Day Eight Recap

We left Chinandega at 7am, with Hamilton driving us south.  We stopped in Leon to pick up  Ricardo and continued south to Manague to visit Barb (and Cindy) in the hospital.  Barb looked great! Sitting up in bed. Smile on her face. Questions for us about LaJoya. I doubt the hospital has had a more pleasant patient, or a more caring, thorough BFF.  The last update we had was that the two of them would fly home on Monday with a contingency to have a visiting nurse meet them in Houston.

Then we continued south to Grenada, Nicaragua's oldest community.  We had lunch and then went to the top of a Cathedral for the view, even one-legged Ricardo and scared-of-heights Mary (Poppins) went to the top. Amazing view.

We stopped at the market at Masaya to leave some American money in the local economy.  A Mary Poppins wooden figurine was spotted, purchased and given to the real Mary Poppins of our team.  Just ask Mary for the story, or Jamie.

We are currently at the Aeropueto Managua waiting for our 12:40pm flight to Houston (and ran into some people from Faith Baptist Church in Adrian.)

Great trip. Ready to be home.

As we prepare to leave the hotel in Chinandega where we have stayed as we labored at LaJoya, we each have different emotions ...

This bit of writing from another source aptly describes our variety of feelings as we travel further and further away the little village of LaJoya, which in Spanish means "Jewell."

You're more precious than you know. What makes a gemstone so priceless? Rarity--whether from short natural supply, craftsmanship, or nostalgic or symbolic meaning--makes certain gems, stones and jewels precious. Thus the value of a stone depends on its existence, its form, and its context. Similarly, at birth you were given many valuable gifts, starting with your precious life that makes all of your experiences possible. Your form is another precious gift. This work of art, your exquisite physical body, possesses built-in processes and systems more detailed and astounding than will ever be fully known. Science cannot make a more perfect body. And you've been gifted with context--a living story that will take you on more adventures than any fiction writer could ever conceive. No one sees the world as you do. You alone synthesize all your experiences, and no one else has your particular vantage point. You may recall times filled with worries, fears and struggles, but you're here now, so you've prevailed. Through all your ups and downs, the worth of your existence has never altered.

God loves you ... to Nicaragua and back. 

Day Seven Recap

Our work has ended. We installed 1 skylight and 7 water filters ... through two rather torrential downpours.  Just before John talked about recycling, the sharing/teaching session with the women was disrupted by rain. But it was all good, and when 1pm came the children flooded into the little green church.  We taught them Jesus' "Fish for Breakfast" lesson, as we had with the women in the morning. The children gifted us with a special song at the end.

Kathy led us in an end-of-trip discussion, and encouraged us to think about the most significant way we can grow in God's will, including answering these questions:
1. What is my relationship with God at the present time?
2. What are my God given skills?
3. Where has God sent me?
4. What are my desires and dreams?
5. What are my limitations?

Regarding team member Barb, her surgery on Tuesday morning was successful, she is recovering and   can lift her legs.  She stood with a walker today for some rehab and her doctors were pleased.  She may be able to fly by Monday, with a nurse, provided by MOST.

Mary ended the day with devotions.  She shared with us about Charleton Heston, who was raised in northern Michigan. He was in over 100 films, including Moses and Ben Hur, passing away in 2008. Heston says his roles in both movies helped him to have a deeper respect for the Bible. The movie was based on the 1880 book, Ben Hur, where the main character was unjustly accused. Just as Hur went for the guy with the keys to the chains of all the rowing men in a sinking ship, so Jesus went for the key to our chains when he died on the cross.  Christ was alive in our hearts this week in LaJoya. Rev. 1:18 was the key verse.

Day Seven Begins

Today is our last day in the village. We plan to install 8 water filters and 2 skylights, as well as teach John 21 where Jesus appears to his disciples (discipulos) after the resurrection, on the beach and prepares fish for their breakfast. We will also talk with the women about safe water, kidney disease, eye health and any other inferior g questions they have.

Our substitute leader, Kathy, found out Deaconness Myra owned a sewing machine and didn't know how to use it. As a retired home ec teacher in Michigsn, Kathy was delighted to demonstrate and teach her how to use it by seeing a simple purse.  God brought those two women together at this time and place.

This morning Aubrey led our devotions. Together we will work today and as we end, will we remember the joys or difficulties? It is our choice as we end the work in LaJoya. John 14:6, Col 4:2.

