Day 6 Thursday
Miss Mary left at 3:00am for the airport, so we were on our own to be on time to the van and such. Mike was there to lead us, but you can’t replace Miss Mary!
I started my day with a very welcome shower. We had breakfast and I rested on my bed for a few minutes with my feet up. My ankles (and whole body) were really swollen due to the heat and being dehydrated. I wasn’t drinking enough water, even though I love water. But with limited bathroom accessibility during the day and then no water in the evenings, I think I was subconsciously not taking in fluids. My ankles and feet didn’t hurt, but they were getting huge. The little bones that stick out looked more like dimples. Quite interesting.
Johanna led the devotion for the morning. We then had a little time to get ready for the late morning Fiesta and feeding. I gave Deanna a quick call. I had talked with Mike about coming down and working during the summer and I wanted to let Deanna know. She has been praying about how God is calling me to serve in Nic and I wanted her to know that I could travel back and forth and wouldn’t be leaving her hospitality for too long of a time.
We arrived at a church plant that had a roof, which was wonderful for the shade!!! The people were already gathered and doing some worshipping. A Pastora (lady pastor) from a church in Leon has been spending time for the last 10 years to help this village plant this church. There were hundreds of people gathered. Mostly kids and moms. We did the Fiesta first. I was blessed to be able to help prepare the food. I was in charge of putting tortillas on the plates. There were 2 dipping lines and then the plates/bowls were stacked up on the tables and covered with cloths. A few volunteers stood over the tables swishing small tree branches with leaves over the food like fly swatters.
After the Fiesta, the people lined up and received their plate and a bag of drink. Everyone was very appreciative. We had a good time walking around and taking pictures of the sweet faces. The food was provided by a donation from a previous mission team, so pictures were taken with a sign thanking them for making it all possible. What fun to be another link in ministering to this group of people.
The second Fiesta for the afternoon was cancelled for some reason, so we arrived back at the Team house by 4pm. We had water, so everyone got a shower and felt relatively fresh for church.
The guys went to one service, which was outside and was huge and had some crazy preaching and such. The ladies went to another church where a Ladies conference was being held. Paige and I had used some ‘gift items’ left by another mission team to make up some door prizes for the conference. There was lots of costume jewelry to choose from. We made 4 nice sets with zippered bags and jewelry and some USA money. The funny thing was that we got to the church and it was very conservative. Some ladies were inside praying over the place before it got started. They wore lacey scarves on their heads. (I was questioning our choice of ‘prizes’ for this crowd. I was hoping that we wouldn’t offend them with the jewelry.)
Paige and Johanna gave testimonies and there was some singing. Right when Vanessa (the missionary living in Nic) started to speak, the power went out. This happens a lot there, so right away a battery powered light (kind of like what you would take camping) was turned on and placed behind Vanessa and Chico (interpreter). They had to hold up their papers and Bibles to catch the light, so Rydder (another interpreter) jumped up and held the light at their shoulders for the entire service. A couple of dogs were fighting right outside the open doors to the church, but nothing distracted the ladies from hearing God’s Word. Just when Vanessa was finishing up her message, the lights came back on. The Pastor came up to say a few words and thanked our team for helping with the feeding earlier in the day. The ladies with the lacey head coverings welcomed us as if we weren’t all that different from them. They are so much more accepting in that culture than North Americans. The Pastor said that we started out the evening in the darkness and ended in God’s Light. We all clapped.
We loaded up and went back to the location of outdoor service where the guys were. They were still going, so Chico and Rydder sat in the van with us gals and told us funny stories about interpreting for teams and we all laughed at how things get lost in translation. It was a lot of fun. We said goodbye to the translators. They were all awesome!
We went back to the Team house and had dinner about 9pm. We were tired, but enjoyed our share time with Mike, who was leaving at 3am. Our team got to sign a wall like other teams. We left a little bit of ourselves there in many ways.
We got to bed about midnight. Including the large Fiesta/Feeding and church services, there were 75 Professions of Faith for this day. God never slacks off. He is always at work around us. What a blessing to be there.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Nicaragua Trip - March 24, 2010
Day 5 Wednesday
The day started out with a shower. Ahhhh. Then breakfast. Yum. (I’m not sure, but I don’t think anyone enjoyed the food as much as I did. But it was tasty and I really enjoyed the fruit that we got once a day for breakfast.)
I led the devotion for this morning. I spoke about Romans 10. The 15th verse is one of my favorites. In fact, it’s the scripture on my ankle tattoo. “How can they go if they are not sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.” We are all ‘sent’ to share the good news no matter where that might be… a different country, state, city, or right next door, in our work/school, family/friends. God ‘sending’ us means that we have a purpose for being here in this life. We are to share the Good News of Jesus at every opportunity. In the experience of this trip to Nic, our feet were beautiful even when filthy because we were there to share that Gospel. I took a picture of some of our feet as we got off the van after a Fiesta and I use it as background on my phone and also as my profile pic on Facebook right now. Those dirty feet are beautiful because they obeyed and helped to bring the Gospel to this place. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to get dirty serving You!
We did a Fiesta at a little village we had driven by earlier in the week. They had a new well with a hand pump. Miss Mary joined one of the young men in pumping some water for him and some young ladies. Each family was allotted a time to get water in 5 gallon buckets. They carried these back to their homes. Quite a chore. There is a wonderful opportunity for our team and church to help this village with an electric water pump and also getting a school started and a church planted. (stay tuned for more info on those projects!)
