Feeding the children

I was speaking to a friend of mine today, trying to explain why we were still here in Nicaragua. I couldn’t explain it exactly or give him the plan we had going forward. All I know is that Tony and I are both very excited about the work being done here with the children.

Yesterday we attended church at the chapel here at the orphanage. It was not really planned; it just happened that there were too many of us this week to fit into the vehicles. The children and young ladies looked so beautiful in their dresses. Two of them sported the braids that I put in for them.

 Tony and our new friend Rebecca played the keyboard and led worship….well you could imagine how awkward it must have been for them as they had about 5 minutes of practice. As soon as church was over Tony looked over at me and asked if I was going to make fun of him, to which I said “of course”

After service we prepared to go to a feeding center that New Hope provides food to.

 It was an awesome experience. When we arrived, there were women in the cooking area preparing food. They had Rice, fried soy patties, pita like bread and a salad. The children lined up with their bowls or plates that they brought with them and a cup for drink. We were to be the servers so we got our spoons and prepared for the line of children.

I was told that this was the only meal that some of these children received all day, so I wanted to fill their little bowls to the rim. This would have been a disaster as there were many children and only a specific amount could be allotted to each one.

When each had received their meal, we scraped the bottom of the rice pot and gave out the crunchy rice on the bottom. They enjoyed this and I thought of my Haitian mom who would always offer the bottom of the pot to me as a kid. I would never eat it and she would say how much of a treat it was for her when she was little.

We talked with the kids a bit and they played for a while after eating. Some took their food and walked home.

After much talking with the children, parents and pastors of the church/feeding center we got back in the van and headed back to New Hope. My heart was full, seeing the kids so happy and appreciative made my day.

That evening we all sat together to enjoy barbeque chicken, rice and beans and fried plantain chips. What a blessing to fellowship with believers.

We are off to Waspam on Wednesday till Saturday. I am excited to see the Lords work there and to be a very small part of it.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

More to come…

Nicaragua bound...

It has been a while since I have been able to sit in front of this computer and type but I had to at least fill everyone in on the latest developments. We are presently in Nicaragua, longer than we expected. We were scheduled to leave Costa Rica on the 19th of January. That morning we were up at 4:30am and out of the door by 5:15. Our tickets were purchased to depart at 7am though they were printed for 6am, the agent assured me that 7am was the right time. 

When we arrived at the Tica Bus station the kids sat in the waiting area while Tony and I pulled out all of the passports and tickets. After a few minutes the agent told us that we didn't have any tickets purchased. We showed him the physical tickets and told him that we were in just a week prior to purchase them. He shook his head with an OK and said "You’re are right, but your bus is already boarded for 6am and there are not enough seats for the 10 of you. Well, it was just too early in the morning for all of this confusion so we pleaded our case for over 10 minutes as we watched the bus fill up to no avail. 

They apologized for the mix up and asked us to see if the 7am bus would have 10 seats available for us (yeah right).

I excused myself and went into the ladies room to have a talk with the Lord. I asked him to intervene, if it was his will. If not, I needed him to give me peace about this and that He did. I came out, totally ok with whatever happened. Well, there were only 3 seats available on the bus so there was no hope for the Jackson clan. We changed our ticket dates to Friday the 21st at 12:30pm and headed out of the door. 

As we were walking to the bus stop, I asked Tony if he would like to go to Limon instead. Limon is on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. We have wanted to go for a while and I thought it to be the perfect thing to do  instead of going back home for 2 days. Tony consented and the kids were excited to see the beach so we took a bus to the Caribe Bus terminal. We arrived about an hour and a half before the bus departed so we ate some gallo pinto for breakfast and did our bathroom runs at .20cents a head. 

