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Tuesday July 27th, 2010

It is our 2^nd day of ministry here in Nicaragua. God has been doing some amazing things these last 2 days and will no doubt continue to do so the rest of the week. We split into 2 groups this morning, with 4 of the guys going to Torre Fuerte to continue with the construction work from yesterday. The church has begun building a roof over an exposed area behind the church, for a Sunday school classroom (their only one). The guys also finished making some tables for the feeding program and a bench for the kids. The guys had help from a man named who came in off the street and they invited him back for a much needed lunch.  The rest of the group traveled this morning to the local dump to minister to the people who sift through the trash. It was a humbling and sobering experience but we had the opportunity to sing songs with the people and serve them lunch.  Later in the afternoon, we did ministry outreach to the neighborhood. The guys got a soccer game going, and the girls set up tables and did crafts and a bible story with local children, (about 30 showed up!). We look forward to seeing how God is going to use us tomorrow. Kate

Monday July 26th, 2010

The team was up early, and by 7AM they were eating breakfast at Casa Somervilla (Doug and Betty’s rented home).  Food, fellowship, worship and prayer set the morning off to a great start.

Pastor Flores from the Torre Feurte Church arrive with his construction crew and before we knew it, Jim, Matt, Rick and Gerry were off building tables for the feeding programs and helping with the steel beams for the new partition at the TF church.

The rest of the team prayer walked, visited families who needed encouragement and prayer.  We ended the day with an out reach to about 15 children in Jessica’s neighborhood.  Jessica a lovely young mom, has 3 young boys, 9, 6 and 4.  Her youngest child, Armando was born with out limbs.  Armando is an extremely happy child and seems to enjoy his surroundings, we have noticed that his family makes sure he gets to experience every part of life that any other 4 year old child would.

Once again it has been a blessed day!  Thanks for your prayers, Adios – Betty

Sunday July 25th, 2010

After a fun filled day of travel, the July Team from Calvary arrived in Managua at 8:05PM.  When they got to Granada, they were greeted with an authentic Nicaraguan meal cooked by our dear friend Roberto. They were able to enjoy their comfortable hotel for a good nights rest in preparation for Monday as they anticipated their first day on the ground in Granada.  What a blessing to have willing hearts to do whatever the Lord may have for them.

Saturday July 24th, 2010

As we closed out our week of preparation for the July team to arrive, we decided to take a trip out to the dump with Ezekiel, an 18 year old who has committed himself to the Lord’s service and has a special place in his heart for the children and adults who live out by the city dump.  The families, who live close to the dump, work there as well.

What could have been a 10 minute taxi ride became a jam-packed city bus adventure for us “gringos”.  About an hour later we finally arrived in the most beautiful place with lush plants and trees, there was a quiet serenity that seemed to hush over this rolling country side compared to the busy hubbub of Granada.  Basically, it seemed like we were out in a jungle.  The bus dropped us off, we started our mile walk to the dump and Ezekiel would stop and gather the children for the activities that he planned for the gathering at the dump site.  On his way, he would stop and visit people, pray for them and at one point Ezekiel took time to teach a deaf and mute teenager some sign language.  I have to say my heart was overwhelmed with the sense of love I saw Ezekiel pour out on the individuals he encountered.

Twenty children joined in our mile trek and finally we got to the dump.  What once seemed lush and green suddenly became acres and acres of stench and garbage. The women were bagging up the recyclables and the men were going thru the garbage as the trucks unloaded the garbage.  I have been told that the long days of work will gain them one day of food and many of the workers feel that they must have done something wrong to deserve this kind of living.

As we spent time with the children and shared the Story of David and Goliath, I have to say, I was extremely grateful. Even though we could not change the living conditions, we could share something that had eternal value.  We could share our eternal hope with them.  We could have confidence that “yes, God will give strength, he will give it to even the smallest person who chooses to follow Him and yes, God will never leave you nor forsake you, and yes if you know Jesus as your Savior, someday we will all see each other again in a place where there will be no pain nor sorrow.”

As we walk out of the dump, I reflected that I no longer smelled the dump, but instead enjoyed the fragrance of the gentle kind eyes and the look of gratitude and joy I saw in those little brown eyes, my heart was filled with joy to overflowing.

