We set up for church this morning and the service was nice. We were a little down in numbers, but the praise band was great! German’s sermon was very good, too! I didn’t have any kids, so I got to listen to the whole service. I enjoyed it.
Freddy and I had a great lunch at Al Carbón and then headed back to the team house for a while before some other English Bible Study students came over for a visit. I worked on sorting and organizing the copies for the next 5 weeks of Women’s Bible Study notes and 7 weeks of Children’s curriculum for our 5 churches. It felt good to get that all ready for distribution on Monday morning! This will more than cover the weeks that I will be gone to the states.
Ronaldo, Danilo and Freddy swam (with Buster) for a few hours while Estefanie and I chatted. It was a very restful afternoon. I’m thankful to Sherry for allowing us to use the pool this afternoon. We had fun practicing new words in Spanish and English. We come up with some really crazy discussions sometimes! Buster loved all of the attention. Everyone went home about 6pm and I came to my room to go over notes for Monday’s 3 classes, practice guitar, pin some aprons for the cooks and hopefully watch a video before bed. Tomorrow will be a very long day. I hope that the frogs will let me sleep tonight! I’m wearing out my earplugs! Lol
Monday was indeed a long day, but lovely. I got the privilege of teaching both of the English Bible Study Group classes (morning class usually on Fridays and the Monday evening class). God spoke to me differently in each class, even though the material was the same. I love how He makes His relevant to so many people in so many ways.
I taught 2 week’s classes for the Women’s Bible Study to the ladies. I gave each lady a bag with 5 weeks of materials for the Women’s classes (which should take them through May) and 7 weeks worth of materials for the Kid’s classes. I was glad to get it all accomplished. They were glad to get a new bag! Haha
The day was bittersweet in that we were missing some people and I’m always sad to leave for my visits for the states. I love it here so much and God has made it a part of my heart. I’m a big crier anyway, so we spent our time between crying and laughing. Manuel and Mike came over to get some stuff from the office. Manuel played the drums and ‘his’ guitar, jumped on the trampoline, sang and danced. I caught it all on video and will put them on facebook.
I had lots of prayers over me for my trip and time away from my Nica family. I am so blessed to have these wonderful people in my life.
Tuesday was spent finishing up some work, praying with more people, doing some needed communication and then church at 5:30. The service was good and relaxed. The band was good, even though we missed Jorge. German gave a good message. I had 4 kids, plus a mama and baby at my coloring/Bible story table. After church, we cleaned up and then I retired to my room. I practiced guitar and watched a video. I stayed up a little later than usual knowing that Wednesday is a holiday. Still haven’t started packing yet. I think I’m avoiding it till the last minute.
I’m clinging to God and His promises for me. I know that He is the Almighty God and has ALL things under control. Sometimes I just have to exercise my emotions, I guess. I trust in Him and have peace from Him.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
April 21-28, 2013
Sunday morning was an early day to set up for church. The service was nice. German preached and we didn’t have English translation. Personally, I like that because it helps me practice understanding the message in Spanish. Freddy hung around for a while and we visited. A couple of the worker’s kids were here to swim with Manuel. I had pizza with the Hulseys and then they headed home mid-afternoon when it got really hot. I took a nice nap and then did some work on Bible Study classes. I hemmed some jeans for Manuel while watching a video. I had gotten a message from a friend that I have met on facebook who works with a ministry here in Nica. She and her sister (and co-worker) are coming for a week of meetings and such at the end of the month. We’re planning to get together in person and visit. We have talked via facebook messages and skype. It will be nice to meet them in person. Those crazy frogs were at it again and I had to sleep with earplugs again! I’ll be so glad when they hop right on out of here!
Monday I took a lovely 2 hour walk to downtown. I did a little shopping and picked up some rubber sandals (chinelas) for Alberto. His broke and he had borrowed a (much too big) pair from one of the workers. I found 2 pairs for him and was pleased. I also got the privilege to give Saturnino his new glasses. When he preached for us for the first time, he had to borrow Mike’s glasses. I told German to schedule an eye exam for him and order the glasses. I’m so excited that Saturnino will be able to read easier now. I worked on Bible Study notes in the morning and after lunch I taught the Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training. We are trying to work ahead one month on the lessons so that the ladies will be prepared for 3 weeks that I am gone. Then we’ll work ahead 2 more months to cover the time that the teams are here and we can’t have classes for the leaders. The individual women’s classes will continue to meet all summer long. They did not want to take a break. That’s good! I taught the English Bible Study Group in the evening and then went to bed early. Mondays are pretty long days for me and the heat really zaps me. But it’s all good!
Tuesday morning I had a great walk to Central Park and then stopped by a grocery store, the copy place and the mercadito. Freddy came over for my Spanish tutoring session. I helped the girls bag up donated clothing. It was very hot! Sherry called me in the afternoon to send out a message to the Interns. We set up for church. Mike had asked me to contact Freddy to have him translate for church service. German was busy picking up the donated school bus from the Honduras/Nica border and getting it to Managua, so he couldn’t be at church to translate for Mike. It was a good service. I joked around with the band afterward. I love hanging out with these guys. I shortened some dresses for Sherry while I watched a video and then headed to bed.
Wednesday morning I was very tired and didn’t walk. Like I said last week, I think the culmination of the long busy days of Sun, Mon and Tues catch up with me on Wed. I went to the feeding centers at San Jacinto and La Quimera to get some pictures while Mayela handed out some goodie bags for the volunteer cooks. When we got back to the team house it was time for lunch and Manuel happily told each person that lunch was ready. He’s so funny sometimes. I worked on Bible Study notes some more and prepared originals of the Kid’s lessons to make copies for the month of May. I chatted with Lesly and did some laundry. Later in the afternoon, I got to meet Fernando, who drove our donated school bus from TX to Nicaragua. It’s a very dangerous trip and he was prayed over by many, many people. He has quite a testimony about his life. I was very happy to get to meet him. The motorcycles arrived for the give-aways for the crusades. It’s exciting to see them all here. The band practiced for a while. Heriberto was learning a praise song in English and was checking with me to see if I could understand the words he was singing. The new stove and refrigerator arrived for the kitchen. We will be cooking for over 100 per meal for some of the teams this summer. Even with the new equipment, we still have to use a wood fire sometimes and grocery shop 2-3 times per week. It will be crazy! I spent the evening in my room practicing guitar and hemming a dress for Sherry while watching a video. Another good day.
Thursday I had a wonderful 2 hour walk downtown. I went to Pan y Paz bakery and bought some treats for the workers. The raison rolls were still warm when they put them in the bag. Unfortunately, they were very soft and squished a little bit by the time I walked back to the team house. But everyone enjoyed them very much. I stopped by the mercadito, too. I sent a message to a friend in the US about finding a used iPhone for use down here. I am so useless about finding these things. I had my Spanish tutoring time with Freddy. I have to admit that I didn’t spend any time studying the in the last 2 days. He said that if I missed 5 words I was going to have to do 100 push-ups! Oh no! I ran some errands and picked up some meds, got a haircut, shopped and then treated myself to a milkshake at Eskimo. I swam for just a bit for some exercise. I worked on Bible Study notes and then worked on another dress for Sherry while watching a video. I was very ready for bed!
