Everyday Exports

Nicaragua June 2010~Travel day

2010-06-19T13:11:00.000-06:00

Leaving Nicaragua wasn't easy (the emotional part at least, the physical part was simple). We got up and packed this morning and were at the airport in no time. We said our goodbyes to Javier and Joe and started checking bags. Once we were through security, we found our gate and waited. Some of us got iced coffee, others did last minute shopping and still others waved at no one excited thinking of the reactions of others around us. Once we boarded the plane, we either slept, talked or struck up random conversations with passengers nearby.

A couple hours later, we landed in Houston. This is where our problems began. After going through customs, we only had 40 minutes to get all 13 of our bags, go through security and get our bags rechecked and get to the plane. Well we found the bags in no time and started the process of more paperwork/ security stuff. While just about everyone made it out, Fernando was pulled for a random search that lasted close to an hour. Lisa waited behind while the rest of the team went ahead to security and attempted to hold the plane. The team managed to get to the plane 5 minutes before the doors closed, but we had to leave Fernando and Lisa behind to catch another connecting flight. This made many of us upset and frustrated and as it was later pointed out, satan's attempt to bring us down... pretty lame. When we landed in Denver, energy was low and stomachs were empty. We got to baggage claim only to find out that two bags were missing but that Fernando and Lisa's plane was just landing.

With all the baggage confusion, the traffic that held up Suzanne and Andrew's mom, we ended up getting to see Fernando and Lisa, transferring bags and sharing final hugs until Sunday. It was the perfect ending to a not-so- perfect day.

Nicaragua June 2010~ Day 9

2010-06-19T12:24:00.001-06:00

We got to sleep in this morning to 8! After that we got dressed and ready to go to the dump otherwise known as La Chureca. We got into the van and headed to a preschool where we would meet up with Eugenio, the pastor of La Vina, who had a friend who ran ministries in the dump. There we would also partner with another North American church and Orphan Network.

Once we arrived at the preschool, we got a tour and a background of the mission of the place and what exactly they wanted to accomplish. After that Eddie, from Orphan Network, talked to us and told us what we were going to do in the dump that day. Because of the heavy rain, we were going to place tarp on many of the houses that are in the dump. Now it is very hard to describe what goes on in the dump but here is the run down. About 40 to 50 years ago, due to many different kinds of natural disasters, people were forced out of their neighborhood in Managua by the government. This caused mass amounts of displacement among the people and limited areas to live. People started to move to the dump, owned by some man, who had electricity installed and water brought through. Many people found they were making a decent living recycling trash and building their homes out of it. After so many people moved in women started selling themselves to truck drivers to get first dibs on trash and if that didn’t work they sold their daughters. This started an endless cycle. However there are many churches within the area and programs outside of Nicaragua who are helping and bringing in some hope.

Anyway, we started out with playing with the kids at the preschool. It was fun and interesting to see various team members jump right in and play with these kids. In the mean time, a team from Minnesota had arrived and was getting the rundown of the program. Then we loaded into their bus and headed over to the dump. Four members of our team had gone on a previous trip and therefore many of us had been prepared a little bit mentally, but it still wasn’t enough in some cases. We drove through and parked by the only school in the dump. From there we started dividing up, small teams of folks staying behind at houses that needed tarp. Many of us jumped in and started playing with the kids, holding them and looking for ways to start laughter amongst the little ones. Around noon, we all got to participate in a feeding program that a lot of kids from the dump attend. For some this is the best meal they may get all day. We handed out food, drinks and cookies that we had bought earlier. At one point we found Kevin holding a little baby that had been handed to him at random. A couple others got to hold this little boy, whose mother was very proud and her smile never seemed to fade. After all the kids got to eat, Orphan Network took both the Minnesota team and our team up to the highest point of the dump. It was heart breaking to see the mass amounts of trash and people going through it. While we all wanted to stay as long as possible, we also needed to get back to the preschool. So we loaded on the bus once more, were dropped off at the preschool and awaited our ride in silence.

Although it was lunch time many of us were confused and somewhat downhearted as to whether or not it was fair to go eat. We ended up at Mc Donald’s and tried to get our minds off of what we had just seen. Some things we realized we can not single-handedly change. We have to take the blessing that we were given and partner with others to serve areas like La Chureca.

After we ate we reluctantly headed out to the market to get our tourist shopping done. We were done in less than an hour and ready to go back to Las Palmas and shower. However, we had one more stop to make. Leah, a friend of Andrew’s, was finally gotten a hold of and met us at a mall so that the two could catch up briefly. After that we drove to Las Palmas and cleaned up. We decided to spend out last night in Nicaragua happy and went out to play pool. We spent a couple of hours hanging out, talking, and laughing with one another and then we headed back to pack and have our final devo.

With that we processed through the day’s events, our concerns and our feelings. We ended in prayer and were off to bed in no time, ready or not, to head back to the states the next morning.

Nicaragua June 2010~ Day 8

2010-06-19T12:00:00.001-06:00

We woke up in the morning, ran out into the rain and waved the kids off to school. As the morning flew by we got packed, ate and said our goodbyes to the staff and we loaded into the vans by 9:30. At 11 we were in Managua and getting situated at Las Palmas, the other property that Arms of Love owns. Many of us took naps, some watched the World Cup soccer games and others found two little kids to play with as most of us were already starting to have withdrawals. At 2 pm we were back in the van and headed to La Vina ready to do our outreach.

Once we got there we were split into a couple of groups, Vineyard of the Rockies with La Vina. The idea for the day was to go out to nearby neighborhood and pass out flyers for a fiesta for kids. The expected number of attendees was about 100… we surpassed the expectation by a 150 people or more. When people arrived, we had no idea that the new church building could hold that many people. Almost 300 women, children and men were packed in. We started with a puppet show that Kaeli put together and then sang some songs and ended with a dance that our team had learned. After that it was piñatas for the kids and pizza for everyone! Unfortunately, because we hadn’t anticipated so many people we didn’t have enough food for the La Vina volunteers and ourselves, but that didn’t stop our joy. We put our heads and wallets together and bought food specifically for everyone who was doing the outreach.

After the fiesta was over we had a bit of a break to clean up and prepare ourselves for the evening service. Luke was going to give a sermon and Andrew was going to translate, so they went off to practice for a bit while we talked and hung out with Vineyard folk. The service began with worship that rocked the boat and moved us all, Joe assisting the worship team on guitar. After that Luke and Andrew took the stage. Luke began the sermon with talk of being in slavery and then related it to his life. By the end it was evident that many of us were struggling with our own version of bondage and slavery. The service ended in powerful prayer and more worship.
As this lead us to wrap up, we once again began the process of pictures, goodbyes and exchanging of emails. What we almost forgot was that we got to spend more time with La Vina team while we all ate some tasty chicken.

Finally we loaded the van and headed back to Las Palmas and got ready for devotionals. Tonight, Fernando decided to share his story of growing up in Mexico and an orphanage. It was very powerful to hear him speak and know that his connection with the kids at Arms of Love meant that much more to him and therefore were that much more powerful for us to see from the outside. After praying for Fernando, we processed through some more details of the day and then went to bed.

Nicaragua June 2010~Day 7

2010-06-19T11:59:00.000-06:00

Today was our last day at Arms of Love. It was pretty crazy but not at the same time. Most of the team had things they wanted to do with the kids, things to accomplish but with no real way in doing it. We did our usual morning with the kids, getting up early, taking them to school and then coming back to eat breakfast. It was obvious when the conversation was non-existent that something was going on in our hearts. We all had things to process through. Some of us were angry we had to leave; others were feeling attacked by the enemy and didn’t know how to deal with the emotions. As the day progressed the tension grew more and a lot of us were starting to feel it big time! After lunch 8 members on our team went to Alfredo’s farm and got a tour of the amazing fruits that Nicaragua is home to. We got to drink fresh coconut milk and two of us (Hannah and Kevin) got to chop parts of the coconut away, which was really scary.

