April 11-25, 2014

Well, God had me hit the ground running when I got back to AR.  I usually try to get all the ‘work’ done and all the shopping taken care of and then visit with friends, but God allowed me to sprinkle work and shopping amongst the visiting. 

I have been on the go constantly, but it has been very enjoyable and I’ve loved every minute!  Every day I get to visit with 2 or more people.  One day I had 3 meal dates and 2 in-between visits.  That was a busy day!

God has provided so that I can get some things ordered over the internet to have items here to pack to take back.  I’m excited to take stuff for the house and for the Bible Studies especially.  I always stress about packing, so that won’t be any different, but I’m so blessed to have so much donated to the ministry.

By the time I return to Nica, I will have had the opportunity to speak to 5 Adult Life Groups about the ministry.  From April 11-25, I have had the opportunity to speak to 25 different people about Living Grace.  I still have many people scheduled for the next few weeks.  God is opening doors and preparing the way to have many prayer supporters and financial partners for the ministry.  I’m loving getting to tell people about it.

I’ve had a few dr appointments to get checkups.  I’ve been blessed to get new glasses, thanks to a special donor and money earned from selling Nica coffee.  Another friend gifted me with the chance to get some essential oils to better my health.  I’ll also be able to upgrade my phone on this trip.  Someone made it possible for me to get a computer to use for the ministry house.  Such blessings!!!

My niece finally found out that she is having a baby girl in August!  It’s the only girl grandbaby on both sides of the family!  Woohoo!!  I’m so excited!

I didn’t get the chance to go to IN to see family this trip, but will go there for Christmas in December.  It’s hard to be gone from Nica for very long.  So therefore, it’s hard to get everywhere I’d like to when I’m in the states.  Maybe I can sneak a quick week to IN sometime during the summer.  We’ll have to see if God provides a plane ticket.  J

I can’t wait to get back to Nica with all the new Bible Study materials.  And it will be so fun to get the sewing/workshop organized and working.  I love my job!  Thank You Lord!!

April 1-10, 2014

It’s April!  Time is marching on!  This is the hottest month of the year for Nica.  It’s no wonder that myself and 3 of my missionary friends are headed to the states for a visit!  Lol

Work continues on the house.   More mess, more surprises, more challenges and more blessings! 

I’ve been so blessed by visits from friends.  I just love having my own place where people feel free to stop by.  A much welcome change from the past couple of years.  People stop by for different reasons.  Some to just chat and catch up, some for prayer over specific needs, some to talk about working on the house, some to offer help with the ministry.  It’s all fun!  I love how God is bringing all the details of the ministry together!

I met some more missionaries this week.  I love getting to meet more people here working in the areas that God has prepared and called them to.  It’s a great network of missionaries to prayer over each other, encourage each other, study together and serve together.  I am blessed!

The main painting is done.  About 30 gallons of paint has been bought!  Light fixtures are being installed (a total of 19).  Electrical outlets are being added to 3 rooms.  3 ceiling fans have been added (making a total of 4).  It’s all moving along very well.  Ceramic tiles have been bought for the kitchen and that work will be done after I return from the states in mid-May.  Sofia’s uncle is going to do that installation and Memo is going to do the rest of the work in the kitchen.  By the end of May, it should all be done.  I’m so excited!

We’ve had a few earthquakes which make the floors shake.  I was awakened twice in one night by the bed moving.  We also had some problems with electricity and water availability.  Not fun when it’s the hottest month of the year! But it’s all good.

My friend Gayle donated money toward a ceiling fan for my bedroom.  After we put it up, I woke up the next morning with a large grasshopper in my bed.  I guess he liked the breeze, too.  I have been so blessed by friends and supporters.  God is good!

I got to have lunch and dinner with a lot of friends before leaving for the states.  The last few days were a whirlwind and my brain was so tired of thinking about things.  I wasn’t really in the mood to leave, since the house still had work to be done and I could start organizing the sewing workshop and stuff.  But I was looking forward to visit friends in AR and sharing about the ministry. 