Friday morning my stomach was a little iffy, so I didn’t go for a walk. Mike came over early to talk to the workers during their morning devotion time. There will be some changes during the next months. I taught English Bible Study Group and Fabricio accepted the Lord!! How awesome! Our internet went out and we had trouble with the phone line, too. Bummer. I used my Nica phone to make some phone calls. I ran a few errands with Lesly and Jaasiel and treated them to Eskimo ice cream. We ran into Heriberto and Areyson at Eskimo and I treated them, too. I picked up my copies of class notes for the month of May. A full copy paper box and $84 worth! I rode with Jorge to run a few more errands then he brought me back to the team house. I worked on my April receipts for my personal bookkeeping. I also tried to catch up on my blog. Freddy called and stopped by for a brief moment. I practiced guitar and then watched a video. I’m feeling kind of bummed right now. There are changes coming and I’m not good at major changes. I welcome what the Lord has planned and trust Him, but it’s out of my comfort zone to move from the familiar to the unknown sometimes. He has to take me in baby steps. It’s when I feel most vulnerable that I cling to Him more fervently. I’m so thankful for Him!
Saturday I slept in (thanks to the frogs serenading me all night) and missed my time for a walk before taking my bloodpressure meds. Oh well. I finished up a dress for Sherry. I called and chatted with Mary a while on my Nica phone, then I had to call German to buy me some more minutes! Lol The phone guys finally came and said that the problem was in the phone itself and not in the line. So right now our internet is working. I hope it stays up. I’m rather spoiled to it! I’m getting some laundry done today and trying to start thinking about what to pack for the states.
I got to spend some time with some friends that I met on facebook through mutual friends. They have a ministry here in Nica called Empower Nicaragua and are doing great things. We have talked on facebook message and have skyped. It was good to get to see them in person. We had a fun time talking and I also got to meet Mario, who works with them as a translator and associate and so much more. What a great time we had! We also had an early dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant. We shared a large pizza with a fired crust. So yummy! We had lots of laughs and shared experiences with ministry work. It was just the kind of blessing that I needed to end my day and my week. God is faithful to always have my back! (and the rest of me!) I’m so grateful to Him for all things, even the hard stuff. But I really love the happy stuff!!!
Monday I took a lovely 2 hour walk to downtown. I did a little shopping and picked up some rubber sandals (chinelas) for Alberto. His broke and he had borrowed a (much too big) pair from one of the workers. I found 2 pairs for him and was pleased. I also got the privilege to give Saturnino his new glasses. When he preached for us for the first time, he had to borrow Mike’s glasses. I told German to schedule an eye exam for him and order the glasses. I’m so excited that Saturnino will be able to read easier now. I worked on Bible Study notes in the morning and after lunch I taught the Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training. We are trying to work ahead one month on the lessons so that the ladies will be prepared for 3 weeks that I am gone. Then we’ll work ahead 2 more months to cover the time that the teams are here and we can’t have classes for the leaders. The individual women’s classes will continue to meet all summer long. They did not want to take a break. That’s good! I taught the English Bible Study Group in the evening and then went to bed early. Mondays are pretty long days for me and the heat really zaps me. But it’s all good!
Tuesday morning I had a great walk to Central Park and then stopped by a grocery store, the copy place and the mercadito. Freddy came over for my Spanish tutoring session. I helped the girls bag up donated clothing. It was very hot! Sherry called me in the afternoon to send out a message to the Interns. We set up for church. Mike had asked me to contact Freddy to have him translate for church service. German was busy picking up the donated school bus from the Honduras/Nica border and getting it to Managua, so he couldn’t be at church to translate for Mike. It was a good service. I joked around with the band afterward. I love hanging out with these guys. I shortened some dresses for Sherry while I watched a video and then headed to bed.
Wednesday morning I was very tired and didn’t walk. Like I said last week, I think the culmination of the long busy days of Sun, Mon and Tues catch up with me on Wed. I went to the feeding centers at San Jacinto and La Quimera to get some pictures while Mayela handed out some goodie bags for the volunteer cooks. When we got back to the team house it was time for lunch and Manuel happily told each person that lunch was ready. He’s so funny sometimes. I worked on Bible Study notes some more and prepared originals of the Kid’s lessons to make copies for the month of May. I chatted with Lesly and did some laundry. Later in the afternoon, I got to meet Fernando, who drove our donated school bus from TX to Nicaragua. It’s a very dangerous trip and he was prayed over by many, many people. He has quite a testimony about his life. I was very happy to get to meet him. The motorcycles arrived for the give-aways for the crusades. It’s exciting to see them all here. The band practiced for a while. Heriberto was learning a praise song in English and was checking with me to see if I could understand the words he was singing. The new stove and refrigerator arrived for the kitchen. We will be cooking for over 100 per meal for some of the teams this summer. Even with the new equipment, we still have to use a wood fire sometimes and grocery shop 2-3 times per week. It will be crazy! I spent the evening in my room practicing guitar and hemming a dress for Sherry while watching a video. Another good day.
Thursday I had a wonderful 2 hour walk downtown. I went to Pan y Paz bakery and bought some treats for the workers. The raison rolls were still warm when they put them in the bag. Unfortunately, they were very soft and squished a little bit by the time I walked back to the team house. But everyone enjoyed them very much. I stopped by the mercadito, too. I sent a message to a friend in the US about finding a used iPhone for use down here. I am so useless about finding these things. I had my Spanish tutoring time with Freddy. I have to admit that I didn’t spend any time studying the in the last 2 days. He said that if I missed 5 words I was going to have to do 100 push-ups! Oh no! I ran some errands and picked up some meds, got a haircut, shopped and then treated myself to a milkshake at Eskimo. I swam for just a bit for some exercise. I worked on Bible Study notes and then worked on another dress for Sherry while watching a video. I was very ready for bed!
Friday morning my stomach was a little iffy, so I didn’t go for a walk. Mike came over early to talk to the workers during their morning devotion time. There will be some changes during the next months. I taught English Bible Study Group and Fabricio accepted the Lord!! How awesome! Our internet went out and we had trouble with the phone line, too. Bummer. I used my Nica phone to make some phone calls. I ran a few errands with Lesly and Jaasiel and treated them to Eskimo ice cream. We ran into Heriberto and Areyson at Eskimo and I treated them, too. I picked up my copies of class notes for the month of May. A full copy paper box and $84 worth! I rode with Jorge to run a few more errands then he brought me back to the team house. I worked on my April receipts for my personal bookkeeping. I also tried to catch up on my blog. Freddy called and stopped by for a brief moment. I practiced guitar and then watched a video. I’m feeling kind of bummed right now. There are changes coming and I’m not good at major changes. I welcome what the Lord has planned and trust Him, but it’s out of my comfort zone to move from the familiar to the unknown sometimes. He has to take me in baby steps. It’s when I feel most vulnerable that I cling to Him more fervently. I’m so thankful for Him!
Saturday I slept in (thanks to the frogs serenading me all night) and missed my time for a walk before taking my bloodpressure meds. Oh well. I finished up a dress for Sherry. I called and chatted with Mary a while on my Nica phone, then I had to call German to buy me some more minutes! Lol The phone guys finally came and said that the problem was in the phone itself and not in the line. So right now our internet is working. I hope it stays up. I’m rather spoiled to it! I’m getting some laundry done today and trying to start thinking about what to pack for the states.
I got to spend some time with some friends that I met on facebook through mutual friends. They have a ministry here in Nica called Empower Nicaragua and are doing great things. We have talked on facebook message and have skyped. It was good to get to see them in person. We had a fun time talking and I also got to meet Mario, who works with them as a translator and associate and so much more. What a great time we had! We also had an early dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant. We shared a large pizza with a fired crust. So yummy! We had lots of laughs and shared experiences with ministry work. It was just the kind of blessing that I needed to end my day and my week. God is faithful to always have my back! (and the rest of me!) I’m so grateful to Him for all things, even the hard stuff. But I really love the happy stuff!!!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
April 14-20, 2013
I got up early to help set up for church service. We were going to have some extra people since we were bussing in from two of our church plants. I found out that morning that Pastor Bryan was going to preach and doing some baptisms. I also found out that morning that German and the Hulseys were going to be gone. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off at first trying to catch up on the things that needed to be handled. It wasn’t a problem, but I would have liked to have planned for it. ☺ We had 7 baptisms and it was great. I posted pics and videos of the service on facebook. It was very nice to see some of the people from our church plants. I miss them! I had a nap and a swim in the afternoon and then practiced guitar and watched a video. Another lovely day!
