpensive wooden table for them plus a similar style small wooden shelving unit so that they have something to put their dishes on and their clothes...which currently sit in a box on a chair.  The size of their wardrobes is far from large, to say the least. 

The house is divided in half by a rope with throws and old shower curtains providing privacy.  The living quarters is on one half of the house and the church, which her husband pastors, meets in the other half. Her house was clean...but then, when there's not much in the way of belongings, it doesn't take long to pick up...and there's practically nothing to dust.  I realized as I looked around that this family lives probably as sparsely as any family I've encountered.  Even many of the poorer families we have worked with in Tipitapa, Cristo Rey and Los Cedros had more in the way of belongings than this family does.  I saw Ileana's "groceries" sitting in a bowl in another chair and saw that they were going to be having spaghetti tonight...mixed with a packet of ketchup.  I can't shake that image.  They did have a small old tube style television that I’m sure someone had given them.  That’s what was sitting on the plastic table.  The other thing I noticed was that there were no toys for Carina.  If I didn’t know that they had her, it would have been almost impossible to determine so just by glancing around.  Only a few pieces of laundry hung to dry on the barbed wire fence out back and her baby picture leaning against a wall were the only indications that there was a child who lived there.  That will probably have to change at least a  little along with a few other things!  :)   

Ileana's house is a very neatly kept small government built house and is one of a string of them built side by side and back to back in a neighborhood behind the city cemetery.  It has the one relatively good sized room and a raised tin roof for ventilation along with a concrete floor.  There are a couple of windows and both a front and a back door.  The outhouse and shower are very basic structures with just a piece of material serving as the covering for privacy and are right behind their house.  And of course, the outdoor kitchen is useable in good weather although it sits in full sun much of the day and would be very hot to stand out there to cook over.     

I have to tell you that my instinct is to "fix" this for this family.  To fill their house with "stuff".  To make their house more comfortable.  And...for whom would I do this?  If I were honest, I would say for me.  Their poverty makes me uncomfortable to see.  It's hard for me to realize or to accept that this is how they have lived most of their lives.  I think that there are so many things that would ease the hardness and difficulties of life for them and I want to jump in there and provide them all.  But that's not necessarily the best thing to do. 

They are my Christian brothers and sisters...and I am called to help them.  And that's exactly why we didn't do all the other things today that my flesh cried out to do.  I want to help them with things that matter...not with things that don't.  And so, we will proceed cautiously with this assistance, but I have no doubt that we will proceed...we just want to do it wisely and as God would have us to do.  Today was payday for Ileana...and that's a start.  A steady income.  That’s not something they’ve had for a long, long time.  And she now has a place to cook when the rains come again and she has some nice, plastic dishes for tonight's spaghetti.  I want to do more.  God says it's enough for today.    

First Day of School...

Well, today was the big day!  The first day of school at the Cristóbal Colón school in El Melonar!  We packed the car yesterday afternoon and made arrangements with the people who were supposed to be riding with us…there was not going to be enough room for anyone other than Jim and myself, the car was so full!  So we gave Sam (who was going to act as our translator) enough money to pay for himself, Angelica, the computer tutor and Professor Mario’s daughter (who lives not far from us) to take a transport out to the school.  

I was so excited I could hardly sleep last night and as a result, almost overslept this morning!  But we managed to get ready without any problems, (thank goodness we had water!) and we arrived at the school a little before 8:00 a.m. when the program was supposed to begin.  Notice I said, when the program was supposed to begin…oh, ye eternally optimistic gringos!  It was a little before 9:00 when things started!  

Juan, the gov't. superintendent of the area's schools

There are always lots of speeches at things like this but I was surprised that the ones this morning were reasonably short and to the point.  Professor Mario started the morning by welcoming everyone and having the students and their parents sing the national anthem.  Immediately following that, Juan who is the superintendant over four of the rural schools out the same road as El Melonar, also spoke briefly.  Juan explained that they, the Department of Education, had made the decision that morning to permanently move Bianca, who was the 1^st-3^rd grade teacher to another school in the district where the classes were larger.  That move would mean that Prof. Mario would be responsible for teaching 1^st-6^th grade by himself and that the parents would need to help even more with their children and also with volunteering at the school.  It was obvious from the looks on the parents’ faces, that news was not well-received and I think all of us have doubts as to how well that’s going to work.  

After Juan’s speech, Pastor Marcos prayed…and oh my goodness, can that man pray!  I think volume is a very important factor here for prayers and if that were to be a factor to them being heard, then I would have no doubt that he was heard quite clearly in the heavens this morning!  I was a little concerned about the direction his prayer seemed to take as it tended to lean more along the lines of a “name it and claim it” kind of prayer which is very common here.  I can’t help but wonder what people must think about God…or themselves…when they’ve “named it” and yet there’s nothing that has come their way to claim.  But that’s a subject for another post.

After Pastor Marcos, Professor Mario spoke once again.  He spoke about how there have been so many changes in their community in the last year and then he began to tell about all the various meetings we have had since we first contacted him to discuss the possibility of trying to help the students there.  The story that he shared that he said touched him the most was the one of the children at FBC, Cassville, having a garage sale in order to raise money to help the children there have backpacks and uniforms.  It was clear that it touched the parents, also…and…it still touches us. 

