Project Serve Nicaragua 2009

Flying Forward

2009-02-24T08:14:00.000-06:00

Well we are at least one country closer. Though it seems like we are worlds or centuries or eons apart from where we were when we “woke up” this morning.

Our day started early as we left for the airport shortly after 4 a.m. We were loaded into our van…17 people with 16 pieces of luggage and 15 pieces of carry on in one little van. Esteban, like a champ, got us there in no time at all by taking quite the shortcut. At one point Denver and I looked up and realized we weren’t really on a road at all. But then we saw a jogger and we realized civilization must be nearby.

We had many friends join us to say goodbye to us at the airport. Shirley and Richard came with their sons Milton and little Richie. Julio came along with them. Evelyn caught a bus with her daughter Tatiana and Hector. It was a warm departure…no tears, just moments of happiness shared with each other. We were happy to hug our friends one last time.

It was a little harder to say goodbye to Esteban and Will. They have truly become part of our team. Esteban has taught us much about the Nicaraguan culture and the intense sacrifice of a servant as he takes care of Wilber in Corwin’s absence. And Will has become our friend. He has helped us translate and he has shown us his excitement in becoming a part of our home. We are excited to have him home, God willing, very soon.

Our flights this morning were over in the blink of our tired eyes. We were peaceful as we boarded the plane and all fell asleep quite easily as soon as we got into our seats. It was nice, really, to be able to rest our minds and hearts as we leave this place we love.

Houston came and went and we arrived in LA around 3 this afternoon. There was a mix of emotions…some relief in the familiarity of home, some reality in the fact that we had truly left, and some anticipation in wondering where we go from here. We were met by Curtis’s brother, Ryan, and his band of interns from a church called Cornerstone Church here in LA. They graciously picked us up from the airport and brought us to their church where they have a skateboard and bmx park night. We were going to be a part of their evening, helping them set up and take down as well as just chilling with some kids.

The night started out great, the boys enjoying the skating and video games and the girls trying to get to know some of the people they have met. But, it was stopped short by a power outage about half way through. Corwin had been asked to share a bit of his testimony with his adoption with Wilber during something they call “halftime”. Even without power, we were able to gather together to hear a bit of his message before disbanding prematurely for the night. It was a cool experience, even though brief.

After the youth night we headed to In N Out Burger and started to get our first tastes of American fast foods. It wasn’t long before our tummies figured out we weren’t in Nicaragua anymore.

We are staying at the intern’s house. It’s a home owned by the church for those interning in the youth department. Two friends from home, Taylor Pfeifer and Curtis’ brother Ryan Hango, are interning here this year. It is cool to see where they have been living.

We are exhausted as we crawl into bed tonight. Just tired from the processing and the emotions and the traveling. We need rest. Both sleep and just peace and quiet.

Tomorrow morning we will have one last team meeting before heading to Huntington Beach for breakfast and then to the airport. We will be meeting the Belize team at LAX, an interesting time and place for our reunion. We are sharing our flights home with them and are looking forward to hearing more about there time there and to arrive back home with them.

We can’t wait to be home soon; to see our friends and family and share this time with you. I’m sure you guys are probably looking forward to having your young ones back as well.

As we sleep, please pray for continued safety in travel as well as our tummies. Some of us have the rumblies, especially Braden. Pray we are all feeling well as we come home.

So I believe this is me signing off. It has been an incredible journey to share with you and I’m grateful for your faithfulness in prayer and support. It has been an honour to share this with you. Bless you dearly.

In Him,
The Project Serve 2009 Nicaragua Team.

Exiting Expectations

2009-02-22T23:30:00.002-06:00

This is it. The last time I will write to you from my bottom bunk at the team house from the Orfanato Verbo in Veracruz, Nicaragua for 2009. We are all packed and awaiting our departure for the airport. We’ve said goodbye…and now we are coming home.

Its funny how we say we have no expectations but yet, when its all said and done, we realize we did because they weren’t met. In some ways, for some of us, that may have been the case today. We all had mapped out our exit strategy, how the goodbyes would play out and what it feel like. We learned today that it doesn’t always end the way we expect it to.

We enjoyed a little sleep in this morning because Sunday school at the church we are connected to starts at 10 o’clock. The girls were so excited to get up and get dolled up for church. We were excited to see our church friends again…to sing with them and play with them and hand out backpacks and other items to them. We had an extra excitement in our step as we loaded the van for the church. But, that quickly changed. Because when we got to the church, no one was there. It was locked up. The gate was just barely open. The doors were still locked and barred. Sometimes church starts late…but so late? We were so unsure of what was going on. Disappointment spread throughout us. We had invited so many kids from the community to come to Sunday school. Did they just cancel church?

Yes, yes they did. We drove down the road to find Shirley at a Pulperia. We asked her what was going on and she made a phone call to the pastor that provided all the answers we needed. You see, when we were in church on Saturday night, there was another Caucasian couple there. They were much older and the pastor welcomed them and said they were part of a “crusade” from the other side of Nicaragua. They were missionaries. Little did we know those same missionaries were planning a “door to door visit” morning the next morning and that, because of that, church would be cancelled. We were devastated by the news. There was no way to salvage it at all. Instead of getting that one last hug with our favourite little friends or singing that one last song or taking that one last photo…we got no closure. We drove away feeling like there were kids we may never see again and we just didn’t get to say goodbye to. It was a little tough to chew on.

We headed to the work site to take a team picture and see if some of our friends from there were around so we could hand out some of the back packs that we didn’t get to the day before. We had fun snapping pictures and playing with these children which have become like our little brothers and sisters for the last time. It seemed the disappointment from church’s cancellation was wearing off.

After our last team lunch at Shirley’s we split up. The girls went back to the house we had built so we could decorate it for the evening’s celebration. The boys headed over to Hector’s house, the house we built last year, for a chance to play with Hector and his friends one last time. Us girls had fun decorating with Shirley, blowing up balloons and tying up crepe paper. Shirley was excited for the celebration later tonight to dedicate the house. The boys enjoyed playing soccer with Hector and his friends. Those boys have such a strong connection with the teams who come down with us that its hard to deny how wonderful they are.

We were fortunate to be able to spend a good amount of time with the community kids as well as at the orphanage on our last day. The kids get bussed into Managua for church and sometimes, afterwards, some of the kids go to the houses of others in the church for the evening. As we approached the orphanage in our van, there were not many kids playing outside. It seemed that some of our friends wouldn’t be there. We felt a little disappointed as we looked for some of our kids who weren’t around but then tried to spend the time we had enjoying our time with the kids who were there. The boys played outside and the girls spent time dancing in the dorm or braiding hair outside. It seems like our whole team has adopted a few little friends…ones whose faces light up when they see us or who call our names or come running just to us. It’s like they have claimed us. And we are happy to be claimed. Curtis spent time playing guitar for his little friend Panchito. Kirk hoisted little Richard up onto his shoulders and carried him around all day. Angelo showed Braden his favourite spot to go when he wanted to be alone. It was our last chance to connect with them. We were unsure if they realized that we were about to leave and be gone for the very last time…so instead of dwelling, we just played. We loved them with every last bit of energy we had. We didn’t have to say goodbye just yet…we would be able to sneak into the dorms after our celebration service tonight and say our last goodbye.

Walking back to the team house as the sun was setting on our last day was so humbling. God blessed us with smiles and memories of things that have changed us forever. As a chance to commemorate this time together, we shared our last supper together at the team house. Our tables sit underneath a roof but there are no walls around us, allowing the sounds of the jungle and the light from the sunset to soak into our scene. We cherished it as our final meal together as a family here in Nicaragua.

Once supper was done we headed off to the house for the celebration. I had the distinct pleasure of wearing a very brightly coloured Nicaraguan dress that Mama Shirley had gotten as a wedding gift for me. At first I was a little self conscious, the team bugging me that I was in a moo-moo…but when I saw the absolute joy it brought Shirley to see me in her country’s beautiful clothes…it made it all worth it. It reminded me that one thing this place teaches us to is to let go. To look out and see what we can do for others and care not about what we ourselves are fearful of. To love with no boundaries.

The house celebration was a party! There were balloons, streamers, and a yard full of little red plastic chairs. People from the community and the church filled those chairs with warm smiles and handshakes. The church had set up its sound system and keyboard and a few microphones and it was turned up so the neighbours couldn’t ignore that we were praising God there tonight. We sang and worshipped together and a brother from the church gave a message. Our team got up and sang Open the Eyes of my Heart in English and Spanish and then sang another special song that we had practiced for them that just declares how wonderful our God is. It seemed perfect to share the gift of song with them…because we know it means so much to them. And to see them respond with such love.

The woman and her family that we gave the house to were so elated. Orlando, her son in the wheel chair, sat at the side with a smile on his face, excited to make his new home. Sbietta, her daughter, wore a plastic crown…smiling all night long. I don’t think she would have needed that crown for us to treat us like the princess she is. She danced with us and smiled with us and held Jaclyn’s hand all night long. At the end of the service, their family wanted to give us all presents to show their gratitude. We all got a little wooden box, a keychain, and a glass bottle of coke, as a memento of our time there. Such tiny gifts, but what they meant to us was larger than even we could know.

In what seemed like a moment proclaiming the sovereignty and goodness of God, we cut the ribbon to the house and opened the door with the key. This was it…the house was theirs. Everyone rushed inside and danced and took photos and sang along with the loud worship music in the background. It was such a time of celebration…what a great house party! It was the perfect way to end our time there.

It seemed to soon when Corwin said we had to say goodbye. It was hard to hold the tears back when we were looking into the faces of those little ones, who had become our family, and say goodbye, knowing full well we may never see them again. We had shared so much with them. They are forever imprinted on our hearts and we will surely never forget them. We so said goodbye, we held them and told them we loved them, and then we got in the van and drove away. On our way home we dropped Juan off at his house, presenting him with payment for his work and a love offering the kids had gotten together of all their extra cordobas, to give him a little more help. We parted ways and headed back to the orphanage.

As we drove up, an unsettling feeling entered some of our stomachs as we saw that the lights were dark and there were no kids outside. It was only 15 minutes earlier than we usually stayed there…but it seemed that that may have been enough for them to hussle off to bed. Corwin popped his head into the boy’s dorm and saw they were still awake. With hope, us girls ran to the girls dorm…hoping for the same outcome. But, to our disappointment, no such luck. We knocked on the door til some one awoke to unlock it. We stumbled in the dark, trying to find the beds of the girls we loved so much. We found two, and only one successfully woke up. We tried to tell her we were leaving…but she didn’t understand and just said goodbye and told us to have a good sleep. The girls left the dorm feeling sad. I went back to Soche’s bed and woke her again. She told me good night, again, and I looked at her and, in my very broken Spanish. Told her we are going back to Canada and the team wouldn’t be back. Her eyes shifted. She got it. She sat up in her bed and blinked at me. She suddenly threw her arms around my neck and told me she’d love me forever. I returned the love, held her and kissed her cheek, and tucked her back into bed.

And that was that. Goodbye, for the most part, was said. Not in the ways we would have liked…but it couldn’t be corrected now. It was what it was.

Our team meeting tonight was quiet and somber. We shared our thoughts from the day…speaking with emotion and sadness and a sense of awareness of our departure. Some shared of their frustrations from the day’s events…the people we didn’t get to see or share one last moment with. Some of us just spoke of frustration with hope…and not knowing how to believe that these kids can actually have it. Some tried to rap their minds around the possibility of never seeing some of these people again. Some just spoke of our fond memories, the time we had here, how we and only we have shared it together, and how on earth we are gonna come home and help you see all that God has done. One last time we prayed together, huddled up, and gave God the glory for all He has done.

It is thrilling to see the way God unites those who love Him. It’s inspiring to know that we can be filled with love even when our own ability to love fails. We have been exposed to living a God-infused life and I don’t think we’ll ever be able to forget that. We have learned to love people we have just met and can hardly communicate with. And we have grown to love and sacrifice for one another. We have become a family, with each other and the people in this community, and nothing here on earth will ever separate that.

We have spent the last few hours extending our last bit of Nicaragua. Sleep has escaped us and a carafe of hot coffee has been our companion. We have sat in our rocking chairs and laughed together. We sorted through our thoroughly messy rooms to find our things, potentially marked with perma-dirt, and pack them into our bags. We’ve thrown crickets at Cloe till she almost pees her pants and we’ve run off into the jungle with our new machetes and chopped branches and mangoes (with Kirk at the helm, of course). We’ve played UNO with Wilber and stretched out in our hammock. We’ve taken one last cold shower. We’ve done as much as we can to be a part of this place to the last very moment. Its all we can do to make it last a little bit longer.

And now here we are, about to leave for the airport, and transport into what, right now, seems like another dimension. For some our transition will be easy and simple, for others…another culture shock waiting to happen. Whatever it holds for us, we’re in it together, and that’s all we need to know right now.

Thank you for walking with us. Your comments on the blog have been ones of inspiration and strength and encouragement. It is amazing to know you are following with us and trying to make sense of this journey we’re on. Its comforting to know that many of you will know the names of the faces that are ever imprinted on our hearts and that when we speak them, you will understand.

Please join with us in prayer as we make our way home. Pray for health and rest and safety. Pray for Corwin, as he leaves his son, and pray that God keeps fresh in our hearts the lessons we’ve learned here.

We’ll write again from LA…24 hrs from home.

Blessings,
The Team

New Normal

2009-02-22T08:50:00.000-06:00

As you are reading this we are most likely starting our last full 24 hours here. We probably have emotions running high through our minds and hearts and are thinking and feeling things we never knew we could. We are in a bittersweet place…anxious with the thought of home…but heartbroken to think of leaving this place. In the next 24 hours, both emotions will run vividly through us.

Because all of the work that we need to do is completed at both work sites, today we got to spend time with a lot of families and kids in the communities. It was awesome. Not having as much work as we first assumed has been such a blessing for us because we have had so much opportunity to play with kids and do other things that have opened our eyes to the reality of this place.

We went to the worksite this morning to see the finished project. A few people, like Denver and Marshall who had been working at the other site, hadn’t seen if for a few days now. There was a roof fastened to it, doors in place, and some bars being put on the window. As we walked around and took pictures and visited with the kids who we have come to really love, there was an excitement about the house. A family was now going to LIVE here…there were going to have a house to themselves which they had never had before. For me, the thought was overwhelming.

It was fun to watch the kids get excited about the parts we helped with. I talked with Anthony about how, if we hadn’t started this whole process, this house wouldn’t be here. Anthony just kept saying that that thought blows his mind. He then felt even more blessed when he got asked to help weld some bars into the windows. It means something very special to put your fingerprint on something so huge.

We continued to spend time in the committee all day. We went to a Mini Super (small supermarket) to get a few things that will remind us of Nicaragua once we are home. We also visited Evelyn’s house. We loaded the van up with backpacks and clothes from the packs we took down so we could hand them out to the kids in the community there. We had made some back packs for specific little friends, and others just for those who would fit the clothes and things inside of it. It was a hard experience for us. We only had so much and there were many more hands to give to. We started by bringing stuff into Evelyn’s house and handing it out from there. But more and more kids came and more and more was needed. Denver and I hopped in the van to hand things out and all of a sudden there were kids we didn’t know, moms with babies, even grandmas standing at our open door with hands out. It was heartbreaking. We wanted to give them everything we could. But we knew just giving them that would not be enough.

The orphanage was next on our list of places to drop stuff off. We brought duffle bags full of toys, hygiene products, clothes, and stuffed animals to them. Since we cannot give backpacks to specific kids and not others, we lined them up along a pic-nic table to pick their items. They loved to sift through everything and pick clothes and toys that they would like. They had fun showing us their new treasures…laughing and playing with each other. One little boy named Richard got a Yahtzee game. Right after he took it, with delight on his face, he tripped and fell and the top, the whole game part, broke off. He lost most of the pieces and was so sad. But, in moments, he realized he still had a part that worked and he went back to being content and excited. He got over it and made the best of it. We could learn a lot of lessons from him.

After supper we had the privilege of going to the youth service at our church. There has been a special speaker in town for the last week and he was speaking last night. Because of him, there has been a lot of people coming to church every week. The little tiny room was packed and overflowing out the back of it. Of course, there was music. So loud that I’m sure the whole village could hear it. We sang and danced and clapped. We also had the beautiful chance to join into the service. We had prepared a song to sing together in both English and Spanish; Open the Eyes of my Heart. We got up as a team to sing and the joy on people’s faces was incredible. Then, after finishing the English part of the song, it was unbelievable to lead the worship of so many Nicaraguans, singing with us in a language most of us hardly know. There was a powerful unity, a oneness in the body of Christ, that resonated with each word. The sound of our voices mixed together is what I would expect angels to sound like…not necessarily perfect, but unified in the love of our God.

Jaclyn and Braden both had the distinct honour in sharing their testimony in the service, with the help of Esteban. They shared about what being a follower of Christ in your teens years is like in Canada. They were open and honest and so well spoken. I sat with tears in my eyes as I watched them, so proud of how far this team has come and how much they have been stretched.

