For such a time as this..

One year later.

2012-01-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2011....
On this day, one year ago, I left for Leon, Nicaragua. I thought I was going to stay for two years but God had other plans. Wonderful plans. Plans that exceeded anything I could hope for or imagine. I spent so much time dwelling on the past, so much time trying to control my future, so many years saying "no, I think this sounds better." I had been hurt, I had been lost, I had made the wrong choices. Let me say that good can come when you feel hopeless and broken. God had something big planned for me and when he saw that I was finally willing to let him lead, he took me on the greatest adventure of my life.

It started in 2009 when I left for a mission trip to Nicaragua Christian School. I had been on several mission trips but this one was different. This one changed my life. This one haunted me everyday after, in a good way. It redefined and reminded me of the woman God wanted me to be and where my real passion lies: Children in need. After graduation in May of 2010 I decided there was a reason nothing made sense to me anymore, a reason my "next plans" no longer appealed to me, a reason I was beginning to feel real uncomfortable with myself. But, I knew something was coming. I felt a stirring. God had laid something on my heart and I did not know what to do with it. I didn't think God would really want to send ME? Why would he want me there? I couldn't do anything to help? As I struggled to understand what I was being told, I began talking to my parents and praying about this idea. I then set up a meeting with the US directors of Nicaragua Christian School. Still not sure if this was even possible, I asked if I could move to the school and work.

For the next six months I watched in amazement as everything fell in to its perfect little place, as I prepared to move to Nicaragua in January of 2011. I sent out my letters in August and by the end of September I had all the money I needed for the two years I had planned to work down there. When November rolled around, due to some obviously God-planned happenstances, I went on a first date with Ryan Bush. Although I was excited about the opportunity to get to know him, I could not help but feel confusion about the timing. I felt like I had finally accepted the fact I was going to do this alone. I never thought a man would care to date someone with countries between them. Meanwhile, during all these thoughts, God was saying, "Oh ye of little Faith.. Watch this."

January 20, 2011 comes along quickly and I am saying goodbye to everything I know and love to head toward my new life. Landing in Nicaragua, I was quickly reminded of the reason for my passion. I was there to let God show me how I could help the poor, innocent, abused, broken, dirty, beautiful, hands and feet of God's little children.

For the next 9 months I began a healing process. I wrestled with God, I was broken and he healed me, I was lost and found, I learned from him, and I fell in love with God along with 206 precious children. I learned and was filled with God's never ending, faithful, and ever so redeeming love. I was able to watch first hand as he transformed lives and I saw him make beautiful things out of the dust.

During my time in Nicaragua I also fell in love with a man. Although it was very difficult for us to be so far apart, I am thankful for these unique and incredible chapters God wrote in the beginning of our love story. God allowed Ryan and I to get to know each other in such a special way. Ryan was my constant encouragement and support system, as well as my reminder that God's plan is the only plan that I want to be a part of. Not only did God send Ryan to help me through this past year, but God gave me a man who shares the same passions and dreams as I do.

In July of 2012, Ryan was able to spend a month with me in Nicaragua. After his trip we couldn't stop talking about it which led us to discuss doing mission work together some day. My heart was so full. I was in a country I love, surrounded by children I love and whom I learned from daily. I also had so much love and support back home that my two worlds (or countries) couldn't have felt more perfect.

In October I came home (and at a perfect time I might add, just another sign of God's faithfulness) to work a golf tournament my father and I were doing for the school in Nicaragua. It was awesome to see all the people involved in the tournament and the money raised for the school. I also really enjoyed visiting with my loved ones.. Especially with Ryan..

On November 2, 2011 Ryan asked me to marry him. We decided that since we both wanted to be doing work in Nicaragua, we should get married and then I could complete my last year and (Lord willing) many more after, working together, with Ryan.

And now, here I am, one year later, healed, preparing to take on a new journey, as a wife, and starting a new adventure where God is calling US, in Leon, Nicaragua. I look forward to being back in my new country with the ones I love, sharing a desire to serve the people of Nicaragua with the man I love.
I could never have dreamed how perfect my love story was going to turn out. I am thankful that God is the author, and that he had a plan for us that was greater than we could have ever imagined. It has been the best year of my life and I can not wait to see what God has in store for the future, Mr. and Mrs. Bush.

I have found the one whom my soul loves. Song of Solomon 3:4

Thank you for always thinking of me. Thank for forgiving me daily even though I do not deserve it. Thank you for Ryan and for the blessing he is in my life. Thank you for the best family and friends anyone could ask for. Thank you for the children in Nicaragua. And thank you for the opportunity to see your love and beauty in every day life. You are the creator and the sustainer. Thank you for being the bread of life to those that are hungry. Thank you for blessing a sinner like me. I love you.

Quick note

2011-11-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

What a blessing this trip home has been...
God is so good to me and I am thankful for all the wonderful things happening around me.
The Golf tournament was a great success. We raised a great sum of money for the start of our multi-purpose building at the school. I am looking forward to having this golf tournament annually and watching the doors that it will open for the people of Nicaragua Christian School.
Elections in Nicaragua are over and I am ready to get back to see the children. I will be going back for Graduation which is the week of Thanksgiving and then the kids will be off for their "Summer break" so I will be able to spend Christmas with my family and my Fiancé. Yes, you read that right :)
A better updated blog will be posted in the next week or two.

For now, Please go to www.youtube.com/nichristianschool and check out some of the new videos!

Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement. I am a blessed beyond measure.

Life Interrupted

2011-09-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have started a new book by Priscilla Shirer called "Life Interrupted" and let me just say it is absolutely amazing to me that God can work on my heart through the ink pen of someone that I do not and probably will never know.

" So just go with it. Follow Him -- Impossible as it may seem. Let him take you places, even to places you honestly don't feel all that great about seeing firsthand. You may not grasp what He's got in mind for this, but if you'll follow where He's leading, You will walk yourself right out onto the stage He has set for you. You will locate a significance bigger than you are because it's not based on your own smarts and planning and goal stratagies but rather on your utter submission to the Father's eternal, all-wise plans-- plans that are "higher than your ways" (Isaiah 55:9), beyond anything you could "ask or think" or imagine (Eph. 3:20)."

There has been many a day that I have been completely confused on what God's plan is. Sometimes I just can't understand why he would want me to do something that is interrupting what I saw my future to look like. But when I look at the "big picture" I am absolutely blown away at what God has brought in to my life and ever so thankful for what he has taken out. Seriously, I am the most undeserving person to the most beautiful gifts. God's plan is SO MUCH GREATER than anything I could have imagined for myself. His grace is amazing and it covers me daily. The things that I imagined would have never been close to the amazing-ness of every part of my life right now. He has a plan for each of our lives.. There are billions of people in the world and he has a specific plan just for me.. I love being His child and I look forward to seeing what it is he has in store for me next.

Speaking of God's plan and him knowing me so well... My mother and Sherry Brooks surprised me last Monday.. This is how it went... We were suppose to go pick up Mr. David and Mr. Tim from the airport in Managua so we decided to make a fun day of it. We went to the big mall and to the nice grocery and then to TGI fridays. After all of this, as we were heading to the Airport, I told the Brackens that this was a much needed day and "one of the best days ever(of course I was being a bit dramatic)". I had no idea what was about to happen but Kim and James sure do keep secrets well.. We get to the airport and are waiting and I was just so excited to see Americans that I was desperately looking in the window with excitement. I guess James was worried he wouldn't catch my reaction on camera or that I knew they were coming because he said "what are you so excited about, it is just two old men!?"(which was a fun joke for the rest of the week). Boy, you should have seen my face. God really knew how badly I needed to see those two. I was a basket case. They snuck up around a corner and jumped in front of the glass wall and I started screaming and crying. I then had to wait 15 minutes for them to get through customs during which time I had 300 nicaraguans looking at me like I was crazy and trying to piece together what just happened.

It was a wonderful surprise. I mean wonderful. Being able to see two people who have been absolutely awesome at keeping me strong during this past year, working with my babies, was Heaven to my eyes. It really gave me the courage to keep going.

Thank you Jesus for that time with them..

If you are sponsoring a child at Nicaragua Christian School and have not yet considered making a trip down to the school, start considering. I know that this trip was such a blessing for not only Mama and Sherry but also for the sweet babies who they help receive a chance at a better future.

Here are some pictures of their trip...

Mama and Rosita happy to see each other after three years. Seriously, you have never seen two happier people than these in this moment in time.

Pedro and and his sponsor (and my dear friend) Sherry meeting for the first time! He was so blessed by the time he got to spend with her and can't stop talking about her.

Some precious moments with the children

Visiting Pedro in his home. Another awesome experience you can have with making a trip to NCS.

If Daddy, Isaac and Amelia were there we would have had a completed family. So very thankful for this moment.

Sherry at Pedro's house with him and his brother Daniel and their new soccer ball!

Every time I look at this picture I cry. The most amazing woman with the most amazing children.