Our mile trek out of the dump was cut short as a kind man pick us up and we all got to ride in the bed of the garbage truck with the children and workers. (Believe it or not, this was one of our highs for the day, and a first for all of us). We must have been quite a sight, a bunch of gringo’s riding in the back of a city garbage truck! It was a blessed day, one we will never forget.

While we are here in Granada we hope to continue these Saturday outings with Ezekiel and share these special moments with the teams from Calvary Chapel.

Thanks for your prayers. Addios ~ Betty

Friday July 23, 2010: We are coming to a close of our first week here in Granada, it has gone by so fast. We were able to enjoy a few days of much needed rest in preparation for the next phase of the trip. We know it has been a gift from our Lord.

Our first team will be here Sunday and while we may not be building a “new church building” at the new feeding program, Pastor Flores is thrilled to have skilled handimen and women be able to minister to church and family needs concerning the physical structure of the church, feeding program kitchen, a larger roof for the children and some church families who have next to nothing and are in desparate need of something.  We find it an honor to be able to minister in this way, as it is humbling for Pastor to ask us to help in this way.

As  I ( Betty) sat back and had a few days to observed the culture here in Granada, I began to sense more and more of the spiritual darkness that is trying to take over this city and nation.  In my own understanding, I don’t see how a corrupted nation could turn it’s ways to the Lord.  But then I am reminded that is it not my understanding or wisdom, but that the Lord has a plan, and He has asked us to trust Him and step in obedience to His will.

Once again I am humbled by this understanding; the Lord has shown me that he is doing a work, he is changing hearts and transformation is happening.  Five days ago, a good friend of ours from Granada, who walked away from the Lord and struggles with addictions,  knocked on our door to see Pastor Doug. Since then, he has been coming everyday at 7AM to meet with Doug for a Bible study, and he has humbled himself and walked back to church. He desires to be freed from his bondage,  this is only through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  We are humbled to watch this transformation, we know our friend has a long road ahead of him, our prayer is that you would pray for us to have mercy and grace as we foresee a cycle of bondage desiring to ensnare this man.

It is our desire that we, Doug and Betty, will never forget that it is only through the blood shed for us that we are able to be “workmen” for the Lord.  It is our prayer that we would extend grace and mercy as our Lord has poured it out for us.

Oh and one last prayer request would be for my dad in NJ.  He’s back in the hospital with pneumonia, it came up as a real surprise as his health was improving and his strength was gaining.  It looks like a simple case, but one never knows at 89.  Take care and thanks again for your prayers and love and have a wonderful week.   Blessings and Love,  Betty & Doug

July 18, 2010: We wanted to let you know we arrived safely in Nicaragua.  We were blessed every step concerning transportation, housing etc. So many things were up in the air, yet the Lord gave us peace; we moved forward, and now we are in our home at Casa Somervilla. We look back over our travels and thank the Lord for the miracles he did to make everything work out the way it did.  We have a lovely home with 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a large area for feeding the teams and our friends from the church. An extra blessing includes a small pool and yes Shaylee (our 13 yr old) has enjoyed it even in the rain. It is rainy season here, and it truly is rainy.

We are praying that in between showers we can still do out reaches with the children.  I was also told that the farmers are praying for a month of dryness so they can plant the seeds for the next crop.  They usually get 2 crops in a year during their winter (our summer).  But the fields have been so wet and they haven’t had the opportunity to plant. We will let you know how things progress.

Some other prayers for this week include:

• travel  safety for our daughters Bri and Tiehl, they are coming in tomorrow night
• for the July Team from CCCB that will be coming down next Sunday
• for the Lord’s leading with the scheduling of the ministry He wants us to do while the teams are down here.
  We will be working with Pastor Flores from the Torre Feurte church and it is our desire to bless him and the ministry that is going on here.
• for good health, apparently the flu has really taken a toll on the city of Grenada and many people have been sick; Pastor said many adults and children from his church have been sick.  The Lord provided us with lots of medicine for the teams to take down… we are beginning to understand why!

