Christmas Day was fun. I spent some quiet time talking to Jesus before going downstairs to join Sandy and Terry. It was a sweet time.
Sandy was busy in the kitchen. She loves to cook and bake and has been busy the last few days baking and decorating about 5 different kinds of cookies, a Boston Crème Cake, cheesecake and other goodies. Today she is fixing home-made noodles, mashed potatoes, home canned green beans and frozen corn from their garden and home made yeast rolls. She baked a turkey and my niece baked a ham. I helped debone the turkey, peel 5 pounds of potatoes, prepare veggies and cheese and whatever else she needed me to do. My niece made her usual sugarfree strawberry dessert for my nephew who is diabetic. We also had fresh pineapple from my Mom and homemade fudge and peanut brittle from Terry’s sisters. It was a yummy celebration!
After eating, we opened presents and it was crazy. The kids really had a good time. They got so much stuff that I don’t think they know yet what all they received! The unwrapping didn’t take too long and the cleanup went pretty quickly, too. We had dessert after gift time.
My nephew Curtis had to take the kids to their other grandparents’ home, Mom and Gary needed to get home to rest and Stacey’s family went to Michigan for a few days. The left me and Sandy and Terry to enjoy a quiet evening and we all went to bed early! Hohoho. It was a nice day.
Thursday (the day after Christmas) started out with Sandy and I taking down all of her Christmas stuff. I un-decorated the tree and helped pack stuff in boxes and tubs. A couple of grandkids came over to spend a few days, so they helped Terry put all the tubs back up in the attic. Everything is spic and span and ready for the rest of winter.
On Friday, Sandy, Terry, 2 grandkids and I went to Louisville (about 1.5 hours away) to shop at a couple of malls to use Terry’s gift-cards. Terry figured that Sandy and I would want to shop a long time at the malls, so he packed snacks for the boys and after they made a quick trip through the mall, they waited in the car for us. We didn’t really have anything we wanted to shop for, so we made a quick trip of it ourselves. We had a good lunch at one of the King Fish restaurants in town. I hadn’t eaten there for many years. It used to be a special treat to drive there and eat at that restaurant. I enjoyed my blackened talapia/grilled salmon combo with carrots and baked potato. Yum.
We then went to another mall and as we were walking to the car to drive a couple of parking lots away to Bass Pro Shop, my great-nephew teased that he would just walk. I said I would walk with him. He didn’t think I really meant it, but found out quickly as I took the hands of him and his brother that we were indeed going to hoof it. It was a mild day temperature wise so we enjoyed the walk. (especially after that good lunch!) We ended up not buying a thing at Bass Pro Shop. But it was fun to walk around there again.
We made it home and the boys had fun playing and the adults enjoyed resting.
Saturday morning, Terry decided to keep the boys home with him to shoot the rifle and bow and arrow together. They spent some time out in the woods and also messing around in the new barn (aka Terry’s man cave). Sandy and I took advantage of a kid-free day and went to the outlet mall nearby. We shopped a bit and had lunch and then stopped by my aunt and uncle’s house for a few hours. Then we hit 2 grocery stores and headed back home. We were pleasantly tired. Beans in the crockpot and a pan of hot, fresh cornbread was dinner and it was good!
I was planning on going to church with Mom and Gary today, but I woke up with a bit of tummy trouble and went back to bed till mid-morning. With the grandkids around with various ailments, it’s a miracle that we haven’t all been down with sicknesses of various types. We’ve had a quiet day here at the house. Stacey and family visited a bit. The 2 grandsons are still present and had some time outside again this afternoon. Terry went hunting out in their woods and shot a deer with his crossbow. That created great interest in the boys. Poor Bambie’s mom… But they will enjoy the meat this winter.
I’ve been spending time reading and studying and pondering about the ministry that God is leading me to for 2014. There is so much to do to prepare and it can feel overwhelming, but I know that He has it all planned in HIS way and in HIS time – even the details that I need to capture in my mind to put on paper. I get excited thinking about it all. Tired, but excited!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
December 20-24, 2013 Visit to IN
The time difference here in Indiana is 1 hour from AR and Nica. Not too bad, but sleeping in till 8am really means getting up at 7am. Blah. But nothing pressing is on the agenda, so it’s not too bad.
Sandy and I ran errands Friday morning, starting with grocery buying at 1 of 4 stores with bargains. We filled up the Tahoe with groceries and brought them back to the house and shoved the cold stuff into the fridges and then headed back out to shop. We met my nephew-in-law and kids at McDonalds for lunch and took the kids with us. Bentley was not feeling too good and mostly slept all afternoon. We ran a bunch of errands and then headed home for the evening.
Saturday morning, Sandy and I headed out again for shopping, this time with my niece Stacey. It was getting cold and it was a little bit rainy. We were forecast to get a lot of rain very quickly and flooding roads was the fear of everyone. We had a yummy lunch at Chili’s and just kept going from store to store. I was thrilled to find some stuff on clearance for Nica. We had a crockpot full of roast and veggies waiting for us at home and I was glad to get back to my sister’s cozy house.
Rains had caused rivers to rise and roads to flood, so I didn’t get to go to church with my Mom and stepdad on Sunday. I watched the 3rd week of the ‘Believe’ Christmas special from my home church on the internet. I really enjoyed it.
On Monday, I round a route around some of the flooding roads so that I could meet up with my other sister Pam and her husband Rob for our own Christmas dinner at their favorite restaurant. There is a steak place in a town about 30 miles away that has all you can eat ribs on Mondays. It was divine! We could even bring some home! I sent my ‘left-overs’ home with Rob for dinner. We had a fun time visiting with Rob’s mom and niece. It was very cold and I wanted to get home to Sandy’s before dark, because of the closing roads, so I made my way home about 4pm. Rob and Pam and I will get together again before I leave for AR next week.
Sandy and I stayed home on Tuesday, baking and cooking (mostly Sandy) and I did some quilling and supervised my great-nephew Conner with his new glue gun. It was nice to stay inside where it was warm.
We had a very nice and quiet Christmas Eve at Sandy’s and went to bed rather early. I missed being in church services, but I got to ‘ponder’ about Jesus’ birth. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to myself, with Jesus, so this was nice to have some quiet time by myself. Next, those reindeer games with the niece, nephew and their kids! God is good and it’s fun to celebrate love and Jesus with each other!
Sandy and I ran errands Friday morning, starting with grocery buying at 1 of 4 stores with bargains. We filled up the Tahoe with groceries and brought them back to the house and shoved the cold stuff into the fridges and then headed back out to shop. We met my nephew-in-law and kids at McDonalds for lunch and took the kids with us. Bentley was not feeling too good and mostly slept all afternoon. We ran a bunch of errands and then headed home for the evening.
Saturday morning, Sandy and I headed out again for shopping, this time with my niece Stacey. It was getting cold and it was a little bit rainy. We were forecast to get a lot of rain very quickly and flooding roads was the fear of everyone. We had a yummy lunch at Chili’s and just kept going from store to store. I was thrilled to find some stuff on clearance for Nica. We had a crockpot full of roast and veggies waiting for us at home and I was glad to get back to my sister’s cozy house.
Rains had caused rivers to rise and roads to flood, so I didn’t get to go to church with my Mom and stepdad on Sunday. I watched the 3rd week of the ‘Believe’ Christmas special from my home church on the internet. I really enjoyed it.
On Monday, I round a route around some of the flooding roads so that I could meet up with my other sister Pam and her husband Rob for our own Christmas dinner at their favorite restaurant. There is a steak place in a town about 30 miles away that has all you can eat ribs on Mondays. It was divine! We could even bring some home! I sent my ‘left-overs’ home with Rob for dinner. We had a fun time visiting with Rob’s mom and niece. It was very cold and I wanted to get home to Sandy’s before dark, because of the closing roads, so I made my way home about 4pm. Rob and Pam and I will get together again before I leave for AR next week.
Sandy and I stayed home on Tuesday, baking and cooking (mostly Sandy) and I did some quilling and supervised my great-nephew Conner with his new glue gun. It was nice to stay inside where it was warm.
We had a very nice and quiet Christmas Eve at Sandy’s and went to bed rather early. I missed being in church services, but I got to ‘ponder’ about Jesus’ birth. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to myself, with Jesus, so this was nice to have some quiet time by myself. Next, those reindeer games with the niece, nephew and their kids! God is good and it’s fun to celebrate love and Jesus with each other!
December 18-19, 2013 Travel days to IN
I took my time finishing laundry and packing and cleaning my room. I think it took about 2 hours from the time that I woke up until I was ready to hit the road. Deanna didn’t want me to head out too early or tired. It was pretty calm. The weather was mild and by leaving town about 9am, the sun was not directly in my eyes as I traveled east.
I usually make this trip with the end in mind. It’s almost like it’s something to be conquered. And that makes me stressed about every mile and every stop, always worrying about wasting even a minute. But this time, I’m taking each mile and moment as it comes. I’m trying to live this same way… instead of fretting over the past and stressing over the future, I’m trying to live and enjoy in the present! It will take God’s help every moment of every day!
I enjoyed my drive. I am able to listen to Christian music stations all the way on my trip, but even the other stations were nice to listen to with their Christmas music going. I sang a lot and talked to God a lot. There was hardly any traffic at all, which is why I chose to travel on a Wednesday. Some stretches of road were completely empty! Many miles of road just had me and a few cars and some semis. No problems even at the exits to cities and towns. I was very blessed. I enjoyed a conversation with a couple of ladies at a rest stop in MO. I got some maps, too. I bet they have a fun job getting to talk to people from all over. Interesting…
Wednesday night I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Fairfield Heights IL, which is the first exit east of St Louis on Interstate 64. I have stayed there a few times in the past. I like it. This time I was still very full from my late lunch at Cracker Barrel. I had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and a baked sweet potato (call the carb police!) and I was stuffed! Anyway, I was ready for walking after being in the car all day. So I drove through town a little bit to the Target store. I found some clearance shirts to take back to Nica with me. Score! I stopped by Wendy’s and got some food for later in my room.
It was getting really cold and windy, so I was glad to get back to my room and snuggle in. I made some check-in phone calls and got on the computer for a while. Then I watched some tv and read myself to sleep in the huge, comfy bed. It was a very nice evening.
I was up early and took my time getting ready to leave. It was still very cold outside as I packed my stuff back in the car. I had some of the free breakfast at the hotel and then started on my way east about 9am. I had missed all the bad work traffic and it was wonderful!
I find the stretch of Interstate 64 across Illinois very, very boring and there are very few exits for gas and food. My goal is always to just make it across IL and I’m happy. There was little traffic, so it was nice. I celebrated crossing the IN state line by singing what lyrics I can remember of ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’.
I stopped for lunch and gas in Santa Claus IN. Then it was on to New Albany IN, which is just north of Louisville KY (where the interstate heads). Once I maneuvered around the by-pass to get on I65, I was just an hour or so from my sisters. It was so nice to be driving this during the daylight. I hate driving at night. The traffic was heavy here, but moving pretty quickly. I made it to my sister’s house about 4:30 IN time. It was good to get there and get all my stuff inside. Thankfully, my brother-in-law arrived at the perfect time to carry my suitcases inside. I got cozy and enjoyed a chat with my sister.
I enjoyed my 2 day trip. I used to drive it all in one day, leaving before sunrise and getting there about sundown or after. Now, I’d rather treat myself to a night on the road and make it more enjoyable. Even though it turns into 2 days of driving and costs more in hotel and food, it’s worth it to me in my old age! Lol
So thankful for the time to spend with my family over the holidays. God blesses me in many ways and I’m so thankful. Let the reindeer games begin!!!
I usually make this trip with the end in mind. It’s almost like it’s something to be conquered. And that makes me stressed about every mile and every stop, always worrying about wasting even a minute. But this time, I’m taking each mile and moment as it comes. I’m trying to live this same way… instead of fretting over the past and stressing over the future, I’m trying to live and enjoy in the present! It will take God’s help every moment of every day!
I enjoyed my drive. I am able to listen to Christian music stations all the way on my trip, but even the other stations were nice to listen to with their Christmas music going. I sang a lot and talked to God a lot. There was hardly any traffic at all, which is why I chose to travel on a Wednesday. Some stretches of road were completely empty! Many miles of road just had me and a few cars and some semis. No problems even at the exits to cities and towns. I was very blessed. I enjoyed a conversation with a couple of ladies at a rest stop in MO. I got some maps, too. I bet they have a fun job getting to talk to people from all over. Interesting…
Wednesday night I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Fairfield Heights IL, which is the first exit east of St Louis on Interstate 64. I have stayed there a few times in the past. I like it. This time I was still very full from my late lunch at Cracker Barrel. I had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and a baked sweet potato (call the carb police!) and I was stuffed! Anyway, I was ready for walking after being in the car all day. So I drove through town a little bit to the Target store. I found some clearance shirts to take back to Nica with me. Score! I stopped by Wendy’s and got some food for later in my room.
It was getting really cold and windy, so I was glad to get back to my room and snuggle in. I made some check-in phone calls and got on the computer for a while. Then I watched some tv and read myself to sleep in the huge, comfy bed. It was a very nice evening.
I was up early and took my time getting ready to leave. It was still very cold outside as I packed my stuff back in the car. I had some of the free breakfast at the hotel and then started on my way east about 9am. I had missed all the bad work traffic and it was wonderful!
I find the stretch of Interstate 64 across Illinois very, very boring and there are very few exits for gas and food. My goal is always to just make it across IL and I’m happy. There was little traffic, so it was nice. I celebrated crossing the IN state line by singing what lyrics I can remember of ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’.
I stopped for lunch and gas in Santa Claus IN. Then it was on to New Albany IN, which is just north of Louisville KY (where the interstate heads). Once I maneuvered around the by-pass to get on I65, I was just an hour or so from my sisters. It was so nice to be driving this during the daylight. I hate driving at night. The traffic was heavy here, but moving pretty quickly. I made it to my sister’s house about 4:30 IN time. It was good to get there and get all my stuff inside. Thankfully, my brother-in-law arrived at the perfect time to carry my suitcases inside. I got cozy and enjoyed a chat with my sister.
I enjoyed my 2 day trip. I used to drive it all in one day, leaving before sunrise and getting there about sundown or after. Now, I’d rather treat myself to a night on the road and make it more enjoyable. Even though it turns into 2 days of driving and costs more in hotel and food, it’s worth it to me in my old age! Lol
So thankful for the time to spend with my family over the holidays. God blesses me in many ways and I’m so thankful. Let the reindeer games begin!!!
December 4-17, 2013
After returning to the cooler weather in AR, I looked for all my warmer clothes to be ready for the stay in the states. It was weird to wear shoes and socks all the time. Too cold for flipflops here!
There was a winter storm coming through, so I went to Walmart to get some groceries and necessities for iced-in days, as well as what I needed just because I had been gone to Nica. The stores weren’t too bad yet, but it was coming!
Deanna and I were iced-snowed in for a week. We were cozy and had plenty to keep us busy. We got ice first, so we didn’t want to drive anywhere. Then we got about 8” of snow on top of that, so we stayed inside. I enjoyed some computer work, end of year bookkeeping, quilling Christmas presents, preparing for new ministry opportunities in 2014, communication with people, catching up on some HGTV and Food Channel shows, Bible Study, reading, cooking and baking, and of course, naps!!! It was a great retreat for me! Deanna and I got to talk a lot, too. She is such a great listener and encourager. I’m blessed to be taken care of by her.
The lovely friends who loan me their car when I’m in the states, Michael and Vickie Brown, needed to borrow the car back when his truck had some issues. It was not a problem for me at all, since I didn’t want to drive their car on the bad roads anyway. It is such a huge blessing to me to get the use of their car. They think it’s no big thing. How thankful I am that God leads them to share their car with me. They are my angels!
I was very blessed to get to spend most of the day with my dear friend Becca Janes and we had lunch, ran some errands, visited the grocery store, picked up kids from schools and just had a nice time talking. She is such a sweet, sweet friend and I love spending time with her!
I had to get all of my Christmas stuff done before the 18th. I got the car back the afternoon of the 17th, and ran all of my errands in Rogers and delivered some gifts and cards. I got all my stuff packed and ready for Christmas in IN with my family. Then I got my room ready for Deanna’s family to use while I was gone. I was actually doing laundry and packing the morning I left for the road trip. No stress, just taking it as it comes…
I loved getting to spend so much ‘down’ time. I’m naturally a person who has to keep moving and keep doing things or I feel lacking. God is using different circumstances to teach me to ‘Be still…’ and to experience His sovereignty and mercy and grace. I’m thankful for His desire to draw me near to Him and to know Him and to love Him and to serve Him. I can’t imagine anything better.
There was a winter storm coming through, so I went to Walmart to get some groceries and necessities for iced-in days, as well as what I needed just because I had been gone to Nica. The stores weren’t too bad yet, but it was coming!
Deanna and I were iced-snowed in for a week. We were cozy and had plenty to keep us busy. We got ice first, so we didn’t want to drive anywhere. Then we got about 8” of snow on top of that, so we stayed inside. I enjoyed some computer work, end of year bookkeeping, quilling Christmas presents, preparing for new ministry opportunities in 2014, communication with people, catching up on some HGTV and Food Channel shows, Bible Study, reading, cooking and baking, and of course, naps!!! It was a great retreat for me! Deanna and I got to talk a lot, too. She is such a great listener and encourager. I’m blessed to be taken care of by her.
The lovely friends who loan me their car when I’m in the states, Michael and Vickie Brown, needed to borrow the car back when his truck had some issues. It was not a problem for me at all, since I didn’t want to drive their car on the bad roads anyway. It is such a huge blessing to me to get the use of their car. They think it’s no big thing. How thankful I am that God leads them to share their car with me. They are my angels!
I was very blessed to get to spend most of the day with my dear friend Becca Janes and we had lunch, ran some errands, visited the grocery store, picked up kids from schools and just had a nice time talking. She is such a sweet, sweet friend and I love spending time with her!
I had to get all of my Christmas stuff done before the 18th. I got the car back the afternoon of the 17th, and ran all of my errands in Rogers and delivered some gifts and cards. I got all my stuff packed and ready for Christmas in IN with my family. Then I got my room ready for Deanna’s family to use while I was gone. I was actually doing laundry and packing the morning I left for the road trip. No stress, just taking it as it comes…
I loved getting to spend so much ‘down’ time. I’m naturally a person who has to keep moving and keep doing things or I feel lacking. God is using different circumstances to teach me to ‘Be still…’ and to experience His sovereignty and mercy and grace. I’m thankful for His desire to draw me near to Him and to know Him and to love Him and to serve Him. I can’t imagine anything better.
