Mochilas!

Third grade students creating a poster of their community
using the donated school supplies after a class on what
makes up our environment.

After lots of supply shifting in my parents' basement before I came back to Nicaragua in July, we filled two suitcases... one with 33 backpacks and one with pencils galore.  Well, I can't tell you how incredibly happy these kids are to receive backpacks.  Below is a picture from students in Aguas Calientes, proudly sporting their new look.  The first grade boy, Jesús Alberto, hadn't been coming to school for the past month and a half because he didn't have a book bag.  His teacher delivered him his backpack and the very next day he started studying again.

The pencils, are just as much of a hit.  Today, I brought about 75 pencils to the school in Las Limas.  The teacher handed out one pencil to each student at the beginning of the day.  While watering the garden, one boy showed me his tuani (cool) pencil that had "Happy Halloween"written on it with pumpkins.  That sparked the conversation of what Halloween is and how it is celebrated in the US.  The group of students were amazed that on this day we go from house to house asking for candy.  (It is a pretty great tradition.)  Something as small as a pencil can be the perfect way to share American culture.

Jesús Alberto, Maryuris, Kenia, Luvy, and Mariana
1st-3rd multi-grade students

Some other updates... I am now co-planning with my teachers, which means I go to each of their houses weekly to plan the lesson for the following day.  Although it's much more time consuming, it's been a good way to personally get to know each teacher and have conversation outside of the classroom.

My women's group and I are sewing shoulder bags using material from used clothing.  Well, I haven't exactly made one yet but I did learn how to sew on a foot pedal sewing machine after 2 weeks of trying.  So far we've sold 5 at $2.50 each.  If we sell 40, we'll be able to buy another bookstand for the library to hold the mountains of books that are currently in cardboard boxes and on a folding table.

Last weekend, I went to the Miss Nicaragua pageant at the Ruben Dario Theatre in Managua because a girl from my town represented the region of Boaco.  16 other people from Teustepe and I fit in one pick-up truck to support her.  I was squeezed semi-comfortably in the back of the truck with 10 others on the way there, even though there was a ton of wind and a slight drizzle.  It was a hilarious ride on the way home with 13 of us in the back, holding the banner we had made over our heads to protect us from the 20 minutes of pouring down rain.  I can't wait to do it again.

14 more days until it will be one year in Nicaragua!

One of the cutest boys I've ever seen wrapping a trompo, 
the huge fad right now in Nicaragua.