Flight #1 from Miami is at the gate, ready to board the plane. There have been a few weather challenges in the area, but everything is currently on time and it looks like we should get out without a problem.
Due to the weather problems in Miami, flight #2's plane has not yet arrived in Nicaragua to pick up the second half of the team. We are monitoring the situation very closely with the staff on the ground, and will keep you updated with details as they become available. In spite of this delay, everyone is safe and healthy, and we look forward to returning home as soon as possible.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Nica Update- Day 8- June 28
Friends,
We are currently in the midst of finishing up our work with orphaned and abandoned children around Managua. All grades are hosting good bye parties for the children with whom they have been working all week. The relationships that were built were meaningful and deep. The impact students from the Chapel have had in the lives of these children is beautiful, but it should be duely noted that our team has been impacted deeply through their engagement here. The stories being told and the laughter that is heard around our dinner tables is something that makes me pause and just thank God for the investment He is making in the Chapel students this week.
We now transition our thinking toward helping the students seal the lessons into their hearts and minds, and to helping them apply the lessons back home. We will be leaving for our Debrief site around 4pm this afternoon (6pm in Williamsburg). At the debrief students will spend intentional time in small groups, alone and all together processing all they heard and saw this week. Paul Borthwick (professor of missions at Gordon College) once said, "the short term mission trip that is not examined is the short term mission trip not worth taking." We are committed to helping all our students process their experince in the hope that they will be able carry it with them and apply it to many aspects of their lives back home.
Due to limited internet access at the debrief site, this will be our final blog post before we begin the travel update blog posts on Thursday as we make our way home. The most up to date travel info will be available via text message alert. The blog will also be updated as much as possible. Please text the word nicaparent to the number 41411 to recieve the most up to date travel info for our return trip.
Finally, please consider joining Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, in the SM Worship Room tonight from 7-8pm to pray for the Nicaragua Mission Team. We love that parents and church members are participating with us on this trip through prayer and we wanted to offer an opportunity for even more participation as we request your prayers for the lessons of this trip to sink deeply into the heart of our kids at the Chapel.
It has truly been a wonderful trip everything has been very smooth. We are excited to get home and share with you all that God has done in Nicaragua this week.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
We are currently in the midst of finishing up our work with orphaned and abandoned children around Managua. All grades are hosting good bye parties for the children with whom they have been working all week. The relationships that were built were meaningful and deep. The impact students from the Chapel have had in the lives of these children is beautiful, but it should be duely noted that our team has been impacted deeply through their engagement here. The stories being told and the laughter that is heard around our dinner tables is something that makes me pause and just thank God for the investment He is making in the Chapel students this week.
We now transition our thinking toward helping the students seal the lessons into their hearts and minds, and to helping them apply the lessons back home. We will be leaving for our Debrief site around 4pm this afternoon (6pm in Williamsburg). At the debrief students will spend intentional time in small groups, alone and all together processing all they heard and saw this week. Paul Borthwick (professor of missions at Gordon College) once said, "the short term mission trip that is not examined is the short term mission trip not worth taking." We are committed to helping all our students process their experince in the hope that they will be able carry it with them and apply it to many aspects of their lives back home.
Due to limited internet access at the debrief site, this will be our final blog post before we begin the travel update blog posts on Thursday as we make our way home. The most up to date travel info will be available via text message alert. The blog will also be updated as much as possible. Please text the word nicaparent to the number 41411 to recieve the most up to date travel info for our return trip.
Finally, please consider joining Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, in the SM Worship Room tonight from 7-8pm to pray for the Nicaragua Mission Team. We love that parents and church members are participating with us on this trip through prayer and we wanted to offer an opportunity for even more participation as we request your prayers for the lessons of this trip to sink deeply into the heart of our kids at the Chapel.
It has truly been a wonderful trip everything has been very smooth. We are excited to get home and share with you all that God has done in Nicaragua this week.
God Bless,
SM Staff Team
Nica Update- Day 7- June 27
Hey y'all!
What an amazing day that we've spent here with our friends and family in Nica! It has been another day of grace and joy as we've served and been served by these beloved people! Our team is loving life and as we close another day here, we remain so very thankful for our time in Nicaragua.
The Seniors had a big day today as they ventured off for their Senior Experience. After breakfast at Casa today, they loaded up in a bus with lots of our donations and headed for Posoltega just outside of Leon. The team spent the day serving at the community feeding center and then hosting a Midweek for the children at the local church. After Midweek they were blessed to serve the people of Posoltega by setting up a 'thrift store' for them to get clothes and supplies from the donations our team brought down. They remarked that it was like watching Jesus at work right before their eyes as over a hundred children and their families received much needed supplies. They'll be spending the night in Leon and will be returning to Casa tomorrow around lunch time to meet back up with the team.
