“Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” Colossians 3:23

Words can’t describe the work God has been doing here in at the school in Kiamaiko, tears come to my eyes as I think about ever moment we have spent with these kids and the community in the slums. Today was one of the hardest days of the trip by far, we came to Kiamaiko for our farewell. Our work here is done for the moment but we know God is not finished. We arrived to the school this morning and the children of Kiamaiko had prepared a farewell ceremony for us! They sang the worship songs we had taught them during our time here and it was the most amazing thing to see community surround the gates of the school! As this was all going on there was a Muslim prayer time going on just outside of the school and right when Mary Kamau came up to give her vision of the future for Kiamaiko the sun beamed and it was evident God had our favor! It was beautiful to be right there in God’s presence in the midst of a Muslim populated area. I am so blessed to be a part of this vision and to see where God is going to take Kiamaiko!

The hardest part of today was getting ready to get onto the bus to leave and the kids were just in tears. There was one boy Kevin who had his head face down on his desk just sobbing and I looked at him and just smiled and he ran to my arms and I just lost it. It amazes me how much we have had an impact on these kids but even more so they have had an impact on us. Words can’t describe how blessed we have been to spend all this time with the kids, teachers and the community. I know God is at work and these kids are going to do incredible things throughout their community because of their love for Jesus!  We are seeing a Muslim populated area coming to know Jesus because these kids are being a light for Him! Please be in prayer as God is going to do bigger and greater things!

In His Name,

Katelyn Radford

Today was such an incredible day. For the second year, I have been able to spend the week with my sponsor son Bryan. On the first day in Kiamaiko I brought Bryan his gift of a backpack with books, hot wheels, a frisbee, coloring books and crayons. He lit up so much to have a gift to himself. Not only did I get this moment with Bryan, but I was able to share it with my mom and meet Bryan’s brother Kevin. Throughout the following three days I spent every moment that I could with the two of them. I loved getting to know them. They are so smart and amazing.

After three days finally the day came to say goodbye. I thought I was doing fine until it came time to say goodbye to Kevin and he began crying in his class. Then I go to get Bryan and he begins crying too. My heart was broken not knowing when I would see them again, but I have this amazing feeling; because of the work going on in this school, my boys will grow up knowing who their savior, so if I don’t see then again here, I know I will see then in Heaven.

I am blessed to be here with this team. We leave in the morning for safari and I cant wait! Thanks for all your prayers!

-Brooke Conlin

This place has been absolutely life changing!!! I can’t imagine any of us leaving here the same. For me the experience has been full of eye opening and humbling scenarios. One of which included a day of Bring the Light where went out into the local community of Kiamaiko to share the Word of God. The first shanty I went to was with a 70 year old woman who recently lost her daughter and because of it was raising her four grandchildren. She was already a believer and we got the opportunity to pray and encourage her. After I left I kind of had a sense of unfulfillment wondering if we really had any sort of impact. That night God gently reminded me of the current season i am in which is that I actually live with a grandmother who is also raising her four grandchildren. The heavy look upon the woman in that shanty is the same I see in the grandmother that I live with. I think God was reminding me that the light of encouragement that we gave that old woman was the same I need to bring home. God says to take care of the widows and orphans and not only have we had numerous chances to do that here but we also have an amazing opportunity to bring it home in abundance and that is what I want to do. I have been so blessed to get a glimpse of Gods aching heart for this community and one of my biggest prayers is that we all leave here with much bigger hearts!!

Amy

Hi guys, so this has been one adventure so far. This is my second time being in Kenya and it didn’t make it easier but God opened up my eyes to so many things that I was completely blind to in America. We have spent our last three days in Kiamiako, which is a school for younger children. It is also where I met my sponsor kid, Josephine and she is a beautiful light to my day. Seeing her brought me to reality knowing that this girl along with many others have a hope for their future because of our hope partnership and because we have listened to God’s calling when he says every tribe and every nation. They have hope. Not only do they have hope, but an unbelievable amount of joy even though they have nothing materially they worship God with a raw passion that I have yet to see in the United States. In Kiamiako there is a gate surrounding the school and all the outside kids aren’t allowed in, but a challenge was given to us to interact with those children, so I did. God opened my eyes abundantly during this time because you could tell these kids were usually ignored, but day after day they would all my name and it brought tears to my eyes knowing that something so small as holding a child’s hands on the outside of a gate or teaching them a song could instill hope into their lives. If I were given one God given purpose on this trip to give hope to children on the outside of a fence I would be beyond blessed.

