David and I, along with Efraim, Martha and their three kiddos headed up to Somoto, a little city near the Honduras boarder.

Map of Nicaragua

We went to visit Antonio, Patricia from San Marcos’ brother and the congregation that he leads. We’ve helped the congregation purchase chairs and donated funds for one of their gospel meetings, so it was nice to meet the members there, who were very loving. Efrain taught a seminar on the family that was great - though I thought it was very rude of him to step on all of my toes and point out all of the areas I need to improve in! =) It really was a super class, and I’ll summarize it for you in another post.

After lunch we had some free time, and we wanted to visit the Somoto Canyon. We thought it would be easy, since it’s supposedly a tourist stop and there were signs on the highway, but it wasn’t. At one entrance, the truck couldn’t go past the road because it was so muddy (if only we’d had the Land Cruiser!) so you had to walk a kilometer in the mud to get to it. At another entrance, you could drive up to a national park, pay to get in, pay for a guide (so you didn’t die lost in the wilderness), pay to cross the river, pay to cross it again, and finally make it to the canyon. Oh, and then you got to do it all over again on the way back. Sounded like a “let’s take all of the tourists’ money” scheme, so we decided against, which was disappointing. We did get to go to a lookout point and see the city of Somoto, so that was nice.

Somoto was a beautiful city. It had nice wide roads and was very clean. It had a beautiful park in the center that was actually a park with lots of plants and benches and shade just to sit and enjoy.

After our free time David taught class at the special service they held to honor their mothers. He taught on Psalms 31:10-31 about the value of the virtuous woman and did a great job.

After services the men treated the ladies to a meal they cooked just for them. None of us got sick, so I guess it was ok!

I had lots of fun teaching kid’s class this Sunday. We only had about 15 kids (up from 6 though, so that’s good), but I was really excited that the kids were there on time! That means they’re excited.

Kid's Class

Saturday night we had services at Julio’s house, and two of the neighbor girls who visited at VBS were there and we are best-friends! They kept asking about what we were going to do in class the next day, were the other ladies going to be there, etc. The pressure was on for a great class!

Creation Days Bulletin Board

Since the college group made a bulletin board with the days of creation as decoration, I decided to start there, so we talked about the first day when God made light. We made sun memory verses out of paper plates (with glitter and everything!). Then we played a game with cutouts of different objects and they had to decide if they were used for light or dark (like sunglasses, candles, etc). Then we played another game where one kid had to cover his eyes while one of the other kids moved seats. Then we all shouted “Let there be light” (but in Spanish, of course) and the kid had to guess who moved…except that I couldn’t get the other kids to realize it was just one who was supposed to move, so it ended up being two or three kids who traded places, and the game was a little more challenging, but we all had fun.

I was thinking about how here in Nicaragua we have so many kids who come to church without their parents or at least leave their house before their parents do and get to services on time! Schools here are super boring - generally speaking. They copy off the board into notebooks, so it’s easy to get kids excited about class because we do fun crafts and hands-on activities. I’m going to make sure we take advantage of this opportunity here in Matagalpa!

The team from San Marcos that came up to help us in Matagalpa was in charge of the class part of VBS.  Cruz led singing and everyone was used for the skits.  They decided none of the Nicaraguans were tall enough to make an impressive Goliath, so Jim got that job, and he played it well!  The next day when the ladies were reviewing and mentioned Goliath all of the kids turned around to point Jim out.

Goliath Skit

The kids made David and Goliath puppets and painted t-shirts.  I tried very hard to remain calm, even when trying to direct 45 kids to the next center!

Puppets and T-shirts

All of the ladies worked together to make the congregational meal on Saturday.

Cooking for Congreational Meal

I thought this was a great picture of all of the ladies from San Marcos who came up to Matagalpa to help us and the ladies from the states!

VBS ladies

I can’t believe it’s over.  He’s the group as we head off for the airport.