We were in Limon about 3 hours after we boarded and it was beautiful. The sun was shining and the people were friendly. We heard more English than we had heard in a long time. We walked the strip for a while and sat to enjoy the view. We watched as a news team crew came and set up their equipment to the right of us. We were happy to watch them begin when the anchor woman points over to us and the camera follows. I sat there wide eyed as she walked over to Tony and asks in Spanish, if he would like to be interviewed. Well if you know Tony, he loves the lime-light and stood up immediately to make his channel 6 debut. They spoke for 15 minutes about the food in Costa Rica and I took a few shots of Tony looking suave for the camera. : )

The rest of the day was great, we swam, took pictures and spent the night at a hotel. The next morning we were on the bus again heading back to San Jose. 

We made it back home that afternoon and had to unpack wash and repack our clothes. We were short on time as we have to hang our clothes out to dry and I was not sure if they would all be ready by 9am the next morning. 

The next morning we were up bright and early and on our first bus by 9:15am. What a sight we were hustling down the street with all of our backpacks. We got off in San Jose and did a bit of grocery shopping as we headed to our next bus. That bus took forever to get us to the Tica Bus terminal and I was beginning to think that we would miss our bus again. Thank goodness we arrived 10 min before they began to board... we were off to Nicaragua, with lots of excitement in the air.

The ride was long and it didn’t help that the temperature went from 20 to 90 degrees every hour with the ac cutting on and off. We stopped at both boarders twice to show our passports, pay exit fees and have our luggage’s inspected. 

We were picked up by our host and hostess Charity and Leo at the bus stop late that evening and brought to the orphanage. 

We were tired that night and did not get to see much until morning but we were happy to see all of the children the next day. There were 5 babies to hug and play with along with 9 children who were happy to be entertained by Tony. We really enjoyed being here and even got to see a volcano, up close and personal. 

By day 3 I wasn't sure how we were going to leave. Charity approached us and asked if we would like to stay a few more days to meet her dad who was scheduled to come for a visit. I was more than happy to say yes, and the kids said that they had prayed that there was a way that we could stay longer. 

www.newhopechildrensfoundation.org is not only an orphanage but a primary and secondary school, feeding centers and technical center for adults. God is doing a mighty work here with the help of many workers and volunteers. We were privileged to meet wonderful people like the Australian/English couple who rented out their home in England for 18 months so they can teach at the school, the college student who spent a semester here with the babies watching over them and the college graduate who is basically the house mom to the babies. We are seriously considering moving here to Nicaragua to volunteer at the home and school. Please pray with us as we decide on our future. I never intended on having to make a decision like this now, but God seems to be doing something wonderful here and we would love to be a part of it. I have tons of pictures to post and will do so once I get on my computer which we left in Costa Rica. This weekend we will be visiting the children’s home in Waspam, where the children are all from and possibly bringing a little girl back here. I suppose that I will have lots more to write about in the near future and will do so if the internet connection allows.

More to come…

A day in the life of_________

A few weeks ago I asked a few homeschooling friends to share with me a day in their life. I hope that this will bring encouragement to someone out there. During the first years of schooling it is easy to feel like you are just not doing it properly, but to read someone else's day can provide a bit of encouragement, as there is no right or wrong way as long as the children are learning.

A day in my life is nothing like it used to be. My full speed ahead engine ran out of steam years ago. We go with the flow these days and the Lord has been faithful in helping them to pick up exactly what they need, when they need it. I no longer spend hours doing flash cards and reading lessons with the 5-6 year old, yet the 3 year old is reading on his own. How did that happen? I couldn't explain it if I tried, it is the Lord. The teens basically work independently as they are given a weekly schedule that outlines all assignments due.

 I would say that our main focus these days are on learning Spanish, geography of Central and South America and the history behind these countries. The constants are math and science as we do Teaching textbooks and Apologia.

We bought home 3 adorable chirping chicks the other day. Even the teens couldn't wait to hold them. 

