Continuing

It´s so frustrating that I haven´t been able to share with you our experiences from the road as I wanted to.

However, moving on, I look forward to updating the blog once I return to the States and also sharing with you personally our experiences.

The last few days have been amazing.

We have had the opportnity to spend time with the Laredo, TX team and the Nicaraguan congregation they were working with. Last night the church had a going away program for the team with much praise and worship. It was so wonderful to see the youth of this church singing, dancing and praising the Lord without selfconscienceness. As one Laredo team member, Troy, shared in his testimony, ¨We came to Nicaragua to bless you, but we are the ones who have been blessed.¨

A couple of days ago Mike and Maria took us to the community of El Leminal. Friends, the poverty in this settlement is overwhelming. As I was talking with Maria afterwards, I asked her how she handles it week after week and she replied that she has to look beyond the poverty to the person.

In a previous post I shared about a group of four ladies in this community who have started a jewelry making business. In an effort to spend time with the ladies of El Limenal, I made up several beading kits so we could make bracelets together from the beads that were donated by the bead shop in Sacramento, U Bead It!. We had a wonderful afternoon of fellowshipping with the ladies, laughing and making pretty jewelry. It was so fun to see the women as they walked off purposely waving the hand with their new bracelet as we whistled and said, ¨muy bonita¨!

I was very, very impressed with the work of the four ladies. There is a website, which showcases their work, and the work of other artisans involved with NicaMade. I know that the beads, supplies and jewelry magazines I brought will be put to very good use.

We also had an opportunity to meet Cheryl Spence a bubbly Tennessee woman who runs ¨Jesus Centered Ministries.¨ If you click on this link, it will bring up the page specifically for Nicaragua.

Tonight Sarah is out with the staff of ¨New Song Mission, Nicaragua¨ to help out with the youth group in one of the communities they work in. I can´t wait until she gets home tonight so she can let me know what ministry they did.

Tomorrow we leave for Granada. I´m not if I will be able to post, so like my Mom would say, ¨expect me when you see me.¨