We went back to the Team house for lunch and got ready for 2 more Fiestas. The afternoon was filled with those 2 Fiestas and street witnessing. One of the Fiestas was huge. So many people. Then back to the Team house to change for church. Another towelette bath.
Service was back at Jericho Church, where we helped with the first feeding. Pastor Calderon and his wife were busy organizing the preparation of food to be cooked for another feeding the next day. The church was brightly painted on the inside and was cheerful, as all the churches were. The youth on our team sang a song for the congregation, Blake gave his testimony and Logan preached. It was a good service.
Chico, one of our interpreters, lives just a block or so away and he invited Paige and me to walk with him to his mother-in-laws house to pick up his 6 month old baby. His wife was working, so we didn’t get to meet her, but saw some pictures of her and she is very beautiful. Little Benjamin was the star of the night and everyone was wanting to hold him. Babies and small children seem very comfortable and used to being in worship services. I think they feel the Holy Spirit giving them a calmness.
After church, we headed back to the Team house for dinner and share time. Miss Mary was leaving the next morning, so we had a time of appreciating her. Everyone had a quote or story or imitation of her. I think she enjoyed it, although there were some embarrassing stories, too.
Paige and I packed for an extra Fiesta the next day and some gifts for a Ladies Conference the next night. We were so tired that we were getting slap happy.
The electricity kept going off during the night and the room that I shared with a few of the girls had no breeze at all. It got very hot in there and Ricki, who talks in her sleep, dreamed we were in a fired and woke us up yelling. She quieted down very quickly and no one was upset. She doesn’t even remember it. Looking back on it, it was kind of funny. No matter how uncomfortable we might have been on the trip, we were still pampered when compared to the way that most Nicas live. And no matter what, I didn’t hear any whining out of our team. They took it all in stride. I think they understood that this is the way that people live there. Good life lesson for teams going out. ‘you’re not in Kansas anymore’
Including the 3 Fiestas and church service, 181 people made Professions of Faith on this day. We saw hundreds of people at the Fiestas. And it’s still not a drop in the bucket when you think of all of the lost people in Leon, Nicaragua and the world. Time to get busy Christians!!!
The day started out with a shower. Ahhhh. Then breakfast. Yum. (I’m not sure, but I don’t think anyone enjoyed the food as much as I did. But it was tasty and I really enjoyed the fruit that we got once a day for breakfast.)
I led the devotion for this morning. I spoke about Romans 10. The 15th verse is one of my favorites. In fact, it’s the scripture on my ankle tattoo. “How can they go if they are not sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.” We are all ‘sent’ to share the good news no matter where that might be… a different country, state, city, or right next door, in our work/school, family/friends. God ‘sending’ us means that we have a purpose for being here in this life. We are to share the Good News of Jesus at every opportunity. In the experience of this trip to Nic, our feet were beautiful even when filthy because we were there to share that Gospel. I took a picture of some of our feet as we got off the van after a Fiesta and I use it as background on my phone and also as my profile pic on Facebook right now. Those dirty feet are beautiful because they obeyed and helped to bring the Gospel to this place. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to get dirty serving You!
We did a Fiesta at a little village we had driven by earlier in the week. They had a new well with a hand pump. Miss Mary joined one of the young men in pumping some water for him and some young ladies. Each family was allotted a time to get water in 5 gallon buckets. They carried these back to their homes. Quite a chore. There is a wonderful opportunity for our team and church to help this village with an electric water pump and also getting a school started and a church planted. (stay tuned for more info on those projects!)
We went back to the Team house for lunch and got ready for 2 more Fiestas. The afternoon was filled with those 2 Fiestas and street witnessing. One of the Fiestas was huge. So many people. Then back to the Team house to change for church. Another towelette bath.
Service was back at Jericho Church, where we helped with the first feeding. Pastor Calderon and his wife were busy organizing the preparation of food to be cooked for another feeding the next day. The church was brightly painted on the inside and was cheerful, as all the churches were. The youth on our team sang a song for the congregation, Blake gave his testimony and Logan preached. It was a good service.
Chico, one of our interpreters, lives just a block or so away and he invited Paige and me to walk with him to his mother-in-laws house to pick up his 6 month old baby. His wife was working, so we didn’t get to meet her, but saw some pictures of her and she is very beautiful. Little Benjamin was the star of the night and everyone was wanting to hold him. Babies and small children seem very comfortable and used to being in worship services. I think they feel the Holy Spirit giving them a calmness.
After church, we headed back to the Team house for dinner and share time. Miss Mary was leaving the next morning, so we had a time of appreciating her. Everyone had a quote or story or imitation of her. I think she enjoyed it, although there were some embarrassing stories, too.
Paige and I packed for an extra Fiesta the next day and some gifts for a Ladies Conference the next night. We were so tired that we were getting slap happy.