When the kids got home we took on the task of helping the all of them write sponsorship letters. While the older kids knew what they were doing, it was much harder to keep the focus of some of the younger kids who were longing to go outside and play or just trace their hands. We eventually finished with a majority of the cards done, as frustrating and as cute as it was, many of us we happy about it.

Before we went off to dinner a situation occurred that presented an opportunity for our team to pray for a child. As we stood in the little kids’ house, holding hands and praying, God did something amazing. Several of the little kids watched and soon assumed the position in the circle with us and were even led to pray for their sibling. What struck most of the team was the powerfulness of the kids’ prayers? It’s odd how we know God won’t leave a child’s prayer unanswered and how we long, just like children to see Him move. After a good half hour to forty-five minutes of prayer, we solemnly headed down to Casa Grande for our dinner and our good-bye party.

It was odd how our attitude and overall energy changed once the fiesta started. Many of us were still overwhelmed with the prayer circle, but once the kids arrived we had to set our feelings aside to be present and focused on the kids. The kids quickly broke the piñata, the candy scattered and little hands scoured the floors for it. After that we enjoyed some dances that the kids put together and listened to them sing. At one point Fernanda, a little girl had fallen asleep in Kaeli’s arms causing us to remember how much we will miss all the kids. We ended our party with final goodbyes and long hugs.

After that the group met for a devotional/ process time. Many of us were overwhelmed and some of us were shocked that things had changed so much in just hours. By the end of the night, many of us had faced the truth that we would be leaving Nicaragua on Friday, but that many of us would continue our love and friendships with the kids.

Nicaragua June 2010~Days 3 through 6

2010-06-15T14:30:00.001-06:00

Day 3
Our third day started with getting up with the kids and helping getting them ready for school. After some of us took them to school, and others helped with household chores, we were able to relax for a bit, eat breakfast, do devotionals and take time for rest. About midmorning half of our team went into town to buy screens for the houses. The day before, we had found that using wood to make screens was not only hard but unreliable in the long run. We were able to buy enough screens with metal frames for one house and make it back to Arms of Love for lunch. About 4 o’clock we started back up with the tournament. Team green and team yellow played capture the flag on the basketball court while team red and team purple played on the grassy oval in the center of the compound. It was somewhat disastrous. On the basketball court, green and yellow were able to play a more reasonable game with better rules and regulations while on the oval, red and purple struggled to score points against each other. In the end though only two teams won; team purple and team green.
Later, after the games had ended, Kim took the entire staff out for dinner. This left our entire missions team in charge for the night. We tried to divide as appropriately as possible but in the end it was Kids vs. Us. The older kids were very well behaved and helped out with the younger kids while we served them food and helped get them ready for bed. At one point Meylin was throwing rice everywhere, kids were crying and some had escaped to their bedrooms to play with Barbie dolls in the bath water. We were definitely given a run for our money. However, a game of musical chairs seemed to have solved several problems and got their attention focused on something productive. After devotions, which happen to be most of the teams’ favorite (mostly because the little ones are so cute in prayer), we spent a good 30 to 45 minutes getting the kids to settle down and go to bed.
By the end of the night most of our team had a better understanding of the hearts’ the house parents have as well as their patience to do this day in and day out. It was a crazy yet very wonderful evening.

Day 4
Beach DAY! God blessed us with amazing weather on Saturday. We left the compound around 9 and arrived around 10 at La Boquita. However the first thing many kids noticed was not the beach, but the soccer games of the world cup. Today was the day that England and the U.S. played and many kids were rooting for England. The theories behind this were pure humor and based on the fact that because England spoke English and colonized the U.S. they were going to win. Joe had to point out that the U.S. had won the Revolutionary war, the Cold War and bailed England out of WWII. This still didn’t change their minds.
We were all aware of the little kids and being careful not to loose them. The waves were particularly big and the under toe was challenging many of us young adults so the importance of holding on to the kids was even bigger than usual. It was a joy to see the faces and hear the laughter of the kids as they jumped in the waves and played in the water. At one point, Hannah and Kevin decided to go horseback riding on the beach. After they ran the tiny horses up and down, they started taking the kids for rides with them. Many of these kids had never ridden a horse and a couple (Herman, Kealin, and Fernanda) had never been to the beach before. It made the day so much better and gave many of us the feeling that God was giving us so much more than us a day on the beach.
As usual, something has to happen to Andrew’s feet. Today it wasn’t as horrible as being stung by a Jellyfish or getting blisters. Rather it was Andrew walking barefoot on the beach after the horses ran by and stepping in horse poop. None the less it served its purpose of being a comic relief in the midst of all the caution and seriousness of watching the kids. Andrew was able to rinse off in the ocean and then shower when we got home. Still… Tradition carries on.
After lunch, the kids started to wind down, the game between England and the U.S. started so most of the older kids had left our tent and went to find a T.V. while the staff stopped to enjoy the afternoon peace. Breanna and Kaeli even gave some of the house mother’s massages and of course, Kaeli was providing the laughter amongst them, cracking jokes in Spanish. About 4 o’clock we started to pack up and leave the beach. Many of the kids ready for a nap, some a bit disappointed that the U.S. tied with England and other’s relieved that they would be returning to Arms of Love for a shower.
Due to a hard situation with one of the kids, the team stepped up and helped get the kids showered, changed and fed so that a couple of the house parents could deal with it. As the kids picked out their clothes and we combed their hair, we found that this night was so much easier than the night before. Either it was because they knew that we had already done this or because they were worn out from the beach, we didn’t care. It was just nice to have well behaved kids this time. When the house moms returned we left to go eat rather quickly and then divided again amongst the houses to spend time with the kids. After the little ones went to bed, the ladies on our team went to the Heather house (the girl’s house at Arms of Love) and spent the evening doing crafts and decorating sandals. It was a fun way to end the evening and some of the girls surpassed our own expectations or notions of creativity.

Day 5
Vamos a La Vina. We got to go to the Vineyard in Managua with the older kids today. It was hot, humid and so much FUN! . La Vina had just moved into a new building, which is very nice but hard to ventilate. Our church had sent four ceiling fans and after giving them to La Vina, there was definitely a feeling of relief. Although it’s not much, it’s something. As usual the worship is wonderful (Sven they still rock out!), the people are welcoming and the bus ride is always interesting. After we got our welcome and our coffee we settled in for the message. It was a good sermon about how we are God’s servants, His shepherds and we are charged to go out and spread the word of the Lord.
After church we got to mingle and talk to the congregation a bit and then we took off to get lunch and take the older kids shopping for shoes. We stopped at a mall and ate at the food court. While some of us managed to find seats in the middle of the massive room we realized that this was partially due to the face that the tvs were visible on the other side, which had the soccer games playing. When everyone had finished eating we took off for the market to get school shoes for the kids. It was definitely an experience. We were able to strike a deal with the vendors and as the kids found the shoes they liked and that some so desperately needed we noticed the excitement in the faces of some of these kids. Kim commented that for some kids, this is the first time that they get to pick the shoes they wear all year at school. It’s not often that they get to go shopping and it made many of us soak in the importance of the moment.
About 3:30 we reloaded into the bus and headed back to Jinotepe. About half way home the bus broke down due to the radiator. Instead of moping about the issue many of the team members looked at this as an opportunity to take pictures, tell jokes and experience something knew. 30 minutes later another bus arrived and although some of us had been eaten alive by ants and other bugs, we left content and happy.
As we approached Jinotepe we dropped off Luke, Joe, Javier, and Juan to purchase some pizza for our fiesta. The rest of our team was charged with decorating and getting ready for the night we hoped would bring joy for the kids. The girls on our team dressed “crazy,” another words, 80’s and found this definitely new to many of the kids. Due to the fact that we had spent an extra 30 minutes to an hour stuck on the side of the road we were behind schedule. In the words of Kevin, “Nicaragua always wins.”The decorating was finished by 6 but the pizza didn’t arrive until 7 causing us to try and find fillers and other activities to get the kids excited and ready for fun. After we ate we danced some more, laughed a lot and the team did a dance that we had spent so much time learning, “Beat it!” The kids were amazed/ impressed/confused. Around 8 the energy started to drag and it was obvious that some of the kids were ready for bed. It looks like we will have to finish parts of our fiesta for Tuesday night.
By the end of the night, we had danced, laughed and learned that not everything goes as planned, but all that matters is that you enjoy the time you have and the experience you get from the situation.

