Life lately

Wow.

The past month and a half has been such a blessing for Ryan and I. From having so many visitors and great groups to announcing our sweet little one's arrival in October we have just been overwhelmed by all the love shared. God is doing some great things. Ryan and I have now had a time of rest and are really starting to get a big picture of why we feel God has led us here. We are really looking forward to the next few years here in Nicaragua as a family!

So March.. in the shortest summary possible.

March 1-6: Prepare for the chaos that was going to continually role in for the next few weeks. Buy lunch food for groups, buy supplies for their projects, get everything ready at the hotel, with transportation, translators, churches, etc. Sheww.
March 7-14: 18 Jackson Christian School students joined us for a week to work with NCS and with the Vida en Familia church that meets on campus of the school.
March 13-19: David and Brenda McCrary were here in Nicaragua with us. They spent the last few days of their trip with their son who lives down south.
March 16: We had a few minutes to stay at the beach for our one year anniversary (March 17!)
March 18-19: Quickly finish getting everything together and in as best order as we could for FHU who would arrive the coming weekend.
March 20: We drove 5 hours to Honduras to pick up my cousin Lincoln who would be staying with us for the next few days. From the boarder of Honduras we drove 5.5 hours to Managua to purchase our new vehicle! Wahoo. (this is great news, we had been using the NCS truck and were sharing it a lot with the construction manager and the director of the school so it is a blessing to have our own vehicle now!)
March 21: We had our 11.5 week appointment to see Bushbaby who was looking fabulous and then got a tour of our hospital (both of which I talked about in my last blog post). Poor Lincoln had to tag along for all of this. And at around 7:30 we picked up my dear friend Brittany Mauney and her friend Kellye from the airport. (this makes 3 sweet visitors in our home!)
March 21-28: Brittany and Kellye were to be with us.
March 22: We tried to fit in as many fun things as we could with Lincoln, Britt, and Kellye before the next group would arrive on the 23rd.
March 23: We all rode the bus to Managua to pick up Freed-Hardeman's Xi Chi Delta (Ryan and I were both a part of this social club while in college) at the airport and we dropped Lincoln off.
March 23-29: FHU worked with the Primero de Mayo church in Leon, Nicaragua.

Yes you saw many days overlapping in there and it was a juggle but we were so thankful for March. We were really truly blessed by every person who we were able to spend time with this last month. They also helped me skip right over the terrible first trimester with hardly a glitch so that was a plus too!

In celebration of our busy awesome month, our anniversary, Ryan's Birthday (April 7), and the fact that we had to leave the country to renew our visas.. We were able to go to Costa Rica for two nights(April 5-7). We had a free nights stay at a Marriott so we got to stay in a fluffy bed with delightfully chilly air conditioner and a wonderfully strong hot water pressured shower. Along with the nice hotel, Costa Rica had a Moe's, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Outback, etc and a big air-conditioned mall. So we window shopped and we ate a lot. Though this seems lame to each of you, it was exactly what we needed. We feel so refreshed, rested, and happy to be in Nicaragua again.

This month we will be going back to our normal routine: visiting the churches, some work with the school, organizing and planning for El Camino Missions, and preparing for groups and interns that start coming next month.

On April 9, we were able to see our sweet one again. He/she is healthy, looking great, and getting big! We think those look like the feet of a ball player! :)

And a belly pic. I feel like I have been showing for a few weeks but I am amazed at how much I have grown this week specifically. 

*Sorry about all the pregnancy-ness that is about to invade my blog!* 

We go back on May 20th to find out the gender of sweet Bushbaby and on the same day we pick up our 4 awesome interns for the summer. What a year. So much to be thankful for!

We are so thankful for your prayers and your kind words. We are blessed beyond measure. Thank you thank you thank you!

We are sending out a monthly e-newsletter that is more specific to the work we are doing in Nicaragua. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, you can enroll on the ECM and NCS facebook pages or just send us your email and we can put you on there!