I was so tired when I got up at 2:30am on Thursday to leave for the airport.  I got a little carsick on the way to the airport and had to lay the seat back for half of the way there.  I did get to nap on both planes, which helped some.  I have to say I was very happy to get to Deanna’s and fall into bed.  I’m thankful for safe and uneventful travel.  I was blessed to have time at the Atlanta airport for read some good Christian books on my Kindle while waiting on my plane.  It was all good.

The main thing about travel day was that earthquakes started hitting around Managua and got kind of scary over the next few days.  People in the states kept telling me that I was lucky to leave when I did.  But my heart kept telling me that I should be in Nica with everyone.   But God is sovereign and He had a reason for me to be in the states during that time.  He is faithful!

March 24-31, 2014

Life is going by fast.  So much going on at the house.  Working hard to get everything done before I leave for the states on April 10.  There is a lot of work that needs to be done all over the house.  Repairs, replacing broken or rotten stuff, prep for painting, etc.  But it is all getting done.  It’s hard sometimes to keep our sanity when the house is in endless shambles.  But it’s progress and it will all be good.

Lots of errands and visitors.  Tamara and family left for the states for a 6 week visit.  Maritza comes and goes for short trips.  Jasmina stayed for a few weeks while working as a translator in León.  Friends stop by.  We’re still having English Bible Study classes, even though we never know which room we will be able to meet in.  Some of the students have trouble coming on a designated class time, so I’ve been doing some individual classes.  I don’t mind at all.  I love getting one on one and small group time with everyone. 

The charger cord for my laptop quit working.  I can’t find a replacement in Nica.  So, I had to start using my phone and Kindle for internet usage.  Needless to say, I only sent brief messages and posts, since I had to type with one finger.  With the challenge of not being able to use the computer much at all, I found that I had more time to plan and think and pray and do things the old fashioned way by making notes and writing things out.  It was funny that the day I got internet back, I lost the ability to charge the computer.  But it was still all good.  God keeps everything going along on His schedule in His way.

I had a few interesting conversations with the workers.  If you want challenges, do a little light construction and remodeling in a third world country.  But every day and every conversation is an opportunity to share Jesus.  Sometimes, it’s hard to keep the human-ness out of the exchanges. 

Leticia, our neighbor and mother of the landlord, passed away at the end of the month.  The custom in Nica is to have a wake at the house and then have a funeral and burial the next day.  Maritza and I went next door to visit Danelia.  I know that it will be difficult for her without her mother. 

I’ve been sewing curtains, curtains and more curtains!  Lots of big windows in the house.  My friend Sandy is helping me.  I’m so thankful that I could get the fabric for $1 per yard, since I had to buy 95 yards.  I will have some left over to make some table cloths, so that will be fun.

My niece was supposed to find out if her third child is a girl or boy this week, but the ultrasound was inconclusive.  Arg!!!

All in all, it’s been an action packed month and lots more to come.  God is so faithful to bring into the ministry all that He has planned.  My job is to be attentive, open and ready to be obedient.  I love the life He is giving me to live.  He’s the best!

March 16-23, 2014

Jasmina called me early Sunday morning to see if she could stay at my house this week while she worked as a translator for VOH ministry.  I told her that the house is all crazy for renovations, but that I had a bed in a relatively clean room that she could sleep in.  She is always welcome.

After church, Jalisa and I were going to have lunch and then head out to her house for the afternoon, so that I could use her internet and do my Bible Study via Skype.  We got in her car and the battery was dead.  We then took a taxi to the place where we were going to grab lunch.  On the way, Jalisa realized that her house keys were back at Tamara’s house, so I jumped out and ordered our food while she made a return trip for the keys.  I had on a skirt that was flying around in the wind and she had on a fancy dress from church.  We were standing on the side of the highway trying to flag down a taxi.  It was funny.  We finally made it to her house.  The Bible Study went fine (except for the usual Skype problems) and when I finished, we walked back to the highway to try to get a ride back into town.  It was very dark and it was impossible to see what kind of vehicle was coming until it got right next to us.  We called a friend, but he couldn’t help us and then my phone ran out of minutes.  It was crazy.  We finally got a taxi and when we pulled up in front of my house, Maritza was trying to figure out a way to come and get us.  Between cars not working, phone not working, it was a typical Nica day!  Lol  I got home and did some emails and computer stuff and then headed to bed. 