We got a chance to stop by the orphanage and say good night to our little ones as we were heading back to the team house. They were full of energy from the Saturday off and the gifts they had received. Many of the young ones just carried around the dolls and toys we had brought them and wouldn’t let them go. They have all come to know us. They often call us by name as we walk up to them. They run to us with open arms and don’t let go. They are precious little parts of us now, never to be separated even by time and space.

As I was playing with two little girls that I have come to love very much over the years, I had a stark realization. I had printed off some pictures of me and some of the kids from last year and brought them to them the other day. Today when we were visiting, I walked up to one of the little girls beds and she was looking at a photo album. I asked her to show it to me. As I looked at it, I saw the pictures I gave her first in the book. Then she continued to flip the pages. And I saw similar pictures as the ones I had taken with her…but with different faces in my place. Picture after picture there was a new person, holding her and smiling or having her sit in their lap or hold her hand. And it gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. As the week has progressed the team has communicated feelings of guilt for leaving these kids, like every one else in their life. When I watched this girl flip through this photo album, I felt the same thing. Are we just a face in a picture that comes and goes? I felt like all of these people had just loved and left this girl. It made me angry and sad and I felt alone for her.

Later, as we were walking back to the team house from the orphanage, I was talking with Curtis as we both felt that same guilt creeping in on us, and then we realized something. I would rather have that little girl have a photo album full of pictures of people who have come and given her love then her not having one picture cuz no one has come. These pictures are reminders to her of God’s constant love given to her through different people at different times. She is learning to trust him, solely, and know that He will always take care of her. The thought warmed me. We need not feel guilty for leaving now. We just need to acknowledge that we are an extension of the long term love that God is showing them.

In our team meeting tonight, we talked about the inevitable…leaving. How are we gonna just leave this place? This place that has now become a part of us…sewn into our hem. It cannot be separated from our being. God has taught us things and shown us things here that we could have never learned with the distractions of home. And though home offers comforts and a normal we are used to, we have realized that we are now part of a “new normal”. When we first got here there was so much that was novel and unique, but now it just feels like home. Its normal to smell burning garbage around every corner…to see dogs wandering in and out of people’s homes, to have feet so dirty they look burned, to eat beans at every meal, to have people pop their heads in your car when you are stopped at signs or lights, to fall asleep hot and sweaty from the heat around us, to have bats fly very low overhead, and to have geckos crawl up our walls, to have children ramble to us in a language that we don’t understand and then to just smile and laugh with them…these are the things that feel normal to us. Its in these situations that we don’t feel displaced or abnormal. It is strange to be caught between two worlds…one that is our permanent home and one that has come to be our home for this small time. How do we leave one normal for another?

The team’s mentality is clear; savour every moment, treasure each smile, give more energy than you have, engage in the family we have built, and leave with absolutely no regrets. That is clear in their days here. The next 24 hours will be filled with much emotion and heart break, but every second will be worth it.

Thank you for your continual commitment to lift us up in prayer. How grateful we are for knowing that you are behind us, encouraging us through the Lord. We need you now…as we enter into this vulnerable time of saying good bye.
Please pray for:
-our goodbyes; that we would give all we have in these last few hours
-Corwin; as he says goodbye to Will until they meet again
-our friend Meg visiting the orphanage; she got very sick today and has to fly home on Monday. Pray she recovers and can spend one last full day with the children, she means so much to them.
-the house dedication tomorrow night; that we can celebrate together that goodness of God and the new house for this family
-the continued health of our team; we are run down, tired, under-slept, and emotional. Pray our health stays strong in the next few days as we leave and travel home
-The Belize Team; who we are sure are going through many of the same feelings and emotions as they leave. Pray also for their leader, Kristin, who has an infection on her leg from bug bites. Pray their last days are filled with love and laughter.

It seems weird to say we will see you soon…but we will. We continue to be reminded of your partnership with us every day. We love you. So dearly. Know you are being prayed for as well.

God IS good…

-Chan & the team

Esso Excitement

2009-02-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

Hello again to you all. I’m excited that we have been able to post every day so we can share with you guys what is going on here in Nicaragua. It seems absurd, as I write to you today, that there are only two more full days left here in our new home. Where did the time go? It has swept past us and left us scrambling to just take in as many sights and sounds and smells and tastes that we can before we leave here Monday morning.

We had many new experiences today. It seems that, this trip, we have just had so many opportunities to do things we’ve never done before. New connections have brought us to different places and God has just continually taught us more and more through them.

As Corwin has been walking along the path of his adoption process, he has had a chance to share with many people in different places the things he has been doing here in the past several years. Many people have been inspired and blessed by his love and devotion to this country. One such person was a judge that he encountered. This judge was so moved that he asked if Corwin would consider helping out a cause that was near and dear to him. In many of the small towns outside of Managua there are very few and hard to reach schools. Some children, especially young ones, can’t go because they cannot ride the bus or travel that distance. It is a terrible thing for communities that are saturated with little minds wanting to learn. This judge goes to a church in Managua that has set up a kindergarten in a small town. The church completely supports it and pays for it. The judge asked if Corwin would consider paying a visit to this kindergarten while we were here. Corwin asked what their needs were and he said that they would really love to repaint as it hasn’t been done in quite some time. Corwin felt like it was our honour and privilege to visit the kindergarten and bring them some paint.

The kindergarten was one hour away from the orphanage. As we drove we took in the country side of Managua, the dry fields and the trees and the little shacks at the side of the road. When we got to the town we were amazed when we saw how small the kindergarten was. In one tiny little room there was 70 kids!! Just 70 little kids running around and listening and learning. A man at the kindergarten explained that the church pays for as much as it can, providing the kids with teaching and a meal every day. It is the responsibility of a different family every day to prepare the meal for all the little kids. They have no school supplies, so they are only taught by ear. The kindergarten seemed like a positive place to be…and they were sure excited to get our paint. They started painting before we even left!

The children loved us. They smiled and laughed and played with us. We didn’t have long to stay, so as we were leaving the kids ran up to the edge of the yard yelling “Adios!” at us and waving their little arms off. It was humbling…to realize we have an education system so advanced that so many just grumble about attending. We have an ideal education class size of 20, or whatever the number is, and these 70 kids just squish in this little hot room and scrounge up as much knowledge as they can. The contrast seemed so blaring.

After we left the kindergarten we headed to the market place, also another fun experience. On the way Corwin taught us the boundaries of the market area, which is huge and is easy to get lost in. He taught us how to barter, explaining that it's very offensive to agree on a price and then try to continue to barter down again. And he also told us to just have fun as we fumbled with our Spanish asking for different colours and sizes and products.

The team did so well with it. It seems this team has been extraordinarily willing to use Spanish as much as possible to communicate. They pick up words left and right and are constantly asking questions, which is what we like to see! They had fun picking out their nick nacks for friends and family and comparing all the good deals that they got.

After the market we headed back to Veracruz. We needed to put some finishing touches on the mural in the house, finish the project for Evelyn, and sort through our donations so we can all make a back pack up for a kid who we have connected with in the community as well as dividing everything else up for the orphanage. The hole which we were digging at this year’s project is as far as it can go now and so we don’t need to be digging any longer.

Marshall, Denver, and Will headed to the worksite at Evelyn’s. They did whatever they could do to help, mixing cement and filling trenches. They loved working for this woman and her family. Her hospitality last year spoke to us all and she was also so humble and grateful. She has a beautiful smile and an ability to communicate her love without words. It was our honour to provide her with this.

Erin, Jaclyn, and Bobbi went to the house to finish the mural. We ended up painting all four walls of the room. Three walls have green paint (for grass) up to about the middle. The main wall of the room has a sunset with daisies and sunflowers. The wall to its right has a tree and some horses, running on the horizon. The wall to the main wall’s left just had hills on it…and we let the kids have those hills to pain flowers and hand prints on as they wish. The last wall at the back was just painted a mish mosh of colours. On that wall we painted “Dios es Amor” (God is love) in big letters. It was our pleasure today to put the finishing touches on it all. Sbietta, the little girl going to be living in that room, and Cindy, her cousin and best friend who she currently lives with, were happy to watch us as we completed the project. We have grown to love these girls…playing with them and braiding their hair and getting them to paint along side of us. They are near and dear to our hearts and their smiles have encouraged us all week long that we are doing something so much greater for them than we realize. When we’ve been discouraged…one look at them changes everything.

Back at Shirley's, our duffel bags full of donations exploded on the ground as we began to fill all the backpacks we brought with us. Because the at the orphanage they share everything, we cannot just give one kid a back pack and one now. We will huge duffle bags with things and let them come and pick a few items. But we can make back packs for our little friends from the worksite or from church or from the community. We’re able to pick clothes and toys that would suit each of them. It was fun to make up our back packs together and be excited about giving a gift to these new friends of ours.

If you looked out the window through the gate of Shirley’s house, you could see a swarm of kids. It was like they all knew what was going on and, maybe, if they could, just getting a glimpse would guarantee them a back pack. It made me sad to know we don’t have enough for them. That all the stuff we could bring down, trip after trip, could never be enough. It was a sobering thought.

Because it was Friday, we got to eat supper at Delpha’s. Delpha is a lady that has a fried chicken stand outside her house on weekends. She makes chicken and platanos (plantain chips). We like to support her business and eat her yummy food. As well, it gives us a chance to spend some time in the community.

After supper we headed to the orphanage to play. The kids were excited to see us and ready to tire us out. We ran around with them, skipped with them, played soccer with them, and laughed with them. They rode on our shoulders and held our hands and became like sons and daughters or little brothers and sisters to us. Part way through our time there we all got called into the dining hall for a Bible study. We sang some songs and then the director of the orphanage read from the Bible. The older kids seemed to listen intently, but some of the younger ones nodded off. Erin and Bobbi had two of the cutest little girls I have ever seen fall asleep in their arms. We had the honour of tucking carrying those girls to bed and tucking them in. We told them we loved them and wished them good night. There is nothing more satisfying then telling an orphan that you love them as they are about to go to sleep.

This week, at the orphanage, I met a woman named Meg. Meg is a volunteer that comes down on her own accord twice a year from Virginia. She came with a missions team for the first time in 2003 and fell in love with the orphanage and the children. She remembers everything about them…their stories, their backgrounds, their families. She is just like a mom to some of the girls who she has seen grow up in the last several years. She is so loving with them and they love her…they bury their faces into her and hug her and tell her they love her. Some even call her mom. The girls on our team have been getting to know her little by little and hear her story. It is so comforting to see God calling people, consistently, to this orphanage. To know people like Corwin and Meg don’t just walk into and out of these kids lives…but that they keep coming back, showing them that there are people who will not abandon them. Meg was elated when I told her of Wilber’s adoption. She said she will get her whole church, who has sent many teams down, to pray for it. God moves…so evidently…and we are seeing it all around us here.

After playing at the orphanage we had a surprise for the team. We all got in the van and, as we started to drive away, Corwin “surprised” us by telling us we were going to…the gas station! It seems silly, but the hoots and hollers and excitement that shouted outta the back of the van was astounding. When did the ESSO become something to cheer about? When you’re in Nicaragua. Because things are simple here. We don’t need something flashy or huge or expensive. We don’t need more and more and more. When you have little, a little more seems likes a whole lot. The excitement that came from a few simple ice cream treats at the gas station was a symbol of the clarity this team is processing with. The knowledge that God has given so much in forms that we, in North America, sometimes just don’t see.

As we debriefed as a team we shared the experiences that have been moulding us. During our meeting Esteban pieced together even more of the puzzle of the family we are building this house for. He said that this woman, who has had so much taken from her, has been obediently following God. A few weeks ago, when we found out that we could not build for the initial man we thought we could build for, this woman was being broken by God. She was at church and, as an offering for a new building was being taken, she felt God saying “give a whole month’s salary”. She was so broken she said “God, take all I have, it is only for you”. And so she gave everything she had with joy. She came home to tell her family they may not have much food for the next month. One half hour later, Shirley came to her house to tell her the news…we were going to build the new house for her! An act of faith rewarded by an instant blessing.

It is hard to believe we are about to leave. We are just getting into it all…learning much about true wealth and community. Trying to understand more of how to live like it asks us in James, favouring no one and not allowing wealth to rob our faith from us. Bobbi made a comment about having “safe faith” in Canada…faith within a limit of always knowing there is a safety net. There are no safety nets here.

Insight is clear as we enter into our last 48 hours. Please continue to pray that God rocks us…that this whole thing continues to mess us up and change us. Pray we love til it hurts and leave with no regrets. We are only ensured this one chance.

It will seem like only moments till we see you again. We send our love, as always. Bless you!

-Nicaragua

P.S. Jenna…I gave Suyepa your pictures and a hug from you. She was SO excited!

Loving Letters

2009-02-20T00:43:00.001-06:00

Buenos Dias. We are thinking of you and praying for you tonight as we fall asleep. We have been reminded tonight of your love and affection for us tonight and are crawling into bed with warm hearts and smiles on our faces. We love you.

Today we were back to the grind of the worksite. We awoke at our second morning at the orphanage, excited to be awaking to the beautiful sights and sounds of the surrounding jungle. Bobbi even woke up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains. We are so fortunate to be amidst such lush beauty.

After breakfast we headed out to do our work. We had three main projects on the go; the hole for sewage at our current worksite, the mural which was not yet completed, and the bathroom for Evelyn, the woman we built a house for last year. We divided up evenly. Because Marshall and Denver got to work with Evelyn and her family last year, they went with Kirk to built the latrine. The rest of us headed over to our current worksite and divided up between painting and digging. The hole is getting quite deep now and is into the very thick clay, making it very difficult to dig quickly. Braden, Matt, Anthony, and Curtis took turns playing with the boys at the worksite and digging as much as they could. The girls tackled painting, along with as many kids as there could be in that one little room. The mural was beginning to look absolutely beautiful…and the kids loved to help.

The worksite is a unique place to be. Its on the edge of Veracruz, so it's in a bit of a farm setting. It's not unusual for us to look up while we are working and see cows and bulls walking across our materials to the field near by. Or to step back and have to dodge some baby pigs that are running by. Or, like today, to look down while you are painting inside the house and pick up some chicks that have found their way into our project. Its fun to always be exploring the animals and have them close by. It makes the site feel like a little world of its own.

After we worked hard this morning there wasn’t very much work to do in the afternoon. The girls really wanted to try to finish as much of their mural as they could today so they decided to head back to the worksite and paint. The boys, who had finished their work for the day, came back to the orphanage to get cleaned up and play with the kids as they got out of school.

Painting at the worksite in the afternoon was tons of fun. The children love to grab a paint brush and help in whatever way they can. At one point we had 14 people in our little room, painting and hand printing and giggling and enjoying our creative bliss. The mural was almost finished when we left to clean up for supper, and it was stunning. I got tears in my eyes as the girls gathered with Sbietta, the girl who will live in the room, to take a photo. The painting is breath-taking, nothing like this girl has ever experienced, I’m sure.

The team is learning much from their Nicaraguan friends. They have started to learn the stories and hardships of those around them and have learned to value the strength and joy these people exude. Today Shirley told a group of us the story behind Sbietta and the family that we are building this house for. Shirley said that her children in wheelchairs have had muscular dystrophy. This woman has 5 kids, all with the same man. Edgar, who was 13 when he died last summer, was the sickest of them all. He needed expensive medicines which she couldn’t provide. He died because she couldn’t help him any longer. Orlando, her second disabled son who is still alive, is much healthier. He loves to sit at the worksite and watch us dig or paint or mix cement. He is shy (timido in Spanish), but always is smiling. This woman has two more young sons who can’t go to school because they have to work to support the family. And then were is Sbietta, one of our favourite little girls, who we learned today is also showing the same signs of muscular dystrophy as well as a respiratory problem that her mom struggles with that is very rare and serious in Nicaragua. She is beginning to react to things such as dust and dirt (which there is plenty of here in Veracruz) and she will get worse. Now, when we look at that sunrise we painted on her wall, it seems to have new meaning.

Shirley told us today that this woman who we are building for has not had contact with her husband in 5 years. He had served in the Nicaraguan army to help support his family and the brutality of it messed him up. After serving his time he just up and left to Miami, never to return or call again. This woman still aches for her husband and asks why he will not be back and prays for him. She said she believed God would take care of His little ones. And so He has.

Tonight, after saying good bye to our little ones at the orphan and playing with them before bed, we gave our own team a taste of home. We gathered them around a table and delivered to the them videos from their parents and letters, gathered from their friends and family by their parents, from home. It was beautiful to watch as they found spaces of their own and sat and laughed, and cried, and laughed again at the wonderful words of love and support that flood through those pages. For many, it was a strengthener, for others, a chance to process, and for others still, simply sweet taste of home. Many said it came at just the right time. Some said it was as if people knew exactly how they were going to feel and spoke to them in that moment. They are going to bed with a new sense of confidence, tonight, and need you to know that they are all loving you just as much back.