2009 Edmond Mission Group

I have to admit I feel sorry for them having to go back to regular work.  I get to have this much fun everyday!!  On the way to the airport one of the guys asked what we do during a regular week.  I could tell him what David does - visitation, class/sermon planning, Bibles studies, etc., but couldn’t think of what I did - I’ve spent so much time planning these two trips over the past few months I haven’t had time for much else!  I’m ready to get back to “normal” - teaching kids class, ladies class and visiting members!

I put some more pictures up in the May album from the college mission trip, and in June for the adult trip.

Severiana's House - Before

Severiana's House - After

The mission team didn’t quite get done with Severiana’s house, so David and group from church went over today to finish up - they just had to nail on the walls - it will look the same as Isaura’s when it’s done, just bigger!

Isaura's House - Before

Isaura's House - After

Isaura was so excited about her house!  Saturday during our congregational meal she couldn’t wait to tell me all about it!

Look at the gallery to see the projects in progress.

We had a great trip with the group from Edmond this past week.  The guys split up into two teams to do some home improvements (really building new homes) for two of the members.  We had five guys from San Marcos that the group worked with last year come up and help us with the projects which included new posts, new roofs, cement floors and new walls.

Isaoura's home before picture

We also held VBS for the kids in Matagalpa.  This was the first activity of its kind here, and we were excited to have 29 kids the first day, 35 on day two and 45 on day three.  We had 5 ladies from San Marcos come to help us with the activities and teach the Matagalpa ladies how things are run and organized.  We were so blessed to have them, though they worked so hard we had a bit of down time the first few days!

Kyle jump roping with kids before VBS

VBS Matagalpa

Carolina also held a teachers seminar for the Matagalpa ladies and taught them how to prepare a class, fun craft ideas and new songs.

When we finished up in Matagalpa we headed to San Marcos to participate in Sunday service and hold VBS for one day there.  We had about 200 kids and it went great!  I was pleasently surprised at how smoothly everything went and how well behaved all of the kids were.

I was just thinking about what a great week this will be!! First we have lots of friends from Edmond who are coming to see us (and do some work too, but I like to think the real reason they come is to see us), and then we have 10 friends from San Marcos who are coming to help out with the VBS and work projects. Plus we have the friends we work with here that will be helping out. It’s like a big reunion! And we get to teach and practice a little of God’s Word too! Can’t get better than that!

We sent the college group off yesterday. We had a really great time with them and hope they make it back to Nicaragua some time! On Monday we had our day off, so we visited Volcano Masaya, an active volcano, actually several volcanos. It was very smoky, and I tried to get everyone to practice the emergency drill (crawling under the cars - as if that would help), but no one was game. We also went zip lining, which I wasn’t sure I was going to do, but I did and I had fun (though it took be about three lines to decide it really was fun!). We also took some time to shop in Masaya’s tourist market and got some great deals on hammocks.

Now I just have to get ready for the next group - Tuesday is coming up fast!!

David and I have been enjoying a wonderful week with the college group from Edmond. We started the week off running! The team was scheduled to arrive at 8pm, but it seems several other flights were also arriving about that time, so they didn’t make it through customs and out of the airport until 10:30. We then had to divide up the student school supplies goody bags we were to give out the next day. That got us to bed about 12:30!

On Wednesday morning we drove to Matagalpa and headed over the the school. The group gave away the care packages to very excited kids, performed a few skits about perseverance, hygiene and safety, and then spent some time playing with the students. There was a pretty serious game of soccer and tug of war, but no injuries, luckily. Wednesday evening the guys played in concrete as they put stucco on the kid’s classroom and the girls got the family care packages ready (that meant dividing up beans, rice and sugar into bags).

Thursday we worked on the stucco again and in the afternoon we visited a school for the handicapped. They performed their skits again (which the kids loved!) and gave away the care packages of food, soaps and vitamins. Everyone there was very thankful, and the teachers said they had never received that type of blessing before.

