Our team pretending to be pirates at an old pirate fort in Granada…I’m supposed to have a hook as a hand….Anderson) and it provided good topics for our group to think about and discuss
together in our morning sessions. This
week, there was a team of about 45 people from Texas
here on a short-term mission’s trip and they were scattered doing different
projects and activities all around Granada
and in surrounding cities. Their
construction team was helping build a wall at El Puente (the AIM base) and I
got to help with that. Thanks to years
of Dad making me help out at his jobs I was able to keep up and it was such
rewarding work-seeing a wall built where there had previously been only bamboo
shades separating the common area from the kitchen.
The Texas
team also invited us all to attend a conference they were putting about
leadership in the church. The first half
of the day was divided into men and women and then we all joined together after
lunch. It was a very charismatic group
and the Holy Spirit was doing some work! It has been eye-opening to see how differently people worship and I
think everyone on our team came away from the conference with a lot to think
about. Overall, though, it was really
neat to be a part of it and the teaching was really encouraging. And I love the freedom with which people
worship here-it’s contagious!
Currently, a few of the boys on our team are a few hours
away participating in a Young Life basketball tournament with some of the local
boys. Pray for their time together, that
relationships would be deepened, that they would have a fun, safe time, and
that they would be able to grow together in their walks with the Lord.
Every Friday night, a couple who lives at the end of our
street project a movie on the wall by their house and tons of kids in the
neighborhood come sit on the sidewalk and watch. They teach me all kinds of crazy games that
I’ve never seen before but they are fun to learn. That has been a really fun way to get to know
some more of the kids, especially the younger ones. Already I have run into many of the girls I
met last Friday and we exchange hugs and then set up when we’re going to play
volleyball next. It has been such a fun
way to get to know the families here.
And last night we had a bit of an adventure-our drainage
pipe (where ALL of our water drains) got clogged and then we had a torrential
downpour. So the whole bottom level of
our house flooded! Luckily we were all
home and could move important things off the ground but the water was almost
mid-shin and still rising, and still raining! We called the men at El Puente and they ran over (in the rain) with the
longest pipe I have ever seen in my entire life. They pushed from the inside and out came
leaves, a few rags, a dead rat, and finally a foam football! It was like scoring the biggest touchdown-you
should have heard the cheers from our team J The water then rushed out and then we spent
the next 2 hours or so mopping it out before we went to sleep. Nicaragua keeps us on our toes,
that’s for sure.
Today (right after I post this) we are heading to Managua, the capital, to
spend some time on our day off. I’m
hoping to get to see my friend Christina who lives there!
I pray all of you are well. Thanks for reading praying! You
need to know that whenever I get tired, uncomfortable or discouraged God
reminds me of all the people who are supporting me and it gives me such
energy! I feel so privileged to be here
working together WITH YOU for the Lord. Thanks for all the encouragement!
Hey Becca,
LOVE that you are reading Victory- it was such an influential book in my life! Loved the story about the clogged drain pipe…no lack of adventure, eh?!
we continue to pray for you! : )
hugs,
Meredith & fam
Good looking pirate hook. I enjoy your updates, it sounds like you are having an incredible time, and that Chip would be good friends with the handy men with the long pipe.
Don’t drink the water,
Willis