Thank you for your love, your mercy, and your grace that you pour on us daily. Thank you for blessing our lives here in Nicaragua and for our healthy precious child. Thank you for our support teams and for all the special people you have placed in our lives to learn from. I pray that you will teach us patience as we learn to become more like you and I pray for even more patience as we learn to become the mama and dad you have called us to be. Thank you for choosing us for this special child and for leading us on such a special journey together. Amen

Baby Bush

Yes. There will be an extra little one added to our family in early October. This has been the hardest secret to keep. We are shocked, but absolutely ecstatic about this special tiny surprise. We are so excited to be sharing this with our family and friends. God has truly blessed us and we are completely in love with this little fig sized baby in my belly already.

We have had a lot of different questions asked and know that more are coming so I am going to try and answer as many as I can!

Was this planned? No. We were not planning on having a baby Bush quite this early. But God's timing is perfect right? And we are both so looking forward to being mama and daddy to this sweet baby. We found out on January 26th. Ryan actually had a dream that I was pregnant and told me about it that morning and so for the next day or so I couldn't get it off my mind. I ended up taking a few pregnancy tests and they were all positive. About a week later I made Ryan take me to get blood work done because I just couldn't believe it and again it was positive. We then decided to call a Doctor in Managua to make an appointment for in a few weeks and he asked us to come in that week so he could get all the paper work done on me. We had our first appointment on February 14th. I was 6.5 weeks and the sweet babe was very cooperative we found that little grain of rice AND heard a heart beat. Not sure any Valentines day will ever top that one!

Our most recent appointment was yesterday, March 21st, and everything was looking great. Baby Bush was doing all kinds of back flips, Cartwheels, karate moves, etc for us. I think we have an athlete on our hands :) 

How have I been feeling? Wonderful actually. And by wonderful I mean I have not thrown up once! I have had quite a bit of nausea but that has let up a lot in the past week or so. I also have been extremely exhausted but we have had a really busy month so that may not be as bad after I have some time to sleep :) And don't worry I have had my time or two of going completely psycho on Ryan but thankful he has been pleasantly understanding! All in all though, baby has been pretty easy on me so far which is going to be such a blessing in the 100+ degree weather. 

Cravings? Thankfully the only thing that I have been craving is easily bought here in Nicaragua and that is anything cold, fruity, and tart. Smoothies, flavored popsicles, and sherbet. We can go to eskimo for a  I think I will go get some now :) 

Are we finding out the Gender? Yes. I think it so cool that people are able to wait that long to find out and I always thought I would try but under the circumstances I will definitely be finding out. Since we will be doing everything down here by ourselves to get ready for the baby we just think it will be easier. And besides, I don't want to fool anyone, I would have the HARDEST time ever not knowing. We can't wait to find out sometime in May!

Due date? October 8, 2013

Are we moving back to the states? No. We made a commitment and we will be here for as long as we feel God calling us to do so. I am actually pretty excited about sharing a few years of this experience with our little one and who knows, maybe we will come back with a bilingual child! 

Where will I have the baby? We have thought and prayed long and hard about this and came to the conclusion that God has placed us here for a reason, has blessed us with this beautiful child at this time for a reason, and that right now this is home. Thankfully I have been blessed with a wonderful friend down here that just recently had a baby about 3.5 weeks ago and she was able to share with me all of her research. Ryan and I had already done some of our own and the Doctor matched up so we went with him. His name is Dr. Juan Carlos. He is a great Doctor and we feel very comfortable with him. He knows pretty good English so between our spanish and his english we have been able to communicate just fine. We will have the baby at Hospital Metropolitano Vivan Pellas in Managua, Nicaragua. 

How does our family feel? I think for the most part our family is just so excited about baby Bush. We know that it will be hard on them for us to be over here in a third-world country so far from them but they know that we are where we are suppose to be for now. We are blessed to have such a special supportive family. 

How did we tell family? Well, I told my Aunt Carrie immediately when I found out because she is a OB nurse or baby nurse as I like to call her. She got an earfull for weeks on silly questions/indecisiveness on when I wanted to spill the beans. But after the valentines appointment we found out that my whole family was going to be together for my brothers birthday that weekend and we were just ready for our parents to know so... Ryan edited the sonogram picture a little for me and wrote "be mine October 2013" on it. I sent it to my aunt for my parents and to my wonderful friend Kenzie to mail off to Ryan's parents. So while my whole family was over at my Aunt Kristy's for a birthday celebration we called on skype and while they were all standing there talking to us we had my aunt give them their valentines day cards. Each of my families reactions were perfect haha I love watching this video over and over again.

