This post was an email update that was sent out during my time spent in Nicaragua from 2009 to 2011. I started posting them here when some of my friends who had not received them, wanted to see and hear about the work there. You can access the entire list here.
Greetings to all of my fellow Christians far and wide! I pray that each and every one of you are having a wonderful day serving our Lord in your own personal way. God continues to show Himself in so many ways and areas. We truly serve an Almighty God, who able to far more above what we ask or think. Well, the last 2 weeks have flown by so fast. When each day is full and busy with so many things, the days seem to go so fast.
Since I wrote last, there was 2 groups of people here. Larry & Karen Weaver and Lloyd & Faye Zimmerman, both from the Pleasant Valley congregation, arrived with the Pleasant Valley (PV) Seniors on the 6th to spend a week and Keith & Christine Nolt from the Open Door congregation arrived on the 7th with a group of Horning girls. Keith's were here in Nicaragua for a week and the girls spend 2 weeks here and left on the 21st with Dwight & Heidi Fox. The seniors spent most of their time in Leon; however they came out on Thursday - the 8th, help with some work projects. The men spent the morning repairing the pasture fence and put a floor in the tool shed. The girls spent their time in our house - painting. Thank you so much ladies!! It looks so nice. It was great to see Lloyd & Faye Zimmerman. I have known them for years, but don't often get to see them.
The group of girls spent their first week here with us in El Terrero; most of the time painting, but we DID have a great time. They also planted a garden for us and it is looking beautiful. We got a nice amount of rain on Sunday and everything shot up; even the weeds. On Saturday we went to Estelí to take the girls out and see some places and do some shopping. For me, it was a great day to visit familiar places and talk to people that I haven't seen since I came back from language school. We parked the truck along the main street there in Estelí and I told everyone I would meet them for lunch in an hour and I started on my way. It was fun to be able to walk down the streets and through the park, taking in all the familiar sights and smells of the place that became my home for 6 weeks after I arrived in Nicaragua. The first place I went to was Dora Elena's house - the lady who hosted while we were in language school. She was so happy to see me. She looked and me and said she thought I would never come to visit her. I explained to her why I had not got there sooner and told her about the prospective visitors in the future and the possibility of bringing them to see Estelí and visit her. She wanted to know about all the things that have happened in the months since school and I wished I had all day to sit there and talk to her. As I was leaving, she told me that I should get a bus to Estelí and spent the weekend with her and relax :) For lunch we went to the Chinese restaurant that I came to enjoy very much, even though we only ate there 2 times during school. After lunch we went to the waterfall outside of Estelí. It looked quite different from the last time we were there, but I enjoyed it. We then returned to the city for the girls to do more shopping. I then spent that time in Mocha Nana Café, a little coffee shop that Karen and I frequented when we lived there. I enjoyed my old-time favorite Frozen Mocha. On the way back, we stopped in Malpaisillo for supper.
On Monday we met the Leon group in Rota and went to Cerro Negro to give them the experience of climbing a volcano. I went along as I was almost 2 years since I had climbed Cerro Negro. I took it nice and slow going up as it was pretty hot, but till I got to the top, I was so tired and decided to sit there and relax while everyone was snapping pictures. When it came time to head back down, I got up but I felt so weak and I wasn't sure why. Needless to say in a couple seconds I lost my breakfast. Right away I sat down again and thankfully Karen Weaver had crackers in her bag which she gave to me as well as some water. I sat there and relaxed for a while before I felt good enough to go down the volcano. When we left the volcano, we kinda got confused as which way to take and we got the wrong way. Once we got to familiar roads, we headed for Malpaisillo but then the truck started heating up. We got within a mile of the place and the truck just gave out so we got all our things and started walking home. Thanks to several girls, who willingly carried my backpack for me as I was still feeling weak and tired. I got home and went straight to bed and slept for 2 hours. It took about 3 days till I was feeling myself again.
On Friday the 16th, Charlotte gave birth to 9 piglets. They are all growing nicely and look nice and fat. One little one has already escaped the pen, but was quickly rescued and put back into his pen.
We received a nice heavy rain on Sunday afternoon. La Palmerita actually had hail. Our front yard was covered in water. On Monday morning there was still a couple puddles which Nicholas enjoyed very much. He fell several times and looked like he was enjoying himself so much.
The young lady below is from the family known as the Cheles in La Palmerita. I believe there is 8 or 9 children in the family. Every now and then, one of them will show up at church, but they are not faithful attendees. The youngest girl in this family, Vanessa, has been so sick lately but she is getting better little by little.
Blessings to each of you as you serve our Lord!
Love and prayers, Andrea
