Updates in my life:

1) Gnats are gone.
2) I swam in a volcano. (actually I didn't. I decided it was cooler to lay out and get tan) (yes I'm crazy)
3) I'm pretty good at painting hundreds of little girls nails
4) I don't know Spanish too well, but I can teach kids Spanish songs
5) I decided to give up learning guitar right-handed. Now I'm learning to play the right-handed guitar upside down and it's so much easier (I think it's cooler too) :) I was told I am strange but I embraced that.
6) I did two weeks worth of laundry in an hour this morning. That's really fast. I didn't really wash very well.
7) I had the opportunity to die twice. The first time was in a taxi when they thought it was a great idea to roll the taxi onto a major highway and push it until it started. It never started. The second time was when we flagged down a bus to pick us up off a major highway and the bus decided to basically aim for us but not slow down. Had I not moved, yes, my body would have died and you wouldn't see me again.
8) I love cold showers now.
9) I now sleep only 8 hours a night. My body has finally caught up on sleep.
10) I literally can't function unless I start my day with the Lord.

Here is a picture of the laguna that sits atop the volcano where I decided to sunbathe instead of swim

Exodus 8. The Plague of Gnats.

Top 10 Normalities Here
1) Fireworks (without the fire) at 4:45am and throughout the day. Why? To wake ppl up to go to some Saint celebration
2) Gnats. Like billions of them. In and out my ears. In my sheets. On the toilet seat. Yep, everywhere.
3) Gallo Pinto. (Beans and Rice) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
4) Donkey herds hanging in the streets.
5) I go to bed before 9:00pm every night.
6) Absolutely Beautiful People.
7) Spanish. Nope, don't know it too well. Yo necesito aprender.
8) Beautiful city. Granada is a Spanish city built in the 1500's. The buildings and tiles are awesome.
9) Hot weather. But I guess that's expected in a country like this. And I actually love the heat.
10) I've been on countless mission trips in and out of the jungle without ever seeing a snake. Words can't describe how freaked I was when I saw that wretchedly satanic animal yesterday.

The Third Plague: Gnats
16Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'" 17And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:16-19

This morning after breakfast I was laying in bed because I was sick to my stomach.
Problem (A): There were gnats EVERYWHERE. I don't know where they come from.
Problem (B): I was sick and didn't want to move. When you don't move, they think it's fun to camp out on your body.
Solution: Lay there and let them come.
Way to pass the time: Watch a spider the size of a nickel eat the gnats by the window.

Anyways, as I was trying to pass the time, I thought about the plague of gnats in Exodus and was trying to think of some kind of analogy that I could learn from. But I didn't really come up with one except that I was reminded of the promise of redemption. If anyone has something better to teach me about the gnats, I would be obliged to hear it.

During my meeting with Charles, my supervisor, he was talking to me about God's Blessing (singular) on his people and how we as Christians expect God to give us blessing(s) plural. God's blessing (singular) is simply this: Identity (in the family of God), Destiny (a future eternal home), Responsibility. I totally understand that. and I get it. But what I can't figure out is why Christians (myself included) can't understand that... why we as Christians think that we have the right to be blessed here on earth with blessings of physical quality: wealth, security, safety, honor, good looks, prestige etc... But that's not what God promised to us here. Read His promise to Abraham. Read Psalm 67. Yes, God shall bless us - but not that kind of blessing that American Christians expect. God has promised to save the nations. God has promised us identity in belonging to Him and He has given us a future destiny to look forward to. And he has given us a responsibility. And it's not a command but a mandate (command: an order/demand; mandate: a higher authority putting responsiblity/authority into another's hand). We are to disciple the nations. I think I understand this. And I know some great role models in my life who understand this as well. But why don't the majority of Christians understand this? Why do we think we deserve so much for ourselves? I'm not turning into some crazy hippy, I promise! But I just don't understand the purpose in serving myself anymore. I wish I could better share that understanding with all who I encounter... that's all...

Nicaragua is great and I'm learning a lot :-)

Peace

I'm sitting here at Charles and Sarah's house (the AIM missionary base leaders) in my room... let's just say it's an indoor/outdoor house and so my room has a balcony and as I step out I see the mountains in the distance. then walk up some stairs and back down a billion stairs in order to reach the first floor. the first thing I see downstairs is the pool... It's a long walk to the back of the house and an even longer walk to the front. It's huge and beautiful. I'm in Nicaragua and living wayy better than I do at home. Don't worry, I'm only staying here until tomorrow. Then I go join the rest of the interns and AIM team at El Puente (a gated 2 acre property in the city with a little dormatory and everything else)...