Friday, December 6, 2013
December 2-3, 2013 Travel Days!
Monday started out with moving the last of my stuff to Tamara’s house and saying goodbye to the VOH team house. It was a huge sigh of relief to be done packing and moving STUFF! I just kept taking deep breaths and sighing all day long. After the tears of saying goodbye to the workers at the team house, I smiled most of the day. I was happy and those around me were somewhat sad as they were saying goodbye to visitors.
I hung out the rest of the day with Tamara and her family. Kelly and Hope Adams were visiting Tamara’s family for the week doing missions work. They were leaving on the same flight as me on Tuesday, so we all rode to Managua together and stayed at the hotel across from the airport.
We had a quick lunch at Tamara’s house and waited for Fransicso to get the van road-ready. We loaded into the van and headed to the big city. It was the first time that I have ridden to Managua and enjoyed it. I usually fight car sickness. But I took my ginger pills and was in good shape. I think my happy state of mind made the trip better than usual, too. I felt a little guilty to be so happy when the others were sad saying goodbye to each other. But I think I was a good distraction sometimes, too.
We roamed around PriceSmart (like Sam’s Club) and Tamara stocked up on some things. I checked out the shelves to remember what I might want to buy when I get back to Nica in January. I did buy some of the huge muffins from the bakery. This gave me and Kelly and Hope something to munch on for the evening and also the next morning for breakfast. (Although, I think Hope only ate one and I ate 2 and we left the other 3 for the maid at the hotel.)
We got to the hotel (across from the airport) about 5:30. There were lots of tears as goodbyes were said. I went in to the lobby to get my room key and found out the I had messed up my reservation on line and had actually paid for a reserved room in León instead of Managua. It was too late to cancel, so I ended up paying for the unused room. (I couldn’t find anyone in León who was available to use the room just for fun, either.) Anyway, the other bad news was that there were NO rooms available at the hotel. Argh! Kelly and Hope were very gracious and let me stay in their room. What angels to me! I think it gave a little distraction for Hope, too, as her teenage heart was sad to say goodbye to her boyfriend.
We rested in the room a bit and all got on the internet. We surfed the tv channels and laughed at the Duck Dynasty episode in Spanish. Not much on tv and we were all lost in our own thoughts.
Some other friends were at the hotel waiting to meet other friends traveling on our flight. The Speigels, who are missionaries moving to the US for awhile, were there to have dinner with the Brakens, who were former missionaries to Nica and were visiting for the week. Tamara was the common thread between everyone. I was actually carrying a suitcase of books back to the US for the Speigels and the Brackens were taking suitcases and guitars back for them. They looked like the Von Trapp family!
Kelly and Hope joined the others for dinner at the food court across the highway at the airport. I opted for a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. I had been ready for my favorite meal there – chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Yum! I had a little bit of time in the room by myself and then the girls got back and we all turned in early. It was a nice and quick evening.
Tuesday morning, we arose at 5am and got showered and dressed. We made it to the airport via shuttle (the traffic on the highway is dangerous most of the time). With so many people flying out (many of which had spent the night at the hotel) we wanted to get checked in and through immigration and security as soon as possible. A lot of people had already went through, so we had a few minutes for Kelly to do some last minute shopping. We got to our gate and took turns walking around and checking things out. It was pretty peaceful and relaxing.
Our flight was good. The people I was to sit next to asked if I would trade seats with a friend of theirs, and I didn’t mind at all. I ended up sitting on the aisle next to an empty seat. The guy in the window seat struck up a conversation and we talked about missions and living in Nica and his family and lots of things. I think it was a God-appointment.
Once in Atlanta, we got through Customs pretty quickly and retrieved our luggage. At this point, I had to say goodbye to Kelly and Hope and we went to our different terminals. It was nice to meet them and be blessed by their hospitality at the hotel.
I had my usual travel meal at TGIFridays in the international terminal. This time I had the steak and ribs, mashed potatoes and veggies. It was so yummy! I was having a wonderful travel day! My total layover was only 3 hours, so really I only had about 1 hour to kill. I sat in a gate with few people so that I could charge up my phone and Kindle. Then it was time to board my plane.
I arrived back in XNA a little bit late and Cathy Krupka was waiting for me. We went to Carraba’s for dinner (my first time) and it was lovely to visit together. She is a good friend and wonderful sister-in-Christ.
I made it home to Deanna’s and visited with her for a while before heading to bed. It was good to be back in her welcoming home. Jet looks a little more distinguished with more white fur around his mouth and eyes. The cat loved getting to run into my room as soon as the door was opened. All is normal here!
I’m so thankful for the travel mercies and the people I got to interact with during the day. God is faithful and sovereign and I love getting to be His daughter!
I hung out the rest of the day with Tamara and her family. Kelly and Hope Adams were visiting Tamara’s family for the week doing missions work. They were leaving on the same flight as me on Tuesday, so we all rode to Managua together and stayed at the hotel across from the airport.
We had a quick lunch at Tamara’s house and waited for Fransicso to get the van road-ready. We loaded into the van and headed to the big city. It was the first time that I have ridden to Managua and enjoyed it. I usually fight car sickness. But I took my ginger pills and was in good shape. I think my happy state of mind made the trip better than usual, too. I felt a little guilty to be so happy when the others were sad saying goodbye to each other. But I think I was a good distraction sometimes, too.
We roamed around PriceSmart (like Sam’s Club) and Tamara stocked up on some things. I checked out the shelves to remember what I might want to buy when I get back to Nica in January. I did buy some of the huge muffins from the bakery. This gave me and Kelly and Hope something to munch on for the evening and also the next morning for breakfast. (Although, I think Hope only ate one and I ate 2 and we left the other 3 for the maid at the hotel.)
We got to the hotel (across from the airport) about 5:30. There were lots of tears as goodbyes were said. I went in to the lobby to get my room key and found out the I had messed up my reservation on line and had actually paid for a reserved room in León instead of Managua. It was too late to cancel, so I ended up paying for the unused room. (I couldn’t find anyone in León who was available to use the room just for fun, either.) Anyway, the other bad news was that there were NO rooms available at the hotel. Argh! Kelly and Hope were very gracious and let me stay in their room. What angels to me! I think it gave a little distraction for Hope, too, as her teenage heart was sad to say goodbye to her boyfriend.
We rested in the room a bit and all got on the internet. We surfed the tv channels and laughed at the Duck Dynasty episode in Spanish. Not much on tv and we were all lost in our own thoughts.
Some other friends were at the hotel waiting to meet other friends traveling on our flight. The Speigels, who are missionaries moving to the US for awhile, were there to have dinner with the Brakens, who were former missionaries to Nica and were visiting for the week. Tamara was the common thread between everyone. I was actually carrying a suitcase of books back to the US for the Speigels and the Brackens were taking suitcases and guitars back for them. They looked like the Von Trapp family!
Kelly and Hope joined the others for dinner at the food court across the highway at the airport. I opted for a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. I had been ready for my favorite meal there – chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Yum! I had a little bit of time in the room by myself and then the girls got back and we all turned in early. It was a nice and quick evening.
Tuesday morning, we arose at 5am and got showered and dressed. We made it to the airport via shuttle (the traffic on the highway is dangerous most of the time). With so many people flying out (many of which had spent the night at the hotel) we wanted to get checked in and through immigration and security as soon as possible. A lot of people had already went through, so we had a few minutes for Kelly to do some last minute shopping. We got to our gate and took turns walking around and checking things out. It was pretty peaceful and relaxing.
Our flight was good. The people I was to sit next to asked if I would trade seats with a friend of theirs, and I didn’t mind at all. I ended up sitting on the aisle next to an empty seat. The guy in the window seat struck up a conversation and we talked about missions and living in Nica and his family and lots of things. I think it was a God-appointment.
Once in Atlanta, we got through Customs pretty quickly and retrieved our luggage. At this point, I had to say goodbye to Kelly and Hope and we went to our different terminals. It was nice to meet them and be blessed by their hospitality at the hotel.
I had my usual travel meal at TGIFridays in the international terminal. This time I had the steak and ribs, mashed potatoes and veggies. It was so yummy! I was having a wonderful travel day! My total layover was only 3 hours, so really I only had about 1 hour to kill. I sat in a gate with few people so that I could charge up my phone and Kindle. Then it was time to board my plane.
I arrived back in XNA a little bit late and Cathy Krupka was waiting for me. We went to Carraba’s for dinner (my first time) and it was lovely to visit together. She is a good friend and wonderful sister-in-Christ.
I made it home to Deanna’s and visited with her for a while before heading to bed. It was good to be back in her welcoming home. Jet looks a little more distinguished with more white fur around his mouth and eyes. The cat loved getting to run into my room as soon as the door was opened. All is normal here!
I’m so thankful for the travel mercies and the people I got to interact with during the day. God is faithful and sovereign and I love getting to be His daughter!
November 24 - December 2, 2013
The week and a half in Nica for the year. All the teams have come and gone. All the North Americans have come and gone. It’s nice an peaceful and special these last days.
I spent my time packing up the rest of my room, getting it ready to move to storage at my friend, Tamara’s house. I also got the chance to visit with many friends, some whom I had not had the chance to be with for quite some time. I truly enjoyed myself.
I was thankful for the chance to finish packing in a calm manner. I don’t like moving, especially in stages, and it was nice not to feel rushed or stressed. I got the chance to give away more things and pare down a bit. Of course, if you looked at everything stacked up at Tamara’s house, you would wonder how I got all of that stuff in one little room at the team house! LOL Living in NYC taught me well!
I also got the chance to do a lot of reading and Bible study. I love having a calm, peaceful atmosphere to listen to God speaking to me. I enjoyed some hot green tea in the mornings and iced green tea the rest of the day. It was good for my soul (and my body).
Even though I blew my budget on taxis for the week, I was thankful to get to go into town for dinners and visits with friends. I loved getting the chance to walk around the city. I LOVE walking and getting to do this. It reminds me of when I lived and served as a missionary in NYC. Those were the happiest times in my life. Hard, but happy. I knew I was in the will of God and felt the blessings of obedience.
As I enjoyed my time running around León, I could feel God’s confirmation on His call for me to focus only on His plans and be devoted to following His guidance and direction. I kept ‘randomly’ running into people that I will have more and more interaction with in the future. More blessings from God and promises for the coming days.
On Sunday, Dec 1, I worked with the kids at church at the team house for the last time. We had fun. Then I got to have lunch with a friend and her son and ran into other friends and their babies. I had visited with other friends on Saturday and their baby. I was baby-blessed!
Estefanie came over for the afternoon/evening on Sunday and helped me pack. I sent all the extra food from my fridge to her house. It was wonderful to spend some quality with her. Love her so much!
I finished packing by early Monday morning and my friends came with a truck to pack it all up. This was the third load to go. The twin bed/mattress, fridge, large shelf and rocking chair had to all be tied on top of the truck. I felt a bit like the Clampetts moving to Beverly Hills. LOL
As I left the team house for the last time, I started crying. Alberto had actually made me teary the night before, as he told me how much he respected me and would miss me. He and I were the ones who lived at the team house full-time. (him all year round) I also said goodbye to some of the other workers and we were all teary eyed. Most of the workers were on vacation, so they were spared the emotions!
As we drove down the street, I felt such a freeing feeling, knowing that it was the first step in God’s plans for me for the future. I felt so safe in His care and excited for Him to reveal all His surprises for me.
We got to Tamara’s and her wonderful sons and Francisco unloaded my stuff and added it to my section of their storage room. It was such a blessing to have guys around to do all of the heavy lifting!
So this was the last pages of the last chapter at the VOH team house. My heart is at peace and excited at the same time. I trust in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness completely!
Can’t wait to see how He reveals each little piece for the future.
I spent my time packing up the rest of my room, getting it ready to move to storage at my friend, Tamara’s house. I also got the chance to visit with many friends, some whom I had not had the chance to be with for quite some time. I truly enjoyed myself.
I was thankful for the chance to finish packing in a calm manner. I don’t like moving, especially in stages, and it was nice not to feel rushed or stressed. I got the chance to give away more things and pare down a bit. Of course, if you looked at everything stacked up at Tamara’s house, you would wonder how I got all of that stuff in one little room at the team house! LOL Living in NYC taught me well!
I also got the chance to do a lot of reading and Bible study. I love having a calm, peaceful atmosphere to listen to God speaking to me. I enjoyed some hot green tea in the mornings and iced green tea the rest of the day. It was good for my soul (and my body).
Even though I blew my budget on taxis for the week, I was thankful to get to go into town for dinners and visits with friends. I loved getting the chance to walk around the city. I LOVE walking and getting to do this. It reminds me of when I lived and served as a missionary in NYC. Those were the happiest times in my life. Hard, but happy. I knew I was in the will of God and felt the blessings of obedience.
As I enjoyed my time running around León, I could feel God’s confirmation on His call for me to focus only on His plans and be devoted to following His guidance and direction. I kept ‘randomly’ running into people that I will have more and more interaction with in the future. More blessings from God and promises for the coming days.
On Sunday, Dec 1, I worked with the kids at church at the team house for the last time. We had fun. Then I got to have lunch with a friend and her son and ran into other friends and their babies. I had visited with other friends on Saturday and their baby. I was baby-blessed!
Estefanie came over for the afternoon/evening on Sunday and helped me pack. I sent all the extra food from my fridge to her house. It was wonderful to spend some quality with her. Love her so much!
I finished packing by early Monday morning and my friends came with a truck to pack it all up. This was the third load to go. The twin bed/mattress, fridge, large shelf and rocking chair had to all be tied on top of the truck. I felt a bit like the Clampetts moving to Beverly Hills. LOL
As I left the team house for the last time, I started crying. Alberto had actually made me teary the night before, as he told me how much he respected me and would miss me. He and I were the ones who lived at the team house full-time. (him all year round) I also said goodbye to some of the other workers and we were all teary eyed. Most of the workers were on vacation, so they were spared the emotions!
As we drove down the street, I felt such a freeing feeling, knowing that it was the first step in God’s plans for me for the future. I felt so safe in His care and excited for Him to reveal all His surprises for me.
We got to Tamara’s and her wonderful sons and Francisco unloaded my stuff and added it to my section of their storage room. It was such a blessing to have guys around to do all of the heavy lifting!
So this was the last pages of the last chapter at the VOH team house. My heart is at peace and excited at the same time. I trust in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness completely!
Can’t wait to see how He reveals each little piece for the future.
Friday, November 29, 2013
November 16-23, 2013 Paragould AR Construction Team
The El Dorado AR team left early in the day and the Paragould AR team arrived later the same day. That’s how it works around the ministry most of the time. This was a team of 13 guys who came for the distinct purpose to finish the construction of the Aquaponics project and get it up and running.
The team worked so hard every day. They got to share testimonies and messages with the VOH churches and do a Fiesta during the week. But the most focus was put toward finishing the awesome Aquaponics system.
I loved watching it all come together. So much planning and work. Sam Henry is a marvelous head for this project. Hugo Rivas is the Nica staff person in charge of running the system. He got some good training and has been working very hard before the construction teams even arrived.
I kept taking pictures of the process and was happy to see it all. But I have to say, when I saw the baby fishies being counted and put in their tanks, I get very excited!!! The vegetation is starting to grow, the fish are hearty and growing. It’s so cool! I love that many people will be fed through this process.
I was happy to be able to teach the 2 Bible Studies during this week. We had wonderful conversation over the lessons. I learn so much in preparing for the classes and, also, when we all discuss what God is putting on our hearts during class. Lots ‘growing’ around here!!!
It was an awesome week and a great ending to the team participation for the ministry for the year. There was a total of 10,779 professions of faith for the year. So many other blessings shared. God has been so faithful to the ministry and to His Kingdom. It’s great to be focusing on Him.
The team left in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The Hulsey’s had left early on Thursday. Ray and Charlie, who had been here 2 weeks with both construction teams left with the last team on Saturday.
Mary and Nick (our 3 week intern) and I took advantage of the free Saturday morning and headed to our favorite breakfast restaurant, Desayunazo, for some good stuff. I love getting the waffles, Mary likes the English breakfast and Nick loves the fruit bowl and waffles. Yummy stuff!
Can’t believe that November is almost over, which means the year is almost over. Time flies when you are busy serving the Lord! I wouldn’t trade a minute of being in His will!
The team worked so hard every day. They got to share testimonies and messages with the VOH churches and do a Fiesta during the week. But the most focus was put toward finishing the awesome Aquaponics system.
I loved watching it all come together. So much planning and work. Sam Henry is a marvelous head for this project. Hugo Rivas is the Nica staff person in charge of running the system. He got some good training and has been working very hard before the construction teams even arrived.
I kept taking pictures of the process and was happy to see it all. But I have to say, when I saw the baby fishies being counted and put in their tanks, I get very excited!!! The vegetation is starting to grow, the fish are hearty and growing. It’s so cool! I love that many people will be fed through this process.
I was happy to be able to teach the 2 Bible Studies during this week. We had wonderful conversation over the lessons. I learn so much in preparing for the classes and, also, when we all discuss what God is putting on our hearts during class. Lots ‘growing’ around here!!!
It was an awesome week and a great ending to the team participation for the ministry for the year. There was a total of 10,779 professions of faith for the year. So many other blessings shared. God has been so faithful to the ministry and to His Kingdom. It’s great to be focusing on Him.
The team left in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The Hulsey’s had left early on Thursday. Ray and Charlie, who had been here 2 weeks with both construction teams left with the last team on Saturday.
Mary and Nick (our 3 week intern) and I took advantage of the free Saturday morning and headed to our favorite breakfast restaurant, Desayunazo, for some good stuff. I love getting the waffles, Mary likes the English breakfast and Nick loves the fruit bowl and waffles. Yummy stuff!
Can’t believe that November is almost over, which means the year is almost over. Time flies when you are busy serving the Lord! I wouldn’t trade a minute of being in His will!
November 9-16, 2013 El Dorado AR Construction/Discipleship Team
After the last team left at 4am, the rooms were all ‘turned’ with cleaning and preparing beds for the El Dorado AR team.
