Can’t believe it’s Saturday already. I’ve been here over a week now. Pretty cool. It seems longer, but in a good way. I’ve got 11 ½ weeks left here for this trip. I want to treasure each day.
The days of the week here always seem mixed up for me. Saturdays never seem like a weekend, especially when we have teams, since that’s when they come and go. Sundays are special for church services, but we go to church a lot in the evenings all week long and almost every night when we have teams. It’s just different and I have to remind myself to check the calendar every now and then.
I will have a partial schedule to follow starting next week. Sunday = church services and rest, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays = Bible Studies, Tuesdays and Thursdays = Work at English Academy/Spanish Tutoring, Saturdays = who knows???
Our next team will be here the week of Thanksgiving. Charlie Brown will be returning with his church. It will be a lot of fun. I think there are 14 coming on that team. There is an author coming with his family that same week for a conference. He has written a book which will be shared. German and his wife Joanna have translated it into Spanish and it’s being printed for the conference. I think we are hosting the conference here at the Mission House. That will be exciting.
They finally got the new A/C unit installed in my room. It’s a split unit, meaning that the cooling part is in my room and the condensor thingy is on the roof. It’s sooo quiet! And I have a remote control for it! After the different things that happened all week long to make this seem a complicated thing, as soon as the guys got it installed and left, I turned it off and opened up my window and door again. Alberto must have thought that I was ungrateful for the new unit, but in reality, I only use it when I have to have my room closed up (like night time or when I need privacy from people being here). I will very much enjoy it and am very thankful for it!! A love offering made it possible and I will think about and say prayers of thanks for those people who provided it for me. And a bonus is that since it’s wired directly into the electrical system, I regain use of the one electrical outlet on that wall! Yay!
The sun is going down now and I think I’ll take a little swim and get some exercise. I burn too easily in the direct sun, especially in the pool. I think I hear it calling my name. ☺
Great workout in the pool. So neat to look out from the pool and see the thatched roof of the rancho and above it palm trees and the moon just coming out. So blessed!!
Had some soup and crackers for dinner. Apple chaser. A handful of mixed nuts. Might splurge and have a snack pack pudding for a snack. I love having a little microwave for my kitchen corner! I’m going to get some potatoes next time I grocery shop. I love baked potatoes! I remember when microwaves first came out – ages ago – and my sister got one. Every time I went to her house, even if I wasn’t hungry, I would ask to cook a baked potato. Ha. I still love ‘em!
Alberto’s nephew, Juvel (I think that’s how to spell his name) came by for a visit tonight. I opened the gate for him, but didn’t understand what he was asking, so I yelled for Alberto. Then I was introduced and Juvel reminded me that I met him the night I got here. He was here to pick up Alberto and take him for his 4 day off time to go see his family. Juvel said that he helped carry my suitcases. How fun to see him again. I love it that Alberto’s family comes to visit with him. Alberto stays here all month long and takes his 4 days a month off all at once. Other than that, he’s here day and night. He is very sweet. I think he understands that I don’t speak really great Spanish, but he acts like I should understand everything even if I can’t say it. He’s usually patient with me and watches out over me a lot. And you can see that he really cares for Manuel. He’s a blessing here at the Misison House.
We had a lot of visitors at the place today. Mostly workmen. 3 guys came to fix up my A/C unit. Elmo came to work on our dryer. Someone stopped to see about using the facility for a meeting. Alberto had some family over. Saturnino comes everyday except Sundays to help with the grounds and such. It’s fun to see him and Alberto together. They seem to enjoy each other’s company very much. I’m so glad that Saturnino is still working with us.
Oscar came by today to visit and drop off a video he had made of Manuel’s birthday party. It was good to chat with him. I had him tell me how to spell his girlfriend’s name, because I remember it being strange (to me anyway). It’s Joechelina. She’s a sweety and lives in another town. They take turns traveling to see each other once a month. Long distance relationships are hard. But they are a good way to get to know each other in ways other than face to face. It can be a blessing sometimes.
There was a funeral late this afternoon. I was sitting under the rancho on my computer (I have custody of the internet cable) and enjoying the sights and sounds of our home when I heard live music – trumpet, drums, guitars, etc. and some singing. I looked out our gate and it was a funeral procession going by. There was a casket covered with flowers in the back of a little truck and the people were walking a long side it. Since there are cemeteries on both ends of our block, I shouldn’t be surprised to see the processions. It seemed like a strange time to do it, but I guess that’s how it is down here. Anyway, when I came back to the rancho from the gate, Alberto and his nephew were walking this way to see what was going on. I pointed to the end of the block and Alberto nodded and used sign language that I took to represent the casket and then pointed to the cemetery. I shook my head yes and they both went back to their chairs. Kind of neat that we are familiar and can communicate that way.
I think there is going to be another church using our pool for baptisms tomorrow morning. Good to know so that I don’t go flying out my door into their midst unexpectedly. I think we are going to evening church tomorrow because of logistic issues in the morning. Since I will be in my room with the door and window shut to give the baptizing church group some privacy, I’m glad to have my new A/C hooked up.
Speaking of my room. I love having everything so handy. Living in NYC was a great preparation for me to live here. My tiny apartment there taught me some great space efficiency tricks. When I get close to returning to Nica each time, I start thinking of my time in NYC as well as times in Nica. I’m thankful for the memories, friendships and learning/growing time that God gave me there. I still miss my life in NYC very much. But I love my life in Nica very much, too. I’ve been really blessed. God has created in my a heart to live very simply and I’m most happy when I have little material possessions and can just live in a place where survival and basic living circumstances are the rule. It puts a person in a very basic and honest existence. I love it that the people here in Nica are for the most part not tainted by western culture and all the baggage that comes with it. Although, like most of the world that is not of the western culture, they think that the US is the be all, end all of the good life. They are rudely awakened if they ever get to really experience it. But their intrigue with western culture and especially North Americans make them even more interested in hearing what we have to say when share the Gospel with them. Another example of how God can use all things to bring Glory to Himself. ☺
The snack pack pudding hit the spot and now it’s time to settle in for some reading and studying before bed. I love this time of retreat to study and read and pray and share Him. I’m taking advantage of every minute to prepare for sharing with the women at Bible Study starting next week. There is so much to learn and know and share. This is what is important in life. Nothing else compares. How awesome is this Christ we call King!
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