Day 6
Team Day! The morning started with our usual waking-up-early-taking-the-kids-to-school routine. After that we got ourselves ready for a day of exploring Nicaragua. Since Joe just happens to be so cool and has earned Javier’s trust, Joe drove us around, making it not only easier for Javier, but for himself as well. As we took off from Jinotepe to Granada, we were pulled over by some police. Now normally this wouldn’t happen if we had a Nicaraguan driving us, but a van full of Norte Americanos can cause some suspicion. Luckily we had copies of our passports and as we waited patiently for them to attempt to pronounce all of our names (we think they were hoping for a bribe), we were finally given the go-ahead and were on our way. After we arrived in Granada we split up, walked around and explored the European colonized town. Joe had found a nice little restaurant that provided some delicious food and fun experience.
When we finally left town, it was nearly 3:30. We decided to go on the canopy tour near Mombachu, a volcano near Granada. Unfortunately we had to navigate around a funeral march that took up a majority of the street. Finally at 4 we arrived for our canopy tour, signed in, got harnessed and were ready to take the 8 cable route on the zip line. The staff of the company were funny and very informative (yes this is a sales pitch). We were able to go hands free on some cables, superman or super chica and upside-down, which happened to be a favorite of most of the team. We got pictures of all and afterwards, were able to see the facial expressions of everyone. Joe did a wonderful job navigating and driving us home and after dinner we went to hang out with the kids as it is our second to last night at Arms of Love. Some of the team played soccer with the boys, while the other half went to the little kids’ devotionals, then over to the girls’ house to help with sponsorship letters.
After that we ended the night with our own devotions and worship, getting closer to the God we all love and yearn to know more.

Nicaragua June 2010~ Day 2

2010-06-11T14:23:00.000-06:00

Day 2 de Nicaragua
We started the morning helping with daily chores. Two of us got up to help wake and get the little kids ready for school. It is total chaos! How the house mothers do this everyday is beyond us, but we find it very inspiring and admirable. Some of us rode to school with them in two vans, each with 12 or more individuals packed in. Meanwhile, a couple of our team members stayed behind at the compound and helped with mopping, which is a tedious and at times, a pointless task since it is constantly raining and people are tracking mud in and out.
We started the soon to be world renowned tournament. We divided the team and the kids into four groups and brainstormed team names and chants. With the teams divided by four colors, we had team “Jackson 10 Leones” who are purple, team “Arsenal” who are red, “Los Punks” who are yellow and “Mean Green Fighting Machine” who are green (hence the name). We also had the impossible mission of making a team flag with fabric paint, which luckily was fairly controlled. Afterwards the games began. We started with a game called “Down by the Banks” and ended with Team green winning. Soon after, we played a very competitive and almost violent game of musical chairs. This ended in a triumphant win for team purple.
We also spent part of our day helping with homework and drawing with pastels. Drawing is something that all the kids like to do, young and old, which is great because it gives the kids a chance to express themselves without words. We draw too, but not all of us are as talented artists as some of the kids.
We want to tell a funny story, to keep all of you readers out there intrigued but apparently because of all the events that happened yesterday we can not seem to pin-point one story that sticks out among all. However we will end with this: God has been doing some very powerful things in and around our team. We are working together, spending quality time with the kids and learning more about ourselves and the love that God so freely gives us.

Nicaragua June 2010~ Travel Day and Day 1

2010-06-11T14:21:00.000-06:00

Travel day and Day 1 at Arms of Love

Travel went smoothly with no big or major problems. We arrived with all our bags minus one carry on, but none the less we got here safe and sound. Basically there is nothing big about the travel day. We got on two planes, we flew, we ate greasy airport food, went into the Duty free stores and tried to sleep upright in the airplanes… Really nothing exciting. However, as soon as we hit the ground in Nicaragua the air changed, excitement grew and although it took two of us twenty minutes to get through customs with our visas, we were still excited. We were greeted by the older boys plus one friend from the states, Joe. This got some of us even more pumped up to be here. After our hour long bus ride we arrived at the children’s home around 11 pm, quickly met up to discuss the next morning and then went to bet fully decked out in our bug nets and fans.

The next morning many of us caught up on sleep and we ate breakfast at 8 am. The kids had already left for school and would return around 1 pm. So we took the time and went into town and got to explore the markets and town area. For some reason it tends to be tradition that Andrew has problems with his feet. Andrew had decided to wear a pair of sandals meant for hiking (apparently he usually wears them with socks but this time he went without). Anyway as we were getting ready to leave town Andrew started limping. Blisters had formed and popped and it was causing him pain. To relive his pain he ate a banana. Now this may seem odd or even unrelated to his foot problems but afterward he inserted the banana peel into his heel area of his sandals. As soon as this was done, Breanna realized she had Band-Aids in her purse the whole time. Andrew proceeded to remove the banana peels and then applied the clean band-aids. We then began to walk and went into a pharmacy to purchase more since Breanna only had one. We convinced Andrew to take a taxi back to Arms of Love with Juan, Stacy (who had to use the bathroom-emergency status) and Sarah. The rest walked.

After lunch some of us took some time for ourselves. Hannah ended up sleeping for several hours, catching up on her beauty rest. In the meantime some of our team mopped Casa Grande, where we are staying and played with the kids once they got home from school and had done their homework. Stacy and Joe practiced worship songs, others played a violent game of soccer. With all of the little kids it was hard to keep up the energy, especially playing Vas a Cielo or “up into the clouds,” a game involving our male team members swinging the kids by their hands and feet. We ended the evening with devotionals with all the kids. Parts of our team went into the little kids’ house and tucked them into bed. The rest of our team was divided between the boys and girls’ houses. The girls from our team got to experience and contribute to the devotional time and open up a little bit about what Psalm 61:1-3 means to us.

Finally we ended our first official night with our own group devotional. We talked about our first interactions with the kids and what our experiences were of the first day. We sang some worship songs and attempted one song called Se Lleuve Pequito. We failed, kinda. It was fun which is all that matters. It was a very powerful evening and definitely a foreshadowing of what is going to happen throughout the rest of this trip. We know there is going to be healing for some of us, rejuvenation for others and reflection for all.

And so ends our first day in Nicaragua.

