Sometimes God tells us to stop, sometimes to go, and sometimes to dwell. Sometimes God is not in the wind or the storm but in the gentle whisper. Debbie’s morning devotional on 1 Kings 17-19 was a high for several of us.
Our Sunday started bright and early with breakfast at 7, followed by Debbie’s devotional. then we boarded the bus for an hour’s drive to Tipitapa, attended a children’s church service, helped with arts and crafts and games afterwards and helped the ladies of the church cook and then serve a meal for the children.
Janet and Maximo leading worship at Tipitapa. Please pray for these two committed servants of God serving with limited resources and many challenges. Pray for wisdom and strength.
Amanda Borre leading the Tipitapa kids in some games.
We then left for Pochocuape to watch a league baseball game and to visit with families and friends there. Several of us especially enjoyed our walk to see where the new church building will be built.
Jennifer Thompson with two new friends.
Sunday evening we shared our highs and lows and prayed over our day, then headed out for ice cream at Pops.
Lows:
- Being at Tipitapa and seeing some malnutrition in the kids. Seeing that after all these years was a little painful. –Kerrie
- The fifteen-year-old malnourished pregnant girl –Jennifer Thompson
- I held a little baby that you would think was six month old. He weighed 12 pounds. He had orange hair because of malnutrition. –Norma
- The 2 little kids that didn’t get food because they didn’t have a bowl. –Martha
Highs:
- Before the kids at Tipitapa would rush you but now,as I said to Janet, they’re growing. –Carlos
- My high for this trip has been seeing what’s happening with Maria and with Jorge and Isa and Marjorie. A praying church is a strong church and Nicaragua is a praying church and things are happening. –Kerrie
The missions team gathers to pray for Jorge and Monica, Carlos, Marjorie, and Isa. 
- This trip will make me look at the Bible differently. As far as inserting myself in that spot. That’s going to be a high over time. –Tom
- This trip will make me look at the Bible differently. As far as inserting myself in that spot. That’s going to be a high over time. –Tom
- Today I was able to do something I’ve been waiting to do since we came here. I don’t normally work with the kids. I don’t really engage with children. But I wanted to be able to serve together with Lisa and I was finally able to do that today. We played with the children and took a walk and had the kids giggling with us and it was really joyful to be able to do that with her, and I actually felt a lot of joy from the kids As we were getting ready to leave, I went to get down on my knees to get a picture with the kids and there were about 12 kids that just tackled me, and I had to hand the phone to Lisa because I could not get up off the ground. –Greg
- Seeing how many of us were just using the very limited Spanish we have to say things like “Where is my cement mixer” when we really mean “Where is my phone?” What a great expression of how God works when we give him the very tiny things we have and allow Him to use us. –Penny
- The conversation I had with Marjorie on the bus today. She told me how the women in the church have noticed a gap. The elderly in the neighborhood were being neglected, and some were becoming malnourished, so they now take sacks of groceries and hot food as a new ministry. The church also saw a huge gap in children’s ministry. Although groups came through occasionally with activities, the children were not being discipled. The youth are now teaching the children on a weekly basis as well as spending 3 days a week cooking for the children at the school. Additionally, the youth are evangelizing to street youth two times a week. It is such a blessing to see the youth being the church of today, and not just the church of tomorrow! –Debbie
Dock and Norma pose with Marjorie, Carlos, and Isa in front of their house. Marjorie holds the Spanish-English Dictionary Dock gave her two years ago that has helped all 3 of them learn English.
Leaving Pops. The battery was low but our hopes were high.
Please pray:
We thank God for this opportunity to be his hands and feet here in Nicaragua. We are humbled and in awe of all we have learned from our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters. This is the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see. –Psalm 118:23
Our day starts early tomorrow as we attend the opening of Fey Esperanza II*. We anticipate this being the highlight of our trip. Pray for a safe trip home and for us as we continue to process all that God is teaching us in the days ahead.
*Maria’s old school in the dump was Fey Esperanza so the new building will be called Fey Esperanza II.
