to spend my time in the homes of my neighbors. This is where you find true community and really come to know the culture here. Life revolves around the home. You can always find families in their patio (yard) washing clothes, cooking in outdoor kitchens, relaxing in the hammock, sitting and talking with family or neighbors. I cannot even explain exactly why, but this photo just captures life in my little village.
Nicaragua has two seasons: dry and rainy season. It rains here every day for six months (mid-May until mid-November) and then we don't see a drop of rain for six months (mid-November until mid-May). Especially in September and October, we get these insane rain storms almost every day. It's some of the most intense rain, thunder and lightning that I have ever seen! The streets turn into rivers all around us. It's crazy, but I actually really love it! Rainy season makes for some hilarious adventures!!
One example: this month we had a downpour during my English class in Nuevo Amanecer. The entire church flooded and all the streets turned into little rivers. Jovanny and I were trying to make our way back to Candelaria on our bikes (pictured left standing INSIDE the church in Nuevo Amanecer). We had to change routes because we normally cross a river and then drive through the sugar cane fields. With the amount of rain that we've received, we were unable cross the river so we had the go across a bridge and down through town. We tried riding our bikes all the way home, but we had to keep climbing down and walking beside our bikes in areas where the water was too high to cross. At one point, the water was almost to my knees. I laugh a lot during rainy season!! I really enjoy these crazy little adventures! They keep my life interesting.
In Latin culture, a girl's 15th birthday, her quincenera, is a monumentous occassion. It marks her transition from being a girl to becoming a young woman. I love getting to celebrate this day with my lovely youth girls! This 
month Paola celebrated her quincernera. She looked like a princess! We had the ceremony at the church where we praised the Lord together, Pastor Walter blessed Paola, her grandmother spoke love from the family over her, and they did a shoe changing ceremony where her escort changes her from plain shoes that could be worn by children to fancy high heels signifiying her entrance into womanhood (pictured right). Quincerneras are a beautiful time of celebrating our young women at the church, but for many of our girls (like Paola) the ceremony is also difficult because there is a moment where the young lady is supposed to dance with her father. Because of the chronic kidney disease (renal failure), many of our teenage girls have lost their fathers before turning 15. Following the ceremony, there is always an after party at the family's house where everyone gathers for food and dancing. I'm so glad to be able to celebrate with this lovely young woman!
We live close to San Cristobal, the highest volcano in Nicaragua. I know that it typically erupts once every 3-4 
years. This month I was able to see it for the first time. One morning Tommy began calling for us to come to the front door. As I walked up, the first thing I saw was a huge cloud of ash rising above the church. It was incredible! One of the coolest things that I have seen (San Cristobal erupting pictured left)! Things here have been really calm even with the eruption. Some of the communities closer to the volcano were evacuated, but there is no damage where we are. However, life in Chichigalpa was affected. Schools were cancelled for an entire week because of the evacuated families who were living in the schools. Thanks for your prayers for our safety!
This isn't really about regular life in Candelaria, but specifically about MY life here. I never realized how much I would miss 
fall until I moved here. Growing up summer was always my favorite time of year; the sunshine, break from school, travel and adventures. However, now that I live in a land of never-ending summer, I've discovered that it's autumn that I miss more than anything else. Especially autumn in WV. It's gorgeous there this time of year! I miss the beautiful colors, the crisp cool weather, hiking at Beauty Mountain when the trees are full of vibrantly colored leaves, pulling out fall clothes and accessories, and eating pumpkin everything. Every fall, I find myself wishing that I could teleport to WV just to indulge in one day of all my fall favorites.