Our days and moments are numbered here and we are just trying to soak everything in. Tomorrow morning we are heading to a kindergarten run by a church in Managua as well as the market and then are going back to the worksite and to Shirley’s to sort back packs for the kids in the community. Our hearts are connected here, and with every new experience comes a new thing to which we are about to say goodbye. The team is unguarded, though, and desiring to through themselves whole heartedly into whatever God has for them…even good bye.

Tonight as I close, I’ll ask you to pray for these things:
-continued health
-safety for our trip into the city
-that we continue to love these kids to the tips of our fingers
-that we cherish the most of our time left here.

Know that we are strong and that we are happy. That we see God in the eyes of every person we meet here and that we are living a new and changed life every day. We will see you again and you will be able to look in our eyes and see it.

Until tomorrow…

-PS 09 Nicaragua

P.S. Mrs. Bader… Erin has not seen a sloth…but she appreciates you asking!

Blogging Bonanza!

2009-02-19T08:23:00.004-06:00

*We have just posted three HUGE blog entries, taking you through the past three days...please make sure you read all three of them and catch up on the ongoing adventures of the PS09 Nicaragua Team!

Warm Welcoming

2009-02-18T22:20:00.000-06:00

Hey there friends and family. So you are probably wondering just where we are and what we are doing. We apologize, we’ve been figuring out the kinks of staying in a new place and not having the internet directly assessable. We haven’t posted blogs since Sunday night, but we are posting them all today. Ensure that you read all three to know whats been going on.

Today was a beautiful day in Nicaragua. The sun was shining as we awoke this morning and had our first breakfast at the orphanage. It was wonderful to eat outside and only see and hear the sounds of the jungle around us. Heavenly, really.

Because Denver had his appointment to meet his Compassion sponsor child this morning, our team day was swapped around to today as opposed to later in the week. We were happy to welcome the change as we headed to meet the lady from the organization. Denver was a bundle of nerves, unsure what it would be like to meet this young boy. We drove and encouraged him to live his motto here; No Regrets.

We drove up to the school where young Brian attends and Denver knew that it was time. He headed into the school and we all waited in the van for his return. Soon he walked out, a grin painted across his face from ear to ear. Behind him was Brian, the cutest little Nicaraguan boy in a red t-shirt that you’ve ever seen, and he seems excited to be meeting Denver.

We traveled to Brian’s house so Denver could meet his family and see where he lives. He lived in a tiny little tin shack, no bigger than Denver’s living room at home. In the house his whole family slept and lived. They were grateful to have Denver join them there. They shared with him their joy when they discovered little Brian was going to be sponsored. They told him that it has changed their lives. The father of the family, as if in an act of sheer gratitude, gave Denver a baseball jersey of a team from that area. He put it on Denver and smiled at him, expressing a thousand thank you’s in his eyes. Denver was so blessed to meet this family. He said his goodbyes and got into our van, a glow about him. It was an honour for our team to encounter this with him.

We headed from there to Pochomil beach, one of the most famour beaches in CentroAmerica, especially during the surf seasons. It is the off season now, so it is almost as if we have the entire stretch of beach to ourselves. As we pulled into the park, the owners of all the restaurants around came running at our van, hoping they could coax us into their establishment. It is a sign of the desperation of the time.

We nestled into our little get away spot. The kids seemed to be ecstatic to be at the ocean, especially Braden who had never been there before. It was beautiful to watch their faces as they marveled at the extending beach, the vast ocean in front of them, and as the sun warmed our whole bodies.

Our day was filed with lots of fun. Walking on the beach, playing in the waves, horseback riding on the sand, laying in the hammocks, and walking around the shops bartering with venders for bracelets and necklaces. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch…some having lobster and some just sticking with chicken and Denver and Matt eating an entire fish, prepared with skin and tail and eyes and all! The kids picked shells and sand dollars and soaked up some sun. It was a nice and relaxing afternoon.

We headed back into the city later on in the evening. We had all brought some clean dressier clothes for a very special supper; McDonald’s. Here, McDonald’s is such a treat that people dress well to go there. So dress well we did, and enjoy some good old fashioned North American burgers.

As we drove home I could hear the van filled with conversation. I overheard parts of conversations about God, love, home, family, and dreams for the future. My heart couldn’t help but smile to realize what was going on here. This is it, we’re a family now. We work together, pray together, play together, and walk alongside each other. We’re at a place now where we share together all that we need. It was a stunning realization. All the changes and ups and downs and humbling experiences that we had all been sharing was making us open and vulnerable to one another.

Our evening team meetings, which is always one of my own favourite times, was a pleasant one. It was touching to hear the kids talk about just how much this trip has already impacted their lives and their world view. We discussed the terrible cycles of poverty and just how detrimental they seem to be. There were tears as some acknowledged just how eye opening and overwhelming this has all been. We supported and listened and blessed one another as we all spent the time to join into each other’s experience. Braden made the comment about how we truly are a family now, sharing into each other’s lives.

As a leader, it is a distinct blessing to watch the growth of the team, as a whole and as individuals. Its exciting to hear them pray out loud for things they have become passionate about or to see the shed tears over the places which God has softened their hearts. It reminds me why God commissioned us to go and preach His good news and love to the nations. It wasn’t just because every nation needs to hear it…but its because it then gives every nation an opportunity to teach us the same. We are being molded here.

We pray you are all well. We talk about you and think about you often and carry you with us as we go. We can also feel your prayers every day as they carry us through this. The holy spirit is helping us make sense of it all.

There a few things we could love your continued prayer on:
- Our health; that we stay healthy as we are now all week!
- Our projects; we are excited to start project #2 tomorrow
- The Belize Team
- Corwin and Wilber; yesterday Corwin went to pick up Wilber’s passport which he thought was ready. When he got all the way into Managua at 6:30 in the morning he found out that there had been a misunderstanding and that the passport was not able to be picked up and that he needed his lawyer present. Corwin was really hoping that he would be able to bring Wilber’s passport home with him so he could get it processed in Canada, but, since his lawyer is on vacation til Tuesday, the day after we leave, it seems impossible. But God is the God of impossible things. Please pray that Corwin can get Wilber’s passport before we leave, by some miracle.

Blessings on you…we love you…

-Cor, Chan, Kirk, Marshall, Denver, Cloe, Erin, Matt, Braden, Bobbi, Cara, Curtis, Antonio, Jocelyn, Jaclyn, Esteban, & Will.

Constant Changes

2009-02-17T08:18:00.001-06:00

Another day, another change. It seems unending, really, but a good tool to keep us trusting God.

After our encouraging time together last night as a team, we felt refreshed as we awoke this morning, ready to face whatever scene God may put in front of us. Last night was also our last night to stay at the Provadenic. So, this morning, we also packed up our bags and said our goodbyes to our safe little haven in the middle of busy Managua and we were ready to move out into the jungle at the orphanage. We took our last photos and said our goodbyes to Gonzo (please ask your kids and friends who that is, it’s a good laugh and were on our way.)

We were excited as drove up to our team residence at the orphanage. It is a new building, funded by an American donor to encourage more teams to stay at the orphanage as well as to provide revenue by those who pay to stay there. The facility is beautiful, newly furnished and very accommodating. The team was thrilled to move into their new rooms and explore the landscape around them. They were also pumped to be so close to the kids.

Our arrival on the worksite was a pensive one. We were unsure of exactly what we would be able to assist in doing but were ready for anything. And, yet again, another change. We got to the worksite and were met with jobs lined up. Alongside mixing and pouring cement for the house’s floor, the septic hole needed to continue to be dug. In addition, they need more fine sand for mixing cement and a trench dug for the placement of a pipe so they could have running water inside the house so that, when her son needed to bath, he could do it in the house. Also, the small area that resembled a driveway was over grown with tree branches and a few dead trees and they wanted us to remove them. Corwin talked to the builders as well as the mom moving into the house about the potential of a mural in the girls room and they were all very excited about it. When we asked our little friends, Cindy and Sbietta, they were elated. Unlike the day before, there was now much work to be done.

The girls promptly started on the art project. They went into the room and checked out the walls they had to work with. They sketched things and found a few verses that they could paint on the walls in Spanish. They asked the girls about their favourite colours and flowers. Soon enough, all the girls, along with Sbietta and Cindy, were off to the paint store with Esteban and Corwin so they could pick their colours.

While the girls were gone all morning, the boys and I stayed back and worked to get things done. Braden and one of the carpenters tackled the digging of a trench. They worked so hard as they dug, unearthing a tarantula on the way. Matt and Marshall jumped on the digging of the hole. This year the earth we are digging into is a lot harder and the boys have been spending much more time chipping away at the rock inside of the square hole. The head carpenter, Milton (who is Richard and Shirley’s son) have built a pulley system to help carry the buckets of dirt up from the bottom. Denver, Kirk, and Curtis started in on the cement mixing as the carpenters said that their goal was to finish most of the flooring that day. Anthony had the unique privilege to go with Wilber and Richard to the rock quarry to get the fine sand. He had fun as he fumbled his Spanish enough to understand them as they worked.

The morning went fast and sweaty, the unforgiving sun only avoided by moments of cool breeze every now and then. When it was time for lunch the kids were amazed that it had all gone by so fast. They were excited to eat and get back to work.

The afternoon proved to bring joy to our whole team. It was definitely an afternoon of understanding that we are in a partnership with these people down here, just working alongside them. The boys at the hole had a humbling moment when one of the workers told them that they had a wrong strategy for chipping off the rock. It was taking them about 10 minutes a bucket. All of a sudden he hopped down there and, in 10 minutes, had done about 5 buckets just on his own. He told them their strategy needed some work. They boys remarked later about how we, as north Americans, often feel like we know the best ways to accomplish it all. We have the technology to do it all in just moments. But, in Nicaragua, they have a different sort of technology. They may not have the fancy toys, but they definitely have their strategies well thought out and functioning for the best. The boys were stoked to take the new strategy and put it into motion.

The cement mixing seemed unending and the afternoon brought more humbling moments. Denver, who seems to be a cement mixing veteran, talked later about how the carpenters never seem to keep the same cement recipe. One carpenter will tell us a different thing than the next, yet it will always turn out to be exactly the kind of cement they need. It was frustrating, because just when we thought we had gotten it right we had gotten it wrong again, but a reminder that we need the help of the Nicaraguans to do it right.

Kirk and Curtis started to tackle the removal of the trees. They were armed with machetes, chopping through anything that didn’t need to be there. Again, a humbling moment ensued when Kirk asked Esteban if the cacti that were growing on the trees were parasitic and Esteban told him yes when they really were not, and Kirk proceeded to chop them all down. Soon a Nicaraguan man came running up to him yelling “no no no no!”. Kirk was so confused until he asked Esteban again and it seemed that the question and answer had gotten a little lost in translation. Oops. Lucky we’re not doing this on our own.

The girls were adorable as they got ready to paint the girls’ rooms. They girls mixed the perfect colours, checked the design, and got ready for their debut. The little girls who are going to be living in the room were so eager that they grabbed brushes too and together they tackled the first wall, the beginnings of a sunset. There were so many kids on the work site that wanted to help paint that by the time we were 10 minutes in there were no more brushes left for anyone on the team to paint with! It was fun to watch the girls smile and laugh and paint with us. And it was like each stroke brought life to an otherwise lifeless room. It was beautiful.

When our work day was over we all gathered into the van and felt like God’s surprises were good ones. We felt like He was really in charge of our project. And, I guess, we felt like it really wasn’t our project. It was OURS now. OURS meaning us, and everyone who supported us, and these people. It is truly OURS now. And we are definitely working together towards a good thing.

Today Corwin also talked to Richard about building the outhouse at the house we built last year and Richard said it was a good. He dropped off the supplies for Evelyn and her family and she started to cry, being so grateful and excited. We will start construction there on Thursday, with Juan helping as the foreman of the project.

At supper the team was jubilant with the excitement of the day. They shared stories, laughed together, and spent time just continuing to fall in love with Nicaragua. Jaclyn played with Juma the monkey, as he is in love with her, and some of us sat around and listened to Shirley tell us stories of snakes and spiders in broken English. It felt perfect.

One of the best things about staying at the orphanage is being close to the orphans…close enough to say good night. Before our team meeting tonight, we all walked over to the playground and said goodbye to our kids. Some of the boys talked with Stanley, an orphan who speaks very good English. Some of us played Uno. Curtis sat down with a guitar and played music with one of the older boys. Bobbi headed over to the older girls and tried talking about their lives. And the rest of us just played…until the kids were called inside. Then we gave them big bears hugs and kisses and told them we loved them. For this week, that is our job now. There is something very special about saying good night to orphans.

Our team meeting was considerably different than the one the night before tonight. We had a lot to share, recounting the moments of the day that seemed to stick out to us. We talked about the lessons we learned from the Nicaraguan people and the blessings those were. We shared our love for the work we are doing and doing it alongside our friends. And we confessed how we had felt before and how much God had changed our hearts now. We were excited for what our next few days had to hold.

As we headed off to beds in our new home tonight, we all welcomed the change. We recognized its working in our lives and we applauded its work. Change doesn’t always come easy, but it always makes you stronger.

We hope that you have been enjoying sharing this experience with us. Tomorrow is our team’s beach day…a little earlier than traditionally done in our work week, but placed so we can pair it with Denver’s meeting with his Compassion sponsor child. We are all excited to explore more of Nicaragua and praise God for the beauty He has placed here!!

If you would be so kind, please pray for…
- Our continued health; other than Corwin’s 24 hr bug and Jaclyn have a little bit of a rumbly tummy on Monday, we have been ridiculously health and wound-free. Pray we stay that way!
- The second building project; pray that our team can stay focused as we work in two different places
- The man that we were originally supposed to build the house for; he has been riding his bike past our worksite frequently. Pray God blesses him with peace.
- Denver; he is nervous about meeting his Compassion sponsor child, Brian, tomorrow. He wants to bless him but not make him feel embarrassed or awkward. Pray that their meeting is filled with love.
- The Belize Team; they are building a house as well and are hard at work. Pray their health and unity are kept well. Check out the link to their blog on the right hand of this page.

As the moments tick away, we remind you that we love you and miss you and will see you sooner than you think,

Chan & The team

Construction Concerns

2009-02-16T08:14:00.000-06:00

Hello to you all. Today as I write I pray you are well, enjoying the day God has given us. I know we feel down here that each day in its entirety is truly a gift from God…moment after moment in need of processing, cherishing, and savouring.

Today was our first work day. And we left the Provadenic this morning ready to work. We were all amped to go to that house and get our hands dirty. To sweat, to get tired, to get so hot that it felt like our ears were burning off…and to love every second of it. The team was keen to jump in and help out wherever and whenever they could.

But, as the team is learning is so prominent in Nicaragua, plans have changed. As you will be able to see in the pictures we post, the house is far more progressed than we had imagined. To provide some history for you, every year when Corwin starts a housing project in Veracruz, there is a contractor and a team of carpenters hired to start construction on the house before hand. Though we are hands to help do work, obviously our own knowledge of house-building is not enough that we can conquer a project like this on our own. It is actually a wonderful privilege to be able to provide work for and work alongside the Nicaraguans who are also involved in our endevours. So, because of our preemptive construction, we usually arrive to a house that is already underway. There are usually a few bricks laid for the base of the walls and the outline of the floor is already poured, as well as some rebar put in place for structure. It is a good place for us to walk into because, in that case, there is much cement to be mixed, rebar structures to be built and secured, and edges of walls to chip and smooth. And, of course, a really big hole to be dug in the backyard for a bathroom. In essence, we should have enough work to keep us busy, at least in the ‘hurry up and wait’ of Nicaraguan culture.

But, this year, this is not necessarily the case. And, in correspondence, we are each finding our faith “under construction” as well.

Richard and Shirley, the family we get to spend time with while we are down here as our contractor and our cook, have a special connection to the home we are building. For them, it is also a matter of the heart. Once we had heard the unfortunate news that the man and his family who we had anticipated building the house for did not have the papers to his own land (meaning he did not own it), we had looked to Shirley and Richard for assistance in finding another family for the project. Fervently, Richard and Shirley beseeched us to build a house for the family which we are building for now. They both have a connection to this family and have a passion to see the mother relieved of her daily toils in caring for her disabled child. Shirley also sympathizes for her as she has lost children this year. For Richard and Shirley, who have been involved in every home we have built, this is personal. So, in honouring their desire, because of their unending blessing and hospitality and hard work for us, we allowed them to proceed with building for this family.

The evidence of their passion was very visible when we first drove up to the project last Saturday. The rebar structures were all in place, the bricks laid for the walls, and the finishing cement was already smoothed and dried over the brick of the walls. The dirt inside the house had been leveled already and was ready to have cement laid onto it. These were all things which have never been done for us before but showed the urgency they felt to have the house done, especially because they started two weeks late due to delays with the original project. After talking with Shirley and Richard about its progress, it was clear to us, it was our fundraising and effort that financially allowed this house to happen, but it was Richard’s joy to be involved in every part of the construction of this house as his own offering of worship to bless this family.