I ran to the bank early on Monday and then by the grocery.  I also checked prices on washing machines in two stores for future reference.  Sofia washes our clothes by hand and I want to get a machine as soon as I can, but there are other things on the top of the priority list for now.  I also stopped to order a new mattress for Sofia’s bed.  I got back home by mid morning and got some work done.  Jasmina arrived after work and settled in to the office, which has a spare bed.  We had English Bible Study Group and then I ran over and paid my rent.  It was a full day.

My friend Kellie is working on getting a couple of trunks that I packed in January down here with the team coming from my church.  I will be so happy to get them! 

I met a lady named Juanita, who walks down our street every day with a big metal bowl of fruits and veggies on her head.  I bought some avocados and mangos from her.  I want to get her picture one of these days.  I helped her take the bowl down from her head and it is heavy!!!  Probably 50+ pounds!  I don’t know how she does it!

My friend Rydder came over for a visit with a missionary couple I had not met yet.  Their names are Josh and Betty Peace.  It was great to chat with them and I’m very excited to expand the network of missionaries that I can pray with and encourage.

The work on the house has had its ups and downs.  It’s been frustrating most of the time.  Dealing with all of the dust and such is driving me crazy.  I used to watch home improvement shows on tv and when the people would whine about the time and dirt and chaos, I would tell them to suck it up and that they were getting a nice reno soon.  I now know how they feel.  Even though I know it will be all done in a couple more weeks, I’m ready to get out of the dust and mess and chaos!!  Lol

Sofia thinks it’s funny to cook in the crockpot (silly North Americans), but she did love the tenderness of the meat!  It makes a big difference and I’m so thankful for getting to buy one, even if it was expensive.  I also got a toaster oven so that I won’t have to use the propane oven for small things.  Our kitchen will be decked out with small appliances.  Looks like a shelf at Walmart!  Lol.  The reason I bought/brought so many small appliances is because I thought I would probably live in a tiny house without a stove or anything.  But the items have come in handy, non the less. 

The ceiling finally got painted and then I made them sand it off and do it right, so technically, it got painted twice.  It looks good now.  I was so excited when they started painting the walls in the front rooms of the house.  Then the paint peeled off.  Sometimes, I just have to shake my head.  So the guys are sanding down the walls as much as possible and putting a watered down primer on them.  Painting should resume on Monday.  I’ll be so glad to get it done!

I got to hold baby Ilia next door.  Jason is in the middle of renovating the big house and Issa has had some family from the states visiting, along with Jason’s mom.  So, I have not wanted to bother them too much.  It was so fun to hold that precious 1 month old baby girl. 

On Friday, I ran some early errands and stopped in at Pan y Paz French bakery for some treats for the guys.  I got the chance to chat some strategy with Maritza and Jasmina and made some changes to my plans for the house.  Earlier in the week, I rode along with Jalisa to get a new car battery.  On Friday, I rode along with Tamara to some hardware stores to get stuff for finishing the classroom at her mission community.  Glad to be of service!

I had 2 for the Friday morning English Bible Study Group and we had to meet in the office, since the classrooms are under renovation.  I also had one student for a make up session on Friday evening. 

Jasmina went with me to the grocery store and then we relaxed at the house for a while.  After everyone was gone for the night, I swept the messy living room and dining room classrooms and put the rockers and table back in place.  It’s just a bandaid until they start work again on Monday, but it made me feel better!  I then sat in one of the rockers and just talked to Jesus for half an hour.  What a sweet time!

On Saturday, I wanted to take it easy on my brain.  Haha.  Jasmina and I went to the Claro office and started a monthly plan for my Nica phone.  Now I have unlimited calls to Claro numbers, some minutes to the Movistar customers and some free texting each month.  It will be so much easier!  We ran a few errands and then got back home before noon.  Jasmina caught a noon bus to Estelí to visit her fiancé and family for a few days before coming back to León to work this coming week.  I took a nap in the hot afternoon.  Estefanie visited for a few minutes and then Eyner brought my special ‘Jesus table’ and put in the bench tops on the planters.  I was very excited!  Another great day.