Since I haven't yet figured out teleportation, I now settle for taking one weekend during the fall, sneaking away to the mountains of Matagalpa and pretending that I'm enjoying a beautiful WV autumn afternoon. As soon as all the fall facebook statuses started coming out, I knew that it was time for my fake fall weekend in Matagalpa. So I put on my cowboy boots and a cute dress and headed up to the cool(er) mountain air. Spent one day just enjoying the beautiful mountains and cool weather and sitting in coffee shops drinking cappuccinos and eating chocolate desserts (unfortunately there are no pumpkin goodies to be found here in Nica). And then the next morning the Lord gave me a little gift to my heart… I walked out of the house where we were staying and there is a tree with just a couple little fall colored leaves. It made my heart so happy! (pictured right). It's just one of the many ways that Jesus tells me that He loves me. We finished out our fall weekend hiking through the forest (well in Nica it's hiking through the rainforest) and having a nice bowl of soup at Selva Negra. Every part of the weekend just fulfilled my heart's desires and helped me deal with missing the beautiful WV fall.
We were so incredibly blessed to have a team from Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale with us the first week of 
September (Team pictured right during our day off travels. From right to left: Julio, Marcel, Saturday, Clint, Ryan and Sara). We always love when teams from Calvary Chapel come to New Song. Their teams are so solid spiritually and always come ready to dive fully into ministry. They offer so much encouragement to both our Nicaraguan communities and to our long-term staff. This team hosted soccer tournaments and clinics in Candelaria and Nuevo Amanecer, taught Sunday school at our outreach church, Manatiel de Vida, in Nuevo Amanecer, shared testimonies and youth teaching, worked on 
the fence around our mission base in Candelaria, provided food staples for some of our neediest families (Marcel and Saturday pictured left packing food provisions. After nearly 4 months of unemployment for all the sugar cane workers, many families are currently in need of basic provisions), and spent time blessing and encouraging our long-term staff and pastors. Thank you guys for all that you did! We were so blessed by your time here!
Central America celebrates her independence September 14-15th. Every year on these dates the schools host a huge independence day celebration. This celebration includes band competitions and the honoring of 
each school's top students. I, of course, couldn't wait to go and support our children and youth who were participating in this year's program. I was thrilled to see the number to students in our sponsorship program who were being honored among the top in their class (just a few of our mejor alunas pictured right).
Everyone in Chichigalpa and all the surrounding barrios comes to the stadium to see each school's presentation. I love to see how kids being honored for their hard work and success and being able to celebrate alongside of them! I am so proud of our kids!!
I don't know if this can really be considered a highlight, but I have spent a quite a lot of time this month in waiting rooms of various medical facilities. Part of it, was repeated trips to the local health center trying to get my health certificate for my residency, but then I also had the opportunity to help out with some of the medical needs 
of my precious neighborhood children. Nicaragua has free, government-run health care. However, many of the people in my area cannot even afford the transportation costs required to arrive at these health care facilities. This month sweet Julissa fell while playing with Makeyling and Dalila and broke her arm (Julissa and I pictured left after we decorated her cast). I was able to help Julissa and her dad to go to the hospital in Chinandega and get her cast. Also, this month Katalin developed an infection in a cut on her finger. I was able to help Jasmina take her to the clinic here at New Song and get the antibiotic that she needed. There is always a need for help with basic medical needs.
As I mentioned in my earlier rain adventures post, we had a huge storm one afternoon during my English 
class in Nuevo Amanecer. I teach a community English class in our outreach church there every Saturday afternoon from 2-4. All of my students are between 7-13 years old. I really enjoy teaching them and have seen so much growth in their English abilities over the past few months. I love how different being a teacher is here as compared to the States. My classroom is outside in the dirt under the tin roof of the church. This month during our English exam, torrential downpour started and the kids just kept right on with their exams hiding under rain jackets to keep their exams from getting soaked (pictured right). Haha! I love it!
I really enjoy my work with our Sunday school program here in Candelaria. I love getting to spend every 
Sunday morning with my little loves (pictured left teaching one of our Sunday school classes using our new children's Bibles)! This month we were able to start with our new curriculum through the Jesus Storybook Bible. Thank you to all of you who read my previous blog post (Help Us Share HIS Story) and gave to this project. The kids and teachers are very excited about our new Bibles! I also just love to see our Sunday school teachers continually growing in their knowledge of the Bible, their love for their students, and in their Sunday school teaching. I am so proud of them!
I continue to spend sweet afternoons hanging out at the Corner House (pictured right holding Katalin Adaya). 
