Another great day! Since I didn’t have Spanish class today, I got to sleep until 8am. It was wonderful! I got up and started doing some Bible study. I also threw a load of clothes and some new fabric in the wash since I was going to be home for most of the day.
The Hulsey’s came about 10:30 and Manuel and I had our play time together. Then I worked more on getting my notes ready for today’s Women’s Bible study at Rose of Sharon CC church.
When Sherry was through interviewing the new cook (who will just cook lunch for us and our workers when we don’t have teams), she was ready to give me a haircut. I like it. Good and short. I know it makes me stick out even more here, but it’s very functional and I don’t have to look at it. Ha!
I grabbed a quick shower and dressed and we all headed off to Callejon for lunch. Since I had churrasco yesterday at Al Carbón, I opted for chicken cordon blue and it was very good. The server remembers that I love veggies. She is very sweet. It was crowded at the restaurant, so the Hulsey’s sat at one table and Leslie joined me at another.
After lunch, we returned to the Mission House and Mike worked some more with German and Manuel swam a little bit more. There were some guys here who go to the ROSCC church and work at ‘landscaping’ (which here means to clear brush and mow – with a real lawn mower – and clean out neglected plants and such). They are getting the place descent for our first team at the new place. Anyway, the guys had a 5 year old and a 10 year old with them. We invited the kids to swim and Sherry promised to watch over the little one. They had a blast swimming and diving and doing flips with Manuel.
Leslie and I left for the Women’s Bible study. Her husband Jorge drives us on Fridays. There were just 5 women when we got there and I was afraid that we scared them off from last week, but soon the rest arrived and we had 29 (1 more than last week). We discussed Eve’s temptation and the Fall of Man today. The ladies were very attentive and participated in the discussion. They were very thankful for us to be coming and gave us hugs. It’s so wonderful to see how giving just a little bit of time to share insights (from John MacArthur, not mine) can make such a difference in their lives. We take the opportunities to hear and study the Bible for granted in the States. I pray that we all return to the state of hunger for the Word that these ladies have.
I got back home and fixed a baked potato and a tomato and lettuce sandwich. Yummy. Some Chips Ahoy cookies and an apple rounded out my even sustenance.
I have custody of the internet cable tonight, but there was a storm that came through and was making the electricity waver quite a bit. I chose to get off the net and just write my blog and read some commentary on my Chronological Bible study that I have saved on the computer.
I’m pretty tired tonight, so I’ll go on to bed while the storm is still hanging around and maybe it will be gone in the morning and I can catch up more on cyber stuff early. Then I plan to sew A LOT tomorrow. A little more laundry and perhaps a nap will be in my future. We’ll see. Sherry and Manuel are coming over for a swim, weather permitting, so it will be nice to have company, too. I’m ready for a quiet weekend.
I have tons of Spanish homework to memorize and always the Bible studies to prepare for. I never run out of things to do.
I’m so thankful for all that God has blessed me with. He is so gracious and generous. I hope He finds me to be thankful and honoring to Him. He deserves so much more than I can give, but I will give my all.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 NICARAGUA
I can’t believe it’s only Thursday! The 4 days of Spanish classes feels like a month, probably because we have covered what Juan teaches in over a month of classes in just these 4 days. Review of what I already knew and covered much new ground. I keep telling him that my head is going to explode!!
This morning I went ahead and took a taxi to Spanish class because I hurt my little toe and wearing walking shoes didn’t feel good. So I wore flip flops (or as Mary and I call them ‘flops’) and wasn’t planning on doing much walking. I got to the corner by the school early and exchanged some US money for Córdovas. Then I arrived to the classroom about 20 minutes early. It was a great time to review yesterday’s lesson before Juan arrived.
We had a great time together. Juan is an exceptional teacher. He and my friend Oliver in Rogers are 2 of the best teachers that I have ever had. God has really gifted them teaching ability. And I’m thankful to get the benefit of their skills.
One of the things that Juan had me to today was to tell him in English what the process of traveling by plane is. He has never flown and wanted to know all the details. It also gave me a very exercise in using words that I wasn’t aware that I knew in Spanish! We talked about checking in, security, waiting, boarding, what the space inside the plane is like, instructions from the flight attendants, announcements from the pilots, food, bathrooms, preference regarding aisle seats vs window seats, customs and immigration, etc. At one point he asked about the safety announcements by the flight attendants. I gave him pretty much a word-for-word example of the announcements, including location of emergency exits, oxygen masks and seat cushions that are used as flotation devices. I told him the seat cushion thing is not all that comforting to me, since I think if you end up in the ocean, you probably hit hard enough to be dead. But anyway… He asked ‘when do they tell you about how to use the parachutes?’ I said ‘there are no parachutes’. He said what if something happens to the plane while it’s flying?’ I gave him a wave and said ‘so long’. We both started laughing and couldn’t quit until we had tears in our eyes. We discussed this later in the English class with the guys and decided that 1. The air would not be breathable to jump out, 2. Everyone would get tangled up with each others parachutes, and 3. Probably that last thing that the flight attendants would say is ‘buenas suerte’ which means ‘good luck’. I’m sure we will laugh about parachutes for a long time to come.
At the end of the Spanish class, we talked about Simple Present Tense verbs and it was so much easier than the other 6 tenses we have studied this week, that I was happy and excited to leave the week on that note. Juan likes it when I get excited about what I am learning. I think he appreciates seeing his students understanding and being enthusiastic. I’m loving it!!!
After Spanish class, I walked downtown to Central Park. I stopped in at a shop at Plaza del Carmen and bought a couple pairs of sandals. I had a nice chat with the owner of the shop. She is always so nice to me.
Then I walked to Al Carbón restaurant and treated myself to churrasco (steak) for lunch. It was very good. The waiter was very nice and wanted to practice his English. I was sitting near the open courtyard and enjoyed the breeze. I made my to-do list for the day, weekend, and next week. Very enjoyable downtime for me. The waiter was explaining their lovely desserts, but I was too full to have any. Maybe one day I will stop in there just for the dessert. That will be fun.
It started raining as I was leaving the restaurant. I walked in the rain for a while. I stopped at a music store to see if I could find some drumsticks with the cushiony ends so that when Manuel plays the drums it won’t be so loud. They didn’t have any. They wondered why I wanted them and in my limited Spanish, I explained they were for a little boy. They smiled knowingly.
Then I walked to a Kodak store to get some pictures printed. These pictures were from last Sunday when Mike preached at Rose of Sharon CC church for a special service for their leadership. I took a picture of the group up front being prayed over by Mike and also of the whole group standing together after the service. The shop was out of 8x10 photo paper, so I had some 4x6 copies made for now. I will give these to Pastor Marvin tomorrow when we go to the Women’s Bible Study. Anyway, I had to leave the images from my camera card and go back and pick up the pictures in a couple of hours.
In the meantime, I walked to the sewing/crafts store next to La Unión grocery store. I got drenched. Jason, the guy who helps us find parking spaces when we go to the grocery store (we can find our own spaces, but he likes to get tips), was standing at the steps by the sidewalk. He took my elbow and helped me up the steps in the pouring rain. It was nice to see him and get a little help. I looked like a drowned rat. Good thing I like to keep my hair short so it will dry quickly. Anyway, the store was great. They have a little bit of everything there. A very nice clerk helped me find some thread, a bobbin, seam rippers, pin cushion and elastic. I told her I was glad that their store was there and I would be shopping often.
Next I went to another store nearby and the clerks asked if they could help me. I told them in Spanish that I was just looking around. I told them I was also learning and practicing my Spanish. One clerk noticed how wet I was and asked if I wanted to buy an umbrella. I was glad to! They asked where I’m from and I thanked them for helping to practice my vocabulary. Of course, as soon as I bought the umbrella, the sun came back out! LOL
I looked at sandals along this long hallway between stores that has a ton of inexpensive shoes. I found a cute pair of lavender sandals to wear with some of my skirts to church. Only $5.
I then walked to a couple of fabric stores to get material to make more Bible bags. I found a couple of different prints that would work okay. At one store, the clerk became talkative when I told him I was learning Spanish. I always feel that I have to explain that I am learning, even though it is evident that I’m not fluent. But I think that it breaks the ice more if I admit to them that I know that I’m not very good yet. It seems to make a difference in the way they treat me. They are more friendly. Anyway, this guy spoke a little English and said that he likes to speak English because it sounds nice. He did pretty well.
I stopped in a couple of other stores to price some clear vinyl. I have a project I want to try that requires it. Maybe I’ll get to play with it this week.
I stopped in a little libreria to get some more receipt books for Mike. It’s a store that German took Mary and I to and it’s very nice with lots of notebooks, pens, etc.
