Dear Friends....
As our time is coming to a close here I find myself reflecting so much. I want to take EVERYTHING in and make sure it is etched in my mind! I am always telling the kids to pay attention to where we are because so soon it will be hard to believe we were ever in the places that we are walking today. Everything that seems normal right now will seem so distant. I know the transition will be difficult. I am asking God to fill me with thanksgiving and his joy and peace.
We have had the most amazing experiences! We travelled to Granada on Saturday with our friends Shirley and Larrys. The first part of that adventure was renting a car! I love having the freedom that comes with driving! Now I can be out past 6pm and can go to the store to buy a snack or whatever else we need (need?). Really my perspective on what 'we need' is so different. How do I keep this???
Ok, back to the adventures of Granada! We had a beautiful time. Shirley is studying architecture so as we looked through many old churches I thought of Dwight and how much I wanted him there with us! I was seeing things through his eyes and trying to appreciate how much he would love everything! Granada is a place with so much history. I think it is an important place to visit in Nicaragua because it was one of the first places landed in the America's. We ate in the city center, apparently when you visit Granada you 'have to' eat Vigoron... yucca, chicharon (fried pork rind), and spicy cabbage ensalada served in a big leaf.
After lunch we went to Lake Nicaragua ~ it is giant!!!! And it is filled with maybe 100's of tiny islands. We took a boat tour of the islands and had the opportunity to spend time on one of the islands for an hour. Many of the islands are privately owned by people with alot of money. There are some amazing homes ~ it would have been fun to tour some of them. There were 3 islands owned by a big coffee plantation owner ~ WOW!!!!
There was an island where 4 monkeys live. They were very happy to see us but I guess you can't go too close or they will come on the boat and if you don't have food they can get nasty! Maybe they will bite or steal your bag. So funny!
One day we saw Fuerza G (G Force) in the theater, cute. I think.
We went to a Mexican food restaurant the other night, it was good. I think the food that I miss the most is tortilla chips! They make the most amazing pico de gallo (they call it tomate ensalada) but no chips! I miss the chips! But the fried (really thin) plantains are muy rico and almost a replacement! I want to get a slicer to make them at home. Also this weekend Dolores is going to teach me to make tortillas.
We housesat for our friends Will and Karen this last weekend. It was fun to be in our own space but at one point I had a little break down (just to myself) because everything is different here, and it is hard to learn! There is not much I can do on my own! I stood in the grocery store ready to cry because I didn't know what to feed my family! Maybe that would be different if I wasn't looking for quick meal. At home I always have something in the freezer or can come up with a quick option but here................. It was a great moment to realize how much I miss Dwight and where he is, is my home!
We are back at Leyda's house now and this is definitely our home.
Leslie Young and her girls come tonight. We are excited to have them here and show them the things that we love! We will spend the weekend in Leon with Dolores' church. I am really looking forward to the time, I know it will be a stretch for them so please be praying that is a blessing to them and they can relax and love the people well. I want Leslie's family to see God in their time. I want them to be stretched and surrounded by the love of Christ! We will spend time at the Villa and hopefully a day at the beach.
Leslie is bringing a suitcase filled with good things for so many people here, my sweet Nica team put it all together and I am so excited to share it all with my sweet friends here. I love that this team doesn't forget the people. They care so much and this (I can see now) means so much to everyone here. Thank you thank you thank you!
I have so much to say thank you for..... thank you Dwight for giving us this opportunity, thank you Ramona for 65 letters that make us laugh all the time (did Dwight tell you he opened the one about the pink undies), thank you to Hannah and my girls for being at my house and keeping it lively while we are away, thank you to my precious women for your letters and for remembering to pray for us, thank you to everyone that has encouraged Dwight with meals together or phone calls, thank you Sandra for loving my crazy puppy (and to all of you skeptics, she loves Marlee), thank you LeComptes for taking on Bella, thank you to everyone that is reading, thank you to my CCF family for keeping us in your prayers, thank you Rich and Marla for encouraging my children with your beautiful emails, thank you to my Nicaragua family for loving us and teaching us so much, thank you Amy for waiting for me to come home and we will walk and talk and drink a lot of coffee, thank you to my mom and dad for missing us and being excited about this experience for us (I know it is hard to have us away), thank you to all of my amazing teams that I have facilitated ~ thank you Virginia Beach for sharing your lives with me and my family and for sharing your love for Christ with us! Thank you Ruby for speaking God's truths into my life, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Christ love compells us............
As our time is coming to a close here I find myself reflecting so much. I want to take EVERYTHING in and make sure it is etched in my mind! I am always telling the kids to pay attention to where we are because so soon it will be hard to believe we were ever in the places that we are walking today. Everything that seems normal right now will seem so distant. I know the transition will be difficult. I am asking God to fill me with thanksgiving and his joy and peace.
We have had the most amazing experiences! We travelled to Granada on Saturday with our friends Shirley and Larrys. The first part of that adventure was renting a car! I love having the freedom that comes with driving! Now I can be out past 6pm and can go to the store to buy a snack or whatever else we need (need?). Really my perspective on what 'we need' is so different. How do I keep this???