We are home

2010-03-22T16:28:00.001-06:00

Thank you for your prayers! We look forward to sharing our experiences with you all!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

home again

2010-03-21T04:28:00.002-06:00

We will be leaving tonight to head back home. But before we do we are going to split up. Vance and the girls will be going to the Nazarene church while David, Logan and myself (Sean) are going to the Ballad to talk at an Egyptian Church. We are super excited and pray that God will use us to minister to these people. Please pray for a safe journey home over the next 2 days.

thanks for all your support!!!!

Sean

The Sweetness of the Moment

2010-03-20T03:29:00.005-06:00

It was a simple map to follow to get from point A to point B, a 15 minute walk turned into an hour and 15 minutes of stress and anxiety, we were lost definitely lost and annoyed at each other. But God was doing something on the journey, it wasn't just about the destination. Last night we were headed to Oasis; an English speaking church. Jennifer and I(David) decided to walk and enjoy the cool evening and amazing sunset that is typical of the middle east. We started off with a map and a confident sense of direction. LOL. Along the way some how we got mixed up and lost our way. Along the way we forgot to stop and pray and ended up getting lost in Amman a city of more then two million. Along the way we asked for help and we ended up getting even more lost and even laughed at by some teens. We were so focused on our destination that we forgot to enjoy the journey, the moment, and relationship. We realized that we were using a wrong starting point and decided to go back to the beginning of the map and went from there. We got to Oasis just in time. God used that experience to Give a Word to Oasis about enjoying the sweetness of the moment with God. Doing Gods will is not about the future. Its about savoring his presence and trusting him with the rest. Vance was able to lead an amazing worship set and the tangible presence of God was felt in that place. Bristow and Jami Hood have been super encouraged by our team loving on them and praying for them. Its seems like they have a renewed sense of energy. And they even expressed more clarity of vision. It has been amazing to be a part of what God is doing in the middle east through supporting and encouraging the Christian community.

2010-03-18T04:00:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to post some pics...

Madaba and Amman

2010-03-17T14:07:00.002-06:00

We made the couple hour trip down to Petra and had a great time hiking around. And we even were able to ride a camel. On our way back to Madaba we were able to stop at the Dead Sea for a mud bath and float. After that we drove up Mount Nebo (where Moses looked into the promise land). There is something about seeing the places that you have read about. It is amazing to read the history of the area. While we were at the Dead Sea we saw what is named Lots wife. It is on the top of a cliff overlooking the sea and really looks like a women made of salt. It is the location that historians think that she would have turned to salt. Really cool to see.

We are figuring out transportation. There is nothing like trying to make your way to another city by bus and taxi. We have gone in circles only a few times, but have always been able to find our way. We are having a lot of fun encouraging the Hoods, and working with the Nazarene Church. We are working on putting together a worship concert Thursday night. It should be a lot of fun. Vance has been practicing with some of the locals to be able to worship in English and Arabic. I think he has even learned the Arabic rhythms pretty well.

After the concert we are headed back to Amman where we will do the Oasis service and continue meeting amazing people!

Thanks for the continued support!!!

Back to Jordan

2010-03-14T15:30:00.002-06:00

We were able to go into Damascus. It was fun to see the wailing wall. And it was interesting to see the three major religions doing so much in one small area. When we got back to Bethlehem we were able to meet up with a Palestinian Refugee, he showed us all over his refugee camp and talk to us about why they are there. We couldn't believe the amount of hope that he had for his people, even in the midst of poor living conditions. The camp was about the size of a football field and over 2000 people live there, with 50% being under 18. I think we all were impressed with how much they are doing to make the camp nicer for their kids. They are almost done making a youth center and "city hall" for the camp. They are trying to be able to do everything they can to get the conflict solved.

We made it back to Jordan today. We did our first church service. We had a lot of fun praying for and encouraging the people of the church. We are in Madaba which is a medium size town south of Amman. We were able to have a little down time today,which was nice for a change. We leave in the morning to go to Petra and Wadi Rum. We will be back the day after to work with youth of the church and to do a worship concert!

I hope to have more pics up in the next couple days. We appreciate your continued prayer for our trip.

thanks,

Sean

Christ at the Checkpoint

2010-03-13T02:29:00.005-07:00

Hello all, we were able to do a little touring of Bethlehem before we started the conference. We went and saw the Church of the Nativity, this is the place where Jesus was born. We have been attending the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference. It has been amazing to hear first hand what Holy Land Trust is about, and learn the theological basis for peace within this region. If you are interested in learning more about the conference (http://christatthecheckpoint.com/). You can watch the live stream of the conference on the website. We are going to be going to to a refugee camp this afternoon to see the Palestinian refugees. We hope that we are able to come home on fire for bringing love and peace to this region. Thank you for your prayers!!! God is moving in powerful ways in our hearts.

Sunday morning we will be headed back to Jordan. I am unsure about how much internet access we will have but please be checking back for updates.

thanks,

Sean

Test Email Post

2010-03-12T11:13:00.001-07:00

.: H Dean Hines Jr :.
MsBA Candidate
Global Social & Sustainable Enterprise
Colorado State University
www.rambicycleclassic.org
www.csugsse.org

Trip so far

2010-03-12T08:37:00.002-07:00

Hello all,

We made it into Is. and had a good time getting here. Please be praying for us. Internet is not very regular. We are going to the Christ at the Check Point Conference today and tomorrow. It is being put on by Holy Land Trust and Bethlehem Bible College.

Got to run...thanks for the prayers!

Day 8 and 9

2010-01-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Day 8
Wednesday was our last day in Jinotepe. It began with a tour of the neighbor, Alfredo’s farm. There we saw beautiful flowers, learned how coffee is made and tasted many delicious fruits picked from the source. Andrew finished off 3 full coconuts on his own!
When we returned to Arms of Love, we finished the outdoor kitchen, and then went zip-lining in the canopy with the older kids. As we wound down our last afternoon, several of the kids were preparing a good-bye show for us. The show featured traditional Nicaraguan dancing followed by emotional good-byes.
We spent the rest of the night watching movies and laughing with the older kids. Some of the girls on our team stayed over at the older girls house for a slumber party . Exhausted and not looking forward to leaving, we all fell asleep.
Our Last Day… Day 9
Pick an emotion…with our final day upon us; it is hard to know what to feel or think. We awoke this morning to the same wonderful smells of coffee and breakfast waiting; however, the morning also brought with it hugs and tears of goodbye and leaving behind the amazing children and staff of Arms of Love. After thirty minutes of “we will wait for you”, “love you”, “I will miss you”, and final pictures, the van pulled away and we made the trip to Managua and Las Palmas.
This afternoon we partnered with La Vina (Vineyard in Managua) to do an outreach in a town called Tipitappa. La Vina is launching a church plant there beginning this Sunday, and our goal was to connect with the children and families in the neighborhood and invite them to attend the church. After leaving to meet up with folks from La Vina, we realized that we were lacking the computer that would play the music…Three taxi rides and four parks later, Jessica and Juan finally were reunited with the group, computer in hand. With over 200 children in attendance, the word chaos comes short in describing all the things happening around us…If you blink, you watch a soccer game turn to basketball. Bracelet tables and facepainting booths evolve into hotdog stands and lines of hundreds… Craziness of drinks turn to pop in a bag (Hannah’s favorite moment of the day).Take a breath and you find singing, dancing, and creative “Oh my heck what are we doing? No one can remember the movements to the songs”….Oh yes, and the best….bubbles, also known as burbujas ….Ending the afternoon with photo shoots, the group left and headed back to Las Palmas where we all got the opportunity to “Chillax” (as Juan would say) for the first time in ten days. Taking a few deep breaths (some more than others ), we reflected on the most amazing experiences of the past week and one-half, the memories surrounding Nicaragua, the sweet smiles and laughter of the children, funny moments between the team, and closed our eyes for an whole 2.5 hours…