Monday I walked to Central Park and exchanged some money from my friend Luis, then visited my friends Javier and MariaTeresa at their souvenir stand. On the walk back I stopped and chatted with Delmy at the copier place, said hi to the painter friend and then stopped to buy some produce from Angie and Glenda at the mercadito. Pastor Eddy picked up the copies for the Monte Horeb Women’s Bible Study. I called my accountants to check on my tax preparation. They are filing an extension and I’ll visit them in May when I’m in AR. I’m not in any hurry to pay the taxes, but it will be interesting to find out if it is worth me itemizing my taxes. Of course, I have to factor in the accountant’s fee, too! I taught the Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training class and the English Bible Study Group. We had a great discussion in the EBSG class. They always challenge me and I enjoy them so much! I watched a video and then headed to bed.
Tuesday I walked downtown and stopped at the mercadito on the way home. I got the chance to chat a little bit with Mike and with Sherry. Freddy came for my Spanish tutoring session. After lunch, I worked on some correspondence and then rested just a little bit before helping to set up for church. We had a good service and I watched a video before bed. Nothing too earth shattering in my schedule!
Wednesday I skipped my walk. I was very tired. I think the combination of long days on Monday and Tuesday makes Wednesday morning a sleep in day! At least until 6:30!! Jaasiel and Mayela helped me sort and organize the sewing ministry stuff. I worked on sending out emails and letters to the feeding center sponsors for a few hours. We moved my little fridge to Mary’s room. She’ll be borrowing it for the summer to keep her Pepsi’s in. After lunch I worked on Bible Study stuff and then Mayela and I walked around downtown and had an early dinner at the Chinese restaurant. I took a taxi home and enjoyed meeting the taxi driver. I had a message from another missionary here in Nica asking about when I was traveling to MGA to fly to the states. He needed a ride to the airport, too, but our departure dates were different. I practiced guitar and then watched a video. It was a nice day, even though I felt guilty about not walking in the morning.
Thursday I walked to Central Park again and saw Luis, Delmy, Angie and Glenda on my way. I only picked up a few things at the mercadito. I Freddy to cancel Spanish tutoring so that I could get some other work done. I spent hours sending out more letters and emails to the feeding center sponsors. I had a swim and then practiced guitar and watched a video before bed.
Friday was another walk to Central Park, where I exchanged some money with Luis and then bought some gifts for the states from my friend’s souvenir stand. We had a good English Bible Study Group session. I love all of the students so much! I worked on my April receipts so that I could have them done before I head to the states. I chatted with Sherry a bit and then rested. The heat is so bad it just zaps you before you even know it. I practiced guitar (will my fingers ever get tough enough not to hurt???), watched some news on the internet and then a video. It was a good day.
Saturday morning I was getting ready to go walking when German knocked on my door and asked if I would ride with him and Edmundo to Managua to run some errands. I said sure and hurried up and got ready. My stomach was a little iffy, so I took some ginger tablets for the ride. I don’t like long car rides because of getting motion sickness. Sure enough, by the time we were in Managua, I was very sick at my stomach. We stopped at PriceSmart first to pick up some meds from a nearby pharmacy. Being out of the moving vehicle helped a lot. It just takes a while for my body to calm down. By the time we had walked around PriceSmart I was feeling much better. It was funny watching German shopping (like a little old woman). Edmundo pushed the cart and I picked up a few things. Since I’m leaving for the states in a few weeks, I didn’t want to buy a lot of stuff. German said he would help me out by eating some of the stuff. Haha We picked up some stuff for the pool maintenance and then had lunch at one of the malls. When we got back to the van, I opted to ride on the second seat so that I could sleep. I knew I would be sick if I didn’t. I was yucky before we left Managua, but luckily slept most of the way to León. When we got to the mission house, I laid down on my bed. Buster jumped up there with me, even though he knows that he is not allowed. I was so nauseous that I didn’t even want to sit upright to make him get down, so he took a nap with me. After my nap, I felt much better and started some laundry and went for a swim. Then I went to bed early!
All in all, it was a good week. I love teaching my classes. What a blessing! I love getting to walk and see things and run into people I know on the streets and buy fresh produce. I know that a lot of people would hate my life, but I love it!
April
Monday I walked to Central Park and exchanged some money from my friend Luis, then visited my friends Javier and MariaTeresa at their souvenir stand. On the walk back I stopped and chatted with Delmy at the copier place, said hi to the painter friend and then stopped to buy some produce from Angie and Glenda at the mercadito. Pastor Eddy picked up the copies for the Monte Horeb Women’s Bible Study. I called my accountants to check on my tax preparation. They are filing an extension and I’ll visit them in May when I’m in AR. I’m not in any hurry to pay the taxes, but it will be interesting to find out if it is worth me itemizing my taxes. Of course, I have to factor in the accountant’s fee, too! I taught the Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training class and the English Bible Study Group. We had a great discussion in the EBSG class. They always challenge me and I enjoy them so much! I watched a video and then headed to bed.
Tuesday I walked downtown and stopped at the mercadito on the way home. I got the chance to chat a little bit with Mike and with Sherry. Freddy came for my Spanish tutoring session. After lunch, I worked on some correspondence and then rested just a little bit before helping to set up for church. We had a good service and I watched a video before bed. Nothing too earth shattering in my schedule!
Wednesday I skipped my walk. I was very tired. I think the combination of long days on Monday and Tuesday makes Wednesday morning a sleep in day! At least until 6:30!! Jaasiel and Mayela helped me sort and organize the sewing ministry stuff. I worked on sending out emails and letters to the feeding center sponsors for a few hours. We moved my little fridge to Mary’s room. She’ll be borrowing it for the summer to keep her Pepsi’s in. After lunch I worked on Bible Study stuff and then Mayela and I walked around downtown and had an early dinner at the Chinese restaurant. I took a taxi home and enjoyed meeting the taxi driver. I had a message from another missionary here in Nica asking about when I was traveling to MGA to fly to the states. He needed a ride to the airport, too, but our departure dates were different. I practiced guitar and then watched a video. It was a nice day, even though I felt guilty about not walking in the morning.
Thursday I walked to Central Park again and saw Luis, Delmy, Angie and Glenda on my way. I only picked up a few things at the mercadito. I Freddy to cancel Spanish tutoring so that I could get some other work done. I spent hours sending out more letters and emails to the feeding center sponsors. I had a swim and then practiced guitar and watched a video before bed.
Friday was another walk to Central Park, where I exchanged some money with Luis and then bought some gifts for the states from my friend’s souvenir stand. We had a good English Bible Study Group session. I love all of the students so much! I worked on my April receipts so that I could have them done before I head to the states. I chatted with Sherry a bit and then rested. The heat is so bad it just zaps you before you even know it. I practiced guitar (will my fingers ever get tough enough not to hurt???), watched some news on the internet and then a video. It was a good day.