Right when the bus got to the team house from the airport, it started POURING down rain! Everyone ran in the gate and up the steps to the rancho. I know that they were glad to get off the bus after riding a couple of hours and after traveling by plane all day. Everyone gathered for a quick orientation of the team house and then went to their assigned rooms for resting. It was so good to see some special faces. A few of the guys were here earlier in the year for a construction team and I enjoyed playing hostess for them. They worked so hard and were a pleasure to be around. Great memories!
The first thing that Henry did was give me money to buy him a bunch of coffee to take back with him. I was the personal shopper for the guys on the earlier team and Henry likes to get his stuff right up front so that he can enjoy the rest of the week. ☺ He also gave me some peanut m&ms. Yum!
The week was great. Sunday started with church visits, in which the team split into groups and gave their testimonies and shared messages from the Word in various churches. Sunday afternoon is a time of orientation as far as learning about the ministry, understanding the goals for the week and learning things like the Sinbox Sally drama and how to do a Fiesta. Then it’s time for more church service visits. Sundays are always great.
The week was filled with construction here at the team house to start the building of the Aquaponics system. The guys started work before church on Sunday morning and continued between services on Sunday and then worked every day all week.
There was also a Discipleship Training team that did an awesome job in different churches. Bible Study, Discipleship training and conferences are taken very seriously here and are very much valued. The team very much enjoyed teaching the sessions.
I was able to hold the Women’s Leader Bible Study class on Monday afternoon by finding an out of the way spot. I was glad for that. The Monday night English Bible Study Group was held at an individual’s house downtown. I was glad that we had a place to go to for the class.
I had some errands to run on Tuesday, so I took a teenager with me. She got to see a little bit of the city, ride in a Nica taxi, visit with a Missionary friend of mine, have a wonderful snack at the Pan y Paz French Bakery, stop by the grocery store and just soak up some local flavor. She took a picture of her chocolate filled croissant and tortured her mother with the picture! It was fun to have her along.
The week went by fast and everyone was very tired, hot, sweaty and happy! They really loved doing Fiestas!
Sherry and Manuel arrived about midnight on Thursday night. It was nice to see them on Friday morning. The team went out for Fun Day (shopping and sightseeing in León) and then chilling at the team house and then a visit to the beach and dinner at Suyapa restaurant on the beach.
The team left on Saturday and it was an awesome week of serving God.
Personally, I was blessed to get a lot of Bible Study curriculum written, translated, copied and prepared for the classes. I’m always thankful for Jaasiel’s help with the Spanish. I even got a few naps in the afternoons! What a great week!
Right when the bus got to the team house from the airport, it started POURING down rain! Everyone ran in the gate and up the steps to the rancho. I know that they were glad to get off the bus after riding a couple of hours and after traveling by plane all day. Everyone gathered for a quick orientation of the team house and then went to their assigned rooms for resting. It was so good to see some special faces. A few of the guys were here earlier in the year for a construction team and I enjoyed playing hostess for them. They worked so hard and were a pleasure to be around. Great memories!
The first thing that Henry did was give me money to buy him a bunch of coffee to take back with him. I was the personal shopper for the guys on the earlier team and Henry likes to get his stuff right up front so that he can enjoy the rest of the week. ☺ He also gave me some peanut m&ms. Yum!
The week was great. Sunday started with church visits, in which the team split into groups and gave their testimonies and shared messages from the Word in various churches. Sunday afternoon is a time of orientation as far as learning about the ministry, understanding the goals for the week and learning things like the Sinbox Sally drama and how to do a Fiesta. Then it’s time for more church service visits. Sundays are always great.
The week was filled with construction here at the team house to start the building of the Aquaponics system. The guys started work before church on Sunday morning and continued between services on Sunday and then worked every day all week.
There was also a Discipleship Training team that did an awesome job in different churches. Bible Study, Discipleship training and conferences are taken very seriously here and are very much valued. The team very much enjoyed teaching the sessions.
I was able to hold the Women’s Leader Bible Study class on Monday afternoon by finding an out of the way spot. I was glad for that. The Monday night English Bible Study Group was held at an individual’s house downtown. I was glad that we had a place to go to for the class.
I had some errands to run on Tuesday, so I took a teenager with me. She got to see a little bit of the city, ride in a Nica taxi, visit with a Missionary friend of mine, have a wonderful snack at the Pan y Paz French Bakery, stop by the grocery store and just soak up some local flavor. She took a picture of her chocolate filled croissant and tortured her mother with the picture! It was fun to have her along.
The week went by fast and everyone was very tired, hot, sweaty and happy! They really loved doing Fiestas!
Sherry and Manuel arrived about midnight on Thursday night. It was nice to see them on Friday morning. The team went out for Fun Day (shopping and sightseeing in León) and then chilling at the team house and then a visit to the beach and dinner at Suyapa restaurant on the beach.
The team left on Saturday and it was an awesome week of serving God.
Personally, I was blessed to get a lot of Bible Study curriculum written, translated, copied and prepared for the classes. I’m always thankful for Jaasiel’s help with the Spanish. I even got a few naps in the afternoons! What a great week!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
November 4-9, 2013 TX Dentist team
I got a lot accomplished in the week without a team. This week, we have a small team of 5 people here from Texas, who are doing a dental clinic for 3 days.
It was so good to see Pastor Jamie Hill and also to see Dr. Terry Driggers and his daughter Elyse again. The 2 new gals were so sweet and I loved getting to be around them this week. The time went by so quickly!
We set up the dental clinic here at the team house for a couple of days and brought patients from some of our church plant neighborhoods in by van for some TLC. It was quite the operation going on! Many people were blessed to have much needed work done on their teeth and everyone was blessed to hear the Gospel.
There were some worship services attended where the team shared testimonies and messages and did a lot of praying. A few Feeding Centers were visited and of course, we had a visit to the ice cream shop and dinner at Suyapa beach.
It was a lovely week of service and sharing. I was blessed to get to be with the team.
I also got the chance to teach some Bible Study classes! I was thrilled! I had missed everyone in the classes so much.
The lady leaders from the VOH church plants have all changed except for Lesbia at La Quimera church. It was great to get to meet the new ladies and Lesbia shared her experiences over the last year with them. Not only is the class on Monday afternoons a chance for the leaders to learn the lesson they will teach in their churches later in the week, it is a time to come together and encourage each other and pray for one another. I love the blessed time that we have together!
The team left at 4am on Saturday morning and I think we all have fond memories of the ministry week.
The next team came in at noon on Saturday, so Mary and I took advantage of getting breakfast out at one of our favorite restaurants. I had my usual waffles and eggs. Nick and Danilo were leaving for the Managua airport mid-morning, so they stopped in for breakfast, too, and joined us.
Mary and I then headed back to the photocopiadora to pick up the printed lessons for me to share with the ladies on the following Monday. Then we headed back to the team house to await the team.
I got some laundry done and took a short nap. It was a good day!
It was so good to see Pastor Jamie Hill and also to see Dr. Terry Driggers and his daughter Elyse again. The 2 new gals were so sweet and I loved getting to be around them this week. The time went by so quickly!
We set up the dental clinic here at the team house for a couple of days and brought patients from some of our church plant neighborhoods in by van for some TLC. It was quite the operation going on! Many people were blessed to have much needed work done on their teeth and everyone was blessed to hear the Gospel.
There were some worship services attended where the team shared testimonies and messages and did a lot of praying. A few Feeding Centers were visited and of course, we had a visit to the ice cream shop and dinner at Suyapa beach.
It was a lovely week of service and sharing. I was blessed to get to be with the team.
I also got the chance to teach some Bible Study classes! I was thrilled! I had missed everyone in the classes so much.
The lady leaders from the VOH church plants have all changed except for Lesbia at La Quimera church. It was great to get to meet the new ladies and Lesbia shared her experiences over the last year with them. Not only is the class on Monday afternoons a chance for the leaders to learn the lesson they will teach in their churches later in the week, it is a time to come together and encourage each other and pray for one another. I love the blessed time that we have together!
The team left at 4am on Saturday morning and I think we all have fond memories of the ministry week.
The next team came in at noon on Saturday, so Mary and I took advantage of getting breakfast out at one of our favorite restaurants. I had my usual waffles and eggs. Nick and Danilo were leaving for the Managua airport mid-morning, so they stopped in for breakfast, too, and joined us.
Mary and I then headed back to the photocopiadora to pick up the printed lessons for me to share with the ladies on the following Monday. Then we headed back to the team house to await the team.
I got some laundry done and took a short nap. It was a good day!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
October 27-November 3, 2013
This has been a week without a team at the mission house. I took advantage of getting time for resting, reading, studying and packing. I also tried to visit with a few friends, since I had flexible time.
I’m moving to a place of my own after the first of the year, so I’ve been sorting and purging and packing my stuff to get ready. Living in NYC for 2 years (missionary 2007-2009) in a one-room ‘sort-of’ apartment taught me a lot about space management. My room here in Nica is about the same size. I’ve packed a lot of stuff in this room. The main thing is to think vertical. Also, storing things under the bed and table, and using things for more than one purpose has come in handy. I’ve moved about 80% of my stuff to a friend’s house for storage. The rest (bed, fridge, rocker, clothes) will be moved a day or two before I leave for the states on Dec 3. My room feels so much bigger now! I’m enjoying the transition.
When I return to Nica in January, I’ll stay in a hostel owned by a friend while I am looking for a place of my own. A lot of decisions will depend on my support commitments for 2014 from my home church of FBC Rogers AR and from individual supporters who have been so wonderful to me over the past 6 years. I could not be here to serve without their love, prayers and support!
I have also gotten the chance this past week to meet with the Bible Study classes that had to be sidelined during our busy summer of teams and also my 7 weeks in the states. It was good to work on curriculum and prepare for the classes. I love to study God’s Word and share it!
We’ll be meeting in different places for the month of November, since we have 3 weeks of teams coming. After I return in January, we will start meeting in my place. I will also get the chance to start some other Bible Studies that I feel God leading me to do. I’m very excited for the future!
Some of my friends here in Nica have had babies this year. I’m looking forward to seeing those kiddos! How precious!
I’ve decided to start listening to Christmas music, now that it’s November. I want to be really in the mood for Christmas when I hit the states the first week of December. That season goes by so fast! It will be exciting, though!
I am so thankful for all of the ways that God has allowed me to serve and grow this year. He is always challenging me and is always with me. I trust Him totally with my future and every single minute of my life. He is faithful and I am thankful!!!
I’m moving to a place of my own after the first of the year, so I’ve been sorting and purging and packing my stuff to get ready. Living in NYC for 2 years (missionary 2007-2009) in a one-room ‘sort-of’ apartment taught me a lot about space management. My room here in Nica is about the same size. I’ve packed a lot of stuff in this room. The main thing is to think vertical. Also, storing things under the bed and table, and using things for more than one purpose has come in handy. I’ve moved about 80% of my stuff to a friend’s house for storage. The rest (bed, fridge, rocker, clothes) will be moved a day or two before I leave for the states on Dec 3. My room feels so much bigger now! I’m enjoying the transition.
When I return to Nica in January, I’ll stay in a hostel owned by a friend while I am looking for a place of my own. A lot of decisions will depend on my support commitments for 2014 from my home church of FBC Rogers AR and from individual supporters who have been so wonderful to me over the past 6 years. I could not be here to serve without their love, prayers and support!
I have also gotten the chance this past week to meet with the Bible Study classes that had to be sidelined during our busy summer of teams and also my 7 weeks in the states. It was good to work on curriculum and prepare for the classes. I love to study God’s Word and share it!
We’ll be meeting in different places for the month of November, since we have 3 weeks of teams coming. After I return in January, we will start meeting in my place. I will also get the chance to start some other Bible Studies that I feel God leading me to do. I’m very excited for the future!
Some of my friends here in Nica have had babies this year. I’m looking forward to seeing those kiddos! How precious!
I’ve decided to start listening to Christmas music, now that it’s November. I want to be really in the mood for Christmas when I hit the states the first week of December. That season goes by so fast! It will be exciting, though!
I am so thankful for all of the ways that God has allowed me to serve and grow this year. He is always challenging me and is always with me. I trust Him totally with my future and every single minute of my life. He is faithful and I am thankful!!!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
October 19-26, 2013 FBC Rogers AR Women's Team
Women’s Team from FBC Rogers AR
The team arrived late on Saturday night and got to bed around midnight-ish. It was good to see the ladies from my home church. I was blessed to be able to attend 2 of the planning meetings while I was in Rogers during the months of August and September. How wonderful to have them here!
We split into 2 groups after breakfast on Sunday morning and one group went to church at Augusto Sandino church and the other group stayed here for church at the team house. Traci and Haley helped with the kids. It was a great morning. After lunch, the group packed items for the goody bags for the Women’s Conference. And they got in a little rest and some pool time. Then it was off for worship service at Monte Horeb and Tomas Borgé churches.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with the official Women’s Conference for 100 women each day. We bused the women in from our church plants. They were thrilled to get a free ride into town on our school bus and vans. They very much enjoyed the 9 women sharing the Fruit of the Spirit message. And they loved getting to eat lunch! We gave out goody bags to each lady and they felt very blessed. We shared lots of love and laughter and praises and prayers. I was so pleased with everything. I love it when we can minister to the women here.
Monday afternoon, we made a trip downtown to the ice cream shop and then came back to the team house to pack 50+ goody bags for the mommas. A storm came through and knocked out the electric for the rest of the night. We had a ton of items on tables under the rancho and it all had to be handled so that the tables could come down and the chairs be set up for the conference on Tuesday morning. So, we got flashlights and the ladies packed the goody bags by flashlight. Never a dull moment around here! It was hot and stuffy for sleeping without the A/C and fans, but I kept reminding myself that many people here don’t have those luxuries anyway. And I had a comfy bed and a dry room. I was thankful.
On Tuesday, after the Women’s Conference, Lesly took Cathy and I to town to look for some items to make gift bags for some guys, who we heard had been invited to the ‘youth’ conference that was really planned as a ‘girls’ conference on purity. We found some things, including big (quart size) jars of hair gel. The guys down here love it. Back at the team house, we attended the worship service and then we packed bags for 90 youth. We packed goody bags almost every day that week. What a generous bunch from FBC Rogers!
Wednesday morning, the team split into 3 groups and visited 3 of our Feeding Centers, to play with the kids and talk to the moms and help serve. They really enjoyed it. Then we had lunch and rested until late afternoon. The ladies not involved with the youth conference went to church in San Jacinto. The youth conference had been a constantly changing thing for the week and we ended up with some young kids who insisted on coming on the van. They were rowdy and had to be watched continually. But the youth that were here enjoyed part one of the conference. Some couldn’t come back the next night, but they said that they got a lot out of the first night.
Thursday, the team split into 2 groups and went to visit the 2 Feeding Centers outside of town for more playing with the kids, visiting the moms and helping to serve. The new mamma gifts were given out on Wed and Thurs during these Feeding Center visits. The moms were prayed over. It was a sweet time.
Thursday night was the 2nd part of the youth conference and we had some youth return from the night before and some new youth. I went along when the van went to pick up the youth at one of our neighborhoods to make sure that the rowdy younger children didn’t come. They were there at the front of the line. When they saw me in the van, they stepped back. When they saw me get out of the van, they left. I think they were going to bully the van driver again and show up at the conference. Nelson was glad to have me along. ☺ Thursday night’s conference was much more peaceful and relaxed without the distraction of the kids. There were more activities and object lessons and they really participated. They loved getting to read the scripture, too. They loved their goody bags. It was a nice conference.
The part of the team who were not involved with the conference, went to church at La Quimera and loved it. Pastor Brian is a favorite!
We had done a rehearsal of the Fiesta on Thursday morning, so that the team would be ready to do the real thing on Friday morning. We went to a neighborhood close by the team house and loved the people there! The team had a blast doing the Fiesta and it was a grand morning. We even got to ride in the back of the little truck!
Friday was officially Fun Day, so after the Fiesta, we went downtown to have lunch, do some sightseeing and some shopping. Then we got back to the team house for a little rest and headed to the beach and dinner at Suyapa restaurant. All the ladies had a great time and loved walking on the beach and taking pictures. We got back to the team house about 7pm. Most of the ladies were already packed and some opted to go to bed early.
The team left for the airport at 3am. I got up to hug them all and to say goodbye. I sure loved having them here. What a packed week of teaching and ministering and loving and sharing Jesus. I was truly blessed by having the team here.
The team arrived late on Saturday night and got to bed around midnight-ish. It was good to see the ladies from my home church. I was blessed to be able to attend 2 of the planning meetings while I was in Rogers during the months of August and September. How wonderful to have them here!
We split into 2 groups after breakfast on Sunday morning and one group went to church at Augusto Sandino church and the other group stayed here for church at the team house. Traci and Haley helped with the kids. It was a great morning. After lunch, the group packed items for the goody bags for the Women’s Conference. And they got in a little rest and some pool time. Then it was off for worship service at Monte Horeb and Tomas Borgé churches.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with the official Women’s Conference for 100 women each day. We bused the women in from our church plants. They were thrilled to get a free ride into town on our school bus and vans. They very much enjoyed the 9 women sharing the Fruit of the Spirit message. And they loved getting to eat lunch! We gave out goody bags to each lady and they felt very blessed. We shared lots of love and laughter and praises and prayers. I was so pleased with everything. I love it when we can minister to the women here.
Monday afternoon, we made a trip downtown to the ice cream shop and then came back to the team house to pack 50+ goody bags for the mommas. A storm came through and knocked out the electric for the rest of the night. We had a ton of items on tables under the rancho and it all had to be handled so that the tables could come down and the chairs be set up for the conference on Tuesday morning. So, we got flashlights and the ladies packed the goody bags by flashlight. Never a dull moment around here! It was hot and stuffy for sleeping without the A/C and fans, but I kept reminding myself that many people here don’t have those luxuries anyway. And I had a comfy bed and a dry room. I was thankful.
On Tuesday, after the Women’s Conference, Lesly took Cathy and I to town to look for some items to make gift bags for some guys, who we heard had been invited to the ‘youth’ conference that was really planned as a ‘girls’ conference on purity. We found some things, including big (quart size) jars of hair gel. The guys down here love it. Back at the team house, we attended the worship service and then we packed bags for 90 youth. We packed goody bags almost every day that week. What a generous bunch from FBC Rogers!
