Update #3

This post is going to be out-of-order, but here are the updates from Sunday, July 21, and Monday, July 22!

Sunday, July 21, 2024

This morning our team had the opportunity to worship together with missionaries from around the world who are serving in Nicaragua at International Christian Fellowship (ICF) in Managua.  This is an English speaking service, much like our church in Watkinsville, that our family attended while we lived in Nicaragua.  While there, we found out that our teammates from NE had received the news late last night that a friend of theirs back home had passed.  I believe the service will be Tuesday while we are still here, so will you please keep Candy and Mike in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their friend Debbie?

After the service at ICF ended, we went to the 3rd service at Iglesia Verbo Guanacaste.  One of Bob Trolise’s sons was preaching God’s Word this morning.  Bob was the founding Director of Verbo Christian Ministries up until he died a few short years ago.  Verbo has a vibrant congregation with dancers and flag bearers.  Thankfully, they display the words to all of their worship songs on big screens so we can sing along in Spanish.  Verbo sings some of the same worship songs as we do at home, so that is always very special to be able to sing a song in Spanish to a familiar tune.

After church, we went to have lunch at Rosti Pollo (a nice, air conditioned, chicken restaurant) with Dr. Bayardo and his family.  We got back to the Team Center with plenty of time to prepare for our second medical clinic and still refresh ourselves from the heat and pace of Saturday’s clinic.  

After our team meeting, we were able to enjoy a visit with Bethany, the only missionary in Nicaragua sent by Mission to the World.  She and Cindy, her Nicaraguan partner in ministry, shared the work they are doing, teaching English, to advance God’s Kingdom in Nicaragua.  They have a team coming in tomorrow to conduct VBS type activities with their church in an effort to reach out to the community and draw people into the church through the events they will sponsor during the week.  Please keep this team and the church they are serving in your prayers as well.

In Christ,

Katy

Monday, July 22, 2024

Today was our second medical clinic, held at Iglesia Principe de Paz.  Some of our team remained in the roles they served in at the clinic we conducted on Saturday while some people tried out different roles.  

Principe de Paz was the first church we partnered with many years ago.  Because most of the land the church owns is taken up by the church building itself, we had everything except the prayer team inside today.  Yesterday, we were able to get outside to do activities with the children.  But the advantage to this was that everyone really got to see everything that was happing in the clinic, not just the part in which they were involved.  The scenes of smiles on people’s faces (both the Americans and Nicaraguans as we served together as well as the participants as they received much needed services and heard the Gospel of Christ) are scenes that are imprinted in my mind and on my heart. 

That evening, after another delicious dinner at the Team Center, we had a team meeting to debrief the day and then got ready for our final day of medical clinics tomorrow.

In Christ, 

Katy