The electricity kept going off during the night and the room that I shared with a few of the girls had no breeze at all. It got very hot in there and Ricki, who talks in her sleep, dreamed we were in a fired and woke us up yelling. She quieted down very quickly and no one was upset. She doesn’t even remember it. Looking back on it, it was kind of funny. No matter how uncomfortable we might have been on the trip, we were still pampered when compared to the way that most Nicas live. And no matter what, I didn’t hear any whining out of our team. They took it all in stride. I think they understood that this is the way that people live there. Good life lesson for teams going out. ‘you’re not in Kansas anymore’
Including the 3 Fiestas and church service, 181 people made Professions of Faith on this day. We saw hundreds of people at the Fiestas. And it’s still not a drop in the bucket when you think of all of the lost people in Leon, Nicaragua and the world. Time to get busy Christians!!!
Nicaragua Trip - March 23, 2010
Day 4 Tuesday
Woke up to another beautiful morning. I get up between 6 and 6:30 and check the water. Usually I can grab my shower right away. It’s so refreshing! I spent some quiet time on the patio and then had some nice discussions with Mary and Chris. It was good to chat with Mary about how it feels more natural to be ‘out serving in the mission field’ than to be serving at home. I think God has wired her and me the same way. It’s hard to put into words, but if you are of the same bent, it makes sense.
I then went in to the room and put some of my things in order, like separating dirty clothes from clean ones, preparing what I would need for the day, etc. While doing that I found myself putting my thoughts in order, too. Sorting out what were Godly thoughts and feelings from those tainted selfish ones. Preparing my mind and heart for what God was going to bring my way for the day. It was a sweet time.
We had breakfast (which was gallo pinto – a combination of beans and rice, fruit and scrambled eggs). It was pretty much the same every day and very tasty, to me anyway. After breakfast we always had group devotions. Chris led them first and today was Paige’s turn. After devotions, we usually had some time to finish getting ready for the day or walking on the beach or spending some quiet time on the breezy veranda upstairs (which we named the ‘Upper Room’ and where we had devotions each morning). We had the morning free today, so the kids made a bee-line for the beach and waves. They enjoyed looking for seashells and such. Mary and Paige and I chatted a little while and then prepared the Fiesta box for the afternoon.
After lunch, we went into Leon to do 2 Fiestas in the afternoon. The team was really getting into doing the drama and street witnessing. We didn’t have time to go back to the Team house before church, so we had packed our skirts in our backpacks earlier in the day. We stopped at a convenience store, ‘On the Run’, and used the large bathroom to clean up with towelettes and change clothes. It was funny. There was a bus load of college students who arrived at the same time, so space was precious in the ladies bathroom. Some of us changed in the area near the sinks. Changing from capris to a skirt is no problem, but I learned how to change shirts discreetly. We still felt hot and sticky and more than a little smelly, but we fit right in with everyone else and they didn’t mind a bit. One of the nice things about being in Nic is that people accept you just as you are.
We went to a church plant of Pastor Miguel’s. Another North American team had started building a structure and we were blessed with being able to worship in it. There were poles for walls and a roof. Electricity was nearby and they used long extension cords for the overhead lights. Most all of the churches we went to in Nic used the stackable, plastic chairs that we would use on a patio. They were comfortable and easily put away after service. At this church, they even had little ones for the kids to sit in. It was heavenly to have the breeze flow across us during the service. Logan gave his testimony and Mike preached. There was one gentleman who played guitar for a few songs. The Pastor’s wife led most of the music and kept everyone on beat by using her hands for percussion. It was a nice, simple service. It reminds me that no matter how we worship, the main thing is WHO we worship. I love the simple ways best.
After church, we headed back to the Team house for dinner. We had share time and then everyone headed off to bed. Paige and Mary and I worked on getting the Fiesta box ready for the next day and then called it a night ourselves.
Oh yeah, including the 2 Fiestas and the church service, there were 84 Professions of Faith this day. God has the harvest ready and all he asks is for workers. What a privilege to be a tool in His work and see Him doing His miracles.
Woke up to another beautiful morning. I get up between 6 and 6:30 and check the water. Usually I can grab my shower right away. It’s so refreshing! I spent some quiet time on the patio and then had some nice discussions with Mary and Chris. It was good to chat with Mary about how it feels more natural to be ‘out serving in the mission field’ than to be serving at home. I think God has wired her and me the same way. It’s hard to put into words, but if you are of the same bent, it makes sense.
I then went in to the room and put some of my things in order, like separating dirty clothes from clean ones, preparing what I would need for the day, etc. While doing that I found myself putting my thoughts in order, too. Sorting out what were Godly thoughts and feelings from those tainted selfish ones. Preparing my mind and heart for what God was going to bring my way for the day. It was a sweet time.
We had breakfast (which was gallo pinto – a combination of beans and rice, fruit and scrambled eggs). It was pretty much the same every day and very tasty, to me anyway. After breakfast we always had group devotions. Chris led them first and today was Paige’s turn. After devotions, we usually had some time to finish getting ready for the day or walking on the beach or spending some quiet time on the breezy veranda upstairs (which we named the ‘Upper Room’ and where we had devotions each morning). We had the morning free today, so the kids made a bee-line for the beach and waves. They enjoyed looking for seashells and such. Mary and Paige and I chatted a little while and then prepared the Fiesta box for the afternoon.
After lunch, we went into Leon to do 2 Fiestas in the afternoon. The team was really getting into doing the drama and street witnessing. We didn’t have time to go back to the Team house before church, so we had packed our skirts in our backpacks earlier in the day. We stopped at a convenience store, ‘On the Run’, and used the large bathroom to clean up with towelettes and change clothes. It was funny. There was a bus load of college students who arrived at the same time, so space was precious in the ladies bathroom. Some of us changed in the area near the sinks. Changing from capris to a skirt is no problem, but I learned how to change shirts discreetly. We still felt hot and sticky and more than a little smelly, but we fit right in with everyone else and they didn’t mind a bit. One of the nice things about being in Nic is that people accept you just as you are.