Though Ryan's family was equally as excited we did not have someone to video their reactions in North Caroline so this video is not as good quality but we love watching these reactions! Ryan and I had a hard time waiting for their letters to make it to them but they finally did and it was so exciting and such a relief for our families to all know and be able to be excited with us! 

When will we be back in the states? We will be bringing that sweet little bitty baby home with us for Christmas. So he/she will hopefully have the opportunity to meet as many members of our family and special friends as possible. 

Will it be a U.S. Citizen? Many of you know that Ryan bleeds red, white, and blue so that was a big question in our house for a while. As soon as baby Bush is born we will have a Nicaraguan birth certificate for baby.. Then Ryan will have to wait in a long Nicaraguan line to get baby a Nicaraguan passport.. After we have both of these in hand we can make an appointment with the embassy to get baby a U.S. birth certificate and passport. Our sweet one will be a dual-citizen, and as far as Ryan can tell, since baby is naturally born to two U.S. citizens he/she will still have an opportunity to run for President one day! sheww.. 

I have tried to keep it a secret over here in Nicaragua but it has been difficult. Since most of the population is 20-30's .. Most women have a baby bump.. Which means most Nicaraguans are "experts" in this field. Since the day Ryan and I moved back to Nicaragua in August I have had all the Nicaraguan women asking me weekly when we would be pregnant. Ever since the beginning of March all the women, men, and children from the different areas we work in have been asking me when I am due and I have been denying it. Seriously, after denying it they would just tell me "well you are".  100's of them. After telling our close friends Sergio and Daysi, I asked why everyone "thought they knew" I was pregnant, their response "Everyone is talking about it, you might as well stop lying, your face and body have thinned out, your collar bone is standing out more, and your hips have grown, besides look at that bump!" Experts. Thanks guys.. So though I have not made it "public" here yet, no one will be surprised.

God is good. I am so thrilled that we are going to be blessed with a child, that I get to finally be a mommy, and that I get to watch Ryan be an incredible daddy. I have been telling my family since I was 10 that I wanted 12 children. Don't think Ryan is going to go for that but I sure am looking forward to this first sweet bundle. I am so thankful God chose us to be this baby's parents.

A week in the life..

From January 30 to February 3 Ryan and I went missing from civilization. We left any sort of phone service, grocery store, and toilet seat behind and headed North to El Ojoche,Somotillo, Nicaragua.

During these four days we were humbled by the hospitality of others, love, contentment, and faith.

Ojoche:

Thursday after Ryan got done with the preacher's meeting, We (us and Mariano, the preacher at Ojoche) started on our road trip. It was a 2 and a half hour ride. A ride that I tend to always watch the back of my eye lids during (bad wife alert). Ryan and I have been excited about this trip for a while. We were really looking forward to spending quality time in a place we love to visit, we wanted to push our spanish by being somewhere without any language help, and we wanted to experience life as most of our Nicaraguan friends live. I will be honest and say that this trip came with a lot of fears for me.. The biggest one being the idea of us being stranded in the middle of nowhere (literally) and having flat tires and not having anyway to get them fixed. We almost always get a flat tire when we go to El Ojoche and the last time we went we had two. Thankfully, the Lord always has us and I am always reminded of how silly my fears are.

Thursday we arrived around 4:00 P.M. We were able to spend lots of time with the children in the village there. There are not vehicles in this community so when we arrive everyone knows it. The children love to use our vehicle as a playground of sorts. It is the gathering point for all of them when we are in town. After playing for a few hours we ate dinner with Mariano and his family. This meal was a start to 3 meals a day of beans, rice, and tortilla.

Some of the children in the back of the truck

For the next three nights we slept here..

 

Like this...

Using the restroom here (there is no toilet, just a hole)

and woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of these.. They think sunrise is @ 1:00 A.M.

We "bathed" here..

We brushed our teeth with a cup of water that was pumped from the water well (thanks to Living Water International they no longer have to walk miles to get water from the river). 

We went to bed every night about 8:00 P.M. Because 1) life there just shuts down at dark and 2) because we were always so completely worn out. 