Sherry with all her little notes and love from all the students. They love visitors :)

I wish I could hold these moments forever.

Mr. Tim with the little girl he sponsors.

Sherry with some of the preciousness of NCS

Mr. David feeding this little boy his second cup of Icecream.. Ever.

Mom, Sherry, and I went to Surfing turtle one night while they were here. It was a lodge on the beach. We were the only people their other than our guard and our cook, for miles. We had a great time. We stayed in a cabana that was only screen so we could listen to the ocean all night. We also got to watch a Paslama turtle lay eggs on the beach. It was a great trip.

Sherry, myself, and mother on the swings at Surfing turtle

This was the only way to get to Surfing turtle

Also, during the time my mother was here, Cristina had a hernia removed. I went to the hospital with her the morning before the surgery and this is her at her house the afternoon after surgery. Always smiling

Mr. David and his homemade baptistry. He had to demonstrate for us.

If I can be half the woman she is I will be happy. I am so thankful to have such an incredible mama inside and out that supports me in everything I do.

Mom and I with Sergio and Daysi (Preacher at the school)

It was perfect timing. God is so good to me and I am very blessed.

On other note, I leave for Honduras tomorrow with Sergio, Daysi and 4 other members of our new youth! We are going to Baxter (the preacher school) for a youth rally. The theme is "The Battle Belongs to the Lord". I have NO idea what I am getting myself in to for the next week but I am really looking forward to seeing God work. Please keep this trip in your prayers.

Also, Please check out my previous blog about some opportunities to help out at the School.

Come and see what is being done in Nicaragua.

Give a little love

2011-08-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am coming to all of you, friends, families, and people I have never even met to ask you to take some time and look at two very important things we have going on for the school right now.

Please take a moment to read this and SHARE it with your people who might be interested in participating.

Nicaragua Christian School exists to provide the opportunity for the poorest in the communities of Leon, Nicaragua, to receive a Christian Education. It is vitally important to the employees and supporters of NCS that these students learn how to read and write in a God-centered environment.  The teachers and staff are constantly pursuing new and improved learning techniques and strategies, and they do the best they can to implement these in the classroom. The goal of NCS is to educate and to provide a support system for its students and their families. When students leave NCS, it is hopeful that they will carry their knowledge and love for Christ into their homes and their communities. Due to the monetary support and prayer for these specific things, the Nicaragua Christian School is thriving.  

  This year we are starting a new tradition. We have been brainstorming about how we could raise money for the school and we feel like this is a great opportunity for us to do so. Leon, Nicaragua has been such a blessing on so many lives and we want to keep giving back to the God's precious children in Nicaragua.   On MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011 we are our having our first Annual Golf tournament for Nicaragua Christian School at the Jackson Country Club.  Format: Texas Scramble. We have openings for Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorships, team sponsorships, and hole sponsorships. If you are interested in sponsoring teams but are not able to play we can find someone to fill your spot! Prizes will be included in goodie bags... Winning teams, closest to the pin, longest drive, and putting contest awards following the tournament. Take some time to get to know us and learn more about the school at Nicaraguachristian.org.. we would love for you to be a part of our mission, starting with playing in our first Golf Tournament!!!

Also, with Christmas around the corner we are hoping to give each child at Nicaragua Christian School a Christmas gift this year and we need your help.

Three easy steps:

1.Fill a shoebox with items from the list below.

2. Wrap the box and lid separately in holiday wrapping paper.

3. Indicate whether the gift is for a boy or girl and place $5.00 on top of the box to cover the cost of shipping.

Each box should contain: School supplies (pencils, pens, crayons, paper, pencil sharpener) Personal items (toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shampoo, soap, washcloth) Clothing (socks, underwear, shorts, t-shirt, sandals, ball cap, sunglasses) Toys (yo-yos, small cars, dolls, stickers, jump rope, bubbles, harmonicas) Filler (candy, mints, gum. No chocolate or other candy that might melt).

All boxes need to be at Campbell Street Church of Christ no later than SEPTEMBER 19th. For more information, contact Christy Lovelace at 731-427-9511.

Please consider being a part of the work being done in Nicaragua. Lives are being changed and they are the precious children of God. Help put a smile on these faces!

Gracias y Dios te bendiga!

Why am I here?

2011-08-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Though having the opportunity to live in Nicaragua has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, I still get home sick from time to time. This is one of those times and times like these are when I have to remind myself why it is that I am here. There are so many reasons but here are a few that I feel need mentioning.

I love living in Leon, Nicaragua because..

I get to see things like this..

(weird.funny.cute)

and this..

I love new friends.

I love the way a little tan hand fits in mine.

I love kisses

I love hugs

I love seeing what God can do for children in need.

I love seeing this face..

Turn in to this one.

I love their eagerness to learn and know more about the God who loves them so.

I love my girls class.

I love teaching english to little ones who want to learn.

I love cheeks.

I love moments like these.

I love this family.. and so many more.

I love playing dress up.

I love that joy joy joy joy down in their hearts.

because I learn how to be grateful for what I have.

and I even like getting lice.. If it means I get love like this.

Thank you God for the children that will forever impact my life. They are such a blessing and I have learned so much just from watching them. Please help me humble myself like a child. Help me be a positive example to them each day. And when I need a reminder of why I am here, let it come from looking in to the eyes of a child. Thank you for their hearts, thank you for their joy, and thank you for what you plan to do in their lives. Help me to love unconditionally. I want to be clay in your hands. Use me. Amen.

Oh the adventures we'll have..

2011-08-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

If I had of signed a contract with the Country of Nicaragua that would be the title, "Oh, the adventures we'll have".

What an amazing, crazy, blessed two months I have had.

My trip home in June was wonderful. I got to be a part of the marriage between two of my favorite people (Anna and Seth Doyle) and I got to spend time with family and friends. God has perfect timing; I mean really, it is perfect. It was wonderful to get re-energized and to receive spiritual encouragement. It can be very difficult down here because we can only worship in Spanish. I miss singing and fellowshipping and I am glad that I was given the opportunity to do so. Thank you Jesus for the amazing people that you have put in my life. I learn every day how blessed and unworthy I am of all that you have given to me.

One Sunday while I was home we had a Nicaragua Christian School update for all the adults during class in the auditorium. Mr. Tim gave a presentation, I read my blog post “A Tribute to a Vision”, and then we played a video made of some pictures we have taken. Before the class we still had over 30 children who did not have sponsors but after class we had every child in the school with a sponsor! It was an incredible day. God is so good (We add a grade every year so if you would like to sponsor a child, we will have one for you in February).

On July 6^th I came back to Nicaragua along with Ryan Bush (mi novio). Ryan got to come for 18 days and it was awesome being able to show him what I do every day and all the places I love. The first two days we were back we helped at school with the normal routine and visited in the villages.

Ryan as a Jungle Gym

The next two weeks the children were out of school so we had lots of free time. On Sunday we went and picked up our friend Glenn in Managua and he stayed with us for 9 days. We toured Leon and volcano surfed down Cerro Negro.

Thursday- Sunday we spent visiting our friend Grace Pinkston who was doing mission work in San Marcos, Honduras at Mission Lazarus. God is doing great things there. It was an adventure to get there. We had to do endure some crazy bus rides and taxis but God was looking out for us and cleared the path with no bumps in the road (well it is Nicaragua, of course there are bumps in the road, but you know what I mean :) ).

Ryan with some of the Honduran children.

Ryan and I at Mission Lazarus

After that Ryan and I came back to Leon for a night and then ventured off to visit other parts of Nicaragua.

We went to San Juan del Sur and it was BEAUTIFUL.

And then I got stung by a stingray.. Hopefully the worst pain I will ever have to endure.

We chased sea turtles

And then I met a blowfish!!!And I made a great face like one too.

To sum it up.. I had a wonderful time showing Ryan why I love this country. (photo of us w kids)

After he left that next Sunday on the 24^th I will not lie and tell you I was not really sad…

For some therapy I went and bought some pretty white shirts and went over to one of my favorite families houses and we made tie-dye shirts!

Ibis with her beautiful heart

Minor and William with their beautiful creations

Afterward we had a water balloon fight with all of our friends.

We had a great time together (notice the feet in the front of the picture. Minor has his head in the water balloon bucket).

God is doing great things at Nicaragua Christian school. Today we started our Soccer Ministry. The boys of 3^rd and 4^th grade came for practice and a devo.

(Thanks to Kim Bracken for a lot of these beautiful photos!)

Of course, this isn’t fair for the girls to be left out :) so I decided I wanted to have a learning and growing time with the ladies. Twice a week during boy’s soccer I am having the 3^rd and 4^th grade girls over to study the bible and learn about being a Christian young lady and afterward we will do a craft. Here are some pictures of how our first day went.

Cannot say it enough.. GOD is so good.