This month I was thrilled to be able to spend time with Jasmina, Katalin, Gema, and Junieth. Since Gema and Junieth moved to another part of town, I don't get to see them as often (pictured below left with all four of the girls). I really treasure my sweet afternoons hanging out with all 4 of these lovely ladies! The Lord has planted such a deep love for these four girls in my heart ever since He opened the door for relationship with them two years ago. I have spent countless hours hanging out in their homes, talking, laughing, praying over their beautiful daughters, and just loving sharing life 
with them. This month has been a little disheartening watching Jasmina return to an unhealthy relationship, but I am continuing to pray and believe for their redemption and restoration. Please join me in praying for Gema, baby Junieth, Jasmina, and baby Katalin. The Lord loves them so much and I long for them to know and enter in to His love. These ladies live in homes filled with violence and yet have such sweet spirits and are such loving mommas. I believe that I will see them come to know the Lord's love in a real way that will transform their lives.
This month I got to celebrate sweet Gissell's birthday with her. To read more of Gissell's story, read: Protecting Innocence. I have been loving spending my Sunday afternoons hanging out with Gissell over the past couple of 
months. I just love this girl! So many of our kids here don't celebrate their birthdays. Because most families cannot afford the traditional birthday celebrations, birthday are often overlooked completely. I think it's really important for kids (and adults) to feel really loved and celebrated on their birthdays, even if you aren't able to throw a big party. I absolutely LOVE to be able to celebrate who my kids are and rejoicing in the new possibilites that come with another year of their lives. Gissell and I went out for pizza (her favorite), I prayed a blessing over this next year of her life, and then just sat in the park talking and laughing. It was a great afternoon!
Blessings for New Song
We received a HUGE blessing this month! Another mission in Chichigalpa decided to close their doors leaving an unfinished mission house behind. The head of this ministry contacted us at New Song and told us that she believes in what we are doing here and would like to donate the house to us (our new house- picture right). This 
was an incredible blessing for New Song!! This house is much more than we as a mission would ever be able to afford and here it is being offered to us FREE of charge. We signed all of the paperwork for the house this month. This is certainly a year of the Lord's favor within our ministry! We have been talking for some time about the need to turn our current home into a mission house with ministry offices and conference rooms and for the staff to have a place to live that doesn't double as our offices, counseling rooms, youth meeting hall, English classroom, etc. So, I, along with the rest of my New Song family, will be moving hopefully next month. We will be living in the newly donated house offering a little bit of separation between work and home life. Our current home at the church property will be continue to be used for youth teachings, pastor trainings, community English classes, and a place to hang out for the teenagers. Our current bedrooms will be converted into various mission offices. Mine will become the Office of Education where I will be able to work on everything pertaining to the student sponsorship and Sunday school programs. We will also continue to house smaller teams in the newly built dorm rooms on the property under the supervision of our New Song staff. We are praising the Lord for this blessing!!
There is an organization based in Charlotte, NC called "Finish the Wall". They are a ministry that comes alongside other ministries around the world and helps them to complete construction projects. New Song applied with Finish the Wall for the completion of our new team dorm rooms, kitchen remodel, and construction of the Panaderia Pan de Vida (Bread of Life Bakery). Many of you know, that we had plans to open a bakery as another means of job creation in our community last spring, but the changes in our electricity changed our financial situation and made this project impossible at the time. We applied with Finish the Wall, and after applications and on-site interviews we were chosen as one of two projects that they will be taking on in 2013!!! We are thrilled about this partnership!!! Finish the Wall had their reveal dinner on September 27th to announce the projects for the 
upcoming year. Finish the Wall is raising $48,000 for the completion of our projects at New Song. They will be here in Candelaria during January and February completing the and construction on the dorms, remodel for our kitchen, and construction of our bakery. We are so excited to see how the Lord is opening doors for the completion of these projects. The kitchen is being remodeled to make room for the bakery and so that we are able to open a storefront window where bakery goods can be sold to the community. We have women who have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity for employment through the Panaderia Pan de Vida. Stay tuned for further updates on these projects as they are completed in February 2013. I believe that amazing things are in store for this coming year! Pray for this project and for the jobs that will be created through the Bread of Life Bakery at New Song.
