"P" for "Post-Nicaragua"

So this is my attempt to bring closure to this trip's blog..... I've fallen off the "blogging bandwagon" for sure. Maybe it's my subconscious denial surfacing; I didn't want it to end!! But, here I am, sitting on the unfamiliar carpet of my bedroom floor, and the reality is that I am back in Georgia. I could fall into depression, but I've opted not to and have rather fallen into extreme gratefulness. I am truly thankful to the Lord for the allowing me to spend a month in Nicaragua. It was a huge blessing in countless ways, and if I never return (God forbid!) it will be the best month of my life.

My last week there was wonderful. Rosita and I spent loads of quality time riding the motorcycle, wrestling, taking naps, playing cards....

On Tuesday night, a new team of American arrived at midnight. Two Daniel's, two Emily's, and three wonderful "momma's." With them came a new spirit of excitement and fun. They certainly were a great addition to our morning worship times; we were lead in song by Emily with Daniel 1 and Daniel 2 on guitar.

A great highlight of the week was Rosita's 15th birthday. Quinceaneras in Nicaragua might as well be weddings... flower girls and all. Rosita had been blessed with a stunning pink birthday gown and she looked like a princess! There was a processional from her home to the newly decorated church where a sweet ceremony was held. She officially became a young woman.... and a mighty little woman of the Lord at that. Afterwards, we went to her backyard for a party, complete with cake fights and dancing.

Sunday was my last day in Candelaria, and it went by way too quickly. We woke up early to have family time with Linda leading our Spiritual Gifts teaching. If you have never looked into the 7 spiritual gifts, it is well worth it. I am the Prophet and knowing that helps me understand myself and my spiritual calling.
Later that day, Daniel, Emili, Rosita, and myself found ourselves sitting in a stranger's living room cheering on Spain in the final game of the World Cup. We had spent the previous thirty minutes hunting down a Fresca, and we were killing time waiting for a lady to arrive home to braid our hair. It was time to get the cornrows redone!

Before I knew it, it was night time and time for goodbyes. After the Sunday night church service, I stood in the front of the church as my new family lined up for hugs, tears, and kisses. "No adios! Solo hasta luego!" (No goodbye! Only see you later!) My heart was left with the church there. I don't understand how I became so attached to these people when the language barrier was so great. It just goes to show that relationships are built upon so much more than words and that God is not hindered by my inabilities. We have such a good God!

Monday carried an intense bittersweet taste. It was my last morning in Candelaria. Rosita and Kenia were coming with us to Cerro Negro (a black volcano that you hike up and slide down) and Granada (that heavenly location with the bed 'n breakfast overlooking the crater lake). We left around 8AM... my heart stuck around though, and I believe it is still clinging to a familiar banana tree. The whole team piled into three taxis, luggage and all, and headed to Leon to meet Tommy and Linda. From there, the youngsters piled into the back of Tommy's not-so-faithful truck, and we laughed our way to Cerro Negro dodging branches and bouncing over potholes. I love how the Lord worked it out so that I could experience Cerro Negro and Granada one last time before leaving for home. When I found out Rosita was joining us, all I could do was laugh with joy to see God's goodness.

After tumbling down the black volcano, we had an adventure transporting all our luggage to Granada. Buses, trucks, taxis.... My personal favorite was sitting atop a pickup truck along with Whitney and a pile of suitcases wobbling back 'n forth as we traveled through the jungle terrain on our way to the bed 'n breakfast. When we finally arrived, we headed straight for the lake. We swam and paddled until after dark. After dinner at a local grill, the night was far from over. The Daniels, Rosita, and I stayed up all night in fact. We figured we might as well since my taxi came at 4:30AM to take me to the airport. I believe I made lifelong friendships that night, and I can't wait to see those faces again.

The taxi came too soon, and I said my goodbyes.

I arrived in Atlanta around 6PM with blocked ears and droopy eyes. My family was excited to find me in one piece, but probably weren't prepared to have every conversation that they would ever have with me again lead back to Nicaragua.

So that's it. I'm back in Georgia, and God willing, I'll be back in Nicaragua in November. That's right... I'm planning my next trip already! My church is heading there during Thanksgiving break, and hopefully I'll be travelling with them. Money is no obstacle for God!

Hasta luego, mi amigos! Thank you for reading!

O.

Monday:
We woke up early and helped Lisa and Lindsay get their stuff situated. The goodbye was long and tearful; and after a group hug and prayer, we watched them drive away. I saw the Lord working in it all though, and I'm very thankful.