We went to a church plant of Pastor Miguel’s. Another North American team had started building a structure and we were blessed with being able to worship in it. There were poles for walls and a roof. Electricity was nearby and they used long extension cords for the overhead lights. Most all of the churches we went to in Nic used the stackable, plastic chairs that we would use on a patio. They were comfortable and easily put away after service. At this church, they even had little ones for the kids to sit in. It was heavenly to have the breeze flow across us during the service. Logan gave his testimony and Mike preached. There was one gentleman who played guitar for a few songs. The Pastor’s wife led most of the music and kept everyone on beat by using her hands for percussion. It was a nice, simple service. It reminds me that no matter how we worship, the main thing is WHO we worship. I love the simple ways best.
After church, we headed back to the Team house for dinner. We had share time and then everyone headed off to bed. Paige and Mary and I worked on getting the Fiesta box ready for the next day and then called it a night ourselves.
Oh yeah, including the 2 Fiestas and the church service, there were 84 Professions of Faith this day. God has the harvest ready and all he asks is for workers. What a privilege to be a tool in His work and see Him doing His miracles.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Nicaragua Trip - March 22
Day 3 of trip. Monday
Woke up about 6am and jumped in the shower!!! yay for water! The thought of no hot water sounded ominous at first, but the water feels wonderful! Like taking a dip in a swimming pool.
I spent my quiet time on the patio, listening to waves. The sound of the waves was strong, then there was a brief moment of quiet and then another strong wave. It made me think of life in two different ways. On one hand, God speaks in a powerful voice and the quiet in between helps me to hear the next time He speaks in His powerful voice. On the other hand, life can be like a crashing wave, then God calms the waves with a peace, and then another wave comes crashing. No matter how you look at it, or what stage your life is in, the truth about both scenarios is that God is powerful in noise or quiet alike. He is more powerful than any thing in this world, whether it is a huge good thing or a huge difficulty. I treasure that morning on the patio listening to the waves.
I was blessed to have the first of a few awesome chats with Ricki on this trip. God spoke to me many times through our conversations. It was good to have some time to chat with John and Vanessa, missionaries who moved their 4 kid to Nicaragua last Sept to serve with Voice of Hope.
We went to help with a feeding of over 100 people. Pastor Calderon, his wife and congregation cook tons of food to share with a community down the road from their church. We got to help serve. I was dipping rice from a pan using a scoop made of coconut shell. My thumb was well done by the time we left. These people have so little. I can't imagine a life like that.
We went back to the Team house for lunch and a little rest. I took the time to call John Caubble back at FBC Rogers. I was trying to give him a verbal picture, but I know I wasn't doing it justice.
We went back into Leon that afternoon to do 2 Fiestas. At these events we start out by walking up and down the 'streets' of the village yelling 'Fiesta de caramelos' 'Cinco minutos' Para todo la familia'. Kids come running. Moms with babies come. The men show up and kind of hang around the outskirts to see what we are doing. Once we get back to the designated spot (hopefully in some shade), the Fiesta begins. Pastor Miguel does a fine job joking around with everyone and making them feel welcome. There are some funny questions, which result in prizes to the participants. (usually a toy or hygiene items) Then there is a contest for girls, who are paired up facing each other with a balloon in between them. Which ever team pops the balloon first wins prizes. Then there is a contest for young boys. The first part is to see who can take off their shirts and throw them in a box first. Then the box is taken away while the boys do some military maneuvers. (at this time their shirts are tied together and hidden for the moment) Then the box is brought back and dumped upside down on the ground and the boys are supposed to see who can put their shirt back on first. When the box is taken away they are surprised to see their shirts are missing. Then the tied-together shirts are tossed in the middle and they scramble to get their shirt untied and put on. Everyone is laughing and cheering them on. The winner gets a prize. Next it's the women's turn. Pastor Miguel jokes that their contest is the same as the boys. Everyone laughs. Actually, the women have a contest to see who can drink a bottle of soda first. Another time of laughing and cheering. The winner gets a prize.
Next comes the drama. Sin-box Sally (or Sam). A plastic tub is placed on the ground. Sally comes along and notices it, tries it out and loves the fun of being in 'sin'. Then she wants out, but can't get out of sin by herself. A strong man comes along. (he's pretty goofy showing his muscles and such) He tries to get her out, but can't do it. Then he picks a helper from the crowd (usually a scrawny kid who loves playing along). They exercise to get stronger, but can't get Sally out of sin either. Then they see that the box is sin and they run away. Next comes along a couple of singers. They try to party Sally out of the sin-box, but they can't help her either. Then they see that the box is sin and they run away. Next comes a couple of drunks. They are carrying bottles with lids slightly askew so that water splashes on the crowd. They make 2 attempts to 'save' Sally, but can't and then they also see the sin-box and run away. Now a Pastor comes along and explains that he can introduce her to someone who can get her out of Sin. He tells her about Jesus and leads her in a Salvation prayer, and with one hand easily helps her out of the box. This is all very simple, but it is very effective in explaining how simple Salvation is when you put your faith in Christ. The team members take turns being the actors in the drama.
