“For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
SO TRUE. Right after I arrived, I was hit with a wave of emotion as the magnitude of the life changes and the work down here rose up in my face. And right along side that realization was the encouragement that the challenges will be won by prayer and by relying totally on God to work through me.
Familiar & New
It has been a little over 2 weeks since arriving in Nicaragua. There are some things that are familiar but also much that is new: New sights and sounds, new encounters, and new experiences. (For the blow-by-blow story, check my Facebook personal page)
Praises/Good News:
- Got rental house. Moved in Monday (Oct 3) and spent Mon/Tue cleaning and unpacking.
- Found Spanish tutor and started training with her.
- Already connecting with the young people here.
- Church building is under construction and they are making good progress
Prayer Requests:
- My residency application to be processed and approved as quickly as possible.
- To learn Spanish well.
- Guidance for where I best fit in and what ministries/activities I should take on or begin.
- For the Larges and the church folk down here for wisdom with various situations.
1st WEEK
The team here has been amazing walking me through the process and helping me get set up with life here. The first week they took me shopping in the capitol city, and took me to revisit some places from the 2014 trip to Nicaragua. It was awesome to go back to the school were they do English clubs and have the opportunity to give a short Bible lesson to a couple of the classes. Actually recognized some of the students. Another day babysat 10 village children so the mothers could attend a Bible training class. With lots a gestures and a few Spanish phrases we made it work J.
2nd WEEK & A ½
We loaded all my stuff in the back of the Larges’ truck and headed the 2 hours to San Juan del Sur (SJdS). Thankful for their hospitality since then while I waited for the rental house to be ready.
Yes it is hot & humid here, and yes the power goes out on a frequent basis, and yes there are challenges, but I’m here and step-by-step figuring out the new normal and being open to new opportunities J
So what have I been up to since arriving in SJdS? The church folks in SJdS have welcomed me with open arms, many of them remembering me from the 2015 visit. Learning to shop and bank on my own.
Every day I walk around a different section of town greeting people I pass and asking how they are (“Buenas, comó esta?”). For those that are in the mood to chat, I introduce myself and get to share why I came down here.
Have had a few opportunities to sing in Spanish at some church events, including a big baptism service last Saturday. Also been part of several ladies’ events, both small & big, were I was privileged to pray in Spanish (A few simple sentences, but God knows what I mean). And of course helping out with children’s events!
People have been very kind and patient with my limited vocabulary. Thankfully Jesus is allowing me opportunities even now to share the gospel briefly with a few people in Spanish. One of my first nights here 3 neighbor girls stopped by to visit and we chatted about Jesus and how he removes sin. On Saturday, I was visiting up in the “slum” area and a young woman there was talking about all the problems in this town (drugs, fathers abandoning their families, alcoholism, etc.). What an honor to share IN SPANISH about how we can’t change people or ourselves, but Jesus has the power to change lives because He is God and that the Bible was given to us so that we might have LIFE!
So there is a real interest in this town to receive tutoring in English. I’m planning to set up a couple “English conversation practice” classes for moms and children.
So much more I could share, but this is long enough.