Then I stopped at a store that has household goods. I got a bag with handles to carry all the little plastic bags I was trying to carry. I also picked up a little cutting board for the kitchen corner of my room.
I still had some time to kill before picking up the pictures, so I stopped at Eskimo and had a double cone (café and chocolate). Yum!
When I got to the Kodak store, the clerk (who was practicing his English on me today) was just trimming my photos. They turned out good and we not very expensive.
I grabbed a taxi back to the school for the English class and arrived right on time. Jonathan was already there and we started talking about the verses in the Bible that Mike had him look up. I have loaned my bilingual NIV/NVI Bible to him and Salvador. When I asked Jonathan if he had read much of the Bible since I loaned it to them on Monday night, he showed me how he had started a chart of geneology in Genesis and mentioned how old people lived until the flood happened. He amazes me at the hunger he has for learning. I told him to keep the Bible for a while and keep reading it. I may go ahead and give it to them. I have another bilingual Bible here, but it’s RVR/NIV. But I think I can do okay with it and bring down another NIV/NVI one on my next trip. Anyway, it was great to see him diving into it.
English class was so great this afternoon! Juan had asked me to have some kind of story ready for the guys to translate. He wanted them to listen to full sentences and paragraphs and get used to having to store it in their memory before speaking. I had a copy of Creation to Christ Story, which Lori McDaniel had sent me to learn to help me teach oral learners about the Bible. I had not went over it much yet, due to all the other studying that I have been doing. I thought this might be a good example for the guys to translate. It was great! There are 8 parts to this story and each guy took turns listening to me say one sentence at a time in English and translating it in Spanish. Juan was there to help and correct. We all learned new words and phrases in each other’s language. We went through the entire thing twice. Once I read it and they translated it. Then they wanted to read it aloud themselves. So they took turns reading it and did an awesome job. I am soooo proud of both of them. The pages are the story, plus some questions to ask the listener and scripture references for the story teller. I gave the copy to the guys to keep. They will read it many times over. I hope to get the chance to ask them the ‘key question’ about it soon. God is working on their hearts to accept Christ. They have a lot of baggage from being cultural Catholics, but are becoming aware of the Gospel. I’ll just keep tending those seeds as we go along.
Juan had some verbs (70) for me to memorize the definitions and congugations in different tenses, but he had forgot to make the copies of the pages. Jonathan and Salvador walked me to a cyber store (internet place) to get some copies made. Then they walked me to the corner to hail a taxi. Traffic was kind of weird because a large group of people on motorcycles, pedicabs, trucks, etc were gathered on the main road and police were blocking it off for them. It was kind of a political parade. They had red flags. Other people that they passed were showing their red and black flags, so I guess the plain red flags represent a opposition party. There is another large party that has blue and white flags. I can’t keep up with it all. There will be elections in a few weeks, so this will probably happen a lot. Anyway, we had to wait a while for a taxi to come along. Jonathan took Juan’s book back to him. Salvador waited with me until I got in the taxi. They have a final test on Saturday for the ‘level’ they are studying in English. I told them I would pray for them as they study and take the test.
The taxi driver was nice and when he pulled into the Texaco station for gas he told me ‘sorry’. But I told him that I wasn’t in any hurry. He also picked up another fare on the way to take me home. It’s funny how they do that.
I couldn’t get my phone call to go through to Alberto to open the little gate, so I had to knock loud. He had called me at the beginning of my English class to check on me since I had not come home this afternoon. He takes good care of me, but sometimes I feel like I have a husband when he asks when I’m coming home. LOL
I got in and fixed a baked potato with half a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup on it. It was kind of like mushroom gravy that way. I called Manuel to tell him that I missed seeing him today. We made plans to play tomorrow. I don’t have morning class, so I’ll have time to pretend with him. He wants to pretend to be husband and wife. He’s so funny. Sherry is going to cut my hair tomorrow. This is the longest time I have went between haircuts in a long while. Leslie thinks I should let it grow out. 99% of women here have long hair and wear it in pony tails or buns. But I like my short for when I sweat, wear caps or get rained on.
I felt like some visual stimulation this evening, so I watched a Disney movie ‘Tangled’ on my computer. I’m glad that Manuel brought some movies down. ☺ I will watch it again in Spanish one of these days.
Now it’s past my bedtime and I’m going to go to bed a very relaxed and contented lady. This has been a whirlwind week and I’m ready to get some different things taken care of tomorrow, go to Rose of Sharon CC Women’s Bible study and do a little sewing.
God has been so gracious to me this week. I’m so thankful for all the blessings. I really feel like this is ‘home’ and I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for everything. And I know that I am blessed.
This morning I went ahead and took a taxi to Spanish class because I hurt my little toe and wearing walking shoes didn’t feel good. So I wore flip flops (or as Mary and I call them ‘flops’) and wasn’t planning on doing much walking. I got to the corner by the school early and exchanged some US money for Córdovas. Then I arrived to the classroom about 20 minutes early. It was a great time to review yesterday’s lesson before Juan arrived.
We had a great time together. Juan is an exceptional teacher. He and my friend Oliver in Rogers are 2 of the best teachers that I have ever had. God has really gifted them teaching ability. And I’m thankful to get the benefit of their skills.
One of the things that Juan had me to today was to tell him in English what the process of traveling by plane is. He has never flown and wanted to know all the details. It also gave me a very exercise in using words that I wasn’t aware that I knew in Spanish! We talked about checking in, security, waiting, boarding, what the space inside the plane is like, instructions from the flight attendants, announcements from the pilots, food, bathrooms, preference regarding aisle seats vs window seats, customs and immigration, etc. At one point he asked about the safety announcements by the flight attendants. I gave him pretty much a word-for-word example of the announcements, including location of emergency exits, oxygen masks and seat cushions that are used as flotation devices. I told him the seat cushion thing is not all that comforting to me, since I think if you end up in the ocean, you probably hit hard enough to be dead. But anyway… He asked ‘when do they tell you about how to use the parachutes?’ I said ‘there are no parachutes’. He said what if something happens to the plane while it’s flying?’ I gave him a wave and said ‘so long’. We both started laughing and couldn’t quit until we had tears in our eyes. We discussed this later in the English class with the guys and decided that 1. The air would not be breathable to jump out, 2. Everyone would get tangled up with each others parachutes, and 3. Probably that last thing that the flight attendants would say is ‘buenas suerte’ which means ‘good luck’. I’m sure we will laugh about parachutes for a long time to come.
At the end of the Spanish class, we talked about Simple Present Tense verbs and it was so much easier than the other 6 tenses we have studied this week, that I was happy and excited to leave the week on that note. Juan likes it when I get excited about what I am learning. I think he appreciates seeing his students understanding and being enthusiastic. I’m loving it!!!
After Spanish class, I walked downtown to Central Park. I stopped in at a shop at Plaza del Carmen and bought a couple pairs of sandals. I had a nice chat with the owner of the shop. She is always so nice to me.
Then I walked to Al Carbón restaurant and treated myself to churrasco (steak) for lunch. It was very good. The waiter was very nice and wanted to practice his English. I was sitting near the open courtyard and enjoyed the breeze. I made my to-do list for the day, weekend, and next week. Very enjoyable downtime for me. The waiter was explaining their lovely desserts, but I was too full to have any. Maybe one day I will stop in there just for the dessert. That will be fun.
It started raining as I was leaving the restaurant. I walked in the rain for a while. I stopped at a music store to see if I could find some drumsticks with the cushiony ends so that when Manuel plays the drums it won’t be so loud. They didn’t have any. They wondered why I wanted them and in my limited Spanish, I explained they were for a little boy. They smiled knowingly.
Then I walked to a Kodak store to get some pictures printed. These pictures were from last Sunday when Mike preached at Rose of Sharon CC church for a special service for their leadership. I took a picture of the group up front being prayed over by Mike and also of the whole group standing together after the service. The shop was out of 8x10 photo paper, so I had some 4x6 copies made for now. I will give these to Pastor Marvin tomorrow when we go to the Women’s Bible Study. Anyway, I had to leave the images from my camera card and go back and pick up the pictures in a couple of hours.
In the meantime, I walked to the sewing/crafts store next to La Unión grocery store. I got drenched. Jason, the guy who helps us find parking spaces when we go to the grocery store (we can find our own spaces, but he likes to get tips), was standing at the steps by the sidewalk. He took my elbow and helped me up the steps in the pouring rain. It was nice to see him and get a little help. I looked like a drowned rat. Good thing I like to keep my hair short so it will dry quickly. Anyway, the store was great. They have a little bit of everything there. A very nice clerk helped me find some thread, a bobbin, seam rippers, pin cushion and elastic. I told her I was glad that their store was there and I would be shopping often.