Day Seven Begins

Today is our last day in the village. We plan to install 8 water filters and 2 skylights, as well as teach John 21 where Jesus appears to his disciples (discipulos) after the resurrection, on the beach and prepares fish for their breakfast. We will also talk with the women about safe water, kidney disease, eye health and any other inferior g questions they have.

Our substitute leader, Kathy, found out Deaconness Myra owned a sewing machine and didn't know how to use it. As a retired home ec teacher in Michigsn, Kathy was delighted to demonstrate and teach her how to use it by seeing a simple purse.  God brought those two women together at this time and place.

This morning Aubrey led our devotions. Together we will work today and as we end, will we remember the joys or difficulties? It is our choice as we end the work in LaJoya. John 14:6, Col 4:2.

Day Six Recap

Today was a productive water filtration day, with 17 installed in homes in LaJoya. With each installation, a member of our team trains the home owner in how to keep the filter clean, through back flushing it three times once a day. Pastor Marvin drove the team (8 people in the bed) down the dusty rut-filled dirt roads of the village, through puddles in his rickety 40-year-old small Toyota truck. One of the homes had 8 children living with mom and dad in a structure that had a thatch roof and black plastic walls.  The family was very gracious and appreciative of us delivering the water filter because they have no source of water at their home, but hauls it in 20-gallon jugs from the neighbor house.

Three skylights were installed today. It was challenging to install them because of the roof construction where the cross beams were not so strong.

The women gathered in the morning again, approx 15 of them.  They studied Jesus Washing Feet with Pastor Joel and then learned about safe food preparation, nutrition, dental hygiene and parasites.

The children also heard the foot washing story from the Bible, and acted it out. When we had one little boy play Jesus and wash Peter's feet, the children all giggled and were incredulous; "Jesus" did such a great job with the washing and was so gentle --- truly he has a humble spirit. Both the adults and children heard about this story of service, and were encouraged to emulate Jesus.

John led evening devotions with the thought of humility from "7 keys to hearing Gods voice."  His text was from Phil 2:1-2 -- being like-minded and one spirit, in humility consider others better than self. Look to others interest over your own. It takes a humble heart to hear God. Ask, seek, knock and God will reveal himself to those who humbly seek Him.  Pastor Marvin is a humble man, caring for his flock spread across two separate villages at the base of a volcano.  June and Sandy were praying for our team, and so we lifted them in prayer at the end of the day.

We stopped at a lumber yard and bought 8 concrete blocks ($5) so that we can build some rough bookshelves for the Spanish children's books (donated by Judy Rinkus), Bible/catechisms (purchased by the St. John's confirmation class offerings), Dios Te Ama picture books (purchased by the team) which we brought with us.

Ricardo our translator, lost his leg from the knee down in Feb. after a motorcycle accident.  He was our translator last year, so we have known him since October. He is a strong Christian believer, and has never asked "why" of God about loosing his leg. He is on crutches and wants a prosthetic and is signed up for one. Pray for him.

Day Six begins

Jamie led devos with psalm 90.

A Workers Prayer by Keith and Kristin Getty

More later.

Day Five Recap

We installed three skylights today, and Tom made his first ascent (subida) to a tin roof and straddled two planks to cut out a 12-inch by 6-inch hole and replace it with corrugated fiberglass; the home happened to be the local cooking school where today they were teaching cake-baking.  Meanwhile other team members installed 13 water filtration systems and trained the recipients in how to clean the Sawyer Water Filters; if used properly these filters will last ten years.  The recipients are always so delighted to receive these. Finally, a third group talked with adults about the Scripture from John where Jesus walks on water and discussed community-based health and hygiene.  In the afternoon a group talked with at least 70 children about the same Scripture and germs and proper hand washing.  They loved the craft, which involved a glue stick and Crayloa markers.

Tom led us in the evening devotions, with his text being Luke 10:1-5 & 16-21.  Jesus sent out workers two-by-two, saying "he who listens to you listens to me. He who rejects you rejects me." Jesus was described as being full of joy in this chapter, having established His church on earth.  Tom reminded us that here in LaJoya we are can install  water filters and skylights, but the important thing is that their names are written in the Book of Life. We closed with "We Praise You, Oh God."

The sad news of the day was when Barb tripped on an uneven step as she tried to protect a 4-year old boy from hurting himself.  She ended up with three fractured bones in her lower leg that needed immediate surgery, so traveled to Manuagua in the company of Cindy Pine, our MOST Minstry leader of the team (who speaks fluent Spanish and knows this area well) and Francisco from the Christian Mission in Chinandega, who is a native Nicaraguan.  She went to the modern Metropolitan hospital of Manuagua, where the doctors are American-trained. Please pray for a successful surgery and quick recovery, so she can return to Michigan soon (John Scobie says he wants her with us so that we can get through customs quickly.) 😉
As Pastor said, "We'll continue with our regularly-scheduled program."