Friday we got up.. Ate breakfast (you guessed it.. rice and beans) and then headed out to visit for the morning. We started at Trafilia's. She was a beautiful 82 year old blind woman who loved to sing. It was so beautiful to watch Mariano and her sing church songs together. She kept asking for another and another. What a wonderful way to spend your time. 

We continued visiting friends of the church until after lunch. We were able to see them in their day to day activities. One family made pottery, another sifted for gold, others were farmers on the top of the mountain etc. 

After our last visit we were able to climb to the top of the mountain in El Ojoche. It was only about an hour hike and it was well worth it. What an incredible view. In the very back you can see San Cristobal 

volcano!

Friday afternoon consisted of swimming in the river and then church (they have church on wednesday and friday night). It is always such a special thing for us to see what God is doing in these different communities. 

Saturday morning we got up super early to head to Somotillo. El Ojoche is one of 30 communities on the outskirts of Somotillo. Somotillo is where any one from Ojoche would go to get anything that they do not grow in the ground. This is about a 45 minute drive. We got there at 8:00 A.M. where we got to join Mariano on his weekly trip to preach at the prison. This was definitely an experience for us. This building was very small and run down. In the back there were 3 concrete rooms next to each other with metal gates (the cells). The first one held about 4 women and the other two held close to 15 men each. These cells were no bigger than someone's guest bedroom in the states. To my amazement, most of the people in the prison were very accepting of the word and were following along in the bibles they were given. It was a very special experience. After we were done at the prison we went to a place where Mariano and a preacher from El Ranchio preach on the radio every week. This was also very neat and I think the ministries that Mariano is a part of are very special. 

After wrapping up at the radio station we were able to visit a community outside of Somotillo where a church had been started. Right now there are about 5 adult members and 10 children. We were able to meet some of them and look forward to helping this church some in the future. 

Aren't they beautiful?

Around 12:00 P.M. we grabbed some icecream to take back with us and headed to El Ojoche. When we got there we took some of the children from the community swimming in the river. We had a blast playing with them.

Saturday night was great. We ate dinner with Mariano's family and then we were able to just spend time together laughing and getting to know each other better. They were so hospitable and we really enjoyed our time together with them. 

Sunday morning we packed up, ate breakfast and helped Mariano prepare the building for church. I loved being able to watch the children sing their church songs in class and really enjoying being there. It is such an important time for them and I can really see that their teacher takes the time to make it special each week. 

After church Ryan and I served ice-cream to almost 100 children. This is always one of my favorite parts about visiting Ojoche. It has almost been two years since the first time I was able to do this. In March of 2011 we took a group to El Ojoche and brought Ice-cream and it was their first time ever to have it. So now every time they see us they say "chocolate? Chocolate?" 

We learned a lot in four days and our love for the people of El Ojoche grew. Every day that passes I am more thankful for the opportunities that God has provided for us here. It is such a blessing to share life with such wonderful people and again I will say that this was such a humbling experience. There were times when I had to remind myself that I was not on a camping trip. This is how my friends live every day and they are so content. I am thankful for what God taught us and look forward to our next visit to Ojoche! 

We would love for you to share in some of these experiences with us. Feel free to contact us about visiting at any time :) 

  

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17

Today you will be with me in paradise

For the past few months Ryan and I have had the honor of getting to know a woman named Sandra through a church we work with in Posoltega. She is a young woman in her 30's. She is a wonderful wife and a wonderful mother. She has breast cancer.

Materialistically speaking, this family does not have much at all but family is something they do have and family is so important in Nicaragua. Sandra, her husband, and her son had been living with Sandra's parents. They live in the country land of Posoltega about 25 minutes from Leon. Sandra has three brothers and they all live right around them. They are surrounded by sugar cane. Their home is completely built out of tin roof material and they sweep their dirt floors. They have this beautiful area they have built for themselves in the front of their home. They took two trees that were there and grew a vine over them to make a sort of "front porch area". You can go to their house and they immediately get you a chair and you sit and could visit with them for hours under this beautiful shading vine.

We got home around 11:30 P.M. on thursday the 10th of January and on the morning of the 11th we got a phone call from Norman(the preacher of Posoltega). He was coming to town with Sandra's mother to buy her casket. The family knew it was coming.

