May 10-29, 2014

I hit the ground running after my 4 weeks in the states.  I started running errands first thing on Saturday (including seeing my favorite cambista, Luis, to exchange dollars for córdabas), pricing a washing machine, getting groceries, etc.  Jalisa and Sandy came over for a chat and we had a sweet time of prayer together.

It was good to be back in church and I always love the freedom of worshiping and the tangible sense of the Holy Spirit.  Sundays are usually filled with church, lunch out, a trip to the grocery store, then home for a nap and emails and phone calls. 

Since I was able to buy a used washing machine from my neighbors Jason and Issa, I used the difference in my budgeted amount to buy an exercise bike.  I’m so excited and love it.  I don’t always have time to walk first thing in the morning before it gets hot, so getting to ride the bike whenever I have time is great.  Sofia is joining in, too.

I bought more fabric to make the curtains for the living room window and some lightweight covers for the beds.  Still more projects to do, but I love doing them.

There has still be work going on for the house, so I spend most of my time at home.  I have lots of visitors and do a lot of emails and phone calls.  We are having English Bible Study Group 3 times a week, for a small group each time.  This works out better for the students’ schedules and so that they can have more individual time for speaking English.  It’s easy for me, because I’m already here!

Jasmina spent one night here as she was preparing to work in Managua for a week with VOH.  She’ll be back in June for about a month while working.  She is such a sweetie pie.  Sofia and I love having her here in the house with us. 

We had some changes in workers on the house.  I even had to fire someone, but it all turned out okay.  I’m trying to spread the work around so that many can benefit from the employment.  But I will be very glad when everything is done!

My friend Grethel (sister to Estefanie) had a stroke.  She is only 19 years old and has a one month old baby.  It was very scary, but she is recovering at a good rate.  I pray many blessings over her.  I can’t wait to get to see baby Fernando. 

Franklin and his wife Glenda and baby Franky came for a visit.  I just love getting to see everyone’s kids.

My sweet friend Erika surprised me with a visit with her sweet baby Ashly.  I just held that precious thing for hours!  I couldn’t keep from kissing her sweet head!

I love seeing baby Ilia, the daughter of my neighbors, Jason and Issa.  So many precious babies around here!

I found a new smoothie place that I adore!  I will be frequenting that place a lot!  I don’t get out too much right now, with the workers in the house, but soon I will be free as a bird!  In between classes, that is. 

Some friends have come over at various times to visit and to ask for prayer.  I am so thankful that this ministry is here to meet those needs.  How humbling it is to be a part of it.

My friend and fellow missionary, Jalisa, is staying with us now.  It is fun to have another girl in the house.  We all just come and go and do our own thing.  It’s another way that God is using this house for His ministry to others. 

We have started having some English classes that just kind of came about.  It’s been great and I am enjoying them very much.  Some of students are teaching each other.  So many people are hungry to learn.  It’s awesome.  I bought a 4’x5’ dry erase board for the dinningroom/classroom.  My friend James carried it all the way from the Librería (about 10 blocks!)  It’s the perfect finishing touch on that classroom. 

The kitchen was completed and the new work station was delivered.  Now I just need to sew the curtains and then I can take some ‘after’ pics of it!  The decorative stripes are painted on the walls, so those rooms are ready for some ‘after’ pics, too.

I’m ready to start cleaning and organizing the sewing/skills workshop.  (It’s been a catch-all room while the others have been renovated.)  Sewing classes should be starting in about a week.  I’m so excited!!!

Sofia and I are both enjoying the washing machine!  And clothes dry very quickly in the sun and heat.  It’s a dream to do laundry now!  We both love cooking in the new kitchen.  The old counter tiles were broken and nasty.  Now we have new ones and they are very pretty.  A bigger, used fridge and cutting the counter to fit in the used stove has made the kitchen wonderful!  I see many days of happy cooking and fellowships here in the ministry house! 

God is sooo Good!

May 8-9, 2014 Travel Day

Got up early, feeling refreshed!  It’s always sad to say goodbye to Deanna.  I will miss her so much!

It was a crazy morning of last minute errands.  I ended up going to my accountant’s office twice, the bank once, the post office once and a quick stop at McDonalds for a last egg mcmuffin!  After a nice chat with the neighbor and saying goodbye to Deanna, I was ready to go.  Cathy picked me up about 8:45am for the ride to the airport.  I left her with a shopping bag filled with items and notes attached telling what needed to be done with each.  She is such a good friend to take care of these things for me!

Once at the airport, Cathy dropped me off and went to park.  She was ready to take anything overweight back to Deanna’s for packing in the next trunk.  By the time she came to the curb again, a nice guy who does the curbside check ins had insisted on weighing my stuff, even though I couldn’t check in there for an international flight.  I was ½ pound over on the suitcase and 10 light on the trunk.  I usually obsess over getting every square inch and every ounce allowed.  But I was quite happy.  Cathy didn’t need to take anything back.  But we both forgot that she had some baby items for me to bring to Erika.  Great minds…

I got checked in easy and had a nice leisurely visit at one of the restaurants.  OJ and facebook.  Then I spent time just walking the corridors.  Since I spend so much time sitting on the planes, I like to be mobile as much as possible at the airports.  I made some phone calls to family while waiting, too.  My first flight was okay, with the exception of the guy in the seat next to me not only hogged the armrest, his elbow was in about ¼ of my airspace!    I had to lean to the right the whole way, but we made it.  He didn’t even apologize.  Humph.

I love layovers in Atlanta, because I always eat at TGIFridays.   They let me sit there as long as I want, so I prop my feet up and relax.  Then I walk the corridors a lot.  I didn’t get to nap on the flight to Nica, because of a very boisterous toddler.  She yelled when she was happy and she yelled when she was mad.  But it wasn’t too bad. 