Day Five Begins

As we begin our fifth day, we were led in a devotional by Barb Smith, who likes to garden.  "In the Garden" devo book provided a perfect devo thought for the 1612 Nicaragua team. Barb said she and her husband in 1968 moved to Pittsburg into a bungalow with an overgrown garden and instead of pulling it all out, they clipped it back and was gifted with a beautiful  garden the next spring.  "God wants us to be prolific, spreading seed around wherever we go.  Jesus will take what we give when we share our testimony (what Jesus has done in our lives) and use that encouragement we share with others.  We all have different talents and jobs in the body of Christ ... and here on this team ... so that as we share God's Good News in Word and deed, we will be doing God's work here on earth, in Gods "jewel" of LaJoya.

We appreciated the prayers of Nancy Griewahn and Tom Hansen (prayer coverage for us on Monday.) and the anticipated prayers of Fred Himm and Ed Caulkins (prayer coverage for the team on Tuesday.)  Our team lifts each St. John's prayer warrior up in prayer here in Nicaragua.  Thank you, Senders!

Day Four recap

Working at LaJoya today included first prepping buckets for water filters and then delivering 11 of them to homes, getting materials for skylights and installing 1 (Tom's first, but he wasn't on the roof, yet), teaching dehydration, diarrhea & fever tips with 15 women (and reading Spanish Scripture with them) and the most fun of the day was teaching 60 eager children (about Jesus and the Samaritan woman and dental hygiene) who loved, loved, loved the parachute play after our work was done.  It was loud in that little green church Monday afternoon.

Cindy, our very capable team leader from MOST, led our devotional time after dinner at the hotel. The Colossians 2 passage Pastor shared  on day one inspired her to Luke 14 and The Road To Emmaus.  The disciples were kept from recognizing Jesus.  She talked about how St John's is "walking alongside" the people of Nicaragua, not giving out "junk for Jesus" but to "walk alongside" the people.

Cindy said she has learned that short term mission work can be effective or it can be ineffective.  As long as we walk alongside the people of LaJoya, we can be very effective ... and that is just what we are doing.

The song we sang to close  our devotional time was "In Christ Alone" by Keith Getty.

Cindy then summarized for us the Spanish sermon we heard Pastor Marvin preach on Sunday. God made man on the 6th day and was told to enjoy. Man did not set aside the 6th day or a 10th of his income. That is just foolish. We need to be reminded we are God's creation.  Only God is the one and only true God. Romans 6:3  ... We are baptized into Christ. Just as a caterpillar eats thru the leaf and it dies, so we too die without the living Word of God.

Highlights from today:
Working with the children who know no English
A translator is a lawyer taking time off for this ministry
Amazed at how happy the people of LaJoya are with so little in the way of material processions
Great respect for a woman who has a completely immobile small child who needs 24/7 care ... a baptized child who sat in nearly 100 degree weather, being ministered to by Pastor Marvin who sat on the edge of her bed (on the porch) and swept the flies away as he sang her name to her.
Meeting a pastor at the Christian Mission in Chinandega who cares for the garden that helps the budget for the Chistian Mission.
Seeing how the older kids take care of the younger ones.

Our able skylight installation leader, Jose plans to have his son, 17-year-old Jeff, join our team one day this week. Jeff is at university in Chinandega. Jose is expecting baby 5 next month.

A wonderful day in LaJoya with a team that has been united in purpose, in Christ, in hot weather.

Day four begins

As Monday dawns on Nicaragua, we prepare for rhe work in LaJoya.

Dawn led us in the morning devos.  Phil 4:4-9 was her text.

Final Exhortations...

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Our pre-trip Bible studies three times touched on these verses, so Dawn wanted to remind us of what we learned. Easy to rejoice NOW, but as we go into the hard, hot work with people and language issues, we should rejoice.  We are working FOR the people of LaJoya, being gentle and allowing them to learn and come to their own conclusions  we need to not be anxious, as we are in their church, on their roofs, in their homes.  We need not be anxious about the water and food, the language barrier, the results of our work.  So how do we do it?  Pray.  Let our anxieties and worries be shaped into prayer.  Be thankful for our blessings. There are so many more blessings than anxieties.  

