Brittany Makes It (Finally)

We had our first Bible Study in a while this morning, with Yahaira's exam schedule and the holidays throwing some of us off schedule we didn't meet for a couple Tuesday or Thursdays. I combined Saul's verses and message from Friday night with Larry's from Sunday and we talked about them deeper.

Each person defined what each word of the 9 fruits of the spirit meant to them and shared how they are important. We also talked about things that we should forget and never forget in our Christian walks. Each person had time to share things they have trouble forgetting and remembering that they are hoping to improve this year.

After bible study I bussed to Managua to get Brittany, and this time she made it, but the flight was an hour late. I am just glad she made it, after the trouble Saturday. We got back to Leon, had dinner with Oscar, and enjoyed fellowship.

Half Workday Monday

I worked with Oscar, and on the phone to Atlanta in the morning to get a grip on our final donations of 2008. Thank God we had some much needed prayers answered financially to close out 2008 even, and ready to move foward in 2009.

I went out with Yahaira and Carlos in the afternoon for drama practice, and I took some time to straighten up the clinic and rest in the afternoon. For the night, there was nothing planned but some of the youth came and we looked at some of the newest pictures and videos of things we have done in past month.

It was a very peaceful night, visting with 4-5 youth and then spending some time with Consuelo's family as well.

Larry Visits & Preaches

I spent the morning doing a lot of computer and internet things, and got to watch 1.5 more of the Wild Card NFL games before Sergio, Larry, and I headed out.

Larry got sometime before service started to visit with some old friends and see how some of the projects are progressing on the land since his last trip here in May. He took a lot of pictures of the goats project his son supports, and some of the clinic, bakery, house, etc.

In the evening Pastor Walter led service with Daniel and Rigo leading worship. Rigoberto also took the kids out and Larry preached. He shared a message based from verses 43:18 & 46:9 in Isaiah; where we are told to forget the former things and then 3 chapters later remember the former things. He went on, with a lot of scripture support of what things God wishes we would forget, and not continually dwell on, and then on the other side what things God wants us to never forget, and how He is God.

The service was very well attended as they have been in the past week or so. We have 70-80 people in the weekday services and right at 100 or a little more on Saturday and Sunday night services. I came back for the night with plans to work with Oscar on our year-ending finances tomorrow.

Brittany's Overbooked Flight

I woke-up and did a few things in the village before heading into Leon mid-day to head on to Managua and pick up my friend Brittany McManus from the airport, who was set to arrive at 3:00 PM. Luckily before I got on the local transportation for Managua, Larry called me and let me know that Brittany had told him that there was a problem with her flight and she would not be coming in today so I did not make a pointless trip. Thank God for looking out for me and getting me that message, literally 15 minutes before I wasted 4-5 hours this afternoon.

I got in touch with Brittany, and found out that all the flights from Miami-Managua are overbooked with people returning after the holidays, and she will have to wait until Tuesday to fly down. We are both pretty upset as her original trip was going to be 5 weeks, but with a new job her trip was shortened to 2 weeks and now 10 days.

In the afternoon, I did some catching up with Leon-side mission work and got to watch the 2 Wild Card NFL games, which were both very entertaining. I will be here for the night and head out for service tomorrow with Sergio and Larry, as he is preaching the next two Sunday night services.

Leadership Meeting & 4th Youth Service

With Larry getting work done to the truck in Leon, Sergio couldn't come out until later in the afternoon so I did my best talking with the Candelaria leadership about our plans for 2009. We shared our goals for starting a new year, and I took time to explain how things work as far as only able to do projects and make payrolls when the money comes in, and can only pay out to where donations are designated, for example which pastor or project is tagged.

We spoke about how we will be only meeting the needs of the church community this year,and want to encourage more people to be apart of everything we are doing, especially the services, not just receiving when someone is here distributing goods. We spent time praying for the spiritual side of the mission and the physical side of projects for 2009. Each pastor picked different parts of our fund raising to pray about as well to close our meeting.

We had another good youth service of the 15-20 serious young people. Kervin and 2 of his friends shared Christian Reggaeton specials along with our videos and Daniel's worship in the first 45 mintues. Then Saul shared a message on living in the light and fully becoming a Christian with the 9 fruits of the spirit from Galations chapter 5.

I challenged each of the youth to pray for God to make them a 100% Christian in 2009, and not a lukewamr Christian with daily ups and downs for how interested they are in the Bible and church. Yahaira closed the service with a very powerful prayer, and Joel rejoined the youth group and church.

Happy New Year!

Last night some of the youth and I went to the park to bring in New Years, it was really packed with some ferris wheels, photo booths, and other attractions brought in for the night. At 12:00 AM everyone lights a tube sock and newspaper stuffed dummy in front of their houses to say goodbye to the past year. Very different for me, but fun to watch I guess.

We did not have Bible study this morning with everyone staying up late last night, but we hung out later in the morning and in afternoon made a trip to the swimming pool.

At night, I took Nubia out to eat in Chichigalpa and we got ice cream afterwards. Her birthday passed on the 28th, so I was a few days late, but it was fun to thank her for all the translation help she has given me over past couple months when I've needed it.

Where Did 2008 Go?

I cannot believe a whole year has passed since I finished college, and almost a full year has passed since my first trip here.

Andres, Anthony, and I are hanging in Leon until Sergio gets done working with Oscar. We will head out to take these guys back and check on everything at the house and bakery soon.