Sam and Professor Mario

He told them that no other school in the area had ever had been as blessed as the Cristóbal Colón school was being blessed.  And then he began to tell them about the team that is coming the first week of March and what a privilege it is for the school to have a group come to do an English Camp there.  He told the parents that it was very important that they not only show their support for what this group wants to do but to show their support of their children by making sure they attend.  He said, quite proudly, that this was also a first for the area and that it was a very special thing to be the school that was chosen for this.  We’re pretty proud of our church for offering to do this for these kids, as well!    

Jim spoke after Professor Mario and briefly told of how we came to Somoto, how we had prayed that God would show us a school where we might be able to help and how He answered that prayer by bringing us to El Melonar.  He explained that the gifts that we brought were not gifts from us but were gifts from the Lord provided through the giving of others.  He told them that there were people all across the United States who were praying for this little community and this school…that seemed to resonate with many of the parents there.  Their expressions changed just a little and I could see them begin to soften even more.  

Then it was my turn.  I tried to encourage the parents by reminding them of what an important job they had by ensuring that their children come to school every day.  I told them that those children were the future of their country and that we wanted to make sure the children had the opportunity to go to school this year because their education is so important.  I then told the children that we did our part in delivering the supplies and now they need to do their part by studying hard and staying in school.  I told them they need to have dreams, big dreams.  I told them that I never thought I would be living in Somoto, Nicaragua but that is where God has brought us and so I know that with God, nothing is impossible.

And then we handed out the backpacks and uniform packets.  That’s when the children came alive.  They all seemed so excited when their name was called and they got to come forward to get their bags.  Jim took pictures while I handed out the backpacks and Sam handled the uniform packets.  I think I had the best job because almost every single child gave me a handshake, a hug, a kiss or a combination of two or more of those!  They made my heart sing…and my eyes a bit teary more than once!

This is Harold...so anxious to get his things!

Look at the joy on that face!

This is Omar...a young man who is very serious about school

Looking at her Jesus tract

As if my heart wasn't already melting!

Katia is a student who wants to be in school and wants to learn

I don’t even know how to describe what it did to me this morning (and now, just thinking about it) to see how those children’s eyes would light up when it was their turn to come up front to get their things.  All but the very smallest said “thank you” without any prompting and many of the parents did, as well.  Two of the girls threw their arms around my neck…one was a pre-schooler and the other one was a sixth-grader.  The first one was so sweet…the second one was humbling.  To know that school supplies meant that much a young girl is more than even I can fathom…I didn’t grow up thinking that going to school was a privilege…it was something I had to do.  I have gained so much respect for what that opportunity really means.  

After we finished with the distribution for the children’s things, we then gave the teachers their supplies.  I never thought I would have to explain what a pipe cleaner was but Prof. Mario had no idea what they were or how they could be used.  One of the moms immediately took 2 out of the package and told him that you could make ears for an animal with them.  He smiled politely and thanked us.  I still don’t think he has much vision for what he can do with those fun little bendy things!  

After most of the parents left, one of the moms brought us wedges of watermelon.  Nice, juicy, sweet warm watermelon!  No plates, no forks and probably cut with a not-so-clean knife!  I don’t even remember the last time I ate watermelon like that…with the juice running down my chin and all over my hands.  We stood outside, laughed, talked and spit seeds…and as I looked off in to the distance, watching the clouds go over the mountains, I thought to myself what a wonderful gift it was to be part of this whole thing and just how very good our God is!

Once again, I wish I could find the words that would adequately express the gratitude that Jim and I have for all of you who have given to support this project.  So many people have given so generously to make this happen...your time, your prayers and your finances; our Pennsylvania friends who collected donated uniforms and sent them down to us; children who did chores, gave up treats, sold their own belongings, who gave up their allowances in order to make sure other children had notebooks, pens and pencils.  It’s all just so remarkable…such a work of God!   Thank you.  Two simple words just can’t convey what we feel.  

For those of you who have asked, here’s a list of what the children received.  Each child received a backpack with anywhere from 2-7 notebooks, depending on their grade requirements; a math notebook for the older children; an art pad; 3 pencils, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 pen, 2 erasers, glue, colored pencil set, modeling clay, white-out, scissors, ruler, geometry set, water colors, calculator, folder and necessary maps.  There was some variance between the youngest grades and the older grades.  The uniform packet contained 2 complete uniforms (2 shirts and 2 skirts or 2 pants), socks and a good pair of shoes.  

The teachers received 2 whiteboards, 2 clocks, trashcans, 1 large plastic trash barrel, 2 more dictionaries, whiteboard markers, whiteboard  erasers and cleaner, large packages of construction paper, ream of white paper, foamies, crepe paper, large bottles of glue, paints, extra pens, pipe cleaners, material, calendars, a nice mechanical pencil with refills, and each teacher received an agenda with Bible verses (in Spanish) on each day’s pages.  I think that’s everything…for now.  Just two more words...thank you!