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Showing posts from May, 2014

New Toy

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Morning Routine Play by Play--Here we are.  It is 7:45 AM at Santiago Christian Academy.  Brian is ready and at his post....... It is now 7:46 AM and the magic starts to happen.....can you hear it?  With heave-ho force, Brian begins to lift the lid......     7:46 AM....the veiled suprise beneath is revealed!!!!  What could it be? 7:46 AM  Ooooooo......Aaaaaaa....I SEE it!!!!  It's beautiful!!!!! And yet?  It's still missing something..... 8:00 AM  Now THIS is what I call a SANDBOX!!!  And a well loved one at that!!!   On a more serious note....Brian was asked to build a sandbox for the school and this is what he came up with!  As you can tell by the pictures above, the children LOVE it!!!!  A sandbox is not something you find in Chile.  Of course there are several thousand miles of coast with lots of beaches, but many of these children seldom get to travel to the coast.  And what kid does not love to play in a sandbox?  There were a few modificatio

A Child's Perspective

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You know, children shed a lot of light on a situation.   They call things as they see it and sometimes they don’t have the filters that we as adults do.   Here are some examples of what the children at SCA have said to us: To Brian: “Mr. Hovey?   You are kind of like Mr. Incredible……have you seen that movie?   You are big like that, and you make stuff happen too!” To Phyllis: “Mrs. Hovey, why do you have such a straight nose?” “Mrs. Hovey, you laugh really loud.” We also have an artistic child that likes to draw pictures of us in church.   This really makes us smile…….:0) So?   We thought to share the fun!   Here is her latest drawing…..   My first question was, “Why are Mr. Hovey’s eyes covered?” “That’s Mr. Hovey’s mask.   You know, the one he wears when he’s using that one machine….” It took me a minute to figure out that she was referring to the welding machine!   Hahaha.   The descriptions at the top of the page say it well.   “Mrs. Hovey teches.  

History Fair

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This last week we had the History Fair for 1st grade through 12th.  Lots of time and effort was put into these projects.  The prep started at the beginning of the school year during first semester. The 5th/6th grade class did a wax museum.  As each "wax figure" was turned on by a remote they told about there life.    Most of the elementary classes had display boards to over view the topic they had been working on.  The high school had many really good projects.  They included video presentations, plays, and displays.  The pictures below are just a few of them.... There were prizes awarded per grade, and it was a nice night to view the displays.  It was a different way to view history and be able to interact with it.  Way to go, SCA students! 

The Pour

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When people think of missions, many think of the “Poor.”   Well, today I would like to show you a different kind of “pour” that needs attending to on the field. One of the graduating Seniors this year is attempting to obtain his Eagle Scout title.   As a final project, he proposed making some cement flower boxes with seating on either side.   Then, in the middle, he planned to have flower trenches.   It has been a long process in the making......It is nothing like getting cement in the States.  It is a much more complicated process here in Chile.   There are different regualtions and lots of information that is required.  Everything is also much more challenging when going through a translator for everything.  The big day was today though and there was a LOT of excitement from the school as the cement truck came to pour…… Staff and students alike gathered around while this Senior and his crew of buddies got to work.   Brian has been influential in the consulting on the

Feel the Heat

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  Well, fall is in full swing here in Santiago, Chile.   The mornings are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and the leaves are falling!   With cooler weather comes the need for heat.   As we have mentioned to many of you, there are not furnace heaters here like in the States.   What you see pictured below is a photo of one of the gas heaters that are in the classrooms.   This is what takes off the chill in the mornings in our rooms.   The cage around the outside of the heater is one of Brian’s latest projects…….the heaters are hot to the touch, and children don’t always know that getting TOO close to the heater will burn them or their clothes.   He has made seven of these cages so far to cover some of the necessary rooms.   These guards are going to be very helpful and beneficial especially in the elementary classrooms.   They will keep the students and teachers a little safer. People here in Santiago have already started to change into winter weather clothes…..in

Courage

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What is the most courageous thing you have ever done? Now, wait……………………..really…………………..what is the most courageous thing you have ever done? When most people define courage they think of bravery and putting oneself in harm’s way for the sake of another.   One definition that we have especially appreciated says" This week we both have taken a step of faith, which is a courageous thing.   I (Phyllis) started being involved in a girls Bible study.   There are a variety of girls attending which includes High School girls and fellow co-workers on the teaching staff.   This is a stretch because I do not have much contact with anyone in the high school.   The elementary school and the high school are in separate buildings.     In this study we are taking Scripture and discussing it with the group of ladies present.   We also get to share prayer requests and life circumstances.   This is a big opportunity to invest in the lives of these High School girls.   While I am scare