Between being stung by an “African killer bee”, getting a horrid case of lice, going with out air conditioning, water and electricity for many hours at a time, almost having to swim home during a flood, being in an earth quake, being in a “tsunami”(it was miniscule), getting a parasite, holding a blowfish, flipping 5 times down the side of a volcano, and being stung by a sting ray…
What will happen next? I do not know. One thing I do know,
I think it is fair to say.. YO SOY NICARAGUENSE!

Beautiful things are happening in Nicaragua. God is at work. We are settling back in to the routine and I am looking forward to what is ahead. God was not joking when he said he had a plan for me. He has a plan and a future for us. I see that more every day and I am thankful that I am not in control of my life. God has shown me so much pain, sorrow, adventure, love, joy, and peace that has made and placed me exactly where I am today. It is a beautiful life.

Thank you so much for all your support. These children are growing and learning about God’s love thanks to your help. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here. Their smiles and their eagerness to learn is exciting and overwhelming. A lifetime would not be enough.

I am thankful we have a father that loves all the little children.

While we are in the world, we are the light of the world.” John 9:5

Check out our new video at Nicaragua Christian School. All thanks to the talented Bryson Leach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS1ewdQfYVQ

5 months of bliss

2011-06-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

These are some of Gods beautifully unique creations. Thank you God for these lives.

What a blessing the past 4 and a half months have been.

In the past month we have..

Taken all 206 children to the Botanical Gardens.

Had a beautiful Mothers day celebration. Full of hugs and tears. It was absolutely the most precious thing I have ever seen. We are so thankful for our mothers.

Had a mothers day celebration at the church. We have some beautiful voices.

Visited San Juacinto (the village near the volcano mud pits).

I loved this visit. I have been wanting to do this since we got here. I came here in 2009 to visit and this is a picture of me and my tour guide Jordan from then and now. I was very happy to see him. He is so grown up.

The last week of May is the "week of the children". We had a great time celebrating. Kim and I gave a field day and had a blast doing it. It was awesome. It consisted of lots of games, food, water balloons, and Loud music (even some beiberfever).

Spiderman came aka Sergio

This is the 2nd graders cheering because they won their competition. It was such a fun day!

Also during the week of the children we took all of the Elementary to the Special Education school in Leon. I was so proud of how well they behaved and how kind they were. We presented skits, cultural dance, and singing. They also served all of the children at the school their snacks. They are going to be great leaders one day.

The picture on the right is of a child in a wheel chair that we gave the school!

A few other things going on... My birthday was June 4th and on that friday all of the children lined up outside the house at 7 am to sing happy birthday to me and give me gifts and hugs and kisses. Can I just say that it is one of the millions of things that I love about being here, getting hugs and kisses from goocoodles of children every morning. I am blessed. Needless to say, between that AND my surprise birthday party with my closest friends in Leon, it was a wonderful birthday.
In other news.. 6 inches of my hair had to be removed due to a bad case of head lice.. I am not going to lie to you and say I didn't shed a tear or two for that hair but I am so very thankful to Kim Bracken and Andrea Nash for the hard work they put in to removing hundreds of tiny bugs from my head. YUCK. It has been a long process but we have finally started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We were so excited to discover the true meaning to "nit picky". Welcome to Nicaragua and sweet dirty baby hair.
Also, some exciting news, the medical mission team of 27 people will be here tonight and THIS thursday I am going to be flying home. I am very excited to visit with friends and family but I am going to miss my babies tremendously.

Addition: Just another adventure in Leon, Nicaragua. I wrote this on Monday but am just now posting it because our new internet got fried in a bad storm. I am in the Miami airport. Half way home. Saying goodbye was very sad this morning. I will miss those sweet ones but I am so blessed to be able to come back to them.
The Medical mission was awesome. They are doing great things and I am very thankful they are working at the school this year. I was blessed just getting to spend time with them. Yesterday I helped the dentists because I could not stand seeing all the scared children. It was rough. I also got to pull a tooth. That was interesting. The campaign has also been going great. We have had a large turn out every night. I am sad I had to leave in the middle of their trip but I can't wait to be home for a little while!

God is so very good.
I made a video of some of my favorite pictures of the children. If you have not gotten to see it yet, click on the link and watch it. It is not a beautifully made video but those sweet faces sure can make nothing into a masterpiece.
http://youtu.be/MuWPaJlrf7c

If you are not already sponsoring one of our children at Nicaragua Christian School and are interested, please email me at

Summgrace@nicaraguachristian.org

We would love for you to be a part of what God is doing in Leon, Nicaragua. We still have quite a few children who have not received a sponsored this year. You will not only be changing their lives but getting to know them through pictures, letters, and updates can also change yours.

Look at the nations and watch—

and be utterly amazed.

For I am going to do something in your days

that you would not believe,

even if you were told.

Habakkuk 1:5

You make beautiful things out of us..

2011-05-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

All this pain

I wonder if I’ll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change at all

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new

Beautiful Things- by Gungor
http://youtu.be/OR7VOKQ0xJY

After a successful day of Sunday school and a another great month in Nicaragua, I just want to express how thankful I am for the movements happening.

He really does make beautiful things out dust, out of nothing, beauty can come, it DOES come. There are so many beautiful things happening and many more that God is working on.

Please keep praying for the beautifuls of Nicaragua.

God is moving. He is making us new.

Y éste es mi mandamiento: que se amen los unos a los otros, como yo los he amado. Juan 15:12

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

A tribute to a vision

2011-05-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

What if we could feed hundreds of hungry children at least one meal a day?
- so that they can be nourished.
- so that they can have the energy to keep going.
- so that they no longer have to wonder if today is a day that they will receive food and water.
What if we could share the unconditional love of our Jesus with the poorest people of Central America?
- so they can share it with their children and their children's children.
- so that God's love pours out on these streets.
- so that there is no more fear in tomorrow, just truth and hope in the future.
- so that the only hands that touch these children are hands overflowing with the fruits of the spirit.
What if we could give an education for a brighter future to the next generation of children in Nicaragua?
- so that they are capable of better jobs.
- so that they can feed their children three meals a day.
- so that they can build their houses out of concrete and not cardboard.
What if we could plant more churches and others schools?
- so that everyone gets a chance.
- so that many more Nicaraguans are provided with jobs.
- so that the beautiful faces of these dirty streets can be standing next to us singing praises with our God in Heaven.

This was a vision, a dream, of people who were doing mission work in Leon, Nicaragua. They saw a brighter future, a better life, an eternal life, for us. This vision became a reality on January 29, 2007.

Then and now...

When this church started, children of all ages met together outside.

Now, not only do they have a classroom..but they had to build two. Thank you for the opportunity to expand our resources and reach more children in our community.

I am a young girl at that church in 2007

I am that same young girl at that same church 4 years later. Thank you for providing me a safe place to learn how to have a passionate love for Jesus.

We are the children of the new church at the school, started April 4, 2011

We are the 35 children who attended Sunday school today, May 8, 2011.

Thank you for believing in us.

This is morning chapel at Nicaragua Christian School, year 1. (2007)

Here we are, bigger, stronger, and 4 years closer to being some of the first educated, christian people of our generation line. Thank you.

My name is Sandra. I graduated from Kindergarden in 2009..

This is a picture of me from this year with one of my sponsors, Kim. Now, in 2nd grade, I am leading my class in grades. I even won an award last summer for best all around scholar at an educational competition with students from different schools. Thank you for giving me the chance to have an education.

My name is Victoria.. This is me brushing my teeth at the school in 2009. We have the opportunity to brush our teeth at the school every day because people care about us and want to help provide us with the things we need.

This is me and my friend Christina at a youth rally at our church at the school in April of 2011. We both attend Nicaragua Christian school and have been going to the new church at the school ever since it started a month ago. My daddy has been having devotionals with the new preacher weekly. Thank you for taking care of me and for teaching my daddy how to be a christian father.

My name is Ricardo (Summer likes to call me cheeks) I graduated from Kindergarden in 2009.

This is me now, in 2nd grade, leading my class line in chapel. Thanks to Nicaragua Christian school I am learning to be a strong christian man. I am going to be able to teach my family about the Lord along with being able to protect and care for my family. Thanks to you.

Thanks to your willingness to help, I was able to have surgery and see another day.

My name is Kora Bracken. My family and I came to visit Leon, Nicaragua on a mission trip in 2009.

In 2011 my family moved to Leon, Nicaragua to work with the preachers families and the school in Leon. It has been a hard adjustment. But daily, I am becoming a stronger christian woman because of this school. Sometimes I don't like it, but others see me growing and making such a difference in the lives of my friends here. Thank you for helping my friends.

My name is Josué.

The photo on the left is of me when I was 3 years old in my first year of preschool at NCS. The photo on the right, is of me this year, stepping on the plate for a game of baseball during P.E.

My name is Jonathan. This is a photo of me 4 years ago starting out at NCS and a photo of me this year, with my big brother Wilber.

