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A New Car and my dear kids.....

We are on the look out for a new car. Would you pray with us that God shows us the right car, at the right time and that we would be ready. Please pray for Josh and Maggie that their final weekend in the U.S. would be a huge blessing and that God would be the One preparing their hearts to join us on Tuesday. We are always thanking God for each of you.

We're home...

I had a great expectation ~ that when we went home to the United States it would be like exhaling after a year of new things, new relationships and new situations. As it turned out that exhale didn't come until we returned to Nicaragua. It is good to be home. It was such a strange, almost surreal thing being home in Edmonds. When we started our car insurance, the people told us our insurance would be more because as missionaries we are riskier, really? But as it turned out, maybe they are right. My first day driving I almost got in a fight in the Costco parking lot. I moved my car a little when there was a couple walking near by and the man started hitting on my car, came to the passenger window, yelling at me. Really I was a little heart broken, I didn't understand why he was so angry. I saw so many impatient people and had a sense of an attitude of "it is my right". One day Dwight and I were at a store at U Village and I saw a bracelet made from wooden bea

We are going home soon...

In less than a week we are headed home for awhile... at one time I was just excited, excited to understand things, excited to visit and be with our dear friends, excited to have fresh, cool air, excited to be in our very own church. I am still excited but also feeling a little sad; I am sad to leave our dear friends here in Nicaragua, the warmth, the teams, the unpredictability of each day. I know God has good things planned for our time. I am so excited to watch Josh, Maggie and William experience their old life in the U.S.. I have had these strange thoughts lately, thoughts that come with a little grief. The reality that we are forever seperated from what used to be home. We have set ourselves apart from that life. Really we have no home; we cannot call Edmonds home and we are not yet at home in Nicaragua ~ where is home? The song Dwight and I had at our wedding was Sandy Patty's "Love Will Be Our Home" ~ I always giggle when I think of that song because I remem

a funny moment...

We were at the kids school on Friday night for Maggie's performance of "The Toymaker and His Son", she played a toy bunny. It was a mime performance, telling the story of the cross, it was well done. Maggie sang a beautiful solo. I was so proud of her. We took our friend Mario, he works at the Villa as a guard and gardener, he is a dear friend of Dwight's. While we were waiting for the show to start Dwight was visiting with Mario and one of the stories I overheard was Dwight telling Mario that the 'man in the black bed is a prince'. I was laughing so much and even more as I watched Mario trying so hard to understand what Dwight was saying. What Dwight wanted to tell Mario was that the man in the black t-shirt is the principal. There are so many things that we miss in translation ~ but bring us many great laughs! Praise God that Dwight's spanish tutor comes this Tuesday! A few highlights of our weekend.... the play with Mario was great, he invited us

A little update...

The last week has been full of moments that all of us were forced to rely completely on God and we were reminded, again, that as much as we try ~ we are not in control. As much as we plan, there is One with a plan so much greater. I don't think I have so much to write tonight. I just want to share some photos and tell you again that it is your prayers that are helping to fight the battle that is happening here in Nicaragua. I am so thankful to have a group of people that I can send a text message or email and I know immediately that they have stepped into the battle. There was one day in November when I was working with a team in Rio Blanco, it was a long day mixing concrete and pouring a slab floor ~ it was hard work and felt so good.. I loved working so hard and using every muscle in my body. I was happy to be working with the team and was surrounded by good friends. Out of the blue, I was hit with a serious spirit of discouragement. I physically felt a weight on me and

God Brought Doctors

A couple of weeks ago I was in the dump with the team from Tennessee. We had walked and met many people. We prayed for Efraim, the man with the broken knee, and his family. We prayed for a woman who had been robbed and was now being accused by the police of staging the robbery herself and facing criminal charges. We prayed for a man who's eye had been burnt by sparks from a fire, the doctors sewed his eye shut to keep it protected and when he missed his appt. by a few minutes, they would not reschedule him for 3 weeks ~ just to remove the stitches. I saw so many needs this day it was overwhelming. As I saw overwhelming needs, I was confident that God would provide! I had a plan ~ Jennifer was coming in just a week and could fix it all, the people just needed to wait until she got there. It was a great plan and I was a part of it, perfect! Later in the day we were helping with the feeding program and saw a group of older gentlemen arrive. Something about them looked like do

We're staying....

Did I mention that? Most of you know already that our family decided in January to stay in Nicaragua longer than the first agreed upon year. It would be silly for me to say anything different than, we'll be home when God makes it clear that we are to be home. In December Josh and Maggie were in tears at the idea of staying in Nicaragua but for whatever reason we always said we would decide in January, so I tried not to worry so much about those tears. But I was worried, especially as Dwight and I were feeling that we were going to stay, how could I do that to the kids? As I worried, God told me not to ~ that He was speaking to their hearts and He would give them peace. Sure enough, the day we told Josh and Maggie that we were thinking of staying, they said, "OK". In February I was home for 2 weeks. As I travelled home, I was so tired. I wanted to sleep on the plane but couldn't. Somewhere in my travel day, God gave the verse Psalm 73:28 "As for me it is g

CCF Men in Nicaragua 3/11: Friday 3-25

Dear Friends..... I am linking you to another blog of a dear team that we just finished with. Please read and be a part of the work that we have the blessing to be a part of every day! You are all so dear to us. We love you and miss you and will see many of you soon! CCF Men in Nicaragua 3/11: Friday 3-25 :
WOW! I forgot to tell you so much of what we have done! Things I have to tell you! So many amazing things have happened in the ministry in this last month! The girls from the Villa spent a week at home for the first time in 2 and 1/2 years ~ God blessed them and protected them in this time. The morning that they were leaving we had a long talk about what they could possibly expect and the reality of their lives became very real. Wilbert and Gloria explained to them what to do if there was no soap to wash with or toothpaste to brush their teeth with, what to do if there was not food for meals. How to protect themselves and what their rights are as young women. The harsh reality of what "home" is.... was so harsh, and they still LOVE their homes. We had several Christmas parties! The families of the girls came for dinner at the Villa, they received a "canasta", a basket filled with food and we had a pinata for the parents ~ it was awesome!!! Their is a man

Happy New Year....

With much peace and anticipation I write today. The longer we are here the more I realize I don't understand so many things. I know that eventually we will be in a place with so much more wisdom and understanding than we ever had, but I think before that can happen our slates have to be cleared and space has to be made for the new information we are receiving daily. Our slates can only be cleared if we are willing to let go of our own ideas and our old ways of thinking ~ our grip has loosened and God is taking the old and planting the new. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (in our case the patterns of the U.S.), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his lik