Thursday and Friday were very difficult days for me. By the end of the week I’m very tired and stressed out. The heat zaps my strength, too. I really feel the prayers that others lift up for me. And I need them every day!
This week I was especially stressed about getting caught up with all the work for the Feeding Centers. The Pastor at Noah’s Ark is not an organized minded person at all. His son and daughter do a good job with the ledger to keep track of the kids. But the Pastor keeps adding more and more names and then removing them and adding them back with a different number… It’s very hard to keep the pictures and names sorted out for sponsorship communication. We are able to determine how many kids are getting fed each day, so that is the main thing. I think he is overwhelmed with it all. It’s good to have his 2 kids helping. Mayela and I are trying to get the process in place and have promised him that it works (doing just fine in 3 others Feeding Centers) and it will easy if he will just let it work and leave it alone. He promised that the revised list he gives us on Monday will be the last time he changes everything. We’ll see… But the kids are fed and are hearing the Gospel every day. That’s the most important thing.
Mayle and I have about 120 kids to get current pics and more personal info on so we can share with their sponsors. This covers many of the kids in the other 3 Feeding Centers. God is blessing these kids with meals and blessing us with sponsors to help to provide the food. Sometimes it’s like drinking from a firehose, though. ☺
The Bible study at La Quimera continues to encourage and bless me. We had some new ladies this week. They have homework to do for next week. (writing out how they know when God is calling them, telling if they have answered the call to accept Christ as their Savior, making strong efforts to spend time listening to His call and what He’s saying). Did I mention the Bible study is “The Call to Follow Christ”? It’s a study with reading for 5 days of the week for 7 weeks. But with our limited time (NOTHING here starts on time) and the extra time it takes say everything twice (translating my words to the class), we are covering 1 days lesson each week. This will take us through the summer, but it’s worth doing it this way. The ladies are enjoying it. We have memory verses and I told the ladies that not only do I expect them to memorize them, but that I will do so in Spanish. If I can do that, surely they can do it in their own language! I’m enjoying teaching the ladies. I learn so much myself and am blessed by the time we spend together.
Thursday was a crazy day. We stayed at the Mission House in the morning and didn’t visit a Feeding Center so that we could get some work done on the files for Noah’s Ark. I was cramming as much work as I could into the morning. I did get a lot done and felt good about that, but physically (and emotionally) I was spent.
I enjoyed teaching the Sewing class. The ladies finished up their draw-string backpacks and started cutting out the pieces for their apron project. Pastor Marvin had gotten a HUGE roll of fabric (2 men could barely carry it) and we cut pieces about 1.5 yards for each lady. They had a good time learning how to lay out the pattern pieces and cut the fabric out. Some are learning the hard way to be precise with those skills. They are doing very well. We laugh a lot and I use my limited Spanish and lots of sounds and hand signals to communicate when Mayela is busy with other ladies. The women think I’m funny, but they show their love and acceptance of me and I appreciate that.
Friday morning was hard for me emotionally. I know it’s just being tired and all. I was up at 4am and couldn’t get my mind to slow down. Being a woman, I was weepy. Sometimes I hate being a ‘silly girl’.
Anyway, Mayela and I went to Noah’s Ark and had a stressful time there trying to get the records straightened out. But we did have a good conversation with Pastor (as I mentioned above). We got back to the Mission House and I ate some lunch and then went to my room for a much needed nap.
Mayela and I went to the Rose of Sharon Women’s Bible study. We have started having a drawing for a prize (usually a package of cookies) for the ladies who arrive before 4pm. We had 12 ladies arrive early that day! We ended up giving out 2 prizes. I was so excited to get started relatively on time and we had plenty of time for prayer, study, discussion, more prayer and some fellowship. Their homework for this week is to write down their experience when God called them to accept Christ. For those who have not had that experience, they are to write down what they think it means for God to call them into a relationship with Him. We had more new ladies this week and I was excited. It’s so funny to me that they are amazed that I drive the vehicle. Another example of “crazy North Americans”.
After I dropped Mayela off at the Bus Terminal, I chose a different route to return home. I don’t really like cutting through the small streets across town. Too easy to get lot and it’s usually getting to be dusk about then. So I chose to make a few turns and return to the main road. I have to turn left onto the busy road, but it’s better than zigzagging across town. It also allows me to stop at Maxi Palí, a new grocery store that is Nica’s version of a Walmart (much, much smaller and less stuff). I was looking for some special fruit juice and grabbed some grocery items for my room. I like being able to stop in there so easily after the Bus Terminal.
Friday night, I got home and fixed a quick dinner in my room and chilled all evening long. I watched a movie and studied Spanish and read and went to bed relaxed. I loved knowing that I could sleep late on Saturday.
Mary and I had planned to go to Suyapa for lunch on Saturday, but my stomach was really messed up and we had to stay home. I babied my stomach, did laundry and rested all day. Oscar and Axel came by to bring us some movies to buy. I watched 2 movies on Saturday. It was nice.
Today we went to worship service at La Quimera. Pastor Brian and Marcela are doing a wonderful job there. They are building up the church body and bringing order to the church. Mary and I had packed some little bags to give out to the adults for coming (encouragement) and Pastor Brian chose to call each adult up by name and hand them the gift individually. It was just a baggie with toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, a comb and washcloth, but everyone treated it as a prized possession. We always enjoy our time with the La Quimera church.
On the way home from church, we stopped at On the Run to get sandwiches to bring home and I also loaded up on some juice that I have only found there. I made a baked potato to go with my sandwich and had a yummy lunch. My stomach accepted it pretty well, but I’m still kind of yucky. I’m super excited about finding the juice. It’s V8 Splash Orange/Carrot. I haven’t found anything like it here in Nica. I’m buying up all I can until they quit carrying it. You never know!
I had a nice nap this afternoon. I’m going to study some Spanish and probably watch another movie. I just have a little bit of computer work that needs to be done today. Then I’ll start another busy week tomorrow morning.
I’m so thankful that God is faithful in all circumstances. He’s my Rock and Shield. And I’m learning to grow closer to Him and to rely on Him more and myself less. I’m so glad that He has my back. ☺
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