My name is Rosa Maria. This is me, timid and shy my first few days at Nicaragua Christian School. The picture on the right is of me 4 years later. My heart is full!

We are the generation of Joshua. We will rise up and be the head of our household. The leaders and providers of our family. The church leaders of the coming years. Thank you for teaching us how to be christian men and followers of Christ.

We will be the Proverbs 31 women. The caretakers, the lovers, the nurturers, the wives and mothers worth far more than rubies. Thank you for providing us with teachers who set an example of how to be this woman.

Thank you for your part.

It’s a vision..

To empower the uneducated men and women of Nicaragua, to teach self-sufficiency, to teach them respect for others and the environment, to teach little boys how to respect little girls. And most importantly the vision is to teach these beautiful people about a Savior. A Savior who always loves us, who always protects us, and who wants to know us, but if it weren’t for people like you, we may not have had this opportunity. Thank you for telling us the story of Jesus, thank you for letting God use you. We may never meet you on this earth, but we will now spend an eternity with you in heaven, we will remember you there..

We are the faces of Nicaragua. We are the future. We are God’s people.

God can use you to completely change the direction of our life..

Today, I love 100.

2011-04-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

In memory of being in Nicaragua for 100 days, I just want to be thankful.

Dear God,

Thank you for bringing me here and for giving me 100 days. Help me to see your vision. Open my eyes to what you want me to see. Thank you for the hundreds of beautiful little faces that bless me everyday. Thank You for the opportunity to see Your creation in hundreds of different ways. Thank You for allowing me to experience hundreds of beautiful moments that can only be from You. Thank You for the hundreds of little things that You pieced perfectly to allow me to be here. Thank You so much for the hundreds of people You have put in my life that pray for me and for these sweet children continuously. Thank you for the hundreds of beautiful hearts with a true desire to help your children. Thank You for the hundreds of things that You will do in this ministry, and for so many others. Thank You for the hundreds of opportunities You give us. Thank you for the hundreds of times You will forgive us. Thank you for the hundreds of moments of laughter. Thank you for the hundreds of times a day that you keep showing us that you desire to love each and every one of us. Thank You for the hundreds of sins You continue to cover and for always welcoming us home with open arms. Mighty is your name. Thank you for loving us when we make poor decisions, when we are stubborn, grumpy, not listening for you, and hundreds of others. Help us to learn to be more like You. Show us hundreds of more opportunities to serve You. Thank you for your grace, mercy, unconditional love, and all hundreds more. I love You and I love my hundreds and hundreds of days with You. Help me to love like You and to teach these children about Your forever love.

Your Daughter

Jesús vive!

2011-04-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

I write this resisting feelings of both envy and sadness. Every picture posted on the internet today was of people in their beautiful new clothes going to church with their loved ones. I am Missing the beautiful voices in a big American church building, and a sermon that I can fully understand (specifically daddy’s). I am missing my mama’s wonderful roast beef, home made rolls, and all that comes with it. I am missing my little sister waking me up because it is time to see what the Easter bunny brought us and seeing my brother act like it's lame (when he is actually really excited too). In 23 years, this is the first Easter I have spent away from my family. But as I start to think about the meaning of Easter, it makes me appreciate, even more, that I am here. This is WHY I am here. It has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Him. I may not be with my blood line family right now, but I am with my brothers and sisters. My brothers and sisters who I need right now, as much as they need me. God placed me here for a special purpose and I could not be in a better place to celebrate that Jesus died, and three days later HE ROSE AGAIN. Not for me, not for you, but for US. Every single one of us, sins and all. What a blessing it has been to worship with my Nicaraguan family today. Thank you God, for the opportunity to share with the most beautiful faces, hearts, and lives today about what it means for US that JESUS LIVES. ♥

We are thankful that you gave your one only Son to die for us ♥

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Luke 24: 50-53

This is what it is all about.

Just some thoughts from a happy girl in Central America..

2011-04-16T20:09:00.001-07:00

I hope that you have the opportunity to go on a mission trip one day. Some specific reasons I wish everyone could visit Leon, Nicaragua at least once…

-To check out my fast Internet that I finally have at my house (THANK YOU Mr. John and Chris!)

-To experience talking with a translator.

- To have the frustration of someone saying “Manaña(tomorrow)”. Everyday.

- To experience attempting to talk in another language and the other parties response being laughter.

-To be here long enough that you rejoice when you see the red arches (McDonalds).

- To hold a child who might not trust you at first because no one has ever just wanted to hug them before.

- To see what beautiful things God is doing all over the world.

- To smile at a beautiful widow with no teeth. Not only will she reach out to touch you but also she will talk to you, a lot. Even after you try to tell her (with your broken Spanish) that you do not understand what she is saying.

- To view the scenery. There is nothing like it.

- To watch what God is doing at Nicaragua Christian School.

- To see students hard at work. Students that would not have this opportunity without Faith-filled people from America willing to let God use what He has given them to help others receive an eduation and learn about him.

-To see the construction, and with that construction know and understand that it comes with strong faith and contribution from many who desire to help. Everyday there is work being done to make a place of hope for those who have none.

- To be reminded of how blessed you are. I am thankful to be reminded of this every single day here.

- To ride in the bed of a truck to get place to place.

- To go to town at night and feel like you are in a musical, always loud music, dancing, and food everywhere. IT SMELLS SO GOOD!!!

-To receive the pleasure of working with over 200 of God’s most beautiful young creations, each and every one different and unique in their own way. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to get to know their hearts.

-To sit in on a worship service in another language. America is not the only place on earth and it really brings to life the fact that God created THE WHOLE world in his likeness. It is amazing to think that not only is Sunday the day of worship in America but many miles away people are also worshipping in Nicaragua, in Russia, in Africa, etc. Some of these people are even risking their lives to be at church every Sunday, or having to walk 5 miles to get there--In America we worry about missing an extra hour of sleep or worship going 5 minutes too long.

- To listen to children sing church songs and light up during a bible story. Children who come from broken homes, from children who may get beaten by their father or sexually abused, or children whose parents may use all the money for alcohol and forget to give their child dinner. They do have one Father that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.

♥ Just a few reasons...

Surround us, Lord.

2011-04-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

Taking a stroll through the village with some of my beloveds.

My dear friend Cinthya graduated from college last saturday! So proud of her.

This is the Perez family. I love every second I get to spend with them and look forward to our friendship growing over the next two years and many more.

Last Sunday I got to see my first baptism in Nicaragua. It was a great experience.

One of my favorite past times at NCS. Brushing our teeth.

Rosita decided she liked her dress so much she didn't have to wear her uniform to school!

A day at Milavf with my friend Cinthya. She volunteers there and works with the children in the afternoons. We made piñatas!

New table from my Aunt. It is starting to look more like a home!

This is one of my most prized posessions that I brought with me to Nicaragua. My best friends from school made me this before I left. It is pictures we took the day before graduation and a note from each of them. Makes me smile every time I look at it.

A photo taken by my new friend Kevin. Just captures an idea of the kind of love Rosita and I have for each other :)

"We are the 3 year olds. We own this school."

Some of our students that I go visit in the village often.

I love their love.

My first sunday of teaching at our new church. I had 21 children!

Victoria is always looking for the camera ;)

Happy first Sunday at Nicaragua Christian School Church of Christ (not sure if that is going to be the real name yet). :) What a great day

As you can see, things are going great here. I am so thankful for the opportunities God is laying in front of me.

Our first church service went great! I taught the children about creation. It was most likely the first time most of them had ever been to church. So glad I could be a part of it. I want to ask for prayers on behalf of these children: that they will come to know God in all his greatness, and that God will use me to teach them.
As the children were leaving today, I walked 6 of them home. They told me they really enjoyed class, and they asked when I would do it again. I said, "Church?" And they said, "yes, when can we come back?" I was excited to tell them they can come back every Sunday at 10! All of them turned and looked up at me with beaming faces, and one of them said, "REALLY?" I said yes, again. They squealed and grinned the rest of the way home. When we got there, they had forgotten that I would see them at school tomorrow, and they said, "SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY!" :)
Thank you, God, for reassuring me time and time again that I am exactly where I am suppose to be.

This week has been very exciting. Outside of being able to teach the children's Bible class, I start tutoring 9 children for an hour and a half on Monday. I am so excited and look forward to the opportunity. I am thankful that Xiomara has entrusted me with this and hope to see these children's studies improve tremendously and quickly. Also, during my meeting with Xiomara, we discussed me starting my English classes soon. I will be teaching the 4 and 5 year old classes two times a week, and 1st grade once a week. In the afternoons, I will be offering an English class for the older children as well. I can't wait to get started with this project. When these children have an education AND are able to speak some English, it will make such a difference in their futures- especially when they start trying to find work.

This week marks another week that we have not received our internet. Siempre Manaña.
It will ALWAYS be "tomorrow." This week mosquito season started as well. I will not welcome this; I will fight back. May is suppose to be the beginning of rainy season (boo). Sunshine, I love you dearly.

