We have arrived just as 2009 is ending!

Hola, friends and family!

Last night we made it to Jinotepe around 11 o’clock with all 20 bags, 11 team members, our carry-ons and the need for sleep. Needless to say it was a long but safe trip. The team members being Breanna. Joni, Suzanne, Jess, Bri, Joe, John, Laura, Yessenia, Andrew and myself, Hannah. As we woke up this morning, the Nicaragua air thick and full of the wonderful smells of forest and breakfast, we prepared ourselves to meet the kids. Although there are six of us who have travelled here previously, I think we were all a little nervous as to how we were going to fit with the kids and what they were going to think about us. Around 9 this morning, we were greeted by the smiling faces and energetic bodies of the 15 to 20 smaller kids. The older kids, having been up for a while had greeted us either the night before or during breakfast… Many were wondering where Seven was as well as a few others. But I think when the kids saw Jess, that question quickly went away.

When I sat down with Yessenia (team member) and Angie, Angie said that as long as the little kids are happy so are the big kids. But I hope we surprise her with some cool activities we have planned. After lunch today, most everyone was struggling to keep up with the kids due to our lack of sleep and time traveling. However, with a short siesta, or in my case a long one, baseball was the next event of the day! Shortly followed by a bout of rain that lasted all of 10 minutes. At every meal we ask God to use us as His tools as we pray over our food. And as I think of our day of playing with the kids around the property, from picking and eating tangerines to playing baseball, I think that God has already found a way to use us. Each member of the team will be contributong a story to the blog or a funny or wonderful moment that they have experienced here either with the kids, a team member, a staff member and with God. This will give you all an opportunity to hear about the trip and what God is doing in each of us from different perspectives of the team, so stay tuned as the days unfold.

In the evening of the first night all of the house moms, and staff were treated to a night out in Jinotepe for dinner with Bud, the Director of Arms of Love. While they were all out, we split into teams to spend the evening with the kids in each of their houses. The boys were with the boys and spent most of the night playing soccer. The older girls danced the night away, and played twister, followed by a heart felt night of devotionals and sharing our stories of being a light for the Lord. The little ones were nothing short an organized arrangement of chaos full of crafts, laughing, and playing an endless amounts of games. Needless to say we were all exhausted by midnight. Praise God for the women who do this everyday with these kids!

As of now, we have 20 checked bags, 23 carry-on bags, 11 team members, going off of a limited amount of sleep, playing with 30+ kids. The bug bite count is at zero; the number of spiders and tarantulas seen is still at zero as well as the number of scorpions. However the number of times we have smiled today and received hugs from the kids, I lost count before breakfast…

Adios, Hannah