The weeks seem to go by fast, but then so much happens that it seems like they are longer than just a week.  There is so much more to do before I leave for the states on April 10.  I think I’ll have internet back up soon and that will help a lot.  Having a clean space to work from will help, too.  Then everything will be pretty much ready to add classes to the schedule and begin more ministry stuff. 

God is sovereign and I trust His timing.  I just get a little bit a head of Him sometimes.  I’m grateful for the ways that He gets me back in line.  He is Faithful!!!

March 9-15, 2014

The week started off with my Birthday!  The congregation sang to me before the service.  It was sweet.  Besides the great music and message, we also observed the Lord’s Supper.  It was wonderful.  I really feel the Holy Spirit at the church and I’m so thankful to have a place to go and be filled and renewed and to worship my heart out!  Jalisa and I went out for lunch and grabbed a few items from the grocery store.  I came home and had a nice visit from Franklin and his mother, Angela, who brought me 2 fresh fish from the market and sang a birthday song in Spanish to me.  Then I did my Bible Study on Skype for the rest of the day.  It was a nice birthday.

Monday was a hard morning for me.  I wasn’t feeling well, the house was a crazy mess from the construction getting started, it was so hot…  I was very cranky.  Some of us ladies were headed over to Jalisa’s house for a crepe brunch that Maritza wanted to host.  I really didn’t want to go, but felt that it would be more trouble to not go, so I went.  We had crepes and then spent some time in the prayer room.  I did a lot of praying and crying and just being emotional.  I think I just needed some release.  I got back home and after lunch, took a much needed nap. 

Bryan and Marcela came by for a visit.  It was so good to see them!  I miss the Nica workers from voh very much.  They are like family to me.  The rest of the evening was spend doing English Bible Study Group.  I always love sharing Jesus with this group. 

Tuesday morning, I did some work on the computer.  Then Estefanie and went over to the workshop of Eyner, who is a carpenter and husband of my friend and student Anielka.  He had samples of his work and pictures.  I commissioned him to make me a small side table for my ‘Jesus corner’ of my bedroom.  I do my quiet time there and have my favorite rocker.  Eyner will also make the bench covers for the brick planters that divide the living room and dining room.  Estefanie and I walked home from Eyner’s place and stopped off at Palí for a few groceries.

Francisco and I made a list of the electrical stuff we need to buy at the Sinsa store (owned by Ace Hardware) in Managua.  Sofia and I had dinner from the new comedor (tiny restaurant) 2 doors down.  It was yummy!  I visited with Maritza a little before bed.  James and Sofia cleaned up the weeds and trash along my part of the sidewalk in front of the house.  A very productive day.

On Wednesday, I visited my friend Tamara a few doors down.  I love having neighbors!!  She was getting ready to leave for Managua for the day and her driver is my current head worker, so Memo will be working alone today.  While working on the house repairs, we discovered a hive of bees in the tree that grows in my main garden area.  The gardens are inside the houses.  We made some calls and it seems that the normal thing to do is to call the fire department.  Kind of like calling them for a cat up in a tree.  Ha  Anyway, the firemen said that would be here about dusk and for me to buy 5 pounds of laundry detergent and have 200 córdabas ready.  (about $8 US).  My friend Jalisa came over for us to order pizza for dinner.  Then the firemen came with their shiny new truck.  They put the laundry soap in the water tank of the truck and waited for it to dissolve.  They had us girls go to the bedrooms and close all of the (louvered glass) windows and shut the doors.  Oh, and we had to keep the lights off so the bees would think it was time for sleep.  Then one of the guys put on protective clothing and got a ladder.  They pulled the big fire hose in through the front door.  Then they blasted the bees with the soapy water from the hose.  I watched from the closed window of the office.  It was dark, but I could see a little bit of what was going on.  After blasting all the water out of the tank, they then climbed the ladder and sprayed the tree with insect repellant.  The ground had lots of white foam and soaked bees.  Since I’m North American, I was charged 300 córdabas ($12) instead of the 200.  But it was worth it to me!  About the time they left, our pizza arrived and we just acted like it was life as normal.  One thing I forgot to do, was tell the neighbor, whose garden is on the other side of my wall, and therefore open to the sky, that we were blasting soapy water.  They were shocked at first, especially to have this white stuff and bees coming over the wall.  But they understood and weren’t mad.  Thank goodness!  They also happen to be the landlord!!  Lol

