Friday was a good day of working on getting the team house ready for the team from Louisiana who arrived today.
Haley and I also hung some curtains up in our room to privacy. The room looks so much bigger now. I'm nesting with little things to make it efficient. I like it.
I rode into Managua with Mike and Danilo this morning to pick up the team. German met us there in his van and Manuel met us there in his van. I was able to use the USB thingy for internet on the drive into the city. I was able to do some downloads since it was a long drive.
We picked up the team from LA and it was good to see Ric, as well as Chuck and a few others who had come with Ric to NYC when I was there. We all loaded up into the vans and headed to the Mall for lunch at the food court. It had rained most of the morning and was still drizzly and then hard rain. But we didn't care. Lunch was good and everyone was ready for the 2 hour ride to the team house.
Everyone got settled in and we had a brief team meeting with house rules and such. Then dinner was served. We had hamburgers and fries and everyone seemed pleased. It is good to have Mike and Sherry here to greet the teams. I know they are happy to be here, too.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011 Nicaragua
It's been a busy week and it's been really good. It's always good to be serving here in Nicaragua!
Tuesday, we held 2 Fiestas in the morning and there were 72 professions of faith. (did I mention the 93 on Monday?) God is working on the hearts of the Nica people and the churches in the area do a good job of working in the neighborhoods before we get there. They also do a good job of following up on the names of those professing faith in Christ at the Fiestas. We are just the tools for God to use in the big picture. I love the way it's a team effort between VOH, the mission teams and the local churches.
We went to a local church, Cristo Viene, here in Poneloya/Las Peñitas. It only took 5 minutes to drive there, and since Danilo had taken someone into town in the big van, we all rode in Chin Chin, our little VOH van, and Sherry drove! Fun! Church was good. Saturnino (our guard), Aracelys (our cleaning lady) and Pilar (our cook) all go to Cristo Viene church. It's fun to see them and their families there. John did a song, Haley shared her and we had a great message from the team. I love that church. It's always so welcoming. The pastor reminds me of a cowboy for some reason. He's always nice. We gave out lots of candy after the service. Then we came home. It was a good night.
Wednesday, we went to a neighborhood called Hamburgo and did 2 Fiestas in that community. There were 38 professions of faith. We went to church there last night and another 5 people came forward. The music was great last night. It was another good day.
Today, we did a 2 hour VBS at the Las Quimeras community. Haley (our intern from El Dorado AR) was the leader and did a fine job. The team all pitched in to help with acting out the story, crafts, songs, snacks, games and the drama. A few of the team members went out street witnessing. We had about twice as many kids as we thought would be there. The school let the kids out mid-morning to attend. That was a nice surprise! We scrambled to share everything that we had brought. The Pastor was very pleased with everything. He is doing a great job growing that church. The team went back there tonight for a special Father's Day service (today is Father's Day in Nica).
The team will be leaving in the morning for their Fun Day in Masaya and Managua. They are going to get rooms at the hotel across from the airport in Managua and spend the night. That way they only have to get up at 4am to go to the airport, instead of driving back here tomorrow night and then leaving here at 2:30am Saturday morning. They have been a great team.
Ralph is on the Board of Directors of VOH and this is his 6th trip. His wife and son came last year and this year. A dad and daughter joined them on this trip. It's been fun with them.
We will use the team-free time tomorrow to get the house ready for the LA team that flies in at noon on Saturday. It will be a busy day of laundry, bed making, grocery buying, etc. I can't wait to see Ric and the team on Saturday. I'll ride into Managua to help with greeting them. I met Ric when I led teams to NYC before I moved there to serve fulltime for 2 years. I actually took Ric's place as the missions 'person' with that church plant, when he moved to LA. He brought a team back up to NYC while I was serving there. It will be nice to see him. I think their team will be a lot of fun!
I've got computer stuff to work on and Bible reading to catch up on. Better take advantage of this free time this evening.
God is so good. The time is going by too quickly! I'm truly blessed to be here! Thank You Lord.
Tuesday, we held 2 Fiestas in the morning and there were 72 professions of faith. (did I mention the 93 on Monday?) God is working on the hearts of the Nica people and the churches in the area do a good job of working in the neighborhoods before we get there. They also do a good job of following up on the names of those professing faith in Christ at the Fiestas. We are just the tools for God to use in the big picture. I love the way it's a team effort between VOH, the mission teams and the local churches.