So, as we approached the worksite this morning, full of energy to get out there and work, we had to deal with the changing plans and the realization that a lot of the work had been done for us. Apparently our own agendas were to come down and build a house, and we never really realized that that may not exactly play out as it had in our minds.

Our day started with figuring out the digging of the outhouse hole and adding fine dirt to the inside of the house so we could lay cement as well as constructing a rebar grate for the opening of the outhouse hole. We were excited to start these projects, but could see very quickly that we wouldn’t all have work to keep us busy all week. The team began to deal with the frustrations of the slower pace of the work. Of taking shifts, of waiting for the next batch of cement to be mixed, and of feeling a little bit more useless at times. It was humbling, to say the least, to feel like all that we wanted to come and do was being done for us. For some, it was easier to find ways to fill that time…Anthony befriended the two little girls who are going to be living in the house and played games with them in the dirt. There was also a group of kids there just waiting around for a chance to play with us and so we had the opportunity to spend some time just laughing and playing with them. But, for some, we were just wondering how we would last all week.

After lunch at Shirley’s, we came back to the work site and saw that there were two jobs in need of doing, mixing cement and bringing it into the house for the floor and digging the hole. Our team broke into two little teams and decided that they would just take turns. Braden and his team at the hole took turns chipping, shoveling, and pailing the dirt out of the hole into wheelbarrows. Denver & Marsh’s team at the front of the house were in charge of mixing cement, which takes quite a bit of time, and shoveling it into buckets for the workers to use inside of the house. There were down times, for sure, but all in all we worked out the afternoon.

We headed back to Shirley’s for supper wondering what MORE we could do. The team was already starting to debrief their frustrations and try to process our place in all of this. We enjoyed supper together, laughing and enjoying how dirty we had all gotten. One of Corwin’s connections in the village, a nineteen year old boy named Juan, came to visit. Juan has been a friend to many teams and teams have found ways to help support Juan’s dreams to go to school. Juan’s father died two years ago and Juan became the financial provider for his family. Since then, he has been working and going to school, striving to pursue his dreams of learning English and becoming a lawyer or a doctor. With only one look at Juan, his determination and the sheer strength in his smile, anyone could see that this dream was achievable for him. Juan sat with our team and practiced his English for hours as we enjoyed supper together. It was a blessing for both us and Juan to be able to share with each other about our lives and our dreams. Juan, in the past, has worked on the projects with us and told us that he would be willing to join in with us again this year, if we needed him.

As we met as a team tonight, we aired all that had been running through our minds for the day. We talked about our frustrations, feeling like we just didn’t have enough work to do. We talked about why we are feeling those frustrations, the expectations that we had that we obviously have to set down. Marshall brought up a fantastic point about how, before the trip, sometimes telling others that we get to go down to Nicaragua and build a house for a family was more about us than them…and now it really has to be about them. We also highlighted the fact that this was worship for Richard and his team. This was a way for them to be serving and loving that family. We, as a team, went through the steps of shedding all that was of ourselves and laying it humbly at the feet of Jesus. And then, we began to dream.

We acknowledged that, if the plans were not going to be going according to what we had expected, evidently God has other things in store, and we wanted to start dreaming of what those things could be. We realized that, with more team and more time, maybe we could serve in other ways. Dreams emerged…the idea of painting a mural in the little girls room in the house. The idea of going back to Evelyn’s house, the house we build last year, and building the structure of an outhouse overtop of the hole which we dug for her last year (because she has not been able to save enough money to build one yet). The idea of having Juan work with us and be the foreman at our second worksite at Evelyn’s and getting to pay him well for his work.

After a very vulnerable time of prayer together, our team left our meeting knowing that this may not be as we first thought it would be…we may not be able to say to the people at home who supported us “yes, we went down and build the house from the ground up”…but, we would be able to say that we were obedient to do as God asked us to and to be a part of something bigger than even we realized we could be.

The team meeting was proceeded by a meeting of Corwin, Kirk, and I. With these new ideas presented, we needed to check the financial ability we had to see them through. The kids were so pumped up about the things that they had dreamed, it would be a shame to have to thwart those desires because of money. We went over the budget together and started to feel a fear that all of these dreams may not be possible at all. Because of the connection and passion Richard has had for this project, his model for the house was one that was a little more superior to houses we have built in the past. He wanted to give his best, but his best seemed to be more than our budget had accounted for, spending over what we had allotted for construction fees. Also, because of the terrible inflation of the US dollar, which they use here in coincidence with the Nicaraguan corboda, we are also losing on what we had projected as our budget. All in all, we realized that money was going to be tighter than expected. We spent hours reworking the budget, having difficulty in knowing what our bills were going to be and if we would be over or short in certain areas (no one ever really quotes you what you actually pay…you only find out when you pay it). Finally, at the end of all of our attempting to number crunch, we just decided that all of these dreams were worth stepping out in faith and going ahead with. Why would God give us dreams to serve and then not give us the avenue to fulfil them?

God is teaching us more than we had anticipated. We knew He would stretch us. We knew He would ask us to use Spanish and to hold the hands of little kids we didn’t know and to connect with people and love them with our whole heart, even though we may never seem them again. We knew He would ask us to do things we would never do before. But we didn’t expect that He would ask us to step back from what we thought we would be doing so we could allow other people to go forward and serve in a way that blessed them. We didn’t expect that we would have to change our plans. But we are glad He’s asking it of it us.

Thank you so much for your prayers, there is in no way any doubt in our minds that we are adjusting to our circumstances on our own. It is because of the prayers of those who love us that we know that we are part of something bigger. And thank you for reading…for sharing in this with us. Please, know that we feel you here with us.

In closing, I would ask you, very vulnerably and candidly, to consider prayerfully joining into additional financial support of our mission. To complete these projects…to have the girls paint a mural and have the boys build the outhouse at our last year’s project sight with Juan…we will need extra funding. We feel that God has given all of us passions to serve with and we feel that, in faith, God will use those passions to touch the lives of people here.

Please, if you will, pray about the possibility of coming along side of us partnering in these new additional projects. If you feel that you are called to be a part of that contribution, You can donate safely and easily online by visiting CANADA HELPS ONLINE DONATIONS. Simply designate your donation to Project Serve Nicaragua, and mention 'construction' in the message area. You will immediately receive a receipt for tax purposes.

Thank you for walking along side us through this all. May God bless you deeply as He has us here today.

-The PS Nicaragua Family

Filthy Feet

2009-02-15T23:10:00.001-06:00

Another day has come and gone down here in Nicaragua and what a day it has been. It seems that every hour here can feel like twenty but, at the end, it all just feels like a few moments.

The team was eager and excited this morning to get into Veracruz and experience their first Nicaraguan church service. The church which Corwin is connected to in the village is a small Baptist church. The amount of attendees is ever changing so to attempt to give a description to that number would be difficult, but there are many children who come every Sunday for Sunday school.

We arrived at church in our Sunday best. We were early, so the team got a bit of time to make friends with the children attending the service. We as leaders, were so blessed to watch as the team spread themselves out, trying to communicate through Spanish, English, actions, pointing, and pretty much whatever other avenue may get their point across, and made an effort to connect with these people. We have been blown away by the team’s willingness to reach out.

Nicaraguan church services are ones that are not easily forgotten. Many people crammed in a very hot tiny church, a sound system turned up as loud as it possibly can go, and clapping…oh, there is so much clapping. Sometimes you forget that there are even words to the songs because you have to clap so much! It is loud and crazy and wonderful. And the team certainly agreed. They sat in the pews with their new found friends and danced and clapped and smiled as they soaked it all in. Halfway through the singing, the kids were dismissed for Sunday school.

The number of kids who show up for Sunday school can vary heavily from week to week. This week, we had about 40. The kids sat in their cute little plastic chairs, with our team members squished into the miniaturized chairs among them, and we sang songs as best as we could in Spanish. Then, with the help of Esteban, our translator, Jaclyn and Bobbi lead a craft. We picked a verse from Psalms (“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”) and wrote it on the board. Then, taking some paper plates and some frijole (beans), we made tambourines for the kids to use as they sang in church. With Denver manning the one stapler we brought and kids itching to play their new instruments…lets just say the room was filled with joyful noise (and the floor with a few beans) after our craft was done. But we sure had fun.

After Sunday school the kids usually play soccer and other games in the courtyard area of the church. This was a fantastic time for our kids to continue to connect. Jaclyn took some kids into the shade to teach them a hand slapping game. Curtis and the boys rounded some boys up for soccer. Anthony had a cute little girl in a pretty white dress attached at his hip wherever he went. Cara and Erin took pictures with kids. Matt & Kirk, the tall ones, gave kids rides on their shoulders. All in all there was tons of laughter and a trust that was growing between us.

Today was our first experience with lunch at Shirley’s. Shirley, our cook and Nicaraguan Mama, and her husband Richard, who is the contractor we hire to oversee and begin our housing projects, are tremendous examples of hospitality to us. They open their home up to our teams every year and always have the “mi casa es su casa” (my house in your house) attitude. They serve us in ways that we don’t deserve. The kids enjoyed exploring Shirley’s land, playing with Juma, the monkey, and chasing her adorable 3 year old son Richie around.

After lunch we did a tour of Veracruz on foot. It was a perfect first taste of just how hot it gets in Nicaragua and just how sweaty one can get. The sun beat down on us as we wandered along the path that runs in the middle of Veracruz. We stopped at our first Pulperia, stores that are built into the side of houses, for a cold drink of coke in a glass bottle (or in a bag, for some). We then made our way to the Project Serve 2007 house, built for a family with two little girls. They quickly welcomed us and asked us to come inside and look around. They had gotten a chance to put some paint on it and some curtains. It was awesome to see the home that they had made it into. Our second stop was the Project Serve 2008 house, inhabited by a single mom, her four children, and her mother. The family was elated to see us and, as well, ushered us in. It was unbelievable to see the home that they had made it into…with beds for each kid and small decorations. The backyard was full of trees and the kids had a play area. I was overwhelmed with the realization that this was not just bricks and concrete anymore…this was a family’s home. The only one that they had ever known.

After that house we crossed town to see the 2005 Project Serve house. This house is built on a much poorer side of town. As we crossed into this section, as it always happens, small children began to emerge from every corner. Soon enough each team member had two or three kids holding onto their hands and arms as they walked. The 2005 house is build in an area which has more evident poverty. To get to it, we cross over “The Pit”, a now dried out river bed that is filled with garbage where the children of the community often play but is filled with a ranging river in the summer. We visited the home, as we were swarmed with little friends, and enjoyed meeting the family that still lives there. Our house tour ended at another Pulperia, buying cokes and fantas for our buddies.

Our next stop was Orfanato Verbo, the orphanage. The team was excited and nervous as they approached the building. Many of them were now challenging preconceived ideas with first impressions. Manuel, a young boy who has been living at the orphanage for some time, greeted our van. Soon after, the kids began to emerge from their Sunday afternoon activities. The team was not hesitant to jump in and embrace every moment they had to love on these kids. The older boys went with the boys and Erin to the basketball court to play soccer while the younger girls and Matt stayed behind to play on the swing set. The orphans are beautiful kids…knowing full well we don’t speak their language and just not caring, chattering our ears away. They showed us how to through rocks at mangoes until they fall from the trees and then helped us all just bite right in. They often eat mangoes unripened here, a different experience for most of us, but the team still tried it. They kids also climbed trees to get us these tiny small green acidic fruits which they just pop in their mouths and eat. They laughed at our expressions as our faces scrunched up in reaction to their sour taste. We climbed on the jungle gym, swung on the swings, played on the slides, and tried to just keep up with their energy. It was a fantastic day to make our first connection with these kids, especially since we will be staying with them from Tuesday night on. Our team definitely left looking forward to coming back again.

We rocked our first bbq chicken at Delpha’s for supper and then headed back to church for another service. This service was geared more toward the adults and it was a great time for us to experience the worship of God in a different language, a different style, and a different culture. We sang and clapped and listened as best as we could to the foreign language. But I know that we each certainly felt just as much a part of that church as we do our churches at home. There is something about this place that creates an automatic feeling of home.

It was so fascinating to see through the lenses in which the kids perceived their experiences through today as we debriefed. Chloe was touched by a little girl in church tonight, about ten years old, who sang passionately and with her arms raised, surrendering all of her life to God through song. Curtis was moved that the little kids at the orphanage knew that we couldn’t understand them but yet chattered at us anyways, just because they wanted to be listened to. They trusted us enough to listen. Denver & Marshall, who have a unique perspective as they walk through this experience for the second time, reconnected with four little boys who they learned to love last year. They shared about how these kids are so joyful yet they live in one room homes with several other people. Corwin observed how easily it was for those families to invite us into their homes. In Canada, we prefer a call before a visit so we can plan and clean up. But these people share their homes freely, proud to share the home that their families live in with anyone who would want to enter. Kirk commented on just how open and trusting these people are and how it makes us realize how we walk around so guarded. Can you imagine if the scene had changed this afternoon and instead of a group of young adult Canadians walking through the streets of Veracruz while the Nicaraguan children ran from their houses to grab their hands, a group of Nicaraguan young adults would walk through the streets of Briarwood and all the Canadian children would run out to hold their hands? Such extremes seem almost unfathomable in our society. Jaclyn recounted her excitement as she experienced the worship of God in a different language. She didn’t know what she was singing or hearing, but yet she knew that her heart was offering the best she had to the Lord. And, suitably, as Matt prayed to close the night, he asked that we would have the strength and courage to hold nothing back and to love these kids with every breath we have to give.

After getting back to the Prov tonight, the kids finally got a chance to look down at their feet. We had walked so much all day that our feet were covered in dust and dirt…almost unrecognizable. And, where you take your flip flop off, what seems like a skin coloured flip flop remains. We laughed and snapped pictures of the remnants of our transient day. It reminded me of the verse in Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!". Our feet were not pretty at the end of the day…but yet we are walking where God asks us to and proclaiming through love and service all of the good news of His peace and salvation…what could be more beautiful than that?

Thank you all for sharing our day with us. Tomorrow we head of to the worksite for our first work day. We are excited to get ourselves even more dirty! Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and comments…they mean the world to us so far away. Here are some more to add to the list:
- Corwin, he is feeling much better and almost fully recovered. Pray that keeps up.
- Denver, we still haven’t gotten a hold of his contact yet. Pray that goes through.
- Safety as we work on the house
- Team unity, as we start becoming more passionate about our purpose here, we are attacked with feels of uncertainty and disunity. Pray for peace and patience.
- Belize Team, they were fortunate enough to take part in YC Belize (a huge Belizean youth conference) this weekend. Pray that they are diving in to their surroundings.

Bless you all dearly. I look forward to reporting tomorrow after our first day on the worksite.

-PS 09

Blogging Begins

2009-02-14T23:30:00.001-06:00

Well, its finally time. After much anticipation and excitement, I get the honour and privilege to begin to share our amazing journey with you. My name is Chandra and I serve this team as its nurse alongside Corwin, our Director, and Kirk, my husband, another co-leader. So, without further adue…

We are here. We are fully and undeniably in Nicaragua. It seems like forever ago that we were saying goodbye to all of our friends and family at the airport in Saskatoon on Wednesday night, but in reality, it has only been 72 short hours.

Our time in transit was great. Things ran more smoothly than ever and, as travel always is, it was an excellent opportunity to allow the team time to connect, anticipate together, and bond. It was also such a privilege for our team to share Chloe, Matt & Braden’s first time in flight. We made it to Vancouver safely Wednesday night, promptly found food and soft benches to sleep on, and then were off before we knew it to Los Angeles on Thursday morning. We had a one night stop over in LA and I think it was one that was imperative for our team. It was a nice chance to digress from the busy routines we were all spewed from…that of work, school, sports teams, music teams, church, commitments…and to become unified in purpose and focus. To align ourselves with the goal of our mission. And to have fun.

Thursday was filled with adjusting to a sunny climate, laying by the pool, doing some last minute shopping, having a nap, and then spending the evening together as a team eating at Fat Burger and walking around Downtown Disney. It was fun watching the kids soak up all of the atmosphere change…some seeing their very first palm trees. Days like that are so vitals for teams to learn to work as a family…to get to work alongside each other and play alongside each other. It was just the relationship boost we needed before heading into such a cultural change of climate. Oh ya, and Johnsons…Denver got his glasses. ;)

Friday morning was an early rise as we made our way to the airports. Again, Cor, Kirk, & I can’t tell you how impressed that we are with how prepared that these kids have been. Their luggage were all weighed and underweight, their binders in their back pack with all they need to fill out every form we get, and their attention keen to ensure traveling through the airports have been smooth. It has made our traveling such a blessing. With a short flight to Houston and then a quick connection to Managua, we were almost there.

Traveling as a team has offered us a lot of opportunity to share who we are, what we are doing, and why we are choosing to do it. Countless times I would turn my head to see a team member sharing with the person next to them in their airplane seat, or in line, and the lady making their coffee for them. Our Project Serve hoodies made us stick out like a sore thumb and there isn’t anything better that we could have wanted. Some reactions were positive and some were more awkward…but all in all God was asking us to spread the work that He came to this earth to serve and we need to follow in His footsteps.