On Thursday, I got to ride along to Managua while Tamara had to make a visit to the American Embassy.  After dropping her off, Francisco and I headed to the nearest Sinsa store.  It took a couple of hours, 3 shopping carts, 2 hand baskets and 2 boxes to get all we needed.  But we are going to be changing 19 light fixtures and running some new outlets.  I also found 2 floor lamps and a perfect lamp for my bedroom.  These things are expensive here, but I was very excited to get them.  The floor lamps will be great to use in the living-room/class-room.  I can’t wait to get all of that done.  After my shopping and Tamara’s visit to the Embassy, we had Tip Top Chicken for lunch and then headed back to León.  It was a very long day and sooooo hot.  But we got a lot done!

Friday was a day of errands and talking with people.  Maritza and I ate dinner out at a restaurant named Porky’s.  It’s a pretty nice place for here and they had good food.  They have Cuban dishes, too.  Since Maritz is Cuban, she liked that.  We walked home and enjoyed the coolness (70s) of the evening. 

Saturday morning, Maritza picked up a few mattresses that I had ordered for the spare beds.  Sofia and I ran errands and got some groceries.  We had lunch at Burger King and then headed home.  I worked on my personal Bible Study and then went to bed early.

It was a good week.  A lot of work is being done on the house.  Mostly repairs and prep for the painting.  It’s costly, but it’s great to get it done.  I can’t wait!  God has blessed me with this ministry and this house.  I’m ready to rock and roll with classes and all the other ways that He is going to use this place.  I’m very thankful.

March 1-8, 2014

It’s March!  Yay! 

On Saturday, I ran lots of errands and then had a nice nap.  My friends Jason and Issa are remodeling a very big, very old, very neglected house next door to me, which will become the new Harvest House Guesthouse.  He previously ran 3 smaller houses, one of which I rented a room and another one which I am renting for myself and the ministry.   Anyway, Jason’s parents are here to help him out.  His mom Maritza is here for a couple of months.  His dad Eddie is here for a couple of weeks.  I enjoy both of them very much.  They are such hard workers!  Anyway, Sofia and I were invited to dinner with them and we had a great time.  It was the first outing for baby Ilia and her mamma Issa was very happy to get out of the house.  We had dinner at Al Carbón, one of my favorite restaurants.  It was delicious.  We doubled up to share desserts and the chocolate cake with strawberries was heavenly!

Early Sunday morning (about 3:30am) I was awake reading in bed when I felt the bed start shaking.  It was an earthquake about 50 miles away.  It lasted for a while and I didn’t want to move so that I could feel it as long as it lasted.  My friend Estefanie called to make sure that Sofia and I were okay.  People told me later that they heard rumbling, but I have a pleasantly loud fan that I sleep with, so I didn’t hear anything.  I was awakened about an hour later and was told that there was an aftershock at about that time.  It’s the fourth or fifth quake that I’ve felt here in Nica over the years.  I wasn’t scared.  It’s kind of neat.  No one was hurt in the area near the epicenter, so it was all good.

Sofia and I went to Maxi Palí after church so that we could buy some groceries.  Then my Skype Bible study was cancelled because the ladies in TX were iced in and couldn’t get together for the video conference.  A friend visited and I got a nap and then more visitors in the evening.  It was a pretty good day!

A week ago, Sofia and I walked to a nearby store that sells furniture.  They didn’t have what I was looking for, but the guy has a bigger store near the Terminal Market, so we walked there and I looked at rockers for the living room.  Living room sets here are usually 4 rockers and a small table.  I ordered 2 sets.  On Monday, we took a taxi there and paid for the rockers.  There was a misunderstanding and they only brought one set from Masaya.  So we arranged for delivery (horse cart) for the rockers and they said the other set would arrive on Thursday.

I had more visitors and did more errands through the week.  English Bible Study Group met on Monday night.  A friend, James, who had been living here in the house and working for Jason, moved out to Jason’s house on Monday.  I was sad to see him go, but he is right next door and I told him to keep his keys and to come over whenever he wants.  We still call that corner bedroom “James’ room”. 

