Hello my friends! Happy December and Merry Christmas!
As some may have heard, last week I went to Nicaragua to renew my visa and take some time to get to know our newest Strider, Jana. She’s been with us now for about 2 months. We went to Granada, Nicaragua. There are some other Stay members (long term missionaries with Latin Link), who live there so we decided to visit them!
Jana and I on the boardwalk, some local houses, Jana and our Stay member having a chat in Catalina 
Local transport, more houses (they’re just so photogenic!), downtown Granada
The trip there was your regular run of the mill journey, with the highlight being that I was able to sleep for about 3 of the 9 hours! (I usually maybe can manage a half hour!). We met another volunteer on her way to another city in Nicaragua who will potentially be joining Latin Link in the future. She’s in Costa Rica studying Spanish and came up to us at the border and asked if we were with Latin Link…I was a bit confused as to how she could so accurately guess, right down the organization (I don’t walk around plastered with insignia). Turns out our Stay member had told her we were on the same bus!
During our 3 days there we walked around town, admiring the architecture, sitting by the lake, making friends, eating refried beans (as it turns out those are Jana’s most favourite thing!). Our hostel was very nice and ended up charging us less than I had calculated – which is always wonderful!
After we checked out of the hostel is when things started to get real exciting! First, we visited a cafe
which provides work for the deaf. They make hammocks and serve what you would expect from any other cafe. You order in sign language, it was very fun!Then we made our way to the bus terminal (we had tickets for the 1 pm bus). Upon arrival we found out that the previous day our bus had been detained the border (as drugs were found onboard). Which meant that it wasn’t running! They said there were putting us on the Executive bus (supposedly more spacious, nicer seats, personal TV screen, food..) so the extra hour we were told we’d have to wait seemed worthwhile. So, that hour turned into 6! During which time I managed to make us some friends (who are hilarious!). They’re a married couple and now that I know their entire life stories and how the wife is not deacuerdo with my work (i.e.. working with “dangerous people” in the low income areas when they choose to be there…). But, after some time I don’t know what happened– perhaps it was the fact that I, like a good missionary, prayed for her while we were talking- she changed her tune and I am now betrothed to her cousin or son, ladies choice! I figure, if I cant decide I’ll go Old Testament on it and marry both!
Our trip was lovely, it took about 14 hours in total until I was back, but honestly it was such a fun day. I was so delighted with it – all the waiting and changing of our plans, none of it phased me at all, it was really exciting - I had a constant joy and peace the entire day. I genuinely enjoyed the whole excursion, which really gave opportunity for discouragement, frustration, worry..(we were crossing a border after all) and nothing, I felt amazing and super happy. I was touched because it was like some verses that I always try to imprint into myself:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7
Praise: Our trip went great, thank you to everyone who was praying! It was felt!“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. - Matthew 6:25-33
(and the new backpack my grandma sent me is…AMAZING!!! It’s a game changer people!)
<----I was given a new plant baby yesterday
I got the first picture of my latest niece/nephew!!! --->
Prayer:I am not really sure how to write this, I've tried a few ways and nothings seems to fit so I’m just going to go for it…I’ve been told of some deaths that have happened in Canada (one an old childhood friend, and the other the son of a friend of mine). When situations like this arise, I am not the most eloquent I prefer to use my God given gift of hugging, however, I cannot physically be there to hug. So I am asking that you would lift up the families/friends in prayer, that God would embrace them and that they would be enveloped in a warm and comforting hug. That there would be peace and they would be able to sleep and know that while there is pain and suffering here on Earth (lots of which we don’t understand) we can trust that God is in control, He is ever present and He loves us. He is not just sitting on His throne emotionless, He is in the trenches right beside us. Pray that the peace and calmness that I had during my many hours at the bus station would be a reality for them too.
“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
-Ephesians 3:19-20