For the last two weeks of her life she was surrounded by all her loved ones, her husband, her son, her parents, her brothers, their wives, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles etc. Her 13 year old son was always sitting in a hammock starring at his mother with blood shot eyes. Her husband, in the last weeks was leaning over her wiping the few hairs on her head with a wet towel. You see, she couldn't sit up, she couldn't lay down, she was so uncomfortable in her last days that she would sit on the edge of a plastic chair with her elbows on her knees and her head leaning down in to the floor. She had open sores on both knees and those were just the visible ones. Her hands were so swollen that she couldn't bend her fingers. Her feet would no longer fit in her shoes. Her eyes were almost swollen shut. She could not eat. She could not drink. She was just waiting. They all were.

We had gone to Leon to get her some sort of relief and came back with some medicine a doctor had recommended. For three days she used it and for three days It didn't help. She was suffering but all glory to our God in the highest, she knew she wouldn't be suffering for long. You see, this was a woman who was strong in her faith. She had helped lead her family to the church. She was an example to so many. She was leaving a true legacy.

We went to bed around 10 P.M. on Sunday night and at around 12:30 A.M. Ryan got a call from Norman. Our sister Sandra has gone to heaven. So Ryan gets up and picks up Norman and they go and receive the casket they had purchased. Then go and take it to the family. By 1:30 A.M. many of the distant family had already arrived. The funeral was to be at 1:00 P.M. the next day.

We arrived a little late because we were waiting for the preacher and his wife who were riding with us (this is usual in Nicaragua, time is just a suggestion). When we got there, there was around 100 people at their tiny little home.  As we drove up, to our right, across the street from their house were all the distantly related men. Many of them were passing around a bottle of vodka and slurring their words. To the left were all the women in a circle under the beautifully vined shade porch. The closely related men and women were sitting in the house. The emotions were high. At the back of the circle was the open casket. There she was. Covered from toe to neck in a sheet, with some sheer material over her face. She had a bandana around her head and some cotton in her mouth. This family could not afford to have her embalmed and so there was a fan on a chair blowing on her to keep as much smell out as possible and there was almost always someone standing over her fanning off the flies.

We sat and visited with the family for about 2 hours and then Norman got up and gave a lesson to the few that would listen. At about 3:30 the closely related men in the family closed the casket and carried it to our truck. There were about 4 or 5 trucks who were going to be carrying about 200 people to the grave site about 5 miles away. In the backseat of our truck was the mother, two of her sisters, and the son. In the bed of the truck, with the casket, was the father and brothers. The husband wanted to ride along side us on his bike. In Nicaragua, for a funeral, many people walk in the street and the others are 30+ in trucks. We were to drive the casket as slow as possible. There were people walking along side us. It took about an hour to get to the grave yard. They had us stop about 500 yards from the grave yard so that the men could carry the casket the rest of the way. All the family followed. They came out about 2 hours later.

This is a family we have been blessed to know. Their faith and their love is so easily seen. They don't ask for anything. In some of Sandra's last days Ryan had to ask them to let us help them. After that we were able to buy them a chicken, some rice and beans, oil, and some other things because they hadn't worked in weeks.

Like Norman said in his lesson the day that she died, "Sandra is with the Lord now, and with the Lord a day is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years are like a day." Our friend Sandra is no longer suffering. Today and forever she is now with Jesus in Paradise.

I am thankful that we can rejoice in the physical death of our friend Sandra and thanks to her faith I am confident more will find Him.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. John 11:25
Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43*Special thanks to Michelle Boyd for these pictures.

Home for Christmas

Well, we are home for Christmas..
Right now we are soaking in family, warm showers, refills, comfy beds, smoothly paved roads, smiling Chick-fil-a staff, hot chocolate and everything christmas. We are really looking forward to this time with family and friends. We don't think we will be able to return until next Christmas so we have lots of hugs and love to give before we head home in a month. We are so thankful for this time. It is a blessing.

Would you consider participating with us in our work?  We truly need more monthly supporters. Of course, one time donations are gladly accepted!  However,  monthly sponsorships give us the peace of mind financially so that we can focus more on our work. In whatever way you feel led to give, you can bless many. Even a $10 donation can make a big difference.  Every dollar counts and will be utilized for the benefit and growth of God's Kingdom.