Love, Elisabeth (:

“So long fare well to you my friends, goodbye for now until we meet again.” That was the song that rang through Kiamaiko today, as we said goodbye to our beautiful friends. This week I was blessed to meet the child that my boyfriend and I sponsor. The whole experience was an emotional roller coaster, one that I wouldn’t trade for the world. The first two days I spent with her she had been super timid and kind of scared of me which was expected, but still pretty difficult to experience. Finally today when I first saw her she actually smiled at me, and waved, needless to say I was overjoyed. She sat on my lap throughout the farewell ceremony and the whole time she sat and played with my hands, studying them, holding them, counting my fingers. One of the times that we prayed she started to play with my hair, for those who know me, my hair is pretty big, perfect distraction for a 5 yr old. We danced together, sang together and finally the words I had been waiting for, ” I love you Melissa”. I was a mess trying to fight back the tears, and at last I had to take her back to class and say my goodbyes. As we loaded the bus and were driving out I prayed “Lord please let me see her face once more time.” We pulled away I saw her stick her little head out her classroom door with the biggest smile and wave goodbye. “So long farewell to you my friend, goodbye for now until we meet again.” Key words, until we meet again, I have to remember this is not goodbye, just see you later, maybe not on this earth, but definitely with our Father in heaven.

-Melissa

Faith, hope and love; words that can only begin to describe the components of my experiences over the past week in Kenya. Upon preparation and arrival in Kenya, I was completely unprepared for the life changing journey I was about to take part in.

FAITH: God is truly doing a work in Kenya that He wants those who He has called to take part in. All we have to do is continue to dream, as team member Danette Conlin says, “larger than life, and in living color.” We must also put our faith and trust in Him, knowing that he can do things that our little, boxed-in minds could never dare to imagine. As we see parts of new school facilities being erected, we see our dreams, Mary and Wallace Kamau’s dreams, and above all, God’s dreams begin to unfold.

HOPE: During our stay at the Kiamaiko center, we were able to go out into the surrounding community as a team and “Bring the Light” to various homes; this included installing skylights into the shanties and sharing the Word of God with the families. Being that the surrounding community composed of a majority of Muslims, my first trip out seemed rather hopeless. However, God began to change my view as soon as we entered the first home. The Holy Spirit moved in the hearts and minds of the team as we began to pray with an amazing Muslim woman in her dark home. As the light of the Word began to consume her heart, the sunlight began to flood into the room through the skylight; it was then that God showed me the hope He had for the Kiamaiko community.

LOVE: A common thread that has continuously woven my experiences in Kenya together has been the love of the students, teachers, as well as citizens that I have come into contact with. From the moment we walked into the first school we visited, I felt showered in a love that I could only identify as Christ’s. The love that fills the walls of the Mission of Hope schools around Kenya is a love that can easily be contracted, and when contracted, fills one with a joy inexpressible. After visiting Pangani, Joska, and Kiamaiko I have been reinvigorated by this joy and will forever see His love in a new and beautiful light.

Sitting in a chair, my feet upon the fresh Kenyan dirt, listening to the children of Kiamaiko singing at the top of their lungs in adoration of Christ, I had faith in the future of an African continent being won over with the love of Christ. Looking across the wall at a dilapidated building and hearing the Muslim call to prayer broadcasted across tin shanties, I was reminded of the Muslim women of Kiamaiko; however, after my new found faith, I had hope that those Muslim women would sacrifice their current situation to find the love of Christ. As I said goodbye to my sponsor child, Derrick, tears streaming down his face, I saw the love relationship that we had developed through our common love for Christ. A friend and I were discussing our experiences earlier this evening and she shared with me a beautiful analogy: “when I left America I was blue, when I arrived in Africa, I began to share with people who were yellow. When their yellow blood of Christ mixed with my blue blood of Christ, the combination of the common bond of Christ’s blood turned me green, and I will never be the same again.”