I assigned the younger 4 children with 2 weeks of chicken unit study including online research and experiments. It's amazing what a difference having the actual specimens in the house does for their enthusiasm. Hopefully we can keep them around long enough to observe them grow and lay eggs. : )

Now for some other perspectives:

A day in the life of Lorri in Brunswick

In eight years of homeschooling, there was never a typical day. And perhaps that is one of the reasons we were homeschooling in the first place - our unpredictable lives filled with pagers, and travel, and the precipitous joys of autism. Eventually, though, we found that daytime was playtime at Kettle Cove or Fort Williams or on the slopes at Sugarloaf, or on the shores of China Lake, and at work, and in the quiet and dark of midnight, no matter where were were,  we began the school day. Some years, school was centered on the pottery wheel or origami. Other years we'd be up to our ears in text books and tomes of literature, including mountains of graphic novels and comic books. In many ways our homeschooling life was more typical of the earlier 'dark ages' of homeschooling, those years in the seventies when we ran free, found mentors in the community of curious souls, and hid out in the dark, star gazing and swatting mosquitoes away from our flashlights and midnight snacks.

I homeschooled/unschooled my son through grade ten, five years of that as a single mom. At age fourteen son entered a public alternative high school. He graduated two years later, with honors, and is now matriculated in Maine's University System. 

A day in the life of Shari P.

So we typically start the morning about 8:00ish --well John does (12yos) since he does math with Dad before Dad goes to work. Two times a week Sarah and I leave to go to the gym while Dad is teaching math.  Then by the time we get home the boys are typically eating breakfast (or not).  John is pretty motivated so he just continues on to the next task he knows he must do.  Andrew tends to get distracted and is often found "playing" if Mom is not looking :)

We try to keep mornings "sacred" in that we don't have too many outside commitments in the morning... except piano once a week and co op every other week.  After they get Math and piano done then I go to our together work- Tapestry readings, read alouds, science, etc.  I try to do as much as possible with the boys together.. more fun for both of them.  I also teach a bi-weekly writing class for the middle aged (11-12yo) cousins - while the younger ones are taught music by yet another Auntie.

SarahBeth on the other hand does most of her work independently- I give her a planning sheet for two weeks and she just buckles down and does it- I do the correcting of math and working through Tapestry questions.  Must say I do inspect ( you get what you inspect not what you expect - my borowed motto)Fortunately she is taught science by my sister in law and also has an outside writing tutor. She is pretty busy since she also does Chorus twice a week at the local Christian school, violin and voice lessons. PHEW- so glad she can drive herself now. :)

When Dad comes home at night we typically eat dinner together and have a Bible time.  The older two kids have their own personal devotions daily.
This fall Dad also ran a weekly robotics club -- our team took first place for accomplishing missions!! :)

My husband makes this whole homeschool thing possible... without him I think I would be bald :) I should also praise God for the wonderful family community I have- we all work together amazingly well.

A day in the life of Laurie B.

Our day is pretty basic. We are at the table to get to work by 8:30. The younger kids do their quiet time (they need help with reading,etc.) Then they work on their Awana verses. Then the academics they can do on their own. Lydia(gr. 7) works on math. (saxon 7/6) and Jensen's grammar. Zach (gr. 6) works on Spectrum math and grammar. Luke (gr. 3) does Horizons math and copywork. Jake (gr. 1) does math and has a reading lesson. (The Reading Lesson by Michael Levin and Charon Langton) We do science (Jeanie Fulbright, Physiology and Anatomy) and Mystery of History together.(Linda Hobar) We also do Sequential Spelling and dictation. And When all goes smoothly, and Sadie (5) Chloe (2) and Natalia (3 weeks) are content , we read aloud. Older ones read to the younger ones a lot.

Emily (gr. 9) is on her own with Biology, Jensen's grammar, Algebra 1 (teaching textbooks) a lot of historical books (studying ancient times) plus all the handwork amd knitting she does.
Abbie(gr.11) has been part time at the high school to take advantage of the Honors classes, Latin, and music. She is excelling and this has gone well.

Afternoons are free for reading and creating and experiments. I have several musicians and we do soccer in the fall plus church activities. Also our co-op which focuses on science, history, and music.

That is a basic outline of our day. We try to be flexible but focused on our morning routine. 

Four different ways, yet these children are all excelling and enjoying their learning experience. If you are not homeschooling and you are reading this blog, consider it, you never know how the Lord may use it for the good in your life.

More to come...

 

New year, new beginnings.

