This time the container really is here.

This past Thursday, after 3 weeks of waiting for the container to get through customs and other "legal" stuff (I put legal is quotation marks because I wouldn't really call it legal - some might call it bribery), we finally unloaded the container at MQV. There were over 900 boxes of food, more than 100 computers, and many boxes of clothes and toys. We had a lot of people come and help us unload. I am very grateful for their help, because it took us all a little over 2 hours. And I have to admit that my arms were a little sore the next day. However, I think it is kind of cool that a Jones was on both ends of the shipping process. Dad was there in Birmingham to load, and I was here in El Crucero to unload. But I bet it took Dad a lot longer, because I don't think he had as much help as we did. Thanks for all the hard work Dad.
I am writing this on my last day here in Nicaragua. It has been a good 5 weeks, but it is always difficult to leave this place. I never feel that I have completely finished all that I can do here, and I will miss all my Nica friends. Though, one cool and interesting fact is that I will be flying to Ft. Lauderdale with Moises (my first Nica friend) and Sarah (his new American wife). We didn't plan it but came to discover that we had scheduled the same flight out of Managua. So, I won't completely leave Nicaragua until we part ways in the States. It's funny, but Moises is very nervous about his trip to the States. He doesn't speak much English and will be completely out of his comfort zone, especially in Kansas where he will see his first snow. But I think he will do just fine. He is very easy-going and fun to be around.

Hasta pronto! See you all soon!

A few things

A few things have happened in the last week that I want to write about. The first was Graduation. The students, parents, and teachers worked for almost a week getting the gym ready for the big day. The night before I stayed up working with a group of them until about midnight, and then I found out the next day that some stayed past 2 o’clock. The funny thing is that the majority of the stuff I was helping with was not even used in the ceremony. Oh well. Nonetheless, I was very impressed with all the decorations. Everything was beautiful, and the students came all dressed up. It was a very important day for them. We had two graduations: one in the morning for primary and one in the afternoon for secondary.
It seemed to me that there were more people for the primary graduation (6th grade) than the secondary (11th grade). I was told that graduating from 6th grade was a very big deal, and that most drop out afterward and never make it to 11th.


Saturday and Sunday, I took a trip to San Juan del Sur with 3 of my Nica friends. Now that school was over and the graduation had passed, we were free to travel a bit. We stayed the first day and night in the city of San Juan del Sur. We played in the waves, and I tried to teach them how to body-surf. They never really caught on, but I think it would have helped if they could swim. That night I taught them how to play “Cornhole” at a restaurant on the beach. I think we played for 3 hours. The place we stayed was only $7 per person. I wish it was that cheap in the States. The next day we met up with Harald and he took us to a more secluded beach about 10 miles south of San Juan. This beach was gorgeous. I almost felt like I was one of the first explorers to find this place, and my ship was anchored in the cove. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to surf, but there is always next time. I would have felt bad if I was surfing and my friends were sitting on the beach by themselves.

The Next Simon

The other day (you know, I should begin all my blogs this way because I never write one the night of), I was a judge for a singing competition. There were 12 competitors and 3 judges. It was a school event so all the students were there cheering for their favorite singer. It was a lot of fun. One group of 5 students formed a band and played Hillsong's "From the Inside Out." They need a lot of practice, but I am glad they still tried. One of the girls played a recorder. The rest sang solo. Each contestant was given a score in three categories: tone, rythm, and overall presentation. I had a pretty difficult time judging. I didn't think many of them had a very good tone, so I based most of my scores on performance. The top three winners are below. I thought the second place girl (the one in the middle) actually sang the best but didn't have the best performance, and she forgot a lot of her words. It was a close competition, but I am at least glad they didn't ask the judges to give a performance.

The Container is here!! (Kind of)

This should have been posted last Wednesday, but I finally have the pictures and a connection on my computer.

Leo and I went to Managua to monitor the unloading of the container that had arrived from the States. It was full of food, computers, toys, and other supplies for New Hope and MQV. (Thanks Dad for all the hard work packing.) I was told that it would only be a few hours and I would be back by 12:30 in time for my singing class with the students. I should have known better - I am in Nicaragua - but it was 6 hours later before we returned.