Next I went to another store nearby and the clerks asked if they could help me. I told them in Spanish that I was just looking around. I told them I was also learning and practicing my Spanish. One clerk noticed how wet I was and asked if I wanted to buy an umbrella. I was glad to! They asked where I’m from and I thanked them for helping to practice my vocabulary. Of course, as soon as I bought the umbrella, the sun came back out! LOL
I looked at sandals along this long hallway between stores that has a ton of inexpensive shoes. I found a cute pair of lavender sandals to wear with some of my skirts to church. Only $5.
I then walked to a couple of fabric stores to get material to make more Bible bags. I found a couple of different prints that would work okay. At one store, the clerk became talkative when I told him I was learning Spanish. I always feel that I have to explain that I am learning, even though it is evident that I’m not fluent. But I think that it breaks the ice more if I admit to them that I know that I’m not very good yet. It seems to make a difference in the way they treat me. They are more friendly. Anyway, this guy spoke a little English and said that he likes to speak English because it sounds nice. He did pretty well.
I stopped in a couple of other stores to price some clear vinyl. I have a project I want to try that requires it. Maybe I’ll get to play with it this week.
I stopped in a little libreria to get some more receipt books for Mike. It’s a store that German took Mary and I to and it’s very nice with lots of notebooks, pens, etc.
Then I stopped at a store that has household goods. I got a bag with handles to carry all the little plastic bags I was trying to carry. I also picked up a little cutting board for the kitchen corner of my room.
I still had some time to kill before picking up the pictures, so I stopped at Eskimo and had a double cone (café and chocolate). Yum!
When I got to the Kodak store, the clerk (who was practicing his English on me today) was just trimming my photos. They turned out good and we not very expensive.
I grabbed a taxi back to the school for the English class and arrived right on time. Jonathan was already there and we started talking about the verses in the Bible that Mike had him look up. I have loaned my bilingual NIV/NVI Bible to him and Salvador. When I asked Jonathan if he had read much of the Bible since I loaned it to them on Monday night, he showed me how he had started a chart of geneology in Genesis and mentioned how old people lived until the flood happened. He amazes me at the hunger he has for learning. I told him to keep the Bible for a while and keep reading it. I may go ahead and give it to them. I have another bilingual Bible here, but it’s RVR/NIV. But I think I can do okay with it and bring down another NIV/NVI one on my next trip. Anyway, it was great to see him diving into it.
English class was so great this afternoon! Juan had asked me to have some kind of story ready for the guys to translate. He wanted them to listen to full sentences and paragraphs and get used to having to store it in their memory before speaking. I had a copy of Creation to Christ Story, which Lori McDaniel had sent me to learn to help me teach oral learners about the Bible. I had not went over it much yet, due to all the other studying that I have been doing. I thought this might be a good example for the guys to translate. It was great! There are 8 parts to this story and each guy took turns listening to me say one sentence at a time in English and translating it in Spanish. Juan was there to help and correct. We all learned new words and phrases in each other’s language. We went through the entire thing twice. Once I read it and they translated it. Then they wanted to read it aloud themselves. So they took turns reading it and did an awesome job. I am soooo proud of both of them. The pages are the story, plus some questions to ask the listener and scripture references for the story teller. I gave the copy to the guys to keep. They will read it many times over. I hope to get the chance to ask them the ‘key question’ about it soon. God is working on their hearts to accept Christ. They have a lot of baggage from being cultural Catholics, but are becoming aware of the Gospel. I’ll just keep tending those seeds as we go along.
Juan had some verbs (70) for me to memorize the definitions and congugations in different tenses, but he had forgot to make the copies of the pages. Jonathan and Salvador walked me to a cyber store (internet place) to get some copies made. Then they walked me to the corner to hail a taxi. Traffic was kind of weird because a large group of people on motorcycles, pedicabs, trucks, etc were gathered on the main road and police were blocking it off for them. It was kind of a political parade. They had red flags. Other people that they passed were showing their red and black flags, so I guess the plain red flags represent a opposition party. There is another large party that has blue and white flags. I can’t keep up with it all. There will be elections in a few weeks, so this will probably happen a lot. Anyway, we had to wait a while for a taxi to come along. Jonathan took Juan’s book back to him. Salvador waited with me until I got in the taxi. They have a final test on Saturday for the ‘level’ they are studying in English. I told them I would pray for them as they study and take the test.
The taxi driver was nice and when he pulled into the Texaco station for gas he told me ‘sorry’. But I told him that I wasn’t in any hurry. He also picked up another fare on the way to take me home. It’s funny how they do that.
I couldn’t get my phone call to go through to Alberto to open the little gate, so I had to knock loud. He had called me at the beginning of my English class to check on me since I had not come home this afternoon. He takes good care of me, but sometimes I feel like I have a husband when he asks when I’m coming home. LOL
I got in and fixed a baked potato with half a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup on it. It was kind of like mushroom gravy that way. I called Manuel to tell him that I missed seeing him today. We made plans to play tomorrow. I don’t have morning class, so I’ll have time to pretend with him. He wants to pretend to be husband and wife. He’s so funny. Sherry is going to cut my hair tomorrow. This is the longest time I have went between haircuts in a long while. Leslie thinks I should let it grow out. 99% of women here have long hair and wear it in pony tails or buns. But I like my short for when I sweat, wear caps or get rained on.
I felt like some visual stimulation this evening, so I watched a Disney movie ‘Tangled’ on my computer. I’m glad that Manuel brought some movies down. ☺ I will watch it again in Spanish one of these days.
Now it’s past my bedtime and I’m going to go to bed a very relaxed and contented lady. This has been a whirlwind week and I’m ready to get some different things taken care of tomorrow, go to Rose of Sharon CC Women’s Bible study and do a little sewing.
God has been so gracious to me this week. I’m so thankful for all the blessings. I really feel like this is ‘home’ and I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful for everything. And I know that I am blessed.
Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 NICARAGUA
Sooooo, so tired tonight. But it’s been a good day.
I got up early and was trying to review my Spanish homework before getting ready for the day. I kept getting phone calls from Mike, but the reception in my room was not good and the calls kept dropping. I went outside by the little gate and talked to him. Then I went back to my room to try and hurry and finish my homework, and then another call would come. Crazy! Then I gave up and took my shower and right when I got out the phone rang again, but I couldn’t go to the gate in my birthday suit, so I had to hurry and get dressed and call Mike back. Phone service can be very frustrating down here. Then Sherry called, but evidently had not talked to Mike and we had the same conversation with the dropped calls and everything. LOL Anyway, I got dressed and gave El Gato (our electrician) Mike’s message and then finished my homework really quickly.
Mike and Manuel got here before I left for Spanish class and Manuel was disappointed that I couldn’t take time to play with him this morning. I hated to let him down, but I had to get to class. (we did get to play later in the day)
I took off walking to class and it was a gorgeous morning. Sunny and not too hot yet. I had on my sunscreen and hat and was ready for the trip. I stopped at the little store with sewing notions for some oil for the sewing machine. I was glad that they have it. Then I stopped at the friendly little Libreria to buy a receipt book, another notebook for myself and a few goodies for my kid friends. It was fun shopping this morning. I made it to class a few minutes late, but Juan was even later, so it was fine. I was reviewing what we have studied so far this week and was glad to have a few minutes to cool down and rest after my walk.
We had a very good class today. I feel like I have been going for over a week and it’s just been 3 days. We are covering a lot of ground since I already knew some stuff. He said that the stuff we were studying today was what he teaches his classes in the second month. No wonder my brain feels like it is going to explode!! But I want to keep going as fast as possible because I want it all to sink in and keep it fresh.
After class, I walked back to the Mission House and just before I got there, German’s family pulled over to give me a ride. It was fun to see them.
The Hulsey’s and Leslie had went to La Unión for some groceries and came back to make hamburgers for lunch. I joined them and it was good. I jumped on the sewing machine for finish the last 7 bags for today’s Women’s Bible study at Las Quimeras church. I was on a tight time line. After lunch I spent 5 minutes playing with Manuel and then told him that I had to work some more. Leslie came and sat in my room to chat and type on the computer while I was sewing. It was nice to have her visiting. I rushed to finish the bags, change and get packed for the study.
Oscar met us here and we all traveled to the Bible study together. We had to stop at a store on the way to pick up a cable that Oscar needed for his video camera so he could use the microphone when he was taping the Bible study. We go to the church a little late, but we made it!
What a great time we had at the study! We gave them their Bible bags and let them use colored sharpies to decorate the front pockets to personalize them. We ended up with more women than we anticipated, which is a good problem to have. I need to collect more money to buy more Bibles for them. And I need to make more bags! I was very encouraged by the turnout and the women seem so thankful to have us there to minister to them. Many of them give me and Leslie hugs for coming and it’s wonderful to know that the Lord is blessing this time together.