This month begins a slower period for our mission. It happens every fall, the time right after we finish with our 
summer teams, during the heaviest part of rainy season, and before our second burst of short-term team activity around the holidays. It is always a time where we can focus on organization and structural changes that need to be made within our programs. This year, I want to take advantage of this time to accomplish all that I can toward my long-term dream of running a foster care home. (Sweet proclamations that my family here is making over my land- pictured left). I have been working on several fronts since returing to Nicaragua in order to bring this dream to fruition. Here are the areas in which I am currently working:
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Land: As you know, I purchased my land right before leaving for the States (read: Releasing Inheritance). My wonderful New Song family and some of the Nicaraguan youth fenced in my
land while I was Stateside. (Thanks Patrick, Cadence, and Linds- pictured right- for leading this fence building project). I have the receipts for the land, but still need to sign all of the deed paperwork. Those of you who have been following this journey, know how long it took to get the lady here to Candelaria for me to purchase the land. Now, I need her to come again to complete all of the paperwork. Pray that this meeting will happen soon. The paperwork is ready. I just need to meet with her in order to sign it all. -
Residency: I have collected all the necessary residency paperwork from the US, but I still have several steps to complete here in Nicaragua. This month I have been traveling back and forth to
the health center in Candelaria to receive my health certificate (what I thought would be a one-afternoon appointment turned into a 4-day process). Praise the Lord, that step is complete! Our lawyer has helped me to write a letter to immigration that I will file with my residency paperwork. I am currently working on geting my Stateside paperwork translated. Once this paperwork is translated, I have to get it all notarized here in Nica and then it will be ready to file with the goverment. Pray for favor with the government offices and that my residency application will be approved quickly. - Non-profit: After seeking wise counsel, I have decided to set-up a small 501c3 (non-profit organization) for the foster home. All money given to this non-profit will be designated specifically for the construction of the foster care home and one day for the care of my foster children. As I prayed into this dream and my future family I kept hearing the Lord say that this will be a place where children can abide in HIS love. So, the name of the non-profit will simply be Abide. Our mission statement is the following: "Abide is a family, a foster home, located in a small village in northwest Nicaragua. Our desire is to provide a safe place for children and teenagers, who have been abandoned or removed from their homes, to know and rest in the love of their Father. Abiding through struggle and rejoicing, hearts will be held and nurtured and lives will encounter physical, spiritual and emotional healing. Through the atmosphere of family, our hope is to see the gifts and dreams of the Lord’s heart cultivated within their lives as they learn to walk in the fullness for which they were created." The process of setting up the 501c3 will take a couple of months. In the meantime, my wonderful friend Mel has offered to create our website. She is currently working on the website and hopefully it will be ready to launch once the non-profit status has been approved. My goal is to have the 501c3 status complete and website ready to launch by November 1st. Please pray that this is possible.
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House: I am continually overwhelmed by the number of people who hear about and long to
support this dream! Last month while I was in the States, I shared about the project with a small group in Raleigh, NC. One of the members of this small group contacted his sister-in-law who is an interior designer. Within a couple of days, she contacted me interested in designing floor plans for my house. I sent her the information that she requested and the next day she sent absolutely beautiful plans. As soon as I opened the pdf file showing the front of the house, my heart exclaimed, "Oh! I want to live there!" (House layout- pictured right). These plans are exactly what I was looking for and once again the Lord just dropped the opportunity in my lap. I am currently trying to gather estimates for all of the building costs, metal work, septic tank, and even including the costs for solar energy. Once I have all the estimates (and I know in Nica that will take awhile to get) and the website for the non-profit is up and running, we will begin fundraising for the house. Begin praying now for the fundraising and building process and for the children that will call this house their home.
Love, love, love seeing how the Lord is working & blessing your life & ministry!!! =) Continuing to pray with you for redemption & restoration in Jasmina’s life! Love you, friend!