Although it’s been a while since the mid-term grades from Nicaragua came out back in early August, it took some time to get all the report cards and letters to us, and we’ve finally had the time to go through them all so we can give you a report on their progress. Overall, the girls are doing fantastic. Sua, Alondra, Tatiana and Michel especially are getting incredible grades, with averages of 88%, 89%, 93%, and 87%, respectively. We’re very proud of all of them! Karina had to switch to “Sabatino,” which means going to school only on Saturdays. She was having a little trouble being able to stay in town all week for the regular school, and since she lives so far from town, it made more sense to go all on one day. Sabatino is usually for adults who have other jobs, or who live far from town, so it has likely been a pretty big adjustment for her. She’s doing pretty well, although her marks have dropped a little at the mid-term. We’ll keep you posted on her progress.

All the girls wrote us some very sweet letters. They are all very grateful for the help that you, our donors, have given them. Some of the translations are as follows:

From Sua:

“I am writing this little letter: I hope that this finds you well and healthy together with all who surround the project. I am doing well in classes and I hope to pass this sixth grade and I trust in God that he will help me.I hope that God rains many blessings over this project so that you can continue helping us and I hope that I accomplish my dreams to be what I want to be with the help that you are offering us.  I hope that all the girls are very grateful with the help that all of you are giving us. I ask our Heavenly Father that he keeps you in very good health for when you come in December. Until later, I say goodbye.”

From Odalis (Age 6):

“Hi Christa, I hope that this finds you healthy. I am good. I like my school and I am doing well in my classes. Thank you to all of you who helped me be able to study. I want very much to do well in my classes. Thank you very much.”

From Tatiana (italics are ours):

“Hello dear godfathers (donors). I want to tell you that I have done very well in class thanks to the effort and dedication of the teachers in my school. I hope to continue developing my abilities in my school “Obdulio y Rolando Linarte,” where I have been learning since preschool, and more now that you have helped me in a wonderful way. I hope to move forward to be a good student and so that my parents are proud. Thanks to God I will be a cumplidora (participant in the city festival for having good grades). I hope you are verrrryyyy healthy and I love you all a lot. Thank you.”

From Michel (italics are ours):

“Hi Christa. I hope you are healthy. The reason I am writing is to tell you the following. I am very happy because you have given me a big help and I am doing very well in my classes. On September 14, I am going to be a cumplidora (participant in the city festival for having good grades). I have asked God that I always pass my classes. I hope to see you soon. May God bless you. Thank you.”

And the most wonderful letter of all came from Fatima. Our contact Ashley told us that Fatima always says she can’t write letters, so they sat and talked about what she could write in a letter to us. Well, we were so impressed that we had to show you the whole letter, as well as the translation!

Fatima’s mid-year letter to us (click to enlarge)

Fatima’s mid-year letter to us (click to enlarge)

“Dear Christa, I hope this finds you healthy at the side of everyone who surrounds you. After this short greeting I want to tell you the following. Dear Christa, I want to tell you a little about my life and how I am doing in my studies. I am doing OK in my classes because they are very difficult. At the mid-year I failed one class because I was sick. I had to check into the hospital because it seemed like it had to do with my heart, and I couldn’t attend classes, but now I am getting better. The class I like the best is Convivencia y Civismo (civics and community) and I am learning a lot about rights, duties, responsibility, laws, about the country, etc. The class I have the most difficulty in is math because it is very tedious. I got a low grade but I am going to try and make it better by putting more attention and effort. At school I participated in dance. I danced a folklore dance on Teachers’ Day, and recently I had my quinceaños (15^th birthday celebration). I was very happy and satisfied. First I celebrated with a mass. I was accompanied by 11 escorts and all my family and neighbors. After we finished the mass we had a supper at my house with all my friends and family. We danced and enjoyed ourselves. They brought me many gifts. The thing I liked the best was the mass and the waltz, which I danced with a friend. I felt very happy and satisfied because I celebrated by quinceaños. My family and I are very grateful to you for the great help that you are bestowing on me to move forward with my studies. What I hope for in these last months of class is to get good grades. I am very happy and satisfied because I am in the first year of secondary school and I am anxious to pass to the second year. With much gratitude and affection I say goodbye to you. May God bless you. Thank you.”

We have one last piece of sadder news from Nicaragua: Glenda will no longer be with the program. Glenda is a very smart girl, but her grades have been falling continuously, and she failed three classes at mid-year. We had warned her a year ago that she couldn’t fail any classes. She seems to be a bit distracted with other social aspects of her life, and while none of us want the girls to completely avoid a social life, it shouldn’t affect their grades to the point where they fail classes. We know that Glenda and her siblings have the ability to receive a little help from other sources, so we are hoping that she continues to study and stays in school for her last year of high school. Unfortunately for us, we just don’t have the funds to keep supporting someone who clearly can do better, but isn’t interested in making the effort to do so. We wish Glenda the very best, and hope she accomplishes all she has said she wants to in her life.