Darling is especially precious to me. She has the most beautiful eyes. I could never remember her name from each time that we went out there, even though it is a special name. She is tickled that I remember it now. She had 3 in-laws at the study as well as her 2 teen aged daughters. There were 3 teen sisters there that gave me a note after the class. Another lady was so happy to have us there that she kept smiling and smiling. These ladies are so hungry for the Word and for someone to minister to their spiritual walk. I love being there. Pastor Sergio said that he would try to get together some refreshments for the ladies for next week. We told them that the Bibles and bags and notebooks were gifts from our ministry and that their gift to us would be their presence each week. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with this group of ladies!
After the study, we jumped in the van and headed back to León. We had a few errands to do on the way home to the Mission House. We were having a surprise birthday party for German’s wife, Johanna. Sherry was fixing a very delicious dinner. We stopped at Mike and Sherry’s house to pick up a few things, including Buster the dog. Then we had to stop at the flower shop so German could buy Johanna a bouquet of flowers. He picked red roses (good job German!) When we stopped to let German off to get his motorcycle, Leslie and Oscar jumped out and bought some fruit at a little stand on the corner. They felt bad not to have a gift for Johanna. Of course, Oscar had to ‘taste test’ the fruit to make sure it was good. We finally got back to the Mission House and Johanna’s parents were here. Her brother and sister-in-law came, too. German called Johanna to come over for some reason and when she got here she was very surprised. She said that she had not had a birthday party before and she felt very special. Leslie’s husband, Jorge, joined us, too. We had grilled chicken skewers with peppers, onions and pineapple, baked beans and homemade potato salad. Sherry had made a cake with Johanna’s favorite icing and also bananas Foster. So yummy!
Everyone had a good time. We all ate way too much food. Johanna was happy and it was a very nice evening.
Leslie will be working with us fulltime now. I’m so excited and she and Jorge are, too. She will be helping Sherry with translating with the workers and running errands and such. She’ll be available for translating for Mary and me on errands and shopping and stuff. She will translate for me at the 2 Bible studies I teach each week. And she will have a lot of responsibilities concerning the Fiestas when we have teams. It’s exciting to have her on board.
I’m so tired I need to get off of here for now. It’s been a fun day and I feel like I’ve run a marathon all day long. Now I am relaxed and feel like a wet noodle. My brain is so full it’s spilling out my ears and my heart is so happy it can only sing praises to my God and King! What a great life that God has given me. I’m very blessed.
I got up early and was trying to review my Spanish homework before getting ready for the day. I kept getting phone calls from Mike, but the reception in my room was not good and the calls kept dropping. I went outside by the little gate and talked to him. Then I went back to my room to try and hurry and finish my homework, and then another call would come. Crazy! Then I gave up and took my shower and right when I got out the phone rang again, but I couldn’t go to the gate in my birthday suit, so I had to hurry and get dressed and call Mike back. Phone service can be very frustrating down here. Then Sherry called, but evidently had not talked to Mike and we had the same conversation with the dropped calls and everything. LOL Anyway, I got dressed and gave El Gato (our electrician) Mike’s message and then finished my homework really quickly.
Mike and Manuel got here before I left for Spanish class and Manuel was disappointed that I couldn’t take time to play with him this morning. I hated to let him down, but I had to get to class. (we did get to play later in the day)
I took off walking to class and it was a gorgeous morning. Sunny and not too hot yet. I had on my sunscreen and hat and was ready for the trip. I stopped at the little store with sewing notions for some oil for the sewing machine. I was glad that they have it. Then I stopped at the friendly little Libreria to buy a receipt book, another notebook for myself and a few goodies for my kid friends. It was fun shopping this morning. I made it to class a few minutes late, but Juan was even later, so it was fine. I was reviewing what we have studied so far this week and was glad to have a few minutes to cool down and rest after my walk.
We had a very good class today. I feel like I have been going for over a week and it’s just been 3 days. We are covering a lot of ground since I already knew some stuff. He said that the stuff we were studying today was what he teaches his classes in the second month. No wonder my brain feels like it is going to explode!! But I want to keep going as fast as possible because I want it all to sink in and keep it fresh.
After class, I walked back to the Mission House and just before I got there, German’s family pulled over to give me a ride. It was fun to see them.
The Hulsey’s and Leslie had went to La Unión for some groceries and came back to make hamburgers for lunch. I joined them and it was good. I jumped on the sewing machine for finish the last 7 bags for today’s Women’s Bible study at Las Quimeras church. I was on a tight time line. After lunch I spent 5 minutes playing with Manuel and then told him that I had to work some more. Leslie came and sat in my room to chat and type on the computer while I was sewing. It was nice to have her visiting. I rushed to finish the bags, change and get packed for the study.
Oscar met us here and we all traveled to the Bible study together. We had to stop at a store on the way to pick up a cable that Oscar needed for his video camera so he could use the microphone when he was taping the Bible study. We go to the church a little late, but we made it!
What a great time we had at the study! We gave them their Bible bags and let them use colored sharpies to decorate the front pockets to personalize them. We ended up with more women than we anticipated, which is a good problem to have. I need to collect more money to buy more Bibles for them. And I need to make more bags! I was very encouraged by the turnout and the women seem so thankful to have us there to minister to them. Many of them give me and Leslie hugs for coming and it’s wonderful to know that the Lord is blessing this time together.
Darling is especially precious to me. She has the most beautiful eyes. I could never remember her name from each time that we went out there, even though it is a special name. She is tickled that I remember it now. She had 3 in-laws at the study as well as her 2 teen aged daughters. There were 3 teen sisters there that gave me a note after the class. Another lady was so happy to have us there that she kept smiling and smiling. These ladies are so hungry for the Word and for someone to minister to their spiritual walk. I love being there. Pastor Sergio said that he would try to get together some refreshments for the ladies for next week. We told them that the Bibles and bags and notebooks were gifts from our ministry and that their gift to us would be their presence each week. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with this group of ladies!
After the study, we jumped in the van and headed back to León. We had a few errands to do on the way home to the Mission House. We were having a surprise birthday party for German’s wife, Johanna. Sherry was fixing a very delicious dinner. We stopped at Mike and Sherry’s house to pick up a few things, including Buster the dog. Then we had to stop at the flower shop so German could buy Johanna a bouquet of flowers. He picked red roses (good job German!) When we stopped to let German off to get his motorcycle, Leslie and Oscar jumped out and bought some fruit at a little stand on the corner. They felt bad not to have a gift for Johanna. Of course, Oscar had to ‘taste test’ the fruit to make sure it was good. We finally got back to the Mission House and Johanna’s parents were here. Her brother and sister-in-law came, too. German called Johanna to come over for some reason and when she got here she was very surprised. She said that she had not had a birthday party before and she felt very special. Leslie’s husband, Jorge, joined us, too. We had grilled chicken skewers with peppers, onions and pineapple, baked beans and homemade potato salad. Sherry had made a cake with Johanna’s favorite icing and also bananas Foster. So yummy!
Everyone had a good time. We all ate way too much food. Johanna was happy and it was a very nice evening.
Leslie will be working with us fulltime now. I’m so excited and she and Jorge are, too. She will be helping Sherry with translating with the workers and running errands and such. She’ll be available for translating for Mary and me on errands and shopping and stuff. She will translate for me at the 2 Bible studies I teach each week. And she will have a lot of responsibilities concerning the Fiestas when we have teams. It’s exciting to have her on board.
I’m so tired I need to get off of here for now. It’s been a fun day and I feel like I’ve run a marathon all day long. Now I am relaxed and feel like a wet noodle. My brain is so full it’s spilling out my ears and my heart is so happy it can only sing praises to my God and King! What a great life that God has given me. I’m very blessed.
Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011 NICARAGUA
Another crazy busy day. The sun was shining all day long. Oh, how welcome that is!
I got up and headed out walking to Spanish class. Since the sun was so strong at 9:30, I put on plenty of sunscreen and a baseball cap. I love the walk there. I think it’s about a mile. Just right in the heat. I popped in to a little store just for computer ink cartridges on my way to price check. I beat Juan to class today and reviewed a little until he got there.
Our class was fast and furious. We are zipping through things as fast as possible so that these next 2 months will equal twice that long in a normal class. We get to review what I already know, add to it and learn all kinds of new stuff. We have a lot of fun. It is amazing how quickly the 2 hours goes by! I opted to walk back to the Mission House, even though it was noon. I thought I would save the taxi fare and get more exercise. I also wanted to see if that little store with sewing supplies was open. Turns out that it was closed for lunch (long lunch times here), but another store caught my interest. It had used clothing. (keep in mind these stores are actually the front of people’s homes.) Right behind the counter was their living room with the usual wood/cane rockers and a tv. I found 4 pairs of capris, 3 shirts and 3 skirts. So much for saving the taxi money! Ha The lady had yelled to the back of the house to bring a bolsita (small bag). Then after I made my final selections, she called for a bolsa grande (big bag). My Spanish is improving! Shopping is educational!