We arrived at a big warehouse were the container was waiting to be unloaded. It was not at the loading dock, so we had to go back to the trucking company and pay $50 for them to move it about 100 feet. Then we sat and watched as 10+ workers unloaded everything and placed it in the warehouse. One man counted all the boxes as it was unloaded. I don't understand this process, because in about a week they will have to load it back into the container to be delivered to El Crucero, oh well. And of course, it took a while to get started unloading and then they had to break for lunch for an hour. (Although, I was honestly glad that they made them leave to eat lunch.) Once everything was unloaded and in the warehouse, we were told - on the phone as we were driving home - that the final count of items didn't match the list we had. So we turned around the recount it ourselves, because if they find just one item of they will ask us for a "gift" to overlook the problem. We found our list to be accurate, but I found out the we still paid them a "gift" of $25 to keep the process moving, because we would like our container sooner than later. And things here are normally later.

We hope to be unloading the container here at MQV by the end of this week. Cross your fingers.

God really does care about the small things...

Yesterday, Cesar (a good friend of mine who has a strong passion for ministry), Orlando (a new friend who was deported from the States but has given his life to the Lord), and I rode around to certain areas in Nicaragua. We were hoping to meet up with a couple of pastors and discuss dreams of a camp ministry. Unfortunately, we missed both pastors due to falty time scheduling, a common problem in Nicaragua. But all-in-all it turned out to be a very interesting day. When Cesar picked me up from MQV in his ’72 VW Bug, he mentioned getting new shocks but since then the steering has had more play than usual. There was also no AC and the windows wouldn't roll down; only the little ones by the side mirrors that pull in. It got hot quick!

Well, in short, we began having all sorts of problems. Eventually the car wouldn’t start and we had to pop the clutch 3 times to get it cranked. Then, the horn shorted out and would honk at random. I never really thought this happened, but it reminded me of Brian Reagan’s comedic act. The only things we could do was make a joke out of the situation and wave at people when we passed by honking. Luckily, people here honk often while driving. Cesar jokingly told me that he hadn’t had any problems like this until I got in the car. Finally, the front-left tire became loose, not the lug nuts but the whole rim seemed loose on the axle. At times the car would pull hard to the left. This was a pretty big problem and getting worse. I thought at any moment we were going to lose the front tire. We were about 15 miles from the city with no chance for a tow truck. I was a bit worried. We were driving very slowly – less than 10 mph – for fear off loosing a tire at high speed. Then Cesar asked me to pray, because he felt that the Enemy was trying to stop us from doing work for the Lord. I just thought that we were driving a very old car. However, I prayed and as soon as the first words came out of my mouth the car pulled hard left.

"Great. See. This isn't going to do any good," I thought.

But we prayed for a long time because we weren't going to be anywhere for a while. After that first jerk to the left, there wasn't another one the whole way home. Cesar was amazed, and I was too for that matter. God answered the desperate prayers of two faithful Nicas and one doubtful gringo.

Cesar told me today that he drove the Bug to church and still hasn't had a problem. To me that is unbelieveable because the car was starting to pull hard left every 30 seconds or so before we prayed. One thing to be learned from this is that prayer works, even when our faith is tiny (like a mustard seed, maybe).

Dale pues (Okay then)

Entonces…to update you all I have returned to Nicaragua for a 5 week trip. I am already one week in, and it is about time I wrote a blog. But in my defense, my computer has been dead. I got a guy here to help me fix it, and now all the programs are in Spanish! At first I didn´t know what to do, but then I realized it would force me to learn español mas rapido. Also, my keyboard is in some sort of español setting as well, so all the dashes, hyphens and stuff are not where they are supposed to be. Every time I want to type a special mark I have to hit every button to find it. Por exemplo, it took me forever to find @; it´s was not above the 2.

I have returned for a variety of reasons: to visit my friends and the children in the orphan home, see the students in the school and adults in the technical school, continue working in after-school activities with the students, seek out and learn more about other ministries in Nicaragua, and to take some time to visit the beautiful sites that I missed last time.