Thankful for God's grace and mercy and for the plans that he has for each and everyone of these beautiful hearts. Praying for God's work to be done and for my eyes to be open to his will.

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Mark 10:13-16

Just to see you smile.

2011-03-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have passed my two-month mark.

It has been yet another immensely blessed week for me. I am in such a wonderful place. All the time I am surrounded by beautiful, dirty smiles.

Last Monday I went with my friend Cynthia to see where she is volunteering. We went around the neighbor hood in Milavf and told the children about the classes and opportunities that were given at her organization. I really enjoy my friendship with Cynthia. She is such a sweet friend. (As I write this she is watching an Elvis movie with me. Those who know me know that is TRUE friendship ☺).

Last Tuesday James, Yader, and I went on a grand adventure to the border of Honduras to pick up mi familia. My aunt Kristie, Uncle Wade, Cousin Lincoln, and friend Mrs. Kathy had been in Honduras for a medical mission and then came to visit me for 3 days. The trip to Honduras was interesting. It took around 4 hours to get there and 4 to get back. On the way back, there was not enough room for all of us in the truck so two of us sat in the back with the luggage. Good times. But they made it and we had so much fun. Wednesday I helped at school and then took my family to lunch, shop, and tour the cathedrals. In the cathedral I made a friend, she was beautiful. She was begging for food at the door of the cathedral. She was maybe 8 years old. I took her outside to buy her some food and we have been best friends ever since.

Thursday I took my family to help at the school and then to the beach. I drove the stick, pretty big deal for me. Moving on up. We had a great time. The sunset was beautiful and we ate at a Suyapa. Suyapa reminds me of the original “Back porch”. Sorry Destin, you have nothing on Nicaragua! I have made friends with some of the little boys that sell beaded necklaces on the beach. The sunset was beautiful, the food was good, and we shared our left over’s with the little niños. Friday we took my family to Managua because they were flying out the next morning, and picked up JCS!

While in Managua with JCS we took a ride up to Masaya Volcano. It was so beautiful. I see Jesus’ hands more and more everywhere I go. I see God’s handprints all over this incredible country. God has big plans for what is to come.

During class Xiomara has been giving different exams. The children who have the correct answers can choose a prize. Many prizes are laid out, clothes, dolls, books, toys, and hygienics. Most of the sweet children will come and pick up the cool stuff, take a good look at it, and then set it back down to grab some baby clothes for a relative or work clothes for their dad, or some toothpaste and soap for the family. I desire a heart like these children. Even though most of these children at 6 and 7 very well may have gone through more things already than I ever will, they are still selfless and pure children of God.

During the week I got the pleasure of delivering some of the children’s gifts from their sponsors. Bright glowing smiles were the result. My family gave our Nicaragua family a few outfits and Rosita showed up in the greatest mix match outfit of all time: Floral pink t-shirt with floral purple leggings. I don’t think my mother got that to go together but it works ☺.

Saturday was such a great day. We had Preschool movie day at 1 and primary grade school at 3. We watched Veggietales in Spanish, gave out snacks, and then played for an hour or so after with each group. I am so glad JCS could be a part of our first family day. Everything went smoothly and it was such a fun experience. The children had a blast. Saturday night, Sergio(our new preacher) had a youth rally from 7 til midnight. There was singing, guest speakers, a Spanish accapella group, and lots of visiting and getting to know each other. Just like a youth rally at home but under the beautiful stars of Nicaragua. The song leader knew English so he would sing a song with us and then sing a song with them. What a wonderful night. Some of our students were there with their parents and by 11 I had a precious child asleep in my arms. Perfection.

Sunday after church we took the group to the beach. We got to sing on the rocks at sunset. I have really taken worship for granted. Our devos every night have been very uplifting. I can’t wait to be reunited with my church family this summer. But even more so, I can’t wait until we are ALL united in heaven singing together, each and every language.

JCS did a great job this week. Got the concrete done in the new building and the school building repainted. We also had some fun in between there. Wednesday I got to take them to the village. I went to all the children’s houses and brought them to the soccer field, the girls did crafts and the boys played soccer. They LOVED having so much gringo attention.

Yesterday one of our 3 years olds, Edwardo, who has a bad home life, was left at the school until 5 pm. He and his older brother had to sit at the guards hut for 6 hours because their mother was careless and did not plan well. Pray for these children, many of them have way worse situations than we will probably know. I want to rescue them all.

Natalie and I enjoying a day of movies and fun

A successful movie day

Youth Rally

Some of the JCS group enjoying Recess

My backside after a really rough game of soccer in the village. ha

The boys playing soccer with some of the boys at our school

JCS girls doing crafts in the village

Leonardo :)

Rosita in one of her new outfits

Leonardo and Rosita

Fransisco, Rosita, and their mother in their new outfits!

Edwardo, the little boy and his brother who were left at school for 5 hours after school.

Chapel! (and Rosita in her mix-match)

Kim, Amy, Britney, and myself. Loved visiting with these great friends!

This week has absolutely flown by. Let me take that back, this MONTH has flown by. It is official, no more visitors until June 5, and then I come home on June 9. Every person that has been here has made such an impact on me and helped me realize even though I miss home, I am right where I am supposed to be. I haven’t had a second to question it. I desire for God’s unconditional love to pour out through my hands and feet as I work with these beautiful little hearts. I already can’t imagine my life with out their smiles everyday.

My cup over-floweth.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

Holding hands all the way..

2011-03-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

So many of my favorite people surrounded me this week.

David, Tim, John, and Marie left Wednesday. I hated to see them go. It was a great couple of days. John built shelves and worked on our Internet, which was an awesome plus. Marie is such a sweet Christian young lady and really made a big impact on these children. They did not want to let go of her for a week and they loved making crafts with her. The children are already asking when she will be back. Of course, David and Tim are always awesome but so busy when they come down here. I wish I could have sat at their feet all week and just soaked in all their Nicaragua Christian school and Nicaragua (in general) knowledge.

Lindsey and Kristen were here from Friday to Friday and let me just tell you; it was incredible having two very dear friends by my side. What an adventure we have had. I am so happy they were able to experience so much. They really got to know my babies here and they are going to be missed so much.

Saturday, when everyone was in town, we went to a village about two hours away that one of our preacher’s lives and works. This village is very remote and far away from any other civilization. The village is made up of about 8 large families. The church has about 15 adult members and 40 children who come. It was such a blessing to be able to visit them. We brought ice cream. It was the first time they had had ice cream and the first time that most of them had ever seen or had an ice-cube. They came back for seconds and thirds. We stayed around to get a tour of where all their homes were and of their school. Then we played soccer with them for about an hour and a half while David met with the preacher. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. God is so good. I am so thankful that we could interact with these people and I can’t wait to return.

During the beginning of the week I got to show everyone around the school. In the afternoons we went around the village and visited with the families and played with the children. It was so wonderful to see all their smiling faces running down the street yelling out our names.. At every corner a new child from our school would pop out of their house and say hello to us. Who knew I had so many of our school children as neighbors? Couldn’t make me happier. The day I found my sweet Rosita’s (the girl my family sponsors) house was my favorite. No one makes me feel more needed in this world than she does. She wants to be around me every second. She holds me, and smiles at me constantly. Her sweet little dirty hands are always touching my face trying to get me to smile as big as I can so she can laugh. She wants to hold hands and skip, tickle me, say English words, whatever she can to make me happy. Of course she doesn’t have to do anything at all. She is my angel and has my heart. She cries her little eyes out every day when I leave and I can’t wait to get back to her side the next day. She is also one of the poorest children in our whole school and is one of the only ones who does not beg me to buy them something every time they see me. She just wants to be with me, and feel loved, which is fine by me. J Each one of these children has already changed my life so much. I wish I could bring every one of them home with me in June for my visit. Thank you Jesus for this incredible adventure.

This week we also hired a new preacher for the church that we will have at the school. This family is so awesome and I cannot wait to start working with them. I have been taking him and his family around to the different houses of our children this week. I cannot wait to have a church close enough to get all my sweet ones to attend. It is going to be so wonderful to have them their with me, learning about Jesus.

Wednesday: Lindsey, Kristen and I hiked Cerro Negro volcano and boarded back down it. It was an awesome experience. I can’t wait to do it again. We did it through Bigfoot hostal and we got transportation to and from, a t-shirt, bumper stickers, a free meal, AND a nights stay at the hostal. It was a very fun day. I was so tired from the day on the volcano I didn’t even think twice about how clean my sheets were at the hostal. The pizza there is awesome, and everyone that stayed there spoke a different language. Unfortunately, most of them could also speak ours so we lost some cool points for that. I am so glad my girls could be with me to do this. It was such a fun day.

We bought hammocks this week. I have loved being able to read and look at the moon. We also bought $1 rope to hold up the hammock. Bad idea. I took a nice tumble in my church dress today. Note to self: when buying rope to hold your entire body above ground, don’t be cheap.