Finally, around 9 p.m. on Friday night, our two days of traveling came to an end as we landed on the run way in Managua. The kids were buzzing with excitement to step out and meet their new friends and explore their new country...a feeling that can definitely never be replicated. We were greeted by our Nicaraguan Mom from the village of Veracruz, Shirley, & her husband, Richard as well as Esteban, our translator, and, of course, Corwin’s son Wilber. It was a stirring reunion for Corwin and Will as they haven’t seen each other in three months. We loaded up our bags and headed into Managua at night.

The team was quiet as they watched through the windows. The observed every smell, every sound, every sight…some recounting the differences out loud and some just internalizing until all the observing was over. It was evident on all of their faces, though, the amount of emotion that was behind it all. You could see them processing putting a face to the names of Esteban and Will, to the walls of the Provadenic, and to the scenes all around us. We even initiated them to a first stop at a Nicaraguan gas station. After a few long days of travel the team was bushed and quite happy to fall asleep in the welcomed humidity of the night air.

The morning came earlier for some than it did for others. Shortly before 3, not long after I myself had fallen asleep, did we fun into our first medical mishap. I heard the knock at my door and groggily answered, thinking I was dreaming. I didn’t expect to see Corwin, bent over weakly in pain, on the other side. It seemed that our first few hours in Nicaragua had activated the exit strategy of something in his stomach and, with much retching and nausea, his body was determined to get rid of it. Through out the night he seemed unable to keep anything, neither water nor any sort of medication, down and had to tough it out in great discomfort and a bit of a fever. With the sun rise came the awakening of the other missions team that is sharing the Provadenic with us, a medical team from the States which is here with us every year. Doctor David, a friend we have made in the past, was happy to step in and offer some American medication that may help Corwin’s ailment. To no avail, that medication didn’t seem to happy to stay in there. So, after a sad deliberation, Corwin & I decided that he needed to stay at the Prov and rest for the day, hoping to conquer whatever bug or food poisoning he had smuggled in from the States, and send the rest of us off on our day.

When our team discovered the news, we met together on our traditional team balcony to pray. As we prayed, the team got their first glimpse of Managua in the daytime. We took moments of silence to soak it up…to see all that we could in those first moments and figure out just what that it was that we have gotten ourselves into. The kids were all excited to dive further into the culture of this country.

After our first breakfast of rice & beans & scrambled eggs (oh ya, and pre-toasted toast and mystery juice, we cannot forget those), we were on our way. A blessing we are experiencing this year is the use of a personal van. In years past we have just hired a driver to take us the places we need to go. The disadvantage to this is that we are at the mercy of that driver and their schedule. Luckily, this year, with Esteban’s return to help our team, we are able to rent a van for the whole time we are here and have him drive it. We leave when we want, return when we want, and waste no time in between.

Before heading on our team day in Nicaragua, we wanted to head to Veracruz quickly to see the progression on the house and to drop off some bags of donations at Shirley’s home. Now in the last few weeks prior to our trip we had some major changes in our project. Initially, we were meant to build a house for a family we met last year. Unfortunately, very recently, we found out that the man we had made the arrangements with actually did not own the land and the owner her rented it from would not allow us to build. We were devastated with the news, but knew that God foresees things we don’t. Immediately, Shirley & Richard made us aware of another need that was imminent. Last year we visited a home of a woman who had several cripple children as well as a few young ones. She was living in a house with three other family that had rooms that were raised and lowered, always having to lift her children in and out of their chairs. In the past year, the Lord called home two of her crippled children and now she is left with one, who is the eldest, and four young ones. Shirley & Richard said that it would be a great blessing to build this house for this woman. So, as it does in Nicaragua, plans change.

So this morning we saw our NEW project, a house build on ground level with rooms for this woman and her children and her son in a wheelchair. The house was well underway, the construction workers welcoming us as we came to take a look at what we would be helping them with. They showed us where we would be digging another 10 metre hole for an outhouse. The eagerness of the team emerged as we walked around the site. We’re ready.

It was really humbly to meet the family. They were very shy, but had gratitude in their eyes. The two youngest girls, Betti & Cindy, held our hands as we walked around. And the son, in his wheelchair, sat in the space his room would be and watched the worker’s do their work. What a gift to be a part of.

After our short visit to Verecruz, we set off for our team day. Today was our culture day. Our day to see what it means to live in Nicaragua. To experience part of the country, to see God’s beauty in it, and to fall in love with its idiosyncrasies which make it the country it is. We decided to take the team to a city called Granada, a colonial city with much history. We first walked around, checking out the architecture and the historical buzz of the place. We walked through the markets, explored an old church, and the kids had their first interactions with Nicaraguan peddlers, trying to do business. This team is definitely not hesitant to use the Spanish they have learned, which is awesome. They try and don’t always succeed, but are learning very rapidly.

After we had lunch at a Thai food restaurant in the city (I know, Thai food, in Nicaragua? But it was a fun restaurant and so yummy!), we were picked up by our guides for our canopy tour. What is that, you ask? It is a zip-line tour of part of the jungle canopy that covers the mountains nearby Managua. There were two ladders, 14 platforms, a suspension bridge, and a 59 foot belayed free fall at the end. AWESOME. But to get there, we had to do a bit of bolder climbing.

We divided into two jeeps as we took the 45 minute climb up the mountain. And climb we did. We drove over every rock and boulder imaginable, bumping along in the back and holding onto whatever and whoever we could. We finally reached the top, harnassed up, and away we went. And it was AMAZING. We zipped and climbed through the canopy of the jungle. We whizzed over the jungle floor, over coffee trees and thick foliage. We shared tree trunks with huge ants with bright gold bottoms. We even swung ourselves into trees that we were sharing with a family of howler monkeys, just playing on the branches next to us. For some of this, it was all done effortlessly, but for others, like Kirk, Cara, Erin, & Chloe, these were great achievements. As a team we enjoyed the beautiful creation God blessed Nicaragua with.

After our zip line adventure (please do check out our pictures, they are great!), we trekked down the mountainside again until we reached our van. We welcomed smooth pavement as we drove back to Managua as the sunset. We arrived back at the Provadenic in time to have a special birthday supper for Wilber, who turned 15 on the 9th, and to get settled, showered, debriefed, and rested. We were happy to see Corwin up and alive, as well, and feeling better. The thing that was in him was now out and he was holding down fluids and feeling more energy after a long day of revitalizing sleep. Praise God!

It was fantastic to hear the thoughts of the team as they sorted through their first day. Already they are asking themselves the hard question. Bobbi shared that she was surfacing those questions…why does God allow such different circumstances in our lives? How different would we be if we would have been born here? How can people with so little be content and people with so much be so uncontent? Cara was facing similar questions…realizing that sometimes, in North America, poverty like this isn’t a reality, its just like a tv commercial that is brought to our attention for a moment and then shifts out of sight and out of mind. I think the whole team is indulging in the reality of this place and is acknowledging that when they leave, it just keeps on going, the way it always has. And, I believe, that realization is driving them to be FULLY HERE. We’re not in a zoo to watch and leave like we’ve never encountered it…but to live alongside them and love, til it hurts, because that’s what God asks us to do.

The insight of this team is sharp. Their passions maturely warn on their shoulders. I see God in their questions, in their searching, and in their desire to reach out and change their world. And all three of us leaders are excited to walk along with them as they make a dent in that journey.

So there you are…caught up. You can expect, God willing, an update every night, or as close to that as we can get. It is, again, a privilege to get to share this for you. For me, its like an ability to give you guys a window into a place which I wish everyone could see with their own eyes. Thank you for reading…for letting us share.

As I close tonight, I would ask for a few prayer requests:
-for Corwin, that his health would be restored and that he would feel 100% as soon as possible
-for tomorrow (Sunday) morning as we go to church for the first time…that our hearts would not be guarded as we meet and fall for these people
-for Denver, who is arranging a meeting with the sponsor child he supports but has been unable to get ahold of the contact. Please pray that he can contact her on Monday, as the meeting is arranged for Wednesday.

We love you dearly. Know you are thought of often, especially as we celebrate Valentine’s Day…

Day 1, Peace out,
Chan, Cor, Kirk & The Kids

P.S. Braden, Anthony, Denver, & Bobbi say a special ‘hello’ and a Happy Valentine’s Day to…well, you know who you are.

Frustrating Fees

2009-02-05T16:44:00.007-06:00

I have been in discussion with Continental Airlines regarding some luggage issues. Since last fall, Continental has begun charging $25 to check a second piece of luggage. As you can imagine, that hits us pretty hard. Each team member has two pieces of luggage to check: their personal bag and a bag filled with donated items for the orphanage. With this new additional fee our team will need to take $375 from our project budget. (12 students and 3 leaders) This money could go a long way in Nicaragua if it wasn't needed for the luggage fees. We're asking for some help with this. Continental refuses to waive the fee for us, even though they are aware of the humanitarian nature of our mission. That means that each team member needs to come up with an additional $25 to cover the fee for their second bag. Would you consider partnering with the team to help cover this fee? All it would take is 15 people willing to donate $25. If you interested in helping subsidize this luggage fee, donating has never been easier:

1. print off the following form: LUGGAGE FEE FORM and send it, along with your $25 donation to the Youth For Christ office - 1338 Ave B N, Saskatoon, SK S7L 1G5 Make out cheques to "Youth For Christ"

2. You can donate safely and easily online by visiting CANADA HELPS ONLINE DONATIONS. Simply designate your donation to Project Serve Nicaragua, and mention 'luggage fee' in the message area. You will immediately receive a receipt for tax purposes.

Thanks so much for your partnership with the Project Serve Team. God Bless!

Corwin

Another Adventure Awaits

2009-01-30T11:21:00.008-06:00

Here's a quick rundown on what has happened so far in our adventure:

1. The team has had several team meetings to prepare for this mission. We first met on Sept 14 for a parent orientation, and then again on Sept 21, Oct 19, and Nov 29 to build our team and prepare for our fundraising initiatives. During one of these training sessions, the students got their first Spanish lesson (very interesting to observe), and did more team building activities. I would have to say the most amazing part of our Oct 19 training day was when the students shared their life stories with each other. This is really where I saw the depth of these young people. As we listened to each other share our dreams, our hopes, and our struggles, we truly experienced a vulnerability and openness that took our team to the next level.

2. Our group fundraiser happened on Sunday, December 7. The students were part of a wonderful dessert auction. The students presented some amazing desserts that went to the top bidders. There was a great atmosphere, some student testimonies, and STARBUCKS® coffee! Each student was responsible for filling their table of 8.

Through this event we had hoped to raise enough money to cover the cost of building the house in Nicaragua - approximately $3000. YFC has another Project Serve team led by Kristin Clark, and they are off to Belize in February. We worked together with this team on the auction, and they were trying to raise $3000 for their building project.

God is so good! We ended up raising an astonishing total of just over $12,000 for the two mission teams!! We are so thankful for God’s faithfulness, and for the ability to use these funds to further our impact in Central America.

3. Our latest team meeting was on Jan 24, and it was a marathon 15 hour training day. We started early and went late. We wanted to experience a typical 'PROJECT SERVE' length of day, to get the team conditioned, and to see if we could spend that many consecutive hours together without going crazy! We spent the morning praying and having personal quiet time, getting our hearts ready for what is to come. We are becoming more and more like a family, with a deep care and commitment to each other. I praise God for leading the team to this place. We served at a local kid's club in the afternoon. This club serves the many kids who live in the apartment buildings on Applebee Dr in Saskatoon. Most of the kids who live in this area are from refugee or immigrant families who have made a new life for themselves in Saskatoon. Within these few buildings, there are 19 countries represented! The kid's club is a wonderful place to serve these amazing families with the love of Jesus. We ended the day doing a lot of final trip preparations. The biggest task was sorting all the donated items that we had collected. It was so wonderful to imagine the kids in the orphanage receiving the toys, clothes and school supplies. A huge blessing is on its way! It was a huge task, but very significant for us as a team.

4. Our great adventure begins very soon. We leave Wednesday, Feb 11 at 10:10pm from the Saskatoon airport. There will be a commissioning prayer time at 8:45pm, so please feel invited to be part of that. I hope you can make it and show your support.

5. Prayer requests for the team

- health and safety
- pray for the families of the team members as they prepare
- pray for continued wisdom for the trip directors

Thank you again for your support of the Project Serve Team. God Bless you richly. Stay tuned.

In Christ,
Corwin

Returning Reports

2009-01-26T02:40:00.005-06:00

We are only days away from embarking on our grand adventure. Stay tunes for new posts!

Last Leg

2008-02-26T01:11:00.001-06:00

Hello there family and friends…we are in America! We have made it to L.A. safe and sound and are excited to be on our way. It has been a long day of travel, especially since most of us didn’t sleep last night, but we are doing well and we’ll be home soon.

It was an early morning start at the Provadenic. We left for the airport shortly after 5 a.m. Shirley and her husband Richard (and their precious son, Ritchie), Wilber, and Esteban were there to see us off. It seemed surreal to be standing there with them saying good bye. Shirley, who cooked for us, and Richard, who arranges all of the construction for the work site, have been a huge blessing to our team and have won very special places in our hearts. Wilber, of course, has become our team’s younger brother and we all feel like he has a place in our family. And Esteban became one of our team, a member working along side of us, believing in our cause, and praising God all the way. We felt sad to leave them, but grateful that God has brought them into our lives for a time.

Esteban is an orphan just like Wilber. He has no one in the world to take care of him and look after him. He is struggling to find work right now and is living with a pastor and his family. Esteban has a desire to open his own internet café in Matagalpa (where we went on our first day in Nicaragua). He already has a space he can use, but he needed $1,200 to get some used computers to start it off. When Corwin realized we had some money left over after paying for the supplies for the house that we made, he asked the team if we felt it was a good idea to bless Esteban with the rest of the money to help him start his business. Our team, of course, thought that was an excellent idea. So, at the airport, before we were about to say goodbye to him, we gave Esteban our gift. He was astounded. He couldn’t believe that we were giving him this gift that would start his life off. We were so excited to show our love to him in this way. We will never forget the friend he has been to all of us.

Corwin had a hard time saying good bye to his son. We have become very attached to his story and now feel like we are a part of Will’s life in an important way. It was hard for us to watch him say goodbye know that there are so many unknowns ahead. But we trust that GOD IS GOOD and that His timing is perfect and trustworthy. Wilber is in God’s hands. Please continue to pray for Wilber’s acceptance into the English boarding school. We will find out this Friday if its possible.

We got on the plane with mixed emotions. It is hard to fall in love with a country so much yet be so excited to leave it and head home. We are so grateful for the experiences we had there and we know they have truly changed us. But everything has its season and this season, for now, has come to an end.

The team was very excited to land in Houston. All I could hear were the excited musings of what foods they were going to eat and what they were excited to have again (I was just really excited to eat lettuce). Though we still talked about the fact that this strange dream is now coming to an end, you could see their excitement in being onto their next step of the story. After fueling up for the first time on North American food, we boarded our plane to L.A.

We were greeted at the airport in L.A. by friends from a place called the Wave Youth Center. They are people who are interning in youth ministry here in California. Tonight they took us to their youth drop-in night at their youth center. There were BMX ramps set up in the back parking lot and skate ramps set up in beside the church. There was lots of fun video games and other stuff inside the center, as well as a snack shack. About 100 kids were out for the night…most of them in the Jr. High age. It was a cool chance for our team to interact with kids who could speak English and bless the interns by helping them set up and tear down. It was a fun night to hang out with the interns and the kids in L.A. Afterwards we enjoyed some supper from the California-exclusive In-N-Out Burger and then headed back to the interns’ house where we will stay for the night.

The team has been processing our leaving in all sorts of different ways. Some are emotional, able to show their emotion freely. Some are quiet and internal. Others don’t want to think about it until they get home. The fact of the matter is that it will continue to be a process for us for the next little while and it will show itself in all sorts of ways. We will find our own ways to express what we think and feel in due time.

Tomorrow morning we will wake up and head for Huntington Beach for breakfast at the Sugar Shack and a little bit of time to explore and then we will head to the airport. We land in Calgary first and then head to Saskatoon later in the evening. As I posted last night, we will be home around midnight. We all cannot wait to receive your hugs and love.

Even though there are only 24 hours to go…there are always things to pray about.
Please pray for:
-continued safety and health; Sarah has been feeling really nauseated since Sunday night and it hasn’t really gone away.
-continued debriefing; that we are processing things well and dealing with the things we are feeling
-for Wilber; that he is safe and that he may get into his boarding school
-for the Belize team; that their travels are safe and they are debriefing their experience as well

That is it! This is officially the last on-field blog entry to be sent from Project Serve Nicaragua 2008 team. I, personally, have been grateful for the privilege of sharing our experience with you through posting on the blog. It has been a place for me to debrief my own thoughts and feelings and findings on this trip. Thank you all for reading and coming along with us, in a sense. You are a part of our team.