Saturday morning I was getting ready to go walking when German knocked on my door and asked if I would ride with him and Edmundo to Managua to run some errands. I said sure and hurried up and got ready. My stomach was a little iffy, so I took some ginger tablets for the ride. I don’t like long car rides because of getting motion sickness. Sure enough, by the time we were in Managua, I was very sick at my stomach. We stopped at PriceSmart first to pick up some meds from a nearby pharmacy. Being out of the moving vehicle helped a lot. It just takes a while for my body to calm down. By the time we had walked around PriceSmart I was feeling much better. It was funny watching German shopping (like a little old woman). Edmundo pushed the cart and I picked up a few things. Since I’m leaving for the states in a few weeks, I didn’t want to buy a lot of stuff. German said he would help me out by eating some of the stuff. Haha We picked up some stuff for the pool maintenance and then had lunch at one of the malls. When we got back to the van, I opted to ride on the second seat so that I could sleep. I knew I would be sick if I didn’t. I was yucky before we left Managua, but luckily slept most of the way to León. When we got to the mission house, I laid down on my bed. Buster jumped up there with me, even though he knows that he is not allowed. I was so nauseous that I didn’t even want to sit upright to make him get down, so he took a nap with me. After my nap, I felt much better and started some laundry and went for a swim. Then I went to bed early!
All in all, it was a good week. I love teaching my classes. What a blessing! I love getting to walk and see things and run into people I know on the streets and buy fresh produce. I know that a lot of people would hate my life, but I love it!
April
April 7-13, 2013
Church was good. We videoed most of the service. Jorge ends up being our music director and A/V guy and everything else! After church was all put away, German and I went to the Hulsey’s for lunch. It was very yummy and we brought some chicken bones back for Buster. We stopped at La Unión to pick up a few groceries and then I came back to the team house to take a nap, work on Bible Study prep, download some music, swim, practice guitar and update my blog. No time left for a video, but I felt very happy to get so much accomplished!
Monday morning I got up early and walked to the mercadito for some produce. I moved all the A/V type of equipment out of my room and stored it in the office. My little room is getting way too crowded! I went with Lesly to buy groceries for the team house. Mayela and I talked about Feeding Center procedures and I took care of some correspondence. The afternoon was filled with the Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training class and then English Bible Study Group in the evening. It was a very pleasant and full day. I’m always tired on Monday nights, but oh, so happy!
Tuesday morning I walked to the mercadito for produce again. Then I got the chance to chat with Pastor Bryan when he stopped in. He is very happy with the Women’s ‘seminary’ and that makes me very happy to hear. I picked up my passport from the immigration office (after they granted my extension) and helped Lesly with errands (which included pricing a new fridge for my room). In the afternoon I sent some correspondence and worked with Mayela on Feeding Center files. Then I rested a little bit before church. I got to read the scripture for church service and listen to the message, since we didn’t have any kids for me teach/entertain. I finished the day with pinning the hem on some tablecloths and watching a video. Very good day.
Wednesday started out with a chat with German and then a walk to the mercadito for produce. I just love getting fresh stuff each morning! I did a little bit of sewing and then went to purchase my new fridge. I was so excited all day long. Everyone thought I was quite crazy, but it doesn’t take much to thrill me! My fridge arrived and needed to set for 24 hours before being plugged in. I swam with Lesly and Mayela and then went to dinner and just relaxed for the evening.
Thursday was another walk to the mercadito. I love getting the pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, avocados, onion, cabbage, squash, carrots, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc and bringing them home to add to the day’s menu. It’s a good incentive to walk, too! I went with Sherry for some shopping and lunch at Al Carbón. It was a nice time out. We met up with Mike and Manuel at a store to look at some chairs for the Hulsey’s house. Then we went on our way shopping. I got to swim with Mayela a little bit in the afternoon. I met Freddy at the Chinese restaurant for my Spanish tutoring time. What a yummy way to study! When I got home, it was time to jump in bed. Lovely day.
Friday morning I got up earlier than usual and walked downtown to Central Park and back. I got to see a friend, a painter I met last year, Delmy at the printer/copier place I frequent each week and stopped at the mercadito for produce. I felt good after that nice hour long walk! I gave my mom a call before having a good make-up class with Leyla and Danilo for English Bible Study Group. After lunch, Lesly and Estefanie helped me a little with the Women’s Bible Study notes. I got to swim a little bit with Mayela and German. Then German and I went to the beach to watch the sunset. We had shrimp cocktails at Suyapa and then headed back to the team house. German left for the evening and I enjoyed leftovers from my Chinese dinner the night before. I practiced my guitar and watched a video. I have to announce the return of the dreaded frogs!!! They have the loudest screams. Mary remembers them from last year when she and I were down here. They are so stinking loud! I can’t remember how long they stayed last year, but I think we’re in for some loud nights even into May.
Saturday morning I got up to walk and realized that my Nica phone needed to be charged. I don’t leave the team house without it, in case I need to call someone for an emergency. So I plugged it in for a while and got on my US phone (through the internet) and called Mary, Deanna, Sandy and Nana Ruth. I got the chance to walk downtown and dropped off Bible Study notes to be copied, walked to Desayunazo for a yummy (and cheap) breakfast, ran by the bakery, grocery store, a few other stores and back to the copy place. I had to get a taxi home because the copies were so heavy. I loved my morning! I had a nap, received a call from my friend Bismarck, did laundry and worked out 1 hour in the pool. I practiced guitar and watched a video. I was very tired, but felt wonderful from all of the fresh air and exercise!
It was a usual week and I loved it. I can’t imagine living anywhere else right now in my life. I’m thankful to God for allowing me this blessing. And I’m so thankful for my supporters who help to make it possible for me to be here! God is Good!
Monday morning I got up early and walked to the mercadito for some produce. I moved all the A/V type of equipment out of my room and stored it in the office. My little room is getting way too crowded! I went with Lesly to buy groceries for the team house. Mayela and I talked about Feeding Center procedures and I took care of some correspondence. The afternoon was filled with the Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training class and then English Bible Study Group in the evening. It was a very pleasant and full day. I’m always tired on Monday nights, but oh, so happy!
Tuesday morning I walked to the mercadito for produce again. Then I got the chance to chat with Pastor Bryan when he stopped in. He is very happy with the Women’s ‘seminary’ and that makes me very happy to hear. I picked up my passport from the immigration office (after they granted my extension) and helped Lesly with errands (which included pricing a new fridge for my room). In the afternoon I sent some correspondence and worked with Mayela on Feeding Center files. Then I rested a little bit before church. I got to read the scripture for church service and listen to the message, since we didn’t have any kids for me teach/entertain. I finished the day with pinning the hem on some tablecloths and watching a video. Very good day.
Wednesday started out with a chat with German and then a walk to the mercadito for produce. I just love getting fresh stuff each morning! I did a little bit of sewing and then went to purchase my new fridge. I was so excited all day long. Everyone thought I was quite crazy, but it doesn’t take much to thrill me! My fridge arrived and needed to set for 24 hours before being plugged in. I swam with Lesly and Mayela and then went to dinner and just relaxed for the evening.
Thursday was another walk to the mercadito. I love getting the pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, avocados, onion, cabbage, squash, carrots, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc and bringing them home to add to the day’s menu. It’s a good incentive to walk, too! I went with Sherry for some shopping and lunch at Al Carbón. It was a nice time out. We met up with Mike and Manuel at a store to look at some chairs for the Hulsey’s house. Then we went on our way shopping. I got to swim with Mayela a little bit in the afternoon. I met Freddy at the Chinese restaurant for my Spanish tutoring time. What a yummy way to study! When I got home, it was time to jump in bed. Lovely day.
Friday morning I got up earlier than usual and walked downtown to Central Park and back. I got to see a friend, a painter I met last year, Delmy at the printer/copier place I frequent each week and stopped at the mercadito for produce. I felt good after that nice hour long walk! I gave my mom a call before having a good make-up class with Leyla and Danilo for English Bible Study Group. After lunch, Lesly and Estefanie helped me a little with the Women’s Bible Study notes. I got to swim a little bit with Mayela and German. Then German and I went to the beach to watch the sunset. We had shrimp cocktails at Suyapa and then headed back to the team house. German left for the evening and I enjoyed leftovers from my Chinese dinner the night before. I practiced my guitar and watched a video. I have to announce the return of the dreaded frogs!!! They have the loudest screams. Mary remembers them from last year when she and I were down here. They are so stinking loud! I can’t remember how long they stayed last year, but I think we’re in for some loud nights even into May.