We went to a local church, Cristo Viene, here in Poneloya/Las Peñitas. It only took 5 minutes to drive there, and since Danilo had taken someone into town in the big van, we all rode in Chin Chin, our little VOH van, and Sherry drove! Fun! Church was good. Saturnino (our guard), Aracelys (our cleaning lady) and Pilar (our cook) all go to Cristo Viene church. It's fun to see them and their families there. John did a song, Haley shared her and we had a great message from the team. I love that church. It's always so welcoming. The pastor reminds me of a cowboy for some reason. He's always nice. We gave out lots of candy after the service. Then we came home. It was a good night.
Wednesday, we went to a neighborhood called Hamburgo and did 2 Fiestas in that community. There were 38 professions of faith. We went to church there last night and another 5 people came forward. The music was great last night. It was another good day.
Today, we did a 2 hour VBS at the Las Quimeras community. Haley (our intern from El Dorado AR) was the leader and did a fine job. The team all pitched in to help with acting out the story, crafts, songs, snacks, games and the drama. A few of the team members went out street witnessing. We had about twice as many kids as we thought would be there. The school let the kids out mid-morning to attend. That was a nice surprise! We scrambled to share everything that we had brought. The Pastor was very pleased with everything. He is doing a great job growing that church. The team went back there tonight for a special Father's Day service (today is Father's Day in Nica).
The team will be leaving in the morning for their Fun Day in Masaya and Managua. They are going to get rooms at the hotel across from the airport in Managua and spend the night. That way they only have to get up at 4am to go to the airport, instead of driving back here tomorrow night and then leaving here at 2:30am Saturday morning. They have been a great team.
Ralph is on the Board of Directors of VOH and this is his 6th trip. His wife and son came last year and this year. A dad and daughter joined them on this trip. It's been fun with them.
We will use the team-free time tomorrow to get the house ready for the LA team that flies in at noon on Saturday. It will be a busy day of laundry, bed making, grocery buying, etc. I can't wait to see Ric and the team on Saturday. I'll ride into Managua to help with greeting them. I met Ric when I led teams to NYC before I moved there to serve fulltime for 2 years. I actually took Ric's place as the missions 'person' with that church plant, when he moved to LA. He brought a team back up to NYC while I was serving there. It will be nice to see him. I think their team will be a lot of fun!
I've got computer stuff to work on and Bible reading to catch up on. Better take advantage of this free time this evening.
God is so good. The time is going by too quickly! I'm truly blessed to be here! Thank You Lord.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011 Nicaragua
The team made it in about 11pm on Saturday night. They were ready for a bed. Mary got them all settled and I woke up to say hi.
Sunday morning we had breakfast and then went to church at Rose of Sharon in León. It is a fairly large church and has a wonderful praise band. The church is nice, but does not have fans. It is always excruciatingly hot in there. We enjoyed the music very much and John gave his testimony and Ralph shared the message. There were baptisms after the main service and we ended up leaving before they were all done. 3 hours in that hot building was all we could take. It was a very worshipful morning!
We came home and had grilled chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch. It was sooo good. Pilar is our main cook now and Sherry is working with her to train her on some really good recipes. The food has improved tremendously this summer! A little rest and some work on ministry supplies for the Fiestas this week and then we were ready for church at Rose of Sharon at the Country Club community. It was a nice day of worship.
Today we did a Fiesta just this side of León. We enjoyed it very much. Then we did a Fiesta and Feeding at the Rose of Sharon church from last night. There were over 90 professions of faith today. There were almost 100 kids fed, too. It was extremely hot and muggy. We were ringing wet. We were inside a building and even though the walls did not go all the way up, there was no breeze inside. After we did the Fiesta, we were trying to fill in time till the food was ready to serve. We sang all the praise songs we knew in Spanish. Then we let the kids come up and sing a song and get a prize. It was 'open mike night' at the church! The kids were so precious. Finally, we got to serve the food and the kids were soooo thankful. We really enjoyed our day.
We dropped the translators off in León and headed back to the house for lunch of shredded beef, rice, beans, cabbage salad and tortilla. It was tasty!! Then some rest and we headed back into town mid-afternoon so the team could have ice cream and some shopping time at the park. I grabbed a few items and Haley and I went to a variety store to get a few more things for my room here. Then we headed to Suyapa for a great dinner. I just love the grilled fish there!