The soccer team started their camp today too. About 60 little boys and girls showed up to learn basic soccer skills and to just have fun. Many youth group members showed up to help out as well. Mid-morning we wore ourselves out dancing and then had lunch. For the rest of the afternoon Rosita and I hung out, rode the motorcycle, and spent some good quality time. She's going to really miss Lindsay, and she has her tearful moments but this transition is only bringing her closer to Jesus who is evidently comforting her. Continue to pray for her and Lindsay.

N.

It's Thursday and I haven't blogged since last Saturday. My bad.... Honestly, I haven't been motivated to write because I don't know how to put into to words all that's happened in the past five days.

Sunday:

Happy Fourth of July!! Ironically, we had a parade this morning. We woke up at 6:30AM to get ready and decorate the trucks to take out into the streets of ChiChi Gulpa and surrounding communities promoting the New Song Clinic and the Soccer Camp. Balloons, honking horns, blaring music, 'gringos,' and flyers greeted the sleepy Nicaraguans. We walked around the streets until noon and piled into the back of the trucks to ride home in the rain. When we got back to the church we found that a big bus had arrived with about 20 high school soccer players. Excited kids swarmed the property. Dance practice, soccer games, mud fights, and lunch followed. Then at 3o'clock, though it felt like 6, we went to the park in Chichigalpa to dance as an outreach. By the time that was over, I was pretty exhausted. We headed home to clean up for the service that evening. Service was an emotional one as it was Lindsay and Lisa's last one. Awesome worship and then a great word from Diego about the value God puts on us. Afterwards the youth put together a special farewell for Lindsay. It was beautiful to see how God has used Lindsay to influence so many of the youth. One youth in particular was significantly touched my Lindsay... her name Rosita. This tiny 14year girl is a powerhouse with a sweet spirit and a heart for the Lord. She likes wrestling, motorcycles, and soccer so, naturally, I was automatically drawn to her, but the Lord has put her on my heart in a big way. I've found that part of the reason the Lord has me here at this time is to be a support to her in Lindsay's transition away from her home of 5months.

After a cake fight, we walked about 30minutes to the the pizza place. I must say, Nicaragua has some great pizza!

M.

I felt better today, and after bible study I spent some down time with the girls playing cards. Then Meg and I got out the art supplies and sat outside in the church structure. A handful of kids joined us, the crayons and watercolor paints. Hours went by unnoticed.

One of the guys found Meg's jar of charcoal and soon my face was a lovely blackish-grey.

After a pasta dinner, we all went over to Kenia's house for a late night dance practice, but it didn't last long.
Now, here I sit in the midst of a large slumber party. Meg, Whi, and Bri, who usually stay in Leon, are spending the night here along with Linda. So, it's a full house and the showers are working overtime.

The rain is hammering the roof... the best lullaby anyone could ask for. Goodnight.

pic from the marshmallow game on friday night:

L.

After a nice walk around ChiChi Gulpa in the blazing sun, I just spent time with the kids during the afternoon. One young girl brought me to her home and taught me how to make hammocks, which I enjoyed thoroughly.

Three new Americans came at lunch time: Carissa, Julia, and Adam. They will be here for a month. The dorms are starting to fill up! Next week two more girls join us in here too. :)

Diego's birthday was that night and the youth organized a big celebration in one of the homes in the village. Food, games, and dancing! Unfortunately, I was feeling really icky last night so I couldn't really enjoy the festivities. Jesus healed me, though, so it's a new day.

K.

God has placed me in a unique position here. Coming in and joining a solid team, only to see them all move out and then being left here to receive a new team. God is so good and designs relational shifts with excellence in structure and timing. I love sitting back and watching him maneuver people to where he wants them. Through the constant change of environment, God is softening my heart and making me relationally vulnerable. I'm learning that I must depend on him for my stability and embrace what is in the moment.

While living here, I believe that we have the wrong mentality on short term relationships. We have adopted the belief that knowing someone for only a week is bad. "It's not worth investing in a relationship that will only last a couple days or weeks." Why do we think this? It's because we want to avoid the pain of loss. By living with this mentality, however, we put ourselves in a position to miss out on what God wants to deposit in our lives during a short season of our lives. The blessings we receive from NOT withholding ourselves from people is worth any pain we may experience from moving on. God is our constant. Our constant love. Our constant support. Our constant comfort. Our constant joy. Our constant peace. Our constant rock on which we can stand when the tide of life moves in and out. It so much about Him and so not about us. Living with that perspective allows us to ride freely in his exciting purpose.

