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When Life Becomes Normal...

This is the family of two of our new girls at the Villa ~ Geyzel (Hazel) in the black and Kenia in the black and grey stripes.

I don't ever want to stop recognizing God at work every day! You know He is always at work? I am so thankful for the "Experiencing God" study, for the last 3 weeks I have been working on the study with the women that work at the Villa. I love to watch these women take bits of these truths and have a new encounter with God. I am reminded over and over again that it is God who changes hearts and my job is to be obedient to what He asks me to do.

I have been thinking so much about the ministry that Jesus had in his time on earth. I don't think there was anything very fancy about it ~ the amazing thing was His obedience to His Father. I desire and am learning to walk daily with Him trusting that He will show me all that I need to see and understand. The longer we live here the more I realize I don't understand. I was reading a book the other day and it was discussing Proverbs 3:5,6, a familiar verse to many. The author talked about how we desperately try to understand everything and if we don't understand we think there is a problem ~ but this verse says... "lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight". It's ok that I don't understand. In a way the less I understand the more I am dependent on God, a really good thing.

The family is doing well. Maggie and I will go to the airport tonight to pick up my friend LaFon and her friend Kari. We are excited to show them everything we love!

Last weekend we went to a place called Matagalpa ~ beautiful and cold! I was invited to go with my friend Ann to visit the Young Life camp, "la finca vida joven". On our way we dropped Dwight and the kids off at a place called "Selva Negra". They had a great day exploring, hiking, resting and eating. At Selva Negra we were surrounded by hills and trees, you could hear the howler monkeys all around!

To visit the Young Life camp was such a blessing! It brought back so many memories. I loved seeing the 270 young adults (19 - 30ish) worshiping, learning and sharing with each other. I was so impressed to see the excellence in the entire ministry. God is doing great things through the Vida Joven ministry here in Nicaragua.

We had 8 new girls move into the Villa in October. Before the girls arrived we were blessed with the beautiful house mom, Eveling. She is a gift to these girls and to the ministry at the Villa Esperanza. Bringing 8 teen age girls into your home is not easy, these girls have lived tough lives and now Eveling is loving them and bringing stability and security into their lives. Please pray for her as the transition is not easy.

This Saturday my Virginia Beach team arrives! We will leave for Rio Blanco on Sunday until next Friday. The kids are staying home and being cared for by our Quinta Allyson neighborhood, Natalie, Shirley and the Apilados ~ it takes a village!

Dwight is going with the men from ICF (our church) to the Montelimar for a retreat. I am thankful for the time for him to be able to process all that God is teaching.

We are doing well. We are thankful for your prayers.




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