Wednesday morning, the team split into 3 groups and visited 3 of our Feeding Centers, to play with the kids and talk to the moms and help serve. They really enjoyed it. Then we had lunch and rested until late afternoon. The ladies not involved with the youth conference went to church in San Jacinto. The youth conference had been a constantly changing thing for the week and we ended up with some young kids who insisted on coming on the van. They were rowdy and had to be watched continually. But the youth that were here enjoyed part one of the conference. Some couldn’t come back the next night, but they said that they got a lot out of the first night.
Thursday, the team split into 2 groups and went to visit the 2 Feeding Centers outside of town for more playing with the kids, visiting the moms and helping to serve. The new mamma gifts were given out on Wed and Thurs during these Feeding Center visits. The moms were prayed over. It was a sweet time.
Thursday night was the 2nd part of the youth conference and we had some youth return from the night before and some new youth. I went along when the van went to pick up the youth at one of our neighborhoods to make sure that the rowdy younger children didn’t come. They were there at the front of the line. When they saw me in the van, they stepped back. When they saw me get out of the van, they left. I think they were going to bully the van driver again and show up at the conference. Nelson was glad to have me along. ☺ Thursday night’s conference was much more peaceful and relaxed without the distraction of the kids. There were more activities and object lessons and they really participated. They loved getting to read the scripture, too. They loved their goody bags. It was a nice conference.
The part of the team who were not involved with the conference, went to church at La Quimera and loved it. Pastor Brian is a favorite!
We had done a rehearsal of the Fiesta on Thursday morning, so that the team would be ready to do the real thing on Friday morning. We went to a neighborhood close by the team house and loved the people there! The team had a blast doing the Fiesta and it was a grand morning. We even got to ride in the back of the little truck!
Friday was officially Fun Day, so after the Fiesta, we went downtown to have lunch, do some sightseeing and some shopping. Then we got back to the team house for a little rest and headed to the beach and dinner at Suyapa restaurant. All the ladies had a great time and loved walking on the beach and taking pictures. We got back to the team house about 7pm. Most of the ladies were already packed and some opted to go to bed early.
The team left for the airport at 3am. I got up to hug them all and to say goodbye. I sure loved having them here. What a packed week of teaching and ministering and loving and sharing Jesus. I was truly blessed by having the team here.
October 13-19, 2013
Sunday morning, I was blessed to share the message in the worship service of Pan de Vida church at the team house. I shared some of the things I learned from the Mary and Martha Bible study I had been doing. It is so nice to have the worship service here at the team house now. We are blessed.
After church, Mary and I went to town to have lunch at Ya Voy, a new favorite restaurant of mine. I took a short nap in the afternoon and then worked on sorting and packing stuff from my room. I organized the Children’s Ministry stuff that I had been storing in my room and moved it to the office. I called and messaged a lot of people and started working on stuff for the upcoming Women’s Conference. It was a good day.
Monday, Mary and I got to help with the weighing, measuring and counting of the food staples that go to the Feeding Centers monthly. It was fun and funny, too.
The rest of the week was spent getting ready for the Women’s Conference by typing 14 pages of scripture in Spanish and getting 300 handouts printed, making 300 bookmarks, buying supplies, running errands, talking to tons of people, doing Bible study, attending worship services and catching a few naps.
I got the chance to have lunch at Ya Voy on Friday with my friends Tamara and Sandra. I always love getting to catch up with them. I also got to meet with Jaasiel at the French bakery on Tuesday. She is doing some translating work for me and also working on the Kid’s ministry curriculum. It was good to get to see her, too.
On Tuesday evening, there were some musicians here practicing for an upcoming concert. Besides our own Praise Band, some old musical friends and some new people were here. I loved hearing the music. Katty was here and knocked on my door and I was blessed with a big hug from her. I was just so blessed to lay on my bed, read a Christian book and listen to the wonderful music being played and sang outside my door. Ahhhhh.
On Saturday, I caught up on laundry and rested and then Mary and I left at 4pm to head to the airport in Managua to pick up the next team. We left early so that we could grab dinner at the airport. It was just Subway sandwiches, but it was a treat! The team of 10 ladies all got in and we headed back to the team house. We were all settled in bed by 11pm or so. The ladies were tired, but happy to be here. And we were happy to have them here!
After church, Mary and I went to town to have lunch at Ya Voy, a new favorite restaurant of mine. I took a short nap in the afternoon and then worked on sorting and packing stuff from my room. I organized the Children’s Ministry stuff that I had been storing in my room and moved it to the office. I called and messaged a lot of people and started working on stuff for the upcoming Women’s Conference. It was a good day.
Monday, Mary and I got to help with the weighing, measuring and counting of the food staples that go to the Feeding Centers monthly. It was fun and funny, too.
The rest of the week was spent getting ready for the Women’s Conference by typing 14 pages of scripture in Spanish and getting 300 handouts printed, making 300 bookmarks, buying supplies, running errands, talking to tons of people, doing Bible study, attending worship services and catching a few naps.
I got the chance to have lunch at Ya Voy on Friday with my friends Tamara and Sandra. I always love getting to catch up with them. I also got to meet with Jaasiel at the French bakery on Tuesday. She is doing some translating work for me and also working on the Kid’s ministry curriculum. It was good to get to see her, too.
On Tuesday evening, there were some musicians here practicing for an upcoming concert. Besides our own Praise Band, some old musical friends and some new people were here. I loved hearing the music. Katty was here and knocked on my door and I was blessed with a big hug from her. I was just so blessed to lay on my bed, read a Christian book and listen to the wonderful music being played and sang outside my door. Ahhhhh.
On Saturday, I caught up on laundry and rested and then Mary and I left at 4pm to head to the airport in Managua to pick up the next team. We left early so that we could grab dinner at the airport. It was just Subway sandwiches, but it was a treat! The team of 10 ladies all got in and we headed back to the team house. We were all settled in bed by 11pm or so. The ladies were tired, but happy to be here. And we were happy to have them here!
October 5-12, 2013 Greenway Spirit and Word Fellowship Team
The Team from Greenway Spirit and Word Fellowship arrived at noon on Saturday. There were 4 women and 2 men on the team. I had met 2 of the people before on an earlier team. It was great to meet the new people. What a special group! They are here this week to minister to the VOH workers and the guys will do a little construction work. It will be fun!
We had worship at Pan de Vida church at the team house in the morning. We had lost electric due to the passing storm, so we were all set up to start up the generator for the musicians when the power came back on. Patty shared a testimony and Bob shared the message during worship. Leigh helped with the kids. It was a nice morning.
After lunch, orientation and a nap, we all went to worship at Pan de Vida church at Tomas Borgé neighborhood. The team shared testimonies, songs and the Word. It was very special. Since it was Kim’s birthday (team leader) we had cake to celebrate. The team then packed up goody bags to give out for the week’s ministry. Then we were off to bed. It was a good first day.
On Monday morning, we pampered the VOH workers here at the team house. Manicures, pedicures, neck massages and haircuts were the order of the day. Testimonies were shared. Erika, who usually does my pedicures (she loves to practice on me) was shy about letting me massage her feet. We had a lot of fun laughing and sharing time with each other. After lunch, the team pampered and ministered to the Feeding Center supervisors and the wives of our Pastors. It was a very nice time of serving and fellowshipping and honoring each other as God’s children. After dinner, the team went to the Youth service at Rose of Sharon church. Leigh and Bob joined in the praise dancing and everyone loved the singing and music and praising. It was a very good evening!
Monday – Thursday, the 2 men worked on putting up the 4th wall at the Monte Horeb church. Tuesday-Thursday, the ladies visited the Feeding Centers in the mornings and taught some sewing classes in the afternoons.
Tuesday afternoon was church here at the team house. Wednesday afternoon was a trip to the ice cream shop. Thursday afternoon was church at Monte Horeb.
Friday morning was a special time to do a Fiesta. Then the team did their Fun Day activities of shopping, sightseeing and having lunch. They got to visit the Cathedral and go up to the roof to get a bird’s eye view of León. Then the team headed to the beach and an early dinner at Suyapa restaurant. While eating dinner, the sky got really black and the wind picked up and there was a huge storm coming in. The workers at the restaurant were scurrying around putting up chairs and battening down the hatches. We calmly kept eating our dinners even though there was a lot of thunder and lightning and rain spraying on us at times. God protected us through that storm and we got to enjoy our dinner and also to have a safe drive back to the team house. That was exciting!
Saturday morning, the team had a quick breakfast and left for the airport a little before 7am. They were a lot of fun and an awesome team to minister with. Mary and I enjoyed them very much. I know that many Nicas are blessed to have had them here. God is faithful in our lives and is worthy of praise for the many ways He works through every one of us. It’s such a privilege to serve Him and work along side other brothers and sisters in Christ.
We had worship at Pan de Vida church at the team house in the morning. We had lost electric due to the passing storm, so we were all set up to start up the generator for the musicians when the power came back on. Patty shared a testimony and Bob shared the message during worship. Leigh helped with the kids. It was a nice morning.
After lunch, orientation and a nap, we all went to worship at Pan de Vida church at Tomas Borgé neighborhood. The team shared testimonies, songs and the Word. It was very special. Since it was Kim’s birthday (team leader) we had cake to celebrate. The team then packed up goody bags to give out for the week’s ministry. Then we were off to bed. It was a good first day.
On Monday morning, we pampered the VOH workers here at the team house. Manicures, pedicures, neck massages and haircuts were the order of the day. Testimonies were shared. Erika, who usually does my pedicures (she loves to practice on me) was shy about letting me massage her feet. We had a lot of fun laughing and sharing time with each other. After lunch, the team pampered and ministered to the Feeding Center supervisors and the wives of our Pastors. It was a very nice time of serving and fellowshipping and honoring each other as God’s children. After dinner, the team went to the Youth service at Rose of Sharon church. Leigh and Bob joined in the praise dancing and everyone loved the singing and music and praising. It was a very good evening!
Monday – Thursday, the 2 men worked on putting up the 4th wall at the Monte Horeb church. Tuesday-Thursday, the ladies visited the Feeding Centers in the mornings and taught some sewing classes in the afternoons.
Tuesday afternoon was church here at the team house. Wednesday afternoon was a trip to the ice cream shop. Thursday afternoon was church at Monte Horeb.
Friday morning was a special time to do a Fiesta. Then the team did their Fun Day activities of shopping, sightseeing and having lunch. They got to visit the Cathedral and go up to the roof to get a bird’s eye view of León. Then the team headed to the beach and an early dinner at Suyapa restaurant. While eating dinner, the sky got really black and the wind picked up and there was a huge storm coming in. The workers at the restaurant were scurrying around putting up chairs and battening down the hatches. We calmly kept eating our dinners even though there was a lot of thunder and lightning and rain spraying on us at times. God protected us through that storm and we got to enjoy our dinner and also to have a safe drive back to the team house. That was exciting!
Saturday morning, the team had a quick breakfast and left for the airport a little before 7am. They were a lot of fun and an awesome team to minister with. Mary and I enjoyed them very much. I know that many Nicas are blessed to have had them here. God is faithful in our lives and is worthy of praise for the many ways He works through every one of us. It’s such a privilege to serve Him and work along side other brothers and sisters in Christ.
October 1-5, 2013
The first was a travel day for me. I had a long layover in ATL, since I had to change my original ticket. I had some fun opportunities to talk with people in each airport. I love the way that God surprises me with people and situations. We (meaning me) should make more of an effort to pay attention to what He is doing all around us.
It was good to get to Nica and I arrived at the team house about 10pm, which was 11pm AR time. After the day of travel, especially the long ride from the airport to the team house, my body was ready for bed and it was good to be in my ‘Nica home’. Buster was very happy to see me, too. He took up residence in my rocking chair just like old times.
I was anxious to get up the next day to see everyone who comes to work at the team house. I’m starting back on my healthy oatmeal for breakfast (I miss Erika’s eggs). I even started making my green tea for each day. I spent the day unpacking, visiting with people, getting a nap and doing my Bible study. A storm came through, but it was still good sleeping. Alberto has been practicing singing with the speakers for one of the churches. He sat me down in the conference room, put a fan on me and then sang a few songs along with a cd. He’s really loving it!
I spent the next few days running errands, getting my hair cut, buying phone minutes and groceries, visiting the French bakery, catching up with tons of people, listening to the Praise Band practice, reading, doing Bible study and just enjoying being back.
On Saturday, I went to Managua in the morning to pick up the team from Virginia. They arrived at noon, so we stopped at Tip Top on the way back from MGA for lunch. We got to the team house in the early afternoon and rested. The team had been up since 2am eastern time and needed some relaxation. We had dinner and got to know each other. It’s going to be a great week. I love small teams because you get to spend time with each person. Buster has already started getting them trained in spoiling him. Everyone is happy!
It was good to get to Nica and I arrived at the team house about 10pm, which was 11pm AR time. After the day of travel, especially the long ride from the airport to the team house, my body was ready for bed and it was good to be in my ‘Nica home’. Buster was very happy to see me, too. He took up residence in my rocking chair just like old times.
I was anxious to get up the next day to see everyone who comes to work at the team house. I’m starting back on my healthy oatmeal for breakfast (I miss Erika’s eggs). I even started making my green tea for each day. I spent the day unpacking, visiting with people, getting a nap and doing my Bible study. A storm came through, but it was still good sleeping. Alberto has been practicing singing with the speakers for one of the churches. He sat me down in the conference room, put a fan on me and then sang a few songs along with a cd. He’s really loving it!
I spent the next few days running errands, getting my hair cut, buying phone minutes and groceries, visiting the French bakery, catching up with tons of people, listening to the Praise Band practice, reading, doing Bible study and just enjoying being back.
On Saturday, I went to Managua in the morning to pick up the team from Virginia. They arrived at noon, so we stopped at Tip Top on the way back from MGA for lunch. We got to the team house in the early afternoon and rested. The team had been up since 2am eastern time and needed some relaxation. We had dinner and got to know each other. It’s going to be a great week. I love small teams because you get to spend time with each person. Buster has already started getting them trained in spoiling him. Everyone is happy!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
September 2013
I’m writing for the whole month of September, since I haven’t updated this blog for so long. Time sure flies…
I spent a lot of time resting, taking care of myself and going through some medical tests. The tests on my heart were okay. My cardiologist still wants to see me, so I’ll have a visit with them in December.
I was glad that the ultrasound on my liver showed that the hemangioma has not changed. This is just a routine scan, so I wasn’t worried about it at all. I do still need to be working on my liver health, though, and I’m committing myself to eat healthier, get more rest and get more good exercise, and to lower my stress level. Looks like a job for the Lord to lead me in!
I was able to read some really good books to strengthen my Christian walk. I enjoyed a few short Bible Studies on my own, too. I am so thankful for all of the wonderful Christian friends that I have. They have helped me to step back and refocus on God and His plan for my life and the need for more obedience on my part.
I’m very excited about some of the changes that God is promising for my future. All I care about is what He is telling me to do and how it will glorify Him. I am eliminating unhealthy (and downright toxic) situations out of my life. I’m up for HIS challenges, because I know that He will guide me through and give me strength. I’m done with messing up His plans by trying to please everyone else and their agendas/perceptions/attitudes. God is so faithful to be right beside me always, even when I’m looking the wrong way.
I was so blessed to get to spend more time with the family of Cuerpo Vivo church, including getting to help one day on the painting project for their 2nd campus. I soaked up the love from all of them. I had fun speaking Spanish to them, too. We had some good laughs over my goof ups, but they were very encouraging about my progress. Pastors Jaime and Oliver are going to be my encouragers and accountability partners via email while I’m in Nica. They are very kind and wise and willing to tell me what God puts on their hearts for me to hear. I’m so thankful for them.
I couldn’t believe how much better I felt by the end of the month. I was still not 100%, but much better. The extra month in AR was very good for me in many ways. Now, I just have to pay off those silly medical bills! Hahaha! But God will provide for that. I’m not stressing over it.
I was in AR for 7 weeks (instead of the anticipated 3) and Deanna was not ready for me to leave for Nica. But I told her that I would be back in just 2 months, so it wouldn’t be as long as a usual trip south. I was really missing my Nica friends and students. I wish I could be in 2 places at once. But one of my new commitments is to spend more time on communicating with friends and loved ones via facebook, email, phone calls and personal visits. My focus is going to be more on relationships rather than tasks.
That reminds me of one of the good Bible Studies I did. It’s called “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World”. I thought it would just be like ‘quit being so busy and spend more time with Jesus’. But it actually was more than that and I enjoyed it so much. I recommend it highly and will share the book with friends here in Nica.
I could see God’s hand in everything that happened during the month of September and I trust His timing and His plans. He just needed to get my attention back on Him 100% and He did it in strong, but loving ways.
To everyone who shared meals with me, shared laughter and tears, listened to me ramble and share my heart, prayed for me and just plain loved on me during this month… Thank You for letting God use you in my life! I have been blessed!
Now on to October and what God has in store next!
I spent a lot of time resting, taking care of myself and going through some medical tests. The tests on my heart were okay. My cardiologist still wants to see me, so I’ll have a visit with them in December.
I was glad that the ultrasound on my liver showed that the hemangioma has not changed. This is just a routine scan, so I wasn’t worried about it at all. I do still need to be working on my liver health, though, and I’m committing myself to eat healthier, get more rest and get more good exercise, and to lower my stress level. Looks like a job for the Lord to lead me in!
I was able to read some really good books to strengthen my Christian walk. I enjoyed a few short Bible Studies on my own, too. I am so thankful for all of the wonderful Christian friends that I have. They have helped me to step back and refocus on God and His plan for my life and the need for more obedience on my part.
I’m very excited about some of the changes that God is promising for my future. All I care about is what He is telling me to do and how it will glorify Him. I am eliminating unhealthy (and downright toxic) situations out of my life. I’m up for HIS challenges, because I know that He will guide me through and give me strength. I’m done with messing up His plans by trying to please everyone else and their agendas/perceptions/attitudes. God is so faithful to be right beside me always, even when I’m looking the wrong way.
I was so blessed to get to spend more time with the family of Cuerpo Vivo church, including getting to help one day on the painting project for their 2nd campus. I soaked up the love from all of them. I had fun speaking Spanish to them, too. We had some good laughs over my goof ups, but they were very encouraging about my progress. Pastors Jaime and Oliver are going to be my encouragers and accountability partners via email while I’m in Nica. They are very kind and wise and willing to tell me what God puts on their hearts for me to hear. I’m so thankful for them.
