Random Happenings

…AKA Photo Dump Just wanted to post a few pictures of the last few weeks and let you know a few things we have been up to. Enjoy!

We helped some of our students prepare for an English song competition that took place it Esteli. It was really fun to get to know the students, and they worked really hard on their pronunciation and dance moves. They didn’t place in the top three, but they definitely deserved to be proud of all their hard work!

There was a “grand opening” party for the Mirador (Lookout) the muncipal government just built, that overlooks our town! There was music, lots of people and even bounce houses It was fun to see the community out, and the mirador is a great addition to the community—plus great views! We are thinking a picnic at sunset will need to happen here!

San Nicolas: Decoration at the mirador

San Nicolas from the mirador. It’s beautiful!

A lot of our time at the school has been working on the organization of the library. This includes going through all the books, making an inventory, and lots and lots of piles If you know me, you know I am right in my element…organizing everything. Davie and Sarah helped raise money to build the library. It will be a great addition to the school, and will encourage literacy and reading for fun.

 

Teaching a primary English class outside of the elementary school in La Garnacha because we didn’t have keys to get in. It worked pretty well. And the kids are super energetic about learning English, so that makes our classes a lot of fun.

Elementary English Class. Yes, texting has started to be a distraction, even in 2nd grade. Haha.

Graduation picture day for the seniors.

Stenciling out letters for the library sign at the high school.

My view of my sisters volleyball game. I loved being able to see Abbi and the whole team in action. Skype really is a pretty great invention. Go Bruins!!

Our neighbor—Henry—helping us put up some barbed wire fence. You will probably hear more of his name throughout our blog. He always seems to be in on all our crazy house adventures. Including snake chasing, flood prevention, and teaching us all about our plants and yard. He’s awesome and always has a smile on his face. We are blessed with awesome neighbors!

Mission Accomplished!

Things continue to go really well here in San Nicolas. Spanish is coming along poco a poco (little by little). Everyday we feel like we are understanding more!! I think I mentioned this before, but we really do love the small town feel of San Nicolas. And the sounds of horse shoes clomping through town makes us feel right at home (Middlebury!). We continue to build relationships, and continue to discern and plan for what our responsibilities may be at the school and in surrounding communities. We are excited about the possibilities!

We also continue to be amazed (and love!) the slower pace of life. We often find ourselves sitting at the ktichen table after spending 1-2 hours on dinner and saying that we would never have time for that in the states. We are getting pretty creative in the kitchen (homemade pizza and bread) and are also spending a lot of time front porch sittin’…watching the town go by We are soaking this up now, especially with the understanding that we will have more responsibility when the new school year starts.

I think that’s all of now! I hope all is well for you and that you are finding time to slow down and reflect and spend time together (even if it’s not baking bread or pizza!) Whatever moment you have to slow down…breathe it all in. Those are important moments for a break and reflection. Soak it up! 

Much Love,

Alli