Ometepe!

This past weekend, Nate and Maggie took us to the Island of Ometepe. The trip started off with about an hour car ride, then another hour on a ferry, followed by thirty minutes on the bus. We stayed two nights in a hostel right on the gorgeous beach of Lake Nicaragua. Ometepe is made up of two different volcanoes, one active and one not. We spent our weekend swimming in Ojo de Agua, hiking the Madera Volcano, and relaxing in hammocks by the beach. Our hike up Maderas was so much fun! It was definitely challenging, but completely worth it. We were surrounded by tropical rainforest and completely covered in sweat and mud. The hike was filled with monkeys, birds, and huge butterflies. When we got to the top of the volcano, we climbed down into the crater and cooled off in a lagoon. The entire hike took about 7 hours, but how wonderful it was to be in God’s amazing creation. 

We were so thankful to have had Nate and Maggie take us on this little weekend getaway. It is definitely refreshing to have some time away. This couple is absolutely amazing. Their love for Jesus and desire to serve God is so obvious to everyone they come in contact with. It is unreal. I loved listening to all of their stories about their time on the mission field, both in the Dominican Republic and here in Nicaragua. The wisdom and love that God displays through them is so hard to put into words.  You know those people who look like Jesus even when they are just sitting there and not saying anything…  This is Nate and Maggie. And I am definitely blessed by them!

Finding Joy in the Little Things

I just wanted to take a second to thank you all for your prayers! I am constantly receiving messages from so many of you, people I barely even know, saying that you are praying for me daily. I have received so much scripture and encouragement, and I am beyond thankful. As an encouragement to all of you prayer warriors, I am happy to say that I can feel your prayers. Literally, physically feel them. 

Yesterday morning I woke up absolutely exhausted. I had gone to bed the night before with a cold…Only a stuffy nose, but still not feeling my best. I did not want to wake up at 6:45 to go work in the site. I did not want to go spend the day in a place I would not be able to have a conversation with anyone. My brain was not prepared to physically ache from the constant struggle to comprehend what is going on around me in this foreign language. All I wanted to do was crawl back into my bed, and not see or talk to anyone the entire day. 

But, obviously, that was not an option. I got up, and as I was reading my Bible, I started receiving messages from many of you saying that you were praying for me… For strength, for wisdom, for energy, for health, etc… And I knew that it was going to be a good day.

When I arrived at the site, I was hesitant to ask what was on the agenda. In the back of my mind I was thinking, “Please don’t say cleaning! I am so tired. Please don’t say cleaning! Please don’t say cleaning!” As I am standing in the door way, Katia comes around the corner… “Good morning, Molly! Today we are going to clean. Everything! Inside, outside, the kitchen, the bathroom…”  Great.

In this moment I had to make a decision. Was I going to silently scrub the floors and only think about how I wish I was sleeping, or was I going to take this opportunity that God had given me, in this beautiful country of Nicaragua, with one of the most amazing women I have ever met, and enjoy this day? 

Just as I grabbed the mop and the bleach and walked outside, someone down the street started blaring Shania Twain (to which I happen to know every single word). So here I was, on my hands and knees, covered in dirt and bleach, absolutely dripping sweat, singing and dancing to Shania Twain. In this moment it became obvious to me what my choice needed to be… and I needed to chose joy. 

We seem to miss so many opportunities in life because we mosey through each day, waiting for it to be over and for our tasks to be done. It’s quite sad actually… to think about how much we miss out on because all we can think about is how we are feeling in that moment, and that we cannot wait until bed time. 

Even today, Katia and I were working on getting some supplies ready for piñata classes. We were outside, sweating, shooing flies out of our faces… We were struggling to cut a hole in the side of the ceramic bowl. We were trying so hard and putting in so much effort that the bowl just fell from our hands and shattered on the cement. In that moment, we just looked at each other and started busting up laughing. We fell to the ground and just sat there, almost in tears. Looking back, it really isn’t funny at all. In fact, we really needed that bowl! But there was nothing we could do now. Too many moments are wasted being consumed with the negative. We ended up laughing about the bowl for the rest of the day… just because we could. 

Every morning we have a choice. Are we going to have joy, love others, and make the best with what we are given? Or are we going to worry about the little things and just go through motions… day after day after day? It is such a difficult concept. I am learning, slowly but surely! Nicaraguans are some of the most joyful people I have ever met, and I have so much to learn from them. 

So thank you for your prayers! I know that my joy is a gift from God. I know that the energy I have, even on long, hot days, is from God. I know that the health I have been blessed with, despite those around me, is because of your prayers! I feel them and need them every day. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. Be joyful today!

Party Week!

This last week was my first week in the micro finance site! Although they are long days, it’s a great change from Spanish school! I leave my house every morning about 8:30, and I take the bus from my home in Masaya to the site in Nindiri. Micro finance works in two different areas: one group of ladies in Nindiri and one group in Jocote. I do not know the areas very well yet, but from what I have observed in terms of wealth, Nindiri seems to be a step lower than Masaya, and Jocote even farther down from there. Monday morning I walked with Katia and Holman out to the village of Valle de Volcan, out by the dump. I had been here with them once before, but going a second time was equally heart wrenching. The people stood in the dump, and literally waited the entire day for the trash truck to come. As it dumped the trash, they went crazy. They dug through it so quickly, as if it was treasure without enough to go around. We spent the morning passing out invitations to the ladies that lived here. Next Thursday we will have a meeting with these women to see if there is enough interest to begin another group there. The women seemed so confused. You could tell they were just waiting for us to ask for their money. We repeated over and over that it was free, the only requirement being they must show up. Fifteen ladies agreed to come to the meeting, which is more than we thought possible! How amazing.