On Tuesday, I went to the market for various things and also bought 45 yards of fabric to make curtains for the rooms here at the house.  Jason’s mom, Maritza, moved in for the rest of the month, because Jason needed to rent her room.  We laughed about her getting kicked out of her own son’s house, but she is very happy to get away to some quiet after long days of working on his house.  And we’re next door neighbors, so it’s like being there. 

Francisco is starting work on my house!  Yay!  It’s a big job and will take many weeks.  Since I will be living here for at least 2 years, I’m looking forward to having everything being fresh and new.  There is a lot of repair and prep to do and then we will be painting almost every inch, inside and out, of the place.  That will be the biggest cost.  But I can’t wait to see it all done!  Woohoo!!  Next will be electrical stuff;  adding ceiling fans, changing/adding light fixtures, retiling the kitchen…  Oh, it’s going to be beautiful!  On Francisco’s first day, he walked in and I let him know about a bad leak in the guest bathroom shower.  He spent part of 2 days chipping away the tile and concrete (no drywall here) and then changing the pipes and handle, removing the new faulty handle and replacing it again, tiling the wall and cleaning up.  That repair didn’t cost as much as I feared, so I was happy.  Here, the renter is responsible for all repairs and improvements…  They couldn’t find the same size and color tile, but the larger tile in a similar color looked just fine to me.  The workers apologized that it wasn’t a perfect match.  It was in the middle of the wall and I choose to think of it as a decorative touch.  I think it looks great!

After walking through the house and checking out all rooms, walls, gardens (which are inside the house with open roof space), ceilings, etc.  We came up with a game plan.  A lot of repair and prep work needs to be done, but Francisco is giving me a great discount on all of the work.  It’s still costly because the house is big, but God has been providing funds through wonderful supporters to get the job done.  Francisco took me to the paint store and we picked out a couple of very calm light colors.  Kind of crema for outside and just a touch darker tan for the inside walls.  There are parts of the house that the inside and outside walls connect, so it will go together great!  I will go back later and add some color blocks along the tops and bottoms of the walls.  Most of the ceiling will be painted white.  Part of the ceilings are wood panels that are stained different shades.  Some panels need some TLC, but I’ll address that later.  I’m so glad to get the job started.  The painting will not happen for a week or so, but it’s okay, because Francisco and Memo are fixing soffits, ceiling panels, chunks in the walls, etc.  It will look very nice!

Sofia is excited to start on the gardens.  She is waiting for the guys to finish their work since they put ladders everywhere.  I know she will do a good job with the gardens.  I told her they are her babies to take care of.  She is thrilled!  I will be too when I get to look at them!

Besides the house being very dusty and dirty from each day’s work, life is going on as usual.  Classes, visits from friends, running errands, etc.  A new comedor (tiny restaurant – really the front of someone’s house) opened just 2 doors down.  Such good food!  I’m so happy!  I love that there are little places within blocks of my house to frequent and to help support.  I love my neighbors and my neighborhood.  Now, if we could just get a speed bump for our street, it would be perfect!

I picked up another mattress for the extra beds here at the house.  I brought it home in a taxi.  I ordered 3 more to be picked up next week.  Soon we’ll have all 8 beds ready for people to sleep in!

On Saturday, Estefanie and I visited the business of a friend of mine.  Anielka’s husband is a carpenter and I thought I would give him a chance to make the benches that I want to cover the brick planters in my livingroom/diningroom.  I thought if I liked his work, I would hire him to make a little table for my bedroom.  His name is Eyner and he is very sweet.  He had pictures of his work, which is wonderful!  I went ahead and hired him to make the ‘Jesus table’ to sit under the window and beside the rocker in my bedroom.  I can’t wait to get it!  Also, I asked him to come to the house next week to measure for the benches.  I know I will have more work for him in the future as funds allow.  I would love to have him make a bedframe and headboard for me!  That is a luxury and will have to wait, but it’s in my dreams!

After visiting Eyner’s shop, Estefanie and I walked back to my house.  On the way, we stopped at Palí grocery store for a few items.  After Estefanie left, I took a nap and then Tamara invited me over for ice cream sundaes for my birthday.  It was a grand day!