In His love,

Haley Rose Talbert

Today was our third and final day of putting on VBS at Kiamaiko. We spent time with hundreds of children and were able to worship with them, perform puppet shows, play games, and so much more. Over the past few days we have been showered with so many blessings. It is so amazing to see the power of God and what He has done both through and to us. We have traveled thousands of miles to come and love on people and to share the Word, and we come into it thinking about how much we will be able to pour into them. What you don’t realize though is how much more the people you visit actually pour into you. It is so inspiring to be in a country in such a poor economic state, yet see smiling faces everywhere you go. To look around at buildings, cars, and trash and see such a depressing environment but when you look at people you can see kindness, hope, and love. When you see those things, that is when you really get a sense of who God is and what kind of a difference he can make in a persons life.  Whether it’s finding water, having food, or having shelter, the people in this country face difficult struggles on a daily basis. Yet you never hear a complaint and you never hear whining. People put their trust in the Lord and wait upon Him for everything.

It really has been such a humbling experience to be here with all of these wonderful people and to have an opportunity to fellowship with them. The children will not be forgotten, and a little bit of all of them will surely be taken home in the hearts of all of our team members.

With a joyful heart,

Alex

My morning started with getting the chance to meet 80-year-old Yessenia who has lived in the slums for over 40 years making soap. She sang Amazing Grace for our whole team which was an amazing way to begin our day. I got the chance to help in snack for VBS at Kiamaiko, which was awesome. I love how grateful the kids are and how much joy the have for the simple things in life. One thing that I look forward to every day is seeing my sponsor child Anthony’s huge smile and getting to hold him. Once again I got the chance to go out into the slums and bring the light along side Joe, Carey, and Kehlie. We visited an 18-year-old girl Regina who was orphaned at age 5 and now has a 7month old baby of her own. Sadly her landlord would not allow us to install the sunlight in her dark home but after talking and praying with her for over an hour she decided to give her life to Christ. It’s been hard for me to see the horrible conditions these children live in but you can definitely see God is moving through out the slums of Nairobi. To all of our family back home, we love and miss you!

Logan Coleman Duarte

Kenya Blog 5

God definitely had a plan when he put Wallace and Mary Kamau together. Mary had the vision to see the children of the slums of Nairobi have a place to go to receive an education, to be fed, to receive medical attention, and to learn about Jesus by faithful, loving teachers. Wallace had a vision to bring communities together by teaching them about Jesus and planting churches in the most poverty stricken areas, churches that would show the love and compassion of Jesus, encouraging the hopeless to have hope. Missions of Hope International along with Christian Missionary Fellowship are an incredible partnership blessing the lives of so many.

It is such a wonderful blessing for me to see the work being done here in person. I have been dedicated in seeing the sponsorship of the 500 children Crossroads Church sponsors in the Kaimaiko Slum. Words cannot even describe the poverty here. Kaimaiko is mostly Muslim, yet the Muslim’s are seeing the good works that the Christian community is providing for them. We love them and their children and are bringing light into the darkness of their small shanties.

Yesterday I was able to be part of sharing the word with a 22-year-old Muslim woman who has 2 brothers that attend the Kaimaiko School.  We went into her small shanty that was pitch black. It is a very frightening feeling to walk into such darkness where you cannot even see your hand in front of your face, and to be in such a small space that is hot and stuffy, knowing there is an ally full of Muslims just outside, and you aren’t sure if they are angry that you are visiting one of their Muslim sisters.

Her name was Nasibo; she heard our testimony and the message of Jesus and said she wanted to become a Christian. Nasibo prayed the believer’s prayer and we embraced her as our new sister in Christ. It broke my heart when she shared that she would not be able to attend a Christian church because her community would not accept it. This is exactly what Wallace is working to provide people like Nasibo.  Kaimaiko School will be putting together groups for people in the area so perhaps they can be fed and taught scripture at the school, but acquiring more space to do this will be necessary.

It is already obvious that the Kaimaiko School is changing the slum area. Muslims are now waving at the Christians and coming to us for help.  The school courtyard was full of Muslims and Christians both, waiting to receive medical attention today from Dr. Don and all the others that comprise the medical team.

