Prayer Letters
Previous Letters
June 2010March 2010
December 2009
September 2009
June 2009
March 2009
September 2008
June 2008
March 2008
December 2007
September 2007
June 2007
March 2007
December 2006
September 2006
June 2006
March 2006
December 2005
September 2005
June 2005
March 2005
December 2004
September 2004
June 2004
March 2004
December 2003
September 2003
June 2003
March 2003
December 2002
September 2002
June 2002
Here are our prayer letters that we write every three months. If you are not on our email list and would like to receive these letters, please sign up today. Enjoy reading!
March 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
January and February are definitely my favorite times of the year in Nicaragua. The weather is wonderful, usually in the high 70s to high 80s with a constant breeze blowing. And usually we have just enjoyed time with family and friends over the holidays and feel rested and excited to begin a new year. This past December Samantha and I were in California with my family for a month, and Thomas joined us for the 2 ½ weeks that he had of vacation from work. We had a wonderful time with family and seeing so many friends. It was definitely memorable as Samantha took her first steps and really began to use a lot of the baby sign language that I had been teaching her. Upon returning to Nicaragua life was in full swing right away.
One of the main reasons that I love this time of year is because of the backpack and scholarship program. The Nicaraguan school system runs on the calendar year so the youth and children are enjoying their last week of summer vacation in January and getting ready for school to start, usually the first week in February. In January I am getting things ready for giving out backpacks and school supplies to students who passed their grade the year before. This means setting up times to meet with students and/or their mothers to look at their report cards from the year before. A list is formed of the students who will receive a backpack and school supplies or just school supplies for those whose grades were too low (they take a second exam that allows them to pass). It also means going to the biggest market here in Managua (just over 85 acres) to find the best deals on buying the backpacks and school supplies. This year I came home with 450 backpacks (another 100 backpacks were donated) and enough school supplies for 700 students. Now putting it all together.
Every January for the past five years we have hosted a team from a Methodist church in Pennsylvania. They are the ones who do most of the fundraising for the scholarship program. When they are here, they usually help us do various projects around the sports center, sometimes run sports camps, and also help me pack and deliver backpacks. Well, each year the number of backpacks that I have been able to put together continues to grow, and no matter how many I decide to do, I am still turning students away saying that I do not have any more supplies. For the past three years 3-5 members of the team have decided to stay an extra week to help finish packing all of the backpacks. This year we packed over 550 backpacks as well as 150 bags of just school supplies. And while $6-10 may not sound like much in order to buy and pack a backpack, for many families it can be quite costly especially when they have two, three, four or five children in school.
With backpacks packed and delivered and scholarships underway, my favorite time of year draws to a close especially since the HOT months are right around the corner. However, we know that God has many more plans for this year, and we look forward to seeing what He has in store.
Seeking Him for life,
Financial Note
This year the NEO Foundation has decided to begin taking an 8% administrative fee from all donations.
See more pictures of Samantha.
"dale una luz a los que aman tanto vivir en Nicaragua."
~ Guardabarranco (Nicaraguan duo)