Saturday morning I got up to walk and realized that my Nica phone needed to be charged. I don’t leave the team house without it, in case I need to call someone for an emergency. So I plugged it in for a while and got on my US phone (through the internet) and called Mary, Deanna, Sandy and Nana Ruth. I got the chance to walk downtown and dropped off Bible Study notes to be copied, walked to Desayunazo for a yummy (and cheap) breakfast, ran by the bakery, grocery store, a few other stores and back to the copy place. I had to get a taxi home because the copies were so heavy. I loved my morning! I had a nap, received a call from my friend Bismarck, did laundry and worked out 1 hour in the pool. I practiced guitar and watched a video. I was very tired, but felt wonderful from all of the fresh air and exercise!
It was a usual week and I loved it. I can’t imagine living anywhere else right now in my life. I’m thankful to God for allowing me this blessing. And I’m so thankful for my supporters who help to make it possible for me to be here! God is Good!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
March 31-April 6, 2013
Easter Sunday. Very different here in Nica. Everyone has been celebrating all week long, so Sunday is spent more with family and friends than in church. We did have small gathering for morning worship and it was lovely. I worked with the kiddos.
After church, German and I went to Tip Top Chicken for lunch. We ran into the Hulseys. We joined them and had a yummy lunch. Before leaving, we ran into my sweet friend, Kelly, who is now expecting their first child. It was so wonderful to hug her! German and I stopped at a couple of pharmacies on the way home, hoping to find some meds that the Hulsey’s need.
I had a nap, downloaded some pics and videos, prepped originals for all my Bible Studies for printing, prepped my paperwork for my VISA extension and then watched a campy Mike Hammer video. It was a pretty quiet evening.
Monday morning. Jaasiel and I took a taxi to the Immigration office to get my VISA extension. No problems. Yay! Then stopped by Pan y Paz bakery for a snack before heading back to the copier place for my pages for Bible studies. We just had to wait a short time, but it was nice to chat a little more. We grabbed a taxi home.
I worked on some computer work and gave Mike some Feeding Center stats and looked up prices for my Aug-Dec stay in Nica. I message back and forth with a mom of one of the 3 interns coming from FBC Rogers this summer. I can’t wait for them to get here! I also sent out 32 more emails to sponsors for the Feeding Center kids.
It was soooo hot and there is some sickness going around, so none of the ladies from Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training class could come. Except for Yanina who has to come late because of her job. April is a bad month due to the killer heat.
We had a great time at English Bible Study Group. I finished more emails and then just went to bed to read. The heat had gotten to me, too.
Tuesday. I did some on-line shopping and on-line banking. I’m so thankful for technology, even though I know so little about it and grumble a lot of the time. I also finished my personal receipts/bookkeeping for March. Ugh, but doing it monthly is much better than when I had to put all of last year together in just 3 weeks!
Freddy came by in the morning for our 2 hours of English/Spanish tutoring for each other. Leyla came by in the afternoon for a make-up lesson on the Bible 1 & 2. Then it was time to get ready for church. It was a good service. Oscar Flores had borrowed my video camera and he brought it back just in time to join us for service. He said that he came at just the right time!! I talked to another friend named Oscar about his going back to English school. I hope that I can help him out with that. I then watched a video and went to bed. Another good day.
Wednesday. I took care of some phone calls and emails and fb messages to get things lined out for my May visit to the states. I will be able to borrow a car. YAY! I made some dr appointments and lab appointments. I called to check with my accountant for my taxes. They said they will send me an email with some questions… yikes. Then I told everyone I was taking the rest of the day off. I went to my room and laid on my bed to read for a little while and ended up falling asleep! It was great! I spent the afternoon in my room catching up on some personal Bible Study. I didn’t check facebook, emails or my phones!
About 3pm I came out of my room and talked with the girls who were swimming to cool off. Mike and Sherry had given them the afternoon off. I scared them because they thought that I had left for the day. Lol.
I called a taxi and went to have lunch at the Chinese restaurant. I knew that it would not be busy, so I had a quiet place to finish my Bible Study lesson. It was air-conditioned and I enjoyed my meal very much. What a lovely, relaxing time! I then walked to Tamara’s house for class. I stopped at a Bible Bookstore about a block from her house. Our Bible Study was very good (Beth Moore – Believing God) and the fellowship was sweet. I got to meet a new baby and a few more people in the class. I stayed after a little bit with Tamara and Sandra and then Sandra and I took a taxi home. We were scalped by a bad taxi driver, but it was late and I was glad to be home. Alberto was starting to worry about me being so late! I went straight to bed. A lovely day!
Thursday. I was doing my Bible study when Lesly brought me a yummy snack from the bakery. It’s kind of like bread pudding. Jaasiel and I talked about VBS supplies and a plan to organize them. Freddy came for our tutoring session. He stayed for lunch with us.
The girls and I are dedicating ourselves to working out and German is our coach. Lol. We took our measurements and are locking the paper up in the safe! We don’t have a scale, so we will have to wait to track our weightloss. We worked out and laughed a lot. We swam for a little bit. I worked on some computer stuff and then we all went to get ice cream. Lol! I watched a video before bed and had a very good day.
Friday. I got up early and walked to the mercadito and bought some fruit and veggies. I ran into Franklin and Glenda and bought some stuff from their little store. I walked home and got ready for class. I had some surprise visitors. Chico and Ellieth, Oscar and Jocelyn came to the class. The guys said that they wouldn’t be coming, but they want their wives to come. By the end of the class, the guys said that they want to come as often as they can. Of course, everyone is welcome!
Sherry, Lesly, Mike and I discussed some info regarding the interns. I did some more computer work and then I worked out with the girls. Jorge called to tell me that he had found a tripod for the video camera at a second hand store. I called a taxi and paid for the girls to get a ride to their destinations while I headed to the store. I was pleased to buy the tripod. Then I went to Burger King and had a salad with grilled chicken. Yummy! I looked at some stores for stick-on nametags (no luck) and stopped at Salmon to buy some juice. I ran into Sandra and Preston and she said that they had found a new place to live (a big prayer request). It was nice to run into her! I grabbed a taxi and headed home. I watched a video for the Believing God study and then watched a video for fun. Another good day!
Saturday. I didn’t get up early enough for my walk (I have to time it with the heat and also with my blood pressure meds, which say not to be in direct sunlight). So, I started in on my laundry (and some second hand clothes that the girls had bought to keep here for workouts). I exercised and organized/cleaned my room. German said he was heading downtown and I could catch a ride. So I went ahead and shopped for those crazy nametags. Never found any. But I had a great day downtown. I stopped at a different bakery and had a pineapple pastry. Then I shopped around and just walked and walked. I treated myself to an early lunch at Al Carbón. I had a big bag of stuff I had bought (mostly stuff for my room), but I went ahead and walked home. The sun had come out strong by the time I got here and I was hot and sweaty. Alberto was fussing at me because he knows that I’m not supposed to do that with my blood pressure meds. I cooled off, took a very good nap, swam for exercise and then watched another video for the Bible study. I finally finished up the laundry and got it put away. It was an excellent day!
A fun and blessed week. I’m trying not to put so much pressure on myself to be working all of the time. I always struggle with that. But I know that God has His plans and they include resting sometimes! I’m vowing to follow His plans for me day by day. What sweetness!! He blesses me so much!