While the games and dramas are going on, some of the team members and translators go street witnessing through the little village to talk with people who can't come to the Fiesta. When the drama is over, the boys go to one side and the girls go to another side while the adults stay put. Each group is talked to by a team member who recaps the drama and gives their testimony. Those who are ready to make a profession of faith are prayed with. The Pastors (and their workers) get personal information on everyone so they can follow up. When it's all over, the kids all get candy.
Fiestas are hot and dirty and sweaty and WONDERFUL! We did 2-3 each day. The team really got into acting out the drama. Many of them were excited to do street witnessing.
On the way home, we stopped at a Texaco station for some cold sodas. When we got back to the house, I waded in the ocean a little, had a shower (woohoo) and then rest time on my bed before church. We had dinner, and then headed back to Rosa de Saron church for a special Youth service.
The music was great, but I missed the regular dancers and flag people. Some of the youth danced during some of the songs. It was extremely hot and I couldn't believe people were dancing without passing out. It felt good to stand up and swish my skirt during the songs. On one of the songs, many people ran around the church in circles. Some of our team joined in, even Miss Mary! We kept hoping that they would cause a breeze!
Daniel gave his testimony and Blake preached! It was a great service. So festive and happy. Real worship with a joyful heart. That church is wonderful with participation in the worship.
As a result of the 2 Fiestas and the church service, 85 people made Professions of Faith this day. What an awesome time! God is soooo good!
Woke up about 6am and jumped in the shower!!! yay for water! The thought of no hot water sounded ominous at first, but the water feels wonderful! Like taking a dip in a swimming pool.
I spent my quiet time on the patio, listening to waves. The sound of the waves was strong, then there was a brief moment of quiet and then another strong wave. It made me think of life in two different ways. On one hand, God speaks in a powerful voice and the quiet in between helps me to hear the next time He speaks in His powerful voice. On the other hand, life can be like a crashing wave, then God calms the waves with a peace, and then another wave comes crashing. No matter how you look at it, or what stage your life is in, the truth about both scenarios is that God is powerful in noise or quiet alike. He is more powerful than any thing in this world, whether it is a huge good thing or a huge difficulty. I treasure that morning on the patio listening to the waves.
I was blessed to have the first of a few awesome chats with Ricki on this trip. God spoke to me many times through our conversations. It was good to have some time to chat with John and Vanessa, missionaries who moved their 4 kid to Nicaragua last Sept to serve with Voice of Hope.
We went to help with a feeding of over 100 people. Pastor Calderon, his wife and congregation cook tons of food to share with a community down the road from their church. We got to help serve. I was dipping rice from a pan using a scoop made of coconut shell. My thumb was well done by the time we left. These people have so little. I can't imagine a life like that.
We went back to the Team house for lunch and a little rest. I took the time to call John Caubble back at FBC Rogers. I was trying to give him a verbal picture, but I know I wasn't doing it justice.
We went back into Leon that afternoon to do 2 Fiestas. At these events we start out by walking up and down the 'streets' of the village yelling 'Fiesta de caramelos' 'Cinco minutos' Para todo la familia'. Kids come running. Moms with babies come. The men show up and kind of hang around the outskirts to see what we are doing. Once we get back to the designated spot (hopefully in some shade), the Fiesta begins. Pastor Miguel does a fine job joking around with everyone and making them feel welcome. There are some funny questions, which result in prizes to the participants. (usually a toy or hygiene items) Then there is a contest for girls, who are paired up facing each other with a balloon in between them. Which ever team pops the balloon first wins prizes. Then there is a contest for young boys. The first part is to see who can take off their shirts and throw them in a box first. Then the box is taken away while the boys do some military maneuvers. (at this time their shirts are tied together and hidden for the moment) Then the box is brought back and dumped upside down on the ground and the boys are supposed to see who can put their shirt back on first. When the box is taken away they are surprised to see their shirts are missing. Then the tied-together shirts are tossed in the middle and they scramble to get their shirt untied and put on. Everyone is laughing and cheering them on. The winner gets a prize. Next it's the women's turn. Pastor Miguel jokes that their contest is the same as the boys. Everyone laughs. Actually, the women have a contest to see who can drink a bottle of soda first. Another time of laughing and cheering. The winner gets a prize.
Next comes the drama. Sin-box Sally (or Sam). A plastic tub is placed on the ground. Sally comes along and notices it, tries it out and loves the fun of being in 'sin'. Then she wants out, but can't get out of sin by herself. A strong man comes along. (he's pretty goofy showing his muscles and such) He tries to get her out, but can't do it. Then he picks a helper from the crowd (usually a scrawny kid who loves playing along). They exercise to get stronger, but can't get Sally out of sin either. Then they see that the box is sin and they run away. Next comes along a couple of singers. They try to party Sally out of the sin-box, but they can't help her either. Then they see that the box is sin and they run away. Next comes a couple of drunks. They are carrying bottles with lids slightly askew so that water splashes on the crowd. They make 2 attempts to 'save' Sally, but can't and then they also see the sin-box and run away. Now a Pastor comes along and explains that he can introduce her to someone who can get her out of Sin. He tells her about Jesus and leads her in a Salvation prayer, and with one hand easily helps her out of the box. This is all very simple, but it is very effective in explaining how simple Salvation is when you put your faith in Christ. The team members take turns being the actors in the drama.
