We've enjoyed our stay here so far at Hotel Europa, and have really enjoyed their hospitality in serving breakfast. Mornings have proven a great time for fellowship and devotionals; it's been great to have that time to get ready for our day. After applying sunscreen, we made our way for Leon to pick up the church staff and leaders on our way to the beach (we also had the Posoltega church staff and leaders following behind us in a separate truck)! We wanted to celebrate and thank them for their service and faithfulness to their communities, so it was wonderful to be able to spend that time together and give them a mini "vacation" away from work. At the beach we had a few team building games - a round of charades, a relay race where you had to sweep a ball down the beach with a broom, and a race to fill a bucket with water from the ocean using articles of clothing to soak up and squeeze out the water. There were three teams, and each team ended up winning a round. Despite the language barrier, everyone's face was excited and enthusiastic to win!
After the games, we split up in to some time of leisure. Some swam and enjoyed the refreshing water, others played soccer, some passed a frisbee, and even some grabbed a ball, a bat, and some gloves and had a little batting/fielding practice on the beach - turns out our bus driver down here has a mean curve ball! We were able to eat lunch together, provided once more by our wonderful friend in Leon, Gabriel, and his team. His service has been filled with joy and an eagerness to please us which have been a humbling model of both gratitude and faithfulness.
Following our time at the beach, we had just a few minutes at the hotel to get changed and head back to Leon for our first soccer tournament. Different from our previous time spent in Leon where we've served and played with younger kids at the church, this was an opportunity to engage some of the older kids in the community, and some who probably don't actively attend Verbo Leon or know Jesus Christ. There were five teams in the tournament, and while our team effectively claimed last place, the championship game featured a tying goal in the closing minutes, and it came down to penalty kicks to determine the winner! At our attempt of a "closing ceremony," Luke shared a little about who we are, where we're from, and why we're here - and more importantly, he invited everyone to come to church tomorrow morning to worship with us as we celebrate who Jesus is, where He's from, and why He came here. We're hopeful to see some of our competitors in the morning, and maybe they'll be wearing their championship medals!
After the tournament, we ate dinner in Leon and came back to the hotel for Porch Time. Luke spoke from Romans and addressed why there is suffering in the world and we learned that selfishness always leads to suffering. Fortunately, we know sacrifice leads to hope, and we see that in Jesus' sacrifice for us. Small groups discussed what it means to be made in the image of God, what it means to govern the world as humans who are selfish at times, and how we've seen that selfishness lead to suffering, both in Nicaragua on this trip and in our own lives. They're really engaging these big questions, and we would value your prayer as our week comes closer and closer to its end. With all there is to process, we know who to look to as our Guide. Pray God continues to guide us and move in and through us throughout this week!
