The end of the school year can best be summed up with pictures. There were lots of events which made for a very fun closing to a great school year.
Mother's Day is at the end of May in Nicaragua and is usually celebrated with lots of flowers, balloons, gifts, and parties. At NCA (Nicaragua Christian Academy) we make a special gift for moms. Here Wony and Diego proudly show off the turtles they sewed together for their moms.
The elementary students also put together a program on Mother's Day. In this picture, the students are dressed as animals in the rainforest. The story they acted out resembled how important even the smallest and weakest animals in the rainforest are and that even the smallest actions done can make a big difference.
Debora, a fourth grade student, was the winner of the soccer ball 'juggling' contest. Students had to see how long they could keep the ball in the air by bouncing it off their knees and feet without letting it touch the ground. Debora juggled the ball 17 times in a row earning her the trophy over all the other boys and girls in the elementary.
Once again students at NCA participated in the CRWM (Christian Reformed World Missions) poster contest. Mika shows off her poster, medal, and gift she was awarded for achieving Honorable Mention in the 9-10 age category.
The closing of another school year also means saying good-bye to those who will not be staying in Nicaragua. Since coming to Nicaragua I have been apart of a Bible Study that has continued to meet over the past three years. Sadly we will be saying good-bye to Pam as she will be returning to the states. For our last meeting together, we prepared a traditional Nicaraguan meal of cacao and quesillos.
With school out we finally find ourselves free of students, papers to grade, lessons to plan, and meetings to attend. What do we do with all this time on our hands? In the three years of being in Nicaragua I have never been able to get anyone really excited about playing hockey. But finally this weekend we scrounged up some old forgotten hockey sticks and found a space under street lamps to play a hockey game. This picture here is of Team Canada which is made up of me the Canadian, Nathan who is married to a Canadian, Rachel who has a Canada flag sticker on her water bottle, and Jason and Kate who could potentially pass for Canadians. 
And finally... a special dinner to say good-bye to all of those leaving on our staff this year. Fortunately Rachel and Carey are not among those leaving Nicaragua, but they were good friends to pose with to show off my new look. Notice anything different?
And finally... a special dinner to say good-bye to all of those leaving on our staff this year. Fortunately Rachel and Carey are not among those leaving Nicaragua, but they were good friends to pose with to show off my new look. Notice anything different?