We started out the month of July with a Red, White, & Blue Birthday 
Blowout to celebrate Diego’s birthday and the 4th of July. We took a staff trip down to the lagoon in Granada. We had a wonderful time together as a family! We hung out at the lagoon, played Bananagrams, ate chili and keylime pie (two of Diego’s favorites), and just enjoyed being together. It was the first trip that we were able to take with just our new team. I love my Nica family!!
I loved being able to take my beautiful friend Gema out shopping for her quincenera dress and then to be able to celebrate her 15th birthday
with her. She was absolutely stunning in her dress! (Gema pictured right at her quincenera) It was such a beautiful celebration of a very sweet and deserving young woman. Gema has one of the most compassionate hearts of anyone I have ever met. I am so blessed by her friendship and the opportunity to celebrate her. (To read more about Gema, read A Year Without Pena) Continue to pray for Gema as she steps into all that the Lord has for her in this new year!
Whit, Barb, and I decided that we wanted to find a fun way to spend time with Anthony’s family. We have been spending time with them just 
hanging out, talking about Anthony, visiting his grave, and praying with them. However, we were longing to do something with them were we could laugh together and enjoy one another. Cooking is something that I always loved to do with Anthony. He was a great chef! Every couple of months we would take a day and go to the market together and then cook (mostly Anthony cooking and me just helping chop or stir) and eat a meal together. So, we decided to have a cooking day with Anthony’s family like I always loved to do with him. We went to the market, bought ingredients, and then cooked spicy chicken and tostones. We had a great time with his family and made a really delicious meal. We are hoping to continue this tradition about once a month or so.
Rain continues to POUR down nearly every afternoon. Of course, all of
rain makes for some very fun rain adventures!! We play and dance in the rain, jump in giant mud puddles, and run through the flooded streets. Oh, I love my life! (Pictured right- me, Rosita, Whit, Denis, and Barb out on a rain adventure!) I love having friends alongside me who will not let all the downpours keep us inside.
My friend Denis is still working in Managua, but we have been blessed 
to have him make two trips back home to visit all of us during this month. It’s been so good to have some time to hang out with him. We miss him and want him back in Candelaria SOON! His first visit back to Candelaria, we took a trip down to the park to hang out, eat dinner from the park vendors, talk and laugh together, and of course we threw in some food dares. I’m so proud of the work the Lord has done in Denis life (to read more read, Stories of Transformation: From Death to Life)! Continue to pray protection over Denis as he is away from his church family and pray that his project is finished soon and he can return to work in Chichigalpa.
I have been spending a lot of time this month visiting homes in the communities and specifically with the families on our street (pictured 
right- visiting baby Junieth and Gema at the corner house). This is one of my favorite ministries! I love the relationship that I have been able to build with the family at the corner house. I love getting to know the other precious families on our street. I love entering into their homes just to hang out, to play cards, to pray for the sick, and to hold and love the precious children. It makes my heart feel so full!
One of my favorite families to visit this month has been spending time 
with Jayson and his family. Jayson is a precious, joyful little 5 year old boy who always comes and plays on our property. Last month doctors found a tumor in his brain. He had surgery to remove part of the tumor, part couldn’t be removed because of its location. (To read more of his story, read Difficult Realities & Encountering Hope.) I have been spending a lot of time visiting with Jayson and his family. I have prayed with them, but mostly just played with Jayson and made him laugh. His laughter is one of the best sounds I have heard! Continue to pray with us for healing for Jayson!
This month ended with Darling’s graduation celebration. She just finished her university study in accounting. She has been studying 
through our Adopt-a-Student program and getting real-life experience working with our accounting at the mission. We are seeing our very first students finish their university studies through the Adopt-a-Student program. It’s so exciting to see! I am praying that, through this program, more and more students will be able to finish their studies and reach their dreams! If you would like to adopt a student, for only $25/month, check out our Adopt-a-Student website.
Also this month we were blessed to have two wonderful teams here 
with us! The first was the team from Pinnacle Church in Charlotte (pictured left) and the second is the team from Living Water Fellowship in Boone, NC (a few of them doing drama pictured below right).
The Pinnacle team was here with us for a week and consisted of 3 adults and 3 teenage girls. They were such a sweet team with a strong evangelistic focus. They spent their time reaching our outreach villages and sharing the gospel in the local schools. We loved having them working alongside us. 
The Living Water team is here with us for 3 weeks. I had gotten really close to them when they were here last summer and was so excited to have them back here with us! They are a wonderful team with hearts for worship, prayer, and empowering our youth to minister.
On the very last night of the month, I was thrilled to see that 9 of my 
friends from the corner house show up for a church service. When they walked onto the property, I thought they were coming to ask me to take a picture of baby Junieth because she was all dressed up (pictured below right). When they walked in and sat down at the back of the church, I thought my heart would just explode with joy! I have spent about nine months reaching 
out to this family and building relationships with them (To read the beginning of this story, read The Road to Relationships & Redemption Part 1 and Part 2). It’s amazing because over the past few weeks the Lord has really just been planting in my heart a desire to see them come to know the Lord. I really believe that the Lord is going to bring them to full redemption in Him! Please join me in praying for them and for their salvation!
I was so blessed to see them in the church. They have never had any interest in the Lord or in the church. I really believe that friendship and love have opened the door for them to come. I got to hold my precious Junieth all during worship just dancing with her and praying over her. I loved seeing the adults and teenagers from the home really engaged in the sermon. I’m going to play cards with Jasmina again this week and will be interested to talk to her and see what they heard from the Lord. I believe that I will see them accept the Lord and see redemption come to that family. Please pray with me!
SO exciting when we see tangible evidence of God’s hand working in the lives of people we’ve been praying for!!! So thrilled for you and praying He will continue to draw them to Himself! Love you, Lisa!
Christ in you is the hope of glory! thanks for sharing those moments of hope with all of us. love love.