Last Day - More School Visits, Classes, and a Party (Updated)

We started the day by visiting two more schools out in Tipitapa, a town about 45 minutes from Managua. Four of our children combined study in the two schools. We were thrilled to find out that three of them are doing very well.

Two of the kids are doing so well they might be able to skip a grade. They’ll be taking a test soon to determine if they can do so. The progress made by one of those kids is especially encouraging, since during our school visit last May her teacher told us she was struggling in class.

One of the school directors told us that one child has some medical problems which are hurting her studies. We went right from her school to the child’s house, where we discussed the matter with her mom. Her mom said she’d take the girl to the clinic today, so hopefully we can resolve that issue soon.

After the school visits we had lunch then visited the dance and English classes the kids attend on Tuesdays. The kids love their break-dancing class, taught by our friend Amber, who works at the local hostel where the classes are held. The kids had fun trying to teach us dance moves.

Also, it turns out the kids were on the local news last week for their dancing! We got to watch a clip of them dancing and being interviewed on TV. Very cool. Amber, the dance teacher, is also trying to get a couple of our kids to perform in a city-wide dance exposition.

I’m thrilled that the kids are involved in the break-dancing classes. Now they have something to be proud of. As I discussed in an earlier blog, the kids seem more confident now than even during our December trip. The dance classes surely have contributed to that confidence. And the classes are just plain fun, too.

Last night we hosted a huge birthday party for all of the kids and their families. Many of the dads we had not previously met came, which made it even more special. We enjoyed a buffet dinner and birthday cakes. Then, as the kids were leaving, we gave each one a bag of donated clothes and toys for their birthday gifts.

During the party we showed them video messages from their sponsors and pen pals, as well as record reciprocal messages from the kids. We also had the kids decorate quilt squares, which Emily’s mom will put together in order to auction it off during our next fundraising event.

The party was a bit chaotic, but any 50-person gathering usually is. I’m grateful for the cooperation from the team members who ran around and made sure the party was a success. Everyone was great during this entire trip.

Thanks for reading. We appreciate all of the support you all give for our work here in Nicaragua.