I arrived in Managua and got right through immigration and baggage claim.  I had reserved a room at the Best Western hotel across from the airport, so they had a representative there at baggage claim to get me.  He helped with my luggage and getting out of the door.  The shuttle driver took me across the highway and I got settled into my room.  My friend Jalisa was arriving on a flight about 1 hour after mine.  We were going to share my room.  The hotel clerk said I could ride over to the airport to meet her.  She didn’t know the shuttle was coming, so she arranged for a friend to meet her to help get her suitcases across the highway.  Wil surprised me at the airport waiting area.  I had hired him and his van to pick us up the next morning from the hotel and I was afraid that he had the info mixed up.  But it was all cool and he had great fun surprising me.  I did know that I was back in Nica by the immediate sweating!!  Oh yeah, home!

Jalisa and I enjoyed our room.  It was very comfortable.  A/C, TV (which we didn’t watch), comfy beds, one last hot shower…  We had a wonderful time catching up about our trips to visit family and friends.  We had some good prayer time, too.  We got up at our leisure and had the wonderful free breakfast.  Wil picked us up at 11am and we went to PriceSmart for some stocking up on food items and other stuff for my house.  We then stopped on the way to León for lunch.  Breaking up the trip really helped with my motion sickness problem.  It was such an enjoyable day and the best trip I have ever made from Managua to León. 

Sofia was so glad to see me.  It was good to be home!  I loved the work on the house that got done while I was gone.  It was soooo good to be HOME.  I slept like a baby in my Nica bed after a nice cool shower. 

What a wonderful 4 weeks in the states.  What a great time of sharing about Living Grace Ministry and what all God is doing and revealing here in Nica.  What sweet blessings I received from loved ones.  What renewal and refreshment I feel from that trip.  God is Good.  I am not worthy.  But I am so humbled, blessed and thankful.  To Him be all Glory!

April 26-May 7, 2014

Many more days of visiting with friends and networking for the ministry.   On Saturday, I got to have lunch with a friend from El Dorado AR, to discuss details about the jewelry making classes and just how wonderful God is in general.  It was fun to get together.  On Sunday, I spoke to 3 more Life Groups at FBCR. 

Many, many more errands during the weeks.  So thankful to have the use of the car from Vickie and Michael Brown.  They are my angels!  Among more visits (and meals) with friends, I also got to get my haircut by my dear friend Carolyn. 

I spent another day with Nana Ruth while she underwent some medical tests.  I like being able to visit with her in the waiting areas.  Too bad she has to go through the discomfort and expense of the procedures just so we can have some quality visiting time!  Lol 

I get months of meds at a time when I visit the states and sometimes that carries over into the time for checkups to refill meds.  I got a call from the Pharmacy saying that my Drs office wanted an appointment.  Thankfully, they got me in the very next afternoon.  And God worked it out that the appointment was just before a meeting that I had scheduled for the same town.  Yay God! 

When I was at the doctor’s office, they asked about my drivers’ license, since the one of file expired the month before!  Oops!  So, the next day I went to renew my license.  I also registered to vote, since I hadn’t done that since before I moved to NYC.  I got to visit some friends having a yard sale to send their kids to Nica.  I stopped by a couple of times over the weekend.  It was fun to visit with them.

I had an especially sweet visit with my friend Lisa, who owns a cupcake shop!  Besides getting to eat a yummy cupcake and some unsellable cookies, we had a wonderful conversation.  She has quite the ministry going on in that place.  I’m very proud of her and wish her many blessings!

My routine blood tests revealed the usual stuff… high cholesterol, high triglycerides, etc.  This time my fasting sugar count was edging up and my calcium was high.  Dr. Bob said it was time to take serious my annual claim to ‘get healthy this year’.  So I guess I’ll apply myself a little more. 

I had some more wonderful meetings with people working on various parts of the ministry.  How blessed I am to have these angels coming along side me in God’s ministry in Nica.  The website is being worked on and I also got to meet with someone who is my guru for the sewing/skills classes and ministry.  Awesome!

Debbie’s Pharmacy has always been so good to work with me on getting multiple month’s worth of meds to take to Nica.  They really worked hard this time, as I needed to bring 8 months worth with me.  I appreciate them so much!

I had lots of mailing and shipping to do… Thank yous, Mother’s day gifts to family, Nica goodies to friends from a special Skype Bible study in different states and a 40 lb suitcase of books to some fellow Missionaries.  I finally got all of the shipping done the day before I left the states!  Lol

The last day was filled with last minute errands, like another routine doctor’s appointment, bank, PO Box check for the last time, drop keys off to my mailbox-sitter, upgrading my phone (and then getting help from a friend because I couldn’t figure it out), making phone calls, etc. 

I didn’t start packing my trunk and suitcase until late Wednesday evening for the Thursday flight.  Besides packing what I take with me, I needed to pack away most of my stuff in Deann’s guest room (where I live in the states) so that people can use the room in my absence.  I was sooooooo tired and I have to admit a little stressed.  I always have way more than I can carry down on each trip, so I partially packed 2 more trunks to be carried down in July by a young friend who is going to come and work with me.  Once I was done packing, I didn’t allow myself to second guess anything. 

I was going to spend some quality time with Deanna that evening, but she was out and about with friends from church and came home at bedtime.  But we did have some great quality time throughout the 4 weeks that I was there.  I’m so thankful for her!

I had a great night’s sleep and felt very content with all that God had allowed me to experience in those crazy 4 weeks.  He is faithful!!!

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!!!