This morning, the family, including Whit, Meg, and Bri, met together for worship, prayer, and open share time. It was emotional as the team processed the departure of Lisa, Lindsay, and Barbara; but it was also a sweet time of blessing each other and intimate confession. God is all about intimacy and genuine vulnerability; and in a short time, an open atmosphere of trust and a bond of love has been formed between everyone on the team.

Pray for safe travels for Barbara as she leaves in the morning. Pray for Lindsay in her last three days here... Shes's bringing closure to strong relationships that have been built for the past five months here. Lisa will leave with Lindsay but is returning without her in three weeks. When she returns, the community she has built among the American family will be starting from scratch as her whole team (excluding Diego) will have moved on. She and Lindsay are like sisters and it will be a difficult transition for her. God evidently knows what he is doing and is knitting together a new and effective team here at New Song.

J.

Today, was a great day back in the community.

We had our family time this morning, in which we debriefed each other on the week. These times are always special, and tomorrow will be our last morning all together as Barbara is leaving on Friday. Barbara brought $40 with her to bless the youth with a special "something," and we had a brainstorming session to decide what the "something" would be. We decided on having a fun food game night after the service this evening. We'd play crazy games like "Chubby Bunny," the "saltine cracker and whistle game," "eat a donut off a string without using your hands", the "egg rolling contest," and lastly a game where u stuck half an oreo on your forehead and tried maneuverer it into your mouth by contorting your face and wriggling your eyebrows.

Lisa, Barbara, and I walked to Pali (local grocery store) in Chichi Gulpa to buy the supplies for the games.

After spending some time with the kids, everyone filed into the living room for a "meeting." There had been some drama in the community surrounding the dance team. Everyday, a group of kids from the youth group had met to learn and practice dances that would be used for evangelism. These kids started the team by themselves and the leader was a seventeen year old guy named Jovanny. He has an obvious gift in dance and in leadership. Trouble arose, however, when jealously and gossip crept into the team. Jovanny was really hurt by the rumors and disrespect he received. He was on the point of leaving the church and dancing elsewhere. The Lord can take any scheme of the Enemy and turn it into good, however. While Diego took Jovanny aside and heard his side of the story, the youth met in the living room to discuss the problem. I saw openness, patience, and most importantly humility from the youth members as they talked it out for two hours. Then when Jovanny came in to the room, a few brave souls tearfully repented and asked Jovanny to forgive them. It was a wonderful process to witness. Linda and Tommy facilitated the meeting, teaching the youth how to reach healing and release bitterness that causes dissension in the church body. If the kids hold on to these truths and apply them to their lives like they did tonight, the rising generation of the New Song Church will be powerful and will make a great impact on Candelaria.

After a short break, Lindsay lead the youth service. It was her last youth service here for a long time. On Monday she leaves and will be travelling with a missions organization all over the world for eleven months. Pray for her as she makes her transition from her home here and prepares for her adventure around the world. She will be greatly missed by the community here.

When Lindsay finished sharing her heart, the games began; everyone had a blast stuffing their faces with marshmallows and using their noses to roll an egg across the ground.

Three more people will be joining the team tomorrow so more excitement awaits.... Pray for easy transitions and team unity.

I.

Home again! ...because this really has become home for me.

It will be hard to express in words all the good times, amazing sights, and feelings of awe the past two days have held. But, here goes nothin'!

Whitney, Meg, and Brianna (the new arrivals) slept over here on Sunday night and traveled along with Diego, Barbara, and I to Leon Monday morning. No rush, just ready for a chill weekend, hanging out. The girls went to their hostel to "freshen up" while Diego, Barbara, and I dropped our bags off at the Gable's house, where we'd be staying the night. Then, the three of us headed out on foot into the streets of Leon. Diego acted as a very effective tour guide and translator as we passed beautiful buildings with crumbling architecture and wondered through markets filled with new smells, most of which were not pleasant.

We got lunch at a sports grill/bar place where the World Cup was playing on a flat screen TV. It was also a good place to chill waiting for the afternoon shower to pass. I got to watch my first WC game in Nica among Brazilian fans donned in yellow jerseys and beating on little drums. Brazil smoked Chili 4-0. Woop!