We thank the Lord for your love and prayers and will keep updating for the next month.  With Love and blessings, Betty & Doug

January 22-23, 2010.

Throughout the week, we saw God’s hand at work in the smallest of details; we sat amazed even at how God opened the door for 2 young teenagers to continue their schooling. As the Bible Conference approached, we were blessed by the week’s events and looked forward to the weekend with great anticipation.

The Bible Conference lasted from Friday morning until late Saturday evening.  Twenty eight churches were invited to bring their pastors, church leaders, and potential future leaders. Over the course of 2 days, we had 244 people register.  Though registration began 9:00 am on Friday, the first attendees eagerly walked in at 7:30am and were greeted by the youth of Torre Fuerte and were given a cup of coffee and a bowl overflowing with delicious fresh fruit.  The setup crew and kitchen help began at 4 am that morning.  They faithfully served great lunches and dinners throughout the conference as well.

The topic of this year’s conference was “Unity”. We had seven speakers from different countries, cultures, and generations, yet God in his sovereignty broke down the barriers and by his Spirit united those who attended the conference.  We all left with a better understanding of God’s call on our own lives concerning “Unity in the Spirit” and our responsibility to live this out in the Body of Christ.

Pastor John gave us an illustration called the “donut” of Christianity to help us understand barriers among the Church. In the center of the donut are the core beliefs or the “dogma”; these are the non-negotiable essentials of the inerrant Word of God and our Christian faith.  In the next ring are the “doctrinal beliefs”; these are some of the different ideas we have such as baptism, communion, etc. The outside ring includes the “preferences”; examples of such preferences include song choice, type of music, dress, etc.

We are called to be “unified” in the Spirit and yet our carnality often gets in the way of this.  Over the course of the 2 days, the speakers were able to break down the teachings of Scripture in order to help us understand how this is played out in our everyday life.  Topics presented include Unity in the Church, Unity among Pastors, Unity in Leadership, Unity among Women in Leadership, Unity in Marriage, Unity in Worship, Unity in Small Groups, Unity in Discipleship, and Teaching the Word Inductively.

Sitting in the back row gives a person a perspective that one cannot receive from the front row.  As I observed from the back seat, I was able to watch the people walk in with great expectation. The conference opened with awesome worship and it softened our hearts in preparation to hear the Word of God.  As the speakers began, the people listened intently and fervently wrote their notes so they wouldn’t forget what was said. One would conclude that there was a “hunger” for the Word of God!  The conference ended with a beautiful time of worship, testimony, and communion; and we were able to catch a glimpse of God’s divine hand at work among the nations.

Prior to the conference, there was much prayer and planning. At one point, there was a discrepancy of what elements would be served for the Lord’s Supper.  The leaders were faced with the challenge of uniting cultural barriers as well as doctrinal differences.  These men bowed before the Lord and they all came to the same understanding that the ‘how’ and ‘what’ they serve is not the “essential”,  but that they need to put their differences aside in order to 1) bring “Unity” among the believers, 2) cross the cultural differences, and 3) break down the denominational separation. As these men sought the Lord, they were able to agree on how the Lord’s Supper would be served.  Also, the main speakers met the day before the conference for prayer and coordination of the topics and the Lord united their hearts to go in the same direction led by his Spirit. I believe the Lord sought favor and in turn blessed them and this conference.  Our Lord sent His Spirit to work in the hearts of the people – hearts were broken, chains were smashed, hope was given, and lives were changed – all because of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

It is our prayer that you catch a glimpse of the mighty work our Lord and Savior is in the business of doing.  May all glory and honor be His for ever and ever and may we continue to obey His call, to “go” and “make disciples”.

Blessings ~  Betty

January 20-21, 2010.

The guys went to the Men’s Addictions Bible study at El Puente early in the AM both Thursday & Friday and the ladies went to help prepare food for the feeding program.  Cooking the food over open fire is a strenuous job; smoke hovers low to the ground often due to the green wood.  We are always amazed at the dedication of the women from Torre Feurte.  Every week they dedicate two full days to cooking for about 200 children.  There is also the shopping and preparation that goes into this as well and that is easily another  day.  The care that goes into cutting each vegetable and piece of meat just right is something the best of the chefs around would appreciate.