We know that many of our close loved ones are already sponsoring us monthly and for that we thank you so so much. We also know that we have loved ones who are unable to sponsor us at this time and we completely understand. Everyone can help us out by taking the time to share this information on Facebook, through emails, etc. with your family, friends, and your church. We would love to share face-to-face with the leadership at your church about the work in Nicaragua and can schedule that this month while we are here in the states.  If that isn't possible we can Skype with them in January.

Here is a little more detail about what this monthly sponsorship will be able to help us do in Nicaragua.

This monthly sponsorship provides us with the ability to live in Nicaragua to work alongside some great preachers and their families, the staff at Nicaragua Christian School, and some of the happiest dirtiest little children you will ever meet. This money covers the required expenses such as transportation, housing, groceries, and other assorted living expenses as well as benevolent work, church aid, mission team preparation,  and the occasional treat to put a smile on a few niño's faces. These things are just a general over view of what a monthly sponsorship can do. Below you will find a more detailed break down of what we do.

Church Work:
Ryan and I will initially be working with 6 congregations across Nicaragua and hopefully through the years this number will grow as God's word is spread across Nicaragua. We have been very blessed with some great friendships that have come from the families working in these communities. God is doing great things through these special people and we are blessed to work with them.

Sergio and Daysi Salazar: Ruben Dario, Nicaragua. Sergio holds church services on campus at Nicaragua Christian School and is in charge of the spiritual growth at NCS. These two hold a very special place in our hearts. They have been so welcoming to the two of us personally as we transition to our new life. They are so talented with young professionals and with youth. The children at the school love their Sergio.

Mariano and Adriana Espinal: Ojoche, Nicaragua. Mariano works in a rural area in the northern mountainous area of Nicaragua. Mariano helped us to carry out the first attempt at a livestock program, where the church provides materials and two pigs to families in exchange for bible study time as well as the first 3 born piglets that can then be passed on to new families in the future. He has been extremely flexible and willing to help in anyway he can and is always working really hard with the underprivileged youth in his community! 

Espertaco and Dorris Alonso: Primero de Mayo, Nicaragua. Espertaco and Dorris are our newest couple to work with us and have been here for a little over a year. They came in to a very complicated work situation and they have faced it head on and are constantly coming up with new creative ideas to spread the love of Christ to their community. They have been a huge blessing to the people of Nicaragua. 

Jesus and Marlena Perez: Quezalquaque, Nicaragua. Jesus was the first preacher that Campbell Street started working with. He use to drive every weekend to share God's word in Ojoche (2.5 hours away) and the first person he baptized down there is now the preacher in Ojoche (Mariano)! Jesus now works in Quezalquaque and does great things in that community. For the next few months we will be helping him do a livestock program with some of his members to help provide sustainability. 

Jacinto and Lilliana Mendoza: Xiloa, Nicaragua. Jacinto works in a small community of Xiloa which is right outside of the capital, Managua. With the gentle spirit of Jacinto combined with his incredible speaking ability, we hope to see great things in the future from this community. 

** Posoltega, Nicaragua: We also work with a church in Posoltega. Norman Perez was our preacher there for a few years and he is now moving on to another work opportunity and so we are now currently searching for a new preacher to continue the work there. 

Nicaragua Christian School: 
Nicaragua Christian school is a big area of our work in Nicaragua. It was started in 2007 by a couple who attend our church in Jackson, TN. Our church is a big supporter along with many churches around the US. It was opened in one of the poorest areas in Nicaragua. This school provides the opportunity of education to those who would otherwise not have the opportunity. Each child has a sponsor who helps provide them with all that they need for their education along with a meal each day, teeth brushing, and vitamins.  Focusing on spiritual growth at Nicaragua Christian School this year will be our main priority. We have recently started the work on our new multi-purpose auditorium/gymnasium that can seat up to 600 people. Please stop by and "like" Nicaragua Christian School on Facebook to receive updates on the school!

El Camino Missions: 
El Camino missions is an organization that we are starting in Nicaragua. El Camino means "the way" and we are basing this organization off the verse John 14:6 (I am the way, the truth, and the life). It is at the beginning stages and our four main focuses will be on the growth of God's Kingdom, providing job and educational opportunities, benevolence programs, and directing short term missions. We pray that God will bless this work and that many lives will be touched through this mission.  Please stop by and "like" El Camino Missions on Facebook for updates on the progress!