God is good and faithful and the miracles we have seen, words cannot express. Truly, Matthew 25:40 is being fulfilled, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Blessings, Linda Pimental

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full if mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18

So many seeds were planted today in the Lord’s name. Today not only did I have the privilege to work in games and hear the laughter and see the children’s faces filled with joy, but I also got to venture out and be involved in evangelizing in the slums during “Bring in the Light”.  My group and I visited a home of a Muslim family. The father was at work and the mother was very generous and let us into her home. Now I had been selfish the past couple days and had been asking for a “God moment”, but when realizing that it’s in God’s time not mine, decided during this bring in the light, to just pray and let the others minister. It wasn’t until I felt heaviness on my heart right when I walked in her home that I new god was stirring something in me. I watched as my team preached and I looked at this beautiful woman who kept stating that everything with her was well and she couldn’t be Christian because her and her husband were Muslim so it would never be allowed. I finally felt God telling me to ask her more about her husband, and pushed as much as he told me to. Finally she opened up and asked us to pray for her husband because he was a drunk. But I knew there was more. I studied her body language and saw that she was messing with a rubber band on her wrist, something that I do when I’m nervous. I finally felt God’s words ready to flow through me and with out her telling me anything of her past I started sharing my testimony, I told her that I knew she was in pain and that I know it hurts when he beats her and that she has to hide the bruises. I explained that she doesn’t need permission from any man to feel Gods love and live an everlasting life. I looked into her eyes and she started crying. Without the interpreter she knew exactly what I had said. Even though she had said nothing about her husband abusing her, I somehow knew…God opened my eyes to see what was not there. Ceasar, Brit, and I told her how precious she was to God and how he died for her sins so she can be saved and live eternal life with her children in heaven. Even though her husband is one of the Muslim leaders in their community, with my amazing team and the connection the Lord let me have with this woman through one snap of a rubber band, she decided to give her life to Christ and be born again. It was God’s timing. Brit lead her through an amazing prayer, Ceaser gave her an amazing gift that his mom had gave him to remind her that God is always there, and we joined in singing a song with the woman in which non if us have ever heard before, yet knew every word while singing it. This was the most amazing God moment I could ever ask for and all I had to do was give it to him. Her name is Deysha and I hope you will all keep her in your prayers.

In His name,

Kaylie Wilson

Today it was brought to our attention that we had an amazing opportunity to evangelize to the community right on the school grounds! We realized that the mothers who were waiting to seek care for their children were a perfect opportunity to plant a seed.

I was able to provide them education on malaria through a malaria cube and a translator! It was so amazing to be communicating with the women through pictures and a different language. We were also able to share a little bit of our testimonies to them and talk about how the Lord has changed our lives.

In the ladder part of the day I had the opportunity to go out into the slums and ‘bring the light’ to a dark home. I was very excited for this after hearing of the all the awesome experiences from the previous day. I was in a team of four along with our translator/social worker and construction worker and we headed out to the slums to be able to bring the light to a home not only physically but also more importantly spiritually! Our team was lead to a home of a husband, wife, son, and grandson. We were able to speak with them and find out that they were already believers and their son attends Kiamaiko. We had taken along an HIV/AIDS cube with us and got to educate them on that as well as encourage them spiritually! Although, the part that touched me the most was once the square had been cut in their roof and sunlight was beaming into their house! The man of the house was so pleased and said, “I used to not be able to see when I walked in and now I can.” This really brought the concept of ‘bring in the light’ into perspective for me.

The work that I have been to be apart of out here is amazing, life changing, and humbling. I couldn’t ask for a better team to be here with. Thank you for your continued prayers at home while we have been out on the field! Prayers are being answered, faith is being expanded, and amazing things are taking place!

With love and a blessed heart,

Kehlie

Today, I had the incredible experience of meeting two beautiful people. The first was Diana, the sponsor child of the Disabilities Ministry at Kiamaiko. She was as precious as the chosen ones who sponsor her. She and her mother send their thanks, love and prayers to Rudy and Jennifer. The second person was in the medical clinic. Joseph was 8 year old with Downs Syndrome. Sadly, there is no education of any kind available for children with special needs in Kenya so he spends his days at home with his mother in their shanty in the slums. People in developing countries who are born different are often expendable. It was extremely hopeful to see a loving mother care for her disabled son.