I got back to the Mission House about 1pm. Sherry and Manuel were in the pool and Mike was on the computer under the rancho. Alberto and Saturnino were fixing lunch (heating up pinto gallo, which is rice and beans). Manuel sat down on the step beside them and said he was hungry. They fixed him some, too. They really like him. I had some cold pasta left from last night and enjoyed it very much. Sherry just shakes her head about me eating cold food.
I visited with Sherry while she laid in the pool on a raft. I sat under the rancho with my legs sticking out in the sun. Since I wear my tennis shoes to walk to school, I need to let my feet get a little sun. Then I played with Manuel for 5 minutes. Then I gathered the 15 tote bags that I’m making for the ladies at Las Quimeras Bible study and sat under the rancho and pinned the last part of the projects together while chatting some more with Sherry. German arrived and took Manuel and Mike to get a big jug of water for the dispenser and to get sodas for Sherry and Manuel.
Manuel had told Mike and Sherry that he needed them to go on a date tonight so that I could come over and play. They told him that if he was very good that they would ask me. I said yes, so plans were made for German to pick me up on their way to someone’s house tonight and drop me off at the Hulsey’s. By the time German actually got here it was about 7pm and I was starving and Manuel was trying to wait patiently for me.
While I was waiting for German, Oscar came by to look at my video camera and tell me how it works and such. And to talk about the things that we want for him to video for VOH. We chatted a little while and then he left for church. It’s always nice to spend time with him. He has such a sweet spirit about him. He said that Axel was feeling better now and that he gets to go by and take Axel to school every morning now.
Manuel and I had some good food for dinner and then we played different pretend games for a while. Then he got tired and took his shower. He and Buster the dog laid down and I took turns with Manuel reading out of his story book. He was so very tired. He kept apologizing for being tired. Bless his heart. Buster went right to sleep. I remembered to tell Sherry that Buster was in the bed so that she could take him outside for a potty break. Manuel and I took turns praying. He let me go first just like a little gentleman.
After he went to bed, I got my computer out and could get on their neighbor’s wireless internet. That must cost a bundle. God bless that neighbor! I was able to download 4 days worth of blogs, notes and questions for this week’s Chronological Bible study, paypal some money for myself to spend down here and check facebook. It was kind of nice to have fast internet. It wasn’t long before Mike and Sherry got back and Mike brought me home.
I only had about an hour before I need to be in bed to get my rest. I had the option of reviewing notes for tomorrow’s Women’s Bible study at Las Quimeras, finishing sewing the bags, doing Spanish homework or writing my blog post. I opted for the blog post, since I probably wouldn’t write much about today if I wait until tomorrow night. Also, my brain is tired. I’ll review Bible study notes during my quiet time in the morning and review Spanish stuff right before class. Sewing will have to wait until tomorrow after class. But I should be ready for it all. With God’s help anyway. After Bible study tomorrow afternoon, we’ll head back here for a surprise birthday dinner for German’s wife Joanna. Sherry is cooking and it will be yummy! (Joanna’s birthday was last Sunday, and German had mentioned it to Mike, but being men, they didn’t think it important to tell me and Sherry. We just found out today, therefore, the party tomorrow. Men. Huh.)
This week is crazy busy and things will slow down just a little bit next week. But I love everything that I get to do. I just have to manage my time well. And get plenty of rest. Mary gets here next week, so it will be different than this past month. It will be fun.
Time for bed. Another blessed day in Nica. I’m thankful.
I got up and headed out walking to Spanish class. Since the sun was so strong at 9:30, I put on plenty of sunscreen and a baseball cap. I love the walk there. I think it’s about a mile. Just right in the heat. I popped in to a little store just for computer ink cartridges on my way to price check. I beat Juan to class today and reviewed a little until he got there.
Our class was fast and furious. We are zipping through things as fast as possible so that these next 2 months will equal twice that long in a normal class. We get to review what I already know, add to it and learn all kinds of new stuff. We have a lot of fun. It is amazing how quickly the 2 hours goes by! I opted to walk back to the Mission House, even though it was noon. I thought I would save the taxi fare and get more exercise. I also wanted to see if that little store with sewing supplies was open. Turns out that it was closed for lunch (long lunch times here), but another store caught my interest. It had used clothing. (keep in mind these stores are actually the front of people’s homes.) Right behind the counter was their living room with the usual wood/cane rockers and a tv. I found 4 pairs of capris, 3 shirts and 3 skirts. So much for saving the taxi money! Ha The lady had yelled to the back of the house to bring a bolsita (small bag). Then after I made my final selections, she called for a bolsa grande (big bag). My Spanish is improving! Shopping is educational!
I got back to the Mission House about 1pm. Sherry and Manuel were in the pool and Mike was on the computer under the rancho. Alberto and Saturnino were fixing lunch (heating up pinto gallo, which is rice and beans). Manuel sat down on the step beside them and said he was hungry. They fixed him some, too. They really like him. I had some cold pasta left from last night and enjoyed it very much. Sherry just shakes her head about me eating cold food.
I visited with Sherry while she laid in the pool on a raft. I sat under the rancho with my legs sticking out in the sun. Since I wear my tennis shoes to walk to school, I need to let my feet get a little sun. Then I played with Manuel for 5 minutes. Then I gathered the 15 tote bags that I’m making for the ladies at Las Quimeras Bible study and sat under the rancho and pinned the last part of the projects together while chatting some more with Sherry. German arrived and took Manuel and Mike to get a big jug of water for the dispenser and to get sodas for Sherry and Manuel.
Manuel had told Mike and Sherry that he needed them to go on a date tonight so that I could come over and play. They told him that if he was very good that they would ask me. I said yes, so plans were made for German to pick me up on their way to someone’s house tonight and drop me off at the Hulsey’s. By the time German actually got here it was about 7pm and I was starving and Manuel was trying to wait patiently for me.
While I was waiting for German, Oscar came by to look at my video camera and tell me how it works and such. And to talk about the things that we want for him to video for VOH. We chatted a little while and then he left for church. It’s always nice to spend time with him. He has such a sweet spirit about him. He said that Axel was feeling better now and that he gets to go by and take Axel to school every morning now.
Manuel and I had some good food for dinner and then we played different pretend games for a while. Then he got tired and took his shower. He and Buster the dog laid down and I took turns with Manuel reading out of his story book. He was so very tired. He kept apologizing for being tired. Bless his heart. Buster went right to sleep. I remembered to tell Sherry that Buster was in the bed so that she could take him outside for a potty break. Manuel and I took turns praying. He let me go first just like a little gentleman.
After he went to bed, I got my computer out and could get on their neighbor’s wireless internet. That must cost a bundle. God bless that neighbor! I was able to download 4 days worth of blogs, notes and questions for this week’s Chronological Bible study, paypal some money for myself to spend down here and check facebook. It was kind of nice to have fast internet. It wasn’t long before Mike and Sherry got back and Mike brought me home.
I only had about an hour before I need to be in bed to get my rest. I had the option of reviewing notes for tomorrow’s Women’s Bible study at Las Quimeras, finishing sewing the bags, doing Spanish homework or writing my blog post. I opted for the blog post, since I probably wouldn’t write much about today if I wait until tomorrow night. Also, my brain is tired. I’ll review Bible study notes during my quiet time in the morning and review Spanish stuff right before class. Sewing will have to wait until tomorrow after class. But I should be ready for it all. With God’s help anyway. After Bible study tomorrow afternoon, we’ll head back here for a surprise birthday dinner for German’s wife Joanna. Sherry is cooking and it will be yummy! (Joanna’s birthday was last Sunday, and German had mentioned it to Mike, but being men, they didn’t think it important to tell me and Sherry. We just found out today, therefore, the party tomorrow. Men. Huh.)
This week is crazy busy and things will slow down just a little bit next week. But I love everything that I get to do. I just have to manage my time well. And get plenty of rest. Mary gets here next week, so it will be different than this past month. It will be fun.
Time for bed. Another blessed day in Nica. I’m thankful.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, Oct 24, 2011 NICARAGUA
Interesting day! Lovely sunshine all day long. No rain even in the evening! Woohoo! I got up and had cereal and got showered and dressed. Then I spent some time with the visiting mission team before they left for the airport. I will sure miss having them around. I enjoyed them very much and they were very encouraging to me. I also loved hearing about all they were doing during the week here. The church they were working with was keeping them very busy!
