Waking up to a [former] Marine Drill Instructor, Donald, continues to challenge us on a day-to-day basis. Today’s agenda of serving the Lord’s call to service consisted of giving our testimonies over the radio, continuing construction on a church, visiting another local school, and providing service and a meal for an entire village.
As is the case every day, we are blessed to be given a wonderful breakfast to give us the energy to serve our Lord. Following breakfast, four missionaries and our resident musician, Keith, venture to the local radio station. In today’s case, however, we encountered issues with power for the radio station, thus delaying our transmission until later in the evening. With the help of the translators on staff for Because We Care Ministries, our message of testament is heard throughout the Somotillo area. With this, everyone with a radio, even those on the mountaintop, can hear us and become inspired.
Construction continued on the church at a village located over twenty minutes from the Casa de Shelly. Today’s venture consisted of picking up various supplies including red paint for the steelwork and gasoline to help run the generator for welding purposes. Our trip also brought to the workers four bags of concrete, a wheelbarrow, and a few shovels. With our help the people in the village will have a physical location to worship the lord.
SCHOOL STORY
The women went to the Special Needs school and found that the teachers were training and the students left school early. We were disappointed but we’ll return tomorrow.
After a long ride down a bumpy dirt road we spotted a child that ran out of the school (Casa Blanca) we came to. The little boy ran inside. When he returned, many came out of the building and were jumping up and down. We knew we were in the right place. One even rode her bicycle out to make sure we knew where to walk. The children were so polite, smiling and absorbing every word we were saying. We made bracelets, gave supplies to the teacher, sang songs, played soccer and introduced the children to kite flying. So fun and we were so blessed.
Later in the afternoon we visited a village approximately twenty minutes from the Casa de Shelly. There we provided many activities for the youth such as coloring books, face painting, nail painting, and even ball launching with a ‘caramellow,’ (candy) reward for those whom caught the ball. Soon we began a cotton candy challenge, and also handed our cotton candy to the village. Finally, dinner was served from the soup bowl, which fed most of the villagers.
What can be most difficult, yet can be the most rewarding, is when our missionaries throw candy, toys, clothing, soap, and various supplies to the villagers on the side of the road. Although it may feel as if we are degrading them, they greatly benefit from our seemingly small donations. As is always the case, no matter how much we collect to donate to them, we often run out of supplies, leaving many villagers without anything to have.
Above all, we are so blessed each day with the people in Nicaragua! God is so good! We are humbled!