I encourage you to pray for the forgotten ones in third world countries all over the world.

Dianna

Being my third year here in Kenya with the medical team, I have learned that the “unexpected is the expected”, so you learn to live on Kenyan time. But the kids here are so appreciative of our efforts that it makes it all worth it. The different schools present different challenges. At Joska we have kids that are older, up to 8th grade, and they present with more abdominal and lower respiratory problems whereas at Kiamaiko we see the 4 – 6 year old kids and the present with scalp fungus, upper respiratory and intestinal parasites. There many stories but the one that stands out this year is a child we saw last year who had been having seizures for 8 months and the staff thought he was ” possessed by demons” and had not taken him in for medical care.  We saw him because he had a seizure the day we were there and we transferred him into Nairobi for a neurological workup. He came to our clinic yesterday to thank us and told us that he has had no further seizures and gets monthly follow-up and medication. And finally, today we saw 274 kids at Kaimaiko.

Dr. Don

Words can’t explain the amazing things that God has shown me, and all that He has done here in Kenya. This is my first year ever going on a mission trip and what amazes me the most is that He has been so faithful showing us amazing things each day, literally — from seeing our sponsor kids at Kaimaiko to visiting the amazing kids at Joska. But something so amazing and so powerful happened today while we were doing “Bringing the Light” at Kaimaiko. We broke off into groups of 4 with a translator and headed into a Muslim community. Before we left our group got together and prayed that God would move through us and do great things. We headed out and entered into this woman’s house, she was a mother of 5 kids of her own and 7 foster kids she took in. She used to be Christian but her husband forced her in the Muslim religion. As we sat down all of us were very unsure of what to say and how to approach her. Then, the Holy Spirit completely took over. The Lord led me to read the mom Proverbs 31 and it completely described everything that mother was. You can tell she was very touched listening. Then we shared John 3:16 and more. The whole team was a part of it. The best part was her saying thank you for sharing Jesus Christ and the joy she had. God is so good and so faithful! God is doing amazing things and He is tearing down many walls here in Kenya, including some of mine. Praise God.

Cesar Cortez

God desires an open heart and something that had a tremendous impact on me was hearing a sermon in Joska from Dan on our Kenya team. Dan encouraged the church at Joska that if your heart is right God will use you.  These words stirred a fire in my soul setting the stage for my first mission trip here in Kenya. I have experienced the greatest of joys having the opportunity to serve the people of Kenya through VBS, visiting schools, the Crossroads sponsored children, and “Bring the Light”. My team and I are witnessing in a highly populated Muslim area where there are several challenges, and at times you can sense the forces of darkness but God’s word never fades! I saw firsthand the brokenness and the longing from some of the people we ministered to and how God was on the move even in impossible situations. We spoke with a young mother in the slums today who was Muslim by marriage only and so desperately wanted to be free from the bondage of her husband’s religion. I know God saw the yearning in her soul and that He sent my team and I to her for a reason to encourage her that God does hear her cries out to Him and that He will never leave her in her time of need. We prayed with her and are eagerly awaiting updates from the social workers and the others who will continue to follow up with this woman and her family. There were so many “God moments” in the midst of extreme poverty and spiritual darkness and it is worth every minute. When we felt most vulnerable God was there and I will never be the same.

Carey Bahr

“You have to see it to believe it.” That’s one phrase that has gone through my mind the last couple of days.  Although I’ve seen photos and had accounts retold, it is definitely a mission trip to be experienced in person.  I’m so thankful to God, the G.O. team and my family for allowing me to go on this trip.  I’ve been serving on the Medical Team for the past two days and was so glad to do so.  Just by taking temperatures, blood pressures and past histories I was been able to interact with teens and young children — from the surrounding community of Joska along with their Mothers. Today while at Kiamaiko School, we saw and treated 274 patients. I really appreciated the fact that I could get “face-to-face” with the students, mothers, grandmothers, siblings and even employees at the schools.  How do you share God’s love and help them get to know Christ in that setting? After all, isn’t that what we’re here for? Then, once I remembered Matthew 25: 36-40, I realized I was. So simply by consciously being soft spoken, kind, patient, and making eye contact while serving in my capacity, I prayed that I would be Christ-like and a small difference would be made.  Those kids are so special. They “have” so little, yet smile and laugh so much.