Back home and time for a refreshing shower and some computer work. It's past my bedtime now and 5am comes early! So I think I'll close for now and go to sleep. God is so faithful to fill each day with wonderful encounters with His people. I'm so blessed to be here serving Him. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Sunday morning we had breakfast and then went to church at Rose of Sharon in León. It is a fairly large church and has a wonderful praise band. The church is nice, but does not have fans. It is always excruciatingly hot in there. We enjoyed the music very much and John gave his testimony and Ralph shared the message. There were baptisms after the main service and we ended up leaving before they were all done. 3 hours in that hot building was all we could take. It was a very worshipful morning!
We came home and had grilled chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch. It was sooo good. Pilar is our main cook now and Sherry is working with her to train her on some really good recipes. The food has improved tremendously this summer! A little rest and some work on ministry supplies for the Fiestas this week and then we were ready for church at Rose of Sharon at the Country Club community. It was a nice day of worship.
Today we did a Fiesta just this side of León. We enjoyed it very much. Then we did a Fiesta and Feeding at the Rose of Sharon church from last night. There were over 90 professions of faith today. There were almost 100 kids fed, too. It was extremely hot and muggy. We were ringing wet. We were inside a building and even though the walls did not go all the way up, there was no breeze inside. After we did the Fiesta, we were trying to fill in time till the food was ready to serve. We sang all the praise songs we knew in Spanish. Then we let the kids come up and sing a song and get a prize. It was 'open mike night' at the church! The kids were so precious. Finally, we got to serve the food and the kids were soooo thankful. We really enjoyed our day.
We dropped the translators off in León and headed back to the house for lunch of shredded beef, rice, beans, cabbage salad and tortilla. It was tasty!! Then some rest and we headed back into town mid-afternoon so the team could have ice cream and some shopping time at the park. I grabbed a few items and Haley and I went to a variety store to get a few more things for my room here. Then we headed to Suyapa for a great dinner. I just love the grilled fish there!
Back home and time for a refreshing shower and some computer work. It's past my bedtime now and 5am comes early! So I think I'll close for now and go to sleep. God is so faithful to fill each day with wonderful encounters with His people. I'm so blessed to be here serving Him. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Saturday, June 18, 2011 Nicaragua
We woke up to a nice, humid morning. Haley wanted to join me on my morning 4 mile walk, so I woke her up at 6am and we took off. We didn’t have to navigate any herds of cattle and there were no dead dogs. It was a nice walk.
Sherry had fixed banana pancakes and fresh pineapple pancakes. They were yummy! We did some house work and I did a little more tweaking of my room. Saturnino hung a curtain from the upper post of the bunkbed (next to the bathroom door) to the adjacent wall so that we can leave the bathroom door open when we take a shower. We need ventilation! It’s like a sauna in there when you have the door closed and you cannot get your clothes on! Our little curtain looks funny, but it works great!
We have been working Saturnino very hard these last 2 weeks. He has done his regular handyman and groundskeeper stuff as well as stain rocking chairs, paint rooms, move furniture to a rental house down the road, do little odd jobs for us helpless girls, etc. He’s always very nice about it and always has a smile on his face.
I’ve been working on my Bible study today and Haley and I have worked a little on plans for Fiestas and chatted about Spanish. I’ve eaten way too much of Sherry’s delicious lasagna, though, and think I’ll turn in early just so I can lay down. Ha
We have a team of 5 coming in tonight. Their plane has been delayed and they are landing in Managua at 8pm. That means they will get to the house between 11 and 12. Their rooms are ready. I’m sure they will be glad to jump into bed.
Mary has been sick the last 2 days. She’s better today and we hope she can get back up to par for the ministry work this week. I know she is raring to go for street witnessing.
I spent the late afternoon washing all my backpacks and bags. I also charged all electrical appliances (2 phones, iPod, computer, Kindle). I’d be lost without them! ☺
Time to get off of here and do a little more studying. So thankful that I can read from a laying down position… Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Sherry had fixed banana pancakes and fresh pineapple pancakes. They were yummy! We did some house work and I did a little more tweaking of my room. Saturnino hung a curtain from the upper post of the bunkbed (next to the bathroom door) to the adjacent wall so that we can leave the bathroom door open when we take a shower. We need ventilation! It’s like a sauna in there when you have the door closed and you cannot get your clothes on! Our little curtain looks funny, but it works great!
We have been working Saturnino very hard these last 2 weeks. He has done his regular handyman and groundskeeper stuff as well as stain rocking chairs, paint rooms, move furniture to a rental house down the road, do little odd jobs for us helpless girls, etc. He’s always very nice about it and always has a smile on his face.