This first week was a wonderful start to my short time here. The morning after I arrived I visited the school (which is just across the road from my room) and was bombarded with hugs from all the little niños in the school. When they first saw me they had the most surprised look on their faces. It was very heartwarming because it made me feel loved and missed. I have spent the majority of my time the first few days reuniting with my Nica friends.

It feels like I have already accomplished a lot in just 7 days, but I will only briefly discuss one item which took place in a remote village about and hour from El Crucero. Leo, myself, and two boys from the orphan home took equipment to show a movie at a small church in that village. I started the night by leading worship with the only three songs I know in Spanish. Then we showed the movie (it was a New Testament story about building your “house” on the Rock). I then followed up with a short message, which Leo translated, and prayer. Even though it was very hot and humid, it was such an amazing experience that I don’t think I could ever get tired of doing.

More updates are to follow, because I don’t want this first one to be so long that you look at it and decide to read it later. But if you are like me you never get around to it.

HOME

I can't believe it, but I am back in the States. Three months really flew by. I can't believe I used to go on mission trips for only a week at a time. Did I ever get anything accomplished then? I am sorry to have posted more blogs, but we really had some trouble with the internet the last few weeks, and I was extremely busy. Maybe I will write some post-MQV.

It is a little bitter-sweet, because I really enjoyed my time in Nicaragua. It was tough leaving all the kids and friends that I have down there. And they were all extremely generous making me feel special by throwing me parties and giving me gifts. Those stories might be the upcoming blogs.

I hope to see you all soon. I only have a week before I leave for camp, so give me a call.

Tres Amigos (falta uno)

Last time I was on here, I mentioned that I took a solo trip to San Juan del Sur. It was a little vacation for me. I went there expecting to share at a crusade one of the churches was putting on in the town. A good friend I work with in El Crucero, Cesar, has a few contacts in San Juan del Sur because he is a part of Gideons International. He wanted me to share because San Juan is such a high tourist town on the coast with good surf. He thought that since I was a foreigner and part-time surfer, that I would be able to connect well with some of the people there. I was very excited about sharing and had prepared what I thought was an appropriate message for the type of people Cesar described. Unfortunately, when we arrived there had been some kind of communication break-down, and I wasn’t able to share. I was a little disappointed, but I at least have a good message prepared for another time the Lord wants to use me. Cesar, his wife, Leo, and I stayed and watched the crusade for a while, went to get some food, and then they left to return to El Crucero and I stayed behind. I often enjoy traveling alone because it is a challenge, especially in a foreign country. At first I was a little nervous about finding a place to sleep and potentially getting robbed again. So, I kept my backpack and money close. I went to one hotel and they were closed for the night. So, I asked some guys for a recommendation and they said that most foreigners stayed at Hotel Oro. I went to check it out, but since I didn’t have my passport with me, I couldn’t stay. Then I started walking around the town looking for another place. I became a little anxious thinking I would have to stay at some fancy place and spend a lot of money, but then I found a place for only $5 a night. (Don’t worry Mom, it wasn’t too shady.) I had to share a room with three other guys - two bunk beds. It ended up turning out as a blessing, because once I met my “roommates”, they turned out to be really cool. One was from Germany, another from Austria, and the third from here in Nicaragua. They let me tag along that night, and I had a lot of fun getting to know them. I was a pretty jealous of the European guys because they spoke about 5 languages. The next day they took me to a great spot to surf. It took us about 20 minutes to get there traveling down dirt roads, but the beach was off the beaten path and fairly private. It was very nice. I rented an old board for another $5 and gave surfing in the Pacific another shot. I would say the Pacific won, but I still had a blast. It was great meeting some guys and making friends. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with them again.

Just so you don't think I am constantly playing, I decided to attach another picture of me doing some work. The girls decided to take the picture, because I guess they never see men here doing the dishes. I thought I would show them that real men spend time in the kitchen. Unfortunately, I still have a long way to go before I know all the other qualities of a real man. Ha.