Blessings on you always...
Chandra, Corwin, and the team

Gracious Goodbyes

2008-02-25T05:04:00.000-06:00

This is it…the last blog update from Nicaragua. Our goodbyes have been said, our bags packed, and soon we will depart on the journey that will bring us home. It will be a long 48 hours.

It is hard to describe the feelings that any one of us had today. There is no real way of summarizing the thoughts and emotions that ran through our hearts and minds. Some were feeling torn between dreading the goodbyes to be said and anticipating the hellos to be had. Some have completely fallen in love with this country and its lifestyle and can’t imagine going back to anything different. Some are excited to be home and to share this experience with so many people there. Some feel guilty for missing the comforts of home…a cup of Starbucks coffee, hot showers, lettuce (maybe the last one is just me)…especially when the people we have spent the last week with have never known such things. And some are still processing that we are even here, that this dream is being lived out, and that it’s about to end. It has been a long, hard week and every single member of our team, including Corwin and me, would have admitted to our exhaustion this morning.

Every morning we have met at 7:00 a.m. on the outer balcony of the Provadenic and read a portion of James together. Its beautiful there in the morning, the sun emerging and the street below growing busy. We took a moment to pause this morning as it was our last time to take in all the sites and sounds that have greeted us at the beginning of each day. It was our last time at the Provadenic in the sunlight.

We started our day in Veracruz off at the church. We had invited a lot of the community kids from the work site to come to Sunday School and when we arrived we were overflowed with hugs and kisses. We enjoyed our time singing and dancing with them. It was neat to see so many of our special friends who are usually dirty from playing in the Nicaraguan dirt all cleaned up and looking cute for this special occasion. The youth group at the church put on a drama for us…our team’s friend, Mundo, played one of the main roles and we smiled a lot to see him so animated. Even though we have spent such a little bit of time at this church, it feels like home.

After our last lunch at Mama Shirley’s we got all the back packs full of donations to hand out to the kids in the community. We took them to the worksite and got to give them all to our little friends. It was fun to watch them unpack them and get so excited about the things they were finding. Taylor unpacked her gift for a little boy named Solomon and he was delighted at every new discovery. I captured a cute moment when he opened up his colouring book upside and started to colour with a big smile on his face. Nathan gave a back pack to the little boy who hurt his foot (Bravio) and his older sister to share. There was a small pair of shoes in the bag. I was so grateful to see him put on the shoes so that he didn’t have to go barefoot and he could protect his wound from infection. They were bright pink, but he didn’t seem to mind. Handing out these back packs seemed like such a little thing…but it brought the kids so much joy.

We headed to the orphanage to play with the kids one last time and say our goodbyes. So many of the kids were already wearing their new shirts and shorts and were excited about all the gifts they had gotten yesterday. It was a hot day out today and our team was so exhausted, but I have never seen such energy poured into children for the two hours that we were there. There was much running and chasing and laughing and soccer. And our team, though exhausted, gave all that they could. I was proud of them for being so selfless. We said goodbye to the orphans and walked out as the sun went down. As we walked out Corwin whispered a gentle “goodbye orphans” under his breath and Jenna replied “that’s gross. Leaving them there, saying goodbye…that’s just gross to me”. It has hit her that so much of the love in their life just comes and goes and that is all that they have ever known. She later told me that she has found a new gratitude towards the loving families we have and the way they are always there for us.

We enjoyed our last supper together as a team. We ate our last pollo fritas from Delpha, crunched our last plantana fritas, and sipped our last gasseosas from the pulperia across the street. We were savouring every last minute of Veracruz.

Then it came time for the house dedication. We walked up to the work site and it had been transformed into a church service. There were streamers and balloons on the outside of the bright blue house and many plastic chairs set up in front of it. The church brought their keyboard and microphones and set them up and we were ready for a fiesta. Many people from our church came to the service as well as all of the kids who have been our friends all week. The service was one of celebration and, in Nicaragua, celebration means a lot of music and A LOT of dancing! I have never seen a group so tired dance so hard. At one point I turned around and saw Daniel clapping and dancing away. We sang to Spanish words we couldn’t understand and danced till the sweat beaded off our brows. And we loved it.

It is beautiful to see how free the Nicaraguans are in expressing their faith, their honour in God, and their passion for Him. Many different people got up to lead us in a song of worship. These people are necessarily musically talented…but yet something about the heart in which they sing from is extraordinary. They love for God is so abundant and evident.

The service ended with the cutting of the “ribbon” to signify the handing over of this house to Hector and his family. It was a moment our team will not soon forget. We all huddled in the house, remembering all the hard work and humility it took to build it. We prayed over it with gratitude for the lessons we learned in it and the life that will be lived to the full in it. And, with all of us reaching for the scissors together, we cut the ribbon and gave the house to Hector and his family.

From then on it was time for goodbyes. As I stood back and watched I got to encounter our team at their most intimate and vulnerable of moments. I watched Sarah as she cradled two little girls, Ashley and Kimberley, as they wept into her chest. I watched Jenna as she played with the hair of her two little friends and told them that she loved them. I watched Regan keep his arm around a sobbing Fernando, who is now Hector’s next door neighbour, and comfort him. I watched Denver as he danced and clapped with all his strength, which is still not very much, and hug his friends time and time again. I watched as Mitch 1 (Dunn) had a conversation with a teenage next door neighbour who said that watching our team work together and love the children changed his whole life. Mitch was blown away as this boy told him that he is changed forever and that he will never forget the impact we made on him. I watched Daniel as he searched for another kid to hug, making sure every last ounce of love he had was given. I watched Mitch 2 (Epp) as he sat in his red plastic chair holding a girl named Erlinda as she cried. I watched as April hugged her friend from church and cried along with her. I watched Taylor as she held little Solomon and wouldn’t let go…his face quiet and sad. I watched Nathan as he cried for the two little girls who had attached themselves to him all week. Something came alive in him when he was with them. I watched Colton fight back the tears as he said goodbye to the neighbourhood boys who are Hector’s friends…boys who have no fathers and love to have us around. I watched Marshall as he high fived the boys and told them that he loved them…and hugged them with all his might. It was amazing to look upon the connections that we have made with this community in one short week and to watch the love just pour from each other.

And then, of course, it was that time. The time where we all have to load in the van and be on our way. Many of the children sat on the sidewalk crying and it was terrible to rip ourselves away from them and drive away. Veracruz has left an imprint on our hearts that no other place could leave and we are so grateful for the way it has changed us. We can only hope that our presence there has done the same.

The team had a great time of sharing once we got back to the Provadenic. We talked about the things we want to change when we get home and how we will carry this experience with us for the rest of our lives. We are the only people to share this experience with one another and we want to cherish that forever.

Our plane leaves in 3 hours. We are both excited, sad, and ready to be on our way home. We cannot thank you enough for coming with us on this trip, for reading our updates and praying and supporting us. We honestly took you here with us and feel like you have been here every step of the way. BLESS YOU for that…we are ever so grateful.

Please pray for these final things as we depart:
-for health and safety as we travel; planes are crappy places to get sick. Pray we get home to you well!
-for our debriefing; that we would begin to unpack this experience and know how to communicate to all who weren’t here
-for saying goodbye once again; at the airport we will say goodbye to Shirley, Wilber, and Esteban…all of whom have become our family over the last week. Pray we love them to the tips of our fingers.
-for Corwin; he has to say goodbye to Will. Enough said.

We love you all and are counting down the hours until we see you again. We don’t know if we will be able to post in LA so the next time we talk may be face to face. 48 hours!

All our love and prayers…
The PS08 Nicaragua Team

P.S. We arrive on Tuesday night at midnight on a Westjest flight from Calgary. If you are up for it, please feel free to come on out to the airport and welcome us home! We can't wait to see you.

Memories Made

2008-02-24T06:58:00.000-06:00

It is now 24 hours until we leave Nicaragua. We are all so tired, but we know that we must savour every last second of our time here.

Thank you all so much for your comments over the last few days. Tonight, at our team meeting, Corwin gathered us all around and read us all of the family and friend responses we’ve had. It was so encouraging to hear stories of how God was calling people to pray when we needed it most and how others have felt a connection to our team. We were so infused with motivation because of your love and support. It will be amazing to get off the plane on Tuesday night and fall into all of your arms and be able to express to you all just how much that has meant to us.

Today was the day to put the finishing touches on the house. We arrived at the work site a little later than usual (we had a few stops along the way) but were SO excited to see how far along it was. They were placing the beams for the roof (something that our team can’t do because we don’t know how) and they were ready for us to paint. We had decided on painting the house baby blue with a brown trim…but sometimes specifics like that get a little lost in translation. So we settled with the sky blue that they bought and jumped on painting that house up! There was also the usual team working out at the sewage hole and, by the end of the day, it was finally completed at 14 feet deep. It was awesome to see the teamwork needed to dig that hole. I was amazed as I watched Marshall climb his way up the 14 foot whole, covered in the dark dirt from the clay that lay deeper in the earth, but with a gigantic smile on his face. When we told him it was finished he said. “Aw, really? But it was so fun to dig.” What servant hearts these kids have.

We have had a lot of kids around at the work site who help in keeping those of us who are waiting for jobs busy. There are certain people that just seem to draw little friends…especially Sarah. The kids knew it was our last working day there so today seemed to be a day where lots of letters and photos were given to us. Mitch Epp has had a little girl named Erlinda attached to his hip at the worksite and she gave him two drawings and a picture of her and her little brother today. Such small gifts, but they mean the world to those kids and to our team. Its amazing how these kids let themselves love even though they knew we are going to leave. They have poured into loving us as much as we have poured into loving them. They love without condition.

After we finished as much work on the house as we could do, we headed to the orphanage to drop off our bags of donations. When we arrived they were having a birthday celebration for some of the kids so it seemed fitting that we came bearing gifts. We divided up the things on three tables and the kids stood in line to pick one thing at a time. It was so cute to watch them mull over which stuffed animal to pick or which shirt to take. I asked one little boy to show me the clothes that he had picked out and he told me that they weren’t for him, they were for his friends who were away from the orphanage for the weekend. It struck me that even in a place where nothing is really yours, they can be so selfless. The rest of the afternoon was filled with playing on the playground and having a game of soccer. Wilber was able to connect with some of his friends who still live there and it was good to see him a little less shifty about being back there.

There is a saying our team has adopted and you can often hearing one or two of us muttering it and any given time just because its gotten stuck in our heads. That saying is “Denver remember, remember Denver”. It’s a little phrase that Will put together when he figured out that Denver’s name and the English word ‘remember’ rhyme (sorta). He never says one word without that other and often just says it for no reason…causing us to do that same. But it has been proven to be a handy reminder of what we need to pray for and how we can praise God. Denver was feeling much better today. He slept well through the night, without any fever, and was able to eat at each meal today (though his appetite is still not there). He wasn’t able to do any work with us at the work site because he is still too weak…but I think the kids enjoyed getting him to themselves. Cor and I were amazed when we watched him running around at the orphanage playing soccer in the afternoon. God is working a healing in his body and we totally recognize that. We strived to remember Denver in prayer, and we feel like Denver remembered to submit himself to God, and God is now blessing us with his health. It’s good to have him back!

We were able to get back to the Provadenic early tonight so we would have some time to talk about how we are feeling about leaving on Monday and to let the team rest up a little. Our kids have worked so hard this week…accomplishing more on a house than any other Project Serve team has done before…but they are worn out. At times like these emotions run wild and Satan takes advantage of that vulnerability. We hope and pray that tomorrow we can give all the energy that we have to that community as we say goodbye.

Tomorrow we have our last church service, get our last chance to see our special friends from the community and drop off some back packs to them, and visit the orphanage again to say goodbye. After supper we will have the house dedication service for Hector and his family. It will be a great time of celebration, but also a sad time. Saying goodbye to Veracruz is never an easy thing.

We continue to covet your prayers…look how far they have gotten us! We are well and able to keep going and that is what is most important. You have all truly accompanied us on this trip and we feel you here.
In the next day you can pray for:

-continued health and safety; we are tired and warn down, pray our bodies stay strong.
-for the Belize team; Jordan (their acting nurse) got heat stroke yesterday and has been very ill. Pray that he recovers and can join the team in their last few days there.
-saying goodbye to the orphanage; that we would recognize the blessing it has been to enter their world and that we take away the things we saw and learnt there and apply them at home
-saying goodbye to our community kids; that they would see God’s love in us and want to know it more
-our house dedication; that it would be a great time of celebration!
-our hearts; that they would be open to expressing the things that we are feeling

I would ask that you also pray for Corwin as he says goodbye to his son. He is unsure of the next time he will be able to come to Nicaragua and it is never a settling feeling to not know when you will see your son again. He is leaving with many uncertainties, especially with waiting for the knowledge of whether or not Wilber will be able to get into this new private school. Esteban, our translator, has said that he is willing to act as a big brother to Wilber. He will move him to the school and then come back to check on him once a week and help him practice his English. Esteban has been a gift from God while we have been here and will continue to bless Corwin and Wilber, no doubt. Please, we ask that you pray fervently for this situation. God says ‘ask and you will receive’, so let’s get asking!

Bless you all. We will be home to you before you know it. We love and miss you dearly. Thank you for all your words of wisdom and support, from the whole team and especially from Corwin and me. We love you!

-Chan, Cor, & the Team

P.S. Never sling shot a pigeon with a Mini Bum and then let Wilber run around with it. Havoc is always created. (check the video below)

Pigeon Paranoia

2008-02-23T21:34:00.000-06:00

Tonight the boys somehow hit a pigeon with a slingshot and some hard candy...its kind of a long story. The bird was not seriously injured, but was quite stunned by the incident. What happened next can only really be understood by watching the following video, shot live by Taylor...

Some of our favourite quotes;

“The bird was up in the corner and we shot it and it freaked out, its got a hurt wing. And now Wilber’s taking it and terrorizing the city!” –Mitch Epp

“Mitch Dunn just got angry”…”Mitch Dunn’s in his underwear” –Nathan & Mitch Epp

“I think I stepped in poo” -Taylor

“Get this on video, get this on video, por favor” –Mitch epp

“That bird will never hurt you”-Esteban

“Now we’re letting it free” -Taylor

Abundant Answers

2008-02-23T07:45:00.001-06:00

In just over 48 hours we will be leaving the Provadenic for the airport. It seems like just yesterday we landed here…encountering our first sites and sounds of Nicaragua and struggling to make sense of it all. In only one week, so much has changed.

I’d like to start by thanking you all for your prayers today as Denver was sick, and also for words of encouragement and comfort as we continue to process and glean lessons from our experience at the beach yesterday. We feel the power of those prayers daily and not a moment goes by when we aren’t so grateful for them. Mrs. & Mr. Johnson…your son is well and getting stronger. I have come to appreciate him as one of the most humble people I know. I pray that we can return him to you with full strength. I have no doubt he will be a very changed man after this experience.

This morning our team got the chance to head to the market to get some cool Nicaraguan souvenirs. As you may have read earlier, because Denver was sick, I stayed with him at the Provadenic while the kids went to the marketplace. They told me they had a fun time exploring the shops and bartering with the store keepers. They came home loaded with machetes and t-shirts and all sorts of other goodies. Denver and I had a quiet time at the Provadenic. He was extremely sick all through the night and in the morning, not able to keep even a sip of water down. We worked really hard at getting him rested and cooled off (without being able to swallow pills or water) for the few hours the team was away. By the time they came back, he was taking small sips of liquid. I knew that he was really disappointed when he did not get to go to the market but he put a huge smile on my face when he heard the team come back and looked at me and said, “will you ask the boys to come show me what they got?”. Even in his sickness, he shared in the joys of his friends.

Today was a fairly integral day in the story of the adoption of Wilber. While we have been here Corwin has been trying to see if he could get Wilber back into the orphanage where they first met so that Wilber could get out of the dangerous neighborhood that he now lives in. When we were at the orphanage on Wednesday, Corwin’s meeting with the director gave us no answers as to if that is possible. Today Corwin found out that it was not…Wilber would not be allowed back into the orphanage. But, Corwin was fortunate enough to see his Nicaraguan lawyer today. After our team returned from the marketplace she paid a visit to the Provadenic. She informed Corwin of an option that he had to send Wilber to a private English school about 35 km outside of Managua. It is a boarding school where the kids live in dorms and are taught completely in English. They have 4 week terms starting at the beginning of every month and it is a very safe place to be. But, if Corwin was to register Wilber for school he had to do it during administrative hours on an administration day…leaving only this afternoon for him to rush out there and try to get Wilber in.

When the team found out about this unique opportunity they responded with a resounding supportive response to go. They didn’t just release him to, they commanded him to! They said that what is most important for Wilber is most important to us and that Corwin needed to follow God’s leading to that place. And so he did. Corwin, Esteban, and Wilber headed to the school while the rest of the team headed to Veracruz, praying all the way that Wilber would have a safe home until he gets to come to his new home with us in Canada.