The rest of the afternoon, Katia and I went shopping. Once every three or four months they have a birthday party for the ladies. Tuesday was the party in Nindiri and Friday in Jocote. We spent Monday and Thursday shopping, cooking, cleaning, and preparing. We decided to make Arroz con Cerdo (basically pork fried rice) and cupcakes.

 

Party planning and preparation this last week was definitely a humbling experience for me. I thought I knew how to chop vegetables, sweep the floors, mop, and wash dirty rags… but apparently not the Nicaraguan way! I loved having Katia teach me her way of doing things, and she was so proud when I could finally do it just like her. Everywhere we went, she told people, with the biggest smile on her face, that she was turning me into the perfect Nicaraguan girl. 

Holman and I made these two piñatas, one for each party. Not going to lie… I think I did a great job! 

My birthday was on Monday, but it ended up turning into a birthday week. Monday night I went to the base for my little birthday party. We had “build your own pizza” and chocolate cake. It was AMAZING! 

Katia and Holman kept telling me that the party on Tuesday was for three different women, but surprised me at the start of the party, and said that I was actually the third one. It was so fun to see the excitement on the ladies’ faces. You clearly tell how thankful they were to be celebrated. We began the parties with a short Bible study and prayer. After, we played a variety of games, broke the piñata, and enjoyed the rice and cupcakes. 

Preparing for each of the two parties was extremely different. In Nindiri, it involved sweeping the floors, cleaning the bathroom, mopping the tile, and cooking over a normal stove. But in Jocote, this was not the case. There was not a bathroom that needed to be cleaned… because it’s a hole in the ground. There was not a floor to be swept and mop, because the floor is dirt. The cooking took place in a pot over a pile of sticks. But it was so much fun!

 

I have been to Jocote three different times, and it is always the same. The kids all come together, running down the dirt paths between their houses, and hide behind the corners. They always peek around the edge and smile at me. When I turn around, they all giggle and take off running. Each time they get closer and closer, until they finally get the courage to come and play. Friday in Jocote proved to me the amount that my Spanish has improved! When I first went, about a month ago, I played with some of the kids. It did not involve any talking at all, because I had no way to communicate. But Friday, I was able to talk with them! We talked about their names, ages, families, favorite things, sports, etc. I was completely amazed at the amount that I knew, and honestly, I think they were too! 

This boy. This boy has stolen my heart. He is three years old. I have met him three different times, and every time, he comes running into my arms. He sits on my lap and just laughs and laughs. I have not really figured it out yet, but Nicaraguan children just like to laugh at me. I do not know why… but they always do. From the time I moved into my house, Oscar always just looks at me and laughs, and it is the same way in Jocote. This little boy is no exception. He sits on my lap and smiles at me with his huge brown eyes, and toothless smile. He takes his dirt covered, scraped up, little hands and squishes my cheeks, plays with my hair, and just stares at me. Every time I see him, he is wearing the same little Spiderman crocs on the wrong feet. How could you not love him?! 

The party in Jocote was an equal success. The love I feel from the women is amazing. They all genuinely care for one another and even for me! They have such a big desire to help me learn Spanish, but even if we are not talking, they find ways to make me feel special and accepted into their group.

We also spent much of the week doing home visits. We visited with this little girl who recently fractured her ankle. When I met her the first time, about a month ago, we were praying for God to provide the funds for her to have the surgery she needed. She was in so much pain. When I saw her again Friday, she was recovering from her surgery, and was no longer in any pain! Praise Jesus! 

Angelica is another girl whose story breaks my heart. At thirteen years old, she is the mother of a four month old baby boy. She got pregnant at the age of twelve, the father being seventeen. It really puts it into perspective when I think of my little sister, Haley (who is almost 15), being the mother of a two or three year old. I have met her two different times as well. The first time she seemed happy and proud to show off her adorable baby boy, but this time she barely spoke at all. She was stressed and worried about her son because of an allergic reaction he had to corn. If he couldn’t eat corn, and that’s all they had, what was she to do? 

Here is her precious son with his grandma who helps to take care of him.

It is stories like these that show the impact that SI is making here in Nicaragua. It is people like Katia and Holman who continually visit and encourage these young ladies. They give them scripture, advice, support, and prayer. I am witnessing, first hand, lives changing, and it is incredible! There is no doubt whether God is working here or not. He is transforming broken lives in amazing ways.  

Many people have been asking for specific prayer requests, but there are too many to name! Almost all of the ladies I have met are experiencing broken marriages of some sort. Infidelity is extremely common here. It is heart breaking to hear little children say, “If Jesus loves me, why did He let my daddy leave?”  

• Continual prayer for the women to hear what God speaking into their lives… That they would find their value and worth in Christ, and that their hearts may begin to heal.
• Our meeting with the ladies in Valle de Volcan on Thursday. If it is God’s will for a group to be started there, things would come together smoothly.  
•  Prayer for the young girls/mothers like Angelica – Provision, strength, and wisdom to be the mother that their children need.