The Cyber ¨Shack¨

Hey everyone. First, I want to let you all know that I miss you very much. I can´t believe that I am only three weeks away from coming home. I have a feeling that it will fly by for me.
I wanted to let you know that the internet has been down at MQV for almost a week now. I am currently in a cyber ¨shack¨. It is seriously small with only three computers, but it is the best thing we have in El Crucero. I have some pics to share, but they will have to wait until we get a connection again at MQV.
However, speaking of ¨shack¨, it reminded me that I had a wonderful conversation with two Canadian girls on a bus the other day. I was riding home from San Juan del Sur, which is the place where I want to share some pictures, and one of the girls was reading ¨The Shack¨. Of course I started asking questions, because I love that book. I asked her what she thought, and she said that she had already cried twice. I found out that she had no ¨religious¨ background or faith in anything. As a side note, I am at least glad she is not religious, because we can´t work our way to God; He came to us. We discussed Jesus and how He is portrayed in the book. She said she really likes Jesus. She is also going to pass the book along to her friends. I am not sure what you think about that book, but I know it is impacting the lives of many unbelievers, because it is so different from anything we are used to in our Christian world.
Okay, well there will be more coming later. Hasta luego.

Comments

A few of you have mentioned that you couldn't comment on the blogs. So, I just changed a setting that I think will solve the problem. Gracias.

El Concierto

I thought I would post some pics of the concert I went to last Friday night. Jesus Adrian Romero was the Christian artist we went to hear. He was really good and entertaining, but I didn't understand very much of his music, of course. There were a ton of people there. It was a very energetic event, and I enjoyed watching everyone worship. This singer is a pretty big deal here in Latin America. There was one part I did understand, and that was when he was telling everyone that burning CD's and DVD's is stealing. I guess someone didn't think that taking a person's wallet was stealing since that someone decided to take mine as everyone was trying to leave through the only exit. It was like being in a herd of cattle because everyone was pushing a shoving, and then someone shoved their hand in my pocket. I didn't even notice until I was completely out of the chaos and saw my pocket inside-out. It wasn't too bad, though. I didn't have a whole lot of money and I didn't want it to affect my night. Other than that it was a lot of fun, and I always enjoy going to events and hanging out with my friends here.

Construction

We are in the middle of a contruction project here in El Crucero. We have plans to build the Technical Institute next to the existing primary school building. There will be a computer lab with 36 desktops, two classrooms (one for 72 people and one for 36) and three offices. However, just like every constuction project in the States, we are running into various hurdles that are slowing us down. Not to fear, there is one-heck-of an experienced/good-looking/gringo-who-can't-speak-spanish project manager/civil engineer on site. (Ha, just kidding about the experienced part. Kidding again. And sorry for all the slashes.) However, since he can't communicate very well with the workers he has Melvin to help him out. Mauricio, the security guard, called Melvin my bodyguard today since he was following me around everywhere translating for me. (Oh well, I guess I just gave it away that I was talking about me.) On a serious note, I think it is such a blessing to be able to work on this project, since I was considering and praying about working with a group called Engineering Ministries International (EMI). Of course I chose to come to MQV, but the Lord has allowed me to do engineering and construction work anyway. God is cool, huh.

Melvin

This is the second time you have seen Melvin in one of my pictures. He is a great friend and interpreter. We have worked together for a while now and have built a close friendship. He speaks English very well and is married to a woman from North Carolina. I met her today because she is here for 10 days visiting Melvin. They don't see each other much right now, but Melvin is trying to move to the States. He is not working at MQV this week since she is here, but he wanted to come this morning specifically to translate for me in chapel. He says he really likes hearing what is said in chapel every Wednesday. After translating for the first class, he went over to his wife and told her how beautiful her heart was, and how he wanted to treat her like the precious daughter of Christ that she is. They are at cute couple, and I couldn't help but laugh at how they acted together. It is encouraging to know that at least Melvin is enjoying and getting something out of chapel. I just hope the students are soaking it in like he is.