Our day in Veracruz was short. After lunch the boys headed to the worksite and the girls stayed at Shirley’s to sort through all of the donations and make up back packs to give to kids in the community as well as bags to leave with the church and then the rest for the orphanage. Denver was able to travel to Veracruz with us but was still very ill and had quite a fever. As soon as Shirley heard that “her baby” was sick, she put him directly to bed, put fans on him, and got a cool cloth on his head.

The house is coming along so well. We are so excited for it to be done! The front of the house is poured with smooth cement now, ready to be painted tomorrow (a first for Project Serve!). We will also get to see the doors and windows put in before we leave…another thing that no other PS team has seen. Because Corwin, Esteban, and Wilber were all away and I was at Shirley’s watching over Denver, the boys had to conquer the language barrier at the worksite on their own. They said that at first it was a little daunting, but they managed to communicate and were able to get all their needed tasks done. The sewage hole that they are digging is now 11.5 feet deep!! Watching them get in and out is a little tense (well…for me), but they have found a passion to dig the whole thing. They have about one more metre to go and are so excited to dig every inch of it.

Evelyn, the mother of the family that will live in the house, has been our “site mother” while we have been working. She is the sweetest woman with the greatest smile. She has the true God-given heart of a mother. When we left the site on Wednesday she noticed that we all were carrying our work shoes with us. She told us to leave them there and she would watch them until we needed them again. Mitch Epp said that, when he got to the site today, she had taken all of the socks out of the shoes they were in and washed them and matched them up. When I saw the freshly laundered socks, I saw not only that that was true…but that that woman got those socks whiter than they were before they came to Nica! What an example of a servant. We were all very humbled to receive such a powerful gift.

The girls were very tired as they sorted through donations this afternoon. They are feeling tired, weak, and a little depleted. But, even through their need for rest, they did an awesome job of organizing things while I was checking on Denver. It was fun to sift through the donations and recall some of the stories of the people who gave them to us and the reasons they gave them for. We realized that giving those items not only touches the people who receive them, but the people who give as well.

At 6 o’clock the boys returned to Shirley’s from the worksite. We discovered that the tired feeling the girls were having was also present in the boys. Instead of going out to Delpha’s Chicken, as we had planned, and going to church…we decided to spend time together at Shirley’s. We were able to let Denver continue to rest (and, by this time, hold down his liquids and even eat a small bun!) and encounter some rest ourselves.

Being in Shirley’s home is like being in our own home. She calls each of us her “baby” and cares for us as if we were her own children. She feeds us, cleans up after us, and encourages us to use her home as our own. Her little son, Ritchie, who is 2, never stops giggling and laughing when we are around and throws his arms loving around all of us to show his affection. We always feel bad when the bus pulls out of their yard and he stands there crying. Jenna got to have a sweet conversation with Shirley (who speaks very broken English) today about the differences in our cultures but the similarities in our relationships with God. Shirley said that she cares for all of the kids that Corwin brings down so much and that she just wants to see us grow in our faith in God. She is a wonderful and tangible example of God’s love.

During supper Corwin shared his findings at the school. He said that the campus is exquisite, a completely safe place for Wilber to be. It is guarded and gated. It’s all in English, forcing Wilber to learn the language. The dorms are nice, there is a great soccer field, and even a computer lab where Wilber could make an email address for the first time in his life. Corwin said that the only catch was that there were no dorm rooms open right now and that there is a waiting list. But, through his charm and God’s good graces, by the end of their meeting, Wilber had been placed at the top of that list. Corwin must now wait until next Friday to see if there is an opening for Wilber and, if there is, he will move in on the 3rd of March. God has been SO GOOD to our team and we have seen so many prayers answered already…so we know that God’s plan will go on in this situation. We believe God has a purpose for Will in all of our lives.

Just before leaving Shirley’s, Denver’s fever broke and his body began to cool off very quickly. Another prayer answered! He started feeling stronger and was able to drink a lot more. He does not have an appetite yet, but is loving his “Club Socials” (for those who have been sick on previous PS trips, you know what I’m talking about). I believe his strength will return in the morning and he’ll be back to himself in no time.

I would say our team’s overall feeling is weary tonight. It has been a long few days and we are still processing the afterthoughts of our experience at the beach yesterday. We only have 2 more days to do, and we want to live each to in fullness, but I think we feel, at this point, that our hearts can only go as far as our bodies. We need energy for the next few days.

Tomorrow is a busy day. We have decided that, since he will be strong enough, we will take Denver to the market so that he can get some of the things he wanted to bring home. Then we will head to the house to do some painting and finishing touches. After lunch we plan to drive through the community to drop of back packs to some of the special friends we have made with the kids and then head to the orphanage to hand out the abundance of donations.

The team made an observation tonight that I feel that I, personally, have been realizing a lot too. We were talking about the culture differences we notice so much here and many of the kids talked about how the people here are content with being still. They are content to sit in their front room and watch cars pass by or sit on the porch with their baby in their lap or walk down the street and saw hello to all who pass. They don’t need to have the distractions and the hobbies that we tend to feed off of…they enjoy their simplicity and honour it with complete contentment. I have been challenged by this. So often we fill up our schedules to “get things done” and “make an appearance” and we never really allow ourselves to just be and just be happy for just being. I think that is something that all of our team wants to take away from what they have learned here.

Once again, I hope you all know that we just can’t get enough of your prayers. Here are things you can pray for while we finish our time here;

-for Corwin and Wilber; that there would be an opening at the school and that Wilber would be accepted and registered
-for Denver; thank GOD for his start of recovery today. Pray for renewed strength and an appetite.
-for health; now is the time that sickness will strike (when we’re tired and run down). Pray that we take care of ourselves!
-for those who receive the donated gifts from Canada; that they will feel the love of God that it has been given with
-for the team; that they continue to grow and be challenged…that they seek after what God is telling them to be bold in and to absorb all that they are seeing, hearing, and feeling.

We are thinking of you always. We carry you with us.

With love,
-The team

Please Pray

2008-02-22T09:09:00.000-06:00

This is a quick prayer request. After all of our excitement and a day in the sun at the beach yesterday, Denver is feeling quite ill. He puked all through the night and is dry heaving quite alot. He can't keep anything down right now and is feeling very weak. He has a fever and is not able to be hydrated at all. But, as we learned yesterday, GOD IS BIGGER THAN SUCH THINGS! If you could please pray for healing on his body and restored strength, that would be awesome.

While the team is at the market this morning, Denver and I are staying at the Provadenic so he can rest and get well. I know God will help Him.

Thank you for your unending support and prayers. We love you guys!

-Chandra

Heroic Hearts

2008-02-22T07:52:00.000-06:00

It has been a BIG day for us here. We are going to sleep tonight with grateful hearts for all that we have and all that God has blessed upon us and a renewed faith in the power of God and the purpose to which He has called each of us.

Today was our team “day off”. After a wonderful sleep in, we ate breakfast together and headed off to Pochomil beach. It is a beach that has many different small resort type areas where there are hammocks in the shade to rest in, places to eat, and a wonderful beach to play in and explore. The kids were so excited to get out of the van (which we like to call “Blue Carlos” for several reasons) and get their beach day going.

Pochomil is a beach that Corwin brings his teams to every year. Last year we met two little boys named Juan and Wilmer. They played with our team all day and helped us dive for sand dollars in the water. They were so cute and we wished we could have left some of the donations we had brought with us to Nicaragua for them, but we didn’t have any with us. We promised them that we would come back next year and bring them each a back pack filled with things. This morning we prepared those back packs at the Provadenic in faith that we would see those two boys. And, as faith would have it, Juan was the first kid we saw when we arrived. He remembered Corwin and me right away and he ran up to greet us. We were able to give him and his brother their back packs and were just amazed at the fact that he had held tightly to the promise we had made him. The Nicaraguan people are very much like that…they will remember everything and hold on to any promise made to them. We are glad we did no break that promise.

We had a fun day playing at the beach. We were able to rent surfboards and boogie boards and the team spent most of the morning learning how to surf. It was fun to watch them hit the water and encourage each other as they tried to surf. We sat down to a late lunch of fresh lobster, fish, and chicken. Some of the team had never tried lobster before and found that they enjoyed it a lot! We felt like we were eating like kings. After lunch the team got the chance to rent horses and go for a ride on the beach. April was in her glory as she galloped down the beach. She said she was fulfilling a life long dream to ride horseback on the beach. Some of us napped in the hammocks, or walked down the beach collecting shells, or just played in the waves. It was an enjoyable time.

Just before we were leaving…God gave us an opportunity to call on Him like most of us never had before. Nathan, Daniel, Colton, April, Denver, and Wilber were playing out in the waves. They had developed a little game with a soccer ball…throwing it into the waves and catching it as it came back to them. The waves had gotten a bit bigger and they didn’t realize how far out they had gotten. All of a sudden Nathan realized that he was out in the waves with Will way deeper than either of them could touch. They started to try to swim closer, but they were caught in a strong tide and seemed to be getting pulled out farther. After several minutes Nathan started to call for help. Colton & Daniel were nearest to them and saw they were in trouble and started to swim out to them. Wilber and Nathan continued to swim in, but because of Nathan’s height, he could touch ground far quicker than Wilber. Colton saw that Will was still in trouble and continued to swim out to him. Wilber’s arm had cramped up and he was struggling to swim and stay above water. Colton reached him and grabbed a hold of him and started to swim because Wilber could no longer swim on his own. Nathan reached Daniel and they both were able to make it to shore. Denver and April, who were a little closer to shore, saw that they needed help. Denver and April quickly swam out to them. They made it to Colton and Will. By this time Wilber was clutching onto Colton, who was growing very weary. Denver reached them just in time and was able to take over hauling Wilber into shore. Colton grabbed a hold of April. The two of them worked together to swim themselves to shore. Denver, in a burst of energy, continued to push forward with Wilber attached to his back and successfully, with so much effort, got himself and Wilber safely to shore. The six of them stood on the shore, holding onto each other, exhausted and praising God for their safe return to dry land.

They quickly returned to the rest of our team, and as often happens in times like these, the emotions that come along with such an experience began to emerge. We came together as a team to support these 5 as they walked through the realization that they had saved Wilber’s life. They shared the fears that they had had and the way that they felt that God had provided them with the energy needed to get Wilber to safety. As we sat and shared as a group, Esteban translated our words to a very shaken up Wilber. Finally, Will chose to say something to the group, something Corwin has never seen him do before. His words were epic and, I’m sure, have been burnt onto our hearts for eternity. He spoke of the fact that no one ever in his whole life has ever cared for him so much that they would do something like that for him. He never felt like any other person had thought he was worth it. He told our group that he loved us and that he was sorry for swimming out so far. He thanked those who were in the water with him, especially Denver, for being the hands of God in the situation. He called them ‘God’s angels’. He said that he had never truly had faith that God would provide safety and protection for him before. But now he knows that his life is worth saving! He spoke of the things that his “daddy” (Corwin) had taught him about God and said that now he truly believes. He thanked us all over and over again and told us he loved us.

It was one of the most defining moments for our team. To sit there and realize the goodness God has for us, the heroism of those 5 team mates, and the life that was preserved. If you are the parents of any of those 5…you should be extremely proud of your son or daughter. God showed his power not only in the safety of our team members, but in the changing of Wilber’s heart and mind. He now knows that he IS meant to be on this earth.

Nathan was particularly moved by all that happened. He said that he has always listened to other’s testimonies of God showing up in times of dire need and he had always desired to know that intimacy with God. He said that he never felt that realness of God before, but in the moment when he got to shore, it was all around him. He couldn’t help but feel the undeniable presence and power of our Lord. I think this is an encounter with God that he will not soon forget.

After many tears and prayers, we joyfully and triumphantly got into Blue Carlos, grateful in a way that we have never been before. We had McDonald’s as a treat on the way home and then enjoyed nice showers. The kids received their surprise letters from home, a real blessing after such an intense day, and are feeling the abundant love from each other and our communities at home. I think those words of encouragement were exactly what was needed to get them through another few days.

We only have 3 days left in Nicaragua. How did that happen? How did that time go by so fast? In the next few days we will go to the market, finish working on the house, visit the orphanage several more times, hand out back packs to kids in the community, and give the rest of the donations to the kids in the orphanage. It will be a rollercoaster of emotion, but we are looking forward to every step.

We continue to feel your prayers every step of the way. We are SO THANKFUL for the way you are all loving on us from so far away! Here are the latest prayer requests:
-for the 5 who were in the water today; that they continue to process their experience and praise God for His sovereignty
-for health & safety; we are starting to feel the “gurgle belly” affects of Nicaragua. Marshall, Regan, Jenna, and Sarah were feeling nauseated tonight. Pray they are able to hydrate and rest to stay well for their last few days here.
-PRAISE that Corwin is feeling much better than yesterday!
-Regan’s hives; we just keep on getting them! Pray that they don’t hinder him from experiencing things along the way
-Kristin Clark (the leader of the Belize team); she got tiny little bug bites on her legs on their first days there and they are now infected so she has not been able to work with her team on their work project. Please pray that she is able to heal quickly.
-preparing to be home; these kids have had life-altering, worldview-rattling experiences here…pray they know how to say goodbye and how to take what they have learned here and use it at home.

We are going to sleep with thankful hearts tonight. We send love to each one of you…especially those who wrote encouragement letters. THANK YOU for the love you sent us! We do miss you.

In God’s graces,
Chandra, Corwin, Daniel, Regan, Nathan, Mitch 1, Mitch 2, Denver, Colton, Marshall, Jenna, Sarah, Taylor, April, Esteban, & Will

Nicaraguan Nights

2008-02-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

James 1:27
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Hello again. We have been gone officially one week tonight. We now have less time here than we have been away for. It is crazy to think that the time has been going by so fast and that, in four days, we say goodbye to Veracruz. At this point we must decide to live with no regrets.

It was another great day on the jobsite and the house is coming along quite well. We were able to accomplish a lot today and are excited to be putting the finishing touches on soon. We poured the last bit of the cement for the floor and are now working on the cement window and door frames. The sewage hole that we are digging is also coming along so great. We have worked out a crazy system of pick axes, shovels, buckets, pulleys, and wheel barrows that assists us in getting it done was fast as possible. When we started digging today it was 5 feet deep…and when we left the work site tonight it was another 5 feet deeper. These kids worked mercilessly digging through the clay and rock to get this hole dug. Another day of digging should give us the other 5 feet we need. The carpenters have become friendly and open with us…we like it when they can call on certain members of our team to do jobs and know that they trust us to know what we are doing. It has given us a sense of ownership to our project and a feeling that we have been a part of something that will change the history of one family in Nicaragua.

In the afternoon we got our first opportunity to visit the orphanage. There were mixed feelings and anticipations before we left. For Esteban, our translator, and Wilber, they knew it would be a flood of emotions. Esteban spent his teenage years in the orphanage, entering when he was 13 and leaving when he was 20, only three years ago. Wilber spent most of his life there and left last spring. Both had friends they wanted to see there and a sense of gratitude towards the life that the orphanage had provided for them…but yet still had a sense of anticipation in re-entering the part of a significant world which has been left behind.

The orphanage is a Christian orphanage. There are dormitories attached to the left and to the right of a main dining hall. Those dorms house the 3 year olds to 13 year olds, boys on the left and girls on the right. Behind the main building are two different houses, one for older girls and ones for older boys. There is also a playground on the property and a basketball court/soccer field nearby.

Our entrance to the orphanage was a good but slow one. We were greeted by the principal who asked if we would like a tour, which has never been given to one of Corwin’s groups before. The orphanage kids were hesitant at first, as always, but slowly became more comfortable with our presence there. The boys went with the older boys to the soccer field to play a few games and the girls got to play with some of the younger kids on the playground. Slowly the kids started to trust us and get comfortable with us. We played on the swings with them, laughed a lot with them, and listened to them as they sang songs to us. We would hug them and kiss them and tell them we loved them and their faces would light up. Taylor had a cute experience with one of the really shy boys. She began playing with him but he didn’t laugh or even crack a smile. She was unsure if he liked playing with her, yet he continued, so she did too. When it was time to leave she went to say goodbye with a hug but the boy pulled away and offered his hand in a hand shake. She shook it and walked off. A few minutes later, when we reached the gate (a fair distance from the playground where they had said goodbye), the little boy came running to her and threw his arms around her with a big smile on his face. He then walked backward all the way to the playground so he could wave to Taylor and watch her walk out. Jenna made an insightful observation as we walked off the orphanage land; we get to leave and they don’t. They have no where else in the world to go and no one else who wants them. We have the job of loving them this week and we pray we will do it with all the love in the world.

While we were at the orphanage Corwin had a meeting with the director. Wilber, currently, is living with a relative in Managua but it is a dangerous situation and Corwin would like to have Will stay in the orphanage until the adoption goes through for Will’s safe keeping. Because Will was there once before, it would be an exception to a rule to allow him to come back. The meeting with the director went well and though he was not certain about whether or not the exception could be made, he was more than willing to look into this inquiry. Though small, it was get another step in bringing Wilber home.