Happy New year! The Lord has seen fit to grant us another year of life. Praise the Lord!
We spent our New Years eve in church, as usual and the Holy Spirit did not disappoint. We were surrounded by his presence.
I wasn't sure how New Years eve was celebrated by our Tico friends and neighbors but realized on our way home, that it was going to be another big deal. People were in the streets talking, laughing, grilling and getting their fireworks ready.
At midnight New years day, the sky lit up. It was grander than the ones from Christmas day and it went on for more than half an hour. I can't even begin to explain how magical it was. The younger kids ran outside and watched from the back yard. The older teens ran down to the front gate of our Finca and watched. Tony and I being the old fogies that we are decided that the view was just fine from our dining room windows. What an experience.
In a few weeks we will be on a bus to Managua Nicaragua to help out at an orphanage. I am so excited to see what the Lord is doing there. If you were to ask me a year ago if I would be living in Costa Rica or planning to go to an orphanage in Nicaragua...well, no one would of even asked.
How could we do such a thing with so many children, how would we ever afford it? Just not possible! But God is continuing to prove to me through grace and mercy that all things are possible. He is awesome! The bus line is called TicaBus, pretty similar to our greyhound buses in the US.

Price per passenger is $22 one way, which is about what it cost to get from Maine to Boston. The trip will be approx 7 hours, not including the stop at the border to get our visa's. This trip not only fulfills our requirement to exit the country every 90 days, but gives us a pretty awesome reason to. 

It has always been a desire of mine to feed the hungry, care for the orphan and spread the gospel and I am humbled that I may be able to do just that. 

Between all of these exciting plans, school is back in session tomorrow. Kids have had 2 weeks vacation and have spent 99% of their time on the laptops and the playstation. I am very happy to get back to school if for nothing else but to put away those distractions until next weekend. I much rather them explore the neighborhood, read books, bake or play together. 

I have kept a mental list of all the questions I have been asked these past 2 weeks such as: 

"Why did the moon turn that color during the eclipse?" 

"Can a spider really get big enough to kill a bird?" 

"What continent is Central America considered part of, North America or South America?"

These and many more will be part of their curriculum this week along with their math, literature, history, writing and Bible Study. 

We will also begin our FAFSA application this week for my oldest. She has decided that she does not want to leave us in the Fall and will be enrolling in an online University majoring in psychology. She has been prophesied over as a missionary when she was 16, so I'm excited to see the path that God puts her on. 

More to come...

Feliz Navidad!

So yesterday was Christmas, I was going to wait to post until I had gathered the information needed to write about homeschooling but thought I'd share how our day went. On Christmas eve, eve we set out early in the am and spent hours shopping for presents and ingredients.

 (See our bus coming?)

We decided that we would give out loaves of banana bread to our friends, neighbors and local merchants. For two days straight my 15 year old baked a whole lot of bread, don't worry she loved every minute of it. On Christmas eve hubby and a few of the children set out to deliver these treats wrapped in clear bags, tied with bows and mini xmas cards. The recipients would not let them walk away empty handed, so they returned home with two bags full of Tamales! They were banana leaves stuffed with masa or rice, chicken or turkey, carrots, garbanzo beans, raisins, etc. depending on the person who made it.