While the games and dramas are going on, some of the team members and translators go street witnessing through the little village to talk with people who can't come to the Fiesta. When the drama is over, the boys go to one side and the girls go to another side while the adults stay put. Each group is talked to by a team member who recaps the drama and gives their testimony. Those who are ready to make a profession of faith are prayed with. The Pastors (and their workers) get personal information on everyone so they can follow up. When it's all over, the kids all get candy.
Fiestas are hot and dirty and sweaty and WONDERFUL! We did 2-3 each day. The team really got into acting out the drama. Many of them were excited to do street witnessing.
On the way home, we stopped at a Texaco station for some cold sodas. When we got back to the house, I waded in the ocean a little, had a shower (woohoo) and then rest time on my bed before church. We had dinner, and then headed back to Rosa de Saron church for a special Youth service.
The music was great, but I missed the regular dancers and flag people. Some of the youth danced during some of the songs. It was extremely hot and I couldn't believe people were dancing without passing out. It felt good to stand up and swish my skirt during the songs. On one of the songs, many people ran around the church in circles. Some of our team joined in, even Miss Mary! We kept hoping that they would cause a breeze!
Daniel gave his testimony and Blake preached! It was a great service. So festive and happy. Real worship with a joyful heart. That church is wonderful with participation in the worship.
As a result of the 2 Fiestas and the church service, 85 people made Professions of Faith this day. What an awesome time! God is soooo good!
Nicaragua Trip - March 21, 2010
Day 2 of trip. Sunday.
Woke up early and had continental breakfast at hotel before leaving for the airport. Turned in the rental cars and checked in for our flight. Went upstairs to wait. Things were going pretty smoothly. Everyone was tired, but excited to get on the plane and arrive in Nicaragua.
There weren't many people on the plane, so we got to spread out and get comfortable. We had breakfast and naps. We filled out visa info and customs forms on the plane. Some of the girls asked for my forms to copy. I was hoping that they didn't copy my personal info, too. I doubt the customs agents in Nicaragua would find it funny that we all had the same birthday. :) As we flew over the area near Managua, we saw some volcanoes from the air. It was beautiful. It was great to arrive at the airport. I was so happy to be in Nic.
We were met at the airport by Mike, the Director of Voice of Hope Ministries (who we were there to work with) and a couple of guys who work for the ministry. We got our luggage and went to the vans and started the 2 hour drive to the team house, after a quick stop at a convenience store for something to drink. Herman offered us his phone in case we wanted to call home to let anyone know that we had made it. I told Herman that I am learning Spanish and want to practice all I can. I also found out that one of the team members, Logan, was in his 5th year of Spanish and taking AP Spanish lessons. I told him that I had better be hearing Spanish coming out of his mouth! Don't waste that gift, buddy! The weather was sunny, hot and dry. The ride between Managua and Poneloya was interesting with various vehicles, people walking or on bikes, horse carts and ox carts, etc. I liked what I saw and felt very comfortable being there.
The Team house is on the beach and hearing the roar of the waves and feeling the breeze was very powerful to me. It made me think about God's creation of this world and His power over all things. I was very grateful to be there.
We met Miss Mary, a retired lady from Mike's former church, who comes down to run the team house and work with teams. She is a hoot! You never have to wonder where you stand with her. She can be a great encourager. (and drill sergeant when needed)
We had lunch and a quick orientation about the week and training for doing the Fiestas. Then we took off to church. We split up into 2 groups and attended 2 different churches. My group went to a little church called Gobernadores del Rey. It was in a small room with huge speakers and very loud music. We were given seats of honor up front. Chris shared his testimony and Mike preached. The Youth of the church did a drama about dealing with the type of sin that kids are confronted with these days. A young man was saved during the invitation and tears flowed as he and his mother wept in each others arms. It was awesome to be near the Lord working. I don't remember where the other part of the team went for church. Then we all gathered together at Rosa de Saron church for a very happy worship time. There was a great Praise team of young musicians (who one of the team said was like a whole band of Durgan Maxeys), a group of dancers and some flag performers. It was awesome! Everyone was so happy to be at church and worshipping our Lord. We all enjoyed it very much! Ricki shared her testimony and Mike preached again. The Pasor was very powerful in a quiet manner. You could tell that he loves the Lord very much. His church is very moving. (Mike said that churches have services up to 6 nights a week. They love singing to the Lord and hearing the Word.) There were a total of 10 Professions of Faith in those 3 services. Even when you don't understand the language, you can sense the feeling when another brother or sister comes to Christ. Hallelulah!
We got back to the Team house late and had dinner, then share time. After that it was time for bed. The city was turning water off around 5pm each night during the week we were there, so we washed up with towelettes and hit the sack. Floor fans made it possible to sleep, except for when the electricity kept going off. But it was all good. God gave us good rest. I was still grateful to be there.
Woke up early and had continental breakfast at hotel before leaving for the airport. Turned in the rental cars and checked in for our flight. Went upstairs to wait. Things were going pretty smoothly. Everyone was tired, but excited to get on the plane and arrive in Nicaragua.