Friday we worked on the kids class all day. We were putting a fine layer of cement over the thick layer we applied the days before, and we all tried to do it just like Jimmy, our foreman, but we just didn’t have the technique (or strength). So he threw the cement on and it was our job to sponge it smooth and mix cement. Jimmy wowed us all by doing a whole wall in just 36 minutes and then picking up a 200 pound sack of sand all by himself when the guys were struggling to pick it up between two!

Saturday we had a fun day painting. We painted each wall a different color - blue, yellow, green, and purple with a pink boarder. It looks great and the kids were very excited to see it this morning. We worked until about 1:00 and then headed to Selva Negra to hike in the coffee plantation. It was beautiful and we got to see some monkeys. Tiffany King got a great recording of the monkeys that were right above her and David, so hopefully I can get that and put it on here.

Sunday we had a fun day at the church. Services were followed by a congregational meal and a few games so we could all get to know each other.

Hopefully I’ll get some pictures up soon!

We are so excited that the college group will be joining us on Tuesday. Yikes! Gotta go work…
Just kidding, I’m all ready…I think.
We are very excited to have had two baptisms in the past few weeks. A young lady, Yajaira (try saying that!), decided to become a Christian last Thursday. She is super sweet, and has already joined our singing class! Last Sunday a fallen away member decided to reconcile with the Lord, and his son, Jordan, decided to become a Christian. Please keep these two in your prayers.
We had services at our house last night. Each Saturday we have services in different member’s houses. I didn’t think many would come because it was raining pretty hard, but we had about 20.

We finished up the gospel meeting this past Friday and were blessed to have 12 baptisms.  We also made a lot of contacts.  One evening we had over 75 visitors at the meeting!!

Baptism in Apanas

This past Sunday we had great attendance!!  We usually about about 50-55 people in attendance in morning and evening services, and this Sunday we had 59 at morning services only with at least 15 more in the evening!  We are excited that members are coming more regularly and that more kids are getting involved in kids class.  I’m sure the mission trips will help boost our spirits even more!

Tuesday we travelled to San Marcos because the ladies asked me to teach kids class.  We talked about “The Grace of God that Enables Us to Live a Full Life” from Titus 2:11-12.  First that God’s grace teaches us to deny ungodly and worldly lusts, or basically to stop sinning (Gal 5:19-21).  Then that grace teaches us how to live with ourselves (sober), with others (righteous) and with God (godly).  Sober means we have self-control and won’t allow ourselves to be influenced by the world (1 Jn 2:15-17).  It means we have a great relationship with ourselves - are content with ourselves.  Righteous means how we treat, serve, relate and interact with others correctly.  Godly means we live a life of service dedicated to God and that are lives are constant worship and praise of God.  Titus 2:13 explains that letting God’s grace teach us these things and work in our lives helps us maintain the hope of heaven.

I love teaching in San Marcos because everyone comments and talks so much.  When I was done Carolina said “is that it?” so I said, “Well, any more comments” and we talked for another 10 minutes.  It seems that the week before they received a lesson about the hope of salvation and so we talked about how the two tied together.

A couple of days ago our computer just wouldn’t turn on.  This happened a while back and we got a new cord in January.  So we packed it up and took it to the shop.  The lady tried it with her cord and it worked, so she went to test the cord.  You know printer cords have a cable that goes from the printer to the box and then another for the box to the wall outlet.  Last time it was the box, this time the cable.  So the lady says “Let me see if I have another.”  And I’m thinking that’d be great, but it’s a little odd she’s doing it, because they have super checks and balances and usually she has to write up a sheet and someone else looks for it and then you go to someone else to pay for it and then to someone else to pick it up.  She only had the one that she used to test the printer, and she said, “We’ll use this one, it doesn’t matter.”  So we were packing up and David asked what we owed, and she said nothing!  She just gave it to us.  That was so nice, and great, because I have a lot of t I need to do for VBS!!