I’ve been working on my Bible study today and Haley and I have worked a little on plans for Fiestas and chatted about Spanish. I’ve eaten way too much of Sherry’s delicious lasagna, though, and think I’ll turn in early just so I can lay down. Ha
We have a team of 5 coming in tonight. Their plane has been delayed and they are landing in Managua at 8pm. That means they will get to the house between 11 and 12. Their rooms are ready. I’m sure they will be glad to jump into bed.
Mary has been sick the last 2 days. She’s better today and we hope she can get back up to par for the ministry work this week. I know she is raring to go for street witnessing.
I spent the late afternoon washing all my backpacks and bags. I also charged all electrical appliances (2 phones, iPod, computer, Kindle). I’d be lost without them! ☺
Time to get off of here and do a little more studying. So thankful that I can read from a laying down position… Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Friday, June 17, 2011 Nicaragua
Yesterday, we took food and clothing to Monte Horeb (aka Sewer Pond) neighborhood. The ladies of Todopoderosa church cooked the food and they do a wonderful job of it. Three of them helped serve the food.
We gave out lots of clothing to the kids and a few adults. We had 18 suitcases and tubs of clothing to give away. What we had left after distributing at Monte Horeb, we took to the Todopoderosa church for them to add to their clothing giveaway on Sunday. Hundreds of people are going to be blessed with a new article of clothing. A few hundred were fed a hot meal yesterday. Many smiles and hugs.
It was so good to see friendly and familiar faces at Monte Horeb. The kids there are growing a lot. A special family with a baby girl named Dariela, always looks for me and I love to see them. Mother has a physical problem and sometimes uses a walker. Dad is always very welcoming and appreciative of what we can give them. He even found me on the street in León one day to say hi. Dariela is growing up so much and is so beautiful! She turned 1 year old in April. She had on a pretty dress and her hair was in pigtails. So cute! I didn’t get a chance for a picture on my camera, but I called to Mike to grab a pic for me. I can’t wait to see it.
We took the cooks/servers to lunch at Tip Top and then we ran to a few stores to try and find some help with Mary’s new camera. No luck on the camera help, but Mike took us to have ice cream to make Mary feel better. ☺ Then we came back to the house. Everyone laid down for some rest. We get up early and the heat drains us, so we grab times of rest when we can.
After a dinner of left-overs, we sat upstairs and chatted. It started lightning a lot and then came a downpour. It didn’t last too long, but we lost power. It was pretty stuffy trying to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, the power came back on and we had fans for sleeping again. It also rained again, but that sound was nice to hear.
I went for my almost-every-morning 4 mile walk this morning. I try to go at 6am because it’s so hot by the time I get back. The air was nicer this morning since there had been rain last night. I didn’t have to navigate any cattle, but there were plenty of piles on the sidewalk where they had been walking. I also saw a dead dog on the side of the road. Too bad. It was one of the more healthy looking ones. Except for being dead, of course.
I grabbed my shower and got ready to go into town. Mary isn’t feeling very well today, so she stayed home while Mike, Sherry, Manuel, Haley and I went to town to buy some things for the house, groceries for tonight’s dinner with some of the translators and groceries for the team that comes in tomorrow night. Haley and I got the chance to shop a little at some of the clothing shops. You never know what you will find there. I fell in love with a sun dress. They don’t have my current size, and since I’m losing weight, I bought one for my incentive. I hope to be in it by Christmas. If all goes well, it will be my Christmas picture. I picked up some plastic bins to store things under my bed. Stuff like that is expensive down here, but the size of these is too big to put into tubs or suitcases. I’ll get all organized some day!
I need to spend some time catching up on my Bible study. I seem to be a day or two behind all the time. There is so much I want to read and study, but even though we don’t have a team right now, we are pretty busy with stuff. I just pray for God to order my steps.
I’m really looking forward to the Translators and their families coming out for dinner tonight. Sherry has fixed lasagna and salad. German is bringing bread and ice cream to top it all off. Yum! I can’t wait to see how some of the kids have grown since we had them out last December. I better get my camera ready!
Manuelito has kept me busy playing his pretend wife. He loves to pretend everything. He loves to sing to his iPod and play the drums and keyboard upstairs. I’m sure the neighbors think a band has moved in. Ha!
I had brought down my old blackberry phone to see if it could be used here in Nica. Since it’s a Verizon model, it cannot be used here. It’s of no use to me in the states either, so I let Manuelito have it. He was very sad not to have a phone. Now he is thrilled. I’m glad to find a home for it! Speaking of phones, I bought an inexpensive phone to use here in Nica. It’s cute. Turquoise blue. Very easy to read and use. I wanted simple! I’m very happy with it.