Team Juniors enjoyed such a wonderful day today! They stuck around Casa after breakfast this morning to finish up a few work projects they had started a couple days ago. All the tables and chairs for Casa's dining area are completed and will be helping to feed children for many years to come. As tables were finished, a group of our juniors served a group of Casa women that are used to being the ones serving. It was a neat experience for their leaders to watch girls and guys alike jump in with the cleaning staff to complete their daily tasks at the team center. Just before lunch they headed out for Nueva Vida to serve at two different feeding centers. They helped feed the kids and then hosted a VBS lesson on joy. Their afternoon was spent taking about forty children from Nueva Vida to see Kung Fu Panda 2 at a local mall in Managua. As a group of leaders sat in the back of the theater Christ's love was almost tangible as our students really engaged with those kids by joining in their laughter over the simple act of being a kid.
Our Sophomores went through probably their biggest day in Nica today. Their morning was spent visiting La Chureca (the Dump) and then volunteering at two of their feeding centers. Many of our students have commented on how much they saw Jesus in the hope and courage of the children in Chureca. As leaders we are thankful to be able to take these steps alongside them as they are really challenged in their faith by their experiences here in Nica. After lunch they returned to El Canyon to throw a goodbye party with the kids. Our sophomores have formed many friendships with the children there as they've worked this week and it meant a lot to those children and our students to share one last afternoon in fellowship together.
Tonight the juniors and sophomores rallied together since the seniors were off on their adventure and enjoyed dinner together and then porch time at Casa. The talk they heard tonight focused on taking these experiences in Nicaragua back into their lives at home and as we head into their final day of service tomorrow we really challenged them to give Nica all they have got! Our students will be doing a few more work projects tomorrow and then throwing some goodbye parties before we all head out for debrief tomorrow night.
We thank you so much for your support and prayers as we've been on this journey in Nicaragua. Our staff and leaders really want you to know that we couldn't do any of this without your help in lifting this trip up to Christ. He's doing amazing things here in Nica and in our students and we can't wait to be back to share it with you in a few days!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Monday, June 27, 2011
Prayer Meeting Reminder
Thank you for your faithfulness to pray and please continue to pray that we might experience Jesus as we serve and that those whom we serve would experience Jesus through our team for the remainder of our time down here.
The team values your prayers so much we want to invite you to a time of corporate prayer for the Nicaragua mission team lead by Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, on Tuesday June 28th from 7pm-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room. Please use door East 3 to enter the building.
All are invited to come and pray for the mission trip, and we want to extend a special invitation to parents with children on the trip. This is a great opportunity to participate with your child in the work they are doing in Nicaragua.
The team values your prayers so much we want to invite you to a time of corporate prayer for the Nicaragua mission team lead by Deacon of Student Ministries, Wrenn Holland, on Tuesday June 28th from 7pm-8pm in the Student Ministries Worship Room. Please use door East 3 to enter the building.
All are invited to come and pray for the mission trip, and we want to extend a special invitation to parents with children on the trip. This is a great opportunity to participate with your child in the work they are doing in Nicaragua.
Nica Update Day 6 - June 26th
Hola from Nicaragua, friends and family!
What a blessed day we’ve shared in Nica with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Sunday in Nica is always such a beautiful experience for our students to share in life alongside the people they are serving, and God proved faithful in that today.
After breakfast at Casa, our seniors and juniors split up to enjoy worship at two different churches. The seniors picked up the children from Casa and accompanied them to their church home of Verbo in Managua. They shared in worship and heard a message through a translator right there with the kids. After the service they returned for lunch at Casa with the juniors before heading out for our afternoon activity.
Team Juniors had the blessing of attending church in the community they have been serving during their time in Nicaragua. The community church in Verbo Sur opened their doors and their hearts to our team as they joined in a worship service and a message from their pastor. After a brief hang out time with the families from Verbo Sur, the juniors returned to Casa for lunch.
The sophomore team attended several different church sites throughout the community of Nueva Vida where our team has been enjoying fellowship through service this week. Some attended main worship services, while others participated in Sunday school classes with the younger kids. They had lunch at their housing site and then headed out to meet the juniors and seniors for our afternoon activity.
Today our team was all back together again with children from Nueva Vida and Casa Bernabe at a local sports complex/park in Managua for the afternoon. They played soccer, enjoyed the playground, and threw a Midweek game session for the kids. It was great to see them so engaged with the children they have been building community with this past week. It was easy to see how God has allowed his grace to form bonds and share joy between the children of Nicaragua and our students.
