Thursday, August 2, 2012

Slept in till 7am this morning. It sure felt good! But I had a guilty conscience for not walking all week!

Mike and Sherry got back from their vacation yesterday and came to work this morning. It was a very busy morning for all of us with lots to catch up on. I didn’t have to drive anywhere today, so I got tons of work done on the computer! Yeah!

There were lots of discussions, planning, emailing, file inputting, more discussions and people in and out all day. It was grand to see how busy God has us here. That means that things are getting done for the Kingdom!!!

Mary, Jeremy and Lesly went to pick up the soccer uniforms for the team at San Jacinto and then on to a church service there. They had a good time. I’m looking forward to seeing Mary’s pictures. Now the teams at La Quimera church and San Jacinto church both have uniforms and can play with pride. They sometimes play each other, so it might be interesting if we are at a game and don’t know which team to root for!

Sherry and I talked today about our GIC (mission conference) displays, the ministries that I’m involved with here, my travel dates, and so on. It was nice to get a chance to sit and quietly talk.

I also got the chance to talk with Mike for more than 5 minutes at a time. I caught him up to date on some of the stuff that I’m working on and also asked a lot of questions. I think by the time he talked to all of us, his head was swimming. Maybe he is ready to go back on a little vacation!

I’m going to retire to my room and study a little bit, watch a video and then go to bed early. That’s the plan anyway… It’s been a very satisfying day and I am blessed to serve my Lord.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

No walk this morning. Still feeling kind of yucky in the mornings. But did go to breakfast with Charlie and Mary at a little restaurant that Mike likes to go to. I had the waffles and they were good! Charlie had breakfast burritos and Mary had an ‘american’ breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. It was all pretty good.

I got back to the team house and did some computer work on the Feeding Centers. And I caught up with inputting some email addresses into distribution lists. Then I ate a little bit of lunch and rested in my room for a while. I wasn’t feeling good at all, but couldn’t tell why. I closed the window and door and turned on the A/C and napped a little bit. I felt a little better when I got up to get ready for Bible Study.

Estefanie got here and we took off to La Quimera for Bible Study with the ladies. It was another good class. I love that the ladies want to discuss the scripture and have lots of feedback. I passed out some Bibles that I had bought for the new ladies. I’m so thankful that God blessed me with the funds to purchase those right now.

The ladies from Bible Study said I cannot leave Nica. They are going to lock me in the church next week and not let me leave. I told them that I eat a lot of food and they will have to feed me. They were taking that into consideration!

I took Estefanie home and then went to Jeremy and Kelly’s house to get them and take them to dinner at Al Carbón. I love that place! They really liked it, too. We had so much fun talking and laughing. Kelly only speaks Spanish so I gave my Spanish skills a huge workout. If I couldn’t understand I could ask Jeremy to translate, but they both gave me the chance to work things out on my own. The food was delicious and the weather great. The restaurant is open to the outside in the middle and there is a fountain in the middle of some flowers. Really nice. I just loved it!

On the way to the restaurant, we got caught in a demonstration near the park that is being remodeled. This was by a group of young protesters who have issues with the trees being cut down and the other improvements that are being made. They were blocking the street and holding posters. There was a guy on stilts and in some kind of costume. One guys read a long statement while holding a microphone. It was not all that much fun for me and I was glad that it was over. I asked Jeremy what they were saying and he said they were unhappy that the trees were getting cut down. I said I wasn’t too thrilled with them blocking the street either, but I wasn’t making any speeches. Sheesh! But we made it to the restaurant and had a great time, anyway.

After I took Jeremy and Kelly home, I came home to the team house and showered and got ready for bed. Then I caught up on some facebook stuff watched a video. It was a great day!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The last day of July. Where has the time gone? Another realization that we do not control our days or hours or minutes. God has a plan for every second and we miss so much by trying to plan and execute all of our own plans. I pray that I can really give back to Him each second of my life for Him to use me as HE has designed.

I got a lot of work done on the computer. Recapping of info, completing files on the Feeding Center kids, communication, planning, etc. I can feel the need to complete things as my days here in Nica are coming to a close these next 2 weeks. I’m preparing work that can be done from the states while I’m on my ‘vacation’ for 2 months. I also want to have things in order here for the ministries that I work with to continue (to a certain extent) while I’m absent. By the time I tie up loose ends and take a deep breath, I’ll probably already be on the plane. ☺

I took Mary, Mayela, Lesly and Jaasiel to lunch at Al Carbón. It’s one of my favorite restaurants and one that they probably would not go to themselves. I like being able to treat them.

Mary taught her last sewing class for the summer today. She has had a lot of laughs with that group of women.

I spent a lot of time on the computer today, probably more than I would if I had a 8-5 job. It’s hard sometimes to turn off the work mode when you’re in the field. There is so much to do and you just stay focused on getting it done. I have to try to keep a balance of things in my busy little life.