Then, Jesus allowed about an hour of sunshine enabling Barbara and I to tour the largest Cathedral in Central America. It was huge... beautiful despite its mold and moss covered condition. Nicaragua does not have the funds for proper maintenance so the exterior part of the building is deteriorating in a big way. But I think it makes it all the more beautiful. Barbara and I climbed all over it... all the way to highest point on the roof. It was absolutely stunning! I couldn't take enough pictures to portray the experience, though I tried.

Next, we rejoined the other three girls at their place. Diego and Barbara stayed to visit with an American couple who moved down here 5 weeks ago, while "us girls" went to the local movie theater to see The Book of Eli. Daddy, even though you already told me the entire plot, I enjoyed it thoroughly! We all had a great time hanging out. I'm glad to have made a new connection with Whit, Meg, and Bri, because soon my team will be moving on.

Barbara and Diego met up with us at the pizza place and we enjoyed some great pizza! After that, we headed to bed, excited for the beach the next day.

Playa Roca (Rock Beach) was our destination for the day. We rode a bus... and another bus... and a truck to get there. The waves were huge and the current was extremely strong. Someone had actually died there being swept away by the current. But we found a safe-ish stop to play around and then went and sat in a thatched roof, beach-side restaurant to enjoy fresca and hamburgers. We finished the day gazing at the amazing sunset and daring surfers. Then we found a truck... and a covered wagon type vehicle to take us back to Leon. From there Diego, Barbara, and I went to the bus station. Barbara and I watched Diego play pool until a bus was ready to leave for Candelaria.

So... that was our weekend adventure. Now, for a busy week as the original team transitions on and the new family emerges.

"H" for 'hair'

Today I got my hair "did!" Diego, Barbara, Gato (Marvin), and I ventured out into Candelaria to find a lady who braids hair. We found her and proceeded to sit in her doorway for the next three hours as she pulled at our scalps and tied our brains up. I feel like someone from Star Wars, but I love it. Ha. Barbara is probably one of the coolest ladies I've met! She bravely allowed her gorgeous curly hair to be pulled into little tight braids that dangled around her ears. What a great experience!

onlookers (laughing at our hair):

BARBARA!!:

Diego's turn:

Lindsay and Lisa threw together a perfect Italian dinner, complete with bread and olive oil. Fettuccine Alfredo never tasted so good! Tomorrow, we're making American food for some of the boys... Tomato soup, grilled cheese, and apple pie with ice cream! I can't wait! :)

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I got to ride a motorcycle through the village!

G.

Days are starting to pass very quickly, yet each day brings something entirely new. Today, three young girls arrived from the States and they will be here until August 14. They are staying in Leon and will ride the bus in each day. They bring the arts, dancing, and drama to bless the community. Thursday three more people come to stay on the property, and Barbara leaves to go home on Friday. Barbara and I have become good friends and I will miss her presence in the dorms. Hopefully we'll meet again on my next visit ;) Lisa and Lindsay are leaving in a week on Monday. So the air is filled with a sense of newness as new people shift in, and old teammates move on. Bittersweet. I'll miss the team we have here so much... in just a week we've really become family. For now, we're trying to get the most out of the time we have.

This Friday evening, we had a worship service instead of the normal "youth activities night." We danced the night away! It's been somewhat difficult for me to engage in worship during the services since everything is in Spanish, but this evening I let loose despite my lack of understanding. There's nothing like being free in the presence of the Lord... especially when you're dancing with a community just as excited as yourself. It's a beautiful thing! :D

On my agenda for tomorrow I have a full day of 1) family meeting and devotions 2) Skyping home 3) learning to make bracelets 4) swimming 5) getting hair braided :) and then an evening of "fellowshiping."

The lifestyle here is wonderful, despite the random water and electricity shortages. Everything takes longer and is not as hurried; everything is a process. Taking a shower, for example, does not require simply turning on the hot water and jumping in. Here, you have to boil the kettle (twice, if you want a decent amount of water); fill up buckets with water; then, while sharing the bathroom with three other people, jump in and turn on the cold, low-pressure faucet and see how long you can bear it. And, when the water's out, you've gotta get water from the well to flush the toilet with. Things like that force you to take your time and not rush through the day. I think my lifestyle when I return to the States is going to be different somehow and that makes me glad.

Well, as the kids here say, I'm peacin' out! Time to rest my feet!

F: more pics from monday and tuesday

Our taxi that fit 5pple:

last night's ride home:

great market:

riding home - Kenia and Barbara

Diego:

bed 'n breakfast:

Lisa, Marvis, and Lindsay