September ’13 Highlights (Photo Blog)

Teams & Visitors

    We were blessed to start the month having Don VanVeldhuizen visiting with us again. And this time he was also able to bring his wife, Belinda, with him. Don was here to focus on collecting water samples as he continues his work to find a cause of the chronic renal failure that plagues our community. Don was able to visit La Isla, Malipaisillo, and other villages that have the highest rates of kidney disease in order to collect water samples and meet with government officials (Don collecting water samples in La Isla- pictured below). We are excited to see where his research will lead and to see the redemption that will come from the work that Don is doing. He and his wife Belinda are also sponsoring several students through our sponsorship program. Belinda was visiting with their sponsored students and their families and threw a birthday party for two of the youth that they are sponsoring. It was wonderful to have them here with us again and to continue to build relationship with this wonderful family.

 

    We loved having a new team of World Racers here with us for the month of September. Team Frureo was such a blessing to us and our ministry! I just love working with World Racers and enjoyed this team so much. I really enjoyed building friendships with them visiting families with them and talking about life during our free time. They have such big hearts to serve in any way needed. They were up at sunrise three days a week to help plant moringa trees in our garden. They also spent afternoons visiting with Rosa and praying for people in the community. They visited Nuevo Amanecer every week to help with Sunday school for our 40 kiddos there (pictured below). They planned Friday night fun activities for our youth and spent time building relationships with them. We have enjoyed building friendships, praying together, and ministering along side this team.

 

    We also had a team from Calvary Chapel here with us at the end of the month (World Race and Calvary Chapel team pictured below). We love teams from this church! They are always an incredible blessing to us. One of their biggest ministries this week was handing out food provisions to families in our community. This time of year is really difficult for most families in our community. We are at the end of a six-month period of unemployment and many families are struggling and without food. They bought provisions of rice, beans, and oil and separated them out for each of our families from our churches in Candelaria and Nuevo Amanecer. It was such a blessing to our families and church!

 

Monthly Ministry Updates

    September is always a month of celebration in Nicaragua! Central American Independence Day is September 14th (pictured below parading through the streets of Chichigalpa). The schools always host marches at the baseball stadium that honor our top students, school bands perform, and traditional Nicaraguan folk dancing. I love going every year to support and cheer on our kids. Unfortunately this year, I was at Whit’s wedding the day of the march, but thankfully Haille was there to cheer for our kids and get some good pictures for me to see. I was especially excited to see my hija, Yessica, honored at a top student in her class.

 

    Our sponsorship program continues to grow. I love seeing new students sponsored, to see them receiving their uniforms (like Alan David pictured below) and medical care, and to see the way that their hearts’ come to life as they are chosen and celebrated. (To read more, read: Chosen). I love to be a part of this program! This month we have been able to help so many families as we are entering into a really hard season in Candelaria at the end of six-month period of unemployment. We have been able to provide food provisions for families and help support as our top students were celebrated and honored. I love to see our kids come alive as their hearts begin to soar in hope. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of. I love to see sweet kids like, Alan David, given hope for their future, medical care, and a chance to study.

 

    As things have been getting busier and busier with sponsorship responsibilities, it’s harder to find times to just hang out with the youth that I love so much. Rosita and I were finally able to carve out some time just for the two of us. We were able to spend an entire afternoon sitting in my room and laughing, talking about life, and catching up on all the things that the Lord has been doing in both of our hearts over the last couple of months. I love this girl with all of my heart!! It was wonderful to hear about what’s been going on with her and being able to speak into her heart and her identity. It was such a sweet afternoon. And it was great to just laugh hysterically and her craziness! So thankful for my friendship with Rosita! The Lord is moving in her heart for sure.

 

   This month our World Racers helped to organize two Friday night fun activities for the youth from all of our outreach villages. We were able to get the youth together from Candelaria, Nuevo Amanecer, and Santa Matilde. Even though these game nights can be stressful to organize, the kids really enjoy them. Plus, I did love getting to spend more time this month with the youth that I love so much (pictured below with some of our youth guys). As my role in sponsorship grows, I have less time to just hang out with the teenagers. I loved having time to just have fun and play games with them.

 

    One of the highlights of my month is always spending time with my sweet girls! I love them so much!! I loved sweet afternoons sitting in the cafetin cuddling and laughing with them. One of my favorite moments was watching their reaction when they tried my coffee (pictured below). I love when they are scared during a thunderstorm at church and run to find me. I love sweet time during services sitting with them on my lap and watching them read. I love when they pray for me when I’m sick. I love when they call me mama.

 

    I have a little love in Santa Matilde. Jairo is such a precious little boy! (pictured below) I have fallen in love with them entire family, but especially with this sweet little one and his crazy hair. Every time I come to their house I get to sit with this precious little one on my lap cuddling and praying over him. His family always brings him to me as soon as I enter into their yard. After holding him one afternoon while visiting the family, Jairo started sobbing as soon as I said I was leaving. I love this little one with all my heart!

 

    Cadence and I were finally able to make it back out to La Isla after a couple weeks away. We had missed our English students there. And then as a bonus, all my favorite little La Isla loves were at the church when we arrived (pictured below). It was great to see them running towards us at full speed and being wrapped in hugs. I loved laughing and talking with these precious kids before starting English classes once again.

 

   This month we celebrated gorgeous Yerling’s quincenera! I love to be a part of these 15th birthday celebrations to see our young teenagers step into womanhood. Yerling is one of our beautiful teenagers in Santa Matilde (pictured below at her quincenera). She is intelligent, hilarious, and loves the Lord and her family. She is an active part of our church, English classes, and dance group. She is full of joy and life! I loved being able to celebrate her life and be a part of this wonderful celebration. Feliz cumple Yerling! 

 

Personal Blessings

     I was so incredibly blessed to be able to travel to North Carolina for a week this month to be there to celebrate with Whitney and Kellen Gorbett as they married and started their life together! It meant so much  to me to be able to stand with Whit as she married her love. Whit and I have such a special relationship after our time living and working together here in Nica. We have been able to stand by one another and speak into each other’s hearts in a way that is so rare and beautiful! I am so thankful for this incredible woman of God and for our friendship that is filled to overflowing with joy, laughter, support, and the Lord. I love weddings anyway, but I love them even more when it’s a couple that I love so dearly and when I have been walking with them from the beginnings of their relationship. I was there when they met in Nicaragua. I talked with Whit so much through the beginnings of Kellen’s pursuit last year and was able to see them fall more and more in love with one another. I was standing by Whit when he surprised her and proposed to her on the beach in Nica in March and thankfully I was also able to be there to see them commit their lives to one another in marriage (first dance pictured below). It was one of the most beautiful and intimate weddings that I have ever attended.

 

   Also while I was in the States I was able to spend a couple days with the Willingham family. I love them with all of my heart! It was such a blessing to my heart to be with them and be poured into by our wonderful friendships. Plus, I got to meet their newest addition, baby Avery Jane (pictured below with Ashley & Avery).

 

   We added a new addition to our church family this month. Little baby Lisa Margarita Arroyo Ballardes was born September 14th. She is beautiful! I feel so honored because this little bundle of joy was named after me and my momma. I love spending time cuddling and praying over my precious little namesake and goddaughter. (pictured below).