I think people may start arriving soon, so I’ll get off of here and greet everyone. Let the party begin!!
Well… a huge thunderstorm came from the east, which meant that it hit León first. It knocked out power and flooded the streets. It rained hard here at the beach and knocked out our power, too. We have a propane gas stove, so Sherry finished cooking via flashlight. German brought Juan and his daughter, Oscar and his son and German’s own family out. No one else could make it because of the bad weather and other commitments. We ate by flashlight and jumped and squealed at the lightening and thunder. It rained hard. But we had a great time. After dinner, the power came back on and the adults all sat around and chatted as the kids played hide and seek. It was very fun. Thankfully, the power stayed on all night and we got a good night’s sleep with the fans. God is always so good to us.
We gave out lots of clothing to the kids and a few adults. We had 18 suitcases and tubs of clothing to give away. What we had left after distributing at Monte Horeb, we took to the Todopoderosa church for them to add to their clothing giveaway on Sunday. Hundreds of people are going to be blessed with a new article of clothing. A few hundred were fed a hot meal yesterday. Many smiles and hugs.
It was so good to see friendly and familiar faces at Monte Horeb. The kids there are growing a lot. A special family with a baby girl named Dariela, always looks for me and I love to see them. Mother has a physical problem and sometimes uses a walker. Dad is always very welcoming and appreciative of what we can give them. He even found me on the street in León one day to say hi. Dariela is growing up so much and is so beautiful! She turned 1 year old in April. She had on a pretty dress and her hair was in pigtails. So cute! I didn’t get a chance for a picture on my camera, but I called to Mike to grab a pic for me. I can’t wait to see it.
We took the cooks/servers to lunch at Tip Top and then we ran to a few stores to try and find some help with Mary’s new camera. No luck on the camera help, but Mike took us to have ice cream to make Mary feel better. ☺ Then we came back to the house. Everyone laid down for some rest. We get up early and the heat drains us, so we grab times of rest when we can.
After a dinner of left-overs, we sat upstairs and chatted. It started lightning a lot and then came a downpour. It didn’t last too long, but we lost power. It was pretty stuffy trying to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, the power came back on and we had fans for sleeping again. It also rained again, but that sound was nice to hear.
I went for my almost-every-morning 4 mile walk this morning. I try to go at 6am because it’s so hot by the time I get back. The air was nicer this morning since there had been rain last night. I didn’t have to navigate any cattle, but there were plenty of piles on the sidewalk where they had been walking. I also saw a dead dog on the side of the road. Too bad. It was one of the more healthy looking ones. Except for being dead, of course.
I grabbed my shower and got ready to go into town. Mary isn’t feeling very well today, so she stayed home while Mike, Sherry, Manuel, Haley and I went to town to buy some things for the house, groceries for tonight’s dinner with some of the translators and groceries for the team that comes in tomorrow night. Haley and I got the chance to shop a little at some of the clothing shops. You never know what you will find there. I fell in love with a sun dress. They don’t have my current size, and since I’m losing weight, I bought one for my incentive. I hope to be in it by Christmas. If all goes well, it will be my Christmas picture. I picked up some plastic bins to store things under my bed. Stuff like that is expensive down here, but the size of these is too big to put into tubs or suitcases. I’ll get all organized some day!
I need to spend some time catching up on my Bible study. I seem to be a day or two behind all the time. There is so much I want to read and study, but even though we don’t have a team right now, we are pretty busy with stuff. I just pray for God to order my steps.
I’m really looking forward to the Translators and their families coming out for dinner tonight. Sherry has fixed lasagna and salad. German is bringing bread and ice cream to top it all off. Yum! I can’t wait to see how some of the kids have grown since we had them out last December. I better get my camera ready!
Manuelito has kept me busy playing his pretend wife. He loves to pretend everything. He loves to sing to his iPod and play the drums and keyboard upstairs. I’m sure the neighbors think a band has moved in. Ha!
I had brought down my old blackberry phone to see if it could be used here in Nica. Since it’s a Verizon model, it cannot be used here. It’s of no use to me in the states either, so I let Manuelito have it. He was very sad not to have a phone. Now he is thrilled. I’m glad to find a home for it! Speaking of phones, I bought an inexpensive phone to use here in Nica. It’s cute. Turquoise blue. Very easy to read and use. I wanted simple! I’m very happy with it.
I think people may start arriving soon, so I’ll get off of here and greet everyone. Let the party begin!!