With only two serving days left before our debrief experience, we ask for your prayers that God would continue to give us strength to finish well and to "leave it all on the field." All the students are excited about the remaining service opportunities, but they're also eager to get back to share their individual stories of transformation with all of you!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Nica Update Day 5- June 25th
Hola amigos!
First things first, all students are healthy and well. We praise God for this provision of health and safety.
Nicaragua always seems to stretch our capacity to learn and grow through the unique circumstances it presents and the abundance of opportunities to serve it provides. Today God provided us with many opportunities to stretch our hearts and minds to see what He is doing in the world more clearly.
Today ALL the students on our team met up this afternoon at Hertylandia, a water park about an hour outside of Managua, to grow in their relationships with these precious children Christ has blessed us with.
The Seniors departed Casa this morning to do VBS with kids from El Faro just outside of the dump in Managua. They were able to play some games, sing songs with the kids, and teach them a lesson on joy. We've been delighted during our time here to see students step up and be willing to lead these small teaching times for the kids in Nicaragua-- some with the help of translators, and other stepping out in faith and giving their Spanish class knowledge a try. They loaded up about forty kids from El Faro and headed to Hertylandia to meet up with the juniors and sophomores. After enjoying boxed lunches together with the kids, everyone suited up and headed to the pool for an afternoon of swim lessons and good times. They departed the pool along with the juniors to return to Casa for dinner and a movie night with the kids from Casa.
Our Juniors left Casa this morning after breakfast to teach a VBS lesson to the kids at Verbo Sur. After being on the bus for about 45 minutes they realized that the bus driver was already taking them to Hertylandia... without the kids from Verbo Sur. They turned around and headed back to Managua to pick up the kids and their lunches from the church. The children were eagerly awaiting the team's arrival. The team made up for the missed VBS by singing their hearts out en route to Hertylandia, where they ate lunch together before joining the seniors and sophomores in the pool for the afternoon.
Team Sophomore had breakfast at their housing sites and then went to Nueva Vida to spend some time with the kids before heading out for Hertylandia. They filled a few buses and arrived a little before lunch to enjoy some pool time before the other groups arrived. They enjoyed a lunch of pizza with the Nueva Vida kids, which for some of our pickier eaters was a pleasant surprise. :) After their lunch they rejoined the seniors, juniors, El Faro kids, and Verbo Sur kids for a few more hours in the pool...complete with a few Nicaraguan down pours.
Days like today remind our students that life doesn't always look so similar across the world, but with God's perspective, some things begin to come into focus. For 112 students and leaders from Williamsburg that see the flair and glamour of places like Busch Gardens and WaterCountry on a simple drive down Route 60, their eyes were opened today to children who only dream of the pool. They spent their afternoon engrossed in laughter and games with precious kids that couldn't have wanted of anything bigger in the world. God was everywhere as leaders surveyed the pool to see our students covered in Nicaraguan kids as they enjoyed the slides, played games in the water, and taught some of the children how to swim.
Nicaragua sometimes wins in moments of longer than expected bus rides and rain that comes down in buckets, but thankfully through God's grace it also wins in the moments where a hug and a hand to hold can cure all the pain in the world. Our students are learning...our students are growing...and we couldn't be more thankful.
This evening we set aside time for small groups. All students are currently processing the trip alongside their leaders and friends. They are getting into God's Word by answering questions posed in our porch time Bible studies from the previous 3 nights.
Please continue to be in prayer for our team as we enter into the last half of our trip. Pray that God would continue to seal in the lessons of this trip and give them perspective on how to apply those lessons back in Williamsburg. Also, please consider attending the prayer night for the Nicaragua mission team Tuesday at 7 in the Student Ministries Worship Room (see earlier blog post for details).
We are now look forward to Sunday when we will be attending church at three different Verbo churches (Verbo is our primary ministry partner) around Managua then heading out for a big soccer game day and hang out time with kids from Casa and Nueva Vida at a local sports complex. Dios bendigas! (God bless!)
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
First things first, all students are healthy and well. We praise God for this provision of health and safety.
Nicaragua always seems to stretch our capacity to learn and grow through the unique circumstances it presents and the abundance of opportunities to serve it provides. Today God provided us with many opportunities to stretch our hearts and minds to see what He is doing in the world more clearly.
Today ALL the students on our team met up this afternoon at Hertylandia, a water park about an hour outside of Managua, to grow in their relationships with these precious children Christ has blessed us with.