After church, German and I went to Tip Top Chicken for lunch. We ran into the Hulseys. We joined them and had a yummy lunch. Before leaving, we ran into my sweet friend, Kelly, who is now expecting their first child. It was so wonderful to hug her! German and I stopped at a couple of pharmacies on the way home, hoping to find some meds that the Hulsey’s need.
I had a nap, downloaded some pics and videos, prepped originals for all my Bible Studies for printing, prepped my paperwork for my VISA extension and then watched a campy Mike Hammer video. It was a pretty quiet evening.
Monday morning. Jaasiel and I took a taxi to the Immigration office to get my VISA extension. No problems. Yay! Then stopped by Pan y Paz bakery for a snack before heading back to the copier place for my pages for Bible studies. We just had to wait a short time, but it was nice to chat a little more. We grabbed a taxi home.
I worked on some computer work and gave Mike some Feeding Center stats and looked up prices for my Aug-Dec stay in Nica. I message back and forth with a mom of one of the 3 interns coming from FBC Rogers this summer. I can’t wait for them to get here! I also sent out 32 more emails to sponsors for the Feeding Center kids.
It was soooo hot and there is some sickness going around, so none of the ladies from Women’s Bible Study Leadership Training class could come. Except for Yanina who has to come late because of her job. April is a bad month due to the killer heat.
We had a great time at English Bible Study Group. I finished more emails and then just went to bed to read. The heat had gotten to me, too.
Tuesday. I did some on-line shopping and on-line banking. I’m so thankful for technology, even though I know so little about it and grumble a lot of the time. I also finished my personal receipts/bookkeeping for March. Ugh, but doing it monthly is much better than when I had to put all of last year together in just 3 weeks!
Freddy came by in the morning for our 2 hours of English/Spanish tutoring for each other. Leyla came by in the afternoon for a make-up lesson on the Bible 1 & 2. Then it was time to get ready for church. It was a good service. Oscar Flores had borrowed my video camera and he brought it back just in time to join us for service. He said that he came at just the right time!! I talked to another friend named Oscar about his going back to English school. I hope that I can help him out with that. I then watched a video and went to bed. Another good day.
Wednesday. I took care of some phone calls and emails and fb messages to get things lined out for my May visit to the states. I will be able to borrow a car. YAY! I made some dr appointments and lab appointments. I called to check with my accountant for my taxes. They said they will send me an email with some questions… yikes. Then I told everyone I was taking the rest of the day off. I went to my room and laid on my bed to read for a little while and ended up falling asleep! It was great! I spent the afternoon in my room catching up on some personal Bible Study. I didn’t check facebook, emails or my phones!
About 3pm I came out of my room and talked with the girls who were swimming to cool off. Mike and Sherry had given them the afternoon off. I scared them because they thought that I had left for the day. Lol.
I called a taxi and went to have lunch at the Chinese restaurant. I knew that it would not be busy, so I had a quiet place to finish my Bible Study lesson. It was air-conditioned and I enjoyed my meal very much. What a lovely, relaxing time! I then walked to Tamara’s house for class. I stopped at a Bible Bookstore about a block from her house. Our Bible Study was very good (Beth Moore – Believing God) and the fellowship was sweet. I got to meet a new baby and a few more people in the class. I stayed after a little bit with Tamara and Sandra and then Sandra and I took a taxi home. We were scalped by a bad taxi driver, but it was late and I was glad to be home. Alberto was starting to worry about me being so late! I went straight to bed. A lovely day!
Thursday. I was doing my Bible study when Lesly brought me a yummy snack from the bakery. It’s kind of like bread pudding. Jaasiel and I talked about VBS supplies and a plan to organize them. Freddy came for our tutoring session. He stayed for lunch with us.
The girls and I are dedicating ourselves to working out and German is our coach. Lol. We took our measurements and are locking the paper up in the safe! We don’t have a scale, so we will have to wait to track our weightloss. We worked out and laughed a lot. We swam for a little bit. I worked on some computer stuff and then we all went to get ice cream. Lol! I watched a video before bed and had a very good day.
Friday. I got up early and walked to the mercadito and bought some fruit and veggies. I ran into Franklin and Glenda and bought some stuff from their little store. I walked home and got ready for class. I had some surprise visitors. Chico and Ellieth, Oscar and Jocelyn came to the class. The guys said that they wouldn’t be coming, but they want their wives to come. By the end of the class, the guys said that they want to come as often as they can. Of course, everyone is welcome!
Sherry, Lesly, Mike and I discussed some info regarding the interns. I did some more computer work and then I worked out with the girls. Jorge called to tell me that he had found a tripod for the video camera at a second hand store. I called a taxi and paid for the girls to get a ride to their destinations while I headed to the store. I was pleased to buy the tripod. Then I went to Burger King and had a salad with grilled chicken. Yummy! I looked at some stores for stick-on nametags (no luck) and stopped at Salmon to buy some juice. I ran into Sandra and Preston and she said that they had found a new place to live (a big prayer request). It was nice to run into her! I grabbed a taxi and headed home. I watched a video for the Believing God study and then watched a video for fun. Another good day!
Saturday. I didn’t get up early enough for my walk (I have to time it with the heat and also with my blood pressure meds, which say not to be in direct sunlight). So, I started in on my laundry (and some second hand clothes that the girls had bought to keep here for workouts). I exercised and organized/cleaned my room. German said he was heading downtown and I could catch a ride. So I went ahead and shopped for those crazy nametags. Never found any. But I had a great day downtown. I stopped at a different bakery and had a pineapple pastry. Then I shopped around and just walked and walked. I treated myself to an early lunch at Al Carbón. I had a big bag of stuff I had bought (mostly stuff for my room), but I went ahead and walked home. The sun had come out strong by the time I got here and I was hot and sweaty. Alberto was fussing at me because he knows that I’m not supposed to do that with my blood pressure meds. I cooled off, took a very good nap, swam for exercise and then watched another video for the Bible study. I finally finished up the laundry and got it put away. It was an excellent day!
A fun and blessed week. I’m trying not to put so much pressure on myself to be working all of the time. I always struggle with that. But I know that God has His plans and they include resting sometimes! I’m vowing to follow His plans for me day by day. What sweetness!! He blesses me so much!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
March 24-30, 2013
A funny thing happened when I came out of my room on Saturday morning. I had slept in until about 7:30 (after seeing the FBC Rogers team off to the airport at 3:30am). I came out of my room and saw one of the drivers here. Danilo was supposed to drop off the van and go home. I asked what he was doing and he said that the married couple didn’t get on the plane and were waiting at the hotel across from the airport for him to pick them up and bring them back here. I immediately checked my phones and sure enough, I had missed calls while I was asleep. I called Mike and apologized for missing the calls and he said he had missed them on his phone, too. Finally, Rusty had contacted Charlie Brown in the states and Charlie had sent us emails and facebook messages. How crazy!
It turns out that the tickets for Rusty and Lynn were issued with a return date of the 26th instead of the 23rd. Oh my! We put clean sheets on their bed and waited for them to arrive. Since we had extra staff that day to clean the rooms, Erika was working and cooked lunch for us. We had arroz aguado, one of my favorites. I called Danilo and used his phone to speak to Rusty. I let them know that they could have lunch with us and not to stop on the road and spend money on food. They got here about 1 or so and got settled back into their room.
We had a great time of talking about what the Lord is up to in their lives and just relaxed a little bit. Buster decided to swim with Rusty and lounged on the raft with him. The Hulsey’s had invited us over for dinner and then the plans got changed a couple of times and we ended up meeting them at Al Carbón restaurant, one of my favorites (I have lots of favorites). It was a fun evening of chatting and eating and relaxing. It was nice for them to see how things are here when there aren’t 30+ extra North Americans and 20+ VOH staff running around. ☺
Sunday morning, we all get ready for church and Rusty preached. It was a nice time. Then we went to Mike and Sherry’s for lunch. It was a very nice time of relaxing and talking and Manuel entertained us and we all had a great time. We got back to the team house and Rusty and Lynn swam and then watched a movie while I did a make-up lesson with Freddy on the English Bible Study. I finished up some laundry and then got in the pool with Rusty and Lynn. It was a good day.