I worked a little bit more on the sewing project and then got ready for my Spanish class. I walked to class since it wasn’t raining and loved the walk. I popped in to one of the little stores on my way that has some miscellaneous items. They actually had elastic and thread. I grabbed some light blue thread for my project since I had used up a whole large spool so far. I got some elastic to make Coco some more skirts. Then I hotfooted it down the street and was just a few minutes late for class, which is right on time for Nica! The husband of someone I had met once was visiting with Juan and I got to meet him. Now I don’t even remember his name. But I’m always glad to meet new people.
I had a GREAT time in class. It’s only me and we are reviewing and going at my pace so that I can get on to the things I don’t know, which is a lot, but Juan was pleased with what I knew for today. I loved every minute of it and the 2 hours flew by.
Leslie met me at the school when I was done and we went to lunch and to shop for sewing supplies and fabric and also to check prices at some souvenir places. That’s my assignment for when we go to the big markets in Masaya and Managua, so that we can get good prices on things to bring back and sell to the teams. We’re not looking for a profit, but wanting good prices for them. I always enjoy shopping at a little place called Plaza del Carmen. She has nice things. She was very helpful, even though she doesn’t always give people her prices unless they are buying something, which I totally understand. I saw a few things that I’m going back for when I get money at the first of the month!
We also went to Central Park, where some vendors are. We saw the usual stuff and a few new things. We stopped at 3 fabric stores and I got a little bit of fabric for my pillowcases and Coco’s skirts. There’s another store that was trying to close for lunch, so I’ll have to go back another time. They have tons of sewing supplies and crafts supplies. I was surprised. I think I’m going to love that store! It is next to La Unión, so it won’t be hard at all to stop in there.
We had lunch at Tip Top Chicken and both decided to try the chicken lasagna. It was so-so, but Leslie didn’t like it. It tasted more like tuna casserole to me, which I like, so I ate it. At least I know that I should just go ahead and get the grilled chicken. One happy note, the bathrooms at that little plaza have been redone and are pretty nice, for Nica, anyway.
I enjoyed my time with Leslie and then I took a taxi home and she grabbed the bus to her house. The taxi driver already had a fare going my way, well, sort of, so I went along for the ride. He dropped her off and then picked up someone else going my way. It was a nice, scenic drive home and I enjoyed seeing more of the city. It’s many, many streets that all look the same. It amazes me how people know where they are going, especially with very few street signs (on the corner of buildings).
I got back to the Mission House and the Hulsey’s were still here, so Manuel and I played together for 5 minutes. Then I got busy on sewing. I did that for a couple of hours and have all 15 bags in the final stages. I think I will be able to finish them tomorrow afternoon after I get home from English class.
I decided to have pasta for dinner and asked Alberto if the kitchen was unlocked so that I could get the pasta and a pan. He insisted on lighting the propane stove for me so that I wouldn’t blow up the place. ☺ I had to stand by the stove, which is outside the kitchen on the porch, so that the little bit of wind would not blow out the fire. I enjoyed the pasta and put the leftovers in my fridge for snacking over the next couple of days.
Soon it was time to prepare for the VOH Monday night Bible study. Sherry called and asked me to set up the computer and projector to play a moving. Tangled was in English and in Spanish so we set that one up. I’m getting better about this technology stuff. Although, at one point I was perplexed why the picture quit showing on the screen (mattress against the wall with a white sheet on it). I was trying all kinds of settings changes on the computer. Then I realized that the connection just wasn’t in tight enough. LOL. Anyway, we got it going and popped some corn. Coco and her son Nestor were enjoying the movie and Alberto came in to watch, too, since it was in Spanish. Manuel wasn’t too excited about it, though.
After everything was done tonight, Manuel had me tell Coco and Nestor that we were going to play for 5 minutes and that I was Manuel’s wife, Coco was his daughter and Nestor was his son. We pretended to go to church and hear him preach. I translated and we all had a great time. Alberto came to hear us, too. We were all clapping. I just love the simplicity of being here.
My two friends from English class, Jonathan and Salvador, came tonight. They arrived late because they were lost. I’m glad that they didn’t give up. German and Joanna couldn’t come, because German had to go to Managua today. Oscar didn’t make it and others had prior commitments. So it was a perfect night for Mike to get to talk with Jonathan and Salvador and me. They guys did really well understanding what Mike was sharing. I think they enjoyed being here. We told them they are welcome every Monday. I told them to just stop in anytime they want to visit. Mike also told them that as they get better with their English, to keep in mind that we are always needing translators for teams. Mike was very impressed with their Engish speaking ability after only 7 weeks of studying with Juan. He is a very good teacher. I hope he does wonders for me in Spanish!!!
Speaking of Spanish, I need to get off of here and do my homework and practice time. I have class again tomorrow morning. ¡Buenas Noches!
I worked a little bit more on the sewing project and then got ready for my Spanish class. I walked to class since it wasn’t raining and loved the walk. I popped in to one of the little stores on my way that has some miscellaneous items. They actually had elastic and thread. I grabbed some light blue thread for my project since I had used up a whole large spool so far. I got some elastic to make Coco some more skirts. Then I hotfooted it down the street and was just a few minutes late for class, which is right on time for Nica! The husband of someone I had met once was visiting with Juan and I got to meet him. Now I don’t even remember his name. But I’m always glad to meet new people.
I had a GREAT time in class. It’s only me and we are reviewing and going at my pace so that I can get on to the things I don’t know, which is a lot, but Juan was pleased with what I knew for today. I loved every minute of it and the 2 hours flew by.
Leslie met me at the school when I was done and we went to lunch and to shop for sewing supplies and fabric and also to check prices at some souvenir places. That’s my assignment for when we go to the big markets in Masaya and Managua, so that we can get good prices on things to bring back and sell to the teams. We’re not looking for a profit, but wanting good prices for them. I always enjoy shopping at a little place called Plaza del Carmen. She has nice things. She was very helpful, even though she doesn’t always give people her prices unless they are buying something, which I totally understand. I saw a few things that I’m going back for when I get money at the first of the month!
We also went to Central Park, where some vendors are. We saw the usual stuff and a few new things. We stopped at 3 fabric stores and I got a little bit of fabric for my pillowcases and Coco’s skirts. There’s another store that was trying to close for lunch, so I’ll have to go back another time. They have tons of sewing supplies and crafts supplies. I was surprised. I think I’m going to love that store! It is next to La Unión, so it won’t be hard at all to stop in there.
We had lunch at Tip Top Chicken and both decided to try the chicken lasagna. It was so-so, but Leslie didn’t like it. It tasted more like tuna casserole to me, which I like, so I ate it. At least I know that I should just go ahead and get the grilled chicken. One happy note, the bathrooms at that little plaza have been redone and are pretty nice, for Nica, anyway.
I enjoyed my time with Leslie and then I took a taxi home and she grabbed the bus to her house. The taxi driver already had a fare going my way, well, sort of, so I went along for the ride. He dropped her off and then picked up someone else going my way. It was a nice, scenic drive home and I enjoyed seeing more of the city. It’s many, many streets that all look the same. It amazes me how people know where they are going, especially with very few street signs (on the corner of buildings).
I got back to the Mission House and the Hulsey’s were still here, so Manuel and I played together for 5 minutes. Then I got busy on sewing. I did that for a couple of hours and have all 15 bags in the final stages. I think I will be able to finish them tomorrow afternoon after I get home from English class.
I decided to have pasta for dinner and asked Alberto if the kitchen was unlocked so that I could get the pasta and a pan. He insisted on lighting the propane stove for me so that I wouldn’t blow up the place. ☺ I had to stand by the stove, which is outside the kitchen on the porch, so that the little bit of wind would not blow out the fire. I enjoyed the pasta and put the leftovers in my fridge for snacking over the next couple of days.
Soon it was time to prepare for the VOH Monday night Bible study. Sherry called and asked me to set up the computer and projector to play a moving. Tangled was in English and in Spanish so we set that one up. I’m getting better about this technology stuff. Although, at one point I was perplexed why the picture quit showing on the screen (mattress against the wall with a white sheet on it). I was trying all kinds of settings changes on the computer. Then I realized that the connection just wasn’t in tight enough. LOL. Anyway, we got it going and popped some corn. Coco and her son Nestor were enjoying the movie and Alberto came in to watch, too, since it was in Spanish. Manuel wasn’t too excited about it, though.
After everything was done tonight, Manuel had me tell Coco and Nestor that we were going to play for 5 minutes and that I was Manuel’s wife, Coco was his daughter and Nestor was his son. We pretended to go to church and hear him preach. I translated and we all had a great time. Alberto came to hear us, too. We were all clapping. I just love the simplicity of being here.
