To the El Paso team:

Spencer and I just wanted to say what a blessing it was to work with you all this past week in Matagalpa and San Jose Nicaragua. You all were such a hard working team, and I cannot believe how fast the house went up with y'all! We had so many laughs and saw evidence of Christ in all of you. You have left your "fingerprints" on San Jose and the families there, and on us. Thanks for including us in your team and for even giving us our own nicknames. ;) We hope to reunite again...hopefully back in Nica! Until then, que Dios les bendiga (may God bless you all).

Here are a few pictures that I thought I would share:

Con amor,

Spencer & Amanda

Wrapping it up

Today is Sunday March, 20th and we got home yesterday afternoon. When we got to the airport in Managua Saturday morning the computer systems were down and, as you can imagine there was a delay. Our flight left about an hour and a half late. We had a pretty short window between flights in Houston but the airline was waiting with boarding passes and a revised flight schedule when we landed and we all made it home safe and sound with just a short delay. With our travel to Managua on Friday I got behind in the posts and so the following is my account of our final day in San Jose.

We finshed up the walls and the roof (ahead of schedule) on Wednesday which was really good because it gave us time to finish the doors and windows and to spend more time with the community on Thursday. Thursday morning we got to the site around 8:30 and headed up to look at our handy work again. Dave and Robert worked with Javier, the forman, on the doors.

The woodworkers creed of measure twice, cut once is not followed closely in Nicaragua and so some modifications had to be made on all the doors and windows.

Lyle worked with Juan on the windows.

Victor worked on filling in the gaps in the mortar or "mescla" that we used to hold the blocks together.

The rest of us worked/played with the kids and interacted with the community taking pictures and playing games.

Fedelina and Rafael had passed out tickets to the kids and adults that had either participated in the activities with the youth or helped to work on the house during the week and everyone with a ticket was invited to lunch. It turned out to be over 100 people fed and everyone had a good time. After lunch it was back up to the job site where the crowd just got bigger and bigger as everyone got ready to turn the house over to Don Felipe and his family.

Prior to our ceremony to turn over the house we gathered on the soccer field to watch the kids perform the movement that Mary and Amanda had taught them. The kids did great and everyone enjoyed the performance.

Before we left we had been told that we were building for a single mom with 6 kids and that was a little off. Don Felipe (78) and his wife, their grown daughter, sons and 3 grandchildren will be living in this house. A total of 10 people who were all living here.

We asked the members of the congregation who wanted to, to write prayers for the family before we left and we had them translated into Spanish and we created a book to present to the family. All of the prayers were wonderful and I asked if the pastor would read one of them at the begining of the ceremony. This is the prayer that Jack Phillips wrote:

Lord, we stand here in awe of your mighty works. We can scarcely comprehend the lengths you go to, to care for us. You make the needs of others known to those from afar. You provide knowledge to the minds of those who design, strength to the hands that build and prepare the souls of those who dwell. We invite you to delight in our poor attempt to fulfill your promise. We humbly ask you to be the first to enter and dwell in this place. May you bless all who enter here. May this dwelling provide not only a home but a constant reminder of your faithfulness. We ask all of this in the name of your precious son Jesus. Amen

There was not a dry eye in the house when that prayer was over.

Don Felipe and his family were then presented with the Spanish/English Bible and the cross we got from Barbara Kusserow's granddaughter Jenna.

Thanks to a marvelous suggestion from Sonja we used the mortar from the construction to leave our mark for the family, a heart with the thumb prints of everyone that helped work on the house with a cross in the center.

Don Felipe and his family's lives are changed. Everyone's life was changed, the adults that went on the trip are not the same people that left a week ago. Your children, our youth from Western Hills are not the same young people that left a week ago. The dynamics of having our youth with us was unbelievable. Dave commented that he didn't think he would want to go on another mission without the youth involved and I understand. I want to say a super big Thank You to Stephanie, Sonja, Mary, Amanda and Robert. Your involvement was invaluable and I hope that you will continue to be involved in mission work for many years to come. For Lyle, Victor, Dave, Mitzi, Paige and Suzy I can't wait to do it again. To Spencer and Amanda, our friends from Snellville, GA, we should make you honorary Texans. You guys were great and I'm certain our paths will cross again. I love all of you.

To our prayer partners back home, we couldn't have done it without your support and I look forward to seeing some of you on our next trip as well.