The Seniors departed Casa this morning to do VBS with kids from El Faro just outside of the dump in Managua. They were able to play some games, sing songs with the kids, and teach them a lesson on joy. We've been delighted during our time here to see students step up and be willing to lead these small teaching times for the kids in Nicaragua-- some with the help of translators, and other stepping out in faith and giving their Spanish class knowledge a try. They loaded up about forty kids from El Faro and headed to Hertylandia to meet up with the juniors and sophomores. After enjoying boxed lunches together with the kids, everyone suited up and headed to the pool for an afternoon of swim lessons and good times. They departed the pool along with the juniors to return to Casa for dinner and a movie night with the kids from Casa.
Our Juniors left Casa this morning after breakfast to teach a VBS lesson to the kids at Verbo Sur. After being on the bus for about 45 minutes they realized that the bus driver was already taking them to Hertylandia... without the kids from Verbo Sur. They turned around and headed back to Managua to pick up the kids and their lunches from the church. The children were eagerly awaiting the team's arrival. The team made up for the missed VBS by singing their hearts out en route to Hertylandia, where they ate lunch together before joining the seniors and sophomores in the pool for the afternoon.
Team Sophomore had breakfast at their housing sites and then went to Nueva Vida to spend some time with the kids before heading out for Hertylandia. They filled a few buses and arrived a little before lunch to enjoy some pool time before the other groups arrived. They enjoyed a lunch of pizza with the Nueva Vida kids, which for some of our pickier eaters was a pleasant surprise. :) After their lunch they rejoined the seniors, juniors, El Faro kids, and Verbo Sur kids for a few more hours in the pool...complete with a few Nicaraguan down pours.
Days like today remind our students that life doesn't always look so similar across the world, but with God's perspective, some things begin to come into focus. For 112 students and leaders from Williamsburg that see the flair and glamour of places like Busch Gardens and WaterCountry on a simple drive down Route 60, their eyes were opened today to children who only dream of the pool. They spent their afternoon engrossed in laughter and games with precious kids that couldn't have wanted of anything bigger in the world. God was everywhere as leaders surveyed the pool to see our students covered in Nicaraguan kids as they enjoyed the slides, played games in the water, and taught some of the children how to swim.
Nicaragua sometimes wins in moments of longer than expected bus rides and rain that comes down in buckets, but thankfully through God's grace it also wins in the moments where a hug and a hand to hold can cure all the pain in the world. Our students are learning...our students are growing...and we couldn't be more thankful.
This evening we set aside time for small groups. All students are currently processing the trip alongside their leaders and friends. They are getting into God's Word by answering questions posed in our porch time Bible studies from the previous 3 nights.
Please continue to be in prayer for our team as we enter into the last half of our trip. Pray that God would continue to seal in the lessons of this trip and give them perspective on how to apply those lessons back in Williamsburg. Also, please consider attending the prayer night for the Nicaragua mission team Tuesday at 7 in the Student Ministries Worship Room (see earlier blog post for details).
We are now look forward to Sunday when we will be attending church at three different Verbo churches (Verbo is our primary ministry partner) around Managua then heading out for a big soccer game day and hang out time with kids from Casa and Nueva Vida at a local sports complex. Dios bendigas! (God bless!)
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Nica Update Day 4- June 24th
Hola friends and family!
We've spent another day being covered in the love and blessings of Christ as we've lived here in Nicaragua. Hearts continue to be changed and lives continue to be filled with hope as we encounter Christ among the people of Nicaragua. Our team is still enjoying good health and we're thankful for all that we've been able to be a part of the past few days.
This morning the Senior Team stayed at Casa Bernabe Orphanage where we are staying to complete work projects started by the juniors yesterday. They painted ceiling tiles, then repainted and repaired the benches and tables from the dining facility. These facilities serve all 65 children that live at Casa and our students were excited to be a part of something that will remain here with them after we leave Nica. They enjoyed lunch at Casa and then continued work projects during the afternoon, as well as teaching English classes alongside Professor Regan. Their leaders have commented to us that today was a great day to see these kids' servant hearts for Christ and their friends here in Nicaragua.
Our Juniors continue to build relationships and serve the children and families of Verbo Sur, a church plant in Managua that houses a feeding center. During the morning the boys completed a work project to build a wall that will protect the church from Nicaragua's legendary downpours during the wet season. The girls enjoyed time teaching the kids songs in English and playing lots and lots of duck-duck-goose as the rains came down outside. They all served lunch at the feeding center before hosting a VBS service for forty of Verbo Sur's children. After VBS they loaded the kids up in buses and they spent the afternoon teaching swim lessons and playing with the kids at a local pool in Managua. The Juniors returned to Casa for dinner and time with the seniors.