Pray your worries into prayers. 

Shalvah -- the relaxed stance that God is in control and loves me.  We will focus on this today. 

Ricardo, Patricia and Keykoll are our interpreters for the day. 

Day Three recap

Worship reflections ... Singing hymns in Spanish from their hymnal, with a keyboard accompaniest was inspirational. El Senor Es mi luz and A nadir amare como a Cristo were the two hymns which we sang with great gusto.  😀 The keyboard was new from last year. We were told that The Lutheran Hour is working to bring music to Luthersn worship services in Nicaragua by providing a keyboardist , Marco Antonio, to the LaJoya church and three others. Marco not only plays and leads worship on Sundays, but offers lessons to the children. We heard Giselle (Pastor Marvin's oldest daughter) play one of the songs after worship, and were duly impressed. The Nicaraguans are doing such a wonderful job in bringing glory to God through their love, service and generous spirit.

After worship we drove 20 miles to the Pacific coast for lunch and a dip in the ocean.

Now we prepare for Monday's work

Worship in LaJoya was very meaningful, with the texts being:
Eccl. 1:2 & 2:18-26
Col. 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21 (read in Spanish by Pastor Marvin and in English by Pastor Sarrault)

We sang with the 75-person congregation out of their blue Spanish hymnal

More later.

Day Three Begins

After our hotel breakfast of Gallo Pinto (spotted rooster, which is actually rice and beans) and eggs & ham with dry toast, Alysia led us in devotions before we drive out to LaJoya for church with our sisters and brothers in Christ at the little green church at the end of the dirt road.

The text for our devo was Luke 22:42. Not my will but Yours be done.

Whether we run into minor or major problems, whether we feel like we are taking a leap in the dark, whether it appears we are doing little of significance ... We can (and should) trust God to work out His will in our work for Him. We may not see the fruit of our labor in LaJoya but God knew beforehand why we came and we can rest assured that God will use it for His will. Alysia expressed some frustrations with seeing things not as she had expected and took comfort in God's Word, and the meditation she read in "Walking with God."

Morning and evening devotions led by each of our team members is so meaningful here in Nicaragua. Beyond the work and relationships, it is faith-strengthening for the team. Thank you, Senders (and Prayers) for your partnership in this ministry.

"Buen Provecho" - said after a meal to the one who provided it.

Team meeting on Day One in Managua. 

John points out Lajoya on his map. 

If you look closely, you'll see the location of Lajoya at about 1/3 up in the middle of this map. 

Day Two

What a delight to return to Lajoya today.  It's the rainy season, so things look different than last October; more vegetation and more trash in the streets. Tom, a teen, noticed some of the fence posts were sprouting. 🤔  We spent a few hours in the  200-person village at the base of Volcan Cristobol this afternoon, assembling the baptismal font, repairing a wTer filtration at deaconess Myra's home and being warmly greeted by the women and children and Pastor Marvin.  Aubrey, our other teen, made friends with Jaylin and Elizabeth and a few other girls who held her hands as they walked around. Smiles replaced words as the language barrier didn't prevent friendships from developing.

We returned to the hotel in Chinandega and Mary led a devotion on eagles wings, with some lovely singing. We retired early to be ready for Sunday worship in Lajoya.

Prayers are appreciated, that we are effective workers in Gods kingdom, that forecasted rain would not prevent our work and that we'd have safety as we travel back and forth.

July 30, 2016 

I apologize for not posting more photos to the blog. It seems to be hit or miss with the ability to do this, so if you have access to Facebook please check the posts by Jamie Anderson, Alysia Masters, Joel Sarrault or John Scobie for photos. 

We are traveling from Managua as a team, accompanied by Francisco, a liaison from the Nicaraguan Lutheran church, and being driven by Hamilton in a 16-passenger van with all of our luggage loaded on the top and roped into place. It is 135 kilometers from the capital city of Managua to the city of Chinandega, the third largest city in Nicaragua. We have driven through Leon, the second largest city. If you looked at a map, you would see our route is northerly, roughly following the same direction as the Pacific Ocean, which is about 5-10 miles to the west. How long do you think a 135 kilometer drive should take on a lovely Saturday morning? As we dodged a gas semi driving in our lane, slowed for biblicists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, street vendors and the had a young man come out in the street to wash our clean van window,

we slowly made our way safely north in a bit over 3.5 hours. Oh, we did need a potty break so invaded a gas station convince store and bought a few different brands of plantain chips to do some taste testing. Cindy shared her peanuts and John his bag of "Chicharroner con Limon y Sal" pellets de Harina de Trigo (pork rinds.) Tom tried his first Nicaraguan candy bar.  Hamilton engaged in the local custom of flashing his lights at oncoming traffic if there had been a police car he'd passed. 