K-Mojado

I just wanted to share my excitement of being able to spread k-Wet to Nicaragua, or should I say K-Mojado (wet in spanish). Every Wednesday I speak in chapel for the high school students, and today I basically shared the K-Wet tiki talk we have used for the past two summers. It is a talk directed to the girls to show them how their beauty, value, and worth should be found in Christ and not in things of this world. If you have never heard me tell you about the tiki talk, just ask me and I can send you the whole thing in a Word document. It was so much fun even though I always have to have a translator, and it is difficult for me to explain American culture. But he did a good job of phrasing some of the things I said in a way they understand here in this culture. For instance, when I talked about a guy trying to sweet talk a girl, he translated it to "charle los perros" meaning "throw the dogs." I don't know why they say it that way, but they do. By the way, I wore the shirt specifically for today's talk.

A Crazy Reunion

What a random chance, but Candace and I were able to meet in Managua. She was here for a Vacation Bible school. I got the opportunity to hang out with her for a day and watch what they were doing. The theme for the week was "Adventura Extrema". I doubt I need to translate that on for you. It was a study on the journey the Israelites took from Eqypt to the Promise Land. Since Candace was the boss, once everything was underway we had time to hang out and catch up. There were so many people assisting her and teaching the kids. It was all very well put together. I was very impressed. It was a good time to catch up with a long time friend. It's crazy how I had back-to-back visits with people from the States. Well, I don't know if we can say Candace is from the States right now.

A Sweet and Beautiful Visitor!

A few of you knew, but for those who didn't, I got visited this past weekend. Stephanie came all the way from Colorado to see me! How lucky am I? Very lucky, you should say. We had four wonderful days together. I know it was short, and that is what all the Nicaraguans said as well, but to me it was much better than the alternative of not having her here at all. We introduced her to all the kids in chapel, and they swarmed her with hugs afterwards, I couldn't blame them of course. She came with me to some of my English classes, she led them in "Simon Says...", and they loved practicing their English by asking her all kinds of questions. I enjoyed having her get the opportunity to see what I am doing here. When we weren't in class, we were traveling to different areas of the country with my Nica friends showing her the sites. We went to a dormant volcano crater that is now a beautiful lagoon in Catalina, walked the beaches of Pochimil and Masachapa, and shopped in the market at Diriamba. Unfortunately, I had to see her off last night, but it was a nice vacation for me to relax and just enjoy time with her. Muchos gracias por venir, Stephanie.

¡Liderazgo!

Leadership classes are now underway. We had our first class this past Saturday. It has taken a while for everything to get started, but that is just the Nicaraguan way. I am getting used to it. Ten minutes usually means more like thirty or more. There are about 90 people enrolled. I teach 4 classes for 1 hour and 15 minutes each on Saturday. It was moved to Saturday instead of four days a week to make it easier for people who have to travel long distances. Now they only have to travel on day. However, that makes for a pretty long day, but the classes are good because the people want to be there and want to learn. Melvin is my interpreter; he is the guy standing up beside me in the photo. I enjoy teaching this class because I am learning a lot about leadership myself. It is a class based on the leadership principles we find in the Bible. And, of course, our main source of information is Jesus. I anticipate there being a lot of discussion from the class. I already had two people get into what could have become a heated argument, but me being the very wise and experienced teacher that I am (ha!), I quickly stepped in and resolved the issue. They were "discussing" whether or not someone is born a leader or if it is learned. After letting them each share a little, I interceded and told the class that we would discuss this issue and then shared a little on the subject myself. After I shared, they both nodded their heads and said, "That's what I was trying to say." I couldn't help from laughing at myself, because if anyone knows me (Beth and Greg) you know that I am never the best with words. I guess that goes to show that I am not the one teaching, He is (pointing up); I am just the body up front.

Christian Sex Ed Classes?

Ha, not really, but close. I am not teaching "sex ed" but today I started teaching abstinence, sexual purity, and being Godly men and women in Bible class today. I will teach two classes every Wednesday morning for 45 minutes each. The first class was 13-14 year olds, and they all kind of just stared at me, but they need to hear this stuff anyway. However, the second class was 15-18, and they seemed to really enjoy it. They responded to questions and were very involved. I am really excited about this opportunity to work with the students in secondary. These students deal with the exact same struggles and temptations that we do in the States.