The Sophomore Team had a long day of work projects and service at both El Canyon Orphanage and the Nueva Vida community. During the morning half the team served at El Canyon by finished the work projects started yesterday before spending the afternoon teaching English lessons, hosting a VBS, and playing games with the children. The second half of the team served at the feeding centers in Nueva Vida after completing a work project during the morning. For the afternoon they hosted VBS for the Nueva Vida church and then spent their last bit of the afternoon playing games with the kids.
Our Seniors and Juniors enjoyed a special treat tonight as they joined the Casa Bernabe kids for their weekly Friday worship service under the rancho. Older students from Casa lead a time of song worship before an orphanage caretaker gave a message on living out our dreams by serving Christ. This is always such a remarkable opportunity for our team to slow down and simply worship their Lord and Savior right alongside these precious kids that Christ is allowing us to serve. The barriers of language, wealth, and culture kind of fall away as we sing songs of praise to our God.
The Sophomores took another trip to Casa tonight to share porch time with the juniors and seniors after Casa's worship service. Our students continue to have life altering moments of encountering Christ both amongst themselves and through the people of Nicaragua. It is always so encouraging to hear them share all the places they saw God as they worked throughout the day and spent such precious time in fellowship with one another.
Thank you so much for all the prayers that you are covering our team with. We couldn't make a journey like this with any hope if we did not have people like you offering our time up to Christ everyday. We'd ask that you continue to pray for the people of Nicaragua to feel Christ's love through our team, that our students would have hearts of service as we spend another day here in Nica tomorrow, and for our health that we might continue on our journey of meeting Christ in Nica. Blessing to you all!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
We've spent another day being covered in the love and blessings of Christ as we've lived here in Nicaragua. Hearts continue to be changed and lives continue to be filled with hope as we encounter Christ among the people of Nicaragua. Our team is still enjoying good health and we're thankful for all that we've been able to be a part of the past few days.
This morning the Senior Team stayed at Casa Bernabe Orphanage where we are staying to complete work projects started by the juniors yesterday. They painted ceiling tiles, then repainted and repaired the benches and tables from the dining facility. These facilities serve all 65 children that live at Casa and our students were excited to be a part of something that will remain here with them after we leave Nica. They enjoyed lunch at Casa and then continued work projects during the afternoon, as well as teaching English classes alongside Professor Regan. Their leaders have commented to us that today was a great day to see these kids' servant hearts for Christ and their friends here in Nicaragua.
Our Juniors continue to build relationships and serve the children and families of Verbo Sur, a church plant in Managua that houses a feeding center. During the morning the boys completed a work project to build a wall that will protect the church from Nicaragua's legendary downpours during the wet season. The girls enjoyed time teaching the kids songs in English and playing lots and lots of duck-duck-goose as the rains came down outside. They all served lunch at the feeding center before hosting a VBS service for forty of Verbo Sur's children. After VBS they loaded the kids up in buses and they spent the afternoon teaching swim lessons and playing with the kids at a local pool in Managua. The Juniors returned to Casa for dinner and time with the seniors.
The Sophomore Team had a long day of work projects and service at both El Canyon Orphanage and the Nueva Vida community. During the morning half the team served at El Canyon by finished the work projects started yesterday before spending the afternoon teaching English lessons, hosting a VBS, and playing games with the children. The second half of the team served at the feeding centers in Nueva Vida after completing a work project during the morning. For the afternoon they hosted VBS for the Nueva Vida church and then spent their last bit of the afternoon playing games with the kids.
Our Seniors and Juniors enjoyed a special treat tonight as they joined the Casa Bernabe kids for their weekly Friday worship service under the rancho. Older students from Casa lead a time of song worship before an orphanage caretaker gave a message on living out our dreams by serving Christ. This is always such a remarkable opportunity for our team to slow down and simply worship their Lord and Savior right alongside these precious kids that Christ is allowing us to serve. The barriers of language, wealth, and culture kind of fall away as we sing songs of praise to our God.
The Sophomores took another trip to Casa tonight to share porch time with the juniors and seniors after Casa's worship service. Our students continue to have life altering moments of encountering Christ both amongst themselves and through the people of Nicaragua. It is always so encouraging to hear them share all the places they saw God as they worked throughout the day and spent such precious time in fellowship with one another.
Thank you so much for all the prayers that you are covering our team with. We couldn't make a journey like this with any hope if we did not have people like you offering our time up to Christ everyday. We'd ask that you continue to pray for the people of Nicaragua to feel Christ's love through our team, that our students would have hearts of service as we spend another day here in Nica tomorrow, and for our health that we might continue on our journey of meeting Christ in Nica. Blessing to you all!
Love in Christ,
SM Staff Team
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)