Day 4, 5, 6 and 7

2010-01-06T15:06:00.002-07:00

Day 4
On Day four as a group we helped Chico begin to build the new kitchen that they are making right outside the soccer/basketball court/skate park. I (Andrew) talked to Mamerto about the war that took place in Nicaragua during the carter years and how Samosa was killed in Hawaii. Mamerto was very nice and listened to the stories that I told him about LDAC and my schooling. First a man came from town with a horse and brought us the long sticks that we needed to build the beginnings of the kitchen. The kart was held up by a horse and the man also brought with him a metal roof for the kitchen. I was running around taking pictures with Hannah’s camera. I also played checkers with Juan. The building of kitchen began with nailing the wood to the cement foundation of the kitchen walls. The cement is was what kept the bricks in place. Alejandro tried to help but the best nail placer was Joe who could put in the nails faster than Chico could. This day was the second of January. Every one tried to comfort Angie because she was supposed to go to visit her mom on that day but her mom did not have the money for gas to pick her up. Angie had a hard day. The kids were a blast. We un latched “Sven’s” suitcase and the Eliezer reached in faster than any of the other kids and took out the brightest reddest newest helmet that I had ever seen. All the kids saw Sven’s name on the pads and were grateful for the gifts that they knew came from him. The five new skateboards were a complete hit. The little kids ride on their knees with one knee on the board covered with or without a pad and the other leg pedaling. The kids go very fast at all times. We have had many near collisions but the pads have averted most of the problems that these might have otherwise caused. Alex is the only one that really enjoys the unicycle. Now all the boards have made it such that we allow the kids five minute turns and when we forget there are all out tugs of war between the kids. “If only we could get thirty skateboards”, said Geoconda. Well I figure if we got 30 they would still try to fight over the boards that went the fastest. We are having such a wonderful time here. The weather was amazing on the second. It was in the mid seventies.

Day 5
Today we spent a beautiful Sunday in Managua. We started the day off right by going to La Vina Church. Although very different from The Vineyard of the Rockies-smaller, Hispanic, and pretty warm- God’s love was present and evident. The worship was in Spanish so a few of us couldn’t understand it but it was still really good. After a great church service, we went out to eat lunch in a very nice shopping area right next to an indoor/outdoor mall. We walked around the mall for a little over an hour after a yummy lunch while waiting for our movies to start. Some of us went to see Sherlock Holmes but most of us went to see Avatar which was a great movie. We were all expecting the movie to be in Spanish but much to our surprise it was in English and had Spanish subtitles. We were all kind of tired after a full day so we left Managua around 8 PM and had an hour drive back to Jinotepe. By the time we got back the little kiddos were already sleeping and we just hung out with the teens until it was time to get some sleep. Overall a fannnnnnntastic day.

Day 6
Monday morning greeted us with sunny skies and smiling faces. After eating our delicious oatmeal we boarded our van for a day of shopping and exploring Nicaragua. Our first stop was Granada… not the one in Spain! This unique town replicated the original Granada in Spain, with the cute coffee shops, lots of unique stores and beautiful plazas and churches. We felt like we were in Europe. After exploring the town, we piled in once again into our van and it was off to Masaya, a huge open air market. We completed our shopping there and met lots of natives. We dined in an outside café and enjoyed Pepsi from the bottle. Our last stop was Catalina, a lagoon that formed on the inside of a creator. It was such a beautiful place with clean, fresh Nicaraguan air, a glorious view of the volcano, Mombachu and locals playing native music for us to enjoy.
Upon our return to Arms of Love and the beloved kids, we were greeted with sounds of delight and joy. The evening was spent climbing trees, skateboarding, ice cream and a movie (Planet 51 in the kids house). Although about ¾ into the movie, the entire property lost power and we were forced to sit under the stars and marvel at God’s glorious creation. The day was a busy one, filled with happiness, love and God’s glory, which cannot be missed here in Nicaragua. “And we, who with unveiled forces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Cor. 3:15

Day 7
Al Mar! …. Today is officially beach day and we are all so excited to experience one of nature’s most beautiful gifts. In reality we were all expecting complete chaos with the kids running around in hopes of collecting the various supplies needed to enjoy a full day of fun activities. But to our own surprise not one single kid was in sight. With some of the older kids and group members wandering about a little, things slowly came together as the departure hour approached.
Around 8:45 the school bus that would be taking us to La Boquita (local beach) arrived, making us realize that we would soon be on our way. After a couple of minutes of waiting and enjoying the silent serenity, the floor began to tremble as a herd of 20+ kids charged for the bus, backpacks full of clothes, towels, beach goodies, etc.
The bus ride was a mixture of various happenings, from kids sleeping, to singing to fighting, ah, you got to love hour long bus rides! Upon arriving everyone was so excited, anxious to feel the warm wet breeze of the ocean. And before we knew it, kids were splashing around tackling waves head on, having mud fights; oh the mud fights! A little before noon however one member of our team faced an obstacle, getting stung by a stingray. Javier, Suzanne and Bri took Andrew to a feel clinic where he was taken very good care of and later met up with us back at AOL.
As the day progressed, activities took place; relays, soccer, horseback riding, “chillaxing” as Juan would say, but most importantly we enjoyed spending time with the kids, team looking for sea shells to riding the horses and exploring the sea shore; it was an amazing day and we all thank God for it.
Upon arriving and after a team meeting we all decided that it would be best to spend one more day at AOL here in Jinotepe and we are all so excited to get that extra time with the kids!
Thanks folks! We will post again soon! Tomorrow we head back to Managua to do a service project but in the mean time we hope you enjoy our posts!