There weren't many people on the plane, so we got to spread out and get comfortable. We had breakfast and naps. We filled out visa info and customs forms on the plane. Some of the girls asked for my forms to copy. I was hoping that they didn't copy my personal info, too. I doubt the customs agents in Nicaragua would find it funny that we all had the same birthday. :) As we flew over the area near Managua, we saw some volcanoes from the air. It was beautiful. It was great to arrive at the airport. I was so happy to be in Nic.
We were met at the airport by Mike, the Director of Voice of Hope Ministries (who we were there to work with) and a couple of guys who work for the ministry. We got our luggage and went to the vans and started the 2 hour drive to the team house, after a quick stop at a convenience store for something to drink. Herman offered us his phone in case we wanted to call home to let anyone know that we had made it. I told Herman that I am learning Spanish and want to practice all I can. I also found out that one of the team members, Logan, was in his 5th year of Spanish and taking AP Spanish lessons. I told him that I had better be hearing Spanish coming out of his mouth! Don't waste that gift, buddy! The weather was sunny, hot and dry. The ride between Managua and Poneloya was interesting with various vehicles, people walking or on bikes, horse carts and ox carts, etc. I liked what I saw and felt very comfortable being there.
The Team house is on the beach and hearing the roar of the waves and feeling the breeze was very powerful to me. It made me think about God's creation of this world and His power over all things. I was very grateful to be there.
We met Miss Mary, a retired lady from Mike's former church, who comes down to run the team house and work with teams. She is a hoot! You never have to wonder where you stand with her. She can be a great encourager. (and drill sergeant when needed)
We had lunch and a quick orientation about the week and training for doing the Fiestas. Then we took off to church. We split up into 2 groups and attended 2 different churches. My group went to a little church called Gobernadores del Rey. It was in a small room with huge speakers and very loud music. We were given seats of honor up front. Chris shared his testimony and Mike preached. The Youth of the church did a drama about dealing with the type of sin that kids are confronted with these days. A young man was saved during the invitation and tears flowed as he and his mother wept in each others arms. It was awesome to be near the Lord working. I don't remember where the other part of the team went for church. Then we all gathered together at Rosa de Saron church for a very happy worship time. There was a great Praise team of young musicians (who one of the team said was like a whole band of Durgan Maxeys), a group of dancers and some flag performers. It was awesome! Everyone was so happy to be at church and worshipping our Lord. We all enjoyed it very much! Ricki shared her testimony and Mike preached again. The Pasor was very powerful in a quiet manner. You could tell that he loves the Lord very much. His church is very moving. (Mike said that churches have services up to 6 nights a week. They love singing to the Lord and hearing the Word.) There were a total of 10 Professions of Faith in those 3 services. Even when you don't understand the language, you can sense the feeling when another brother or sister comes to Christ. Hallelulah!
We got back to the Team house late and had dinner, then share time. After that it was time for bed. The city was turning water off around 5pm each night during the week we were there, so we washed up with towelettes and hit the sack. Floor fans made it possible to sleep, except for when the electricity kept going off. But it was all good. God gave us good rest. I was still grateful to be there.
Nicaragua Trip - March 20, 2010
Day 1 of trip. This is the travel day.
4 people from the team flew out from XNA at 5:30am and had to change planes in DFW and then arrive in Houton before the rest of us were scheduled to leave XNA on a Continental flight direct to Houston. They felt that they had a raw deal on travel... until they learned about the plight of the rest of us.
10 of us were to fly out of XNA at 12:30pm. I got to the airport early and got all checked in so that I could greet the kids and parents arriving and help get everyone checked in. I was leisurely sitting there with my carry-ons, chatting with Bethany Peevy (whose family was flying to San Francisco for spring break) when the airline agent who checked me in found me and said that our flight had been cancelled. WHAT??? There was a winter storm coming later in the day and they were not sending the plane from Houston to pick up our flight.
Every flight on every airline was overbooked out of XNA and most other airports throughout the whole weekend for spring break. We checked on flying out of Little Rock, Tulsa, Kansas City, Springfield, Dallas, everywhere we could think of. Continental could fly us out mid-day on Monday. ugh!
Parents and kids were arriving. I was on the phone with 3 different people looking at alternatives. Chris and I were discussing options with airline agents. The decision was made to rent 2 vehicles and drive to Houston. Continental could book us on a flight to Managua out of Houston at 9am the next day. Chris got the vehicles rented while I got our boarding passes for the team and the agent went ahead and checked us in for the next day's flight.
While we packed the vehicles, Daniel and Joseph ran back to their house to pick up their GPS. It was raining and getting colder. After we had group prayer with the parents, we jumped in the cars and headed out for Houston at 12:30 - the same time our plane should have taken off.
We drove straight through to Houston with just a couple of stops for gas and bathrooms. We ate in the car once and stopped for about 15 minutes for dinner. We drove through rain, then snow (in Oklahoma!), then wind and then calm darkness. It was a loooooong drive, but worth it to get to our plane. The kids in my vehicle sang a lot and then napped a lot. I enjoyed having them in the car.
We got rooms in Houston and dropped the kids off. Then Chris and I drove to fill up the rentals with gas. I spilled some gas on my tennis shoes and had to put them outside our hotel door. I sprinkled mouthwash on them to help neutralize the odor. It just ended up smelling like minty fresh gas. I didn't much care about the tennis shoes, but I didn't want to get stopped at the airport for having fuel-laced shoes and make them wonder if I was trying to blow up the plane or something. I was thankful that I got to breeze through security. :)
I think we got to bed about 11:30 or so. The wind was blowing so hard outside that it made the windows howl. Catie turned on the vent fan so that the noise would cover up the wind. I think we slept pretty well.