We were told to boil them in water for about 15 minutes and enjoy. We had never eaten them before and enjoyed every bit of them! We went to church that night and enjoyed a wonderful service. One of our fellow sisters in Christ walked half way home with us as we discussed how chilly it was that night. She spoke of her home being very cold as it was made of mostly metal and right beside a river. She said that she was believing that the Lord would provide a better home for her and her children. So for my believers out there, please keep Marisol in your prayers.
When we returned home, the older kids began their tradition of baking sugar cookies as I read Christmas stories to the younger kids and put them to bed. We were up cleaning the house around 11:59 when all of a sudden a myriad of fireworks began to go off. We looked outside of our windows to see the most spectacular fireworks show I had ever seen. It was beautiful! From the view in our dining room, you could see miles and it was a grand way to bring in Christmas day!
Christmas morning was wonderful as we celebrated not only the birth of Jesus but of my 10 year old daughter also. The kids were up at the crack of dawn as usual. Didn't matter that I told them that santa made Costa Rica his last stop, so they were welcome to sleep in a bit. (smile)
We kept gifts to a minimum this year and I was happy to see them enjoy the little that they did receive.  Though we could have, we saw no need to give ipods, ipads, laptops or cellphones. Instead they received much wanted clothing items, journals, craft items, beaded jewelry and the most prized gift of all... an am/fm/cd radio. I'm not bashing anyone who did opt for the more high tech, expensive gifts... but for us, we have decided that there are way more important things for them to value.
What an awesome day God gave us.
As we near our time to travel to Nicaragua next month, I am increasingly excited to see what God will do. We have been in touch with an orphanage with 14 children, of which 6 are babies! If the Lord wills it, we will go and minister to them in whatever way we can. I pray that we stay in God's will now and forever, Amen!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
More to come...

Hola Morena!

December 15, 2010

I did it. I went to the fiesta with the ladies from church this past Saturday! It was awesome. I spent an entire Saturday with about 22 woman of which not one of them spoke English. Well, you know what that meant, I spent my day butchering Spanish. I was anxious that whole morning while I prepared to go. I showered, pressed, dressed and headed out the door reciting memorized words over and over again in my head. As I turned the corner of our gate I waved to our Tico neighbor who called out “Hola Morena!” (Does that mean that I have been accepted as Latina? Probably not, especially since he has never heard me butcher his native tongue).

I walked down to the bus stop and was happy to see a few familiar faces there to greet me. We waited another half hour or so for the rest of the ladies and a few babies to show up and we boarded the next bus. I still had no idea of where we were going but I knew this bus and its route so at the moment I was relaxed. We rode all the way to San Jose and got off together. The woman took turns holding the 3 babies that were with us, giving the moms a break. There were merchants everywhere selling every and anything. Watches, gloves, toys, dvd's, food and kitchen sinks...literally.

We made our way through the busy streets and met up with a few other ladies and hopped on another bus. This time the ride was shorter and when we got off I was certain I had no idea of where I was. I followed the woman past stores, bakery’s and a playground that I swear looked exactly like the one I frequented as a child.

When we arrived at our destination I was starving but knew that the chit chatting was about to begin, so I sighed and thought... bring it.

After reading a few passages from the bible and praying together the Pastor's wife arrived, she announced that we would be pairing up in twos to get to know as much as we can about each other then standing in front of the other ladies to report our findings. 

Amazingly I carried on a conversation. I learned that my sister in Christ Haylee lives very close to me with a gorgeous view of a waterfall behind her home. We talked about our family's and where I lived in the US. As my confidence grew, I stood and spoke to the other woman about her.

We were served a delicious meal of grilled chicken, sausages, steak, rice and black beans. My foolish eyes said that I could finish the whole plate while my conservative belly begged to differ.

As I stuffed my face I could hear one of the babies getting fussy in the corner. Her mom was eating and she was being held by another one of the mothers in the group. Her mom looked over at her shrugged and said that she might be hungry and without blinking an eye the other woman whipped out her breast and fed the baby. Now, I am a huge advocate of breast feeding but I have never seen a woman breastfeed another woman's baby! Sure, moms and I have joked about it..but there it was in broad day light. Ha! I love these people.

After eating and playing a few more games which were all geared towards teaching us to work together, we enjoyed cake and coffee. 

The day was winding down and I truly felt like I was connecting with these woman. I didn't feel like much of an outsider, just someone who needed ever word articulated...and...said...very...slowly.

I shared a cab home with 3 other ladies and was happy to have had the experience I had. I was able to see these woman in a more relaxed environment and I dropped the constant worry of saying something wrong. I just spoke and when I was unsure I asked and they helped.

Back on the homefront, Christmas is creeping up on us and we are so unprepared. We finally have a tree, a live one I might add, but I have no idea what we'll do for presents. We have prepared the children to receive less this year so that we may have more to give to others to which they were less than thrilled about. I'm pretty certain that the Lord will direct us, even if its on the 24^th...