Apparently we got hit by a Tsunami on Thursday from Japan's earthquake. But as far as I know, no one got injured. Praise for that.

Thankful for the awesome people who were here with me this week, they made such a difference in the short time they were here. I can’t wait till they can all return!

We have a lot of new ideas and things going on here that we are getting really excited about. God is really working. I wish I could fast forward to when the school was done and the church was filled with all those sweet faces. But I know seeing God work in the next two years will make it worth the wait.

Please keep praying for the work down here. God is moving. I pray that I can impact these children as much as they are impacting me.

Te amo,

Verano

Jungle gyms and English words.

2011-02-27T21:14:00.000-08:00

Some goings on of this week…

We had our first full week of school. It was fabulous. I am in heaven with all these sweet little ones.

A schedule of what I do most days during school hours (give or take):

7 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Kim and I split up between classes to help with writing and ECA time. We help check and grade their homework during writing. During ECA we help with their art, or dance, or whatever it is they are learning that day. I really enjoy this time because I am not only getting to be with the children during school hours but I am also learning as well (since I MIGHT be at about a kindergarten level of Spanish). The kids love learning English. They are always asking me questions during class “How you say??? How you say??” and I love listening to them try to say the words. Right now, in the fourth grade class, my name is “ In ingles SUUmer, en espanol Verano”. Kim and I are in charge of a few of the P.E. classes and I really enjoy this. Last week we taught them duck duck goose, red rover, and red light green light. We taught them these without a translator (it was pretty humorous). We also help serve the children their meals. Xiomara’s mom cooks for all 180 children. 5 days a week, that is pretty impressive. A taxi brings it around 9:30 and we deliver it to all the classrooms. This takes a good 45 minutes. After we finish distributing meals we go outside to recess, where my back begins to ache and I sweat for an hour but it is worth it. Apparently, white girl means jungle gym. They LOVE to jump on me, tickle me, and chase me. Whatever they decide to do, it is never less than 25 children. It is precious. I hope they never get use to me being here and it stays this way. When recess is up, they eat and then we wash out the cups they drink their juice out of so that they can use them to brush their teeth. Teeth-brushing time is my favorite.. Oh it is so sweet. They are all in a line outside their classroom brushing away with a grin from ear to ear.

School gets out at 12 but I usually stick around until 1. Each classroom has two children’s parents helping clean up each day.. So there is usually about 14 or more children who have to stay late. We play soccer or pato, pato, ganso (duck, duck, goose) or sometimes they just enjoy making me run in circles.

Around 1:15 I head back up to my house for lunch and to study up on my Spanish. From 3-5 I have Spanish school. When this is over the sun is setting and I have been trying to make a habit of walking or running during this time. It is beautiful. I then usually visit with the neighborhood kids, try to practice what I learned in espanol class. Then it is time to cook dinner. Kim and I have been very experimental and been cooking lots of different new things. That has been very fun. I have enjoyed having my very own oven for the first time.

Schedule of visitors in the month of March:

3/2-3/9: David McCrary, Tim Agee, John Bentley, and Marie will be here this Wednesday.

3/4-3/11: THIS FRIDAY I HAVE MY FIRST HOUSE STAYS J Lindsey Morse and Kristen Mitchell are coming to see me and I am so happy!

3/16-3/19: My cousin Lincoln, My aunt Kristie, and Mrs. Kathy will be making their way over here to visit me from Honduras! First family visit award goes to them ;)

3/18-3/25: The JCS mission team will be here for their spring break.

So exciting!

Tuesday night I felt my first earthquake. I don’t have any way of getting news here right now so I did not know about New Zealand’s so I wrote about it on my facebook. Big mistake. But it was not a bad one and no one was injured. I was in the perfect place for it.. Sitting in a hut surrounded by palm trees.

Because of my scoliosis, I have been going to the chiropractor 2 times a week since I was in 5^th grade; so moving here without one has been an adjustment (ha double meaning). My back got really sore after painting for a week and a half and so my Spanish teacher told me about a masseuse here. I got a 30-minute massage for $8 from the “blind massage, seeing hands”. It was incredible. I have never had a massage, but I am pretty sure he is the best there is.

Wednesday morning I woke up with a gecko in bed with me.. no.big.deal.

Wednesday is FRESH MEAT DAY. This is a pretty wild day here. It is like a holiday, every week.

Thursday morning was our one-month of Spanish, and for a celebration…we got to take a 10 pg. exam. I have officially passed my first level of Spanish school. I can’t wait to be done with Spanish so that I have the afternoons to work in the villages around me. But I wont do much good until I know the language. until then…

Thursday night at church a sweet elderly woman came up to me and asked me to pray for her legs so I prayed with her and talked to her for a while (as best I could). She was very sweet but was in so much pain. Please pray for this woman and for God to show me what I can do to help her.

Friday night I had my first girls night out. Cynthia and I took a taxi down town and walked around, ate dinner, and went to a movie(English with subtitles). I am very thankful for a friend like her down here. We talked about our vision for helping children down here and I can’t wait to see some of our ideas play out. It was awesome.

-Just an FYI for people interested in visiting. I paid for a taxi downtown, two meals, two movie tickets, snacks, and a taxi back home for less than 15 dollars. Incredible.

This weekend has been very relaxed. Getting prepared for a month full of visitors.. Cleaning, groceries, etc. We also had a lot going on with the church.

Saturday morning I went to the beach to read for a couple hours.

Saturday night the power went out so Kim and I cooked by head-lamp-light AND we did not have water. It was an experience.

Today was a great day at church with our brothers and sisters. When it was over I got to rock the preacher’s infant son to sleep and I loved every minute of it. We then went to a member’s house to pray with her because she had something wrong with her leg. Please keep her in your prayers.

Another prayer request: one of the 3-year-old boys is dealing with sexual abuse. He has been profoundly affected by it. Please pray that this first year at school will give him and his family a chance to heal. Keep all of the children in your prayers. This is just the first week of school and these children come from some of the most poverty stricken areas of Leon.

I want to praise and thank God for all the wonderful things happening. I know this is going to be a year of so much amazing-ness. I am praying that I can share God’s unconditional love in everyday.

If you would like to get involved and help NCS in some way please let me know. Supporting one of these children only cost 30$ a month and it provides them with their uniform, school supplies, a good Christian education, and a nutritional meal every day.

“He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.”

"The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved."

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

In Your presence there forever we'll be happy to reside..

2011-02-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

Mi corazon esta en Nicaragua.

It is official. I have been here for a month and a day. And let me be honest, I thought that this milestone would be really hard for me. But God has completely wrapped me in his arms.

The sun is setting out my window right now and I have been listening to Glory and Honor acappella on repeat tonight. I am really missing praise and worship back home and this song is so extra beautiful to me. I decided to read the lyrics..

When I’m there with You in heaven
What a wondrous joy will be
Gathered with the angel chorus
Standing by the glassy sea
Such a thought is hard to fathom
In the presence of my King
And with countless ones forgiven
Gathered round the throne to sing

Chorus:
Glory and honor, worthy is the Lamb (worthy is the Lamb)
Glory and honor, worthy is the Lamb (worthy is the Lamb)

Mortal words cannot express it
All the ways You reign supreme
Even death can’t hold the vastness
Nor approach this awesome theme
You are God and to Your glory
We will worship and abide
In Your presence there forever
We’ll be happy to reside

…Gathered round the throne to sing… In Your presence there forever we’ll be happy to reside..
One day, I will be singing praises to the King with my brothers and sisters from all over the world.. My family from City of children, from Tennessee, from Florida, from Nicaragua, from the Ukraine.. All together singing to OUR Maker. Forever.

This week went great. Valentines deliveries were awesome. I loved finally getting to hug on my little ones from over the fence. First week of school was a success. And all the new milestones just made everything more real. Our spanish teacher will no longer speak english to us. I have a week and a half until we start getting visitors. etc. Praise.

The rest of my details of this week will come in picture. After all, they do speak a thousand words..

RIP Norvin Parrales. We will miss you, but see you soon.

Here is a sweet Valentines baby for ya :)

<3 Happy Valentines day <3

Finally got to hold my neighbor Ricardo. He likes me.. I swear. (ps look at that sweet little bottom ha.)

My girl Adiana showing me around the village to give out valentines

Precious baby

Check out this sweet baby chunk!

They loved their lolly-pops.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

Happy to be reunited with these sweet sweet faces. The boy on the left is Jonathan (my neighbor) you have already seen a few pictures of him. To the right is Jesse, he is Yaders son. Yader is our translator and in charge of the construction around the house and school. He is a life saver.

Getting checked for Lice.

Sweet baby Brian wanted his Madre.

Some of these pictures will make you sad.. It was the first day of Preschool.. Most of these children have never been away from their mommys. But don't worry.. It is now monday.. and they are as happy as ever.

