It has been 2 months since we arrived in Nicaragua and a lot has happened since then. Here are some of the highlights...
Joining the EMI team!
It feels good, after all the preparations, to actually be in the office doing the work we are here to do. Rob is leading the post-project trip work on the Árbol de Vida project that he co-led in January in Costa Rica. This ministry provides pastor training, marriage counselling and refuge for those fleeing abuse and human trafficking. He is also working on a new project which will take place in Bolivia in June which will be a master plan and concept design for an orphanage. On this project EMI are working for Talita Cumi, a Christian charity in Cochabamba who care for the children of female prisoners. For more information about the Talita Cumi project click here.
We are enjoying getting to know the team here in the EMI Nicaragua office, a mix of both US and Nicaraguan staff and being part of office meetings as EMI Nicaragua begins to grow again. The office is Spanish speaking so lots of practice to keep up the language development!
Helen is continuing to pursue Spanish language learning with a tutor and is also completing an online TEFL qualification. She will soon have the opportunity to put this new learning into practice as she starts to teach English to the Nicaraguan members of the EMI team. She is exploring other opportunities for the medium term but for now is mostly focusing on helping the family's ongoing transition.
The children have started school:
We are thankful that the children were able to start school shortly after we arrived. Chloe is in Grade 2 and Josh is in Grade 1. The school is fully Spanish speaking, except for a 1-hour daily English class. They have kind teachers and received a warm welcome from their classmates but it has been quite an adjustment for them both. They are enjoying the range of subjects on offer - in particular technology and dance classes as well as a recent school trip. Josh recently starred as Jesus in the Grade 1 dramatization of the Passion of Christ!
Car and house updates:
We have been able to purchase a car and Helen is growing in confidence driving it - a big pre-arrival source of anxiety! Unfortunately, Rob was involved in an accident a couple of weeks back where someone drove into the side of him. Praise God no-one was hurt! However, there has been a lengthy process of dealing with the police and insurance company. We are thankful we had all the paperwork in order but the police have been unable to locate the other driver (who fled the scene) and so it looks like we will still incur some unexpected costs from insurance deductibles.
We moved into our house a month ago after spending the first 5 weeks in temporary accommodation. We are so thankful to have found a house and we are enjoying our own space and not having to live out of boxes. The house has a lovely garden and the children spend a lot of time playing football in it after school.
Rob's birthday:
We enjoyed celebrating Rob's 40th birthday at the beginning of March. We spent the weekend on the coast in San Juan del Sur and he had a birthday surf lesson which he enjoyed despite not being very good! It was nice to explore beyond the capital and have some downtime after all the changes of the past couple of months.
First day of school pic! It's a challenge keeping these t-shirts this white!
For those who pray, we would value you holding these things in prayer.
Give thanks for:
The provision of our car and our house. We're very grateful for them both!
Our team-mates who have welcomed us and helped us so much in all of our settling in processes, especially our office director, Phil, and his wife, Olivia.
Time away as a family for Rob's birthday.
Things to pray for:
The EMI projects Rob is working on - the post-project work for Arbol de Vida in Costa Rica and the upcoming project in Bolivia.
The children as they continue to adapt to their new school and learn Spanish - especially that they would make some good friends.
All of us as we miss family and friends. Pray we would make some good connections here and establish a strong community.
The church we will attend - we have visited 6 churches since we arrived but would like to settle in one soon.
The residency process - there's lots of paperwork involved in becoming residents - we are just starting this process so pray it goes smoothly!
Protection on the roads - it's a bit wild west around here at times!
If you have any questions, do give us a call or email us at quails.emi@gmail.com
As ever, we love getting your news so please get in touch to tell us how you're doing!