Nicaragua 2011

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
   -- 1 Peter 1:2 nlt

Last Day In San Jose

What a day!!!
This morning when we arrived in San Jose,some of us worked at the house finishing up the doors and windows and the rest us split off into groups and spent time doing various things with the kids. It was wonderful to be able to spend so much time with the kids. We did crafts, painted fingernails, played games, etc. We taught them some games and they taught us some. And of course took LOTS of pictures. They love to have their pictures taken. We even let some of the kids take some pictures. Later, we served lunch to about 100 kids. Most of those had participated in activities with the WHUMC youth earlier in the week.

The highlight of the day was the house dedication. We read a prayer from the congregation, presented the family with a bible and a cross and then a local pastor, who is also the foreman of the crew working on the house with us, said a few words. I wish I had the words to describe just how moving it was. I had the pleasure of standing next to Don Felipe, the patriarch of the family. He was so moved that he was quietly wiping tears from his eyes as soon as the prayer was read. We cried together the whole ceremony.

After the ceremony,the WHUMC team, the work crew, Rafael, Fedelina and Omar made a heart with a cross in the middle in the cement on the front of the house, using our thumbprints.

Leaving San Jose at the end of the day, knowing we were not coming back(until next year) was heart wrenching. I never could have imagined that after spending 4 days with the people there that I would love them all so much!

Housewarming

We've just returned from a remarkable day in San Jose. After completing the windows and doors, we gathered at the new home and as a team and prayed that God would bless the home. It was a great day for everyone.
We shared lunch with approximately 100 children who had participated with the Youth through the week reviewing bible stories, working on arts and crafts, and learning dance moves.
I wrapped up the day by walking down a path and encountering a little boy sitting in the middle of the path. He looked to be about 3 years old. He asked me, "A donde va?" (Where are you going?) and I responded, "a su casa" (To your house). He reached out his hand and we walked to his home. Maybe it's the fact that we are nearing the end of the week, but I believe we've made a lot of friends here.
I got to finish the day with a group of boys who had not assembled or flown a kite before. We all had fun.
I said good bye to the foreman, Tata, and Valdemir and managed to hold it together. However, there weren't many dry eyes around the house as the new owner of the house tearfully accepted it, our congregation's offering of a book of prayers, and a cross.
A lot of good work was done in the Lord's name this week.

Wednesday

We are truly blessed to have been a part of this mission. The team, the task, the mission, everything has been just as it's supposed to be.

We thought that Wednesday would be much easier, because all the walls were up and the heavy lifting was done. But it was still a tiring day. We had to finish putting up the forms for pouring concrete

We had to mix concrete to pour in the forms

We had to pose for photos

and manage to look cool at all times, just in case

But we had plenty of help

And we made some friends

And the roof went on

And tomorrow we'll turn the home over to the family

God has been good to us, and we in turn have been able to be good to someone else.

The Roof Is On!

Today was another beautiful day of work. Our team has managed to quickly finish the home and spent quality time with the children. The Youth told the story of Noah's Ark to a large gathering of children and then assisted them with the making of hand puppets that each thought might have been on the Ark. We'll share the photos after we return. The engagement of the children and their response to the Youth has been a special blessing.

Because were we finishing the forms and pouring concrete to encase the the wall top and re-bar, everyone got a chance to try their hand at new skills. Robert, Amanda, and Stephanie, shoveled gravel, sand, and cement into a "volcano" structure then filled it with water and mixed it into morter. Amanda used a (very dull) handsaw to cut a wooden wedge to finish one of the concrete forms. Everyone has had a hand at hammering, smoothing concrete, and lifting huge blocks. As Robert said, "We built a house!"

After our trip back from San Jose to Matagalpa we discussed how great it was to be serving God, working hard, and having a great time doing so!

Tomorrow, we will celebrate with the family as they receive their home. One of the young people we've worked and laughed with while building the house, Valdemir, is a part of the family that will receive it. It is special to know that this family will receive it.

Another beautiful day!

My favorite moment from today was our time with the kids. It was the last day that Mary and I taught the movement to the kids, and the kids were absolutely wonderful. They seemed very into it, wanting to learn it and see what was next. The last time we all went through the dance, though, was simply awesome. The song we did it to was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" in Spanish, and the kids sang along. The kids sang along! Despite the language barrier and everything we had going against us, we got something through to these kids. We came here to share the love of God, and this showed me that we did. God is truly amazing and I feel so blessed to see him work here in San Jose.