~Kym Talbert

Today has been, to put it shortly, the most jaw-dropping inspiring day. We started off our day with orientation at Pangoni where we spoke with some of the leaders of the schools we will be visiting. After orientation and lunch we split  into groups and were assigned social workers who took us on a walk through the slums. Seeing the living conditions of these people was so hard but the attitude the people have here could inspire anyone! These people are so full of hope and joy and the purest form of love  for our God. I had the greatest opportunity to be invited into a woman’s home where she shared a lot of her story with us about the troubles she was going through, yet all she wanted from us was prayer. It’s only the first day in Nairobi and this trip has already been life changing. God is so good in the ways He shows us things and teaches us things. Anything is possible with our God.

-Lauren

So, today was our first day out in Kenya. We had an amazing breakfast, then headed to Pangani to see the school that’s being ran by Missions of Hope. We had orientation with Mary, took a tour of the school, and got a chance to see some of the skills classes that they offered. It was neat to see the women progress with their sewing and how it provides for their family. Afterward, we walked through the slums and everyone’s mood instantly changed due to the smell and the conditions of the shanties. On the bright side, the kids  instantly lit up when they saw us, and they had us take hundreds of photos with them. We got a chance to see the inside of their home. It wasn’t very big but they all had so much faith in God which was so inspiring. After we left the slums we went to Kiamaiko to visit the kids in their schoolrooms and they sang worship songs to us. The team’s emotions were going crazy. The kids were very grateful and were so excited to see us. What was neat about today was their serving us with worship songs and our smiles serving them, causing them to light up. Today was an awesome day, and it was only day one. I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for us on this trip.

- Bryce Blomberg (bruce smith).

Today we visited Pangani, which is the school through Missions of Hope International. We got there early this morning and stayed to have lunch and a tour of the school. We later got to walk through the slums, which was a crazy hard experience for me. I have never seen or experienced anything like it — from the crazy smells to the extreme pottery they live in. The kids there are such an inspiration though because when they see us they just light up and want to know how we are and to take a ton of pictures of them. They are so happy and the joy on their faces is so amazing. We got to also go inside a woman named Jennifer’s shanti. When we got inside there was water everywhere and I slipped into the house almost taking out the door. But once we got in we got to see how she lives everyday. She had three children and two of them are enrolled in the Missions of Hope school. We got to pray for her that the Lord would provide for her family, which was pretty amazing. Once coming back from the slums we then had the best lunch and got to do some shopping. Later on we got to go to Kaimaiko, one of the other schools, and that was amazing. When we pulled up to the gate the kids were there singing to us and welcomed us with sparkly shiny necklaces. They then also welcomed us with dancing and singing. We also took a tour of that school and the kids are so sharp with their memory verses. They sang to us and said their memory verses in every classroom. So amazing! To say the least it was an emotional day but the Lord has definitely shown me to lean on him in the hard times. Can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in store for us while we are here.

-Tori Adams

After 26hours of traveling, we are finally in country. It is 11:34pm (1:34pm California) and we got all rooms settled and about to go to bed. Smiles all around as we got our first glimpse this year of Nairobi. All the smells came back and got emotional for some as overwhelming joy filled our hearts to know we are back home.
Traveling went amazing. Flights were super smooth and went by quick for most of us. Megan Foster had some issues with the stickers for flight attendants getting stuck in her hair. I believe it was 7 1/2 that got stuck ( long story ). Grace house is amazing and everyone is so excited to get our week going tomorrow. Tomorrow we jump right into it by heading to Pangoni center for Orientation followed by spending time with our sponsor kids. If you all can just bathe us in Prayer tonight and tomorrow. We go straight into the slums and have quite a few people who have never experienced it.  We are seeking Gods Divine appointments and perfect Will as sometimes our emotions and excitement can get the best of us. Can’t wait to see how God is going to move on this trip. Send our hellos and safe travels to all.