I am also temporarily teaching English in primary until we get another teacher. It's fun, but I am busy all the time. I really don't know how to teach and do lesson plans.

Roses Have Thorns

Well, not everything here is sweet, beautiful roses. Last night I got really sick. It must have been something I ate or drank, but I didn't eat or drink anything out of the ordinary. So, I don't know what to stay away from. It was awful, though. All night I was taking trips to the bathroom about every fifteen or twenty minutes. My stomach didn't want to hold anything down. Finally after there was nothing left in my stomach, I got some sleep. I feel a little better today but am weary of moving around for fear I will upset my stomach more. The people here are nice and taking care of me, but it is not like how well my 'Mommy' can take care of me. Miss you Mom. But I even missed you before I was sick. Thanks for all your prayers, and pray that I get over this quick because I am no fun with the students when I don't feel good. Hasta luego.

Sunday Outreach

The Nicaraguan church that I attended on Sunday morning was putting on an activity for children in El Crucero that afternoon. So, around 2:30 we (we being Moises, Sarah – his fiancé, Laurie and myself) pulled up to a small shack, but behind it they were setting up chairs and a sound system. In less than 30 minutes almost 80 children arrived! It was incredible. They asked me to play the guitar and taught me a new song that I really like, but don’t yet understand because it is in español. Then some of the older students from the church performed dramas and skits for the children. I was extremely impressed. I loved seeing the youth from El Crucero really being involved with the church and the children. It was really cool to see the youth here doing skits, dramas, and dances like I used to do with my youth group in Trussville. What a blessing! Eventually they divided all the children into three groups to do Bible study. The event ended with the children busting a piñata. It was a mad house once the piñata broke. All the children were diving for the candy. Hilarious. It was such a fun experience.
One of the guys that taught me the Spanish song is Rudy. I have a feeling he and I are going to become close friends. He wants me to teach him guitar. He is already pretty good and is an amazing piano player. Two nights ago we played basketball and tomorrow he invited me to play volleyball with some of his friends. This is what I am really here for, relationships. Building close, intimate friendships is one of my biggest desires for the trip. That is where lives are changed for the good, both his and mine.

Night Activities

Often, I go to la casa de los niños to hang out and play guitar. They teach me songs in Spanish, and I teach them a few in English. It is such a cool thing that music is an international language. Appearently, Hillsong recorded a CD in Spanish, and many of the people here listen to it. Lucky for me, many of the songs I know are easily translated. So far, music and guitar has been my best means of communication. Rudy (below) and I have become good friends because of it. Now we play basketball, volleyball, and do other activities together. There are many students in the secondary school who want to play guitar together or have me teach them to play. I wish I knew how to teach guitar better. I have never had

a lesson in my life. I only know the basic chords, and often I don't even know the name of those chords. However, it is great that such a simple and fun talent can be used to build relationships. Just this morning, the pastor of the church I attend on Sunday mornings asked me to bring my guitar this Sunday so I can play more songs. Sweet!

Los Niños and Others:

You all need to meet some of the people I am working with here. David Ford is the director of New Hope. Charity is his daughter and is married to Leo, who is director of the school Más Que Vencedores. Leo is a Nicaraguan and together Charity and Leo have the cutest little girl named Grace. They live in the orphan home with the five niños (children). There are three brothers: Melios, Rosendo, and Beto; and two girls Joely and Debonney. They are all from Waspam, a very small town that I flew into with a dirt airstrip the first time I was here in October. Also, there is Moisés, who became my first Nica friend the first day I was here on my previous trip. Together we are going through a discipleship book. His is in español and mine is in English. My next door neighbor is Laurie. She is from Canada and is teaching English to the students in the secondary school of MQV. She will be here for five months. Thus far these are the names you need to know, but there will be more and I will introduce them to you later.

The Basics

Más Que Vencedores is name of the school in El Crucero that I am working with. New Hope Children's Foundation (http://www.newhopechildrensfoundation.org/) is the organization that founded MQV three years ago. Soon, we will be starting a two year Technical Institute for students and adults who desire to further their education. New Hope does a variety of other ministries in Nicaragua including running an orphanage and providing food daily for people in over 20 towns.