Buena Dia

The house is complete!! I don't know about you, but I'm so excited about it! Today we framed the upper parts of the house so that we could pour concrete and secure the rebar...it wasn't heavy lifting work, but it was a bit tedious. The group put up the roof this afternoon while we were working with the kids. Soo....the house is done!

Today was amazing. It rained (well, sprinkled) off and on all day. This made me a little cold but it was pretty. I got to spend more time bonding with the team and with Raf which was fun. In case anyone didn't know, he's just an overgrown kid. :) but he has such a big heart.

This afternoon we worked with the kids again. They were very well behaved and I really think they got into Mary and Amanda's dance. Everyone was up and dancing! That really touched me and I was glad that I got the experience to see it.

As I said, the house was finished this afternooon so we ventured up to the house after playing and dancing, I got to see a home. Western Hills, can you believe we completed a house? We've improved eight (i think) people's lives. How amazing is that? Doesn't that set you on fire for Christ? We can do so much through Christ! We built a house in THREE days!!

I will admit though, I am exhausted now. Spoons tonight may be too much....

The Sky

As we entered Matagalpa, yesterday afternoon, we were greeted by the most beautiful rainbow I've ever seen. It was a complete arc showing the full spectrum of colors. The rainbow was truly special and the reaction on the bus was also.
Our work day had been blessed with just enough rain to keep the temperature comfortable for the work we were doing. San Jose is ringed by tree-covered ridges so the rain and the mist rolled in with very little notice. I found myself looking towards the sky, frequently, to get a clue of what the weather was going to do next.
Today, we will work on putting the roof on the home we've been building. The sky comes to mind again as we will work to put a structure in place to shelter the family from the weather.
Work has been very good and the fellowship afterwards as well. The Youth have included me in a card game called "SPOONS". It has been the source of a lot of laughter. It is the first card game I've played in which I ended up rolled to the floor. (The Youth take their SPOONS game very seriously!)

Dia Dos

Day two was a rainy one so I didn't get a lot of pictures. We put our backpacks in the truck so they wouldn't get soaked.

Even though it rained we got a lot done. On the task and on the mission. We will be finished early which means on Thursday we will have a lot of time to spend with the people of San Jose.

The Task progresses

And so does the mission

This my buddy from last year. Elizondro is 11 going on 12.

This is Spencer and Amanda. They are college students from Georgia that are working with us this week. Great kids. Spencer wants to be a pediatrician and Amanda will teach languages and possibly ESL. They have made a great addition to our team.

The rain was a nuisance but as we got back into Matagalpa we were treated with a beautiful view and a powerful reminder of God's covenant with us.

And then as I was browsing the photos this morning I realized that one showed what was at the end of the rainbow. Way better than a pot o gold...



Nicaragua day in the rain

Another beautiful day in Nicaragua! :) As we got into San Jose, it was rather cloudy, and about an hour into our work day, it started drizzling. It came down a little harder for awhile, but not like a downpour. I refused to put my dorky rain poncho on until my shirt was very wet and cold. I found it pointless to put it on when I was already wet, but it did keep me warm. My huge blue rain poncho gave much amusement to our team, who said I looked like an M&M and a smurf. Mitzi got a kick out of it and took a million pictures.
Paige, Mitzi, Stepanie, Lyle and I were in the rebar workshop when a little boy (about 5 years old) came in with a chocolate covered banana that was frozen. We told him that it looked good, just to make chitchat, and he came back a few minutes later with another! He handed it to Paige, who was unsure if she should eat it, since we were advised not to eat anything unpackaged. She ate it, and much to his excitement, enjoyed it! So he brought ANOTHER one, and handed it to me. We explained that I was allergic to bananas, so Mitzi ate it. This really made me look at the kids here in a different way. They don't have much, yet they give so much. I'm sure it's not every day they hand out 2 extra bananas. To us, they don't have much, but they have enough for them. And they are filled with such joy. They ALL have a beautiful, genuine smile on their faces when I look at them, and they always seem very cheerful. Even the parents offer a smile when I wave to them and do their work with such joy. This place is filled with God, I can see it. But do they know that?
After we did the Noah and the Ark story with the kids and made puppets and taught the dance, I handed out stickers (frogs and stars). I started putting them on their cheeks, but some wanted them on their foreheads, and then they all wanted them on the foreheads! And then on their chins! By the end, all 25 kids we were working with had 5 stars on their faces and 4 frogs stickers on their shirts. This did not come easy, I'm surprised I don't have tiny bruises from their little fingers poking me for more and more and more stickers. How precious :)
We almost have the house finished, which makes me very excited. If we get it done, then we can spend all of Thursday with the community. God has truly blessed us with this experience and these people, and I can't wait for another day :)

There was a double rainbow!!!

