Saturday from Leon

We had thought we were going out to Santa Matilde and bringing the lawyer from Leon to discuss more about the land being purchased there by IHBC. There was a conflicting schedule so we are hoping to get to that later in the week. Instead, Scarleth and I did some things from the Gables house/office until the power went out for the whole city around 5 today. The sky turned very black. It never rained but the wind picked up and it looked like a flood was coming. Power was only off about an hour.

I grabbed some dinner and then I took my N64 up to play Mario Kart with Alejandra and Eveling. We enjoyed that until the power went back off, but it only stayed out 30 seconds or so, then it rained, REALLY HARD! Their roof is tin so it was the loudest thing ever and within maybe 10 mintues the roads outside had water even with the sidewalks. Everything looked like rivers flowing together. The girls went outside to play, and Alejandra lost her flip flop in the rapids. I waited about 45 minutes for the rain to stop and biked home, anytime my foot was down in the cycle of pedaling I had water above my ankle. It was good to get some rain here though finally.

With the current strike, we are still not doing anything outside Leon after dark. Tomorrow is the global day of prayer so we have flipped the morning Sunday school to be at night and hoping to have a big service with people from La Isla, Santa Matilde, and Candelaria to observe the day of prayer. We will be out in Candelaria around 10 am and stay until 12:30 or so.

Short but Productive Friday

With the current strike and a possibility of getting stuck outside the city at night, we only made the trip during the day time. Before we went out Scarleth, Leo, and Larry went to buy beans and oil in Leon. We took a full truck bed of that out and locked in the bodega at Candelaria. Our agricultural engineer, Roger, came along as well to look at the garden and spend time training the gardeners about the new irrigation system. Before leaving Leon, Leo grabbed some baseball equipment for the younger guys that have been attending practice…catcher’s equipment and smaller gloves along with more baseballs. Upon arrival, we found out that Pastor Jose was stung by a scorpion in the morning, so Oscar and Larry went to the pharmacy and got him some aid. Alfredo and I fixed 2 big flood lights and, with Walter’s help, installed it onto the corner of the medical/dental clinic to watch over the garden at night. Scarleth got a list completed of all the library books both children’s and pastors so that we can start renting books out. I spent a little time before we came back riding my bike to visit with some of my Candelaria youth members at their houses and let them know we would not have service tonight. We called the pastors at all 3 villages, but not everyone would know without coming down to see the empty church at 6. When we got back last night the team went out for pizza to celebrate Larry’s 2 year anniversary of open heart surgery. We got to hear the story and the months of rehab following, while telling jokes and enjoying fellowship.

Regular Thursday

We heard that the police actually arrested some of the men who have parked buses and trucks across the road and that things for now are clear on the main highway to the villages. So we got the truck this morning and did what we could around Leon until 1 pm, then Larry took Scarleth, Leo, and I out.

Leo ran baseball and we went to La Isla to check up on Pastor Pablo. He had his prosthetics on and was sitting outside with his family. He said that he had sent someone in his family to get him some antibiotics and for past 3 days was getting shots. He is feeling much better, but has not been able to enjoy his new bike yet. His wife was getting the yard setup for evening service at their house since he cannot get under the trees where church usually meets.

As we headed out of La Isla, Daniel and his daughter were coming in to play music in Pablo's service.

We went back and got Leo and came back a little before 5 pm. We did have any trouble and there are over 20 policemen on the edges of the road where the blocks have been waiting to break-up anymore attempts of blocking access in and out of Leon. We think we will get to have a regular Friday now, when earlier in the week we had figured there would be no way to travel in and out at night.

Unable to go out Wednesday

The strike was more of a pain for us today because we do go out Wednesday afternoons for baseball practice and to check on small business things. The roads are still blocked and no busses, taxis, etc are running. Knowing that we wouldn't need the truck, we got them to take their time and fix a few other minor things.

We met down at the Gables and did what we could up until noon with emails and phone calls as a group. Scarleth and I are working on getting together more information for the adopt-a-family part of the NewSong website.

In the evening, I went to visit Eveling and Alejandra. Their uncle, Juan, age 25 is a taxi driver and works the 7pm - 7am shift so I have seen him, but never really talked with him. He was there and bored without work like me so we talked for a while about basketball, football, etc. He told me that he does not think the strike will go longer than a week, but does not know for sure.

We are hoping to get the truck in the morning and be able to go out to the village, we have plenty of work to catch-up in Leon, but after 3 days stuck here we are all ready to go out and be with the kids.

Strike Continues Tuesday

We met as a team this morning at the Gables house to discuss things Tommy and Linda had left for us to do. We were planning to setup which projects to do each day, but because of the strike it became more of which of these can we do without driving outside the city.

We took the truck in for some work including: pulling out the dented fender, fixing the front passenger door, and putting all the bars on the back for a tarp in rainy season.

Scarleth and I took the rest of the day off with it being a Tuesday so the strike did not really affect us much today.

Leon Monday

Today I spent time doing some errands around Leon. Marcela has been asking me a lot of computer questions lately, and she decided that she wants me to come down in the mornings for breakfast at her house and help her to get more familiar with email and other basic things on her computer. She also got me to bookmark some websites for her to use the bible and work on her English.

Oscar, Larry, and I grabbed lunch together after they did some errands of their own. After lunch, they headed to Chinadega to meet about some land purchases in Santa Matilde by IHBC. I looked at some possibilities of how to put internet in to Marcela's office. I also spent sometime just walking around Leon and relaxing.

There is a current strike going on against the high gas prices nationwide. There are no taxis, buses, or trucks running for public transportation. Last night it took Oscar and Larry hours to get back from Chinadega and Juan Diego the same from Manauga because of trucks and buses parked across all the roads into Leon. Some bicycles and motorcycles could get around, but they are hoping to make everyone that uses gas to stop driving as part of the strike.

My mom just got a ticket to spend the last week of May here...she will be staying with me Monday, May 26-Monday, June 2 when the Gables return..VERY EXCITED for her to be here in 3 weeks!

Pablo's New Bike and Pedro Speaks

This morning I went and got Pastor Pablo of La Isla a new bike. His has rusted to almost nothing, and the gears have been bad for about 3 months. He had mentioned the need to Oscar and I Friday night. He was very happy to get the new bike, that money was raised for by my mom and FBC of Boone, NC.

This afternoon, before going to setup for evening service in Candelaria I got to stop by his house and deliver the bike. Pablo was propped up inside the house with a towel and some ointment on his legs treating an infection. He won't use his prosthetic legs for a couple days while that heals, but then he can enjoy his new bike. I hope to get some pictures soon once he is using it.


Tonight Pastor Pedro spoke at his 1st of 5 Sundays while the Gables are in the states. His focus for the 5 Sundays is the teachings of what it takes to be a disciple. Tonight he shared from Luke chapter 14.

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

The service went very well. Pedro's wife, Maria, and older brother, Felix, came with us as well as Felix's 10 year old son, Ezikiel. Rigaberto shared bible stories with around 35 children ages 4-12.