This month we were able to expand our Adopt-a-Student program in La
Isla and Nuevo Amanecer (to read more on this expansion and other successes, read: Education & Empowerment). Whit and I had quite the adventure wading through the river to La Isla (pictured right) to have our first meeting with the students there about the sponsorship program. I have been spending a lot of time in each of those villages visiting homes, meeting with the students about the program, and giving away school supplies (the kids from La 
Isla with their school supplies- pictured left). It has been wonderful to be able to bless the families and to make it possible for the students to stay in school. I love to see their faces light up as they receive their backpacks, school supplies and uniforms. It’s amazing to see the hope and encouragement that this program brings to the children and their families.
Also in this expansion, we started this month doing home visits for the families in Nuevo Amanecer. Even though I have lived here for over 1 1/2 years, it is still an eye-opening experience to sit down with each 
child from the church plant and hear their stories, walk through their homes, and know their dreams for the future. I am enjoying the opportunity to know the beautiful children in this village more (like Adan- pictured right). It is heartbreaking to see the difficult situation in which many of them are living, but amazing to hear their dreams for the future. I long to help them to run forward in those dreams! If you would like to help us empower more students to dream for their futures, consider sponsoring one of our students for only $25/month (email me from the link on the left if you are interested).
I have been spending so much time playing with the kids that live on 
our street this month. I love them so much!! Every time I leave the house I will hear them yelling from the church property or from their yards, “Lisa! Lisa! Can we play?” They have decided that their favorite game to play is just to have me chase them around in circles and tickle them if I catch them (playing with precious Jayson- pictured right). haha! I love it! Playing with them every day speaks the Lord’s love to their hearts and brings healing to my own.
This month I have really begun to see redemption come to the family that lives at the corner house. The Lord is answering my prayers and drawing them to Himself! They have been in the church so much lately 
and a couple of them have even made a decision to start a relationship with the Lord. Jasmina and her boyfriend, who everyone calls Surdo, (pictured left) came forward one Saturday night; Surdo to accept the Lord and Jasmina to reconcile or rededicate to the Lord. I love to see them beginning relationship with Jesus and I am praying that they will really allow the Holy Spirit to transform their lives (read: The Road to Relationship & Redemption Part 3). Also, they are expecting a baby at the beginning of November. Jasmina asked me to name the baby girl for them. I am still praying for her name.
In the middle of September, Nicaragua celebrated its independence 
day. During this week, all of the schools have marching band demonstrations and ceremonies honoring the top students in each class. Whitney and I were able to go and support our youth at their demonstrations (our “WE SUPPORT” photo- pictured right). It was so much fun to be a part of a national celebration as well as to support our youth in the things that they love to do. I loved 
watching the dances, majorettes, and marching bands. Our youth have worked so hard this past month practicing and preparing for the celebration. I love getting to support them in the parts of their lives that are separate from the church as well. I was also pleased to see so many of our Adopt-a-Student kids honored among the top students (youth parading through the streets of Chichigalpa- pictured above left).
One of the couples from our youth group, Paula and Sergio (pictured below right), came to me this month and wanted to start studying God’s Word with me. I was so excited to see them seeking more of the Lord together! I feel like that is such a big step and a rare thing to see in 
relationships here. I have been praying for so long for the Lord to restore family in this community; honestly it’s my biggest heart’s cry for Candelaria. I believe that the Lord is going to do that by raising up a different kind of family in the youth generation (read: A Different Kind of Family). Families where the husbands and wives love and respect one another, love their children, and put the Lord in the center of their relationship. I believe that He is beginning that among a few of the youth. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to pour into them as individuals and as a couple!
We were very blessed to have a team with us for one week this month 
from Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They were such a wonderful team! The Calvary team focused on sports ministry and the community of Nuevo Amanecer (pictured left). They were able to paint the soccer/basketball court in Nuevo Amanecer, teach soccer clinics both in Nuevo Amanecer and Candelaria, use sports as a means to share the gospel, provide chairs for the children at our church plant in Nuevo 
Amanecer, and build relationships with teenagers and kids in both communities. One amazing thing about this team is that they are nearly all fluent Spanish speakers. This gave them the ability to really go deep in their relationships in just a short time here. We also just enjoyed spending time with the team and traveling with them. They were so refreshing to us who are here long-term as well.
Whit and I had a sleepover at the Vega house one night (pictured 
left). Rosita had invited us both to come and spend the night with her. We had a great time hanging out with the family and other youth who were there in the evening. We played cards, watched movies, and just enjoyed being together. I always love when we get to spend time with them outside of the church. Also, it was really sweet that Rosita and Jovanny wanted to prepare food for us, but wanted to give us what they would call “gringa food” so that we would enjoy it more. They made us sandwiches on toasted bread and bought fruit and yogurt for us to eat with them.
In another opportunity to support the youth in the things that they love, I was able to go to my brother Abel’s baseball game. Abel loves to
play baseball and has been playing in a community league (Abel up to bat- pictured right). He has been inviting me all season to come and see him play. However, because his games are only on Sunday mornings and I am working with our Sunday School program I have never been able to attend. This week we didn’t have Sunday school due to a major band competition between all of the schools so it freed my morning and allowed me to go and support him. I love getting to see the youth do the things that they love! It was great to watch him play and to cheer for his team. It was also a wonderful time to hang out with his family and get to connect with them more. I’m hoping I can find a way to go back to another game if they make it to the championship.
Even though there have been so many good things that happened this month, there have also been a couple of hard things that I have encountered in this month. I felt the need to include them in the photo highlights because they have made a big impact on me this month, but I wanted to separate them out because they were really “highlights”.
The first was saying goodbye to Andres (the morning Andres left- pictured left). Andres and Anthony were the first kids to capture my heart
and the reason that I begged the Lord to send me to Candelaria full-time. Losing Anthony in April and then having Andres move to Costa Rica was so difficult for me (read: Letting Go). Please join me in praying for Andres that the Lord will draw Andres to Himself. Pray that the Lord will protect Andres and allow him to build a relationship with his mom during this time.
On our days off with the team from Calvary Chapel, we went to Chureca, the trash dump in Managua (read: La Chureca). It broke my heart to see so many families living and working amongst the filth of the dump. I feel like my heart is still processing all that I saw and felt in that place. It is something that I needed to see to allow the injustice of it sink down into my heart and to intercede for real change in this nation begin. *I know this is a photo highlights blog, but I didn’t include a photo from La Chureca because I wasn’t permitted to take photos and none of the photos in my blog post about it are actually mine.
Lisa,
You are living out the dreams that God had placed in my heart and I celebrate you and Whitney and the love of God flowing through you. I would like to send this update out to some people who I want to update on our status if that is OK with you. I am so proud of you!
Man Lisa it has been an amazing month for you guys. God is so good, and I know He is going to provide an awesome worship leader for the church.