The last two days have literally flown by, wake up, eat, get on the bus, work, lunch, play with the awesome children, work some more, come home, eat, hang out with our amazing team, devotional, more fun time with the team and then lights out. We have done amazing work on the house, we have all the walls up and complete next is the roof and we are all set, but not only have we built a house we have built relationships with the people of San Jose. They are our friends, even though the majority of us don't speak the same language we work along side each other and we laugh and joke with one another.
Every morning when we are driving to San Jose my breath is taken away, God has made such a beautiful home for these people, every type of tree imaginable grows here. Not only has God taken me to an amazing place he has put me among wonderful company, this team is more than I could ever hope for. We have ages ranging from 14 to 75 and we could not get along better. The adults have been accepting of the youth not only on letting us be in their company but by sharing their stories with us and trusting us to work along side them. Not only do we work but as Victor put it so well we work joyously together, doing God's work.
Again I thank everyone who is keeping our team in your prayers and thoughts, I hope everyones Spring Break is going well. Love from Nicaragua!

Tuesday Morning

Yesterday was very exciting! We began our work on the home construction with a visit to the existing home where a family of nine were currently living. Rafael's description of the smoke-filled dwelling became a lot more real once we entered the home. It's easy to imagine how the long term affects of breathing that heavy smoke circulating within the small structure can ruin the health of the family living within. The structures we and the other teams are building will made be of solid blocks, but more importantly they will separate the families from all that smoke.
The team arrived and went right to work. We created smaller teams with some preparing re-bar and others creating small teams to work on the walls' construction. Our smaller group had an opportunity to place blocks and morter and then later, to create forms to hold the concrete that encased a band of re-bar and will form the base for our building upward, today.
The Youth continue to amaze us all! They led a large number of children in a dance movement that included moments in a praying posture and had them laughing and playing. They spent the majority of the day working construction alongside us. As a team, we managed to catch up to the materials supplies and have Rafael hinting that we might finish the construction a day earlier than planned!
All shared their experiences and most impressive moments of the day during our devotional time, last night. We are building a home and having great experiences in with the people as we share God's love with them.

My Little Friends

We are getting ready for Day 2 in San Jose. Yesterday was incredible. I can't wait to get back there today. It is so much fun working side by side with the team, the workers and people from the community.The best part was all the kids! There were so many kids at the site, grabbing tools and helping wherever they could or standing around just waiting for the opportunity to join in.

We had a very shy little guy hanging around us just waiting for that opportunity. His name is Alvaro. He stole my heart. He is 8 yrs old and so very sweet. Once I figured out how he could help our group, he hung out with us most of the day working along side of me. I'm hoping to see him again today.

I also had the pleasure of spending some time with a very sweet little girl after lunch. I never did get her name. But that did not stop us from sharing an amazing 20 minutes together. I was sitting alone on some blocks outside of the house we are building, waiting to start working again when I spotted her standing off to the side watching us. As soon as I greeted her, she ran up and climbed up beside me. We spent most of those 20 minutes putting leaves from some nearby plants on each other(mostly in our hair). At one point she just stopped playing and threw her arms around me and hugged me so tight that I could barely keep from crying. She was fascinated by my gloves, so I decided to give her the spare pair out of my backpack. As I got up to go get them for her, she wrapped her little arms around both of my legs. She was just so starved for affection it was heartbreaking. While I was getting the gloves, her Mom ran her off. I was sad to see her go, but so incredibly grateful that God gave me those 20 minutes with her.

I prayed that God would give me the right words to share his love with the people in San Jose. He showed me today that I don't always need words.

Day 1 in San Jose

We met Don Felix and his family this morning and took a little tour of the home they live in now. There will be nine people living in the home.

We were able to accomplish quite a bit today not just building the house but with the people of San Jose. Mostly the kids. They are just a joy and they all want to help. I saw my buddy Elizandro on the road this morning as we drove into the village and then he came up to the job site and helped out for a bit. I was able to introduce him to Suzy.

