We can not stress enough the wonders that God continues to do through our work in Nicaragua. It was another fun-filled day for us in this beautiful country and God has continued to bless each and every one of us.
In the morning, a group of 30-35 went and painted the posada, which is the older boys living quarters. People were climbing on ladders to get the ceiling, getting on their knees to paint the trim, and just painting as high up the wall as their two feet would allow them. It was a great time of bonding for the team, and we were even able to interact with the boys who were there. Around the time we were finishing up, a soccer game broke out so there was another way to have fun besides painting.
After finishing painting we immediately left Nueva Vida as one large group, where Group 2 consisting of the Juniors and Sophomore guys were able share in the wonderful experiences that Group 1 had been encountering each of the previous 2 days. At Nueva Vida we ate a delicious lunch and then headed out to each of the 5 different feeding centers to put on a miniature Vacation Bible School for the children there. Travis stressed that this included 5 steps, which are as follows: hang out/play with the children, a relay-race game (where we blew up balloons for the kids and they ran a certain length and popped the balloon not using their hands or feet and then ran back and tagged the next person), music (we sang and did the motions to the classic "Waves of Mercy"), preach (we had 1 student at each location share what having Jesus in their life meant to them), and, finally, prayer (where we had a different student close the day out in prayer). It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of. Each member of our team turned themselves into a human jungle gym for the kids to play on, and in a lot of cases, several kids to play on. What a beautiful thing to watch this team bring these children joy.
After a tasty shishkabob dinner, several of the kids from Casa came to our Rancho and led us in a time of praise and worship. We were clapping and singing as if there were no language barrier. It was so great to see the band here at the orphanage play for us, and I just hope that our participation brought them as much joy as they did us. They even sang a few songs in English! It was a wonderful time capped off by a talk from the man who runs the orphanage. He spoke from Psalm 119 and from 1 Peter and how we can use those two passages to really advance our lives by just following what the Word has us do.
To finish the night we had another wonderful porch time capped off by Alexis sharing with us from Job and 1 Corinthians. We have had such a joyous time here in Nicaragua and we hope that it only continues to get better. Once again, we ask for your continued prayers as we go on this wonderful journey God has led us on. Check back tomorrow as we update you on our trip to the local water park! God bless!
