Nicaraguan Christmas

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I spent time in Leon hanging out with Ana, Scarleth, Leo, Oscar, Sergio, and Francis. I have called a lot of friends and family and also done a lot of cath-up work here that I can't do from the village without internet.

I spent Christmas Eve with Sergio's family and we had dinner at his uncles house. It was a large family gathering and it felt great passing time with a family, even though mine is far away.

On Christmas day, we spent a full day at the beach. Sergio, and a lot of his cousins, Francis - Oscar, Jennifer, and Yairo - Scarleth, Leo, and 2 of their friends - and myself all packed a lunch and went to Poneloya. We stayed all afternoon and enjoyed a lot of time in the water. It wasn't very crowded and the weather was great.

Tomorrow I'll be back in the village for the first time in 5 days, it has been a good break, but I can't wait to get back. I hope each of you had a great Christmas as well.

God Bless and enjoy the last few days of 2008 with your families.
Jim Bob / Diego
John 15:13

Children's Christmas Party

On Sunday morning, the youth and I finished getting things setup for the childrens Christmas party joint Sunday school activity. Quitanka and Nuevo Amanecer came with almost 300 kids and then 250 or so were there from Candelaria.

Yahaira, Saul, Rigoberto, and Daniel led the activity with games, contests, and singing. The other youth helped us trying to keep kids back and organized. There was a Little Miss Christmas Pagent with each Sunday school teacher having 1 student in the contest. This made for a field of about 10, with the top 3 receiving teddy bears and shampoo, soap products.

After these games and contests all the kids got a flavored milk, either chocolate or strawberry and then we had 4 pinatas. The first pinata was for children under 5 and the 2nd for children 6-8. The 9-10 year olds had their own pinata, and the last one was for kids 11-13. We had all the youth trying to make sure only the righrt age groups participated in each pinata and entertained the others when it wasn't their turn. We also did our best to keep people from getting hurt when the rush for the candy took place. I saw as many youth getting knocked over and run over, as kids.

Afterwards we delivered 2 pinatas to La Isla for their afternoon party and headed back to Leon. I was excited to get back and see the Steelers game and Panthers game in hopes they could each win and clinch first place and homefield. They both let me down, but I was glad to see the games.

Saturday Preparations

Water is still out here, and Rigoberto and Alfredo had plans to visit in Quitanka, so I spent sometime this morning biking water to Consuelo’s house. Then I took time for myself in the clinic and got some things done on the computer.

In the afternoon, Scarleth and Sergio brought out the things we needed for the Sunday school Christmas party and we had soup at Consuelo’s house. We visited with their family for a while and then Scarleth and Sergio went to run some errands in Chinadega.

I spent some time at Itzel’s house and talked with her about how she feels with our smaller numbers in Friday night youth service. She said that she had heard some people thinking it was boring, or more like a church service so that’s why they had not come. She and Jose both agreed that it is more like a service, how we want it to be, and for the ones that are serious it is not boring. They loved the worship and the drama, dance, rap specials we have. We are thinking that it is moving in a positive direction with small numbers and it is the start to something.

Jairo preached in the night service, and afterwards about six of the youth helped decorate the church with curtains and balloons for tomorrow’s Christmas party. They are planning to lead different games and contests and then keep order in the piñatas. We are expecting around 500 kids from age 2-13, with anyone over 13 helping keep order and leading the activity.

Friday Thoughts & Youth Night

I spent Friday morning visiting with Itzel, Katherine, Jose, Kenia, and Jessica about the jealousy problems in our youth group. Some issues from the past, and then again last night at service, have caused our youth group to have little clichés of friendships that do not and will not talk with each other or even be near each other in service. The people here think of friends as possessions and then when you put time into other people they get their feelings hurt. Other girls, and sometimes the boys, specifically say that when they want to talk or hangout with Sergio, Tommy, Daniel, or I people in other groups of friends tell them they are only their friends, or they don’t like you like they do us, etc. etc. The problem is usually between one person and another person, but they get their whole group involved so that it becomes 10 people that won’t associate with anyone from the other 10 people. Please pray for us, as they try and tell us it is our own fault for doing things with someone to bless them, or being closer with someone means that you don’t love anyone else. This all goes back to the kids coming from such broken homes and never being loved, so they cannot understand real love and friendships. They are so quick to get their feelings hurt and show bad attitudes toward us and even more towards each other.

