Thursday 8/27

Another great day today!  Wow, I'm thinking back to this morning and it seems SO long ago!

As we are heading for the home stretch of this trip I can see our energy start to wane....it probably didn't help that today was mid 90's with very very high humidity!

Today we went to the public University in Managua to work at CECNIC - the college Christian group.

They have a small house with an office, a single bedroom where four people live and they hold an open bible study group each Thursday.  We cleaned up their yard, emptied their attic and sorted through the boxes and some of the team cleaned the yard and inside of the campus cafeteria.

                       

                          Introductions of American team and Christian Group leadership team

    Julie, Ashley and Jenny (our translator) washing cafeteria windows.

   The roof cleaning and painting team

   Part of the yardwork team stopping for a coconut water break!  Yes, those were just cut

   down from a tree with a macheta!

   Eating our lunch in the with the student leaders

After lunch we continued working for a couple more hours then gathered to worship and plan how we were to split up the group and walk through campus while asking students to join us for a bible study.

   Marissa using her charm and humor on these students!  

   The end result of a days work, a gathering of students from American and Nicaragua talking 

   about Jesus.  Two different countries, different languages sharing the same faith and Lord!

Tomorrow we have, yet another full day of work, and hopefully, play planned!

Buenas Noches

                           

 

Wednesday 8/26

Well, we are all rested from our "culture day", a day off of work and a time to see a little more of Nicaragua.  Our day started at the market in Masaya where many of us bought little gifts to bring home to all of you!  Every time I go there I see my little friend, I wish I could tell you her name, I just can't understand her!  I do know she is 76 and walks around the market with a basket on her head selling cookies (more like dog biscuits), chocolate, horchata and something very dark and sticky in a bag.... smashed figs???  ANYWAY, she is so absolutly darling and thrives on hugs and attention, which I'm happy to give her!

                                

                                

                                   (Dillon being Dillon)

   

Next we went to the most beautiful place I've been in Nicaragua, Apoyo Lagoon Natural Reserve where we had a wonderful lunch and played in the most beautiful, blue water!  It's such a sharp contrast to the last two days of serving.  We had some discussion on that this evening how you can experience such extreem conditions and how it was difficult for some of us to fully relax knowing that there is still so much work to do here!

                                

We returned home on time for dinner and a short meeting with Papa Wilbert to go over our work tomorrow.  We are going to serve at the college ministry he was part of when he attented college.

This is very close to his heart and he is so excited to take us, the first team to serve there tomorrow!

We had some time with the girls tonight, had our meeting and greeted another team's arrival from

Bridgetown A Jesus Church!  

It's late for this lady, so I'm signing off til tomorrow night!

(Once again..... too tired to proof this... lo siento)

Tuesday 8/25

Buenas noches, amigos!  I am sitting on my porch as the team is playing with the Chicas before they have to go to bed.  This is my awesome view.

Today was another great day where we went to another school to help out.  They were required by the government to cut their lawn so they could be sprayed for mosquitos.  The principal has a long term relationship with Villa Esperanza so we changed our schedule around to help them out.  When our bus pulled up to the school the children ran to greet us.  They are so darn adorable! They just want hugs, to talk to us, have pictures taken and play.  So so cute!  I want to share all the pictures but I'll just choose a few.

                             

After the kids went to class we had a little time with their amazing pricipal who is ahead of 22 schools and has such an incredible heart for all the children.  After she talked to us a bit we were able to pray for her.

Next, we started raking up grass.... about 30 bags worth!

We stopped for lunch but kept going after lunch. When some of the older kids were let out of class to help us.  You would have thought we were giving out presents when we handed them a rake and a garbage bag!

As we loaded up the bus the principle came out to thank us for all our work and, of course, we had to get a team photo with her. It was such a rich time.

Some days our plans are changed and we wonder why.  Today we were asked to go help at this school and came upon our reason for change.

                           

This 26 year old single mother was picking up her 8 year old daughter with her baby.  We though he was a few weeks old, but he was actually 7 months.  He is tiny, sickly and had very labored breathing.