In the afternoons, we kept busy with ministry to the children in other barrios.  We went back to Santa Bodiga and our group of 25 children grew to 38.  Simple Bible teaching about Moses led to a time of coloring and crafts.  We ended with some songs and prayer.  Once again I found myself shedding some tears as I realized how great God’s love is for these young children. It was His hand that directed us here.  It is His desire that each of these children come to know Him as Lord and King.   It was an honor and a privilege to spend time with these children and share God’s love with them.  We look forward to see how the Lord will continue this relationship.

Evenings somehow always brought us to the Ice Cream store!  Our new friends got so used to seeing us that they began to give us a break in the cost! On the nights we had the youth group over from Torre Feurte, we would go thru a little more than 3 gallons of ice cream.  The Lord blessed us with a big enough house and it was fun to share it with our church family.

It is our prayer that as you read thru this, you see the hand of Jesus; may we continue to praise Him as all glory goes to Him and Him alone.

Blessings  – Betty

January 19, 2010.

Another awesome day!   In the morning, the team went to the dump, while Doug and Betty shopped with Pastor and his wife for the Bible conference.  I think the horse and carriage only had to make 2 trips, but it was full both times.  I’m always amazed at how long just a simple trip to buy groceries takes.  I think we went to at least 5 or 6 different stores  just to buy some of the basics.  We left at 6:30 AM and didn’t finish until lunch time.

The team that went to the dump was encouraged by the welcome they received for bringing the workers a meal.  Joanne shared how the simple tasks like washing the women’s hands and wiping off their face with the wipes that Kathy brought broke through all cultural barriers and passed on a touch of tenderness and love that only the Lord’s Spirit could give.  It was a special time of bonding for our team.

In the afternoon, we went to “Bodega de Santa Lucia” Barrio for an outreach and if you look at the pictures of the kids coloring, you will get a little glimpse of the blessings we received.

After Bodega, we went to the Children’s Program at Torre Fuerte and there, we were able to witness 200 children receiving Bible teaching, love, cookies and juice.  The church members of Torre Fuerte take teaching the Bible to the young children of the Barrios seriously.  The principles the Lord gives are lived out and we see how it is affecting these children.  The children who attend regularly received backpacks, notebooks and pencils in preparation for school.  School starts February 2.  This little church may not have much in the way of material goods, but they always have enough to give out in order to help the children.  Today, we saw how it is their desire to help the children have what they need in order to attend the first day of school.  In this country, you must bring all your own supplies and have uniforms in order to go to school.  This is a great expense for families and what a blessing it was to watch the Body of Christ, take care of their own.

I can’t seem to find the words that would express the emotion that rises in me as I watch the Body of Christ in action, but I do know that the Lord tells us to trust Him and to follow His ways.  Today we got to experience how everyone is blessed when one obeys the Lord’s call.

Blessings to all ~ Adios, Betty

January 18, 2010.

An early trip to the “marcado” brought many fruits and vegetables to the house. YUM, YUM!!  Doug and Betty had a meeting with Pastor Flores about the upcoming Bible Conference, while the rest of the team ventured outside the door of our home for an outreach with the children.  At first, it seemed that only a few children were around, but before they knew it, there were swarms of beautiful faces surrounding them, longing to touch their skin, color a picture, make a bracelet and listen to the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den.   Roy had no idea his camera had so many buttons on it as the little ones showed him how to use it.  It truly was a blast and a blessing as many of the adults thanked the team for playing with their children.

The day is almost over and tomorrow we will shop for the conference with Pastor and his wife Miriam.  We plan to minister at the Dump and then we’ll go to the Barrio that used to be called “Death Zone”.  Pastor Flores informed us that it is called “Bodega de Santa Lucia”  (The “storage” of  the Santa Lucia Rd).  While we sense the many open arms for God’s love, we also sense the darkness that grips and resists God’s love.  Please continue to pray for us as we face darkness but enter with our Lord’s light.

Blessings – Adios, Betty

PS – The lost luggage came tonight. !!!!