Nicaragua

Wow, today marks our ½ way point for our time here in Managua.  It has been a very good and productive trip, so far!  The children have done very well.  It is fascinating hearing them process what they have seen and experienced.  The poverty is common and some of it has troubled the children as well as Eileen and I.  So what we see becomes the launching point for conversations about Jesus’ teachings and the question of ‘How should we live?’  40 years ago Managua was rocked by an earthquake similar in size and devastation to the one that recently hit Haiti.  It was 1972 and a number of Nicaraguans have shared where they were and what they experienced when I’ve asked.  They also remember the war here in the 1980s, yet in spite of all of this, the Nicaraguans are a resilient people.

There is tremendous beauty here with an amazing variety of plants, flowers and trees!  So much green with the palms, the brilliant flowers, seeming to be in every direction.  There is though the trash along the roads and the houses are often put together with so many different materials as they can be found.  In our two bedroom apartment, we cook & eat, play & pray.  It’s simple and comfortable.  We have been tremendously blessed by the Fanjul family who are staying across the street from us.  They are here adopting a little girl.  They have three boys as well, who are ages are close to those of our children!

Evangelical Methodist Church of Nicaragua – I met with most of the pastors from the Evangelical Methodist Church of Nicaragua on Monday.  There are less than 10 pastors shepherding 15 congregations.  It is a young church, only 20 years old.  They have some challenges that make ours look very small – and it is a joy to be with them.  We'll worship with one or two congregations on Sunday.  Then I will meet again with them on Monday morning.  You can see their website at: www.iglesiametodistanicaragua.com

Meeting Our Sponsored Child – Compassion International – With joy we met Christhian on Tuesday at the Compassion Project: “Dios Te Ama” translated “God Loves You”.  Christhian, his mother Arazeles, and his little sister Ruth were dressed up and happy to meet us.  Our children have written him over the years and he has sent letters as well.  This Compassion Project is the largest in Nicaragua with over 400 sponsored children.

Ruth, Christhian (our sponsored child) & Evie, Josiah & Luke

Eileen returned this afternoon from a Bible Study and support group connected with ‘Casa Esperanza’ (House of Hope) a ministry that helps women and children out of prostitution and human trafficking.  www.houseofhopenicaragua.com  It was a powerful experience as she was able to put faces with the women she has heard about.  Thursday and Friday of this week we’ll travel to Tipitapa to help serve in some feeding centers for children.

It's been a joy to share Christ with taxi drivers, people we meet along the way and be in fellowship with the 'Nica' believers here.  I've lined up many of the details for a Spring Break mission trip here with Virginia Wesleyan College and others - March 12 -19. 

On the edge of Lake Granada

We traveled to Granada on Saturday with Delia Gillikin’s parents.*  Granada was founded by the Spanish in the 1500s and is fascinating.  We went on a small boat to see ‘las isletas’ (the islands, there are 300!) that many believe were formed by the massive eruption of the volcano Mombacho.  Further off was the volcano Concepción, which is almost a perfect triangle in contrast to Mombacho which is distorted from previous eruptions.  Monkeys live on a couple of the islands.  The picture though is a captive monkey.  *Delia and Jason Gillikin were married last summer.  Jason and I went to Nicaragua together twice a few years back.  Once with a larger team from Grace Harbor Church.  On a subsequent trip, Jason met Delia.  I had the privilege of officiating at their wedding in the USA.
To experience the beautiful reality that our LORD transcends all geography, cultures and times is glorious!

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."   Revelation 7:9-10


Rejoicing in the LORD,


Greg, Eileen, Josiah, Evie & Luke