February 25-28, 2014

Many days are spent in personal Bible study, preparing for Bible study classes, running errands (usually on foot) and buying items for the house.  Since many stores just carry a few items (unlike Walmart back in the states) it takes multiple trips to get the things we need.  As I look back over my day planner, I see entries for each stop that I make.  This helps me to remember what happens, but it also helps me to keep track of those times that I spend a little money here and a little money there for the things that I don’t get receipts for (like stuff at the market, food off the street, taxi, fresh tortillas and such from individuals).  I would never be able to remember all the happenings of the day without writing them down in my trusty book!

I love walking, but running errands in this heat is very tiring.  I usually lie down for an hour or so in the very hottest part of the day and read or nap a little.  March and April are the hottest, driest and dustiest months of the year, so getting to spend 4 weeks in the states during half of April and first of May will be nice. 

God has allowed so much to get done in these weeks back in Nica that it seems like I’ve been here for months.  It has been amazing to see Him at work.  Classes have started, the house is starting to get put together as I receive money for furniture, household items, etc.  Even though I would love to have it all done, I enjoy the process of seeing it come together piece by piece.  It reminds me of how God changes our lives piece by piece and is always improving us. 

Sometimes it’s crazy trying to handle business in the states via internet from here.  I had the hardest time all month trying to get my PO Box in Rogers paid for via computer.  After sending a friend (in between ice storms in AR) to the PO to ask about it, they said that I’m paid for another year and not to worry about what the computer says.  Ok…  we’ll see!

I had quite the experience one day as I was picking up some used furniture from a store.  I needed to borrow a vehicle.  I preferred to have someone else drive, but I was thankful for the loan of my friend’s ministry truck.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t used to the length of the truck and I ended up catching the front end of a parked car with a little knob that stuck out on the side of the truck near the rear.  I pulled the whole front end off of the car!  Oh my goodness!  I couldn’t believe it!  My first thought was that I was going to a Nica jail!  Of course, we drew a crowd.  It’s a big deal to see a woman driving, especially a truck, and being North American can always draw a crowd.  I called a friend of mine who knows a lot about cars and drives a taxi, thinking he could come to my rescue.  He was busy, but his wife, also my friend and bi-lingual helped me out a little.  (during this time, I went ahead and had someone load my furniture into the truck – I wasn’t going to have to make this same trip twice!!)  The owner of the car finally came and I was so thankful that he was nice and not upset.  He spoke great English because he had lived in the US and drove a truck for 20 years.  He said he understands how accidents can happen.  He had hit a horse cart at night with his truck just a few weeks ago.  He made sure that I wasn’t upset and assured me that we could take care of things easy and cheap.  He just wanted the car fixed and able to drive, since his truck was in the shop after hitting the horse.  He said he would prefer taking the car to his friend and I trusted him.  I had a peace about the whole situation.  It could have been horrible, but God was watching out for me on this one.  I followed him over to the car shop (which is an open space in a big empty lot).  He trusted me to just follow him.  But I made him take my name and number before we left the street.  Of course, since we didn’t yell at each other, the crowd had dissipated.  We tied the front end of the car back on to the frame and headed off.  After chatting with his friend (he told him to be good to me because I am a missionary), the cost of repairs was decided to be 3500 cordobas (about $137.00 US).  I was glad that it was so cheap (in my North American eyes) and gladly paid the guy.  I had to take my new friend home and he insisted on driving the truck to his house and then I drove home.  I realized that I didn’t know his name.  He wrote it down for me along with his phone number.  He asked me to pray for his mother, who is in her 80s and has cancer.  Also, he asked for prayer for he and his wife for their marriage.  I’m going to give him a call in a week or so to see how everyone is doing.  I think it was a divine appointment and I’m glad that I got to meet Gonzalo, even if it cost me money to do so.  I got the truck back to my friend and after unloading my furniture, they loaded up and took off for their ministry time in the country.  What a crazy day!

Through every day and every situation, I am thankful that my God is in control.  I pray that I keep my mind and heart open so that I can experience all that He has planned for me and that I don’t mess up His plans too much!  Love Him!