Wait till you see his SMILE.

We both miss our mamas

Some of the happier preschoolers.

Sweet little Emily cried so hard she passed out on me.

Wilber and Jonathan.. my favorite brothers who live next door and go to NCS!

This is the one and only Cheeks.. Every time I see this sweet face I can't help but to smile.

This is my sweet Rosita.. She holds a dear place in my heart. My family supports her and she is the most precious girl.

Jonathan :)

Rosita wanted to take pictures of us so we made funny faces for her!

Unlike the 3 year olds.. Rosita did NOT want to leave me. She is my sweet little angel.

We Love Jonathan!!

American food makes for a Happy girl. Thursday we went to Managua to go to a place called "Pricesmart" which is a lot like Sams or Costco. Glorious. We also took a pit stop by the mall for some lunch!

Happy am I.

The children cleaning up trash around the school

some handsome little fellas getting ready to brush their teeth.

Pretty teeth thanks to our supporters back in the US!

Hi, We are the pre-school girls and we miss our mommys.

Hi, we are the preschool boys and we like to cause ruckus. It is a good thing we are cute.

Bathroom line!

This is the first smile I have caught from this little girl in 3 days.. She really misses her family. But my goodness, isn't she beautiful?

This is happy Emily.. She is over crying on my shoulder.. Not going to lie, I miss it already. But she likes to hold my hand everywhere she goes.. So it works :)

Creative little one.. Feeding her pet caterpillar a crayon.

Hermanos.

Serious black eye. Seeing these frequently and it has only been a week..

Pleas keep these little ones in your prayers..

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Mark 9:37

God is so good.

worthy is the Lamb.

Happy love week!

2011-02-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

We have a big week coming up.

Tomorrow is 14 de Febrero (throwing in some practice). It is Valentines Day.. The day of love. The day of heart shaped candy, chocolate, and kind, mushy-gushy words. In the past, this has not been a day I particularly look forward to but this year is different. This year, I get to spend the day with sweet children who need love. Children who might not know the unconditional love of Jesus Christ or the meaning of unconditional love at all. Tomorrow is another day I plan to draw closer to God and to his children. We will be working on Valentine's tonight for all the children in the village around us. Can’t wait to be with all my Valentine's.

Shout out to the best brother in the world. Happy birthday Valentine's baby! Since I can’t be with my brother on his birthday for the first time in 21 years, I expect all my Campbell Street family to give him lots of hugs for me on Wednesday.

Tomorrow also marks the last day Kim and I will be painting. Thank goodness for this, my wrist was soon to fall off (dramatic moment).

Tomorrow ALSO marks (tomorrow is a big day) our two-week mark of Language school, which means no más Inglés en la clase de espanol. It is very possible I will start throwing things. Patience is still a virtue I struggle with.

Tuesday is the first day of school. PRAISE. I can’t wait to see all those sweet little babies. Over 200 hugs that I can’t wait to receive. What a great day it will be.

Thursday marks my one-month of Nicaragua happiness. Thankful for all the love I have received this month and for all the people who have reminded me of why I am here and what a great God we serve.
March is also coming up.. Which means LOTS of English speaking visitors. This subject brings me to a confession, this morning at church, I was saying my communion prayer and it literally started like this “Muchas gracias por mi familia y mi amigos y…. When I started going blank I then realized that I have now become a spanglish and giggled during the Lord’s Supper. I like to think God also found humor in this.

Lindsey Morse is coming to see me March 4th. She will be my first visitor! Thank you Lin for sacrificing your camera money to come see me and the babies. We can't wait to see you!

Last week I took a long walk on the beach and guess what I found? A volleyball net at a beautiful spot on the beach, next to a surf school. I know where I will be spending my Saturday mornings. Anybody want to come play? ☺

Last Thursday we went to visit Norbin’s family. It was a very hard day, listening to how much she loved her little 7 year old. She cried, we cried. She told us that she could tell he was not doing well the week before he passed but that the whole time he kept saying “Mama, have you registered me for school yet? I can’t wait to be back at school, Mama!” He had 4 siblings all over the age of 16. They were standing in the door way crying as their mother told us about her little boy. My heart breaks for this family but I am so thankful that he no longer has any pain and he is smiling with his Savior. I am so glad that he had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua Christian School and to know about Jesus. I am thankful for the families who help this school and make it possible.

Thankful for the sunshine, for smiles, and for laughter.

Some pretty faces from a fence over

:)Little boy from church

A picture of Norbin and his sweet mother.

On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:“Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,as it is written in the Book of Jashar. THE SUN STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SKY AND DELAYED GOING DOWN ABOUT A FULL DAY. Joshua 10: 12-13

Prayer requests

2011-02-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

I come to you with two requests:

My first prayer request is for the family of one of the children attending the school here. He passed away with heart failure of some sort Saturday night around 7 p.m. His name was Norbin, and he was 7 years old.

His family came to talk to Xiomara today about what happened, and I guess to explain why they were not registering their sweet little boy in to the school again this year. When Xiomara came to tell Kim and me this morning while we were painting she said, “The last day of school last year I felt like I needed to take his picture, I don’t know why.” Heartbreaking. Xiomara went on to say that while the mother was trying to tell her what happened that she broke down and cried (obviously), but the father was unhappy about this and yelled at her and told her to stop. We are hoping that he was just embarrassed, but it is likely that she does not have a supportive home. The mother was a stay-at-home mom and was with her little boy all the time; the father was rarely with them. What a sad day! It is hard to think about what it would have been like if that poor child had the same medical attention we have in the states. He would have had a better chance of living, but I am glad to know this sweet little 7 year old is now sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Please pray for his family. I can’t imagine the pain they are going through.

Also, if you would like to help this family in anyway, feed them, help pay for the funeral cost, send them a letter, etc. Please send your money or cards to Campbell Street and state exactly what you want done with it, and I will make sure it gets done.

Thank you in advance for the prayers sent up for this family; I know I can count on all of you.

The second request is for me. I have been reading the book Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick (I highly recommend it). This book is incredible and just what I needed as I begin this journey in Nicaragua.

One paragraph that has really spoken to me this week is in the chapter “Hear. Speak. Do”.

“You see, there are going to be many points along the way when you’re not going to have anyone around to motivate you or encourage you. And in those moments, you’d better be able to open God’s Word, look in the mirror, and remind yourself of the truth. As you incorporate God’s Word into your vocabulary, the way you see your circumstances will begin to shift. Your faith will start to rise higher than your feelings and your fears. And it all starts with speaking the Word.”

I feel like this is really one of those times for me. I am going to have to let God motivate me, through me. I am not alone, but sometimes I allow myself to feel alone because everything is not in order like I am use to. I depend a lot on my parents and my friends back home, and I need to fully rely on Christ at all times. During my hard times I want my first thought to be “PRAY” not I need to go call my parents (even though I have the best). I also want to take action, I have moved to Nicaragua, but now what? That is not enough. I want God to be my hands and feet every single day that I am here and always. I know that with strong faith and prayers I can accomplish the unimaginable, but without God this is pointless. I want complete openness to what God has in store for me.

Also please pray while I work to cross over my language barrier.

I am so thankful for the spiritual people that are in my life and thankful for the assurance that I can write this and know that my requests will be brought to God by many. Thank you for reading and letting me have a few minutes of honesty.

Te amo.

For in all your moments, He is there.

2011-02-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

ahhhhh....
God has granted me peace beyond what I could have imagined. It is a wonderful feeling and it only gets better when all the sweet children start showing up every morning for school. I CAN’T wait until February 15!

Can I just take a moment to say that I have the greatest family and friends in the world? I do. I have not had a moment to think about being home sick or feel lonely. Every time I get on Facebook I have an encouraging note or message. Or every time I check my email I have 10 unread, or every time I get on skype someone is waiting to talk to me. etc. I feel so blessed to have such loving people in my life who care so much about me. And let me just add that I also have an incredible family down here. Between my friends I already had that live down here, to the amazing family who also decided to move down here from Jackson. I am so happy to have a family here that loves me and welcomes me with open arms. And a family back home who can’t wait to know every detail of my life here in Nicaragua. What a blessing. God knows exactly what I need.

Here is something I received from a dear friend just yesterday (shout-out to Sherry Brooks)!

:Moments

In the happy moments— praise Him.

In the difficult moments—seek Him.

In the prayerful moments—ask Him.

In the decision moments—follow Him.

In the quiet moments— see Him.

In the lonely moments—know Him.

In the listening moments—hear Him.

In the unsure moments—believe Him.

In the active moments—serve Him.

In the waiting moments—trust Him.

In the hurting moments—touch Him.

In the lovely moments—adore Him.

For in all your moments, He is there

in goodness, in kindness, in love.

LIKE I SAID GOD ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT I NEED WHEN I NEED IT.