Western Hills youth are amazing. They worked hard and really connected with the kids in the village. They spent some time this afternoon in the church making stuff and Mary and Amanda taught them some dance moves. I can't wait to see how they continue to grow during and after this mission trip. It was a wonderful idea to include them, even though I had some reservations at first.

Lots of Hard Work

Whew! What a day! We spent today in San Jose. It is poor, and the living condtions are unimaginable, but at the same time, there is hope. The people have such tenacity and creativity. The scenery is GREEN. The mountains are beautiful. And God is there. But now, on to the picturas.

One, I really wish I had spent more attention in Spanish and that I absorbed it because my cinco phrases were worn thin. Thats okay though. The kids put up with me and I've made some friends. (Shannon, Amy and I have already bonded!) Two, the kids looove cameras. They keep asking to either have their picture taken, or to take pictures. One of mybest pictures was taken by a little boy. We also made puppets with the kids. It was challenging to convey, but everyone seemed to enjoy it, boys and girls! Mary and Amanda did a good job teaching a dance so that was fun and different. I then got to go play babysitter and watch the kids play soccer with the ball we brought. They were so enthusiastic! The kids in San Jose have so few luxuries and they certainly enjoyed the one toy. The local help has been great. These two boys were helping out with rebar and at the house there was tons of help as well. There was a seventy (i think) year old man building the house! The whole community seems to get involved. I was on the wall building team so I spent all morning spreading mezcla (forgive my spelling) for the bricks. It was a little rough at first, but we quickly got the hang of it. And quickly got dirty. Lots of work was accomplished today, and lots of relationships have begun, so I think its been a successful day.

Wonderful day! :)

What a beautiful day God gave us today! Out bus left at 8:00, and the ride to San Jose was about 20 minutes. As soon as we got outside of Managua, we noticed differences is the scenery and atmosphere. It started to smell a bit like smoke, and trash was piled on the side of the road. We saw tons of dogs (we figured it was because their owners weren't able to spay or neuter them) who all looked skinny; you could see their ribs and hip bones. The scenery, however, was absolutely breathtaking. It's so green! And there are so many types of trees all growing together. We were lucky to drive up there when we did, because the clouds hit the mountains just right, and I knew God did that for a reason. I felt so ready to get started with our mission work.
We got to San Jose and went up to the site of the house. Paige, Stephanie, Lyle and I went to rebar with Fedelina (our host), which was great! We were in the shade all day :) There was an irritated rooster by our workshop who cried at us all day; we figured him and our rooster here would be great friends. The rest of the group worked diligently on the house, and by lunch time, we were already way ahead of schedule. They say we might actually finish the house by Wednesday and could start another on Thursday, which would be awesome!
After lunch, all of the youth had a gathering with about 20 of the kids. Mary and I taught them a movement to "What a Friend we have in Jesus" (in Spanish), and Mizi had a table set up for puppets. The kids here are simply amazing. They are all so beautiful, and I think their innocence and simplicity is what makes them beautiful. They don't have mirrors, and so they don't particularly know how they look at all times, like we do. They are so willing to help, without every being asked. A boy about 5 years old worked rebarring with us without gloves, whereas we all had gloves on and sores by the end of the day. If they saw we were struggling to carry something, they would pitch in without us asking for help. They have such beautiful hearts, and it makes me want to do so much for them, for God's light to shine for them. I'm so blessed to be around them.
And the kids love cameras! We took lots of pictures with them, and then they would reach out and grab our cameras (scary for someone who always has the wrist strap on) and take pictures of us (sometimes our feet, half of our face, or sometimes, all of us!). We don't think about our technology, but they are truly intrigued by it. Again, their innocence is beautiful.
We are all showered and clean now and are getting ready to do a devotional. I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us, I know God will continue to do great things. Thank you for your prayers! :)

just realized the blankets have pictures of blood hounds on them...

Ready for the day!

I had a wonderful day yesterday! We went shopping a bit downtown which was so fun. I found some beautiful handmade black pottery and seeing the sights of Managua was very fun. I love all the people here, they're so friendly and so welcoming of us. We've all mentioned how many children there are running around, they're all over the place! But each and every one of them has a smile on their face, and it reminds me how we are all children of God, and how we came to serve God's children.
After a wild game of spoons last night (we couldn't play too late in fear of keeping the rooster up with us), we all had a good night sleep. I woke up this morning so excited! I can't wait to go get out there and go what God wants us to do. I'm truly blessed with this opportunity and all the people on my team. I know God is going to harvest the seed that past teams have planted here in San Jose. I'm looking forward to playing with all the children, especially teaching them a movement piece to "What a Friend We have in Jesus" in Spanish. I know God will give us strength to do His will today. God is great! And I'm thrilled to show that to all of His children in San Jose.