I couldn’t believe how much better I felt by the end of the month. I was still not 100%, but much better. The extra month in AR was very good for me in many ways. Now, I just have to pay off those silly medical bills! Hahaha! But God will provide for that. I’m not stressing over it.
I was in AR for 7 weeks (instead of the anticipated 3) and Deanna was not ready for me to leave for Nica. But I told her that I would be back in just 2 months, so it wouldn’t be as long as a usual trip south. I was really missing my Nica friends and students. I wish I could be in 2 places at once. But one of my new commitments is to spend more time on communicating with friends and loved ones via facebook, email, phone calls and personal visits. My focus is going to be more on relationships rather than tasks.
That reminds me of one of the good Bible Studies I did. It’s called “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World”. I thought it would just be like ‘quit being so busy and spend more time with Jesus’. But it actually was more than that and I enjoyed it so much. I recommend it highly and will share the book with friends here in Nica.
I could see God’s hand in everything that happened during the month of September and I trust His timing and His plans. He just needed to get my attention back on Him 100% and He did it in strong, but loving ways.
To everyone who shared meals with me, shared laughter and tears, listened to me ramble and share my heart, prayed for me and just plain loved on me during this month… Thank You for letting God use you in my life! I have been blessed!
Now on to October and what God has in store next!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
August 7-28, 2013
I was surprised at how exhausted my body was when I made it back to the states. The first few days I slept off and on most of the day. I didn’t even leave the house every other day the first week. As Deanna always says, I must have needed the rest!
I did get a lot of errands taken care of so that I could be ready to return to Nica on the 29th. I took my time in getting things done and paced my business. I also got the chance to have lunch or dinner about once a day (once I left the house) with friends. It’s been great to see people and enjoy time with them. I’m really blessed with lots of Christian friends.
God has continued to speak to me in surprising ways. Sometimes the lessons are hard and sometime the experiences are excitingly happy. I love the way that He is involved in my life. I know He is even more involved that I realize and I’m trying to learn how to be more aware of His hand in every moment.
I had some very difficult things to deal with emotionally in the past few months and it is such a blessing to be in my spot at Deanna’s, which is like a sanctuary to me sometimes. It has been a long time since I have felt this emotionally drained. But God has shown me that before He could fill me up with only Him, He had to empty me of all that is me. No matter what He allows me to go through, as long as it brings Him glory and draws me closer to Him, it’s okay with me.
I have loved getting to visit with friends. I’m way too busy many days to allow the time really enjoy from friends and loved ones. God is showing me how important those healthy relationships are. I’m going to honor them and enjoy them and nurture them.
I have also enjoyed getting to eat at some of my favorite restaurants while back in the states. That’s always fun. I’ve have gotten to cook a bit, too. I enjoy cooking, especially making healthy choices.
FBC Rogers started having services on Saturday evenings and I went to the first one. I absolutely loved it! The feeling was casual and open and I really felt that I could just relax and worship God just like when in Nica. Right after worship service was the time for Life Groups. I enjoyed the lesson and fellowship. I will continue to go to Saturday night church when here!
On Sunday mornings I continue to worship with my faith family at our Spanish church Cuerpo Vivo. It is rare that I don’t shed a tear or two (or many more) when I’m there. I just love the church family I have there. Even though there are many new families every time that I come back from Nica, I feel loved by everyone there. I love getting to hear the message and sing the songs in Spanish. Cuerpo Vivo church just celebrated their 10th anniversary. It was a great time together. I have been blessed to know both Pastors Jaime and Oliver for those 10 years and to also get to work along side them closely for a quite a few of those years. They are encouraging to me about learning Spanish and I love getting to spend time with these special families.
Well, the time came to leave for Nica and I was ready materially, but was just not feeling good physically. More things happened along the emotional problems and I just couldn’t get rid of some of the physical stress on my body. The day before I was supposed to fly out, I told Deanna that I just didn’t feel ‘right’ and needed to get checked out before I went off to Nica where there is not a very good medical system. She was in total agreement and said that she would feel better if I stayed and saw my doctor. So I called and got an appointment for that afternoon. Dr. Bob was wonderful to listen to me. It was hard to describe what ‘not feeling right’ means. He suggested that we check out my heart and also follow up on my liver issues. He doubled my blood pressure meds, which helped a lot by the next day, by the way. I called the airlines and had to change my ticket that day or lose it. I didn’t know when the medical tests would be scheduled, so I just picked the date of October 1. The rep that I spoke to got permission from her supervisor to waive the change fee since I was making the change due to medical issues. I was very thankful for that.
Soooo, I’m staying in Arkansas for a few more weeks for medical tests and relaxing and resting. I’m praying that everything checks out okay and at the least I get more recoup time from the past stress. I’m so thankful that God has allowed me a comfortable and loving place to stay (with Deanna) and many friends who want to love on me and pamper me while I’m here. I do miss my Nica friends and teaching my classes, but I’m blessed to get to keep in touch with them via internet.
More time to just rest in God’s love and teaching and soak up some love from friends. I’m so thankful and blessed!
I did get a lot of errands taken care of so that I could be ready to return to Nica on the 29th. I took my time in getting things done and paced my business. I also got the chance to have lunch or dinner about once a day (once I left the house) with friends. It’s been great to see people and enjoy time with them. I’m really blessed with lots of Christian friends.
God has continued to speak to me in surprising ways. Sometimes the lessons are hard and sometime the experiences are excitingly happy. I love the way that He is involved in my life. I know He is even more involved that I realize and I’m trying to learn how to be more aware of His hand in every moment.
I had some very difficult things to deal with emotionally in the past few months and it is such a blessing to be in my spot at Deanna’s, which is like a sanctuary to me sometimes. It has been a long time since I have felt this emotionally drained. But God has shown me that before He could fill me up with only Him, He had to empty me of all that is me. No matter what He allows me to go through, as long as it brings Him glory and draws me closer to Him, it’s okay with me.
I have loved getting to visit with friends. I’m way too busy many days to allow the time really enjoy from friends and loved ones. God is showing me how important those healthy relationships are. I’m going to honor them and enjoy them and nurture them.
I have also enjoyed getting to eat at some of my favorite restaurants while back in the states. That’s always fun. I’ve have gotten to cook a bit, too. I enjoy cooking, especially making healthy choices.
FBC Rogers started having services on Saturday evenings and I went to the first one. I absolutely loved it! The feeling was casual and open and I really felt that I could just relax and worship God just like when in Nica. Right after worship service was the time for Life Groups. I enjoyed the lesson and fellowship. I will continue to go to Saturday night church when here!
On Sunday mornings I continue to worship with my faith family at our Spanish church Cuerpo Vivo. It is rare that I don’t shed a tear or two (or many more) when I’m there. I just love the church family I have there. Even though there are many new families every time that I come back from Nica, I feel loved by everyone there. I love getting to hear the message and sing the songs in Spanish. Cuerpo Vivo church just celebrated their 10th anniversary. It was a great time together. I have been blessed to know both Pastors Jaime and Oliver for those 10 years and to also get to work along side them closely for a quite a few of those years. They are encouraging to me about learning Spanish and I love getting to spend time with these special families.
Well, the time came to leave for Nica and I was ready materially, but was just not feeling good physically. More things happened along the emotional problems and I just couldn’t get rid of some of the physical stress on my body. The day before I was supposed to fly out, I told Deanna that I just didn’t feel ‘right’ and needed to get checked out before I went off to Nica where there is not a very good medical system. She was in total agreement and said that she would feel better if I stayed and saw my doctor. So I called and got an appointment for that afternoon. Dr. Bob was wonderful to listen to me. It was hard to describe what ‘not feeling right’ means. He suggested that we check out my heart and also follow up on my liver issues. He doubled my blood pressure meds, which helped a lot by the next day, by the way. I called the airlines and had to change my ticket that day or lose it. I didn’t know when the medical tests would be scheduled, so I just picked the date of October 1. The rep that I spoke to got permission from her supervisor to waive the change fee since I was making the change due to medical issues. I was very thankful for that.
Soooo, I’m staying in Arkansas for a few more weeks for medical tests and relaxing and resting. I’m praying that everything checks out okay and at the least I get more recoup time from the past stress. I’m so thankful that God has allowed me a comfortable and loving place to stay (with Deanna) and many friends who want to love on me and pamper me while I’m here. I do miss my Nica friends and teaching my classes, but I’m blessed to get to keep in touch with them via internet.
More time to just rest in God’s love and teaching and soak up some love from friends. I’m so thankful and blessed!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
August 4-6, 2013
As I mentioned yesterday, the last team left on Saturday, the 3rd. The team house was put back to normal. The interns and I got the chance to run around town a little bit on Saturday morning. Other than that, we worked and rested a lot.
On Sunday morning, we all attended church there at the team house. It was nice. Then we rested and then went out for dinner.
On Monday morning, I rode to the Managua airport with the Interns at 3am for their return to the states. I get car sick easily, so I took a couple of ginger pills and ate a piece of bread and drank a fresca as preventative measures. After dropping the kids at the airport, we left for the drive back to León (about 1.5 hours). I was laying down on the second seat since Edmundo’s wife Dina was riding up front. We didn’t even get across the city before I got sick. I jumped up and tapped on Edmundo’s shoulder saying (in Spanish) that I was sick. He asked (in Spanish) if I wanted to go to the hospital. I told him (in Spanish) I needed to vomit. He understood that and very quickly pulled over! We were back on the road after about 15 minutes and I fell asleep on way home. I was soooo glad to get back to the team house a little before 6am. I laid on my bed and it felt so good that it wasn’t moving or vibrating or anything. Ahhhh. I slept until 8am and felt so much better. The bad thing, was remembering that I was going to have to make the same trip again in less than 24 hours!
I packed a few items to bring back with me and relaxed the rest of the day. Mary, Charlie and I went to eat dinner to kill some time. I went to bed early and caught a few hours sleep until 1am when I finally gave up and got my shower and got ready to leave. Buster was barking off and on all night, so a few hours I was awake.
We left for the airport at 3am and I gratefully rode in the front seat. We had Nelson as our driver and it was a breeze! I got checked in and stopped in the restroom. Charlie and Mary lost me. The airport is not big. Charlie posted on facebook that they had lost me. It was funny. They found me at our gate (there are only 5 or 6 gates in the whole airport). We had a few hours wait and by the time we flew off, I was ready for a little nap.
The travel all day was good. In Atlanta, Mary, Charlie and I split up, since I was going to NWA and they were going to Little Rock. I got through immigration, customs and security and went right to TGIFridays for lunch. I always eat there when at the Atlanta airport. I had a wonderful meal of steak, loaded mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was great!
When we got ready to board the plane to NWA, after many gate changes, we were told that the plane might need a tire change. But we weren’t delayed too bad. It was a good flight.
Michael and Vickie Brown picked me up at the airport and gave me their car to use while I’m in Rogers. They are such angels to me!
I got home and was greeted by LucyAlice the cat. She usually stays to herself and especially away from me. But she had been home by herself for 2 weeks while Deanna was in Las Vegas with her daughter and Jet the dog was staying with his doggie cousins. The first few days home was very quiet and I needed it so much!
Now it’s time for relaxing, renewing, refreshing and revelation. I’m looking forward to God showing me many things as I spend lots of quiet time with Him over the next 3 weeks.
He is faithful and I love Him so much!!
On Sunday morning, we all attended church there at the team house. It was nice. Then we rested and then went out for dinner.
On Monday morning, I rode to the Managua airport with the Interns at 3am for their return to the states. I get car sick easily, so I took a couple of ginger pills and ate a piece of bread and drank a fresca as preventative measures. After dropping the kids at the airport, we left for the drive back to León (about 1.5 hours). I was laying down on the second seat since Edmundo’s wife Dina was riding up front. We didn’t even get across the city before I got sick. I jumped up and tapped on Edmundo’s shoulder saying (in Spanish) that I was sick. He asked (in Spanish) if I wanted to go to the hospital. I told him (in Spanish) I needed to vomit. He understood that and very quickly pulled over! We were back on the road after about 15 minutes and I fell asleep on way home. I was soooo glad to get back to the team house a little before 6am. I laid on my bed and it felt so good that it wasn’t moving or vibrating or anything. Ahhhh. I slept until 8am and felt so much better. The bad thing, was remembering that I was going to have to make the same trip again in less than 24 hours!
I packed a few items to bring back with me and relaxed the rest of the day. Mary, Charlie and I went to eat dinner to kill some time. I went to bed early and caught a few hours sleep until 1am when I finally gave up and got my shower and got ready to leave. Buster was barking off and on all night, so a few hours I was awake.
We left for the airport at 3am and I gratefully rode in the front seat. We had Nelson as our driver and it was a breeze! I got checked in and stopped in the restroom. Charlie and Mary lost me. The airport is not big. Charlie posted on facebook that they had lost me. It was funny. They found me at our gate (there are only 5 or 6 gates in the whole airport). We had a few hours wait and by the time we flew off, I was ready for a little nap.
The travel all day was good. In Atlanta, Mary, Charlie and I split up, since I was going to NWA and they were going to Little Rock. I got through immigration, customs and security and went right to TGIFridays for lunch. I always eat there when at the Atlanta airport. I had a wonderful meal of steak, loaded mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was great!
When we got ready to board the plane to NWA, after many gate changes, we were told that the plane might need a tire change. But we weren’t delayed too bad. It was a good flight.
Michael and Vickie Brown picked me up at the airport and gave me their car to use while I’m in Rogers. They are such angels to me!
I got home and was greeted by LucyAlice the cat. She usually stays to herself and especially away from me. But she had been home by herself for 2 weeks while Deanna was in Las Vegas with her daughter and Jet the dog was staying with his doggie cousins. The first few days home was very quiet and I needed it so much!
Now it’s time for relaxing, renewing, refreshing and revelation. I’m looking forward to God showing me many things as I spend lots of quiet time with Him over the next 3 weeks.
He is faithful and I love Him so much!!
July 27 - August 3, 2013 Bethel BC & Trinity
This is a week for a new team. However, Teresa and Stewart have been here many times. It’s great to meet new people!
Trinity BC is still here until Wednesday, so they are getting to work with the Bethel team at the beginning of the week. The Trinity team also got to do some ministry work on Saturday and then joined the Bethel team for churches on Sunday.
This is the last week of back-to-back teams for the summer. There have been 9 weeks of teams! We are really getting tired, but love working with everyone. It was great to see Teresa and Stuart again. I hadn’t seen them for a couple of years. They are so sweet.
I ran a lot of errands, did some price research, met with friends and took care of some project prep at the team house. I stayed pretty busy while the teams were out working. I had a lot of computer work and was very happy to end a huge project. I got the chance to tie up some loose ends for the future. I gave away some clothes to some of the workers. I love getting things organized and planned. I loved being able to spend some time with friends since I was going to leave Nica on Aug 6 for 3 weeks in the states.
The team worked hard during the week. They served in 9 worship services, held 6 fiestas, made 2 school visits, held 4 days of VBS, 1 awesome women’s conference, 2 feeding center visits and 1 day of construction. There were a total of 508 salvations. Over the last 2 weeks, there were 2 visits to the jail and a few salvations were from there. Also, over the last 2 weeks, 2 of our pastors (Yadir and Saturnino) received motorcycles from sponsoring churches. What blessings for these guys! Now they are learning how ride them!
The Interns have worked hard and have gotten a lot of work done at the team house the last week. Zach was a crazy man when it came to organizing and setting up storage. It was awesome! All leftover prizes/gifts were processed and packed for the next teams in Oct and Nov. Everything in the 2 bodegas (storage units) were sorted and organized. It was beautiful! All towels and sheets were washed and put away. All donated clothes were washed and stored. A great end to the summer!
The last team members left early (3am) on Saturday the 3rd. It sure was quiet at the team house for the first time in 9 weeks! Buster laid around and slept all day long. He really misses the teams, though. He sure likes the attention from all of the visitors!
God was very busy in Nica this summer and we were very blessed to be able to be a part of it. He is faithful!
Trinity BC is still here until Wednesday, so they are getting to work with the Bethel team at the beginning of the week. The Trinity team also got to do some ministry work on Saturday and then joined the Bethel team for churches on Sunday.
This is the last week of back-to-back teams for the summer. There have been 9 weeks of teams! We are really getting tired, but love working with everyone. It was great to see Teresa and Stuart again. I hadn’t seen them for a couple of years. They are so sweet.
I ran a lot of errands, did some price research, met with friends and took care of some project prep at the team house. I stayed pretty busy while the teams were out working. I had a lot of computer work and was very happy to end a huge project. I got the chance to tie up some loose ends for the future. I gave away some clothes to some of the workers. I love getting things organized and planned. I loved being able to spend some time with friends since I was going to leave Nica on Aug 6 for 3 weeks in the states.
The team worked hard during the week. They served in 9 worship services, held 6 fiestas, made 2 school visits, held 4 days of VBS, 1 awesome women’s conference, 2 feeding center visits and 1 day of construction. There were a total of 508 salvations. Over the last 2 weeks, there were 2 visits to the jail and a few salvations were from there. Also, over the last 2 weeks, 2 of our pastors (Yadir and Saturnino) received motorcycles from sponsoring churches. What blessings for these guys! Now they are learning how ride them!
The Interns have worked hard and have gotten a lot of work done at the team house the last week. Zach was a crazy man when it came to organizing and setting up storage. It was awesome! All leftover prizes/gifts were processed and packed for the next teams in Oct and Nov. Everything in the 2 bodegas (storage units) were sorted and organized. It was beautiful! All towels and sheets were washed and put away. All donated clothes were washed and stored. A great end to the summer!
The last team members left early (3am) on Saturday the 3rd. It sure was quiet at the team house for the first time in 9 weeks! Buster laid around and slept all day long. He really misses the teams, though. He sure likes the attention from all of the visitors!
God was very busy in Nica this summer and we were very blessed to be able to be a part of it. He is faithful!
July 21-27, 2013 Eastside & Trinity
This week and next will be kind of strange in that we have a team from Trinity BC coming to serve half of this week with Eastside BC and half of next week with Bethel BC. It has really made the time go by fast, since instead of 7 days of normal schedule, everything changes after about 4 days and then again after 4 days, etc. It’s fun though. It does make it hard to remember who is on what team, however!