Well… a huge thunderstorm came from the east, which meant that it hit León first. It knocked out power and flooded the streets. It rained hard here at the beach and knocked out our power, too. We have a propane gas stove, so Sherry finished cooking via flashlight. German brought Juan and his daughter, Oscar and his son and German’s own family out. No one else could make it because of the bad weather and other commitments. We ate by flashlight and jumped and squealed at the lightening and thunder. It rained hard. But we had a great time. After dinner, the power came back on and the adults all sat around and chatted as the kids played hide and seek. It was very fun. Thankfully, the power stayed on all night and we got a good night’s sleep with the fans. God is always so good to us.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
I’m not doing a very good job of posting everyday like I usually do when in Nicaragua. I think it’s because it is becoming more like being ‘home’ and less like a mission trip for me.
We went to Las Quimeras church on Sunday afternoon and it was wonderful! The blocks that FBC Rogers Youth provided are up and the walls are about ¾ done. Just need to get some windows and a door and maybe some more lights. Anyway, it’s grand to see it progressing and to see how many people were there! It was a true blessing to me. We'll be doing more work with that church in the weeks and months to come.
I'm trying to remember what we have done the last few days. I can't seem to remember what we did when, so I'll just recap it all together. We went into town to look at some rental properties and that was fun. We had lunch at Tip Top Chicken and bought groceries at La Unión. We've had ice cream from Eskimo. We've shopped a little bit at the market and a few stores near the park. We stopped in at a few booths at the park and got a few things. One of my favorite vendors remembered me and gave me a discount and also gave Sherry and Haley discounts for being with me. How sweet! We looked at a building lot near where German is building his new house and are praying about it being our new site.
Haley and I spent hours on Tuesday working on clothes for the distribution on Thursday. Mary and I worked on it another set of hours today. We're all ready to get rid of about 12 suitcases of stuff. We've been working more on the house and getting things cleaned, painted, organized and moved. We'll be ready for the first team (of five) on Saturday.
I love my room. It's private and away from the main house. There is a set of bunk beds so that Beth and various interns can bunk with me when needed. Otherwise, I have lots of personal space. I love it.
I've been walking 4 miles most mornings. I've been trying to get up early (6am) if possible, because it gets so hot so early. It really zaps my energy some mornings if I don't get out there early enough. I see lots of interesting stuff on the road. I've shared the sidewalk with horses and today, I had to part a small herd of cattle to pass by. They were very polite about it, though. The people here think walking and running for exercise if funny. Sherry runs 4 miles most mornings. Mike goes with her about 3 days a week. We get giggled at, but we don't mind. We're just crazy NorthAmericans.
Sherry gave me, Mike, Manuel and Mary all haircuts today. It was great! I'm so excited to have her available to cut my hair. I usually make a little mess of it when I try to trim and thin it myself. She's pretty good. She even got it short enough for me!
I'm running a few days behind on my Bible Study, but will get caught up in the next day or two. I also have tons of receipts to work on from the mission team last week. Now that we're done with the major sorting and organizing and moving of supplies, I should have more time to get some computer work and paper work done.
God has really blessed me with lots of thoughts and emotions these last few weeks. I love how He works through people and experiences and sometimes seemingly insignificant moments to teach me something. I am truly blessed to be here serving Him and to be His child.
We went to Las Quimeras church on Sunday afternoon and it was wonderful! The blocks that FBC Rogers Youth provided are up and the walls are about ¾ done. Just need to get some windows and a door and maybe some more lights. Anyway, it’s grand to see it progressing and to see how many people were there! It was a true blessing to me. We'll be doing more work with that church in the weeks and months to come.
I'm trying to remember what we have done the last few days. I can't seem to remember what we did when, so I'll just recap it all together. We went into town to look at some rental properties and that was fun. We had lunch at Tip Top Chicken and bought groceries at La Unión. We've had ice cream from Eskimo. We've shopped a little bit at the market and a few stores near the park. We stopped in at a few booths at the park and got a few things. One of my favorite vendors remembered me and gave me a discount and also gave Sherry and Haley discounts for being with me. How sweet! We looked at a building lot near where German is building his new house and are praying about it being our new site.
Haley and I spent hours on Tuesday working on clothes for the distribution on Thursday. Mary and I worked on it another set of hours today. We're all ready to get rid of about 12 suitcases of stuff. We've been working more on the house and getting things cleaned, painted, organized and moved. We'll be ready for the first team (of five) on Saturday.