Monday Morning in Nicaragua

We think we've found our "alarm clock". Stay tuned for potential updates on this.

This morning, the team is beginning to stir and ready for a big day of work and sharing in the San Jose community.

We spent the evening discussing construction planning with Rafael and activities for the children and our Youth group with Mitzi. We saw a preview of a dance routine that Mary and Amanda will do especially for the children. The plan is for all to work on construction of the home with the Youth taking an hour or so out in the afternoon to work with a different group of children each day.

Rafael revealed that the foundation has been poured already for the home we will be working on this week. The family and other members of the community have worked on this prep work as a part of their "investment".

We have added two members to our team. Amanda and Spencer are two interns attending school at the University of Georgia. Both speak excellent Spanish and have spent more time here than us. They've been very helpful and have guickly blended in to our team.

Last night, we went through our first team sharing moments here in Matagalpa. We will meet each evening to have time for devotionals, plan, and to discuss what each team memember felt had really made an impression on them that day. Even though we have not started the construction, our team has been working together in our travel and settling-in so we are getting to know each other. The Youth have already proven to be a real blessing to our team. Some of us (who were politely identified as the "not so young") admitted to being a little concerned over the first attempt to bring a Youth group along, but without exception everyone expressed that this is a already proving to be a great experience for everyone on the team. I am convinced that out congregation will be excited to see the results and the great contributions these young people are making.

Relaxing Day

Most people attended church this morning in a language they understood, singing songs they knew and greeting people they were familiar with. Not so for me. That doesn't take away any of the beauty at the church service this morning. You could see God's glory shining through the faces of the praise band members and I was truely reminded that God's love and power have to limits or barriers. As Mitzi said, love is the universal language. It was fun though, we recognized one song in church and sang along, in English.

This afternoon we got to explore downtown Matagalpa. It reminded me of downtown El Paso. Execpt there were brighter colors, smaller buildings and it didn't have that "American" flavor. Still, the similarties are amazing. People are people, no matter how small. Or tall. Or far. Or different. Thanks Dr. Suess. :)

I have to admit though, I feel guilty. Its been a beautiful, eye opening day, but we have yet to do anything! I can't wait for tomorrow. I can't wait to get my hands dirty, so walk with the people of San Jose and to play with the kids.

Nicaraguan Ice Cream!

I am currently enjoying some amazing ice cream, thank you Fedelina for buying and Lyle for reminding her! Another amazing day to add to a collection I think will be quite extensive by the end of this week, the church service was amazingly similar to ours at Western Hills. We were greeted at the door and the service began with some contemperary worship music, including one of my personal favorites, Holy Holy Holy which we were able to join in with the english lyrics. Then the sermon was on Revelation 19 and boy did he know how to speak! Even though the only sentence I understood was "point your eyes to Jesus" he had my attention the entire time. After church the youth got to join in on a sunday school class where we learned about hypocrisy along with the local youth, we read scripture in spanish and english not something I do every sunday.

After church we loaded up on the bus and returned to the house we had some lunch and then got to take a walk downtown. We walked through the streets and saw all kinds of animals, people, and beautifully colored buildings. Plenty of pictures were taken, thank you Victor for letting me be your apprentice! After dinner we had our first official team meeting and then laid out the plans for tomorrow, I can not wait to get started on the house and meet the people of San Jose. Thank you to everyone who is praying for us and the people we will be meeting, good night and God bless!

Day 1

Fedelina told us this evening that they have "set San Jose on fire for God" We are so ready to add fuel to that fire! Here we are Lord, send us!

Morning:)

Wow what a day we had yesterday! Starting with our wonderful send off in the parking lot of Western Hills, being prayed over by so many people was an awesome experience. Knowing that all of those people will be praying for what we will be doing this week makes it all the more special. Then we were shuttled to the airport where we got through security with no problems, and then my favorite part of traveling! Waiting:p Two planes and about 8 hours later we were in Nicaragua!
I still can't hardly believe I'm in another country. The bus ride is one that I won't soon forget, before we left the airport there was no breeze and it was unbearably hot. Once we got moving and got the windows open it was a breath taking experience, so many smells I've never smelled and things I've never seen. Even though it was pitch black outside the light from the headlights gave me a preview of what I will be seeing in the days ahead.
Now we are just relaxing after a yummy breakfast listening to the sound of a creature none of us have been able to place yet, about to leave for church. I hope everyone has a blessed day, love from Nicaragua:)

Safe and sound in Nicaragua!

