Spring Break

A group of 28 students and teachers from Jackson Christian School spent their Spring Break with us last week....and we are still recovering. Look at some of the work that was completed:

John Bentley and Matthew Sorrell making cabinets for the school kitchen

Judy Bentley adding hardware to the kitchen cabinets

Vacation Bible School

Cristina with the butterfly she made at VBS

Megan painting a picture for the new school library

                             We were also blessed to have Mark and Tammy Maybrey
                              conduct a seminar for the preachers and their wives.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. .

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

Thanks to those of you who donated books for the school library. We have about
50 books and would love more. Visit www.amazon.com and search children's books
in spanish. Books can be dropped off at Campbell St. Church of Christ
1490 Campbell St
Jackson, TN 38301

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Dios te bendiga,

James and Kim

And so it begins....

The 2012 school year at Nicaragua Christian School began February 13th with approximately 270 students!  Here are some pics of some of the students in the three year old class:

There are 35 three year olds who need sponsors and several new students in other classrooms who need to be sponsored, as well. Visit the school website at http://www.nicaraguachristian.org/  to find out more about sponsoring a child.

New this year....

 A playground

                                                                    

 and a kitchen on campus

Preparing lunch for the students

We are also hoping to complete a library and soccer field this school year.  Speaking of the library.....we are in desperate need of books.  You can find children's books in spanish at http://www.amazon.com/.  Please buy a book, or two, or more to donate to NCS.  Books can be dropped off at Campbell Street Church of Christ. There is a group from Jackson Christian School that will be coming to NCS over spring break March 9th-16th and they can bring the books with them.  The students can't wait for the library to open!

Another program we hope to kick off this year is the Elsie Tee Rudd Project SHARE (Sharing Hope and Resources with Everyone). This program was designed to provide families in Nicaragua with an opportunity to end the cycle of poverty for their family. With the help of funds given in honor of Elsie Tee Rudd (who recently celebrated her 100th birthday), this project will supply families with livestock to breed, sell, or trade. These families will in turn provide the project with offspring which will continue to expand the project to other families.

We were honored to receive a goat as a gift from our neighbor.  This gift was not intended to be a pet, as our children had hoped, but for food.  After caring for him for a week and despite the protests from Kora and Jaden, the goat was grilled and served following Sunday worship services.  Kora and Jaden did not attend the fellowship meal because they didn't want to even see the goat meat.  Kim attended the meal, but did not partake of the goat saying that she can't eat an animal that she has met.  Everyone else seemed to enjoy the goat.
 


Our neighbor, his son and the goat

Jaden's protest signs
"Save the goat"

On February 4th, the church at Primero de Mayo held a Vacation Bible School.  There were about 100 people who attended.  The morning included singing, crafts, balloon animals, face painting, games and snacks.  We look forward to seeing what else God has planned for this community.   

 

 

New Year, Renewed Hope

 

Happy New from Nicaragua!  We were greatly blessed by our time in the states, but we were also glad to get back to Nicaragua.  During our time in the states, a new preacher was hired for the church at Primero de Mayo in Leon.  Espertaco (who also goes Burrito and Enchilada) graduated from Baxter University in Honduras.  While attending Baxter, Espertaco met Sergio.  For those of you who don't know Sergio, he is the preacher hired last March to work at the school and he also coaches the school soccer team.  Espertaco and Sergio became friends and discussed how they would love to work together one day.  God has made that dream come true and we are so excited to have Espertaco, his wife, Doris and their three children working with us. 

Thanks to all who sent shoe boxes full of gifts for the students at Nicaragua Christian School.  The children were so excited!  

School begins February 14th....el dia de amor (Valentine's Day).  Kim can't wait to see all the students, especially the 35 new 3 year olds.  A playground is being planned and will hopefully be completed by the time school starts.  The new preschool building is complete and we will begin setting up the 3, 4 and 5 year old classrooms over the next few weeks.  In years past, the meals for the students were cooked in a home and brought to the schoool by a taxi, but this year meals will be cooked on campus.  One of the classrooms will serve as a kitchen which will make serving 250 kids much easier.  Kim is very excited about creating a school library this year.  We have designated a classroom for the library, we just need books to fill it.  Please help us with this project by donating some children's books in Spanish or Spanish/English.  Books can be dropped off or sent to:  Campbell Street Church of Christ 1490 Campbell St. Jackson, TN 38305.