Mary’s daughter Teresa is here with the Trinity team. I know that Mary loves having her here. They look like twins and you rarely see one without the other following along. It’s very cute! Teresa is so sweet. I’m so glad to get to know her better.
We did the usual church service visits with teams. I know that the VOH church plants have loved having the teams come every week to share testimonies and messages.
Overall, this week the team did 6 church services, 9 fiestas, 1 conference, 4 feeding center visits and saw 464 people accept Christ. A couple of the team members stayed back for part of a day with illness, but were fine after a short while. The heat can take a toll on a body quickly.
I spent some quality time with the interns and we ate out a couple of times. I did a lot of emails and worked many hours on the feeding center sponsor tracking reports. I also got some time alone walking downtown and getting a haircut. It was a good week.
Everyone is getting tired as we have week after week. But it’s all good. We are happy to serve.
God has been talking to me in many ways and through many people. Some don’t even know that He is working through them at the time. He is faithful!
I’m excited to see what all He has planned for me in the near and far future. I love serving Him!!!
Mary’s daughter Teresa is here with the Trinity team. I know that Mary loves having her here. They look like twins and you rarely see one without the other following along. It’s very cute! Teresa is so sweet. I’m so glad to get to know her better.
We did the usual church service visits with teams. I know that the VOH church plants have loved having the teams come every week to share testimonies and messages.
Overall, this week the team did 6 church services, 9 fiestas, 1 conference, 4 feeding center visits and saw 464 people accept Christ. A couple of the team members stayed back for part of a day with illness, but were fine after a short while. The heat can take a toll on a body quickly.
I spent some quality time with the interns and we ate out a couple of times. I did a lot of emails and worked many hours on the feeding center sponsor tracking reports. I also got some time alone walking downtown and getting a haircut. It was a good week.
Everyone is getting tired as we have week after week. But it’s all good. We are happy to serve.
God has been talking to me in many ways and through many people. Some don’t even know that He is working through them at the time. He is faithful!
I’m excited to see what all He has planned for me in the near and far future. I love serving Him!!!
Monday, July 29, 2013
July 13-20, 2013 Charleston AR team
The day started with prayer with the interns and some work on the team house. I got the chance to get some computer work done. I love it when it’s quiet! I even got a morning nap in!
The girls and I ran around town for a little bit. I took them to Pan y Paz French Bakery. They fell in love! We stopped in at La Unión and then got back to the team house to welcome the team later in the day.
My sweet friend Estefanie came over with her cousin form Costa Rica. José is one of my favorite people, even though I have only gotten to spend a few days with him. I was so happy to get to see him again!
Sunday was a day of worship and work. I also got to spend time talking with some friends and emailing a lot. What would we do without technology??!!
The team of 25 had a busy week of 10 worship services, 8 fiestas/street evangelism, 4 days of VBS, 2 feeding center visits, 5 days of construction and 358 salvations!! It was hot and tiring, but the team was great and enjoyed it very much!
I did my usual thing of helping Johana with feeding center stuff, doing the feeding center tracking on the computer, working on plans for the October teams (who are focusing on Women’s Ministry), eating out when I got the chance, doing laundry and just having a blast being here.
I’m still doing the Believing God Bible Study and am almost to the end. It has been so wonderful. The timing of when I could actually spend time on it was perfect for what I was going through on any given day. God is so faithful!
I bought my plane tickets for my return to Nica on Aug 29 and departure to the US on Dec 3. That’s a big chunk of change, but it’s better now that I fly less often and stay here longer.
One exciting thing that happened during the week was a frog jumped into my room! I’m so glad that a team member saw it happen and got that stinker out! I would have had a heart attack (literally) if I would have found it on my own. Oh my!!! I hate those things!
One of our workers (and new Pastor) Saturnino has a daughter who is very, very sick. She has had a problem with bleeding from a hemangioma since she was 4 years old. She is now 12. She was in the hospital again and the doctors say they can’t do anything more for her. She has had surgeries in the past. The hospital ran out of blood for her. German’s wife, Johana went to the hospital to give blood. We all have been praying for a miracle for her. Saturnino’s wife is pregnant now and I worry about her being so stressed over Ivania’s sickness. We really want to keep that family in our prayers. Saturnino said she is doing a little better and the doctors let her go home for now. Praying for a miracle!
Saturday was a day of flipping the rooms for the next team and resting a bit. I did get the chance to take the interns out for dinner. We are exploring different restaurants. I want them to have a blast while they are here and to see all of León that they can.
I finally got the time to call Deanna and check in with her. She is ready for me to get back ‘home’ to her house. I have to say that I have missed her very much! I can’t wait to get back to that sanctuary of love that she provides for me. It will be a quick visit of only 3 weeks, but it will be wonderful!
God is so good to take care of me. He has shown me so many things these past 2 months. Some have been very hard to endure, but He is faithful and has been right beside me (and before me and behind me and supporting me…) all along. I love Him so much!!
The girls and I ran around town for a little bit. I took them to Pan y Paz French Bakery. They fell in love! We stopped in at La Unión and then got back to the team house to welcome the team later in the day.
My sweet friend Estefanie came over with her cousin form Costa Rica. José is one of my favorite people, even though I have only gotten to spend a few days with him. I was so happy to get to see him again!
Sunday was a day of worship and work. I also got to spend time talking with some friends and emailing a lot. What would we do without technology??!!
The team of 25 had a busy week of 10 worship services, 8 fiestas/street evangelism, 4 days of VBS, 2 feeding center visits, 5 days of construction and 358 salvations!! It was hot and tiring, but the team was great and enjoyed it very much!
I did my usual thing of helping Johana with feeding center stuff, doing the feeding center tracking on the computer, working on plans for the October teams (who are focusing on Women’s Ministry), eating out when I got the chance, doing laundry and just having a blast being here.
I’m still doing the Believing God Bible Study and am almost to the end. It has been so wonderful. The timing of when I could actually spend time on it was perfect for what I was going through on any given day. God is so faithful!
I bought my plane tickets for my return to Nica on Aug 29 and departure to the US on Dec 3. That’s a big chunk of change, but it’s better now that I fly less often and stay here longer.
One exciting thing that happened during the week was a frog jumped into my room! I’m so glad that a team member saw it happen and got that stinker out! I would have had a heart attack (literally) if I would have found it on my own. Oh my!!! I hate those things!
One of our workers (and new Pastor) Saturnino has a daughter who is very, very sick. She has had a problem with bleeding from a hemangioma since she was 4 years old. She is now 12. She was in the hospital again and the doctors say they can’t do anything more for her. She has had surgeries in the past. The hospital ran out of blood for her. German’s wife, Johana went to the hospital to give blood. We all have been praying for a miracle for her. Saturnino’s wife is pregnant now and I worry about her being so stressed over Ivania’s sickness. We really want to keep that family in our prayers. Saturnino said she is doing a little better and the doctors let her go home for now. Praying for a miracle!
Saturday was a day of flipping the rooms for the next team and resting a bit. I did get the chance to take the interns out for dinner. We are exploring different restaurants. I want them to have a blast while they are here and to see all of León that they can.
I finally got the time to call Deanna and check in with her. She is ready for me to get back ‘home’ to her house. I have to say that I have missed her very much! I can’t wait to get back to that sanctuary of love that she provides for me. It will be a quick visit of only 3 weeks, but it will be wonderful!
God is so good to take care of me. He has shown me so many things these past 2 months. Some have been very hard to endure, but He is faithful and has been right beside me (and before me and behind me and supporting me…) all along. I love Him so much!!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
July 7-12, 2013 special team
Special Team
This week was very special with a few people from different churches coming and going and overlapping. It was a great change of pace!
We had Ralph, Connie and their son Seth, Buddy, Ashley and their son Cody, Joni and Stan, Lynn & Rusty, Lindsey, and the 3 interns from FBC Rogers. Some people were scheduled on different days due to cost of flights, some missed their flights and had to come a day later, etc. Cody even extended his ticket to stay an extra week as an intern!
It was a low key week as far as fiestas and even having a schedule written in, well, written at all. Lol we had a lovely week of fellowship, 7 fiestas/street evangelism events, 5 worship services, 5 feeding center visits, 5 days of construction, 2 clothing giveaways and 205 salvations.
On Friday afternoon, we dedicated the new house for Aracely’s family. It was a beautiful time. She was in tears the whole time. It was a 8 year plan for them and they had been buying materials brick by brick and putting the walls up as they could afford over the last 7 years. It was a huge blessing for them to see it all finished. While we were at their house, there was a strong downpour of rain. We could confirm that the roof was watertight! We had ridden in our school bus, so there was a couple of guys who thought we were the public transportation (which is old school buses). They got on and we took them back into León with us. It was a father and son both named Marvin. Rusty shared the Gospel with them and they accepted Christ right there on the ride back into town!
We went to worship service at Agusto Cesar Sandino church, which has the new Pastor Saturnino. The rain had quit and we had lovely music a cappella and also with Buddy playing his guitar. I loved the service. Then it was back to the team house for dinner.
During the week, Lindsey got to go with Johana and I to one of the feeding centers and take lots of pictures of the kids and see the feeding center from cooking to serving. The kids loved her blonde hair. She is so pretty and they called her Barbie.
All in all, it was a wonderful week and we had lots of fun serving and being blessed by the crazy schedule and lovely atmosphere. I love it when God takes our plans and makes them His!!! After all, HE’s the one who has it all figured out! We just get in his way sometimes! But He is patient and forgiving. Love Him!!!
This week was very special with a few people from different churches coming and going and overlapping. It was a great change of pace!
We had Ralph, Connie and their son Seth, Buddy, Ashley and their son Cody, Joni and Stan, Lynn & Rusty, Lindsey, and the 3 interns from FBC Rogers. Some people were scheduled on different days due to cost of flights, some missed their flights and had to come a day later, etc. Cody even extended his ticket to stay an extra week as an intern!
It was a low key week as far as fiestas and even having a schedule written in, well, written at all. Lol we had a lovely week of fellowship, 7 fiestas/street evangelism events, 5 worship services, 5 feeding center visits, 5 days of construction, 2 clothing giveaways and 205 salvations.
On Friday afternoon, we dedicated the new house for Aracely’s family. It was a beautiful time. She was in tears the whole time. It was a 8 year plan for them and they had been buying materials brick by brick and putting the walls up as they could afford over the last 7 years. It was a huge blessing for them to see it all finished. While we were at their house, there was a strong downpour of rain. We could confirm that the roof was watertight! We had ridden in our school bus, so there was a couple of guys who thought we were the public transportation (which is old school buses). They got on and we took them back into León with us. It was a father and son both named Marvin. Rusty shared the Gospel with them and they accepted Christ right there on the ride back into town!
We went to worship service at Agusto Cesar Sandino church, which has the new Pastor Saturnino. The rain had quit and we had lovely music a cappella and also with Buddy playing his guitar. I loved the service. Then it was back to the team house for dinner.
During the week, Lindsey got to go with Johana and I to one of the feeding centers and take lots of pictures of the kids and see the feeding center from cooking to serving. The kids loved her blonde hair. She is so pretty and they called her Barbie.
All in all, it was a wonderful week and we had lots of fun serving and being blessed by the crazy schedule and lovely atmosphere. I love it when God takes our plans and makes them His!!! After all, HE’s the one who has it all figured out! We just get in his way sometimes! But He is patient and forgiving. Love Him!!!
June 29- July 6, 2013 Highland BC
Highland Baptist Church, New Iberia LA
This is one of my all time favorite teams. I just love this church. You can feel such a peace and unity in the teams when they come here. I can only imagine how sweet the atmosphere is at their church in LA.
One of the friends I met through NYC is the Youth Pastor and it’s always so wonderful to see him. God has networked people and churches through all of us and it’s fun to see how connected we all are when we get a glimpse of the big picture of God’s plans. How enormous His plans are and how they would blow our minds if we are shown too much at a time! Lol
This week was fun. There were 30 on the team plus Nick as an intern. Tori came on Monday to be an intern for 2 weeks, so she joined the mix starting on Tues. There were 11 church services, 8 fiestas/street evangelism events, 4 days of VBS, a pastor’s conference, 3 feeding center visits and 4 days of construction. There were a total of 602 salvations for the week.
Everyone had a great time serving together and there was a lot of sharing and worshiping at the team house at night. The team went to the volcano to zip line for their fun day. They got back in time for a late dinner of pizza after shopping.
I was busy going with Johana to work on cleaning up some files for the feeding centers and also helped Lesly with team grocery shopping and errands. I had a ton of computer work to do and kept very busy myself.
It was hard to say goodbye to Nick. He did get to meet the 3 new interns coming from FBC Rogers AR (my home church) and he was sad not to get to stay and work with them. But after 5 weeks, he needed to get back home. He is really missed, though!
It was a lovely week and I was very blessed.
This is one of my all time favorite teams. I just love this church. You can feel such a peace and unity in the teams when they come here. I can only imagine how sweet the atmosphere is at their church in LA.
One of the friends I met through NYC is the Youth Pastor and it’s always so wonderful to see him. God has networked people and churches through all of us and it’s fun to see how connected we all are when we get a glimpse of the big picture of God’s plans. How enormous His plans are and how they would blow our minds if we are shown too much at a time! Lol
This week was fun. There were 30 on the team plus Nick as an intern. Tori came on Monday to be an intern for 2 weeks, so she joined the mix starting on Tues. There were 11 church services, 8 fiestas/street evangelism events, 4 days of VBS, a pastor’s conference, 3 feeding center visits and 4 days of construction. There were a total of 602 salvations for the week.
Everyone had a great time serving together and there was a lot of sharing and worshiping at the team house at night. The team went to the volcano to zip line for their fun day. They got back in time for a late dinner of pizza after shopping.
I was busy going with Johana to work on cleaning up some files for the feeding centers and also helped Lesly with team grocery shopping and errands. I had a ton of computer work to do and kept very busy myself.
It was hard to say goodbye to Nick. He did get to meet the 3 new interns coming from FBC Rogers AR (my home church) and he was sad not to get to stay and work with them. But after 5 weeks, he needed to get back home. He is really missed, though!
It was a lovely week and I was very blessed.
June 22-28, 2013 Crosslife Church
Crosslife Church from El Dorado AR is one of our long-time supporters. They brought the biggest team that we have had so far. 59 people came and we were busting at the seams, but we made it work! Building 5 new showers, toilet, sink units helped with the extra people. We had people everywhere!
Counting the interns, VOH staff, translators, drivers, etc., the ladies were cooking for over 120 servings per meal. It was crazy! The washing dishes seemed never ending. Refilling the freezer with water bottles was a 3 time a day chore. Keeping the large water bottles on the dispensers was a multiple times a day event, too. It was a challenge, but it was great!
There were 12 church services, 15 fiestas/street evangelism events, 4 school visits, 2 days of VBS, 5 feeding center visits, 3 days of dentistry for 74 people and 5 days of construction (the support poles and roof were put on the church at ACS). There were 1,356 salvations that week! It was a very busy and fruitful week!
The interns were hustling like crazy, but it was good to be back at the team house for every meal. We snuck away a couple of times for some free time and devotions and sharing. I so enjoyed this group of interns! While the team went on a fun day, I took the interns downtown and we had a blast. We hit the coffee shop a lot. I don’t usually drink coffee, even though I love it, but I think I had 3 mochaccinos that week! Lol
It was fun and a wonderful blessing to have this team here. It’s always fun to see people who have been here before, especially when they are friends on facebook!
6 of the interns left with the team on Saturday. Only Nick is left for one more week to work with his home church who arrived Saturday night. I started missing Calen, Fred, Rachel, Adam, Kyle and Morgan before they even got out of León! I pray for them and wish them the very best that God has in store for them!
God blesses me with friends from all over the place! He is so sweet to me!
Counting the interns, VOH staff, translators, drivers, etc., the ladies were cooking for over 120 servings per meal. It was crazy! The washing dishes seemed never ending. Refilling the freezer with water bottles was a 3 time a day chore. Keeping the large water bottles on the dispensers was a multiple times a day event, too. It was a challenge, but it was great!
There were 12 church services, 15 fiestas/street evangelism events, 4 school visits, 2 days of VBS, 5 feeding center visits, 3 days of dentistry for 74 people and 5 days of construction (the support poles and roof were put on the church at ACS). There were 1,356 salvations that week! It was a very busy and fruitful week!
The interns were hustling like crazy, but it was good to be back at the team house for every meal. We snuck away a couple of times for some free time and devotions and sharing. I so enjoyed this group of interns! While the team went on a fun day, I took the interns downtown and we had a blast. We hit the coffee shop a lot. I don’t usually drink coffee, even though I love it, but I think I had 3 mochaccinos that week! Lol
It was fun and a wonderful blessing to have this team here. It’s always fun to see people who have been here before, especially when they are friends on facebook!
6 of the interns left with the team on Saturday. Only Nick is left for one more week to work with his home church who arrived Saturday night. I started missing Calen, Fred, Rachel, Adam, Kyle and Morgan before they even got out of León! I pray for them and wish them the very best that God has in store for them!
God blesses me with friends from all over the place! He is so sweet to me!
June 15-21, 2013 Three churches
Crusade in Telica
This week was special in the that we had 3 different churches represented, 2 for the first time here. Central Baptist Church of Jonesboro AR, Victory Way Baptist of VA and Shenandoah Heights Baptist Church of VA. There were 42 total team members, plus the 7 interns.
There were 5 church services, 16 fiestas/street evangelism events, 8 school visits, 3 conferences, 5 feeding center visits, 3 crusade services, 7 radio/tv broadcasts and 4 days of construction! There was a total of 1,526 salvations for the week!
We had people coming and going everywhere! It was very exciting!
I got the blessing of going with the women to the Women’s Conference one morning. It was fun to get to bond a little bit with some of the ladies on the team. Also, the host church was very welcoming. We had a raffle and gave away some nice body lotions and stuff. Then the grand prize was a bicycle! The lady who won it was soooo happy! For here in Nica, that’s like winning a car!
There was a little bit of sickness for a couple of people and I stayed back at the team house instead of going to the crusade a couple of nights to watch over them. I even got the blessing of cleaning up one person’s dinner after he made it ‘to’ the bathroom, but not to the commode! A missionary has to be ready for everything!