Our flight here was great, no missing passports or lost luggage. It was so interesting to me how different I felt as soon as I stepped off the plane. We went through several lines and filled out what seemed like a thousand forms, and then we got our luggage and hopped onto to the bus! It was super hot and humid, even at 10 at night. Everyone at the airport was very friendly helping us get our lugggage on the bus and making sure we were all okay.
After a brief stop at a gas station, we were on the road. The ride was bumpy, and we soon discovered that the speed limits here are taken very lightly. It was dark outside, obviously, so this morning will be our first look at what Nicaragua is really like.
We had yummy pancakes, watermelon, and what we thought was papaya juice for breakfast. There sure are lots of animals here to wake us up! You can hear everything in this house, too; the housekeepers got up early to make breakfast and we were all awake with them.
We're going to leave for church in about 45 minutes. The service will be in Spanish, so I won't understand anything. But I kind of like not knowing the language, it's interesting to see what I can understand without knowing anything spoken. I'm looking forward to seeing what the church is like. This afternoon, we're planning on preparing for tomorrow's work.

First day in Matagalpa

Good morning all!

Flying and driving into Nicaragua last night was incredibly exciting. As we landed in Managua the city looked beautiful with all of the lights twinkling. I had butterflies in my stomach and couldnt believe how blessed i was so get to come to nicaragua. On the bus I couldn't sleep (at first) because looking out the window was so interesting. We passed Spanish billboards, burning trash, roadside vegetable stands and went around a few round-abouts.

We have woken up to a beautiful, rather noisy, morning. The breakfast (pancakes, cereal and watermelon) was quite filling. Now I'm sitting by the front door looking at a street in matagalpa. I'm itching to go out into Nicaragua, thank God for this opportunity!

Sunday Morning in Matagalpa

We arrived safely late last night and had a very warm greeting here in Matagalpa. Most of the team is up and having some really good coffee. (A few are catching a little extra rest).

Mitzi has been busy organizing kites, crayons, and materials for our time with the children at San Jose.

Victor, Rick, Lyle, and I have established where the best machaka and enchiladas are in El Paso while preparing for breakfast. We are just about ready for pancakes!

We'll gather for prayer and then have breakfast. We'll load up and head to church shortly thereafter.

The team is ready. (please tell Mike, Mark, Virgina, and Shannon that the rooster is still alive and well!)

Mike and Jerry's Rooster is still in Matagalpa

Some things never change. The rooster that gave Mike and Jerry such grief last year is stronger than ever. He started early. It is quarter to six now and the team house is starting to come to life. At least I am up and one of the cooks showed up so that means coffee soon. I could use a cup.

Our flight came in around 9pm and it took us until about 10 to get through customs and get the bus loaded. We stopped at the store for water and snacks and hit the road for Matagalpa at about 10:30. We got in to Matagalpa around 12:30. It probably took us an hour or so to settle in. Way past my bedtime anyway.

This morning breakfast is at eight and then church at ten.

On the road

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. ¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. ¹⁹ And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Dueteronomy 10:17-19)

Tomorrow we leave for Nicaragua!

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough. Money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.
Mother Teresa

Love's mere presence can transform the ugliness of a broken life into a beautiful trophy of grace. Love covers the scars of sin. Love heals old wounds and eases the pain of the past. We all need to be loved and we all need to love.

The love of God changes everything. God's love covers it all. We are on our way tomorrow to share God's love with the people of San Jose. I pray that God gives me the right words.

Tomorrow we Travel

" How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation" Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)

Dear Nicaragua Team,
As you travel to the mountains of Nicaragua this week, remember the words above of the Old Testament prophet, which still ring true thousands of years later in 2011. I am so proud of each of you, but not nearly as much as God is. He is a proud Heavenly Father. You have chosen to be obedient to Him, which is rarely easy, is often scary and uncertain, and usually goes against what Others in our culture tell us. And yet, you are each bowing your knee to Him and willingly serving a wonderful God.