I’m thankful to have videos to watch on my computer and books to read on my Kindle. That helps to round out my choices for entertainment. I’ve found myself missing TV this week only because the Olympics are on. I enjoy watching them. You cannot stream live feed from the US to Nica, so I gave up on websites that do that. It’s okay, though.

I’m so thankful for all that God allows me to do here and that He has made me so comfortable living in Nica. I’m humbled that He would allow me to work for Him in ministry anywhere. I’m very thankful for all my blessings and I’m thankful that He prepares my heart to be content with what He provides. That’s key. He is faithful!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Didn’t get to walk this morning due to some illness, but feel better this evening.

I got to spend some time chatting with Jasmina and Katty this morning. They are 2 translators working with us and I hadn’t really gotten to spend much time with them this past 2 months since I don’t work with the teams. I’m very blessed to know both of these young ladies and I look forward to knowing them better as we communicate on facebook and email. They are precious.

I took Lesly and Mary to La Unión grocery store this morning. While they shopped for groceries, I ran to the sewing store and got some supplies. We stopped at a second store to get some pork & beans (interesting what you can find in Nica) and then stopped for ice and bottled water for the dispenser.

Jasmina asked if she could have a copy of the Bible Study I’m teaching on Wednesdays. I printed pages off for her and then it was time to leave. I took Mayela to Noah’s Ark Feeding Center, Jasmina to the bus Terminal (to catch a 3 hour bus ride back to Estelí), Katty to a friend’s house and then returned to Noah’s Ark. I did some paperwork in the car while waiting for Mayela to finish. Then we got back to the team house about 1pm. We had some great lunch, Arroz Aguado. We all loved it, except for Mary. I would love to have it again, but I don’t think that there is much chance of that. Maybe I can have some at someone’s house sometime.

I did some computer work while Charlie and Jeremy worked on the VOH website and other projects. It was a very nice day with everyone having their own projects going.

Mary and Charlie went with German to see the property by the old dump. VOH is looking at buying a small plot to start a church and feeding center. We’re excited to help the people in this new community of very poor households. God is opening a door there that will minister to hundreds of families who are very much in need.

I dropped off Jeremy on my way to the ice cream shop to meet Iris. She got held up at the university and couldn’t make it, so I spent some time looking up Bible verses (for the Women’s Bible Study memory cards) and had my favorite treat – a cone with 1 scoop chocolate and 1 scoop coffee ice cream. Then I walked over to the vendors on the corner and saw one of my favorite people and bought some surprises for my sister’s grandkids. Heehee. I truly enjoyed my time by myself.

I got back to the team house and had more arroz aguado (cold) for dinner and chatted with Charlie and Mary a little bit. Then I retired to my room to do a little more work and grab a shower. I worked a little bit on the Children’s Ministry project and watched a movie on my computer.


I realized while working on my calendar, that I’ll be flying back to the states 2 weeks from today. It doesn’t seem possible that 6 months has gone by since I’ve been back in Rogers AR. Time has flown by. It will feel strange to be away from Nica for 2 months, too. I have so much planned for my 2 months state-side that it will be whirl, too. I’m looking forward to seeing friends and family. I have to say that it feels more natural for me to live in Nica and visit the states than the other way around. God has given me a great peace. I’m very thankful for that.

It’s been a pleasant evening. I think I’ll try to go to bed a little early and maybe I can walk in the morning. ☺

Sunday, July 29, 2012

This morning Mary and I went to church at La Quimera. Charlie went to Todopoderoso church with Jeremy and helped with a Fiesta the church was doing for outreach.

Mary and I stopped at On the Run and got sandwiches for our lunch. I also bought their last 6 bottles of V8 Splash Carrot/Orange juice. They don’t have it all the time and when I can find it, I try to buy a bunch. We got home and had our sandwiches and then each retired to our rooms to relax.

I watched a video and then read for a while. I didn’t nap, but I did get to rest and it was very nice.

I then worked on some Spanish stuff. I have been very remiss in my Spanish studies. I need to kick in that discipline thing and get busy!! I had peanut butter and an apple for dinner.

Mary, Charlie and I went to Todopoderoso church for worship this evening. It was great. They were celebrating the salvations from this morning’s outreach event. 220 salvations. They were so excited! The music was fantastic, the prayers very enthusiastic and the worship was wonderfully authentic. My heart is to worship there and I think I’ll try to go a few evenings during the week. My soul gets really hungry for good worship.

Todopoderoso church reminds me a lot of Cuerpo Vivo church back in the states and I’m missing that church family very much right now. It’s Cuerpo Vivo’s 9 anniversary and they are having a wonderful celebration this weekend with a concert. I wish I could be there, but I’ll be there in spirit.