3 days later:
and I never finished that post. Now I'm at El Puente... it's a ministry base in the city. kind of like a private mini camp in the midst of lots of hustle and bustle. There is two acres of land with 9 foot walls all around. This is where everything happens. During the week there are numerous bible studies, Young Life, Church service, Bible conferences, children's bible lessons etc.
What am I responsible for: still working that out. Right now I am going to all the ministries to see where I should spend my time this summer and I am praying that God will put something on my heart as to where He wants to use me. I am learning to trust Him and be obedient in His leading.
I do think that I will be starting a children's library/reading/bible program with another intern. Because we are located right outside the barrio, there are many children here who have no education and do not know how to read. Nicaraguan government says that if you can't afford a uniform, you don't go to school. Walking through the barrio, I can't even explain the poverty that these people experience. And every time it rains, when I run for cover, when it downpours, I think of the people who don't have a concrete floor, who don't have a solid, waterproof roof over there heads... and that's life for them. When there is a meal that I don't like (for instance, Gillo Pinto, aka rice and beans), that's all they have. The other day, I was walking out of a coffee shop and was just finishing my 2nd coffee frappuccino and a little boy asked if he could have the rest of (I had two sips left) - I was obliged to give him it, but that could never fill even a hint of hunger.
The Barrio:
Where chubby bellies and blonde-haired children is not necessarily cute - it means malnutrition.
Where getting a high on shoe glue is not just to get high - it suppresses hunger.
Where people come to the dump every Monday and Tuesday to shift through the new trash to get a bite to eat.
Where dirt floors are the norm - swept and slept on.
Where all the homes have cable TV which blasts in American influence - giving them a taste of the opposite of reality.
Where labor is cheap and jobs are few.

I write of the poverty, but I forgot to mention how beautiful it is here. The people are an incredibly sweet, quiet people. And the Lord is doing a work here. I am excited at the opportunities I have, at the passion that is being stirred in the hearts of the believers here, the willingness for people to come and serve - the promise of Hope in our Great and Majestic God.

Peace :)

On my way to Nicaragua ... "Be Careful"

First of all, I don't like blogs. But I started this so that I can keep YOU updated :) Maybe I'll eventually become a blog-a-holic. (like those people who hate facebook, and then get an account, and then become addicted)

Anyways, I will be on my way Nicaragua in 36 hours...

...And I'm really excited. It definitely beats school and the super cold office I've been working in. And I think that's part of God's preparation for me - He has allowed me to be freezing cold in any setting lower than 80 degrees. And Granada, Nic. is currently 90 degrees "and feels like 99 degrees". Makes me happy!

So in case you haven't asked, here is the typical conversation I have with anyone who asks "What are you doing this summer?"

Inquiring Person: "What are you doing this summer"
Me: "ummm, well, I'm actually going to Nicaragua for the summer"
Inquiring Person: "Oh wow!! That's awesome!"
Me: "Yeahhhh, thanks, I'm really excited. It beats the office"
[awkward silence]
Inquiring Person: "Who are you going down with? your school? your church?"
Me: "Well, actually, kind of both. I have to do an 8 week practicum for school. My parents will be down there for the month of July and asked if I wanted to join them. I decided to go with them, but will be going three weeks before them. Our church has been connecting with the missionaries and the Torres Fuerte church down there and so that's basically my connection.
Inquiring Person: "Oh, so you're going by yourself?"
Me: "Kind of."
Me: "Not really."
[Awkward Silence]
Inquring Person: "So what are you doing down there?"
Me: "Mmmm, I don't really know. That's a great question.
[Awkward Silence]
Inquring Person: "Oh, well, be careful... that's most important." (my least favorite thing they say)
Me: "Ok, I will." [and then shake my head because I'm naively fearless about going right now] [which isn't really the best thing for me]

Seriously, that's pretty much the same script I've said about a hundred times. With a few alterations here and there.

But really, what will I be doing down there?

There are 4 different mission teams that will be going to Nicaragua this summer and I will have the privilege of helping to host them, be a liaison and basically be open arms wherever needed. I am hopefully going to lead a bible study for the teen girls at the church. Honestly, I don't really have a clear idea of what I'll be doing, but it's all the better.

And while I really don't know what I'll be doing, every day I keep reading in Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest and every single day he emphasizes "Trust God", "Be Obedient", "Will to obey", "Will to be filled with His Spirit", "One of the greatest sins is worrying" etc. And yes, uncertainty has been stressing me out. But the Lord keeps telling me to wait on Him, to trust Him, to seek Him out in everything... Chambers writes the following:

"If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives - not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy"

I don't need to worry even when I am unsure. And when I am told "be careful" I get so frustrated. I know they care and I really appreciate that. And yes, I need to use uttermost common sense and of course be cautious, smart, and careful. But ultimately, I am trusting in my God. As the Psalmist writes:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust'" Psalm 91:1-2

May my life revolve around my God... May I will to follow my Lord's will. May He keep me safe, under the shadow of His wings...

Peace