On Monday, I got some computer stuff done in the morning. Franklin came by to pick up his Bible that I had the team bring down. Bryan and Marcela stopped by. Then Rusty and Lynn went with the Hulsey’s to run some errands and see some houses and sites around León. The Praise band came to practice and they had some extra musicians who were great!
Lesbia came for the Women’s Bible Study, but since it is Holy Week, none of the other ladies came. So we just visited a little bit. Erika wanted to redo my toes since she didn’t like the bows that she had experimented with. I never turn her down! I did some more Bible Study and then some of the English Bible Study Group came over. Since it’s Holy Week, we won’t meet on Friday, so I didn’t want the Monday group to get too far ahead. We reviewed and talked with a new student. It’s awesome to see how much the students have taken in. They are so dedicated!
Rusty and Lynn had went into Managua and stayed at the hotel across from the airport for their early departure tomorrow. I watched a video and called it a night.
I spent most of the week taking care of communication with future teams, working on lesson plans for the 2 Bible Studies that I teach, organized some stuff in my new binders that the team brought me, burned some cds, etc. It was a quiet week and I definitely didn’t want to get out and drive too much on Holy Week. They block of streets at what seems like random whims.
Bryan was going to borrow the projector to show the Passion of the Christ video to 2 of the churches. I had him scared to death about taking care of it. I got to chat with Sherry a bit while it’s quiet. She wants to go over the procedures for the Feeding Center tracking to see about taking some of the burden off of me. She helped for a couple of hours on one small part of the procedures and then declared new procedures which will be much less labor intensive. Okay by me!!!
I went to get my haircut, but wasn’t sure about the streets. So I waited until the workers were ready to leave and asked Jorge to drive me. We took the workers to their requested stops and then I kept the van to drive home (since the streets weren’t too bad). I loved my haircut. It feels so good being very, very short! I got back to the team house and took a quick dip in the pool. That was very nice!
On Wednesday and Thursday, I prepared and sent 75 letters via email to some of our Feeding Center sponsors. I have gotten lots of calls from friends and English students. I love getting to help them practice their English. But I want to practice my Spanish, too!
Friday was prep day for the Easter celebration with the VOH workers on Sat. Sherry boiled about 12 dozen eggs. Mike, Manuel and I helped eat some of the cracked ones. We all had to do our part! Manuel and I stuffed coins and candy in a couple of hundred eggs. Sherry baked a few cakes. I took a nap while they swam. It was a good day!
I worked on Bible Study notes for classes and emails and facebook updates and blog updates. I did some hand sewing in the evening while watching some videos. I really enjoyed my evening!
Saturday!!! The VOH Family Easter Party! We had so much fun! Everyone, including the adults love to hunt for the eggs. Sherry and I hid the eggs while Mike kept Manuel and Francisco busy. Buster had to be sequestered because we found out last year that he likes to hunt eggs, too. I helped the kids (and some adults) dye most of the 12 dozen eggs and the kids swam while waiting on everyone to get here. (always late in Nica) Then we had a crazy time of gathering the eggs. It didn’t take long! The adults were allowed to choose 2 stuffed plastic eggs with prizes. Some got $20 US, some got Nica money, some got packages of Oreo cookies, some got rice/beans/sugar. They all loved it! Then there was more swimming while Mike grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. Sherry had made baked beans and we had chips, buns and all the trimmings. Soda was a big hit and the cakes were delicious! Everyone enjoyed the meal. There was more swimming and then everyone started going home. German took a group home in the back of our new truck. I put a video of them driving off on my facebook page. In fact, I put a lot of pics and videos of the day on my facebook page. The Hulsey’s left and Buster and I retired to my room for a nap. It was 2:39pm and the perfect time for a nap!
I did some laundry, made some phone calls, uploaded the pics and videos and watched a video. It was a great day! I love being able to spend time with everyone down here. They are all so special. God has truly blessed me!!
It turns out that the tickets for Rusty and Lynn were issued with a return date of the 26th instead of the 23rd. Oh my! We put clean sheets on their bed and waited for them to arrive. Since we had extra staff that day to clean the rooms, Erika was working and cooked lunch for us. We had arroz aguado, one of my favorites. I called Danilo and used his phone to speak to Rusty. I let them know that they could have lunch with us and not to stop on the road and spend money on food. They got here about 1 or so and got settled back into their room.
We had a great time of talking about what the Lord is up to in their lives and just relaxed a little bit. Buster decided to swim with Rusty and lounged on the raft with him. The Hulsey’s had invited us over for dinner and then the plans got changed a couple of times and we ended up meeting them at Al Carbón restaurant, one of my favorites (I have lots of favorites). It was a fun evening of chatting and eating and relaxing. It was nice for them to see how things are here when there aren’t 30+ extra North Americans and 20+ VOH staff running around. ☺
Sunday morning, we all get ready for church and Rusty preached. It was a nice time. Then we went to Mike and Sherry’s for lunch. It was a very nice time of relaxing and talking and Manuel entertained us and we all had a great time. We got back to the team house and Rusty and Lynn swam and then watched a movie while I did a make-up lesson with Freddy on the English Bible Study. I finished up some laundry and then got in the pool with Rusty and Lynn. It was a good day.
On Monday, I got some computer stuff done in the morning. Franklin came by to pick up his Bible that I had the team bring down. Bryan and Marcela stopped by. Then Rusty and Lynn went with the Hulsey’s to run some errands and see some houses and sites around León. The Praise band came to practice and they had some extra musicians who were great!
Lesbia came for the Women’s Bible Study, but since it is Holy Week, none of the other ladies came. So we just visited a little bit. Erika wanted to redo my toes since she didn’t like the bows that she had experimented with. I never turn her down! I did some more Bible Study and then some of the English Bible Study Group came over. Since it’s Holy Week, we won’t meet on Friday, so I didn’t want the Monday group to get too far ahead. We reviewed and talked with a new student. It’s awesome to see how much the students have taken in. They are so dedicated!
Rusty and Lynn had went into Managua and stayed at the hotel across from the airport for their early departure tomorrow. I watched a video and called it a night.
I spent most of the week taking care of communication with future teams, working on lesson plans for the 2 Bible Studies that I teach, organized some stuff in my new binders that the team brought me, burned some cds, etc. It was a quiet week and I definitely didn’t want to get out and drive too much on Holy Week. They block of streets at what seems like random whims.
Bryan was going to borrow the projector to show the Passion of the Christ video to 2 of the churches. I had him scared to death about taking care of it. I got to chat with Sherry a bit while it’s quiet. She wants to go over the procedures for the Feeding Center tracking to see about taking some of the burden off of me. She helped for a couple of hours on one small part of the procedures and then declared new procedures which will be much less labor intensive. Okay by me!!!
I went to get my haircut, but wasn’t sure about the streets. So I waited until the workers were ready to leave and asked Jorge to drive me. We took the workers to their requested stops and then I kept the van to drive home (since the streets weren’t too bad). I loved my haircut. It feels so good being very, very short! I got back to the team house and took a quick dip in the pool. That was very nice!
On Wednesday and Thursday, I prepared and sent 75 letters via email to some of our Feeding Center sponsors. I have gotten lots of calls from friends and English students. I love getting to help them practice their English. But I want to practice my Spanish, too!
Friday was prep day for the Easter celebration with the VOH workers on Sat. Sherry boiled about 12 dozen eggs. Mike, Manuel and I helped eat some of the cracked ones. We all had to do our part! Manuel and I stuffed coins and candy in a couple of hundred eggs. Sherry baked a few cakes. I took a nap while they swam. It was a good day!