I love my room. It's private and away from the main house. There is a set of bunk beds so that Beth and various interns can bunk with me when needed. Otherwise, I have lots of personal space. I love it.
I've been walking 4 miles most mornings. I've been trying to get up early (6am) if possible, because it gets so hot so early. It really zaps my energy some mornings if I don't get out there early enough. I see lots of interesting stuff on the road. I've shared the sidewalk with horses and today, I had to part a small herd of cattle to pass by. They were very polite about it, though. The people here think walking and running for exercise if funny. Sherry runs 4 miles most mornings. Mike goes with her about 3 days a week. We get giggled at, but we don't mind. We're just crazy NorthAmericans.
Sherry gave me, Mike, Manuel and Mary all haircuts today. It was great! I'm so excited to have her available to cut my hair. I usually make a little mess of it when I try to trim and thin it myself. She's pretty good. She even got it short enough for me!
I'm running a few days behind on my Bible Study, but will get caught up in the next day or two. I also have tons of receipts to work on from the mission team last week. Now that we're done with the major sorting and organizing and moving of supplies, I should have more time to get some computer work and paper work done.
God has really blessed me with lots of thoughts and emotions these last few weeks. I love how He works through people and experiences and sometimes seemingly insignificant moments to teach me something. I am truly blessed to be here serving Him and to be His child.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 Nicaragua
Back home at the team house!!!
What a week this has been.
The crusade in Jinotega was great. We did so much in that week. God has us hopping all over town. Fiestas, Schools, Conferences, Radio/TV spots during the day and the Crusade event each night. 3,860 people professed faith in Christ. We even baptized one of the Translators in the pool at the hotel last night.
Sherry, Manuel, Mary, Kaylie, I and the León Translators all packed up and left Jinotega after the last afternoon Fiesta. The rest of the team stayed at the camp and went to the last night of the Crusade. Our León van got back to the Team House about 8pm. We dumped out our luggage and headed to our rooms. Kaylie packed up all her stuff and I packed an overnight bag. Then we all went to bed.
On Friday, Kaylie and I left for Managua to pick up Haley (another intern) from the airport. Then we got our room at the hotel across from the airport and left our bags. We then caught up with the team at lunch in Granada. It was a great restaurant and we all enjoyed it sooo much. We scrunched into vans (one van and driver were off duty right after lunch) and went to Catarina shopping. I usually don’t have much shopping to do, since I’ve been here so much and have bought everyone something, but I do enjoy looking at stuff. I did find a few things to purchase and was very pleased with my finds. We then went to the hotel by the airport and had a quick meeting and then baptized Ervin in the hotel pool (right next to the bar). What a witness.
Mike and Haley headed for León and the rest of us settled in for the night. Kaylie and I went to the outdoor restaurant and had dessert for dinner. I had a good flan and Kaylie had tiramisu. We sat there and chatted for a couple of hours. Then we headed to our room for a short night’s sleep.
We got up at 4am so Kaylie could get to the Continental desk to check in asap. She didn’t have a seat assignment when they booked her ticket. We walked across the highway to the airport and that gate was still padlocked. We walked down the highway a little and walked in through the driveway. There was no one at the Continental desk when we got there, but we were second in line. Kaylie ended up in first class and that was a nice blessing. We sat and chatted a few more minutes and then she went on through security. I will sure miss her.
I headed back to the hotel and rested a few minutes until the restaurant opened up. Then I had a yummy (complimentary) breakfast. I ran into some of the team and chatted a little. Then I spent a few hours back in the room watching TV, which I don’t do when in Nica. Some of the stations were in English with Spanish subtitles, so I considered that as lessons. ☺
Mike, Sherry, Manuel, Mary and Haley picked me up about 11am and we headed to Pizza Hut for lunch. I had a delicious veggie calzone and the others had pizza. Most of us enjoyed salad, too. It was pretty good food. Then we went to Price Smart (like Sam’s Club) and bought some stuff for the team house and food to eat these next 2 months. It was nice to shop in there. Next time we go, I’m taking some money to buy some stuff for me to have on hand, since I can’t eat everything that everyone else does. I did get some veggie chip-like things and some black olives.
I took a nap on the way back to León and it felt good. 4am came very early this morning. We stopped at La Unión for some bread and milk. While the ladies went in to shop (I was barricaded in the van with the stuff from Price Smart), Mike, Manuel and I rode round and round the block because we couldn’t find a parking space. We got the ladies and then made one more stop for some items for my room and then home. It was great to get back here!
