Nicaragua Update #7

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Dave was up at 6:30am again today, stopping at Verbo for coffee, and then was off to VEA for class. Camila was in class for her first day. She was all smiles! This is Dave's last day at VEA for this trip. He said it was a great, but sad day of class. There are always a lot of “hasta la proxima's” (see you next time) at the end of each class. There was a rainstorm in the afternoon that was so loud it was hard to communicate. Lucero was not in class today, so after class, Regan and Dave went to search for her. She was at her cousin's house who lives down the road from her house. She said she had wanted to come, but because it was drizzling and they knew hard rain was coming they did not want to set out on their bicycles because her dad was concerned. She introduced the guys to three of her cousins who said they wanted to attend VEA also. They talked to the cousins about the workload and they were not discouraged. They spoke to one dad who was grateful for the opportunity. The other parents were not yet home from work, but the dad they spoke with said he would give the other parents Regan's number to call tomorrow if they wanted to discuss their children attending VEA.

After this, the guys went to see Edgar to pay him for his work at Pastoras, but he was at a meeting at their church. They were able to confirm with his wife that Abril (April) will begin VEA on Monday. From there, they picked up Blanca for dinner and they went over details for the CBS conference to be sure they had everything covered. Dave dropped them at home at 9:30pm. Regan and Dave hung out in the road outside their home for over an hour talking. J came by and wanted to talk. He saw them from down the street. J is a man in his 20's who has mental health problems and has spent most of his adult life in prison. Dave said he doesn’t make much sense when he starts on a rant, but he has moments of clarity. The guys gave him their leftovers and Dave even parted with his brownie. J was very grateful. He sleeps on the street most of the time, and folks around town are afraid of him. J has been known to throw stones at some people and has even caused injuries. He told Regan and Dave that he appreciated their kindness. J knows a few English words and likes to use them with Dave. He carries a Bible around in his front waistband behind his belt buckle and says he loves the Lord. He would have talked to the guys all night, but they gracefully headed home after a while. Dave was home by 10:30pm and in bed by midnight after doing his journal and update.

Thank you for reading and praying for the trip!

In Christ,

Katy