Be open this week to what more God has to tell you. You will be changed during this week. It may be in big or small ways. But God has more to tell you. Listen for His still, small voice. Perhaps it will call you to a Christian college, or to a future as a missionary, or to come home and get involved in serving others in El Paso, or maybe he is calling you to change aspects of your lifestyle to be more in line with His will. He has so much to share with you if you are open. Your heart will probably be broken open for others this week. And I pray for you that it is. When we can see others as God sees them, we become closer to the image of God that he was instilled in each of us.

Thank you each for your obedience to God. When I went on my first mission trip years ago, I never imagined where it would all lead. But God had a plan and he allowed me to participate in it and I am overjoyed at what he has done in our congregation through these mission trips. Remember that you are loved by the maker of Heaven and Earth. Share that love with one another and with the people of Nicaragua.

Blessings and peace this week, Andi Wallace

In 2 Days We Travel

In this past week my mind has been, more and more, already in San Jose. When I close my eyes I can see it and smell it and hear the sounds. I have been reading my mission journal and my daily devotionals on the Holy Spirit. Today's devotional asks what is my goal for going on this mission trip? I guess it's better expressed in prayer:

Lord, as we work next week among your people in San Jose, I humbly ask for your guidance and strength. Be with the team Lord and fill us all with your Spirit in such a way that we understand more fully your purpose for us. Help us to understand Your love more completely that the veils may be lifted from our faces and that we may see Your face. We know that the Lord is the Spirit and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Allow our faces to radiate Your Glory Lord, as Moses' face reflected it and let our brothers and sisters in San Jose see Your Glory in that reflection and have the veils lifted from their hearts and minds that they may feel your Spirit among them, Amen.

We will work this week on the mission of sharing God's love and on the task of building a house. I thank all the prayer partners for being with us and for your continued prayers.

In 4 days We Travel

And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new Spirit
within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give
them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and
regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their
God.
   -- Ezekiel 11:18-19 nlt

The team met last night to discuss our last minute plans. Shannon and Virginia came to the meeting and we were able to ask questions and see photos from their trip. Everyone is excited and perhaps a little anxious. We thank you so much for the prayers of support.

Before

The family works on the foundation

                                     

In 7 days we travel

Today is the first day of readings and journaling in our mission journal.

According to the prohet Micah: The Lord requires you to Do Justice, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). In other words to be fair, show kindness and to be openly surrendered to God. The members of this trip are going not just because they want to, but because we have been invited to go by God.

We will do justice by getting involved doing for others what we hope they would do for us. It is what God wants us to do.

We will love mercy by doing acts of kindness for others, especially those who truly need the most help.

If we decide to walk humbly with God, the Bible promises that God will show us the way. We must focus and have faith and walk humbly with God and surrender to His purposes, and He will be our guide.

 I’ll give you a new heart, put a new Spirit in you. I’ll remove
the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s
God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it
possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.
   -- Ezekiel 36:26-27 msg

Hello, my name is......

Rick. I am 51 years old. This will be my second mission trip to Nicaragua. Last year on about the third day of the trip, as we were on the bus headed out to our construction site, I was overwhelmed by emotion. The thought that there was so much need and so little time and so little money just broke my heart. I spent the whole day all teary eyed. (Good thing I was wearing my sunglasses)

This morning, before I got out of bed, I was thinking again of how much there was to do and how little time we had, and then it hit me......"You don't have enough faith", Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible" (NLT Matthew 17:20)

He didn't say the mountain will move today, or tomorrow. Only that it would move. That nothing would be impossible if you had faith. Silly me. Let's go build a house!

Gifts for Nicaragua

We will be giving a cross to the family that we are building the house for as a housewarming gift. We got two crosses from Barbara Kusserow that her granddaughter Jenna made. One for the family and one for the church we will be attending on Sunday in Matagalpa. Thank you so much to Barbara and Jenna for your generous donation.

Where we are going

Here is a link to the google map that shows the village of San Jose.  Click here

The countdown begins

The countdown begins in earnest now.
Our first group, Shannon, Virginia and Mike all went with the folks from Big Springs last week. Today was their last day and they will travel to Managua tomorrow and fly back on Saturday.
Group 2 will leave in just 16 days. We have a mixed group of youth and adults. Dave, Lyle, Victor, Rick, Robert, Mitzi, Suzy, Paige, Stephanie, Sonja, Mary, and Amanda.