Kora and a neighbor



Jaden playing with Ariana, our neighbor

Kora with a new baby at church

We want to send a special thanks to Skyline Church of Christ VBS kids who wrote letters to us.  I can't tell you how much we enjoyed reading them! 

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. 

I thank my God everytime I remember you.  Phillipians 1:3

Dios te bediga,

James and Kim

Our God is an awesome God

Where to begin?  God has been hard at work.  In September, we made an appeal for financial support for the upcoming year.  These funds were needed by October 1st.  The last day of September, with little to no response to our plea, I realized I hadn't prayed about our need.  Feeling ashamed for not bringing it to God earlier, I began to pray that God would touch the heart of someone to pick up the phone or to write a check that day. Eager to speak with our church, but wanting to give God time, I waited as long as I could to call the church office.  I called the church office about 11:00am to discuss a few things that had come up at the school that day and nonchalantly asked if we had received any money.  The church secretary informed me that a large donation had come in, several families committed to a small monthly amount and others called to ask what are needs were. I don't know why we are so surprised when God answers our prayers.  Our God is an awesome God.

We have three programs that we want to raise money for in 2012: a youth rally scheduled for January, a soccer field and a livestock program.  $1000 has been given to each of these programs. Our God is an awesome God.

Jackson Christian School has donated all their soccer jerseys and shorts from the past 20 years!  The soccer team at Nicaragua Christian School will have uniforms for many years to come. A special thanks to Alicia Maners who took the initiative to approach her soccer coach and make him aware of the need for jerseys at NCS. Our God is an awesome God.

A new preacher, Espertaco, was hired for the Primero de Mayo Church and will begin in January.  He is married and has two children.  Espertaco and Sergio, the school minister, attended Baxter University together and talked and dreamed about working together one day.  God is fulfilling this dream by opening the door for Espertaco to join us.  Please pray for him and his family as they make this transition. Our God is an awesome God.

Following kindergarten graduation on November 25th, Xiomara, the school director, made her first visit to the United States.  She was in the states for two weeks and was able to visit many churches that support Nicaragua Christian School.  Although she missed her rice, she enjoyed her time in Tennessee and seeing snow for the first time.  Our God is an awesome God.

Currently we are in the states enjoying the holidays with our family and friends.  We will return to Nicaragua on January 6th. Classes at the school will begin in February.  We are excited to get back to Nicaragua and see what God has planned for this upcoming year.  2011 strengthened our confidence in prayer and I am anxious to see how that confidence will transform us in 2012.  Our God is an awesome God.

Jaden and Kora



James and Kim

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dios te bendiga!

Once upon a time

Once upon a time, there were some missionaries who had good intentions of informing their friends and family in a far far away land of their adventures.  Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into more weeks, and the fairy blog mother appeared to the missionaries and with a wave of her wand, the missionaries were able to get their children in bed at a decent hour, so that they had time to write a blog before midnight.  So before, the clock strikes twelve and exhaustion over takes us, here are some of the things that have been happening.

On Sunday, October 3rd, all the Churches that are sponspored by Campbell Street Church of Christ met together for worship at the school.  Hopefully, this was the first of many combined worship services to come. 



1st Annual Area Wide Worship

Some of the precious children who attended Sunday School:

We spent a few days in Jinotega at Mision para Cristo.  There are three American families that we met last year at the World Mission Workshop that just moved to Nicaragua.  It was wonderful to spend time in worship and fellowship with them ,sharing ideas and experiences.



A truck in Jinotega.....how many people can you fit in your vehicle?




Jaden, at the top of a mourntain in Jinotega



Kora enjoying the view in Jinotega

                                            
We hope to purchase playground equipment in the next couple of weeks.  Looking forward to seeing the kids faces as the playground is being constructed.  The school year is coming to an end and there have already been several parents who have come to register their three year olds for preschool next year. We are anxious to see what God is going to do our second year in Nicaragua.

 Visit www.comefillyourcup.wordpress.com and read about the Missionary of the Month.

Thanks to all who filled shoe boxes with toys, school supplies, candy and other goodies.  There were a total of 280 boxes!  Your generosity is greatly appreciated.  The boxes should be in Nicaragua by the beginning of December and the school minister will distribute them to the children.