If you would be interested in becoming a monthly sponsor please email us and we will send you the form to sign up with auto-withdrawal.  Email: Bush@nicaraguachristian.org. If you are already a sponsor or can't at this time please please help us by forwarding this on so that we can get the word out.

We thank you for your interest in us and in the people of Nicaragua. God is so strong and so mighty, there is nothing HE can not do!

Merry Christmas,
The Bushes

God Speaks.

Well yesterday was one of those days.. one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.
Yes, I said it and yes, I am about to be real but we will get back to yesterday in a minute.

Nicaragua and the blessings that come from it really do give me joy. The 100's of children and families we have the privilege to work with give me nothing but pure, real, amazing Joy.  But not every day feels of sunshine and there are many days where we must fight questions and frustrations of being in this third-world country. There are days when we come home and feel like we have lost and we question why we are here.

As much as I love doing mission work and I love living near people that I cherish so much, it is hard and sometimes I just want to be able to hug my daddy. I want to drink a Mountain Dew or eat a Chic-fil-a chicken sandwich. I want to sit in a room surrounded by my best friends. I want to sit on the back porch with my mama. I want a reason to wear a scarf or sit by a fire. I want free refills. I want to go to a basketball game. I want to be able to cook my husband dinner and turn work off for a night. I want to get an "I voted" sticker. I want to have consistent water and electricity. I want to hear my church family sing about how awesome our God is in English. But though all of these things are great blessings, God has other plans. Bigger plans. Eternal plans. And while I complain about needing an extra pillow or wanting to be able to set up a Christmas tree for our first married Christmas and all those other things, my neighbors are wishing they could have running water or a mattress to sleep on.

Like I said, there are bad days and yesterday was one of them. One where I woke up ready to take on the world and then one frustrating thing after another and all the sudden we were both a defeated mess. Ryan spent the day angry and I spent the day taking tums trying to calm my anxious stomach (TMI). But you know, it is absolutely amazing to me how God works. We felt defeated and worn down and honestly, just flat out ready to be back in the states for a break. Then comes God swooping in as the hero He is to save the day. After tears shed, frustrations shared, and honestly not feeling like doing much of anything, Ryan and I decided we needed to spend some time reading the Bible together and praying. We decided to start on this past weekends reading in Psalms (137-138) from Project 51 (because we were behind). So we turned to Psalm 137 (NOT by coincidence) and would you believe that through all of our frustrations God spoke directly to us (Of course you would, because our God is awesome, right? :)

 It was actually like we were screaming to God in Psalm 137.. 

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
 when we remembered Zion.

There on the poplars
 we hung our harps,

for there our captors asked us for songs,
 our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
 they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How can we sing the songs of the Lord
 while in a foreign land?

If I forget you, Jerusalem,
 may my right hand forget its skill.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
 if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem
 my highest joy.

Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did
 on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
 “tear it down to its foundations!”

Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
 happy is the one who repays you
 according to what you have done to us.

Happy is the one who seizes your infants
 and dashes them against the rocks.

And he responded to us in Psalm 138.. 

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
 before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple
 and will praise your name
 for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
 for you have so exalted your solemn decree
 that it surpasses your fame.

When I called, you answered me;
 you greatly emboldened me.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
 when they hear what you have decreed.

May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
 for the glory of the Lord is great.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
 though lofty, he sees them from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
 you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
 with your right hand you save me.

The Lord will vindicate me;
 your love, Lord, endures forever—
 do not abandon the works of your hands.

God spoke. He said, "Child, I am here, I see you no matter where you are, I am WITH you, DO NOT ABANDON THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS."

We are not alone. Ryan and I needed encouragement. We needed a reminder. We needed something familiar. Why should we ever look to anything else? Yes, worshipping in English is a blessing but God's family comes from every tribe and every nation. We have been given the opportunity to worship, praise, and adore our Lord with God's people. Whether it is in our earthly home town or not. This is OUR family and God's people.