Sergio and I met with the leadership in the afternoon and they seem to be doing pretty well. They are also dealing with some jealousy issues not between each other, but by other church members who all have their own opinions about the leadership. We let them know what things Tommy and Linda passed on to Sergio to share with them, and our schedule for the upcoming week.

We had our second youth service Friday night and only around twenty people were there. At first, we all felt kind of down by how empty things looked, but as the service continued we found out what a blessing it was to have a service with 20 people who really care about worshipping and listening to the word, with prayer and interactive discussion. Everyone was well behaved and you could feel God’s presence throughout the service. I think that this smaller number with 15 serious and interested youth out of the total 20 is where we can really get stronger and grow, compared to having 40 there with 25 being distractions.

Yucca & Quitanka Service

Thursday morning I led bible study, challenging the youth to really start reading their bibles other than just when in Bible study and church services. I want them to spend time reading, thinking about what they read, and then in time applying it to their lives. We are trying to concentrate right now on Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” At their ages, they are so easy to just make quick decisions for their own wants, and not taking time to pray about them or think how a decision today can affect them next week, or the rest of their life.

In the afternoon, I got some more things sold of the clothes in the clinic and spent time visiting with the garden workers. I made this video of the yucca harvest, and the workers have really pleased Scarleth and Linda by keeping records of all their sales.


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Pastrana planned a joint service for the evening in Quitanka, the community he serves behind Candelaria. They trucked in around forty people from Candelaria and another twenty from Nuevo Amanecer. The service went from 6:00-10:30 with a lot of music and drama participation by young people from each village. Pastor Walter preached from 2 Peter, and Daniel shared testimony on having faith in God, when his daughter almost drowned. There were five new decisions for Christ including 3 people under 20 years old.

Seeing Gables Off

In the morning, we went to Viky’s and got breakfast and did a few other errands in Leon. Kenia and Itzel went with Sergio and I to get the food for Consuelo’s for the week while Oscar, Tommy, and Linda met at the office.

In the afternoon, we had our staff meeting to make sure that we are clear on everything to take care of while the Gables are in the states. We also discussed things for how we hope to better the mission in 2009. The girls had some time to hangout with Tommy, Linda and Julia for their last day here.

Julia, Yahaira, and the other girls rode out with Sergio and I around 5:00 PM. Julia said bye for the last time, and they headed back to Leon. Pastrana led the Wednesday night service with Daniel and Rigoberto leading music. Erick, who teaches the youth Sunday school class and has been attending Tommy’s leadership, preached for the first time.

Tuesday Trip to Leon

Yahaira led bible study and then went with Julia and I for lunch at Consuelo’s. Kenia and Itzel wanted to see Tommy and Linda again before their trip to the States and Tommy said they could come in for the night in Leon so they bussed back with me in the afternoon. When we got to Leon, they walked around with me to pay all the bills for the Barnum’s house and enjoyed ice cream.

In the afternoon we were able to skype with the girls from world race in London. They had a webcam so we could see and hear them, they could only hear us, but Itzel and Kenia loved it, for about two hours. They also took naps, so I got to do some internet work while waiting and Tommy and Linda to get back from Granada and be with the girls. We went with Sergio and Francis to eat at Solera, and the girls enjoyed the live music.

Monday Drama & Rest

Water is out here so the land is packed with people coming down to use the public well. All morning people have been getting what they need for their morning and afternoon cooking, bathing, and washing needs.

Carlos, Julia, and Yahaira came out for the afternoon and Carlos led drama and dance. They have a new dance and drama they’re getting ready for this coming Friday night. During the time they were practicing I spent some time lying in my hammock and actually feel asleep for a little while. It has been a great addition to my room in the clinic.

Julia stayed out for the night with plans to do bible study with Yahaira in the morning. She made brownies for the guys that stay at the church and a few of the other youth that were hanging out. Itzel and Kenia stayed with Julia in the clinic for the night.

Hammock and God's Must be Crazy

I grabbed breakfast and spent some time visiting with Consuelo and her family, as I usually do after meals, but think I failed to mention until now. She is one of our church servants, and the grandmother of Eddy Garcia, who passed away 3 weeks ago. She cooks for the boys that stay and guard the church every night, and once I moved out here, I have been eating 3 meals a day with them and her family. She is a great cook, and I love spending time with her kids and grandkids whom are always around.

I went back to the church property and Sunday School had started, so I slipped into the clinic to have some time alone, use the computer, and organize the room some more. I hung my hammock up diagonally across the room so I’ll have a place to rest some afternoons. I plan to still sleep under the church with the guys, but it will be a nice place to sit or lay and rest when I need some me time.

