Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

months 3-4 in Nicaragua

Make a difference

I have learned a lot about myself in this new environment. I have learned that I sweat all throughout the night as I sleep and immediately after taking a cold shower. I have realized by stomach is not strong enough to handle the different bacteria prevalent in this country. I have also learned that the closeness of this culture is something I do not like. On the bus, it is common for a crowded bus to have people hanging out the doors, looking like they are holding on for dear life. I have seen people drunk from the night before, passed out on the curbside not even woken up by the busy hustle and bustle of a brand new day. I have realized the loudness of this culture and embraced it thus far, (as much as I possibly can) still jumping every time a firework is shot off in the middle of the day. I have learned to love the acceptance of people who don’t know me and allow me to give them a shot, take their blood pressure, or explain their medication regimen for the next 30 days. Since getting moved to the pharmacy I have learned that a lot of the medications are donated to the patients from a special organization (Mennonite background) called Christian Aid Ministries (https://www.christianaidministries.org/programs/19); you can read more about this organization and the places they donate medicines. I have met many other Mennonites down here. I have been blessed knowing that people have done work such as packing medicines, making soaps, and sending them all down to Nicaragua where they get distributed to more than just the clinic I work at. I have learned so many new things since being here. I have learned more about me, the family I live with, the team I work with, but most importantly; the God I love and I am here to serve. I have learned how faithful and true he is in times where I need him most. I felt very homesick lately and missing my family terribly because I have never missed a Christmas at home. I was talking with other missionaries from different countries (United States and Costa Rica) and they helped me understand the differences and the feelings when they first moved here. They shared some stories over a great American meal (burgers and fries from Burger King). I have also been challenged to pray and fast for the CFCI organization. On December 17th, all CFCI missionaries worldwide will be fasting and praying for our organization. How cool is that?! I am so excited! We are praying for the upcoming year and praying that God blesses us immensely and showers each country with funds, teams, and people that can help add more blessings to the specific teams located worldwide. I recently returned from a medical brigade and I absolutely loved every second of it. I made many new friends and I learned a lot about the clinics and churches started around the area we helped. This place is called Somoto and located in the northern part of the country. It is located in the mountains and the atmosphere is very refreshing after being in Managua all the time (where it is still 85 at night in December). I had the opportunity to be on a trip that was a memorial for a couple men who started coming down to Nicaragua in the late 70’s and preaching the gospel and planting churches. These men listened to God’s voice and were obedient to his word. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” The first day of the brigade I got to give de-worming pills and vitamins to all the people who came to see the doctor, dentist, or eye doctor. If the patients needed to see all three, they had access to all three. The medications we gave were free and so were the consults. The number of people we saw on the first day was about 125 and on the second day we saw about 100. Thirty five people gave their life to Christ on the first day and seven on the second day. I made home visits on the first day in the afternoon. I was the only medical person in attendance. I was seeing patients, giving them meds I think they needed and I even got to dress a wound. We prayed over every person we saw and that was probably the most influential part of the home visits for me. Every one prayed at the same time and it felt like I could hear all the prayers and what everyone was saying. I felt surrounded by God’s presence and his guardian angels. On the second day, I did home visits in the morning and helped pack vitamins later that day. I may have come in contact with TB (please pray that all people in our group are safe and do not have any health complications with TB). The last day we were there, e went to a missionary school in the morning and then we spent our last day at a place called “Los Pipitos”. This center is for children with disabilities and they got consults with the doctors. These children go here and do rehab and get help with tasks needed for everyday living. I loved this part of the trip, these kids blessed my day! I got to know this group really well and they invited me to go with them on Friday to zip lining in Granada and shopping at the Masaya market. Of course I said yes because I made such good friends. I am truly blessed to be here and doing God’s will in my life. I could not imagine doing anything else right now. I know this is exactly where he wants me to be and what he wants me to be learning. This weekend is our church’s fundraiser. I ask you to partner with me in prayer and keep the property of the church in your thoughts and prayers as you end this year and enter into a new one. I know that prayer is very powerful. I believe that it changes lives! I have been getting into the word and reading Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick. I am reading and finding out ways to challenge myself to believe in the things I think are impossible. Nothing is impossible for God. If you think you should be somewhere your not, give your requests to God and He will guide you to where you need to be. If you think you are not spending enough time with God, Get in the word, pray diligently, and love mercilessly. You only have one time on this earth, one chance to make an impact, one time to shout his name. How will you spend the time you have occupying the land he has blessed us with? Are you going to sit in America (where your comfortable) and live day by day like you normally do? Or are you going to listen to his command and be obedient like it says in Matthew? “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 This life is the only one you’ve got; make differences, not excuses; change lives, not your cheek; give your life because He gave His son.