I can't share Psalm 137 and 138 without sharing one of my favorite Psalms especially since moving here, Psalm 139

You have searched me, Lord,
 and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
 you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
 you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,
 and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
 too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
 Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
 if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
 if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
 your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
 and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
 the night will shine like the day,
 for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
 you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
 your works are wonderful,
 I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
 when I was made in the secret place,
 when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
 all the days ordained for me were written in your book
 before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
 How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
 they would outnumber the grains of sand—
 when I awake, I am still with you.

If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
 Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

They speak of you with evil intent;
 your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
 and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
 I count them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
 test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
 and lead me in the way everlasting.

Thank you, Father, for loving us. For wrapping your arms around us and for speaking when our faith is no bigger than a mustard seed. Thank you for constantly reminding us of what your Son did for us and for giving us the opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. Please help us as we all seek to share this gift you give with others. We thank you for the work you have put before us. Forgive us when we doubt you and forgive us for seeking earthly approval. Help us to always seek you first and grant us grace and peace as we strive to serve you. Amen.

6 months of marriage

Ryan and I have been married for 6 months.

When I look back and think about all that has happened in my life and look at where I am today all I can say is "Thank You". To think that God had all of this planned out before I was even born, knowing my faults and my flaws, yet still with His mercy, grace and love, taking time to plan and so carefully choose the perfect person for me is amazing. God has given me the most beautiful life and I am so undeserving. 

In the past 6 months we have finished out our home in Jacks Creek, we've been in Jamaica, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and all over Nicaragua. We have survived an earthquake, a volcano eruption, and a tsunami (Not as bad as it sounds but still interesting facts about our first few months). Ryan has toughed out a food bacteria and loved me even after I gave him a shot. 

 We look forward to spending the rest of our life adventures together.

On Friday morning Ryan bought me a puppy for our 6 month mark(which is September 17). We found him the day before at a veterinarian's near a friends house. He is half Siberian Husky half German Shepherd. He will be a great protector and friend for us as he gets older. He has the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever seen and he makes you want to say "HE'S SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE"(Despicable me, anyone?). Andd I love him so much it is sickening.We tried alllll day to figure out a name that would be easy and fun for the Nicaraguan children but also something that would not be difficult to pronounce in English. We settled with "Pancho" which means "free" and is also a popular nickname here. It suits him. He is already a "free" spirit taking high dives off the bed and such. Pancho and Ody are going to best friends when we finally get Ody down here! PANCHO not to be confused with PONCHO. When Isaac (my brother) met him on skype the other night he said and I quote, "He is SO cute I just want to take him outside and hold him over my head in the rain". Took me a minute to get it. Yeah. 

I try to make Saturdays my day of cleaning but thanks to the new member of our family it seemed a bit harder than usual yesterday. Ryan had to go take care of some things at one of the churches and so it was just me and little Pancho. I am sure you know this, but puppies like to chase brooms, and step in the dirt pile, and pee right after you mop... So I ended up letting Jaden next door take him for a little while. During the time that Ryan and Pancho were gone and it was just me at home, I turned up ZoeGroup, which unexpectedly made my cry(which also prevented me from cleaning). For me, I have discovered that one of the hardest things about living down here is not being able to worship with people in my native language. Don't get me wrong, I love worshiping God with my Nicaraguan hermanos but that is always going to be something I am going to long for and look forward to when we can come to the States for a visit. So, sing a little louder for us this Sunday!

Oh cleanser of the mess I've made. Your boundless love for me portrayed. With patience for my learning curve by holding back what I deserve. 

How Wonderful your mercy is, How awesome are your ways. I come, I come to worship you for all you've done. 

Oh Cleanser of the mess I've made. With everything at your feet laid. I watch as all my cares erode. And from my soul these words Explode. 

How Wonderful your mercy is, How awesome are your ways. I come, I come to worship you for all you've done. 

We are ever so grateful for the amazing people God has placed in our lives in Nicaragua. There are some incredible faith-filled families down here that we are really looking forward to spending the next years working along side. We are also grateful for those who have encouraged us, prayed for us, and supported us in some way. Thank you, thank you, thank you. God is watching over us. He knows what we need and I smile when I think of our future here. 

You, God, are my God, Earnestly I see you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 

Psalm 63: 1-5

In all all things Lord, we thank you.

El Camino Missions