I worked on Bible Study notes for classes and emails and facebook updates and blog updates. I did some hand sewing in the evening while watching some videos. I really enjoyed my evening!
Saturday!!! The VOH Family Easter Party! We had so much fun! Everyone, including the adults love to hunt for the eggs. Sherry and I hid the eggs while Mike kept Manuel and Francisco busy. Buster had to be sequestered because we found out last year that he likes to hunt eggs, too. I helped the kids (and some adults) dye most of the 12 dozen eggs and the kids swam while waiting on everyone to get here. (always late in Nica) Then we had a crazy time of gathering the eggs. It didn’t take long! The adults were allowed to choose 2 stuffed plastic eggs with prizes. Some got $20 US, some got Nica money, some got packages of Oreo cookies, some got rice/beans/sugar. They all loved it! Then there was more swimming while Mike grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. Sherry had made baked beans and we had chips, buns and all the trimmings. Soda was a big hit and the cakes were delicious! Everyone enjoyed the meal. There was more swimming and then everyone started going home. German took a group home in the back of our new truck. I put a video of them driving off on my facebook page. In fact, I put a lot of pics and videos of the day on my facebook page. The Hulsey’s left and Buster and I retired to my room for a nap. It was 2:39pm and the perfect time for a nap!
I did some laundry, made some phone calls, uploaded the pics and videos and watched a video. It was a great day! I love being able to spend time with everyone down here. They are all so special. God has truly blessed me!!
March 17-23, 2013 Spring Break Missions
I love the Spring Break Mission week because for the past few years, it has been a team of Youth and Adults from FBC Rogers AR and FBC Yukon OK. I love getting to see friends and these groups are fantastic to work with!
Even though we got to bed late (1am) everyone got up early and had breakfast and then we had to reset the common area for church service. We had a joint service with some of our church plants and we bussed in some of the people. We had 36 team members here, plus translators. It was a great crowd! Some of the folks from La Quimera brought cakes to celebrate my birthday (again). I am really blessed!
Nate (Youth Pastor at FBCY) and some of his team ministered to the Nica youth boys under a big shade tree. Some of the Youth on his team also took the Nica youth girls under another tree and ministered to them. FBCR had some volunteers who helped to teach the kids at another area. It was a packed house and a lot going on. Poor Buster (the dog) had to be sequestered, but even he was excited! After service, we had baptisms in the pool. Many people from the different churches, mainly La Quimera, were baptized. It was wonderful.
After everyone left for home, we reset the common area to feed the team their lunch. Then we had orientation with the team, packing of prizes and other supplies needed for the Fiestas and VBS sessions for the week, sorting of the ministry supplies brought to us, sorting of donated clothing, etc. A very busy time for everyone! A little rest followed, and then everyone split into groups for evening worship in different churches and then came back for dinner and bedtime. It was a great first day!
Monday morning was crazy busy with everyone getting their assignments (12 translators and 4 drivers plus all the VOH staff). Even though the team is here for a jam-packed week of ministry, the usual stuff still has to go on. The Feeding Centers still feed over 600 lunch each day M-F, the meat and produce still needs to be bought weekly for the Feeding Centers, and the team house needs to be cleaned and organized and groceries bought often! I spent most of my time with the team, but also helped out with regular VOH stuff (like helping Lesly buy groceries, etc).
One of the FBCR team members (Abby) has spent her last 3 birthdays here in Nica. Also, this year, one of the adults (Deborah) and 2 of our staff (Mayela and German) shared birthdays this same week. Sherry baked some cakes and we all had a yummy time!
Everyday was so packed with ministry and teams coming and going. It was like a huge square dance. As usual, everything changes on a dime here, but the teams were very good at going with the flow. They were wonderful to work with! I was very hot hot HOT!!! We didn’t have any casualties, though! Everyone kept drinking lots of water and looking for shade. The pool got quite the workout, too. We were thankful that we didn’t have any water issues here at the house. (even though we did have some plumbing issues that just goes with an older place in a third world country). Everyone was good sports about it all.
We did 21 Fiestas, 4 VBS sessions, 1 afternoon of construction, 7 worship services, 1 delivery of food and evangelism to the folks living at the dump, visits to 5 Feeding Centers, a LOT of street evangelism, had a picnic dinner at sunset on the beach, had a picnic dinner at a worksite, changed for church in a convenience store and numerous other things that I can’t recall at this moment. It was a very busy and fun week. 614 people accepted Christ this week. Some of the team shared their testimonies for the first time ever. There were many blessings flowing all over us! God has been good to us!
On Friday morning, the FBC Yukon team packed up their luggage and both teams loaded onto 4 vans for our Fun Day in Masaya and Managua. I went this time since our 4 designated translators had never went on our Fun Day excursion before. (going on Fun Day is not all that much fun for the staff after many trips. But I enjoyed going with these teams!) We dropped the FBCY luggage at the hotel across from the airport. Then headed to the canopy tour (zip line). It was a total of 4 hours between the team house and the canopy tour. Thankfully, we got there and got right on it and did not have to wait on any big groups before us. Most of the teams zipped. The rest of us rested at the nice tables and chairs on the covered porch.
Then we headed to Managua for lunch. The construction on the highway was very slow and we hit it many times. But everyone was in good cheer. (they had no clue that we were being slowed down so much. All part of the experience for them!) We had lunch at Narcy’s. Part of it is a chicken (and other things) restaurant and part is Pappa John’s Pizza. Yummy! But like all restaurants in Nica, very slow. Part of the group had finished and gotten back on the vans while part of us were still waiting on our food. 2 of the translators actually took their food to go and ate it on the vans. But it was all okay.
We went to Catarina to shop. It’s beautiful there. In the background is a lake made from an extinct volcano. It’s a great picture spot. We took one overall group photo and then a photo of each team. I had each team make a quick video for Mary. She loved it, by the way. Everyone had 1 hour to shop. They were ready when the hour was up.
We made our way back to the hotel across from the airport and said goodbye to the Yukon group. It was 5:45pm. We were doing pretty good on time, considering we were slowed down by 2 stops at the hotel and then the road construction. On the way back to León it got a little more interesting. The AC in one of the vans quit, but everyone was great about that. I think they were happy that they could spread out in the 4 vans after leaving the 14 people at the hotel. Also on the way home, one of the vans (the one I was in) started overheating. It’s a desolate road between Managua and León, with few towns and they are small. God allowed the van to make it to Nagarote to the Palí store, where we bought water for the radiator. We then made it to the next town of La Paz Centro, where we stopped at a little gas station and put in more water, gassed up the vans and moved all the people to the 3 good vans. I sent Freddy, one of the translators with the driver in the sick van, so that I could talk to him in English to know what was going on. Danilo and the other drivers were in contact with German throughout the day, as usual, so I knew that we were going to be stranded or anything like that.
We made it back to León at 10pm. Super long day. Super long ride back from Managua. We stopped at La Unión and some people went into the grocery store to buy coffee to take home, some of the team went to Tip Top (which was extremely slow) for take out and most of the team went to Burger King (which was very fast!) and got their dinners to go. We got back to the team house, ate, and the team packed for the return trip to Managua the next morning. It was a very long day, but everyone had fun. Like I said, this is a great team to work with!
We all settled down around midnight and got up to load the vans at 3am. The team left at 3:30am for the airport. Buster and I went back to bed. He was sad to see the team leave, but I think he was ready for some peace and quiet and just chase the neighbors and their dogs and wrestle with our cat. He’s a pretty good host for the teams, though. I started missing the teams immediately. Can’t wait until they come back next Spring Break!
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