Ok, back to the adventures of Granada! We had a beautiful time. Shirley is studying architecture so as we looked through many old churches I thought of Dwight and how much I wanted him there with us! I was seeing things through his eyes and trying to appreciate how much he would love everything! Granada is a place with so much history. I think it is an important place to visit in Nicaragua because it was one of the first places landed in the America's. We ate in the city center, apparently when you visit Granada you 'have to' eat Vigoron... yucca, chicharon (fried pork rind), and spicy cabbage ensalada served in a big leaf.
After lunch we went to Lake Nicaragua ~ it is giant!!!! And it is filled with maybe 100's of tiny islands. We took a boat tour of the islands and had the opportunity to spend time on one of the islands for an hour. Many of the islands are privately owned by people with alot of money. There are some amazing homes ~ it would have been fun to tour some of them. There were 3 islands owned by a big coffee plantation owner ~ WOW!!!!
There was an island where 4 monkeys live. They were very happy to see us but I guess you can't go too close or they will come on the boat and if you don't have food they can get nasty! Maybe they will bite or steal your bag. So funny!
One day we saw Fuerza G (G Force) in the theater, cute. I think.
We went to a Mexican food restaurant the other night, it was good. I think the food that I miss the most is tortilla chips! They make the most amazing pico de gallo (they call it tomate ensalada) but no chips! I miss the chips! But the fried (really thin) plantains are muy rico and almost a replacement! I want to get a slicer to make them at home. Also this weekend Dolores is going to teach me to make tortillas.
We housesat for our friends Will and Karen this last weekend. It was fun to be in our own space but at one point I had a little break down (just to myself) because everything is different here, and it is hard to learn! There is not much I can do on my own! I stood in the grocery store ready to cry because I didn't know what to feed my family! Maybe that would be different if I wasn't looking for quick meal. At home I always have something in the freezer or can come up with a quick option but here................. It was a great moment to realize how much I miss Dwight and where he is, is my home!
We are back at Leyda's house now and this is definitely our home.
Leslie Young and her girls come tonight. We are excited to have them here and show them the things that we love! We will spend the weekend in Leon with Dolores' church. I am really looking forward to the time, I know it will be a stretch for them so please be praying that is a blessing to them and they can relax and love the people well. I want Leslie's family to see God in their time. I want them to be stretched and surrounded by the love of Christ! We will spend time at the Villa and hopefully a day at the beach.
Leslie is bringing a suitcase filled with good things for so many people here, my sweet Nica team put it all together and I am so excited to share it all with my sweet friends here. I love that this team doesn't forget the people. They care so much and this (I can see now) means so much to everyone here. Thank you thank you thank you!
I have so much to say thank you for..... thank you Dwight for giving us this opportunity, thank you Ramona for 65 letters that make us laugh all the time (did Dwight tell you he opened the one about the pink undies), thank you to Hannah and my girls for being at my house and keeping it lively while we are away, thank you to my precious women for your letters and for remembering to pray for us, thank you to everyone that has encouraged Dwight with meals together or phone calls, thank you Sandra for loving my crazy puppy (and to all of you skeptics, she loves Marlee), thank you LeComptes for taking on Bella, thank you to everyone that is reading, thank you to my CCF family for keeping us in your prayers, thank you Rich and Marla for encouraging my children with your beautiful emails, thank you to my Nicaragua family for loving us and teaching us so much, thank you Amy for waiting for me to come home and we will walk and talk and drink a lot of coffee, thank you to my mom and dad for missing us and being excited about this experience for us (I know it is hard to have us away), thank you to all of my amazing teams that I have facilitated ~ thank you Virginia Beach for sharing your lives with me and my family and for sharing your love for Christ with us! Thank you Ruby for speaking God's truths into my life, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Christ love compells us............
Thank you for being odedient to God and sacrificing so much to do God's work for the people of Nicaragua. I ditto your thank you for Ruby Temple and the words she delivered. Thank you for your awesome family-Dwight who I hope someday to meet, Josh, Maggie, and William. We all miss you guys. Thank you for the work you are doing. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for you leadership and your passion for Jesus. Thank you for "sharing the love of Jesus and using words when needed."
ReplyDeleteI was reading the intro to The Oswald Chambers Devotional Bible and he writes that he heard the Spirit of God calling him "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" (Is. 6:8) He said he often stifled it down, but "through all my weaknesses, my sinfulness, and my frailities... 'Here am I, send me." He writes that he became aware of a voice saying "Ineed you for my service, but I can do without you."
The intro spoke to me and I want to step out in faith and say 'Here am I, send me.' Please pray for me about where God is leading me to serve Him.
Your freed sister in Christ,
Li
I can't wait to learn from you when you come home. I want to learn about what God has been teaching you, and maybe a lot of Spanish, perhaps you can even teach us how to make tortillas! I can't believe you're coming home in 2 days! It is so exciting!
ReplyDeleteI liked when you said that you want your kids to be paying attention because it will all seem distant very soon. I know that to be so true. But there are some things that will last for a very very long time... the important things.
I pray that you enjoy your last couple days in Nica. I can't wait to see you when you're home!
Also, staying at your house was such a blessing and so wonderful for me!
Love you,
Hannah