Day 2 and 3

2010-01-02T08:43:00.001-07:00

Day 2

Hola¡! Que pasa¿? Feliz Año Nuevo! Well one thing is for sure, Nicaraguans know how to ring in the new year. As part of our service to AOL here in Jinotepe, we started out New Years Eve day by giving the play ground a face lift. We painted the playground equipment with all kinds of colors. Everything here is best when they are bright colors so we used amarillo (yellow), verde (green), azul (blue), rojo (red), and negro (black). The older kids contributed as well as one younger kid, Steven. After finishing the playground we decided to add a personal touch to it by putting our handprints on the bottom of the slide. When we finished we took on the impossible task of getting the paint off of our hands, arms, legs and in some cases, our backs, faces, and the back of an ear if you could believe it. This gave us a great opportunity to bond not only with the paint but the kids as well. Laura, in particular, did a great job with bonding with the paint after loosing a battle with the swing set. She was covered head to toe even with a splash of paint on the back of her neck.
Suzanne, Joe, and I (Bri) spent the morning in town with Javier (Director of the Nica AOL homes) picking up supplies and the cakes for the fiesta (party). We shared some great moments with Javier getting to know him better as well as learning a valuable key element in life. He took us to a church after we had been in the market. He said that with the hustle and bustle of the day, it is good to take time, stop, and give thanks to God for the blessings in this day. We went into the church and prayed. It wasn’t a long time, maybe five minutes, but just enough time to stop and praise the Lord for the day at hand and the blessings he has given us. The real blessing in this moment was that no matter where you are, what you are doing, who you are with, or what language you speak, God is there and waiting. He is eager to be with us. He is loving, and pleased when we are with him. In turn, we can continue the day with feelings of fulfillment (Ephesians 3:17-19), God’s grace, love, and peace.
Later in the afternoon, the ladies prepared for the New Years party while the boys went into Jinotepe to play some soccer with the older boys. As some of our readers know we brought backpacks for the kids and packed them full of school supplies, toys and books. Some spent time preparing the backpacks while others helped the older girls decorate. We used snow flakes we had made with the younger kids the night before as decoration in addition to our Feliz Ano Nuevo snowflake sign. We tried our best to bring a little bit of Colorado with us, and it seemed to have worked.
Around 6 pm the team got dressed in our western best (adjusted to the weather of course) completed with bandanas, and ate pizza with the kids. When everyone finished eating some dancing began as well as some face painting. Soon after that the piñatas were brought out as the kids were overly eager to dive for candy. We continued the night teaching the kids country dances, the chicken dance, more face painting, crafts and games. Around 10 we had a surprise for the kids, SNOW! Thanks to Joni and Jess, who found a special snow kit, we were able to provide some of the lovely white stuff that falls so often in Colorado. As John put it, it was our best worst idea ever. What was supposed to be us throwing snow up in the air and letting the kids experience snowfall, quickly turned into a deadly snowball fight inside Casa Grande. The floors became super slippery, much like ice, except hold the cold and the snow became very dirty, a nice brown tinge color by the end of it. Bodies were everywhere and after the last of the snow was thrown, we evacuated everyone so we could clean the floors before more dancing continued. After the snow fiasco we lit some candles on the cakes and celebrated a couple of birthdays and the new year and enjoyed the after math of a bunch of kids on a sugar high. After the cake and more dancing, which was the popular activity amongst the kids, we showed a video of the past Nica teams and then prepared them for their gifts. As we handed out backpacks and watched the faces of the children light up, everyone felt like we were the ones being blessed and given the best gifts ever. The kids opened their gifts with such excitement and enthusiasm that it was obvious that they were grateful to be given some thing that most of us in the United States would take for granted. It was great that so many people from back home were able to bless us so we could in turn bless them with the gifts. So, thank you to all of you readers who helped make this a truly blessed New Years Eve!
Ten til midnight we gathered outside on the basketball court to watch fireworks, which is really newspaper and gunpowder. Not the safest really, but still fun to watch. This is something they are very proud to share with us. So we sit enjoying every moment even though we might be grinding our teeth, cautiously dodging sparks, and saying “oohs and awws” all while having a smile on our faces and kids fighting for a seat on our laps. Sitting together wishing each other a Happy New Year, or Feliz Ano Nuevo, giving out hugs to all, and watching the older boys try not to burn themselves, every team member was able to take away a memory from an evening that we will never forget. Until next time….

Adios, Bri

Day 3
Feliz Año Nuevo! Well, we definitely had a night folks! After spending a good hour sweeping, doing dishes, moping and cleaning Casa Grande, we were all ready for bed. There were only a few people who woke up early this morning, early meaning before 9 am. Because most of the kids were still sleeping or taking care of chores, we ate a late breakfast at 9:30 this morning, enjoying the laziness of it all. After either helping with dishes or talking with Juan, a native Nicaraguan who was adopted by a family and moved to Canada years ago, some people went to take a nap, read, do devotionals or start planning activities for the kids. Suzanne spent most of her morning with Franscela, whom she sponsors, playing with dolls. It is amazing to watch the interaction between the two, because Franscela is so shy she doesn’t get the attention she needs and in this case she glows from the attention and love from Suzanne.
Most of today will be pretty low key due to the excitement of last night. After the relaxing morning and a delicious lunch, we had the opportunity to tour the grounds. Aldo led us on a walk into the jungle, and we were blessed with sweeping views of the Nicaraguan countryside, and could see three volcanoes. This is a truly beautiful country! The weather is warm, and the breeze felt great. We saw some ‘wild’ animals – horses and cattle – and a few of us got the chance to ride “Pepper” bare-back (aptly named by Breanna). What a way to spend New Years Day 2010 – riding a horse in the jungles of Nicaragua! It felt SO good to be enjoying the outdoors, and walking in the sunshine.
After our walk, we joined up with the kids and Hannah led us in the tie-dying activity. New shirts for everyone! Can’t wait to see what they look like tomorrow! The day was going much too quickly – it was already time for dinner. After dinner, we were able to devote the evening to playing with the kids. Soccer, hide and seek, jumping rope, card games, and board games were happening all over the grounds. These kids have a LOT of energy!
God has blessed us with so many new sights, sounds, smells, tastes and, most of all, showing us His love through these kids. What an honor to be here, reminding these kids of how much God loves them. And as we are a witness to this, it sinks in just how much He loves each one of us. Once again, we are here to be a blessing to the children, but find ourselves as the ones being blessed.
Dios te bendiga,
Joni

We have arrived just as 2009 is ending!

2009-12-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

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

The Rest of the Trip

2009-08-14T21:54:00.001-06:00

Vineyard Managua

Well this will officially be the last blog post during the trip. Again, sorry for not updating more regularly but I can’t get to the internet very often. Things got pretty hectic the past few days so I wasn’t able to go to the internet café at all. Sunday we went to the Vineyard Community Church in Managua to hear Sven give his first sermon in Spanish. He did very well despite being extremely nervous, so we are thanking God for giving him strength and courage for that. We also decided we need to smuggle the Managua Vineyard worship leader because that guy could really sing. Nothing against our worship bands in Fort Collins, but this man was really just out of this world with his voice and his energy. The trip to Managua took up most of the day, but we all had a lot of time to actually have conversations with the older kids and really get to know them on a personal level. A lot of our time has been spent playing games with everyone, but it takes a lot more to go that extra step and share life stories. It turned out to be a very relaxed day in comparison to the rest of the week, which was something the whole team needed. Ah! I almost forgot about David Brookes talking to some street youth in Managua. His talk went well and there was also an opportunity to hang out with some of the kids who spend their days begging. Juan (a 20 year old college student from Arms of Love) was able to engage a few kids, which turned into a whole group. That experience was extremely powerful for Sven and David, but I think it would be best to ask them about it when we get back to Colorado!

Trip to Mombacho

Monday was basically a team day as we traveled to Granada, Nicaragua. We took a bus to Mombacho Volcano and hiked around the crater. Unfortunately, since it is rainy season, there was a ton of fog and we couldn’t see any of the views. It was still really cool taking the hike through the rain forest since we don’t have a lot of those in Colorado. After that we went into Granada and wandered around their central park. We checked out some shops and toured their new cathedral. Granada is a tourist spot, so it had a different feel that Managua and Jinotepe. We left Granada after an hour or so and drove to another little town called Catarina. There was an awesome view of a crater lake, as well as Mombacho and Granada. We bought some gifts then headed back to Jinotepe.

Last Day at Arms of Love

Tuesday was our last day with the Arms of Love house in Jinotepe. While the kids were at school during the morning, some of us built an Eskimo hockey box (see pictures) while the rest went into Jinotepe for one last time. When the kids got back, we just started playing like it was the first day all over again. We skateboarded, unicylced, and played basketball, soccer, and anything else the kids wanted to do. It was an incredible afternoon that was nothing but fun. After dinner, we all gathered and individually said our thanks and goodbyes to the whole group. It was a lot of fun, but also very emotional. After we talked, all of the kids said goodbye to us the same way, which was actually very funny and entertaining. They are very to the point and just describe things we did (you came, we went to the beach, we had pizza) and most of them finished by saying amen. When that was done, the little kids went to bed and the rest of us divided up into males and females. Hannah Bunker and Chris Harris shared their testimonies with each group so the kids could understand that we also have junk from our past and we don’t live perfect lives in the United States. It was an opportunity for the teenagers to see how God has came into individuals lives and completely changed them. Both testimonies were of struggle and hope, something these kids can really relate with. Although Tuesday was super tiring physically and emotionally, we had to get ourselves prepared for Wednesday because it held a whole new set of challenges.

