Prayer is the foundation for the success of Nicolás Fund for Education! Please join us as we meet to pray for all our students and staff on the third Saturday of every month at 8:00 am. The meetings take place at Evergreen Covenant Church, 3200 78th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040. Students submit prayer requests for us to pray for. This is a great way to get to know students and their stories!
Nicolás Fund for Education Impact Team Opportunities
Applications are being accepted now for the July 20-30, 2018 NFE Impact Team trip, and those applications and instructions can be found at nicolasfund.dream.press under the tab “Your Impact at Work”. The dates for the fall Graduation trip are November 8-18, 2018.
14 Nicolás Christian School Graduates Now Pursuing College Education!
Thanks to the Ten Talents Scholarship fund administered through Nicolás Fund for Education, Twelve students are attending college at the University of San Carlos in Nebaj! Ten of these students are participating in the Ten Talents Scholarship Program and will repay a portion of the scholarship. Those repayments are critical to funding scholarships for future graduates of Nicolás Christian School. Another student is in nursing school in Nebaj. An additional student is receiving a college scholarship through a different organization, FEP Maya, and is studying in Quetzaltenango (also known as Xela).
Nicolás Christian School: Excellence in Education on DVD
[spacer height=”20px”]How might Nicolás Christian School serve communities too remote for students to attend our school? Some of these communities might only have a school with a teacher but lack the resources for junior and senior high school curriculum. Nicolás Christian School hopes to share the blessing of our excellent teaching staff by making DVDs of classes that could be distributed to other schools or as part of a Nicolás Christian School distance learning program. One example would be English classes presented by our own Professor Moises, who is one of the best English teachers available in this region. The majority of teachers in this area attempting to teach English have a poor grasp of English themselves! Other classes could include mathematics, information technology, etc. This is more cost-effective for remote villages because they can have one teacher running a junior high school instead of employing eight or nine teachers for specific subjects. This concept called telesecundaria is quite popular in Mexico and Central America as a means to reach distant small villages without resources to build or operate a school. In some cases, classes can be streamed live if internet capacity exists. Where internet does not exist, all that is required is a TV and a DVD player and electricity or a generator. A local teacher oversees the program and the discussion period that goes over the material after it is shown. Even more benefits A side benefit of this program would be the education our Nicolás Christian School students would receive during the filming and editing process that could prepare them for potential future employment in the field of communications.
NICOLÁS FUND FOR EDUCATION TO BUILD NEW SCHOOL NEAR COTZAL
The Nicolás Fund for Education Board made a final decision concerning the location of our new school, and the location will be close to Cotzal. Our current lease in Nebaj ends in 2019, and by then it is anticipated that our student body will exceed the space available in our current location. The decision followed prayer, and the NFE Board felt God’s clear presence and direction in this decision. The Widow’s Olive Oil The Board shared a devotional on 2 Kings 4, “The Widow’s Olive Oil”. In this passage, Elisha advises a widow wondering how she and her sons will survive with so few resources. All she had was a small container of olive oil. Elisha advised the widow and her sons to go and collect as many containers as possible from her home and from all her neighbors. Elisha instructed the widow and her sons to shut their door and begin pouring the olive oil into all the containers. The widow filled all the containers until there were no containers left, and at that point, the oil ceased flowing. The widow was able to sell the oil, pay off all her debts and she and her sons were able to live on the remaining funds. God’s supply was as large as the widow’s faith and obedience. As long as we are without greediness or improper motives, God will supply. We are imperfect earthen vessels, so we must empty ourselves of priorities and goals and then present ourselves as vessels to be filled (controlled) by the word and spirit of God. As the Board contemplated this passage, we felt the assurance of God’s financial provision for His plan. The Board …
Did you miss the Nicolás Christian School 2017 Graduation?
Did you miss the Nicolás Christian School 2017 Graduation? Watch it here!
Did you know that you can support Nicolás Fund for Education through your Christmas shopping?
[spacer height=”20px”][spacer height=”20px”]BelPres Alternative Gift Market Buy gifts for your loved ones that are packed with purpose and meaning! Bellevue Presbyterian is again offering an Alternative Gift catalog. The hard copy catalog may be picked up at the kiosk in the lobby on December 3rd, 10th or 17th. Cash or checks will be accepted for purchases in the lobby, and you will receive a gift card that can be given. The AGM catalog is also available online. NFE Alternative Gifts include a gift of library books in Spanish ($10) or musical instruments ($25). Through purchasing an AGM gift, your generosity allows the recipient to feel great knowing that their gift provided necessities that help educate youth in the Ixil region of Guatemala![spacer height=”20px”][spacer height=”20px”] AmazonSmile If you purchase a more conventional gift through Amazon, did you know that you can support NFE by purchasing that gift using AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile offers the very same items as Amazon. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to NFE! To get started, go to www.smile.amazon.com and log in using your current username and password. Be sure to designate Nicolás Fund for Education as your charity of choice in the spot “Or pick your own charitable organization”. Then begin shopping![spacer height=”20px”][spacer height=”20px”] Corporate Matching Make Your AGM gift or #GivingTuesday Donation Go Twice as Far! Does your employer match charitable contributions? If you aren’t certain, today is a great day to find out! Many companies match charitable gifts made by their employees. Check with your company’s Human Resources department to learn more and to obtain forms needed to execute the …
2017 Nicolás Christian School Graduation Trip
By Kathy Riper[spacer height=”20px”] The NFE November 2017 Impact Team consisted of Jan Snyder, Ruthie and Gerry Cravens, Linda Brewer, Bea Morrison, Stephanie Filipiuk and Kathy Riper. The primary purpose of our Ixil visit was to attend the Nicolás Christian School graduation of Junior High and Senior High students. It was a lovely ceremony and a joy to witness these young people receiving their diplomas and stand with their proud parents for photos. María Castro, the honor student of the Senior High class, delivered a moving speech. She was articulate, spoke with confidence and spoke without using notes. The parents are proud of their children’s achievements. However, having one or more of their children attending the full day school program Monday through Friday means that these children are not available to help around the house or in the fields. Most parents have had little or no education but they understand the value of educating their children. Other trip highlights were the village visits to La Bendición, Belén, San Nicolás, La Esperanza, Los Angeles and Villa Hortencia Uno. Regina, a graduated sixth grader from San Nicolás, got permission from her parents to greet our team when we arrived. She had changed out of her work clothes and was dressed in a lovely huipil and corté (blouse and skirt). The San Nicolás tutor, Tabita, shared with us that when Regina started the tutoring program this past January she could not read. Regina worked very hard all year and is now reading and eager to start 7th grade at Nicolás Christian School in January. Pedro, the Belén primary school teacher, greeted us when we arrived. Two students who will be 7th graders at Nicolás Christian …
Feedback from Sprint Team
Nicolás Fund for Education received feedback from the five-member Seattle Pacific University SPRINT team that visited Nicolás Christian School in August 2017. The team stayed in the village of La Esperanza for the duration of their thirty-day visit. The team assisted teachers at Nicolás Christian School and one of their prime objectives was to assist our students in practicing English. What was the best aspect of their time spent at Nicolás Christian School?[spacer height=”20px”] “Their attitude and the way that they were treating the students were amazing.” “We share a lot – not enough – but it was a great time.” “There are so many memorable experiences that I will always continue to remember during my time in Guatemala. The first day that we arrived at NCS was amazing. They were all so friendly and welcoming.” “It was affirming for me personally to know that I was here intentionally and for a purpose.” “I also enjoyed getting to know the teachers and students there throughout the whole month.”