I’m going to try to go to bed early tonight so I can get up early and go walking. I have a date to visit with a friend at 9am and I want to get my walk in and shower done before then. We’ll see.

I’m thankful to God for all that He allows me to do and think and feel. Even when it’s hard. I’m thankful that He is always there beside me and always ahead of me to prepare the way and to guide me. He is forever faithful.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

I got up this morning with more stomach issues, but went ahead to the P & P English Academy to help out with a class while Juan had to be somewhere else. I drove to the school so that I could run errands afterward.

Once I got to the school, I felt a little bit better and it was good to have something to take my mind off of my troubles. Juan was there for just a few minutes. I got to talk with his wife Ana, also. She teaches a class on Sat mornings, too.

Juan said I could pick any topic to talk about that I wanted. I chose to use the Bible study notes from this past Wednesday’s Ladies Bible Class. On Wed morning, when I was hurrying up and printing the notes for the ladies, I accidentally printed 20 copies of the English notes. When I saw my mistake, I decided to keep the English copies for some future use. Well, today was that special time. God knew I was going to need them and He allowed me to print them off ahead of time.

The English class was fun, as always. I had been in this class a couple of times last year. I knew part of the students already. Estefanie is in the class, too. Each student had a topic that they were supposed to talk about. Estefanie used a wall chart that she had made and explained about different routes to being popular. (she also studies psychology at the university). Derek gave a book report. Jacsel spoke about the importance of drinking water. David talked about different types of foods. Gabriel was a new student and told us a little bit about himself. Francisco came in late and didn’t have a topic. Anielka didn’t a topic either. I also listened to Estefanie do her drill for ‘idiomatic phrases’ and she did a good job.

When it was my turn to talk, we discussed the descriptions, benefits and values of God’s Word. They learned English words and I learned the Spanish words. It was very helpful for all of us. It was a really good class. When my 2 hours were up, Jasmina and Katty came to take over the next 2 hours. They were going to have lots of discussions with the students. It was good to see those 2 wonderful girls.

I had a good visit with Linda at the House of the Bible. She gave me a good discount and I bought a few more Bibles than I had planned. Now I can give more out! I also bought some materials to use in putting together some lessons for the Children’s Ministry program that I get to start with La Quimera and San Jacinto churches. I also bought a hymn book of traditional Nica songs that they sing in some of the churches. I’m tickled pink!

I stopped at Salmon grocery store to see if I could find some instant oatmeal and I actually found some Ocean Spray Cran-Grape juice! I was so happy! I love that stuff!

I got back to the team house and Mary was doing some laundry. Charlie came to the house a little later to work on the computer, swim and rest. Jeremy and Kelly came to the house to get some things ready for a Fiesta that their church is going to do tomorrow. I got to visit with Kelly a little bit. I sure do love those 2!!

At 4pm, Mary, Charlie and I went to Suyapa for an early dinner. It was very tasty. On the way home, Mary wanted to drive by German’s house. Joanna was sitting on the front steps talking with her sister. We stopped in for just a few minutes. Every time I go to German’s house, they have finished a little bit more of it. It is really nice. I’m so excited for them.

We came back to the team house and Mary and I each went into our own rooms to relax for the evening. Charlie got back on the computer.

It’s time now for me to watch a video, read and go to bed. It’s been a really nice day. I had to make myself keep from working, but it was worth it. I need to schedule down time so my brain can rest or at least think of other things sometimes. God is teaching me discipline a little at a time. It will take me baby steps, I’m sure. But I trust His timing and His leading.

Friday, July 27, 2012

The team was up very early and left for the airport at 3am. They have been a great team. I was awake for quite awhile after they left and I was a little sick at my stomach, so I didn’t get up and walk like I should have. Shame on me.

The week with the team was a good one. I didn’t get to work with them because of my other ministry duties, but I did get to chat with some of them at meal time. Mary kept me up to date on everything going on out in the ministry field. The team was a blessing to us to have here. The Crusade was a huge success! There were a total of 2286 salvations for the week!! The team worked very hard and talked to thousands of people throughout the week. The Crusade drew in thousands more people each night. There were many blessings!

I got on the computer to get some work done and Mary worked on clearing out the rooms and helping the cleaning ladies with their chores. Lesly and Mayela got here about 9am and started their work. We all had leftovers from the week for our lunch. My stomach was not doing too well, so I closed up my room and turned my A/C on and took a much needed nap.

The Hulseys are out of town for a few days and Charlie is staying at their house. Mary and I rode with him over there to show him stuff and we also visited Maxi Palí grocery store. Then we came back to the team house and messed around on our computers for a while.

I did some research on hotels in NYC for my sister and I to stay at in Sept. They are so expensive, but I can’t wait for the trip!

I watched a video and then went to bed. I was still not feeling well and was looking forward to sleeping through the night.