My two friends from English class, Jonathan and Salvador, came tonight. They arrived late because they were lost. I’m glad that they didn’t give up. German and Joanna couldn’t come, because German had to go to Managua today. Oscar didn’t make it and others had prior commitments. So it was a perfect night for Mike to get to talk with Jonathan and Salvador and me. They guys did really well understanding what Mike was sharing. I think they enjoyed being here. We told them they are welcome every Monday. I told them to just stop in anytime they want to visit. Mike also told them that as they get better with their English, to keep in mind that we are always needing translators for teams. Mike was very impressed with their Engish speaking ability after only 7 weeks of studying with Juan. He is a very good teacher. I hope he does wonders for me in Spanish!!!
Speaking of Spanish, I need to get off of here and do my homework and practice time. I have class again tomorrow morning. ¡Buenas Noches!
Sunday, Oct 23, 2011 NICARAGUA
Oh man! I’m sooooo tired! Just spent 7 hours straight sewing on the tote bags for the Las Quimeras Women’s Bible Study group. Making 15 bags in total. Spent hours yesterday cutting out all the pieces and making my prototype. Spent about an hour and a half this morning before church stitching up the straps. I have 7 ready for the last 2 steps, 13 ready to stitch up the outside, 13 linings ready to put in and then finish. Held up for now because I need more light blue thread. I used a whole large spool today. I hope that I can find some sewing supplies tomorrow when Leslie takes me to the market. Love making these for the women, but tired for today.
There was a church service here this morning under the rancho and baptisms in the pool. I got ready for church and stayed in my room until German & the Hulsey’s came to get me. We went to Rose of Sharon CC church because Mike was asked to preach about leadership. Then they had all 20something leaders (half of their congregation) come forward to be prayed over. It was neat. I took some pictures. I asked German to tell Pastor Marvin that I would take a group picture after church and have it printed off for the church. It was funny trying to get them all situated for the picture. The ladies from the Bible study all came and gave me warm hugs this morning. I know we are going to have a wonderful Bible study time together over the next months.
After church, German called in a delivery order from Tip Top Chicken and the Hulsey’s and I came to the Mission House for lunch. It was yummy! I got the usual grilled chicken breast. It comes with 2 tortillas and I cut it in half and make to servings out of it. I love the frijoles molida (smashed beans) and the cole slaw. I do have to admit that watching them eat fried chicken and fries was a little painful, but I’ve learned to stay away from the fried stuff. Manuel always donates his slaw to me since he doesn’t like it.
Manuel went swimming for a little bit and then he and I had 5 minutes of play time. He is so funny! I told him that I’m starting my Spanish classes in the mornings and won’t be able to have our first thing meeting times every day. We have already rescheduled tomorrow’s meeting. ☺
This evening the mission team stopped in to change clothes for church. I got to get some pics of them. I will really miss having them around! They leave in the morning.
I’ve got a lot of studying to do on many things. I need to prepare for the Women’s study at both churches. The groups are very different and I have a feeling we will be on different schedules as we move along at our own pace. I need to keep up with my Chronological Bible Study, but I have been ready ahead each day in case my time gets squeezed too much. Now I will have Spanish homework, but at first it will be stuff I already know, so that won’t be too bad.
The days are getting busier and the time is flying by. I’ve been here a month now and haven’t had the chance to lead anyone to the Lord. But I have had the chance to plant some seeds. I’m just trying to be obedient to what God wants me to do. I’m enjoying all the people I get to meet and interact with. This season of life is really sweet!
The Hulsey’s found out that they don’t have to go back to the states for any meetings until their planned departure on Dec 23. Yay! That will save them tons of money on plane tickets and frustration. Mary will be here in about 10 days or so. It will be fun to see how she wants to fix up her room. I hope that she enjoys her room as much as I like mine. I love living here at the new Mission House. I need to take some pics and post them on facebook. I keep thinking that I will wait until I get the next project done, but then I think of something else to do.
I’m so tired, I need to get off of the computer and head to bed. My feet are swollen from sitting at the sewing machine for so long. Time to put them up on the bed. Even dirty and swollen, they still represent Romans 10:15 ‘How beautiful are the feet that bring the Good News’. I’m glad that God looks inside our hearts and doesn’t pay too much attention to our outside appearance. Ha.
PS No rain at all today! Woohoo!!!
There was a church service here this morning under the rancho and baptisms in the pool. I got ready for church and stayed in my room until German & the Hulsey’s came to get me. We went to Rose of Sharon CC church because Mike was asked to preach about leadership. Then they had all 20something leaders (half of their congregation) come forward to be prayed over. It was neat. I took some pictures. I asked German to tell Pastor Marvin that I would take a group picture after church and have it printed off for the church. It was funny trying to get them all situated for the picture. The ladies from the Bible study all came and gave me warm hugs this morning. I know we are going to have a wonderful Bible study time together over the next months.
After church, German called in a delivery order from Tip Top Chicken and the Hulsey’s and I came to the Mission House for lunch. It was yummy! I got the usual grilled chicken breast. It comes with 2 tortillas and I cut it in half and make to servings out of it. I love the frijoles molida (smashed beans) and the cole slaw. I do have to admit that watching them eat fried chicken and fries was a little painful, but I’ve learned to stay away from the fried stuff. Manuel always donates his slaw to me since he doesn’t like it.
Manuel went swimming for a little bit and then he and I had 5 minutes of play time. He is so funny! I told him that I’m starting my Spanish classes in the mornings and won’t be able to have our first thing meeting times every day. We have already rescheduled tomorrow’s meeting. ☺
This evening the mission team stopped in to change clothes for church. I got to get some pics of them. I will really miss having them around! They leave in the morning.
I’ve got a lot of studying to do on many things. I need to prepare for the Women’s study at both churches. The groups are very different and I have a feeling we will be on different schedules as we move along at our own pace. I need to keep up with my Chronological Bible Study, but I have been ready ahead each day in case my time gets squeezed too much. Now I will have Spanish homework, but at first it will be stuff I already know, so that won’t be too bad.
The days are getting busier and the time is flying by. I’ve been here a month now and haven’t had the chance to lead anyone to the Lord. But I have had the chance to plant some seeds. I’m just trying to be obedient to what God wants me to do. I’m enjoying all the people I get to meet and interact with. This season of life is really sweet!
The Hulsey’s found out that they don’t have to go back to the states for any meetings until their planned departure on Dec 23. Yay! That will save them tons of money on plane tickets and frustration. Mary will be here in about 10 days or so. It will be fun to see how she wants to fix up her room. I hope that she enjoys her room as much as I like mine. I love living here at the new Mission House. I need to take some pics and post them on facebook. I keep thinking that I will wait until I get the next project done, but then I think of something else to do.
I’m so tired, I need to get off of the computer and head to bed. My feet are swollen from sitting at the sewing machine for so long. Time to put them up on the bed. Even dirty and swollen, they still represent Romans 10:15 ‘How beautiful are the feet that bring the Good News’. I’m glad that God looks inside our hearts and doesn’t pay too much attention to our outside appearance. Ha.
PS No rain at all today! Woohoo!!!
Saturday, Oct 22, 2011 NICARAGUA
What a beautiful day! The sun was out all day long! It didn’t start raining until about 7pm tonight. It was dry and lovely!
I was awakened at 6:15am when someone was honking and knocking on the small gate. It was someone from the church that was going to have a Youth service here. They were wanting to drop off some equipment. Alberto’s little house is in the back part of the property and he couldn’t hear them. I went to the gate and told them to wait just a minute and that I needed to get Alberto, who has the key. They said ok, so I guess my Spanish was good enough to communicate! I called Alberto on his cell phone and woke him up. He came right away. I went back to bed for a little bit. I got up about 8am and got dressed for the day and had some cereal.
The group was getting things ready for the Youth event, along with the hosting church. They had some musical equipment set up and brought a lot of chairs. There ended up being 112 youth here today. Praise God! What a beautiful sight to see all those young faces in the rows of chairs waiting to hear about God.
The event started out with some talking, including some testimony time. They had asked all the youth to write questions about Christianity on pieces of paper that were collected and given to the Pastor and mission group. After about an hour and a half, the group of youth were allowed some free time and many chose to swim. They don’t use bathing suits here, they just jump in the pool in their clothes. They were having a wonderful time. The Spanish Christian music was blaring, people were talking and laughing and swimming and playing soccer and sitting around the property in groups chatting and it was awesome. I had my window and door open as usual, and it was like being outside with them. I didn’t want to intrude, but I did enjoy listening to the speakers and loved the music. While the kids had their free time, the Pastor had one of the vendors who ride bikes with little fridge boxes on the front and sell ice cream come into the property and give the kids all treats. He had to leave and get more ice cream for everyone. It was a great treat. I even got to have one! It was quite festive.