We were thankful for the plans that God made available for us to make it Houston and still get to Nicaragua by the next day. We were also thankful that we left Rogers when we did. They ended up with a foot of snow over the weekend! The roads in Oklahoma were getting pretty nasty as we went through. I'm glad we made it in a timely manner.
All in all, it was a great start to our trip. God is so good.
4 people from the team flew out from XNA at 5:30am and had to change planes in DFW and then arrive in Houton before the rest of us were scheduled to leave XNA on a Continental flight direct to Houston. They felt that they had a raw deal on travel... until they learned about the plight of the rest of us.
10 of us were to fly out of XNA at 12:30pm. I got to the airport early and got all checked in so that I could greet the kids and parents arriving and help get everyone checked in. I was leisurely sitting there with my carry-ons, chatting with Bethany Peevy (whose family was flying to San Francisco for spring break) when the airline agent who checked me in found me and said that our flight had been cancelled. WHAT??? There was a winter storm coming later in the day and they were not sending the plane from Houston to pick up our flight.
Every flight on every airline was overbooked out of XNA and most other airports throughout the whole weekend for spring break. We checked on flying out of Little Rock, Tulsa, Kansas City, Springfield, Dallas, everywhere we could think of. Continental could fly us out mid-day on Monday. ugh!
Parents and kids were arriving. I was on the phone with 3 different people looking at alternatives. Chris and I were discussing options with airline agents. The decision was made to rent 2 vehicles and drive to Houston. Continental could book us on a flight to Managua out of Houston at 9am the next day. Chris got the vehicles rented while I got our boarding passes for the team and the agent went ahead and checked us in for the next day's flight.
While we packed the vehicles, Daniel and Joseph ran back to their house to pick up their GPS. It was raining and getting colder. After we had group prayer with the parents, we jumped in the cars and headed out for Houston at 12:30 - the same time our plane should have taken off.
We drove straight through to Houston with just a couple of stops for gas and bathrooms. We ate in the car once and stopped for about 15 minutes for dinner. We drove through rain, then snow (in Oklahoma!), then wind and then calm darkness. It was a loooooong drive, but worth it to get to our plane. The kids in my vehicle sang a lot and then napped a lot. I enjoyed having them in the car.
We got rooms in Houston and dropped the kids off. Then Chris and I drove to fill up the rentals with gas. I spilled some gas on my tennis shoes and had to put them outside our hotel door. I sprinkled mouthwash on them to help neutralize the odor. It just ended up smelling like minty fresh gas. I didn't much care about the tennis shoes, but I didn't want to get stopped at the airport for having fuel-laced shoes and make them wonder if I was trying to blow up the plane or something. I was thankful that I got to breeze through security. :)
I think we got to bed about 11:30 or so. The wind was blowing so hard outside that it made the windows howl. Catie turned on the vent fan so that the noise would cover up the wind. I think we slept pretty well.
We were thankful for the plans that God made available for us to make it Houston and still get to Nicaragua by the next day. We were also thankful that we left Rogers when we did. They ended up with a foot of snow over the weekend! The roads in Oklahoma were getting pretty nasty as we went through. I'm glad we made it in a timely manner.
All in all, it was a great start to our trip. God is so good.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wow, it's been a while since I've blogged! Lots has happened. Prep for Nicaragua, the trip itself, and a week of business since I've been home. I'll be posting details and thoughts about the trip later, but just know that it was a wonderful time of spending many hours with people excited to share Jesus. God spoke to me in some distinct ways and answered some questions I had been praying about. I love feeling His arms wrapped around my heart.
Tomorrow is Easter. On Good Friday, our church (FBC Rogers) was open for people to stop by and pray for the lost, especially those who come to church on Easter and Christmas. It was really nice to be able to do that. I hope we do it more often. It's nice to have specific focus and unity by coming together for prayer.
I finally posted all the pictures from Nicaragua on my Facebook account. I hope to get my posts done on here this weekend, too. Maybe after the Easter dinner with Cuerpo Vivo tomorrow afternoon...
I pray that everyone who knows Christ as Savior will be filled with love and rejoicing as they awaken tomorrow morning and celebrate our Risen Lord. I also pray that everyone that doesn't know Him will feel welcome at a church and will be open to accepting Him into their hearts and lives.
Happy, Happy Easter!! Happy Resurrection Day!
Tomorrow is Easter. On Good Friday, our church (FBC Rogers) was open for people to stop by and pray for the lost, especially those who come to church on Easter and Christmas. It was really nice to be able to do that. I hope we do it more often. It's nice to have specific focus and unity by coming together for prayer.
I finally posted all the pictures from Nicaragua on my Facebook account. I hope to get my posts done on here this weekend, too. Maybe after the Easter dinner with Cuerpo Vivo tomorrow afternoon...
I pray that everyone who knows Christ as Savior will be filled with love and rejoicing as they awaken tomorrow morning and celebrate our Risen Lord. I also pray that everyone that doesn't know Him will feel welcome at a church and will be open to accepting Him into their hearts and lives.
Happy, Happy Easter!! Happy Resurrection Day!
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