So I am really exhausted right now, but I already have so much to tell and I want to share it before I miss the opportunity.
This week, I started doing more of what I had planned to do while I am down here: Bible studies, teaching Spanish, teaching English, spending time with the people down here and administering needs etc.
Sunday was a big day. Tamara's husband (David), her boys (Jonah, Daniel, Caleb, and Josh), Luis, a leader from Luis's church, and I went out to El Paraiso to lead the church service. I really didn't know what to expect because I had just been to the service one time while Tamara was here, and there was a pastor that lead the service at the time. However, since El Paraiso doesn't have a full time pastor and the other pastor didn't feel called to serve there, Luis asked for someone from his church to come preach. Luis and I kind of took the reigns, so to speak, with leading the worship and the process of the service. It was a challenge but a blessing, and I was really proud of Luis for manning up and helping lead, even though he didn't feel good at all that day. The man from Luis's church did a great job preaching. I lead the children's Sunday school activities and watched them as they colored quietly out front during the preaching. David and some of the men from El Paraiso are in the beginning stages of building a Sunday School building, and that will serve as a great place to have children's church while the adults receive the word without distractions.
Monday, my friends Lissette and Adriana came over to my house for Bible study. We have been going through Genesis and John. God is so good to pour out His Spirit and knowledge into the conversation. I am so impressed about how much these girls know about His word and how He is opening their eyes to His word. We had some really great in depth conversations like if men really had one less rib because God made Eve out of Adam's ribs or about how smart men really are but don't consider their knowledge from God. I am so thankful for my time with them, not just because of the opportunity to serve, but how much I am learning myself and how they challenge me to study and read more.
Raquel was supposed to be at the Bible study, but when I called to check on her, she was on her way to take her younger brother, Marcos age 18, to the hospital. Marcos was really sick and vomiting and said he didn't have a lot of feeling in his arm and his tongue. So, since Raquel and her older sister are the only close family around, they took him to the hospital emergency room. For those of you that aren't familiar with Nicaraguan public health hospitals, you would be absolutely horrified with the conditions they are in. The one in Leon is a run down building, most of it open air, and not very sanitary at all. Going to the emergency room is an all day process, too. When I went to check on my friends, they were sitting in what look like an airport or bus station seats, and Marcos was laying on his older sister's lap with an IV. I stayed with Raquel, who seemed really worried about her brother, and kept her company. We had to walk up a floor for Marcos to get his fluids taken for lab work, around the corner to get x-rays, back down a floor to wait, and back up 3 hours later to get the blood and urine analysis results. Craziness... Thankfully, I had made some chicken noodle soup for Luis and me the night before (Luis got extremely sick that night but I nursed him back to health). So I heated up the leftovers to take over to them for lunch. It was kind of awkward sitting there while people with IVs and whatnot were watching them eat a bowl of soup, but at least they got to eat! I was happy that Marcos was able to put away two small servings! I don't know if they ever really figured out what was wrong... I think maybe maldigestion and dehydration.
Monday night, I hung out with Luis's family. I was so delighted to see Luis's 2 year old niece giggle silly with joy because we were there. Luis, his sisters, and I took her on a walk in her stroller. Later that night, Luis's little sister, Cynthia age 10, and I played STOP, which is like scattegories. I really enjoy spending time with his family. :-)
Tuesday and Wednesday, I started helping Tamara's sons with their Spanish. I am thankful for the experience I had teaching last year, because I have been using some of the resources and teaching ideas to help them. They are really good students, mostly because they usually teach themselves in other subjects. I am hoping to work with them at least 3 times a week for about 30-1 hour each, sometimes with two of them together.
One of the girls that lived in my house last month, Dureen, works for La Isla, a non-profit foundation that does research to support and advocate for the people living with the kidney disease in Chichigalpa, close to where I first did mission work in 2008 with Vision Nicaragua. She mentioned to me the other day that they had an English program that they were starting again and invited me to volunteer on Thursday. So today, Thursday, I went with her and a couple volunteers to an elementary school to teach two beginning level classes to 5th and 6th graders. Although I was not prepared at all for the lesson or teaching, I loved teaching English to those kids! Therefore, I am going to try to start teaching out their every Thursday and maybe even be kind of a director for the English program over there. Unfortunately, it might not be a paid position, but I might be able to write a grant for funds. At least I will have another opportunity to use my talents to help others and share God's love. Those kids will benefit from learning English to help them have a better chance of a good job in the future so they won't have to work in the sugar cane fields, where most people get sick.
Another advantage of going to Chichigalpa is that I will have the opportunity to visit some of my friends in Bethel! Bethel is the community that I worked with the first few times I came to Nicaragua. Since Bethel is about 45 minutes from Leon, I had not been out there in 2 years. Today, I called my dear friend and sister, Yahaira, to meet me in Chichigalpa for lunch, and after doing some activities with the kids at the school, I went back with her to Bethel. It felt so different but so good to be back in the community and see familiar faces! Many of the kids have grown so much! I was so happy to spend time with Yahaira and her sister Jazmina and her family for a couple of hours. I am planning to try to visit every week after teaching English in Chichigalpa.
Well, I think I wrapped up the majority of what's going on. God has been so good to me. Not only is He opening doors for me to work and witness to others, He has used many people to be blessings to me and has been teaching me to draw closer to Him. I have been able to have more quiet times. Today, the Lord woke me up miraculously (for those that know me) at 5:00 am, and I got to spend a good chunk of time reading the word and praying before I had to leave early on the bus for Chichigalpa.
On the bus, a man sat down beside me and was reading a pamplet that a Jehovah's witness had given him, but He was looking up scripture on His phone. I started talking to him and found out that he is a Christian and reads the Bible. He was just reading what the scriptures in the pamplet said. Nonetheless, I came to find out that his wife attends a baptist church where the ministry had been before, and Pastor Carlos, who used to work for the ministry, was the former pastor of that church. He knew about Milagros and some of the kids in Cheryl's house, and I was able to update him on the kids' progress. It just seemed like one of those divine interventions for whatever reason, only God knows. For me, at least, it was an encouragement talking about the word with a fellow brother.
Thanks for reading all this. Sometimes I wish I just had a jump drive that I could connect to my brain and download all the glimpses and details that are stored in my mind. I appreciate your prayers... I can feel them. Please keep praying that I will be come stronger in health, mind, and spirit. Please pray for the ministry in El Paraiso and the girls I have mentioned in this blog. Please pray for boldness and opportunities to share the gospel. Above all, may God be glorified in my life, as well as yours. :-)
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