Scott A.

Our team has landed in Nairobi, Kenya! Everyone is safe and they are on their way to their hotel! More updates are coming soon!

So far our time here in Nicaragua has been amazing.  The locals are very welcoming, the kids are beyond excited to see us and the weather is hot!  Today April 6th is Aaron’s Birthday and as much as we wanted to get him the traditional Mariachi, instead a handful of team members woke him up to the birthday song.  It was very thoughtful.  He turned 27 today and we are celebrating by going out to dinner.
Tuesday morning we went back to the school at KM34 to share two stories of victory with the children; David battling Goliath and Esther speaking up to save the Israelites.  We got to tell the children that they are also kings and queens in God’s kingdom.  The theme throughout the day was Psalm 139:14 “We are fearfully and wonderfully made!” After replenishing our bodies with lunch, four of us went to the first school we visited, while the other two joined the construction crew at base camp.  The four that went to the school had the opportunity to share with 45 boys and 50 girls ranging from ages 10-17 about sex and hygiene.  Opening up the conversation with a few verses about our bodies being a temple and that God wants us to have self control, we then moved into the consequences of sex before marriage, giving the young teens information about STDs and other diseases.  We then allowed some time for Q and A, they were very responsive and asked very good and important questions.  It was a very neat experience working with an older group of kids and by the end our time with them 13 boys came forward to receive Jesus! Praise God! Today our group was dropped off at a Barrio called Cristo Rey.  The atmosphere was a little different than the other places we have been.  We toured through the small barrio with the Pastor of a church we were working with.  Off in the distance we saw a colorful big tent and when we inquired the Pastor told us it is the circus.  We had to check it out.  There was a small ring in the center with a few stage lights surrounding it and make-shift bleachers.  It was very small on the inside, probably only capable of holding 100 people. Oh and the only animal we saw hanging near the back was a monkey.  It was an interesting experience.  We walked back to our site where just over 130 children came out to play with us.  After VBS was over we headed to base camp where we had the privilege to work alongside the construction crew.
The construction team has been very busy the last two days.  They continued their work building the frame for the water tower.  They were able to prime the metal and prepare it for painting, which will protect it from rust.  They attached the water tank to the tower and then erected it on cement footings.  To secure it they welded it in place and then began the first layer of paint, a beautiful, bright Nicaraguan aqua green.  The guys also began construction on the frame of the windmill tower.  Two sides were assembled, thanks to their awesome welding skills, and then primed.  They also did a little bit more mechanical work on the truck that is used for ministry and has been a great vehicle for us to be transported in while we are here.
Overall, the last two days have been extensive, exhausting and very productive.  Some of us have endured sunburns, headaches, bug bites and fits of rage in our digestive system, but all in all we are joyful and ready to go celebrate Aaron’s birthday!

Sunday was a great day to get to know each member of our team a little more intimately.  We spent close to six hours crammed into a mini-van, four girls and ten full grown men.  It was hot, sticky and claustrophobic beyond anybody’s comfort levels, but the platform gave an opportunity for very enjoyable  conversations.
In the morning we witnessed Pastor Carlos, who is a close and respectable friend of Marcus, baptize a woman in Crater Lake.  The experience left immediate joy glowing on everyone’s faces.  Then we headed to the market in Masaya for some grub and shopping.  Next we had the coolest experience as we stood at the top of an active volcano. The vast, open hole with an unfathomable depth, left us speechless and photo-happy.  At the top of the lookout erected a large wooden cross that was very unique as it faced in four different directions.  A sign of hope overlooking the city.
We then headed to Pastor Carlos’ church where our very own Pastor Noe was privileged to share a sermon with the congregation.  Passion was carried throughout his message.  The worship was also awesome. Everyone agreed it was an amazing moment to worship alongside brothers and sisters in Christ in a different part of the world.
After the service we feasted at Carlos’ mom’s house.  The food was delicious and our hosts were very hospitable.   Sunday was a day of rest, even with all the things we experienced.  We were so blessed to spend the day together and we were eager to begin our week of work.