I was doing a couple loads of laundry, so I had to walk along the soccer game a couple of times to get to the building where the washer and dryer are located, but the soccer players didn’t seem to mind me interrupting. When in my room, I was cutting out pieces of fabric to make 15 tote bags for the ladies at the Las Quimeras Women’s Bible study. That took a few hours. I chose to use one of the patterns for bags that I had brought from the states and just tweek it a little bit. I finally figured out what I wanted to do. The outside of the bag is flowered fabric that I had brought. The pockets, straps and lining is from a king size sheet. I think they will be pretty nice for the ladies. I finished one as a test and made some more adjustments to the plan and think I have a prototype.
Carlos (Alberto’s son who we buy our Bibles from) brought over 15 Bibles in large print that I ordered for the ladies. I’m so excited! They are blue and the covers look like canvas, but are some kind of washable material, which will be easier to keep clean. They snap shut, which will be nice to keep the edges of the pages nice. They are in large print, which is a big hit with everyone here! So far, I’ve raised enough money to pay for half of the shipment for this group. I know God will encourage others to help out. It’s just $20 per women to furnish their materials for the study.
Anyway, while folding and putting away my clean laundry, I was listening to the youth service and they were praying and asking anyone who wanted to to come forward. I sit down in my rocker inside my door/window and prayed for those making decisions. What a privilege to be close enough to hear what was going on and to cover it in prayer. There were 20 youth who accepted Christ as Savior and 10 who had already done that in the past, but had gotten away from their walk with God and they rededicated their lives to the Lord. How wonderful!! It was an awesome afternoon!
I had some tuna and veggie sticks for lunch. I also was blessed with a taste of the roasted pork that the church provided for the kids. It was good, but I wasn’t sure exactly what parts of the pig I was eating. I tried not to think about it.
Most everyone left about 3:30pm. Some of the church leaders stayed around and chatted with the mission team for a while. I was busy sewing and didn’t notice that it was getting dark (around 6pm). I closed up my window and left my door open for just a little longer. Alberto’s grandsons (Carlos’ sons) came by my room to visit. I gave them some cookies. Their mother came to shoo them away, but I told her that I had been introduced to them when they came to visit Alberto a few weeks ago. She and I chatted a little bit, in Spanish, and we did pretty well! Everyone is so gracious to help me out. My ability to speak is getting better everyday. I’m thanking God for that!!
I called Deanna this evening. She said that people are always asking if she has heard from me. I wish she had email and facebook, so that she could keep up with my posts. Maybe I should have someone print them off for her. I’ll have to remember to ask someone. Anyway, it was good to talk with her. She said that Jet is doing well. She is doggie sitting for the 2 puppies of Bryon’s and Jet likes to play a little, then he’s ready to rest and they keep playing. She said that Jet gives her these funny looks. I miss that fluffy guy. I miss talking with Deanna, too. She’s keeping busy and enjoying herself. That’s good.
I finally closed up my room about 7pm and had a little break from sewing to enjoy a snack pack pudding. Then I sewed just a little bit more and decided that I needed to get my day on paper (or computer), so I’ll be ready for bed soon. We’re going back to Rose of Sharon CC church tomorrow, as Mike has been asked to speak. The church has recently elected new leaders (including the 5 women’s ministry leaders) and God is doing wonderful things with that congregation. It’s just down the road a bit and service starts at 10:30ish, so I don’t have to be ready to leave until about 10:20. It will be a nice calm morning. I’m looking forward to it!
This is my 4th weekend here already. Time is going by so quickly. Things are getting busier and I know that time will whiz by even faster from now on. I’m so glad to get to spend my time doing things I love. I am very blessed.
I was awakened at 6:15am when someone was honking and knocking on the small gate. It was someone from the church that was going to have a Youth service here. They were wanting to drop off some equipment. Alberto’s little house is in the back part of the property and he couldn’t hear them. I went to the gate and told them to wait just a minute and that I needed to get Alberto, who has the key. They said ok, so I guess my Spanish was good enough to communicate! I called Alberto on his cell phone and woke him up. He came right away. I went back to bed for a little bit. I got up about 8am and got dressed for the day and had some cereal.
The group was getting things ready for the Youth event, along with the hosting church. They had some musical equipment set up and brought a lot of chairs. There ended up being 112 youth here today. Praise God! What a beautiful sight to see all those young faces in the rows of chairs waiting to hear about God.
The event started out with some talking, including some testimony time. They had asked all the youth to write questions about Christianity on pieces of paper that were collected and given to the Pastor and mission group. After about an hour and a half, the group of youth were allowed some free time and many chose to swim. They don’t use bathing suits here, they just jump in the pool in their clothes. They were having a wonderful time. The Spanish Christian music was blaring, people were talking and laughing and swimming and playing soccer and sitting around the property in groups chatting and it was awesome. I had my window and door open as usual, and it was like being outside with them. I didn’t want to intrude, but I did enjoy listening to the speakers and loved the music. While the kids had their free time, the Pastor had one of the vendors who ride bikes with little fridge boxes on the front and sell ice cream come into the property and give the kids all treats. He had to leave and get more ice cream for everyone. It was a great treat. I even got to have one! It was quite festive.
I was doing a couple loads of laundry, so I had to walk along the soccer game a couple of times to get to the building where the washer and dryer are located, but the soccer players didn’t seem to mind me interrupting. When in my room, I was cutting out pieces of fabric to make 15 tote bags for the ladies at the Las Quimeras Women’s Bible study. That took a few hours. I chose to use one of the patterns for bags that I had brought from the states and just tweek it a little bit. I finally figured out what I wanted to do. The outside of the bag is flowered fabric that I had brought. The pockets, straps and lining is from a king size sheet. I think they will be pretty nice for the ladies. I finished one as a test and made some more adjustments to the plan and think I have a prototype.
Carlos (Alberto’s son who we buy our Bibles from) brought over 15 Bibles in large print that I ordered for the ladies. I’m so excited! They are blue and the covers look like canvas, but are some kind of washable material, which will be easier to keep clean. They snap shut, which will be nice to keep the edges of the pages nice. They are in large print, which is a big hit with everyone here! So far, I’ve raised enough money to pay for half of the shipment for this group. I know God will encourage others to help out. It’s just $20 per women to furnish their materials for the study.
Anyway, while folding and putting away my clean laundry, I was listening to the youth service and they were praying and asking anyone who wanted to to come forward. I sit down in my rocker inside my door/window and prayed for those making decisions. What a privilege to be close enough to hear what was going on and to cover it in prayer. There were 20 youth who accepted Christ as Savior and 10 who had already done that in the past, but had gotten away from their walk with God and they rededicated their lives to the Lord. How wonderful!! It was an awesome afternoon!
I had some tuna and veggie sticks for lunch. I also was blessed with a taste of the roasted pork that the church provided for the kids. It was good, but I wasn’t sure exactly what parts of the pig I was eating. I tried not to think about it.
Most everyone left about 3:30pm. Some of the church leaders stayed around and chatted with the mission team for a while. I was busy sewing and didn’t notice that it was getting dark (around 6pm). I closed up my window and left my door open for just a little longer. Alberto’s grandsons (Carlos’ sons) came by my room to visit. I gave them some cookies. Their mother came to shoo them away, but I told her that I had been introduced to them when they came to visit Alberto a few weeks ago. She and I chatted a little bit, in Spanish, and we did pretty well! Everyone is so gracious to help me out. My ability to speak is getting better everyday. I’m thanking God for that!!
I called Deanna this evening. She said that people are always asking if she has heard from me. I wish she had email and facebook, so that she could keep up with my posts. Maybe I should have someone print them off for her. I’ll have to remember to ask someone. Anyway, it was good to talk with her. She said that Jet is doing well. She is doggie sitting for the 2 puppies of Bryon’s and Jet likes to play a little, then he’s ready to rest and they keep playing. She said that Jet gives her these funny looks. I miss that fluffy guy. I miss talking with Deanna, too. She’s keeping busy and enjoying herself. That’s good.
I finally closed up my room about 7pm and had a little break from sewing to enjoy a snack pack pudding. Then I sewed just a little bit more and decided that I needed to get my day on paper (or computer), so I’ll be ready for bed soon. We’re going back to Rose of Sharon CC church tomorrow, as Mike has been asked to speak. The church has recently elected new leaders (including the 5 women’s ministry leaders) and God is doing wonderful things with that congregation. It’s just down the road a bit and service starts at 10:30ish, so I don’t have to be ready to leave until about 10:20. It will be a nice calm morning. I’m looking forward to it!
This is my 4th weekend here already. Time is going by so quickly. Things are getting busier and I know that time will whiz by even faster from now on. I’m so glad to get to spend my time doing things I love. I am very blessed.
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