Hola from Nicaragua!

Thanks to all your prayers and thoughts, we have arrived safely here in Nicaragua. As soon as we landed in Managua, we were pleased to be greeted by some very familiar faces – Sarah and Pastor Gomez (as well as a new friend Luis). Since that moment, the people here at Mount Olives Church in El Crucero have greeted us with much love and hospitality. An hour drive from the airport, we were greeted by a big crowd that had decorated and prepared the church for us. Many of them shared from hearts their excitement for our visit, and they even prepared a dance for us. Their eagerness to welcome us made us feel as if we had actually come home from a long trip.

We are all taking strides toward making this place our home for the next three weeks. We are so blessed to have our own beds. And the weather here has been so nice. A cool, gentle breeze wakes us up in the morning and puts us to bed. The occasional rain shower to cool things down is also a great plus. We have been greatly blessed by Senora Argentina who works so hard to cook us delicious meals everyday. Needless to say, none of us have found it hard to be a happy member of the clean-plate club.

Most of the time so far has been dedicated to one passion of the people here – futbol! Whether enjoying the world cup matches with folks here or going out to the neighborhood and rubbing shoulders with some of youth, we’ve enjoyed our fair share of futbol here. Seeing a big group of non-Nicaraguans playing in the dirt fields definitely drew a crowd. We split up into two teams and integrated with many of the students who were playing on the fields. Despite the language barrier, we soon were speaking the common language of futbol. Recognizing one another by shirt color and basic facial features, we were able to give-and-go up and down the dirt field. For most of us, our awkward ball handling was no match to the oh-so-natural finesse of the youth here, but nevertheless, their welcoming spirits made the game very enjoyable. Sarah shared with our team how a simple game of futbol could be transformed into a powerful tool for ministry. She led us to a group of young men who played with us and invited them to a soccer league that we will be hosting with the Mount Olives Church, and just like that, we had invited 8 people to an event where the gospel could be shared.

We are already learning so much from the trip and can’t wait for what the Lord has in store for us. Please continue to remember us in your prayers. A few specifics are…

1. Continued prayer as we transition into living life here.

2. Our first Sunday service with the congregation of Mount Olives will be tomorrow. Please pray for the ministry that will go on during the morning Sunday school and evening Worship service.

3. Pray for our partnership with the youth at Mount Olives. There are a handful of youth leaders who plan and prepare much of the ministry that occurs here. Please pray for knitting of hearts and spirits so that we may effectively love and serve the people around us.