August ’11 Highlights (Photo Blog)

   

We started off the month with a campfire with the youth and the Living Water team. It was such a beautiful time of being together in the beauty of creation and the beauty of worshiping the Lord! I had some wonderful time with the little boys from the corner house (read: Just One of those PERFECT Moments). It was also amazing to see my brother Abel (read: Wholehearted Surrender) step forward and call others to more in the Lord.

   My life is always full of bromas (practical jokes) and I love it!! Usually my bromas are only with Rosita, but right before I left on vacation Denis and Rosita told me that they had a surprise for me. Denis then picks me up, carried me to a giant mud puddle and threw me in. Then he and Rosita covered me in mud. Hilarious! Of course later Denis turned on Rosita and threw her in too. Oh, how I love my broma-filled friendships!

   I had a chance to go to the beach with Linda Gable for two days. It was wonderful to spend the time with her and to see the way that the Lord has been healing my heart. I remember one morning Linda and I were on the beach doing yoga together. After yoga, I was sitting on the beach looking at the waves and the first thing I thought about was the constancy of the Lord’s love. This may not sound like a big deal, but it was a huge signal of the healing that the Lord has been doing in my heart. All of my life, I have loved the beach. The constancy of the waves always reminded me of the constancy of the Lord’s love. However, since Anthony’s death, I haven’t been able to look at the oceans waves without feeling grief and loss wash over me. So, looking into the waves and thinking first about the Lord’s love was just another sign that His healing is coming. It’s a slow process, but it’s coming. 

   The Lord continues to give me more and more opportunities to deepen my relationships with the family at the corner house. Right after I returned from Aruba, I was walking past their house and Gema told me that Elvin was really sick and was in the hospital. Immediately I thought, “I have to go and see him!” So I started asking where he was so I could go and visit. Jasmina mentioned that she was leaving right then to go and see him. So Whit and I traveled with Jasmina, Digna (their older sister) and her 3 sons to go and visit Elvin in Chinandega. While I hate that he was so sick, I loved getting to spend the afternoon with the family and minister to them in that way. I think it meant a lot to them (and especially Elvin) that I care for him enough to make the trip to come and see him. I was also able to bring some food for Elvin (because hospitals here provide free treatment, but no food), spend some time talking with his mom, and prayed for his healing. Thankfully, Elvin is completely well now and running around playing like always. He had some sort of infection from playing and swimming in dirty river water.

   Barb, one of our long-term missionaries, celebrated her birthday this month. We had a great time celebrating alongside her! On her birthday, Whitney and I went with Barb to the park in town to get papusas (grilled corn torillas filled with cheese). Papusas are Barb’s absolute favorite Nicaraguan treat! So, we ate papusas and just hung out in the park with some of the youth. We also had a staff celebration in Matagalpa enjoying waterfalls, good coffee, and a nice dinner out together. At the restaurant in Matagalpa, I convinced our waiter to sing Barb a special song for her birthday (from the look on his face when I asked him, I’m guessing this isn’t something they normally do). He returned with the entire family to sing a song for Barb. (Pictured above left- Barb enjoying her birthday song)

   This month we have been blessed to have an amazing couple here with us helping with our Adopt-a-Student Program. Josh and Sarah (pictured right) volunteered to come and photograph all of our kids who are eligible for sponsorship (over 150 children). They have been taking photographs here on the church property as well as visiting each of the children’s homes and photographing them there as well. They will be using these photographs to create a website featuring all of our students eligible for sponsorship as well as mailers for us to use to better market the program. Our Adopt-a-Student program is enabling children to begin dreaming for their futures and empowering them to achieve those dreams through removing many of the obstacles that cause them to drop out of school. We are still looking for many more sponsors. For only $25/month, you can help beautiful children (like these pictured above left) to achieve their dreams! If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please check out our Adopt-a-Student website or email me through the link on the left side of this page.

    Those of you who have been following my journey for awhile, know Andres well. He is the first kid that captured my heart when I came here in August 2008. I have always been super close to him. I love that boy so much more than I could ever explain! Unfortunately, he is planning to move to Costa Rica where his mom lives very soon. Andres has been walking away from the church so much over the last year. I continue to pray that the Lord will move on his heart and draw Andres to Himself. I have been blessed the end of this month to spend more and more time with Andres before he leaves for Costa Rica. I have been visiting him almost everyday and even got to take him and Abel out for pizza this week (Andres and I pictured above right at Pizza Hot). We had such a great time together just talking and laughing. Please pray for Andres as he heads to Costa Rica. Pray that the Lord will protect him and that Andres will begin to walk with the Lord in real ways.

Bonus Photos: Personal Blessings
   This month has brought several personal blessings. My aunt and uncle invited my cousin Stacy and I to join them for a week-long vacation in Aruba. I couldn’t believe it! It was such a blessing to spend a week in such a beautiful place enjoying the sunshine, beach, good food, and adventure while having a chance to relax and spend time with some of my family. It was such a huge blessing! The week was so refreshing and I loved getting to have so much time with Stacy (Stacy and I pictured above right). We were able to spend everyday at the beach as well as snorkel and go tubing. Thank you Anna and Jon for this incredible gift!! 

   While we were in Matagalpa celebrating Barb’s birthday, we discovered a new coffee shop that had just opened there. I was amazed and delighted to discover that this coffee shop even had comfy couches! I know this doesn’t sound like anything amazing, but trust me, it is. Coffee shops are one of my most-missed things from the States. There barely any coffee shops in Nicaragua that have that feel like a real coffee shop. I absolutely love to curl up on a comfy couch with a good book and a cappuccino and just soak in the coffee shop atmosphere.

   This month I have been missing Cosby and Clover (my nephew and niece) so much! Honestly it’s one of the hardest parts about living overseas. I am missing all of their “firsts” and know that I will continue to do so. I am mostly watching them grow-up via pictures on facebook and video clips on their family blog. Lately I have just been wanting to see their beautiful faces and tell them that I love them. So, my brother and sister-in-law set up a skype date for me to talk to them all. It made my heart so happy!! I was able to talk to the whole family. Cosby even danced for me and showed me how he can count to 10. When he said, “Love you. Bye.” my heart melted!