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