Lately…

Kim and I have been painting the tables and chairs for the classrooms in the preschool and Kindergarten. It has been fun, we still have lots to do but they are looking much better! There are lots of pretty bright colors that will hopefully bring many pretty bright smiles.

American women are really cool down here. Everyday since I have arrived, there have been kisses blown, “muy bonita”s thrown, and wedding purposals offered. It makes traveling to town all the more entertaining.

It is loud and noisy right now and I can’t get much done because I have to stay at my house all day. Why you ask? The horse and buggy finally made it (a few days late, of course) with my cabinets and the doors for the inside. I am now going to be able to close the bathroom door and I can take my kitchen supplies off the concrete. Double awesome. Lots of drills and flying wood. It has given me time to study up on my Spanish and to read.

Some photos of this week..

I sleep under a bug net.. or as I like to call it, my princess canopy.

My beautiful painting I bought from a sweet little widow at the market ($6)

To those I talk to often.. you know how exciting this picture is to me.

Kitchen Cabinet process

This is what our porch looks like right now.

This is a funny picture...

Kim and I thought it would be nice to have rocking chairs on the front porch.. but we were informed that we cant leave them outside after 6 pm because it will make someone want to rob us. And the water.. well we got the frigidaire appliance for cheap but that water is $40 dollars a bottle. We are hoping that when we return the bottle to the store we get refunds, if not I guess I am going thirsty :)

Another beautiful site on the streets of Leon, Nicaragua

I live in the most perfect beautiful place.. to me. I can sit on the front porch to see the sunrise, and the sun sets on the mountains outside my window.

Thankful to be here, thankful for the beauty in life, and thankful to see God in everyday

Move-in week

2011-01-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy week. I could not be more blessed to have such great living quarters while I am down here. It is so beautiful. Precious children and pretty trees surround me. It’s me and God, not many lonely feelings or fear when you have him. I couldn’t be in a happier place.

I haven’t gotten really homesick yet so I am hoping to skip that phase J Please pray about that.

This week has consisted of cleaning, shopping for appliances, cleaning, shopping for appliances, cleaning, shopping for appliances, cleaning, going back to the appliances stores to ask where our purchases are, cleaning, going back to the store and asking again.. Nicaraguan pace is a lot different than American. 3 o clock means 4:30, Delivery on Wednesday morning means Friday night… And so on. Patience is a virtue right? We are learning that lesson in big doses right now.

I feel like squishing bugs is becoming quite a talent of mine. Oh, and I woke up to a Gecko in my room last night around 2 am. Don't know if you have ever heard a gecko but they sound like a cow giving birth. I chased it around the house for about 30 minutes.

At night the village across the street sings karaoke, I sat outside and listened tonight. Very entertaining.

Yesterday morning we went to the beach for Jaden’s birthday. He turned 8. Jaden is the son of the family who is also down here in Nicaragua with me. The beach is my favorite place in the first place, but after seeing these beaches… wow I am blown away. It is SO beautiful and is definitely going to be my favorite getaway spot while I am here.

Everyday is a fun adventure and it is just going to get better. Can’t wait to see what God has in store.

Tonight we ordered pizza at the Brackens and had the Cunningham’s, Kristen Kirby, Cinthya, and Xiomara. It was great spending time with friends here and getting to know other missionaries!

-Kyleen and Scott Cunningham have two precious little girls and have been living in Leon the past 2 months while Scott takes Spanish school. They are working with Food For the Hungry and are moving to Chinandega, Nicaragua tomorrow!

-Kristen Kirby is the new director at El Ayudante.

-Xiomara is the director here at Nicaragua Christian school and Cinthya is her sister and one of my dear friends.

Monday I start Spanish school! Everyone at the house tonight was able to speak pretty good Spanish except for the Brackens and myself. It is time for us to start catching up. I am really looking forward to learning and being able to communicate.

Here are some pictures from this week!

Friends I made at the market

A little boy in the market was begging for food

My neighborhood boys playing baseball!

Sweet birthday boy Jaden :)

Be still and know that I AM GOD.

You are treasured. You are sacred. You are his.

beautiful Poneloya beach

This is my sweet baby Ricardo. He lives beside us.

Our "Lawnmowers"

Next door neighbors that I love

This is my neighbor, Jonathan. Every morning when I go outside he is reaching through the fence saying"hola, Summer, hola!!

Thank you for following me on this journey. Te amo.

love

2011-01-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

What an eventful 5 days it has been…

January 20 has come and gone in a flash and things are moving so quickly I can’t get my mind around them. I feel so blessed the more that I come to the realization of what God has chosen for me to do.

Some fun experiences I have had in these first few days:

Driving in Nicaragua, reuniting with my dear friends, furniture/appliance shopping, seeing my new home for the next few years, waiting in line for hours to accomplish nothing at immigration, going to the doctor for $12, purchasing an 8 digit Nicaraguan cell phone, sleepless because of cha-cha music at our hotel, loud geckos, Church in Espanol, seeing lots of babies, jumping in a pool while you are all in snow J and so on.

Today has been eventful. We started by going to the house and cleaning hard for about 4 hours. We came back for lunch and then later went back to town with Xiomara for some more appliance shopping. As we came near the supermarket there was a elderly blind woman I have noticed every day sitting outside begging, but today when I saw her sitting there I noticed she was eating something out of a small red wrapper and a little boy was there begging HER for something to eat and so she gave him her other one. They were both eating a little fast food wrapper of ketchup. It is crazy to think how wasteful and ungrateful we are and this sweet hungry old woman shared the only thing she had left, a packet of ketchup.

Needless to say that tore me up a little.

After I turned from this and we were walking back to the car we passed a man holding a sweet baby (maybe a year old) that had a huge (did not look accidental) black eye. Those that know me know how I feel about babies and that was without a doubt one of the most heart wrenching things I think I will ever see.

Things are different here than what I am used to. That is one thing I know for sure. But I also know that God wants me here and I am here for a reason. What exactly that reason may be, I don’t know. But I can’t wait to see what it is he wants to do through me.

Lord willing, we will be moving in tomorrow. If this is the case, I will not have much Internet access for a while so I will try to keep everyone updated as much as possible. God bless and here are some photos from mi casa, I will be living on the left half of this building.

View from my front porch

View from my window

Te Amo.

January 20th, 2011

2011-01-20T22:36:00.000-08:00

Today was the day.

I am in Managua, Nicaragua after a long day of traveling. I am so blessed to be on this journey and I can't wait to see what God has planned.

Thankful for my friends and family who support and love me.

God is so good.

Longer blog this weekend.. I am sleepy.

God said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end." - Exodus 33:14

preparación

2011-01-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am blown away by what God is doing in my life, about where I am about to be, and about the privilege I have been given. I can not think of anywhere I would rather be than surrounded by the loving faces of the sweet children in Leon, Nicaragua. It is finally beginning to feel like a reality.. I am MOVING to Nicaragua in 8 DAYS!

Although I do not have all the money I need for two years, it is quickly coming and I am amazed at how many people are willing to help. I am seeing daily that this is where God wants me.

I have so many emotions right now.. Scared, anxious, nervous, excited, undeserving, blessed.. But most of all HONORED. God wants to take me on this journey, that he wants to use me as his tool to bring light to these sweet faces. To show these sweet babies God's unconditional love.

There is nothing I want to do more.
I ask for prayers as I start this journey. My desire is to be in the word all the time because I let so many things distract me. I want to pray away any home-sickness or fear that I may have in the next few weeks because I want to be as affective as possible and have nothing stand in my way. And I want prayers for my family as they adjust to me being many miles away.
I am so thankful for a wonderful supportive Christian family. Thank you for all the different ways you have encouraged and supported me. I am ready to get this adventure started.

If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." -Psalm 139:9-10

Commit yourself to the Lord and your plans will succeed- Proverbs 16:3

Peace and Blessings, peace and blessings

Nicaraguachristian.org

For such a time as this..

2011-01-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

I have spent most of my life searching. Searching for something that has been right in front of me the whole time. I have have had a desire to do missions since I was a child and have had a passion for working with children. My heart was touched and greatly blessed in the fall of 2009 when I spent a week in Nicaragua. Ever since that trip I have felt God pulling me back there. All these things have led me back to what I have been taught everyday of my life: God's Love. Now that I am done with school, I am preparing to give love and share the hope we have in Jesus to the beautiful people of Leon, Nicaragua.

This blog will be used to update everyone on my journey in Leon, Nicaragua where I will be living for the next few years working at the Nicaragua Christian School and churches. My original plan was to leave in September but I am now waiting until my home is finished. I will be leaving around the second week of January and am getting very excited and anxious. Though I am not much of a writer, I hope my posts can keep you informed on my adventure.

Please pray that God will use me.

"We may not be able to see God, but when we love one another, He lives in us an His love is made complete in us... We love, because He loved us FIRST." 1 John 4

We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose; for great things: to love and be loved.” - Mother Teresa

Who knows whether you have come here for such a time as this." - Esther 4:14