Larry, Oscar, and Sergio are going to get dinner and pass some time for New Years in Leon, but I have plans to hang with the youth and stay the night in Candelaria. I think we will go to the park then maybe come back and hang together as midnight passes. Not sure how many will actually make it til midnight including myself, but we will see.

Hope each of you has a great time, and safe time, tonight bringing in 2009. I'll hope to update again when I get back to Leon next week, and hopefully soon I'll be online in the village.

In Christ,
Jim Bob / Diego
John 15:13

Working to Finish Out the Year

Scarleth, Oscar, Sergio, and I got together at the Gables house this morning with the money changers and got payroll ready as soon as possible. Every year they like to get people paid before the 31st, because New Years is a time to have a special time at the park or with family.

We got things done and everyone paid in the afternoon, only a few hours after we said we would be there, but at least it was taken care of. Larry stayed behind in Leon and spent time with Marcela. As Oscar got everyone paid and signed off, Sergio and I had meetings with some of the pastors and leadership in the clinic waiting room.

We came back into Leon in the afternoon, and I brought Andres and Anthony along for a video/chat Skype date with the World Race girls in London. They enjoyed that and then we had dinner and visited Sergio and Scarleth's houses.

We had hoped to play video games, but the PlayStation I think because of dust, is not reading discs...we watched Liar Liar and played on the internet instead.

Manauga Errands & Larry Sellers

Sergio, Scarleth, and I spent Monday morning getting things done in the village and came back to Leon early afternoon. Sergio and I went on to Managua to run errands in the afternoon before Larry Sellers flight came in at 8:30.

We went to Claro to see about a new USB hookup that has come out for a good price to maybe get internet at the church at Candelaria, but it is was sold out. We went to 3 other stores and they are sold out too, but we did enough research on the modem to think it will work for me to have internet from the village, so I am hoping to buy one in the first week of the new year once more stores have them in stock.

We also went to compare prices and sizes of freezers for the bakery that is going to be opening when school starts back in February. The Gables air conditioner has been acting up for the last couple weeks, and they dont have the fix for it in Leon, so we took the control part of it to a guy Sergio knows in Managua that can hopefully get it fixed soon.

I also went and talked with the international phone company, about the Barnums phone ringing busy or having no dial tone in and out for the past couple weeks.

To pass our last couple hours we spent time walking around the mall and visiting a couple more Claro stores. We ate at the food court, and I had Quizno's for the first time I think in 2008. It was the highlight of my holidays. Larry made it in on time and got all of his luggage through. We all got back to Leon around 11:00 ready for bed.

Cooking Buñuelos

We had a full crowd for Sunday school, and the new chairs that Julia bought are being put to good use. We have 3 new Sunday school teachers from the youth group. Kenia and Jessica are helping with the girls ages 6-8, and Bianca is helping Rigoberto with the boys ages 3-8.

In the afternoon, I learned to cook buñuelos with Katherine, Itzel, and their mom. Buñuelos are fritters of a mainly Spanish origin. They are a popular snack in man Latin American countries, and are made differently across the world. In Nicaragua, they are made by deep frying yucca and cheese, then covered in honey/syrup.

I bought yucca from the garden and got cheese, oil, and cheese from a little store just up the street from their house. For a couple hours in the afternoon we prepared and cooked them, spending time joking and playing. We made way more than the four of us could "healthily" eat so we shared them with some neighbors and Consuelo's family.

Pastrana led evening service and Pastor Walter preached from 2 Timothy. Daniel and Rigoberto led worship on keyboard and drums. Yorlene and 2 of the older church members each sang a special. There was a baby dedication to close the service. We had all 100 chairs out of the bodega and a few benches in the back of the church setup for service, and almost all were filled with kids, youth, and adults.

Ana's Food Distribution

Saturday morning Ana Saravia, and the Leon team came out to distribute the food that she and her friends in Miami donated. 133 familes from 6 different communities received a bag of rice, beans, oil, and salt. It was done very orderly with the pastors calling the names of each person from their community that were put on lists earlier in the week. Each person dropped their ticket with the pastors as their name was called and crossed off. We had a table across the clinic entrance with 3 people working inside and 3 more outside. Walter opened the event with a prayer and Ana had some closing words. It was great to see the pastors and leadership put together such an orderly way for distributing.

In the evening service, Pastrana led church and Erick preached. Church attendance was around 40 people, with half of the congregation age 20 or under, which is normal numbers for about all non-Sunday services. Kervin led worship, as Daniel had a night off, after being in the village almost every day this week.

3rd Youth Service

We got out to Candelaria in the afternoon and I had a meeting with the youth leaders before starting our third night of Friday services. We all agreed that we are enjoying the small number, with interested and involved young people. Every week a few are sharing music, drama, or bible veres and we are rotating who shares the message.

We started with around 30, but dropped to around 20 once we got to worship and the message, which has been normal since changing to a more serious service. Daniel led worship with Kenia singing. Kervin, and 2 of his friends from Chichigalpa shared 3 Chrisitan rap specials.

Itzel shared a message on God as our father. With emphasis on how many of our young people have been abandoned by their fathers, and some by both parents , but once they accept God as their father he will be with them forever. She shared verses from Psalms and Romans. She also had a music video with scenes from Passion of the Christ, that was very moving. Yahaira closed the service with prayer.