I went to Itzel’s house in the afternoon and spent time with her and her mom. The God’s Must Be Crazy was on TV so we enjoyed that. I even got an hour nap in the guest room of their house before going back down for evening service.

Tommy preached on being Godly and not religious with scriptures in Luke chapters 11 & 12, and Matthew chapter 6. It will be his last message of 2008, as they get ready for a month in the States. We took communion and had a time for prayer and goodbyes for the Gables to close the service.

Clothes Sale & Leadership

Saturday morning we got all the clothes organized in different rooms of the clinic and started a clothing sale at 9:00 AM. We started by blessing each of our church servants and workers with an outfit and then sold clothes for very cheap to the church community. In the final hours we opened the sale to everyone else. It ran for a little over 4 hours and we raised a little under $100.00. For the rest of the week we are selling everything else for 50 cents in hope to clean out our trunks and get more space in the clinic bodega. All of the money will be used next Sunday, December 21 for a church Christmas party where we will decorate, bust piñatas, and serve refreshments. We want to bless our church body especially the children this holiday season.

Because we missed pastors’ class and leadership training Thursday, Tommy and Linda held a meeting this afternoon for our Candelaria leadership and outreach pastors. We are hoping that everything will run as smooth as possible during the Gables time away with friends and family. Tommy let the men know their roles as leaders and had each of them come up front in the night service.

Tommy shared the importance of male leadership in the home and church with scripture from Acts 20. He let the church know his heart for really outreaching out and building up strong men in our church starting when he gets back in January 2009. Rosa Lara prayed over the leadership Tommy is training and the church seemed to receive the message in a good way. Please pray for all of these men, Sergio, and myself as we work to make this church and community stick together and grow while the Gables are in the States.

Youth Service

I spent Friday getting things ready for our youth service. Itzel and Jose met with me in the clinic to go over the schedule and assign people to different verses. They also helped me get the clinic clean and ready for tomorrow’s clothing sale.

I spent the afternoon preparing my message and putting together some videos and pictures of some previous youth trips, graduations, and candid photos. Sergio and Tommy had a meeting with some of the Candelaria men that Tommy needs to help serve as leaders in his absence. Carlos and the drama team warmed up and got their final practice in as well.

At 6:30 PM Jose and Itzel welcomed everyone and Yahaira opened in prayer. Julia shared Proverbs 3:4-5 and I challenged everyone to memorize and start living those verses. We had a drama, faith test activity, and praise music led by Daniel, Kervin and Rigoberto. The drama team then shared a dance, followed by videos and more praise and worship.

At 8:00 PM the drama team shared a very touching drama about putting trust in Jesus and Yahaira shared its message, before I preached. I had about 10 of the youth divide up reading the book of Jonah with me sharing after each chapter. I taught on putting all of our trust in God, no matter how crazy we think his request is. We are hoping to see more people reached in Candelaria, even though we see people every day that we don’t think will ever be a part of the church. In May, about 15 of the 30 young people involved in our church were those exact same persons. They have shared in Bible Study’s that they cannot believe some of their friends that are now a part of the church, including themselves. I let them know how different I am from a year ago today and Rigoberto closed us with in powerful prayer. For next week, I am hoping to have others come up front and share their own testimonies in times they made their own choices with results. Then share times they put their trust in God and how he has taken care of them.

Chinadega Teacher Training

This morning a truck bed full of teachers and leaders were taken to Chinadega for classes and training by Samaritan’s Purse. For the youth that did not go, we had an open discussion Bible Study about making good decisions from Tuesday and Tommy’s Wednesday night message of keeping secrets and hiding from God and each other. I also used this time to get 6 youth that will help Scarleth and I with a clothing sale on Saturday.

Most of Tommy’s pastors and key men were in Chinadega so we did not have class this morning. In the afternoon, the Gables, Julia, and I visited in Santa Matilde. I think it has been almost 3 months since I was last there, and without Friday night youth I haven’t seen any of the kids in a long time either. We visited with Carmen, Griselda, and Margarita for most of the time and then walked around seeing some other friends.

Kervin and Andres lost their grandmother this morning. The wake was at their aunt’s house and started at 7:00 PM. Pastrana and Eduardo led the service with Daniel, Rigoberto, and Kervin sharing music. It was very well attended and I was happy to see all of our youth their supporting Andres and Kervin. The funeral will be tomorrow.