We are continuing to be made aware of things in Nicaragua that we never realized or had never seen before. Today I had to help a little boy named Bravio and he helped me remember just how privileged of an existence we have sometimes. We often have many children, sometimes even 15, playing around the worksite in hopes to have us join in on their fun. Bravio is one of those boys. He was playing without shoes when he stepped on barbed wire and dragged his foot forward. Immediately he started screaming and the kids rushed him over to me. Almost feeling his own pain, I cleaned and dressed his wound. The slice was probably only an inch and a half long but very deep, through the top layers of skin and even fat. The wound, in Canada, would have definitely needed stitching and other medical attention. I cared for it as best as I could and tried to give his 9 year old sister instructions on how to care for him. The reality is that, here, kids who have wounds like that often go without any care and suffer from devastating infections and sometimes, if they are small and weak enough, even death. If our children at home were to cut their feet like that, we have the ability and accessibility to get them to help and heal them. In Nica, that chance is not always a reality. As I watched that little girl carry her tiny brother home I said a prayer in my heart with the gratitude I have towards the doctors and medical help both my family and I have always had and said a prayer that that boy’s foot would heal without a glitch. Sometimes, when we are in Nicaragua, it is terribly hard to live in two different realities; ours and theirs.

The team seems to be very perceptive to the new and very different things they are experiencing in Nicaragua. They constantly debrief each other’s views on everything; the food, the customs, the driving, the people, the smells, and the way people spend their time. The boys have moved their mattresses out onto the balcony of the Provadenic and have been sleeping out there each night. Mitch Dunn had several rude awakenings a few nights ago when the confused roosters just kept cock-a-doodle-dooing for no reason in the middle of the night. Regan has become slowly more and more acute to the distinct smell of burning garbage that is consistently wafting around. Colton and Marshall both really can’t believe that when you ask “where is the garbage can” the answer is “right under your feet”. The act of throwing a bottle out the window without a thought is mind boggling to us. Things that make perfect sense to Nicaragua make no sense to us and vice versa.

We were thinking and praying for home tonight as we looked up at the beautiful eclipse of the moon. We prayed that you all are well and thanked God for such a dedicated group of prayer warriors who are supporting us from so far away. We send our love.

Tomorrow we have a team day off. The kids have been working super hard for the last 4 days and its time to experience a bit more of Nicaragua. We will head to the Pacific Ocean for a day at the beach and then have supper at McDonald’s (a Project Serve Nicaragua tradition).

There are a few things that we would love it if you could continue to be in prayer for:
-our travel to and from the beach & our time there; that it would be safe and relaxed
-the work on the house; we’ve decided we would like to do a few extras like painting the front and a bit of landscaping. Pray that we have enough time to get it done.
-Regan’s hives; though he continues to get them AFTER we are done working, they do not irritate him. Pray that continues.
-the Belize team; they have been having some health issues too (even Kristin wasn’t feeling well on Monday). Pray that they get healthy and able to be working.
-for Corwin; he was feeling quite achy tonight and had a bit of a fever. He was sent to bed early. Pray tomorrow’s rest day restores him.
-the team; they will receive their letters from home after our rest day. Pray that their encouragement and inspiration gives them all the strength they need for the next few days.

Thanks for all the praying and loving you do! We’re thinking about you.

Much love…
-Chan, Cor, & The PS08ers

P.S. “I like me a bean stirfry.” –Regan Brown

Building Blocks

2008-02-19T23:53:00.000-06:00

Hola once again…it is a blessing to be able to share with you about another day down here in Nicaragua. We are praying for our loved ones at home (and our friends on the Belize team!) and are hoping God is blessing you abundantly.

We have just completed our second day of work on the house and the blisters on our hands would tell you that it was another day full of hard work. These kids are phenomenal…they are able to take any task and conquer it even if they can’t even understand the people who are teaching them how to do it. There hunger to serve is very evident and tremendously contagious.

We are very far ahead of schedule for finishing the house. The carpenters are always amazed at how much we seem to get done in a day! Today we almost completed pouring the cement flooring in the house. The carpenters who work with us picked Nathan to learn how to level the floors once the cement has been poured. It is an interesting and very unique process. Nathan was blessed to get to work with them. Jenna and Sarah got a chance to go up on the roof with the carpenters and learn how to do trowel work on the edges. The language barrier didn’t seem to be an issue when they were so excited to learn to do new things.

In the back yard we started to dig a 15 foot hole for a sewage system. Dan and April were go getters when they hopped to the challenge. I have never seen two people so dirty, and determined, to make a hole happen. Soon other team members joined in with pick axes and edgers to help the dirt removal along. Hector and his family are so excited to be receiving this awesome home.

The team has been doing an unreal job of soaking up every opportunity that they have. They have vocalized that they see every opportunity and chance that they get to serve as a once in a lifetime opportunity therefore it needs to be seized and excelled in. And this they have done well. Every time we need a volunteer for work there is never any hesitation. These kids want to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever way they can.

God has really been building us up individually. Corwin and I constantly get the chance to sit back and watch the kids takes steps of faith that they have never taken before. They are doing extremely well with the language…using every chance that they have to learn and speak and sometimes make a few mistakes. Today, for a short time, Corwin and our translator, Esteban, had to be away from the work site, and it was an awesome treat for me to sit back and watch the kids playfully communicate with our carpenters. They have also been so encouraging to watch as they lead each other. I spied on Nathan, today, as he taught Jenna how to bend thick wire into triangles for rebar structures. Denver, as always, headed up the concrete making time and time again. And Taylor seems to get the job of helping keep the community children distracted so they don’t distract us (and she’s really good at it!). Something has truly come alive within them. They have also, and especially, grown insight into their faith journey. Regan came to me last night to ask for prayer for his hives. He said that he looked up verses about healing in the Bible and it said to ask his elders to pray over him so he thought it would be a good idea to pray together. What a beautiful faith. And GLORIA A DIOS, today: no hives while he was at the worksite. Prayers answered. These young people have remarkable awareness and are putting their faith into practice.

Though we have been doing tons of physical labour and spending a lot of time in Veracruz, we also have spent a lot of time building a second kind of home; one for Wilber. For those who don’t know, Wilber is a 14 year old Nicaraguan orphan whom Corwin is adopting. We’ve had the distinct pleasure of adopting Wilber into our team. He has been staying with us at the Provadenic and has been working with us every day. The change in him through the last 4 days has been exceptional. He went from being shy and reserved to being so comfortable with us and even beginning to communicate with us in both English and Spanish. Sometimes you can’t even tell that we don’t speak the same language! We have fallen in love with him as a little brother and friend. It has been awesome to be here for Corwin and get to build him up as he goes through the adoption process and learns how to be a father. We feel like it is part of our mission here in Nicaragua and we are humbled to watch it all unfold firsthand.

Tomorrow we are back at the work site until 3 in the afternoon and then we get our first opportunity to head to the orphanage. The kids are excited and nervous, I think, to see what the orphanage is like and to have their heart continue in this process of getting broken to the needs of the people here. I look forward to recanting some of their reactions.

We feel like God has really been blessing our time. I remember this time last year when most of our kids where puking with high fevers (myself included). PRAISE GOD for the health and safety He has given us on this trip so far! He’s truly taking care of us.

You can continue to pray for that health and safety as well as for Corwin and Wilber as they will be making a few decisions in the next few days about things that will affect the adoption process. Pray that God’s will be working in the lives of our team members, of our new Nicaraguan friends, and in Wilber and Corwin.

We love and miss you all so much.

-The team

Culture Collision

2008-02-19T07:56:00.000-06:00

Greetings from sunny and warm Central America. We have just completed our first day of construction on the house and are finally clean and ready to rest up for tomorrow. This is Nurse Chandra writing…Corwin has handed me the duty of summarizing the last two life changing days that we have had here in Nicaragua.

Sunday was the very first day that our team met Veracruz. After our long and crazy adventure to Matagalpa we still managed to get ourselves up early and were filled with energy and anticipation as we made the journey to Veracruz. We arrived in the village and headed to our church. As soon as the van entered the yard the children were waiting for our door to open so they could grab our hands, give us hugs, and sit beside us in church. We participated in Sunday school where we sang some songs with them and Denver told them a little about Canada and Jenna told them about what it’s like to go to summer camp. The rest of the morning was filled with playing games and giving lots of hugs to the children.

When we are in Veracruz we are fed by a wonderful woman named Shirley in her own home. Shirley loves God with all her heart and feels that is a blessing to be a part of the work He has us do down here. She had asked Corwin in a previous visit if we could bring some of the donations of school supplies and hygiene items that we brought from Canada with us to some very poor families that live in the more remote areas around Veracruz. After lunch at her place we put together several back packs full of stuff for the families that we would see along the way. The team had only had a taste of Veracruz, so what came next was a culture collision for them.

Shirley guided our team to the home of the first family. She explained that it was a home with a single mother who took care of five children. Two of her children have muscle problems and were unable to walk and move on their own. This woman cannot work because she must take care of her children. We gave her the back packs we had prepared and prayed for her and her family. The kids quickly developed a deeply personal awakening to the devastation that some of these families live in and as we walked away there was a new and abrupt awareness in their faces. The next family we visited had a similar situation; a single mother of seven who couldn’t find work. Her home was a small shack made of scrap pieces of corrugated metal with a dirt floor. She allowed us to enter her home. Corwin and I watched as the kids absorbed all that they saw; mats on the dirt floor for beds and clothes in a bag in the corner of the room. As we prayed for the woman she started to cry and the emotions that the kids experienced were new for many. There was this sense of introspection; ‘How is this fair that I have so much and they have so little? Why do I complain about the things in my life? How do I make this right?’ The kid’s hearts started to break for the things that break God’s.

The last house we visited taught us a lot about humility. We came to a third property that was not unlike the first two. The exception was that this one had an innate joy about it. The family members were Christians and greeted us with smiles and love. Though they had almost nothing, they told us that they have never gone without their basic needs and that God is so good to them. We offered them our gifts as a blessing, but then they asked to bless us in return. They offered us some of their crop…yucca root…a vegetable for us to take with us to cook for a future meal. At this point our tears began to flow. These people, who have nothing, still wanted to give to us, who have everything. Through choked tears Regan prayed a blessing over their family and we left with a dose of humility.

We also got to walk through the community and see the other houses that past PS teams have built. At one point we turned down a road and were literally swarmed with children wanting to hold our hands or ride on our backs. It was an overwhelming welcome to Veracruz.

Today we started construction on the home for Hector and his family. The team has been anxious to get working and it showed through their wholehearted efforts. Though we started our day with a minor delay due to lack of equipment, the team’s spirits were never dampened. All it took was one look at Hector’s beaming smile to make us want to work so hard at giving him the first home he’s ever had. We spent our day shoveling & sifting sand, chiseling excess cement off of the brick walls, digging a whole for a toilet, cutting wire for rebar structures, making cement, and leveling the dirt floor inside the house so that we can poor concrete. All day long the team worked with amazing initiative. The children in the community joined in our work too…sometimes distracting us to play games and other times grabbing a chisel and working along side us. A morning that was started clean and cool was ended in dirty hands and faces, legs caked with mud and cement, sweat like we have never had before, but the most content feeling in the world. We can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.

God has been so good to our team. Those who were suffering from colds before the trip are now much better and feeling strong. We have had so much safety in our travels and feel like God has been protecting us in that way. We are growing rapidly as a unified team and are learning to not only serve the people of Nicaragua, but also to serve each other. And we are truly grasping the love God has for all His creation in the eyes of the children who so easily accept us and show affection to us.

Thank you so much for your love and support. We can feel those prayers!! We miss you guys lots and can’t wait to tell you about all we are seeing and doing. Here are a few prayer requests:

-continued safety, health, and unity for our team
-for God to continue to break our hearts for the needs around us
-for Regan; on Sunday he had terrible hives on his neck and arms. We prayed for no hives while he worked on Monday and not one showed up! But once we were done work and back at the Provadenic he was covered once again. Pray that God shows Himself to us in healing those hives!!

Blessings to you all…Dios les Bendiga…
-Chan, Corwin, & the PS08 team

Lessons Learned

2008-02-17T23:22:00.001-06:00

We made it safely on Friday night, and it's been a blur of activity since then. We were greeted at the airport by our good friends Richard and Shirley, along with local heartthrob Mundo. At the Provadenic (our hostel in Managua) we were met by our translator Esteban and Wilber, the Nicaraguan boy I am in the process of adopting. It was a very special reunion.

On Saturday I learned that Matagalpa is not 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Managua, as was suggested by a friend of mine. What started as an idea to make a quick trek to see some lush coffee growing countryside, turned into a 13 hour mountain marathon adventure. Packing 17 people into a 15 passenger van seemed to be adventurous enough, but to intensify the experience, we found ourselves careening up mountain roads remarkably similar to ones found on the moon. Not great on a full bladder. All this for a chance at some beautiful scenery gazing and a swim in a jungle waterfall. But it was definitely worth the ride. The team has a wonderful way of seeing any potential obstacle as an opportunity to experience something new and enriching. They made the day into something which they'll remember for the rest of their lives. We finished the day with a birthday party for my son. It's a week late, but it was still an amazing experience to give him a birthday he'll never forget.

Today we spent time in Veracruz and became more familiar with the people and the town we will be serving the rest of our time. We begin house construction tomorrow. The team has learned many incredible lessons already, and i am excited to share them with you as the days unfold.

More stories to come. Please check out the pics and leave comments for the team.

Free Fallin'

2008-02-15T16:40:00.000-06:00

We are only 1 hour away from taking our final flight. It has been a sweet ride so far and we have had many adventures. We didn't get much sleep at the Vancouver airport, and some of us were dragging our heels onto our early morning flight. But once we got to Los Angeles yesterday morning we were re-energized and were able to enjoy a bit of the California sunshine, though it never got much warmer than 17 C. Last night we all went to Downtown Disney (it's free!) and spent time looking at the shops and enjoying the sights. Before bed we had a good time of prayer together as a team. We are so excited for the adventures that are waiting for us. Almost everyone got a good sleep at the hotel, which has helped our energy levels. Out flight to Houston was complete with a brief period of intense turbulence and a sudden 3 second free fall. Jenna screamed. Marshall laughed, but I think it was to cover up his panic! We landed safely and have been waiting for our final leg of the journey. Please continue to pray as we step into a new and intense Nicaraguan reality. April, Regan and Nathan are struggling with head colds, so please pray for their quick healing. We are so excited to finally arrive in Managua. Thanks again for your partnership. We carry you with us. Stay tuned.

Unending Update

2008-02-12T18:21:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick rundown on what has happened so far in our adventure:

1. The team has had several team meetings to prepare for this mission. We first met on Sept 16 for a parent orientation, and then again on Sept 23, Oct 28, and Nov 17 to build our team and prepare for our fundraising initiatives. During one of these training sessions, the students got their first Spanish lesson (very interesting to observe), and did more team building activities. I would have to say the most amazing part of our Oct 28 training day was when the students shared their life stories with each other. This is really where I saw the depth of these young people. As we listened to each other share our dreams, our hopes, and our struggles, we truly experienced a vulnerability and openness that took our team to the next level.

2. Our group fundraiser happened on Sunday, December 2. The students were part of a wonderful dessert auction. The students presented some amazing desserts that went to the top bidders. There was a great atmosphere, some student testimonies, and STARBUCKS® coffee! Each student was responsible for filling their table of 8.

Through this event we had hoped to raise enough money to cover the cost of building the house in Nicaragua - approximately $2000. YFC has another Project Serve team led by Kristin Clark, and they are off to Belize in February. We worked together with this team on the auction, and they were trying to raise $1500 for their building project.

God is so good! We ended up raising an astonishing total of $13,000 for the two mission teams!! We are so thankful for God’s faithfulness, and for the ability to use these funds to further our impact in Central America.

3. Our latest team meeting was on Jan 26, and it was a marathon 15 hour training day. We started early and went late. We wanted to experience a typical 'PROJECT SERVE' length of day, to get the team conditioned, and to see if we could spend that many consecutive hours together without going crazy! We spent the morning praying and having personal quiet time, ending with the viewing of The Passion of the Christ, and a very powerful foot washing ceremony. We are becoming more and more like a family, with a deep care and commitment to each other. I praise God for leading the team to this place. We served at a local church in the afternoon, and ended the day doing a lot of final trip preparations. It was a big day, but very significant for us as a team.

4. Our great adventure begins very soon. We leave next week Wednesday at 10:00pm from the Saskatoon airport. There will be a commissioning prayer time at 8:30pm, so please feel invited to be part of that. I hope you can make it and show your support.

5. Prayer requests for the team

- health and safety

- pray for the families of the team members as they prepare

- pray for continued wisdom for the trip directors

Thank you again for your support of the Project Serve Team. God Bless you richly. Stay tuned.

In Christ,
Corwin