This morning the construction team arrived at base camp, not hesitating to go straight to their projects, tools in hand.  They were able to fix a few different things on a truck that the ministry uses, including the replacement of brakes.  They were a little stumped as the assembly of the windmill was halted from lack of a missing part.  Equipped with the skills necessary they fabricated the part needed.  They constructed and began the welding on the base of the 14ft water tower.  A sense of relief and accomplishment came at the end of the day when not only did the base of the tower slide into the cement footings with ease, but also when they got to drive home in the truck that they have been working on.  The guys were all very excited about how smooth the day went today and thankful for the progress they made at the base camp.

The VBS team ventured out to an area today called KM34.  We went to a school whose development is only a year and a half along.  Joanne warned us early on that there would not be much shade, so we should stay protected.  We felt lead to pray for cloud cover and cool weather, not just for us, but for the construction crew as well.  All day long there were gusts of wind that kept a continual stretch of cloud cover over us AND the guys, allowing us to enjoy every ounce of work we were doing! Thank you Jesus!  We continued with the same format of VBS as we carried out on Saturday; walking the kids through a bible story, making a bracelet, coloring and hygiene presentation.  We actually got to help erect a small water station that will be a permanent asset to the site. The children can use it to wash their hands and the teachers were able to use it to wash dishes.  The hardest part about today was the discovery of a feverish child.  We didn’t have a thermometer to check, but we guessed it was well over 103.  We responded by placing cold clothes over his head and neck, gave him an emergency drink packed with vitamins and then one of the most important and effective thing we could do… PRAY.  We laid hands on the boy, asking God to break the fever and  remove any infection.  By mid-afternoon the boy was running around playing, praise be to God.

It was an amazing day for both teams.  There proved to be great victories, followed by many praises!  God truly blessed our team with a great dynamic and many serving hearts.  We wrapped up today with an awesome dinner as we debriefed.  The highlights consisted of compliments of working alongside such a great group of people and the coolness of the day.

Written by Jennifer

Rust dusted rooftops welcomed us from the window of the plane. Hitting the runway filled our hearts with excitement and relief. We made it to Nicaragua! Finding our way through customs and then through the glass doors that led us out into the hot, humid weather, we met up with our missionary friend, Marcus.   Driving down the street in the city of Tipitapa, culture shock overwhelmed all our senses.
We arrived at our campsite just in time to get settled-in, eat dinner and jump into bed to chase after a much needed night of sleep.

Today we woke up early and refreshed! Beginning the day with devotions, we asked God to guide us through the work we had set before us. There are two groups of us, a construction team (who have been coming down to Nicaragua for many years) and an Evangelism Team. The two teams have very different projects, but the mission is the same, to be vessels of God’s glory, grace and gospel!

At about 8am we gathered together and prayed over each team. Departing in different vehicles we set out into Tipitapa.
We (the Evangelism team) went to a school where we greeted 167 energetic and joyful children and we were able to give them Crossroads VBS shirts to wear. A sea of blue flooded the courtyard. We made bracelets with each kid that had specific color beads, representing the gospel message. We went over hygiene and gave each child a toothbrush. The kids were taught about abiding in the vine and given a color to page of a grapevine. They took their time to make them look so beautiful. There were games played all day, songs sung and laughter from every direction. We prayed over the children and then had to say goodbye… our day flew by and so worth every minute of it.

The construction Team did amazing things today as well! They spent 8 hours working tirelessly on the base camp, a 15 acre plot of land that is a base of operation for the mission work that Marcus manages. They were able to help fix a truck into running condition. They worked together to design a 14 ft water tower, while Marcus got to check out the windmill that will be used to pump water from the well to fill the water tower. The team used their skills in mechanics, cutting and welding to construct the top portion of the tower. They will be creating the bottom part of the tower later this week. It was a long day for these gentlemen, but the progress on the base left huge smiles on their faces. These guys are constructing the foundation of how this base will facilitate and manage the ministry God has placed here in Nicaragua.
We, the whole team, enjoyed a bus ride together back to camp. We all reclined at dinner together and one by one we shared some our favorite moments and hardest moments of the day. Each person had such a unique perspective as they shared about what was experienced. God knit this team together so perfectly, unity woven throughout it’s entirety. It was a beautiful end to a beautiful day.