Our head staff worker William looked at this baby and knew immediately that he had a serious heart condition, because his daughter had the same condition a few years ago.  The mother had missed the appointment with a heart doctor because she didn't have money to pay for a cab.  William will be picking her up tomorrow morning to wait in a line at the hospital with her.  It is such an honor to work along side such a good man. Please be praying for this baby!

Tomorrow we have a cultural day off (and it gives the staff a day off too).

Tracy

p.s.  Please pardon the rough draft..... I was having a hard time concentrating with all the commotion!

                                       

Monday 8/24

What an awesome day!  It was a SUPER FULL day, but so awesome!

It started at 7:00am and just ended an hour ago!

After breakfast.... wait, can I just tell you how good the food is there?  We are getting so spoiled!  We had a special meeting with Papa Wilbert who is the director of Villa Esperanza with his wife Gloria.

He is so fun to listen to with his big smile and the way he encourages people with his motivational talks.

Next we went to one of the local school, Pedro Davila School.  There are a lot of local schools because the kids have to be able to walk to them, there are no buses.  It's always so fun to walk into their playgrounds and be greeted by the excited little children with BIG smiles!  They just want to hold a hand or play..... anything!  They love the attention!  We played with them until they were done with recess and then we went to work.  

                                

                                

    

        

Eight "all stars" from our team got up on their room and "sanded" the metal with wire brushes and then painted the roof.  It was grueling and incredibly hot work, but they did a fantastic job and finished the whole roof!  

The rest of our team painted the front walls and another small building.  It all looked fantastic and the teachers and children love having a new coat of paint.

                                  

After 7 hours of working in the sun we came home exhausted, to shower and take a break before dinner and our evening meeting.  We have another full day of yard work at another school tomorrow, so most of the team is relaxing or have already headed off to bed. 

Thank you for your prayers of strength and good health!  We are having a great time and I have to say I am really impressed with this team's work and ability to share their lives with each other.  Each team member is so individual and special.  Thank you for loaning them to me for 10 days!

Sunday 8/23

Today was an awesome day full of time with our team and the Chicas!

We always start the day off with our own devotion time and then a really great group time together.  This team is great at sharing their wisdom with each other and building each other up.  It's beautiful!

Went to church at Verbo where the Chicas go and some of their families attend.  Awesome music, air-conditioned (bonus) WITH headset translation!  The sermon that was spoken had so much confirmation to what we've been talking about, it was great!

                            

                           

            

After lunch at the Villa with the Chica's we got to spend the afternoon just playing with them and forming more relationships.  They are very competitive and athletic so baseball and basketball were part of the day.

                            

We had another awesome dinner.....but all their meals are awesome.  If I made this stuff at home it wouldn't taste anything like this!

Right now we are getting ready to meet for our nightly debrief meeting, some group time and then to bed!  We are ready to get to work tomorrow at one of the local schools.

Adios!

Saturday 8/22

Our first full day is Nicaragua is winding down as I sit here typing and listening to all the crickets, bugs screaming in the trees and some of my team members singing in the Rancho.  It was a good day.

We started the day with coffee and devotions is this beautiful place! Next was a special treat... breakfast with all the Chicas (!) and another team that was preparing to leave this morning. It was awesome walking into breakfast and seeing all those beautiful faces again and the joy of reunion.

After breakfast we put on our work clothes, gloves and sunblock and put in a few solid hours of cleaning up around the Villa.  

                        

After lunch with the team and workers we loaded up on two buses with some of the Chicas and went to the active volcano Masaya. The bus ride there and back were the highlight as we spent more time bonding with the girls and testing out our little Spanish skills!

                          

On the ride home we got to experience a big thunder, lightening and rain storm!  

We got home on time for dinner, our nightly meeting and now we are all getting ready to get some sleep!  

More tomorrow night!

    

We arrived!

After a 6am flight & a 6 hour lay over, we have arrived safe and sound.

It's been a long day of travel and we are off to bed!  More tomorrow!