Please continue to pray for us and the work that God is doing in Leon, Nicaragua.

Dios te bendiga

Help wanted

We moved to Leon, Nicaragua in January of this year to work with Nicaragua Christian School and the preachers that are supported by Campbell Street Church of Christ.  As our first year here quickly comes to an end, so do our funds. We need your help. We need fifty people starting in October willing to commit to give $25 a month so that we can continue to serve in Nicaragua. Some of the things we have been blessed to be part of this year: establishing a church that meets at the school, beginning a soccer ministry,  providing support and encouragement to the preachers and assisting mission teams.  To God be the glory!  With your help, in 2013, we hope to provide an adult learning center to teach literacy and English using the Bible, expand the soccer ministry, and open a clothing closet and food pantry.  Please prayerfully consider this opportunity.  If you can help in anyway, please contact Betty Baker at 731-427-9511 or bbaker@campbellstreet.org

Thank you for all the support and encouragment you have provided us this past year.  We have felt the power of prayer and ask that you continue to pray for our family as God continues to open doors of opportunity.

Dios te bendiga (God Bless you),

James, Kim, Kora and Jaden Bracken

Are you ready for some futbol?

Futbol (soccer) practice has begun and the boys are having so much fun!  Sergio and Exequiel are fantastic coaches. They are not only teaching soccer skills, but discipline, respect and teamwork. The boys have shown a great deal of improvement already.  They are passing the ball and utlizing the space of the field.  We hope this soccer ministry will open doors for them to attend college on soccer scholarships, because otherwise they are very unlikely to attend college since their families cannot afford it.  Several boys are not able to play soccer due to their poor grades.  In fact, one boy came to practice and had to be comforted by Sergio for atleast 30 minutes.  The same boy also showed me (Kim) a drawing of himself sitting on the sidelines crying because he couldn't play soccer.  Hopefully, we can help him get his grades up so he can join the rest of the team soon.

Praying before practice




The 4th graders




The 3rd graders




Exequiel and Serigo,the coaches


Summer didn't want the girls to be left out while the boys were playing soccer, so she has begun a class for them.  The class includes a bible study and making a craft. The girls love this time with each other and Summer. 



Prayer time




The beautiful bracelets the girls made




The girls


Along with futbol season, it's also harvest time.  The 3rd and 4th grade students were able to glean the field this past week as they gathered corn for their fellow students and families.  The rest of the the corn will be sold to raise money for the school.




Do not reap the very edges of your field....leave them for the poor.  Leviticus 19:9-10




Share with the Lord's people who are in need.  Romans 12:13

 

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.  Hebrews 13:16




Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.  Mark 9:37




We love because He first loved us.  I John 4:19




The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.  Matthew 9:37

 Other good news.....our road has been paved! This may not seem like a big deal but to those who have been to Nicaragua Christian School know what a bumpy, dusty, rough road it is.  Now, it's smooth sailing, except for the cows, chickens, pigs, dogs, horsecarts, bikes and people who contiune to keep the drive exciting as we navigate the obstacle course we call our road. 

We are hoping to give each child at Nicaragua Christian School a Christmas gift and need your help.  Three easy steps:  1.Fill a shoebox with items from the list below. 2. Wrap the box and lid separately in holiday wrapping paper. 3. Indicate whether the gift is for a boy or girl and place $5.00 on top of the box to cover the cost of shipping.  Each box should contain: School supplies ( pencils, pens, crayons, paper, pencil sharpener). Personal items (toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shampoo, soap, washcloth).  Clothing (socks, underwear,shorts, t-shirt, sandals, ball cap, sunglasses). Toys (yo-yos, small cars, dolls, stickers, jump rope, bubbles, harmonicas).  Filler (candy, mints, gum.  No chocolate or other candy that might melt).  All boxes need to be at Campbell Street Church of Christ no later than September 19th.  For more information, contact Christy Lovelace at 731-427-9511.

Lord, thank you for showering your blessings upon us and allowing us to be in the lives of the children at Nicaragua Christian School.  Open our eyes and hearts and help us to see others as you see them. Use us as your hands and feet.  Fill us with your spirit and let your light shine through us.



Dios te bendiga,
James and Kim