Jun
12th
We are going to begin to implement some of the curriculum from Celebrate Recovery into our teachings at Solo Por Hoy. If you would like to help us with this, we have created a wish list at Amazon. Click here to view the wish list.
We are very grateful for and humbled by your continued prayers and financial support during our almost 10 months here. It is so encouraging to know that we have people back home who believe in us and in our God. Thank you!
May
15th
Natalia lives in Granada Nicaragua. She is a mother of two with an amazing heart and she wants to start a sewing business that employs women that are coming out of prostitution. With the average salary of $20-40 per week, its impossible for her to save the money needed to start the business. Loans from banks are very complicated and often the terms are hard to meet. We are attempting to raise money to help her start her business. If you would like to help, contact us.
May
1st
It’s May 1st. Wow – our time here has gone by so fast and I find it hard to believe that we have only 5 more months here in Granada. We have enjoyed living here so much that its hard to even think about leaving at this point. From a more optimistic perspective, we have been here for 8 months and during this time we have really seen some ministries take off. One of these growing ministries is Solo Por Hoy. Shortly after arriving here, God led me to start a small group that ministers to addicts and alcoholics. The group functions like this:
Solo Por Hoy (Just For Today) is a group that ministers to addicts and alcoholics. The group teaches its members about freedom from life-controlling addictions through prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit and the support that comes from sharing struggles and victories within the group. Solo Por Hoy uses the 12 Steps of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) as a tool to help teach people how to become responsible members of society. Transformation is possible and we believe this happens one day at a time.
This ministry has grown its own legs and has its own momentum. At this point we are just holding on. What started as a weekly meeting at 8:30am Thursday mornings now involves two churches and meets 4 times a week (Mondays at 7pm, Tuesdays at 7pm, Thursdays at 8:30am and Saturdays at 8:00am). We have had several people tell us that because of SPH they now have something to look forward to and are excited about living a life free from addiction. It has been amazing to be a part of this and to see God working in the lives of so many here.
But this burst of growth has also brought with it the need to dig into our living expenses in order to fund coffee, pastries, paper copies, etc. for 3 of the 4 weekly meetings. We have plans to stay here until the end of September but our support runs out at the end of May. We have saved enough money to cover our living expense until then, but we could use help funding Solo Por Hoy for not only the rest of our time here but also after we leave. If you feel led to help out with this, here’s a breakdown of what’s involved and how you can help:
We are eternally grateful to all of you who have made this journey possible for us. We can’t thank you enough!
- Mucho Amor de Granada!
Apr
28th
Meet Massiel. Her ex-husband is in jail because he used to abuse Massiel and her children. Massiel lives in a one-room shack made out of scrap wood and sheet metal in a small community on the outskirts of town with her four girls. The work Massiel has been able to find is minimal and she struggles to feed and clothe her children everyday. Despite all of this, I don’t think I’ve met a family that is filled with so much joy and hope in my entire life.
A fellow missionary here is currently helping Massiel with rice, beans and oatmeal each week to help alleviate some of the pressure from her. She is so appreciative of the small amount of food we bring her each week. Unfortunately, in two weeks the funding for this will be depleted. If you feel led to help Massiel out (anything you can give will go directly to this family) please contact us or email us at aheartforthenations [at] gmail [dot] com.
Jun
8th
Who said budgets aren’t fun? I happen to love them, especially when I’m budgeting for a move to Nicaragua. The past few days of work have been mentally draining, as I am training not one but two replacements. My last day at work is July 2nd, and for fun, I redid our budget. Yes, this is fun to me.
We currently have 59% of our monthly salary raised, as well as all of our moving costs. The math is slightly fuzzy because we don’t know the total amount we will be able to contribute. It all depends on how many people hire Frank to do websites before we leave. Hint hint! Thankfully, he’s signing contracts on two websites this week, and there is a third website that has about a 60% chance of signing in the next three weeks.
When we went over the budget today, Frank and I couldn’t stop laughing. In that “I can’t believe this is really happening” giddy way. I know that people aren’t giving for recognition, but I am specifically amazed at the generosity found in our small groups and through both sets of parents. Without their contributions, we wouldn’t be able to get to Nicaragua as soon. It is especially hard for our parents, as they know that their contributions get us closer to leaving.
May
12th
Can we get a woop woop for being 24.90% supported? That’s 1/4 of the way there, only one month in.
We are having a hard time finding time for language training. Pray that we learn to simplify and focus our attention. I ate lunch at a restaurant and realized I can’t order a quesadilla in Spanish.
We are selling our car, a 2000 Ford Taurus, for $3500. It has 108K miles on it, a brand new alternator and battery, and is in pretty good shape. Frank keeps it clean. Let us know if you are interested. We will also be selling a 1996 Ford F-150 with 130K miles on it. Not sure of the price yet.
That’s about it. We’re purchasing what we need to move, and selling what we don’t. Our house is starting to look bare, and it’s even more motivation to get out of the door.
May
6th
Frank and I have started to check our support website daily. We log on, holding our breath, until we see the total. Each day has brought a new surprise our way. All of the donations have had a name attached. We’ll be sending out thank you cards this week. I have no idea what to say. ‘Thank you for your donation’ seems a little stale. ‘Thank you for believing in us’ seems a little too wearetheworld-ish. I hope everyone will see how incredibly grateful we are. Sometimes it’s hard feeling worthy, but each donation is reinforcing God’s call in our lives and covering us in love. So thank you.
Apr
19th
The process of moving (or “going on our mission” as my dear mom told us we should refer to it as) has officially begun. To kick things off we are listing lots of stuff for sale. Our goal is to slowly transition to our coming lifestyle instead of a crazy push at the end. Our moving goal date is July 31st.
Check out some of the goodies we have listed:
That’s all for now – but we will keep everyone updpated with new stuff we list (lots of IKEA goodies).
Apr
15th
Out first batch of support letters went out this morning! It’s so exciting. I’ve been a little anxious up until now worrying about not having enough support, worrying about grammar in the letter, worrying about offending someone… The list goes on and on in my head. But after we addressed the envelopes, realized we hadn’t signed the letters, and then prayed over them, I felt much calmer and at peace. God has this under control, I don’t have to worry about this. Every step that we’ve taken towards Nicaragua has been while God is holding our hands.
We have a total of 101 letters going out in the next month. The first batch includes our small group and a few churches that friends have suggested. We’re then moving on to family and then friends.
We’re also contributing a significant amount of the support through our finances! We’ve also applied for a grant from our church, and I’m researching other possible grant opportunities. It helps that I volunteered as a grant writer for a local non-profit. I’m finding those skills come back to me! Pray for continued peace and wisdom during this process.
Jan
14th
We spoke with Charles tonight and went over the budget. Overall, it’s looking really good. Our first goal is to raise money for our housing. More details to come…