The Barrio

On Wednesday, we packed and drove to the Arms of Love house in Managua. We then drove to one of the roughest barrios (neighborhood) in Managua where Julie’s fiancée lives. Upon arrival, we split in two groups and walked in different directions through the barrio. Both groups ran into small groups of teenagers hanging out on the street. Sven’s group had the unicycles, so they asked the kids where the circus was so they could join up. David’s group walked up to the kids and just sprayed them with silly string. It took a little time, but with some persistence the kids got involved in the activities in both situations. Sven’s group played some basketball, and eventually got involved in a game of street soccer (all of the kids were really good). David’s group got involved in a street baseball game. In Nicaragua, street baseball is played with three bases on the street. The rules are similar to normal baseball, but two foul balls and you are out, if you hit the ball on a roof on the either side of the street you’re out, and there are only two innings. David’s group invited the kids to join in some activities in the afternoon, but they couldn’t go to the side of the neighborhood we were planning to engage. It turns out each group had ran into rival gangs. These two gangs fight constantly so it would have been a horrible idea to set that meeting up. Nothing happened to anyone, and we thank God for that. After lunch we went to the neighborhood school and did a mini-Go Bus (basically a party with various activities). We went out and exerted a lot of energy for about six hours and had a lot of fun with a bunch of random kids and gang members. It was probably the most interesting day any of us have ever had, but it was an experience we will never forget. It amazing what can happen when you are truly doing God’s work and just trying to bring joy where there isn’t much to be found. He has really blessed our group and allowed us to do so much more than we thought we could with almost no preparation. Everything has just fallen into place and it has just been such a blessing to be here serving the people of Nicaragua.

The Dump

I said that Wednesday was probably the most interesting day for our group, but Thursday was by far the hardest. I will attempt to explain what happened as clearly as possible because it is a situation that people should know about. This is by far the most difficult thing I have ever had to write about. Through some connections, we hooked up with a guy who is involved in ministry at the Managua Dump. In Nicaragua, there isn’t a waste disposal system like we have in the states. Most people just burn their trash in the streets and the rest goes do the dump to be burned in a giant pile. It causes a lot of pollution and Nicaragua is actually being fined yearly because they are causing so much pollution. That alone is pretty terrible, but it isn’t even close to being the worst part. The dump has a community with about 1200 residents. These people live amongst the trash and spend their days collecting anything that might be valuable. Most never leave the dump because they are considered inferior to everyone else in Nicaragua. Their houses and fences are made out of scraps found within the dump. Children are forced to work from a very young age, and a lot of them are abused physically and sexually. Upon our arrival, we were told that the gates leading into the dump were called “The Gates to Hell” by the locals. We drove into the village where there was a school. We had made a few hundred care creatures which were stuffed animals with candy in them to give out to children we saw. Upon entering the school, we were mobbed by a lot of the kids who seemed to just be crying out for attention. There were also a good portion who ignored us and showed no emotion. It wasn’t hard to tell which kids were being abused. We didn’t stay long because they had to get back to class, so we walked deeper into the village. Our guide took us to a hill where you could see the entire dump. I think this was the point that had the most profound impact on all of our hearts. Normally when you walk to a high point, you look out over the landscape and see beauty, but all to be seen was mountains of trash and clouds of smoke. It looked like a war zone in a post apocalyptic world. I can’t even accurately describe my own feelings in this moment, let alone the whole teams, but I am confident that the sadness we felt was unlike anything we have ever felt before. Despite the apparent hopelessness of this situation, there are rays of light shining in this dump. There are multiple ministries working in the community to save the children and help the adults get jobs. Our guide told us that when they first arrived, they found about forty children out in the trash fields wandering aimlessly, most of them naked. These kids now have schools to go to where they are fed and given clothes. After leaving the dump, we went to a children’s home called Villa Esparanza which is funded by the organization, Forward Edge. It was the nicest place we visited in Nicaragua. They have gone out and rescued 16 girls from the dump and provided them with everything. Most of these girls have been sexually abused in their past, so their contact with men is very limited. Men only talk to the children when they are with their wives so the girls don’t feel threatened and can see how good men treat women. The girls actually go to school in the dump so they are still connected to their families. The difference between the dump and Villa Esparanza is like night and day, and it was a shock for us. I can’t even imagine what that must be like for the girls who grew up in the dump. Two houses will be added soon so the number of girls will double. Upon reflection, all of us seemed to be pretty overwhelmed in a lot of different ways and we all had a hard time sharing with each other what was happening in our hearts while we were at the dump. None of us took pictures at the dump, but I am sure you could find some online. It was a hard way to wrap up our trip, but God has done amazing things with all of us these last two weeks and we are so thankful for that. I want to thank everyone who donated so the trip could happen, and I want to thank everyone for their prayers. Again, I apologize for not updating regularly. This blog is really just a snapshot of events, and I would urge you all to ask those of us you know to share our experiences with you to really understand what God is doing in Nicaragua. I am posting a few more pictures, but there are sure to be thousands on facebook. Thanks for reading and God Bless!

August 6-8, 2009

2009-08-08T15:57:00.010-06:00

Hello again! Sorry for the wait but we cant go to town everyday. Thursday morning was free time for us and most of us decided to take an adventure into Jinotepe. We explored the market place, tried some different food, and bought a lot of hot sauce. When we came back we filled up hundreds of water balloons and had a massive water war. We did our team vs. the kids which quickly became USA vs. Nicaragua. When the fight started, one of the teenagers, Alex, let out a war cry, ¡Para Nicaragua! and launched his water balloon across the battlefield. Once the balloons ran out, we filled up buckets and kept fighting. Nobody was safe, not even Kim Fisher, the director of Arms of Love. The youngest girl, Meyling, was ruthless and hunted Julia, the event coordinator, down in her office. She also threw water on one of the adults who was in the van coming back from town. After that we showered and got ready for a night in the Jungle. Sven thought it would be fun/adventurous/risky if we all went camping in the jungle. We bought hammocks, bug nets, and a lot of rope so the little critters wouldnt eat us. Unfortunately, the whole team did not get to experience this adventure due to the intimidating insects, but we are going to give it another try on Monday. Nobody was attacked by snakes, spiders, or scorpions, so it was a successful trip. We didnt get out to the jungle until it was dark, so it took a few hours to set up 14 hammocks. We tried making a fire but jungle wood doesnt know how to burn. The dried banana leaves were the only things that caught fire, but they only last about five seconds. It was really noisy all night, but everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.

On Friday, we all went to the beach, or as the kids were singing, ¡Vamos a la Playa! It was a blast. The water was warm and the waves were big enough for surfing. We played in the water and on the beach for probably two hours nonstop before having lunch. The kids body surfed, built sand castles, and caught enough crabs to fill one of the buckets. We also did some horseback riding. There are no restrictions on what animals can be brought on the beach, and we discovered this when a local had a mini-cattle drive of bulls right through the middle of our activities. Someone also brought a pig. Not things you usually see at beaches in the States! On the bus ride back, Sven and the teenagers got into a spanish improv singing battle in which Sven yelled things like Biesbol and Corn Flakes over and over again which happened to wake up everyone who was trying to nap. They didnt stop until we got back to the orphanage. At night, we had some other missionaries from a Vineyard in Iowa join us. They shared some of their experiences with us. Every night we take time to reflect on what God is doing in each of our hearts, and last night we had a particularly intense prayer session where God was definately present and moving. He has been doing a lot of very powerful things for all of us so far, and we still have six more days here. We just pray that He continues to pour his blessing on us and the children for the remainder of the time.