Haggai 2:7-11 was John's text for our morning devotions.

Why come on a mission trip to Nicaragua? The friendships, the work God has called us to here, going into all the world.  We need to care for the ministry at home as well as those around the world, including the little green church in Lajoya and their ministry to their impoverished neighbors.

Pray as we return and give/receive hugs ... to prepare the week of work in these neighborhoods.

Thank you to our prayer warriors from St. John's, including Tom and Linda yesterday, and Margie and John today.

Candi, Ella, Sandy, Nancy, randy  ... Thank you also for what you did to be Senders for us as Goers.

Francisco arrived as John led our devo time. What a delight to see a familiar amigo.

Buenos Dios, Amigos en Ustados Unidos.

Day two starts with a Nicaraguan breakfast (desayuno) at 7am here at the Best Western. We arrived at 9:30pm Friday night just as a team which had ministered in Leon, Nicaragua, was leaving the hotel for a midnight flight to Houston. That will be us next Friday night.

Today Francisco from Lutheran Church Nicaragua will meet us at 8am and we will travel via van to Chinandega and then to the village of Lajoya. Mary's very talented husband, Randy, constructed a Nicaraguan-style baptismal font that we will piece together today at the little green church at the base of a Volcano.

We have arrived in Managua!  Staying at motel across from airport. Head out to Chinandega Saturday morning for day two.

First airplane rides for our two teenage members. 

"This is fun," said Tom. 

"Where do I put this bag?" wonders Aubrey. 

Day one - flying

DTW United counter on Friday morning. Checked bags are full of water filters, tools, light bulbs, soccer balls & playground balls, a play parachute, health materials, coloring pages, reading books, Spanish Bibles and clothes for our 11person team.

United got us to Houston 20 minutes early.  Yeah.  We are finishing lunch and waiting for our 6pm flight.

The team is sitting at the Detroit airport waiting for our noon flight to Houston. We have a four hour layover before our light to Managua, Nicaragua ... Which is in the central time zone.

Joel led us in an airport devotion about encouragement, challenging us to think of ways to encourage each other and encourage our friends in Lajoya, even if we speak limited Spanish.

Colossians 2:2 & 6-7

Traveling to Nicaragua

All of our bags are packed.  The team leaves Friday morning from DTW.  Pray for us as we travel through Houston to Managua, Nicaragua on July 30.  We'll update the blog as we travel, work and rest.

Well, what a relief. The forecast calls for cooler temps while we are in Nicaragua, crawling on roofs to install simple skylights, teaching health/hygiene and Bible under the shade of a tree and walking the dusty streets of LaJoya to install  simple water filtration devices.  It is 100 there currently.  Only 95 and thunderstorms forecast when we begin our work on Monday.

Current weather forecast in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

 

Current weather forecast in Adrian, Michigan, USA.

Oral Rehydration Spoons (ORS)

Oral Rehydration Spoons (ORS) are simple but effective tools in restoring health.  The spoons have two different sized ends; one for sugar and one for salt.  When these amounts of sugar and salt are combined with clean water, a sustainable home-based solution is created for dehydration, a leader killer of children in the developing world.  ORS usage is one of the lessons our team will teach in Nicaragua in just two weeks, with spoons being given out to families who attend the Health Education classes. 

2016 Lajoya, Nicaragua Mission Team photos

Tom, Mary, Barb, Alysia, Aubrey, Dawn, Joel, John, Jamie

 You can help the people of La Joya, Nicaragua, by bringing to St. John's Lutheran Church bars of soap, combs, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Our Missions Team will take the items along when we go to serve the community July 29 through August 6. You may bring your donations to St. John's Lutheran church, 3448 N. Adrian Hwy. Adrian, MI.

Jesus Loves Me in Spanish

Click on this image to see the lyrics to a beloved children's Bible song in Spanish.

Our missions team from St. John's Lutheran Church in Adrian, Michigan, is headed back to the little village of LaJoya in Nicaragua.  As we partner with MOST Ministries, we bring the hope of Christ to a poverty-stricken area that is served by a wonderful little Lutheran church and Pastor Marvin, a native son. Our 2nd annual trip is planned for July 29 through August 6.  Please pray as we prepare to serve them, that we meet their needs and share the Gospel through word and deed.