I helped Lesly with grocery buying and other errands as needed. After the team would leave for ministry, I would help clean up after them and fill the freezer with water bottles, fill the coke box, etc. Also, with everyone gone, I could get good internet signal, so I got a lot of work done on the computer.
I got the chance to run and get a quick haircut one afternoon. I got a little yucky stomach myself for a few days, but a few doses of Cipro knocks that right out!
It was fun to have this team here. It seems like the weeks go by soooo fast. But it’s a blessing every week for us!
This week was special in the that we had 3 different churches represented, 2 for the first time here. Central Baptist Church of Jonesboro AR, Victory Way Baptist of VA and Shenandoah Heights Baptist Church of VA. There were 42 total team members, plus the 7 interns.
There were 5 church services, 16 fiestas/street evangelism events, 8 school visits, 3 conferences, 5 feeding center visits, 3 crusade services, 7 radio/tv broadcasts and 4 days of construction! There was a total of 1,526 salvations for the week!
We had people coming and going everywhere! It was very exciting!
I got the blessing of going with the women to the Women’s Conference one morning. It was fun to get to bond a little bit with some of the ladies on the team. Also, the host church was very welcoming. We had a raffle and gave away some nice body lotions and stuff. Then the grand prize was a bicycle! The lady who won it was soooo happy! For here in Nica, that’s like winning a car!
There was a little bit of sickness for a couple of people and I stayed back at the team house instead of going to the crusade a couple of nights to watch over them. I even got the blessing of cleaning up one person’s dinner after he made it ‘to’ the bathroom, but not to the commode! A missionary has to be ready for everything!
I helped Lesly with grocery buying and other errands as needed. After the team would leave for ministry, I would help clean up after them and fill the freezer with water bottles, fill the coke box, etc. Also, with everyone gone, I could get good internet signal, so I got a lot of work done on the computer.
I got the chance to run and get a quick haircut one afternoon. I got a little yucky stomach myself for a few days, but a few doses of Cipro knocks that right out!
It was fun to have this team here. It seems like the weeks go by soooo fast. But it’s a blessing every week for us!
June 9-14, 2013 Ronnie Hill Crusade
Ronnie Hill Crusade in Chinandega
Ronnie always brings a team made up of people from different churches who come together here to work hard for the week. It’s interesting for us to see the dynamics of the team. We are used to teams where everyone knows each other (usually from the same church). It’s really fun to see everyone coming together as one big team.
A Ronnie Hill week is one of the most busy that we have all year. The team goes morning, afternoon and evening every day. There is very little ‘down’ time. Since the ministry area was in Chinandega (about an hour away), the team left right after breakfast with supplies for many Fiestas, school visits, conferences, tv & radio spots, as well as street evangelism. Lunch was prepared here at the team house and delivered to the team at a church in Chinandega. Dinner was delivered the same way. Then the team stayed for the evening’s crusade services.
The team was tired each night, but very excited to see what God was doing in Chinandega. On a few nights, a few of the team members needed to stay back to rest. I liked getting to spend time with them one-on-one.
The Interns were awesome! They not only prepared all of the ministry supplies each night, they also served the meals and cleaned up after. Then when they got back to the team house, they put all the dinner stuff away. In addition to all of that, they also washed dishes after breakfast and manned the VOH store when the team was on the premises and managed to be sweet and cheerful! They didn’t get hardly any rest at all. I called them Ninjas and each morning we would have a prayer together to cover them for the hard day’s work. (At the end we did some Ninja chops with our hands, just because I’m silly and like to have fun!)
The Interns and I managed to cover our 4 weeks devotion lessons over 3 weeks of the month of July. I truly loved having those times together with them. They encouraged me so much. We had lovely share time. God blessed me with those wonderful young people!
Anyway… back to the crusade week. There were 37 people on the team and 7 interns. 17 churches services were attended, plus 3 crusade services. There were 32 fiestas/street evangelism events, 16 school visits, 3 conferences, 2 feeding center visits and 7 radio/tv broadcasts. There were a total of 3,547 salvations that week. What an awesome week!
God blessed the team, the ministry, the churches and the people of Chinandega beyond measure! He is Awesome!
Ronnie always brings a team made up of people from different churches who come together here to work hard for the week. It’s interesting for us to see the dynamics of the team. We are used to teams where everyone knows each other (usually from the same church). It’s really fun to see everyone coming together as one big team.
A Ronnie Hill week is one of the most busy that we have all year. The team goes morning, afternoon and evening every day. There is very little ‘down’ time. Since the ministry area was in Chinandega (about an hour away), the team left right after breakfast with supplies for many Fiestas, school visits, conferences, tv & radio spots, as well as street evangelism. Lunch was prepared here at the team house and delivered to the team at a church in Chinandega. Dinner was delivered the same way. Then the team stayed for the evening’s crusade services.
The team was tired each night, but very excited to see what God was doing in Chinandega. On a few nights, a few of the team members needed to stay back to rest. I liked getting to spend time with them one-on-one.
The Interns were awesome! They not only prepared all of the ministry supplies each night, they also served the meals and cleaned up after. Then when they got back to the team house, they put all the dinner stuff away. In addition to all of that, they also washed dishes after breakfast and manned the VOH store when the team was on the premises and managed to be sweet and cheerful! They didn’t get hardly any rest at all. I called them Ninjas and each morning we would have a prayer together to cover them for the hard day’s work. (At the end we did some Ninja chops with our hands, just because I’m silly and like to have fun!)
The Interns and I managed to cover our 4 weeks devotion lessons over 3 weeks of the month of July. I truly loved having those times together with them. They encouraged me so much. We had lovely share time. God blessed me with those wonderful young people!
Anyway… back to the crusade week. There were 37 people on the team and 7 interns. 17 churches services were attended, plus 3 crusade services. There were 32 fiestas/street evangelism events, 16 school visits, 3 conferences, 2 feeding center visits and 7 radio/tv broadcasts. There were a total of 3,547 salvations that week. What an awesome week!
God blessed the team, the ministry, the churches and the people of Chinandega beyond measure! He is Awesome!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
June 1-8, 2013
The June Interns started arriving, some on Saturday and some on Sunday. It will be a great time of serving with them!
I tried to fit in one last week of Women’s Bible Study and English Bible Study while we don’t have teams. There was sickness among the women, but most of the leaders got to meet. I will miss them greatly while we take a break during our busy team time. We had a small class for the English Bible Study and I cherished every minute of it!
Pastor Marvin, a former colleague, stopped by to ask about using the team house. He also said that he had some women’s underwear that had been donated and wanted to know if I would like to have the remainder of the shipment to give to my women’s ministry ladies. I said of course! However, I don’t know if that will ever appear. It’s a nice offer, though.
I contracted a very bad sinus infection that hit me in just one day! It was quick and strong. I was so thankful that my doctor had sent me to Nica with a Zpak. I started it the 2nd day and the illness still put me in bed for a couple of days. I think it was God’s way of letting me have time totally alone through the difficulties of the week. When I got to the place that I felt better after every nap, I couldn’t wait to go back to sleep so I could wake up feeling better! Lol I’m so thankful for good health! I don’t want to take it for granted.
The girl interns worked on sewing (they are learning) and made some bean bags for toys and also worked on some aprons for the cooks. It was also a time for them to trouble-shoot the sewing machines to find out which ones need attention after the long time of storage.
There was a lot of computer work on the feeding center files (as usual) and some nice conversations with ministry people. I spent a lot of time resting from the sinus infection that kicked my booty. I watched some videos, read, did Bible study and prayed. I got the chance to get some much needed communication done.
There was more construction done on Saturnino’s house and we had a small celebration service to bless the home and the family. It was such a treat!
I’m so thankful for what God shows me every day. Sometimes it is difficult, but it’s all for my benefit to grow me closer to Him. That’s all I care about.
He is my Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Savior and Faithful Friend. I am blessed.
I tried to fit in one last week of Women’s Bible Study and English Bible Study while we don’t have teams. There was sickness among the women, but most of the leaders got to meet. I will miss them greatly while we take a break during our busy team time. We had a small class for the English Bible Study and I cherished every minute of it!
Pastor Marvin, a former colleague, stopped by to ask about using the team house. He also said that he had some women’s underwear that had been donated and wanted to know if I would like to have the remainder of the shipment to give to my women’s ministry ladies. I said of course! However, I don’t know if that will ever appear. It’s a nice offer, though.
I contracted a very bad sinus infection that hit me in just one day! It was quick and strong. I was so thankful that my doctor had sent me to Nica with a Zpak. I started it the 2nd day and the illness still put me in bed for a couple of days. I think it was God’s way of letting me have time totally alone through the difficulties of the week. When I got to the place that I felt better after every nap, I couldn’t wait to go back to sleep so I could wake up feeling better! Lol I’m so thankful for good health! I don’t want to take it for granted.
The girl interns worked on sewing (they are learning) and made some bean bags for toys and also worked on some aprons for the cooks. It was also a time for them to trouble-shoot the sewing machines to find out which ones need attention after the long time of storage.
There was a lot of computer work on the feeding center files (as usual) and some nice conversations with ministry people. I spent a lot of time resting from the sinus infection that kicked my booty. I watched some videos, read, did Bible study and prayed. I got the chance to get some much needed communication done.
There was more construction done on Saturnino’s house and we had a small celebration service to bless the home and the family. It was such a treat!
I’m so thankful for what God shows me every day. Sometimes it is difficult, but it’s all for my benefit to grow me closer to Him. That’s all I care about.
He is my Creator, Provider, Redeemer, Savior and Faithful Friend. I am blessed.
May 23-31, 2013
Travel Day! I got up and had my suitcases ready for my pick up. Deanna and Jet kept me company while waiting for Cathy to come and get me. Michael and Vickie Brown were coming to get their car back and I was thrilled when they pulled up before Cathy and I left. I got to hug their necks and see them for a short time.
Cathy and I had breakfast at Mimi’s Café and it was delicious! We talked more about the upcoming Women’s team that will be ministering to women in Nica in October. I’m excited to see who all God is planning for this trip!
My flights were uneventful. While waiting at the airport, I got the chance to update blog posts. I had a wonderful lunch at TGI Fridays at the ATL airport. I grabbed a chai tea latte, too. A special treat for me!
On the flight between NWA and ATL, there was a boy of about 8 years old traveling to visit his dad for the summer. He was traveling alone (with the supervision of the flight attendants). He was placed next to me and we had a nice little conversation. He was so polite and sweet. He looked over the card with the safety information on it and listened intently to the instructions that were demonstrated. He asked me where they keep the parachutes. Ah… they don’t have parachutes on the plane. He asked me how do the passengers get out of the plane in an emergency. Ah… they walk down the steps. ????? I didn’t know what to tell him and thought it best to just make him comfortable and secure. Sorry for the fib Lord… The little guy took a nice nap and we made it to ATL in no time. He thanked me for being so nice and talking to him on the trip. What a nice treat for me to get to sit beside him!
I arrived at the team house just as the team was returning from the last night of the crusade services. It was so good to see the translators and to some of the team members that I knew from previous trips. I was ready to get settled into my room.
Friday was fun day for the team and they went various places for sightseeing and shopping. 2 of the ladies on the team were hairstylists and they stayed at the team house and did hair ALL day long! They were cutting and/or coloring hair constantly! I was blessed to get a much needed trim, myself. I gave out some of the gifts that I had brought to the workers and went to bed by 8pm!
The rest of the days were spent getting settled in and having one last round of classes for the Women’s Bible Study and English Bible Study Group.
We got to help a little with some construction work at Saturnino’s house. Rusty and Lynn Branson arrived from the states and we spent the rest of the week relaxing, doing construction and hanging out.
During this time, the enemy attacked me fiercely through people that I had to be around 24/7. It went on for many days and there was a lot of hurt for me. God showed me that He was by my side through it all, but it was very difficult! My reputation was damaged by lies and there was never a time of accountability for all involved. It reminded me very much of the same type of circumstances around an ugly divorce. But I know WHO I am in Christ and to WHOM I belong. God’s opinion of me is the top of the list and no one else’s matters. But, being human, it does hurt when I’m treated unfairly and justice is not fulfilled. I trust God that He knows my heart and that He will make known to others that my heart is pure. Sometimes the trials we go through are very tough. But, my God is tougher!!!
Mother’s Day in Nica was celebrated on Thursday. I had been invited to speak at a special women’s service on Friday night. I invited Mary and Lynn to join me. We gave our testimonies and enjoyed the service very much. After the service, we had a lovely dinner sitting at the ‘Pastor’s table’. It was a very nice and blessed night.
It had been quite the week, but God was shining brighter in my heart than ever before. He is my anchor and I’m so thankful for Him!
Cathy and I had breakfast at Mimi’s Café and it was delicious! We talked more about the upcoming Women’s team that will be ministering to women in Nica in October. I’m excited to see who all God is planning for this trip!
My flights were uneventful. While waiting at the airport, I got the chance to update blog posts. I had a wonderful lunch at TGI Fridays at the ATL airport. I grabbed a chai tea latte, too. A special treat for me!
On the flight between NWA and ATL, there was a boy of about 8 years old traveling to visit his dad for the summer. He was traveling alone (with the supervision of the flight attendants). He was placed next to me and we had a nice little conversation. He was so polite and sweet. He looked over the card with the safety information on it and listened intently to the instructions that were demonstrated. He asked me where they keep the parachutes. Ah… they don’t have parachutes on the plane. He asked me how do the passengers get out of the plane in an emergency. Ah… they walk down the steps. ????? I didn’t know what to tell him and thought it best to just make him comfortable and secure. Sorry for the fib Lord… The little guy took a nice nap and we made it to ATL in no time. He thanked me for being so nice and talking to him on the trip. What a nice treat for me to get to sit beside him!
I arrived at the team house just as the team was returning from the last night of the crusade services. It was so good to see the translators and to some of the team members that I knew from previous trips. I was ready to get settled into my room.
Friday was fun day for the team and they went various places for sightseeing and shopping. 2 of the ladies on the team were hairstylists and they stayed at the team house and did hair ALL day long! They were cutting and/or coloring hair constantly! I was blessed to get a much needed trim, myself. I gave out some of the gifts that I had brought to the workers and went to bed by 8pm!
The rest of the days were spent getting settled in and having one last round of classes for the Women’s Bible Study and English Bible Study Group.
We got to help a little with some construction work at Saturnino’s house. Rusty and Lynn Branson arrived from the states and we spent the rest of the week relaxing, doing construction and hanging out.
During this time, the enemy attacked me fiercely through people that I had to be around 24/7. It went on for many days and there was a lot of hurt for me. God showed me that He was by my side through it all, but it was very difficult! My reputation was damaged by lies and there was never a time of accountability for all involved. It reminded me very much of the same type of circumstances around an ugly divorce. But I know WHO I am in Christ and to WHOM I belong. God’s opinion of me is the top of the list and no one else’s matters. But, being human, it does hurt when I’m treated unfairly and justice is not fulfilled. I trust God that He knows my heart and that He will make known to others that my heart is pure. Sometimes the trials we go through are very tough. But, my God is tougher!!!
Mother’s Day in Nica was celebrated on Thursday. I had been invited to speak at a special women’s service on Friday night. I invited Mary and Lynn to join me. We gave our testimonies and enjoyed the service very much. After the service, we had a lovely dinner sitting at the ‘Pastor’s table’. It was a very nice and blessed night.
It had been quite the week, but God was shining brighter in my heart than ever before. He is my anchor and I’m so thankful for Him!
May 17-22, 2013
Back in Rogers to prepare for my return to Nica.
Lots of errands, more medical appointments, more shopping and more dinner dates. I start feeling a little bit ill and have to cool it for a day or so, but I get pretty much everything done that I had planned.
I did get to spend some time having lunch with the wife of one of the team members from the Crosslife construction team in January. Carol met me at Las Palmas and we had a yummy lunch and she gave me a sweet bag that she had sewn as an example for our sewing ministry.
I also got to meet with the July Interns who are coming from FBC Rogers. The kids have all be to Nica at least once and know the drill. Part of the Moms have been there, so it was an easy meeting. It will be so fun to have them serving in Nica this summer!
I finished reading the book that I want to use for devotions with the Interns this summer. It’s easy reading since we won’t have a lot of time for study. It will be a good conversation starter for us all.
I had some meetings and some dinner dates with people and finished up my duties for the states. I packed and repacked and repacked again! I try so hard to get every allowable ounce in the suitcases! It stresses me out! That’s what comes from worrying about ‘stuff’. But it’s okay… it’s ministry stuff I’m trying to get down there.
On Wednesday (22nd) I ran the last of the errands and treated myself to a Route 66 Rootbeer at Sonic. I didn’t realize that it was happy hour, and I was pleasantly surprised to only have to pay a pittance for that huge drink!
Now, all set for Nica! I feel exhausted, both physically and emotionally/spiritually, and I know it will be a crazy 2 ½ months back in Nica with the teams. I was glad to get to do all of the things that God allowed while in the states for 3 weeks. What a whirlwind! Maybe I will be able to relax in August! ☺
Lots of errands, more medical appointments, more shopping and more dinner dates. I start feeling a little bit ill and have to cool it for a day or so, but I get pretty much everything done that I had planned.
I did get to spend some time having lunch with the wife of one of the team members from the Crosslife construction team in January. Carol met me at Las Palmas and we had a yummy lunch and she gave me a sweet bag that she had sewn as an example for our sewing ministry.
I also got to meet with the July Interns who are coming from FBC Rogers. The kids have all be to Nica at least once and know the drill. Part of the Moms have been there, so it was an easy meeting. It will be so fun to have them serving in Nica this summer!
I finished reading the book that I want to use for devotions with the Interns this summer. It’s easy reading since we won’t have a lot of time for study. It will be a good conversation starter for us all.
I had some meetings and some dinner dates with people and finished up my duties for the states. I packed and repacked and repacked again! I try so hard to get every allowable ounce in the suitcases! It stresses me out! That’s what comes from worrying about ‘stuff’. But it’s okay… it’s ministry stuff I’m trying to get down there.
On Wednesday (22nd) I ran the last of the errands and treated myself to a Route 66 Rootbeer at Sonic. I didn’t realize that it was happy hour, and I was pleasantly surprised to only have to pay a pittance for that huge drink!