Homeschooling has taken on a mind of it's own as I went from a classical educator to an eclectic homeschooler. 

My kids have been doing what some may call un-schooling. I wouldn't call it that as I still give weekly assignments, but if they have an interests that I feel is relevant and will keep them engaged in learning they are encouraged to pursue it. That doesn't override all essential learning such as math, literature and science but I have definitely taken a more relaxed teaching style this year. Next blog post will include a “Day in the Life of ” just for homeschoolers. That was always very helpful to me as a new homeschooler and I hope that it will help, encourage or drive fear into someone out there... (smile)

more to come...

Saving a buck or two...

I really didn't have much to talk about this week. Things were pretty normal and I spent lots of time keeping house. I shopped, cooked, cleaned, homeschooled, bathed children, kissed booboos and entertained guests from the states.

Last night I went to church with the children, Tony had not gotten home from the cafe in time to go with us. I knew that the women were expecting me at a function next Saturday but I prayed that they would not try to ask me questions about it without Tony being there to help me with words I didn't understand. Well, right in the middle of service I heard my name and looked up at the woman at the podium asking if I would be there on Saturday. I quickly ran the days of the week through my head, smiled and said "Si, Sabado."

After church one of the ladies came to give me some more information to this event that I was clueless about. All I could catch was, San Jose, McDonalds, party, taxi or bus, 2 not 11, and will be fun. I thought that it was  in the catholic church in Guatuso at 11am?!? Oh boy, once again I smiled and said "Si, Sabado." I will not cower behind my Spanish/English dictionary (Tony). I will go on Saturday and sit next to all of my sisters in Christ, smile and try my best not to say anything stupid, so help me Jesus!

Since we have been here, our whole motto have been to live on a shoe string. No extravagances like we had in the US and absolutely no complaining about it out loud. My children have adapted very well to my surprise, even commenting on how clean they are able to get their socks by washing them by hand. (Is it weird to love seeing them scrub their socks in the laundry room sink?)

We came up with lots of ways to save money and not all include manual labor. We downloaded Skype and have used it daily as a tool to keep in contact with friends and family members. What an economical way to keep in touch. No cost involved other than your internet connection. We also purchased a device called Magic Jack. Now, I'm going to tell you all right now. I paid a minimum of $39.95 per month before taxes and fees for telephone service back in Maine. This was with the promise of caller ID and unlimited long distance. Magic Jack cost $39.95 for the purchase of it with the first year being free. After that you pay just $19.99 per year. It took literally 5 min to install and I was able to make my first test call to my mom in Florida who asked "Where are you calling from with that 305 area code?"
Nothing else is needed but your home computer and a phone. What a whopping amount of money I could have saved if I had not been too afraid to switch from AT&T and try a different company. (Don't worry, I have already taken the liberty of kicking myself.)
There are many different ways we have significantly cut down on our cost of living. We no longer have vehicles, we take the bus like most locals and the cost just cannot be compared. We can get from our home to the major city of San Jose for less than .45cents, not to mention the exercise that our bodies so desperately craved.
We hang our clothes out to dry on a line after washing which saves on electricity costs. Our cell phones are now powered by pre-paid cards with an average cost of $10 per month. We have become accustomed to eating the local food here which is very economical. (Rice and beans, fresh fruits and veggies, fresh baked bread, coconut water which seems to be all the rave in the US now, fish and unbelievable coffee.)
We have ditched the television and though we have a small flat screen sitting in our linen closet, the kids barely remember that it is there. We do love movies, always have. We used to have cable until we found out that Netflix offered instant movies online and lots of them. We ditched the cable a few weeks before we came and do not have any plans on having cable here.
When the mood strikes, we all sit around together and watch a show/movie online with our $8.99 per month membership.
If you enjoy books like I do, you can download kindle for PC from Amazon.com on your computer for free, then download a ton of free books.
Now I know that some of these money saving ideas are not possible or realistic in the US, but a few certainly are. Give one or two a try, thank me later and save a buck or two...
more to come...