We have been playing with the kids all day today. Surprise surprise! We brought out a lot of different toys, and the older kids took some of us on the zip-line through the jungle. Tonight, Sven and David are traveling to Managua so David can preach to some youth with Sven as his translator. The kids are throwing a party for the rest of us tonight, and tomorrow we will go to Managua for church. Sven is preaching in spanish for his first time tomorrow at church, so please be praying for both him and David. A new blog will be up as soon as possible. We need to get back for dinner, rice and beans like always! Im glad nobody here is on the Atkins diet. ¡Adios y vaya con Dios!

August 3-6 2009

2009-08-06T11:12:00.002-06:00

Buenos dias! Sorry it has taken so long to get this first blog up but our access to the internet is limited. We didn´t have access to this blog either but all is well now. Our first day was all travel from 7 in the morning until midnight when we arrived at the orphanage at Jinotepe. Everything went smoothly except we had our peanut butter confiscated at the first security checkpoint in Denver. It was a sad moment for everyone. In Houston, we were able to connect with some random people due to our hacky sack skills (which are not the best), but God uses anything to reach out to others. We forgot to bring a frisbee with us and these people were promoting their website on frisbee´s and gave one to our group. The car ride from Managua to Jinotepe was interesting to say the least. People don´t obey traffic laws but they merely give warnings with their horns. We also got very acquainted with each other because the van was tiny and we managed to fit our whole group in there as well as the three Nicaraguans that came to pick us up. Despite all of that, everyone was in high spirits and ready to rock Arms of Love. Upon arrival at the orphanage we were exposed to their giant tarantulas who are very sneaky and fast. Since then we have seen three, one of which was right next to a bed in the girls room. We also found a scorpion while working, but so far we have only been bit by mosquitos.

On Tuesday we all got up early for some devotional time as well as breakfast and worship. The kids are at school in the morning so we have a lot of preparation and bonding time with each other. We used the time on Tuesday to attempt riding a unicycle (nothing like embarrassing each other to get some quality bonding) and playing some pick-up basketball. We also had time to organize random cement stones that had been broken to make a cobblestone walkway to the childrens playhouse. The kids were back from school at this point and many lent a hand and were very helpful. A kid named Ronnie removed the stinger from a scorpion so us Americans could hold it. After dinner was play time and boy do these kids have a lot of energy. We were drinking coffee at 830 in the evening just to keep up. When it was time for bed, we split up the young and old kids for devotional time. The younger kids stood up individually and talked about what God had done for them during the day, and many were thankful for the "white people" who came to play with them. The prayers then turned into random worship songs and it was probably the cutest thing any of us have ever witnessed. When that ended, the children lined up to hug each one of us and say goodnight.

On Wednesday we started our day bright and early again. The morning was dedicated to planting trees, which is funny because we are doing eco-work in Nicaragua, which is a jungle. Everyone worked hard and we got a lot done. The kids returned in the afternoon and we played for many hours once again. Since it rained, we engaged in indoor activities, including a lot of jump roping. The kids decided it would be funny to play a prank on us and had us line up in a squated position with our hands out in front of us. We thought it was a strength bonding game where we would have to use each other to balance. They counted "Uno, Dos, Tres!", and pushed all of us over. They punked us for sure! After the kids went to bed, we all got together and shared our stories on how we ended up in Nicaragua. We had a guest named Elizabeth who was an orphan for 18 years. She told us about the impact a missionary on her life who later adopted her when she was asked to leave the orphanage. She told a heart wrenching story of abuse and neglect which is now turned around due to a seed that was planted in her many years ago by this missionary. It was very encouraging to us and inspired us to really reach out to these children. Elizabeth is currently working on a degree in social work at Pepperdine University, and already has a degree in non-profit business administration. I think everyone feels very blessed to have this opportunity to be here and possibly change someones life as radically as Elizabeths was changed. Running out of time so we have to leave. Pictures will be up soon!

Leaving

2009-01-04T05:48:00.004-07:00

Hello all, and we will see you soon. We are at the airport awaiting our first flight. The last couple days has been awesome! But as with all trips, leaving is bitter sweet. We (well, I) look forward to coming home, but we all are sad to be leaving so many great kids. God really has moved in the lives of this team, and in the hearts of the kids that we were able to serve.

We went to the beach yesterday. We had a great time with the kids while we were there. The food was amazing. We had the choice of fresh fish or fresh shrimp. Both which were amazing.

Please pray for our safety while we travel and we look forward to telling you all our stories soon...

2009-01-02T12:48:00.007-07:00

WOW, what a trip. We have finished the construction project. We built a path for the kids to use for going from one house to another. They will use this during the rainy season so they don´t get so messy. The path is made of rock. 227 of the to be exact. Each rock was approxamently 130 lbs. If we did the math right that totals around 14 tons. But hey I didn´t do the math so I don´t know if that is right.

We had a great new year. We stayed up and celebratedwith the Nica´s. We had a lot of fire works, pinata´s, pizza, cake, dancing, and much more. These kids really know how to party!

Right now we are in Managua, playing with kids at the school. We are then going to go to the market.

VBS has been great. The kids really love to sing and dance, and they love the story time. They even enjoy the ministry time. Last night when they went to pray the kids started to pray for all of us. It was an incredible experience. These kids really love God! They then said that it is the adults turn to pray for us. What a value for a relationship with God.

We hope that all of you are well. Please pray that we would continue to see God moving. Also that we would be safe and stay healthy. This team is amazing!!! And the work that God is doing through them is amazing!!!

Enjoy more pics...

Hello from Nica!

2008-12-31T09:27:00.007-07:00

Hello all, we made it here just fine. We have been having a blast playing with kids, doing construction and growing as a team. We have to go into town to use the internet, so we will try and post when we get the opportunity, but can't promise anything.

This country is beautiful! For being a tropical climate the weather is a bit cooler than we expected. Some people have been wearing jackets, and the locals say it is cold. We laugh and tell them about the weather back home. We can see a volcano from our back porch. We have been starting our days with some quiet time, sipping the wonderful coffee, we then eat breakfast, start construction and get time to spend with the kids at the orphanage. The kids are amazing, the love that they show you as soon as they meet you resembles Gods love in so many ways. They enjoy playing all sorts of games, everything from soccer to basketball and even baseball. The younger kids warmed up to us right away, and older kids were a little skeptical but by the end of the first day we were like a happy family.

The construction project that we are doing is building a path from one house to another. This will allow kids to get from place to place without getting muddy in the rainy season. The kids love to help, doing everything from chiseling to digging. They are a huge help! Most the time they can out work us.

We are throwing a party tonight for New Years. We will be staying up late with at least some of the kids. From what I here there is a great fireworks show.

Please continue to pray for us, pray for:

Protection, continued unity for the team, that we would bless these kids and show them who God is.

Enjoy the pics...

We have arrived in Miami! We have a nice couple hours here in airport, we will be hanging out as a team and spend some time doing prayer team training

2008-12-29T12:36:00.005-07:00

Resurrecting

2008-12-21T10:26:00.002-07:00

We are resurrecting this blog for all of our friends and families to support us in prayer while we are on trips around the world. Thank you for following our journey!!! We will try to post everyday during trips so check back regularly.

And thanks for your support!

Sean Godbey