Now, all set for Nica! I feel exhausted, both physically and emotionally/spiritually, and I know it will be a crazy 2 ½ months back in Nica with the teams. I was glad to get to do all of the things that God allowed while in the states for 3 weeks. What a whirlwind! Maybe I will be able to relax in August! ☺
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
May 9-16, 2013
ROAD TRIP TO INDIANA!!!
This will be the first time that I take my time and enjoy the travel to Indiana and back. I’m usually trying to make it all in one day and continually stressing over each minute that I stop for meals or gas or bathroom breaks. I’m giving myself permission to take my time and not worry about a thing. The plan is to stop over night on the way up and the way back. And, if I’m paying for a hotel room, I’m stopping early in the afternoon to get my money’s worth! Ha
I didn’t leave Deanna’s until 9:00am. I stop in Monett for a mocha drink. I don’t usually drink coffee, even though I love it, and the caffeine will surely keep me awake on the drive for the day. It’s smooth sailing and beautiful weather across Missouri. I stop for lunch and visit a Walmart store, which happens to have clearance racks of $1, $3, $5, $7. These are MY kind of prices. I spend an hour shopping. Lol I found lots of stuff to bring back to my friends in Nica. The afternoon consisted of a frozen coffee drink and driving around St Louis. I stopped in Fairfield Heights IL for the night and had a nice early dinner and enjoyed my hotel room immensely! Lovely Day!
The drive on Friday was not so great because of weather. It rained so hard at one point that I took the wrong highway and ended up on an hour detour. But that’s okay. I got back on the right road and ended up at my sister’s house by 5pm their time. It’s cold and rainy there and we had spaghetti for dinner, which hit the spot!
On Saturday, I help Sandy a little bit in the kitchen as she prepares food for the family reunion. I run into Mom’s house to pick up some pictures and to say howdy. We had a nice time with cousins from my Dad’s side of the family. Besides a few funerals in the past couple of years, we have not all been together in about 40 years. One cousin is very big into genealogy and she brought tons of books with pictures and info. Everyone brought some old pictures and we all had fun trying to figure out who everyone was. I have one uncle and one aunt (widow of another uncle) left on Dad’s side. I have to say that it was a very fun afternoon and evening. The funniest thing is that with everyone so into family photos and genealogy, no one took any pictures of the get-together. Jaja
Sunday was Mother’s Day and I went to church with Mom and Gary. Then we went out to Sandy’s for dinner. Mom’s birthday is in May, so we celebrated her birthday, too. I fell asleep and entertained everyone with my snoring. Later in the afternoon, Sandy and I hit Kohl’s and a frozen yogurt place to top off the day. It was great.
Monday, I spent with my sister Pam and her husband Rob. We went to our favorite restaurant, Smokey Bones. We shopped at Sam’s Club and Walmart and a couple of Dollar Trees. It was a lot of fun. I also ran to a music store and found some simple song books for guitar. It was a fun day.
Tuesday, Sandy and I, with my 6 month old nephew Bentley, went shopping at the outlet mall nearby. I found some great deals for myself and others. We had a yummy lunch at Max & Ermas. I had a veggie burger and baked potato. It was cold out so that hit the spot!
Wednesday, Sandy and I ran some errands and had lunch with Dad’s girlfriend, Mary Lou. It was so good to see her. We had fun. I then did some laundry and packed the car for my departure the next morning.
Thursday, I went by Mom’s on the way out of town. She had some medical tests scheduled for the day, so our visit was a good distraction for her. I got a mocha and headed south. The weather was pretty good and I made good time driving. I ended up stopping and having a delicious dinner and enjoyed a lot of hours in my hotel room. It was wonderful! I worked on some computer stuff and Bible Study and watched TV. Very relaxing. I had brought a turtle cheesecake back to my room for a snack. I forgot to get a fork at the restaurant and ended up eating it with my fingers, but it was really good! I slept pretty well.
Friday, I had breakfast at the hotel and headed out for Rogers. I realized part of the way home that I would be able to fit in a stop in Pea Ridge to have lunch with my friend Zandra. It was a treat for both of us! I got home to Deanna’s and unpacked and did some laundry. I immediately started packing suitcases for the trip back to Nica. So much stuff! But so many clearance prices! Lol
It was a tiring week, driving 1300 miles and running around, but it was nice and I’m glad that I got to go.
This will be the first time that I take my time and enjoy the travel to Indiana and back. I’m usually trying to make it all in one day and continually stressing over each minute that I stop for meals or gas or bathroom breaks. I’m giving myself permission to take my time and not worry about a thing. The plan is to stop over night on the way up and the way back. And, if I’m paying for a hotel room, I’m stopping early in the afternoon to get my money’s worth! Ha
I didn’t leave Deanna’s until 9:00am. I stop in Monett for a mocha drink. I don’t usually drink coffee, even though I love it, and the caffeine will surely keep me awake on the drive for the day. It’s smooth sailing and beautiful weather across Missouri. I stop for lunch and visit a Walmart store, which happens to have clearance racks of $1, $3, $5, $7. These are MY kind of prices. I spend an hour shopping. Lol I found lots of stuff to bring back to my friends in Nica. The afternoon consisted of a frozen coffee drink and driving around St Louis. I stopped in Fairfield Heights IL for the night and had a nice early dinner and enjoyed my hotel room immensely! Lovely Day!
The drive on Friday was not so great because of weather. It rained so hard at one point that I took the wrong highway and ended up on an hour detour. But that’s okay. I got back on the right road and ended up at my sister’s house by 5pm their time. It’s cold and rainy there and we had spaghetti for dinner, which hit the spot!
On Saturday, I help Sandy a little bit in the kitchen as she prepares food for the family reunion. I run into Mom’s house to pick up some pictures and to say howdy. We had a nice time with cousins from my Dad’s side of the family. Besides a few funerals in the past couple of years, we have not all been together in about 40 years. One cousin is very big into genealogy and she brought tons of books with pictures and info. Everyone brought some old pictures and we all had fun trying to figure out who everyone was. I have one uncle and one aunt (widow of another uncle) left on Dad’s side. I have to say that it was a very fun afternoon and evening. The funniest thing is that with everyone so into family photos and genealogy, no one took any pictures of the get-together. Jaja
Sunday was Mother’s Day and I went to church with Mom and Gary. Then we went out to Sandy’s for dinner. Mom’s birthday is in May, so we celebrated her birthday, too. I fell asleep and entertained everyone with my snoring. Later in the afternoon, Sandy and I hit Kohl’s and a frozen yogurt place to top off the day. It was great.
Monday, I spent with my sister Pam and her husband Rob. We went to our favorite restaurant, Smokey Bones. We shopped at Sam’s Club and Walmart and a couple of Dollar Trees. It was a lot of fun. I also ran to a music store and found some simple song books for guitar. It was a fun day.
Tuesday, Sandy and I, with my 6 month old nephew Bentley, went shopping at the outlet mall nearby. I found some great deals for myself and others. We had a yummy lunch at Max & Ermas. I had a veggie burger and baked potato. It was cold out so that hit the spot!
Wednesday, Sandy and I ran some errands and had lunch with Dad’s girlfriend, Mary Lou. It was so good to see her. We had fun. I then did some laundry and packed the car for my departure the next morning.
Thursday, I went by Mom’s on the way out of town. She had some medical tests scheduled for the day, so our visit was a good distraction for her. I got a mocha and headed south. The weather was pretty good and I made good time driving. I ended up stopping and having a delicious dinner and enjoyed a lot of hours in my hotel room. It was wonderful! I worked on some computer stuff and Bible Study and watched TV. Very relaxing. I had brought a turtle cheesecake back to my room for a snack. I forgot to get a fork at the restaurant and ended up eating it with my fingers, but it was really good! I slept pretty well.
Friday, I had breakfast at the hotel and headed out for Rogers. I realized part of the way home that I would be able to fit in a stop in Pea Ridge to have lunch with my friend Zandra. It was a treat for both of us! I got home to Deanna’s and unpacked and did some laundry. I immediately started packing suitcases for the trip back to Nica. So much stuff! But so many clearance prices! Lol
It was a tiring week, driving 1300 miles and running around, but it was nice and I’m glad that I got to go.
May 3-8, 2013
First day back in the states. Lots on my to-list and loving it! I’m SO BLESSED to be able to borrow a car from my wonderful friends Vickie and Michael Brown. It makes all of the errand-running so much easier! They always bless me in many ways. I’m thankful that God brought them into my life many years ago at a kid’s camp in Smackover AR!
This week before leaving for Indiana, I have doctor appointments, dinner appointments and a long list of shopping items that were requested by my friends in Nica. The first day I hit Target and Walmart, have a doctor’s appointment and dinner plans. Deanna got back from Las Vegas this evening and her friend Amy stopped by the house to pick up a coat for Deanna to wear home from the airport. It’s cold!!!
I tried to balance my errands and appointments with some rest time. Deanna always fusses at me to get rest and not push myself too much. But it’s hard! I love spending time with her, though, so it’s a pleasant experience when I can get myself to do it.
On Sunday, I went to FBC Rogers and spoke to a Ladies class that helps to support me in Nica. I got to meet some new ladies and share what God is doing in Nica. It was sweet. I then went to the 9am service and got to make my pledge for the new building campaign. Then I hotfooted it over to the Olive Street church to worship with Cuerpo Vivo. I loved the Spanish worship and really loved getting to see my friends. I treated myself to lunch at my favorite Chinese place, shopped in a few more stores and then headed back to Deanna’s for a restful afternoon. I enjoyed practicing on my good guitar. My fingers were so happy!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday were spent going to Dr appointments, having meals with friends, shopping, walking, getting some computer work done and practicing Guitar. The week was over before I knew it! I enjoyed running into friends. God is so good at bringing little surprises into my day! Wednesday, I got some laundry done and packed my suitcase for my trip to Indiana. It’s going to be a whirl-wind trip!
I’m keeping my eyes and heart open for the divine appointment that God will bring into my day. I’m spending some quality time alone with Him, asking Him to take control of ALL of me. He is so precious.
This week before leaving for Indiana, I have doctor appointments, dinner appointments and a long list of shopping items that were requested by my friends in Nica. The first day I hit Target and Walmart, have a doctor’s appointment and dinner plans. Deanna got back from Las Vegas this evening and her friend Amy stopped by the house to pick up a coat for Deanna to wear home from the airport. It’s cold!!!
I tried to balance my errands and appointments with some rest time. Deanna always fusses at me to get rest and not push myself too much. But it’s hard! I love spending time with her, though, so it’s a pleasant experience when I can get myself to do it.
On Sunday, I went to FBC Rogers and spoke to a Ladies class that helps to support me in Nica. I got to meet some new ladies and share what God is doing in Nica. It was sweet. I then went to the 9am service and got to make my pledge for the new building campaign. Then I hotfooted it over to the Olive Street church to worship with Cuerpo Vivo. I loved the Spanish worship and really loved getting to see my friends. I treated myself to lunch at my favorite Chinese place, shopped in a few more stores and then headed back to Deanna’s for a restful afternoon. I enjoyed practicing on my good guitar. My fingers were so happy!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday were spent going to Dr appointments, having meals with friends, shopping, walking, getting some computer work done and practicing Guitar. The week was over before I knew it! I enjoyed running into friends. God is so good at bringing little surprises into my day! Wednesday, I got some laundry done and packed my suitcase for my trip to Indiana. It’s going to be a whirl-wind trip!
I’m keeping my eyes and heart open for the divine appointment that God will bring into my day. I’m spending some quality time alone with Him, asking Him to take control of ALL of me. He is so precious.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
May 2, 2013
Travel Day.
I got up at 2:30am to leave for the airport by 3:30am. Nelson drove me. We were both very quiet on the way. I tried to doze a little bit, but couldn’t really sleep. At least I didn’t get carsick like I have been doing lately.
Nelson dropped me off at the Managua airport at 5am. I got checked in pretty quick, since there weren’t many in the Delta line. There was a wait at the immigration area due to so many flights leaving at the same time. You never know how long the process will take, so we are always at the airport by 5am. I got through security after walking through the doorframe equipment and then getting wanded and then getting patted down. It’s nice to have attention. Haha I made it upstairs to my gate and grabbed a bagel and juice for my breakfast. I walked around a bit and then sat and made a few phone calls. My family in IN are 2 hours ahead of Nica, so it was a great time to call them. One more trip through another security checkpoint and I was on the plane.
The flight was great. I had upgraded to the economy seats with more legroom. I had the row to myself. I snoozed a little bit on the way to Atlanta. I chatted with the guy across the aisle. He was happy to have the row to himself, too. He was tall and rather large, so he always upgrades. He said that most people don’t want to spend the extra money, so he gets whole rows quite a bit. We both decided that it is worth it!
For my layover at Atlanta airport, I had a great hot lunch at TGIFridays. It was so yummy. It was rainy and a little chilly in Atlanta. Inside the airport was fine, but just looking out at the drizzle made me feel cold. When I left León at 3:30am, it was in the 80s. It got progressively colder the farther my day went. By the time I reached NWArkansas, it was in the 30s and rainy. Yuk!
Rusty and Lynn Branson picked me up at the airport and took me to dinner. It was lovely to spend time with them. And I loved the restaurant. Bentonville is getting a lot of bistro type restaurants and I’m loving that!
I made it to Deanna’s and got settled in. It was so good to get there. Deanna was still in Las Vegas visiting her daughter’s family after helping them with a mission event. It was just me, Jet (the dog) and LucyAlice (the cat). Everyone slept in my room. Haha
I was so glad to be in my US room and bed. I miss being in Nica, but I feel like my room at Deanna’s is my safe and cozy nest. It actually snowed overnight. I took some pictures at 4:30am when I let Jet out for the bathroom. I was afraid that the snow would be gone by morning. But when I got up, there was more snow and I got some better pictures. The weather turned back to rain during the day, so the snow went away. Brrrrrrr. I was not ready for that cold weather! But it was good to be ‘home’ in the US.
I got up at 2:30am to leave for the airport by 3:30am. Nelson drove me. We were both very quiet on the way. I tried to doze a little bit, but couldn’t really sleep. At least I didn’t get carsick like I have been doing lately.
Nelson dropped me off at the Managua airport at 5am. I got checked in pretty quick, since there weren’t many in the Delta line. There was a wait at the immigration area due to so many flights leaving at the same time. You never know how long the process will take, so we are always at the airport by 5am. I got through security after walking through the doorframe equipment and then getting wanded and then getting patted down. It’s nice to have attention. Haha I made it upstairs to my gate and grabbed a bagel and juice for my breakfast. I walked around a bit and then sat and made a few phone calls. My family in IN are 2 hours ahead of Nica, so it was a great time to call them. One more trip through another security checkpoint and I was on the plane.
The flight was great. I had upgraded to the economy seats with more legroom. I had the row to myself. I snoozed a little bit on the way to Atlanta. I chatted with the guy across the aisle. He was happy to have the row to himself, too. He was tall and rather large, so he always upgrades. He said that most people don’t want to spend the extra money, so he gets whole rows quite a bit. We both decided that it is worth it!
For my layover at Atlanta airport, I had a great hot lunch at TGIFridays. It was so yummy. It was rainy and a little chilly in Atlanta. Inside the airport was fine, but just looking out at the drizzle made me feel cold. When I left León at 3:30am, it was in the 80s. It got progressively colder the farther my day went. By the time I reached NWArkansas, it was in the 30s and rainy. Yuk!
Rusty and Lynn Branson picked me up at the airport and took me to dinner. It was lovely to spend time with them. And I loved the restaurant. Bentonville is getting a lot of bistro type restaurants and I’m loving that!
I made it to Deanna’s and got settled in. It was so good to get there. Deanna was still in Las Vegas visiting her daughter’s family after helping them with a mission event. It was just me, Jet (the dog) and LucyAlice (the cat). Everyone slept in my room. Haha
I was so glad to be in my US room and bed. I miss being in Nica, but I feel like my room at Deanna’s is my safe and cozy nest. It actually snowed overnight. I took some pictures at 4:30am when I let Jet out for the bathroom. I was afraid that the snow would be gone by morning. But when I got up, there was more snow and I got some better pictures. The weather turned back to rain during the day, so the snow went away. Brrrrrrr. I was not ready for that cold weather! But it was good to be ‘home’ in the US.
May 1, 2013
It’s a holiday here, so there are no workers besides Alberto. Edmundo was on duty to drive me anywhere I wanted to go. I didn’t know that he was told to work. I told German to go ahead and send him home. If I go to town, I’ll get a taxi. No sense in someone working his holiday to just sit around and see if I want to go to town or not.
There was supposed to be a women’s retreat here today, but they never showed up. I guess that church changed its mind. It’s been very quiet. I did get up early and do my laundry so it would be done before the retreat. Buster is going around sleeping in different spots. It’s so funny to run across him lying on his back with his four legs up in the air. What a goof!
I had some yummy leftover Arroz Aguado for lunch! I love it cold. I think I will go to town for dinner later. Other than that, I have been charging up my electronics to pack, packing travel clothes and souvenirs and what work documents that I need to have with me. I’m all ready now! I just have to finish cleaning out my fridge.
I’ve sent out some messages and made phone calls. I hope to have a restful afternoon and be able to go to sleep early. I need to find my alarm clock to get up at 2:30am. Travel days are about the only times that I use an alarm clock. You just wake up early here.
I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends in the states. But it is still hard to not be here. I’m open to all of the opportunities that God allows for me bless someone and to be loved on myself! God is so good!
There was supposed to be a women’s retreat here today, but they never showed up. I guess that church changed its mind. It’s been very quiet. I did get up early and do my laundry so it would be done before the retreat. Buster is going around sleeping in different spots. It’s so funny to run across him lying on his back with his four legs up in the air. What a goof!
I had some yummy leftover Arroz Aguado for lunch! I love it cold. I think I will go to town for dinner later. Other than that, I have been charging up my electronics to pack, packing travel clothes and souvenirs and what work documents that I need to have with me. I’m all ready now! I just have to finish cleaning out my fridge.
I’ve sent out some messages and made phone calls. I hope to have a restful afternoon and be able to go to sleep early. I need to find my alarm clock to get up at 2:30am. Travel days are about the only times that I use an alarm clock. You just wake up early here.
I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends in the states. But it is still hard to not be here. I’m open to all of the opportunities that God allows for me bless someone and to be loved on myself! God is so good!
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