Most of my clothes are dirty and I got the chance to put one load in the washer and dryer this evening. I’ll catch up on the rest either tomorrow or Monday. It will be good to have everything fresh and clean again!
Haley and I worked on our room a little, putting together a couple of little clothing wardrobe things and we have new flowery clothes hampers. A few more days and it should be ship-shape! It will be nice to have a room for me and whatever intern or if Beth is here. It’s just such a blessing!
We’re getting into a routine for next week without a team. Lots to do to the house and plans to be made for the rest of summer. I just can’t put into words how wonderful it is to the Hulseys to be here fulltime this summer. We’re turning into a well-oiled machine and God is blessing the socks off of the ministry!
What a week this has been.
The crusade in Jinotega was great. We did so much in that week. God has us hopping all over town. Fiestas, Schools, Conferences, Radio/TV spots during the day and the Crusade event each night. 3,860 people professed faith in Christ. We even baptized one of the Translators in the pool at the hotel last night.
Sherry, Manuel, Mary, Kaylie, I and the León Translators all packed up and left Jinotega after the last afternoon Fiesta. The rest of the team stayed at the camp and went to the last night of the Crusade. Our León van got back to the Team House about 8pm. We dumped out our luggage and headed to our rooms. Kaylie packed up all her stuff and I packed an overnight bag. Then we all went to bed.
On Friday, Kaylie and I left for Managua to pick up Haley (another intern) from the airport. Then we got our room at the hotel across from the airport and left our bags. We then caught up with the team at lunch in Granada. It was a great restaurant and we all enjoyed it sooo much. We scrunched into vans (one van and driver were off duty right after lunch) and went to Catarina shopping. I usually don’t have much shopping to do, since I’ve been here so much and have bought everyone something, but I do enjoy looking at stuff. I did find a few things to purchase and was very pleased with my finds. We then went to the hotel by the airport and had a quick meeting and then baptized Ervin in the hotel pool (right next to the bar). What a witness.
Mike and Haley headed for León and the rest of us settled in for the night. Kaylie and I went to the outdoor restaurant and had dessert for dinner. I had a good flan and Kaylie had tiramisu. We sat there and chatted for a couple of hours. Then we headed to our room for a short night’s sleep.
We got up at 4am so Kaylie could get to the Continental desk to check in asap. She didn’t have a seat assignment when they booked her ticket. We walked across the highway to the airport and that gate was still padlocked. We walked down the highway a little and walked in through the driveway. There was no one at the Continental desk when we got there, but we were second in line. Kaylie ended up in first class and that was a nice blessing. We sat and chatted a few more minutes and then she went on through security. I will sure miss her.
I headed back to the hotel and rested a few minutes until the restaurant opened up. Then I had a yummy (complimentary) breakfast. I ran into some of the team and chatted a little. Then I spent a few hours back in the room watching TV, which I don’t do when in Nica. Some of the stations were in English with Spanish subtitles, so I considered that as lessons. ☺
Mike, Sherry, Manuel, Mary and Haley picked me up about 11am and we headed to Pizza Hut for lunch. I had a delicious veggie calzone and the others had pizza. Most of us enjoyed salad, too. It was pretty good food. Then we went to Price Smart (like Sam’s Club) and bought some stuff for the team house and food to eat these next 2 months. It was nice to shop in there. Next time we go, I’m taking some money to buy some stuff for me to have on hand, since I can’t eat everything that everyone else does. I did get some veggie chip-like things and some black olives.
I took a nap on the way back to León and it felt good. 4am came very early this morning. We stopped at La Unión for some bread and milk. While the ladies went in to shop (I was barricaded in the van with the stuff from Price Smart), Mike, Manuel and I rode round and round the block because we couldn’t find a parking space. We got the ladies and then made one more stop for some items for my room and then home. It was great to get back here!
Most of my clothes are dirty and I got the chance to put one load in the washer and dryer this evening. I’ll catch up on the rest either tomorrow or Monday. It will be good to have everything fresh and clean again!
Haley and I worked on our room a little, putting together a couple of little clothing wardrobe things and we have new flowery clothes hampers. A few more days and it should be ship-shape! It will be nice to have a room for me and whatever intern or if Beth is here. It’s just such a blessing!
We’re getting into a routine for next week without a team. Lots to do to the house and plans to be made for the rest of summer. I just can’t put into words how wonderful it is to the Hulseys to be here fulltime this summer. We’re turning into a well-oiled machine and God is blessing the socks off of the ministry!
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