Nicaragua Mission trip March 13th-20th

Day 1 : Up early to catch my flight..All excited and ready to go but this thought kept coming to me that I was not relying on God Solely and had laid some expectations on others...well he got my attention all right..as we were taxing out on the runway I was in prayer for the safety of the flight and we were sitting on runway for about 10 min..the alarm bells are starting to go off in my head thinking there might be something wrong since i see no other planes on the run way. The pilot came on and said "Bad news..one of the engines won't fire"..I was greatly distressed at first and asked the flight attendant if I can possibly get on the next plane out to Atlanta and she said I would have to check with the gate attendant.I get off the plane and talk to them and explained my situation but he said he has to go by who's first on the list (in order of priority!)..this lasted about 1 hour of waiting ..at this point i knew i missed my connecting in Atl..so i went downstairs to talk to ticketing and got redirected to reservations on the phone and they were able to book me on the next flight which would be leaving the 14th.same time. God was telling me "there's a reason for all this..wait and see"..I knew that he "saved" me from something that might have gone wrong in the air..PRAISE GOD! I was still disappointed from missing out on being with everyone on the first day though and learning the ropes and ins and outs..I then proceeded to church and there I saw my friend Kristen and she uplifted me in the right moment and I helped uplift her..It was awesome and we sang a song called "you'll come" ..and talked about 'waiting on the Lord" and then the sermon was about relying solely on God! Wow! I also got to see my precious girls sing ..so that was good :)
I then had a nice day with my parents and the girls..dad treated me at Olive Garden..He also graciously took me to the airport early this am along with my mom..they are the best :) Then Josh and i went to see the new Alien movie that's out. I was starting to worry about who would be meeting me at the airport tomorrow in Managua and I recieved a text saying the Pastor will pick me up..Praise God! So now i'm off to bed..God is definetely looking out for me and I'm very very Thank
ful to him..Now I'm off to go and be his faithful Servant..Will update when i return!
Day 2: March 14th, 2011
I woke up this am at 0300..got up at 333! I'm wearing my 33 miles t-shirt for good luck. I can feel the enemy trying to place doubt/fear in my mind but I instantly took it to God and peace transcended. My parents took me to the airport and dropped me off..before I left I listened to the song by Hillsong entitled "you'll come."..Some lyrics from it are "We will not be shaken, we will not be moved, will will wait upon you Lord." How very true. I feel yesterday God was teaching me patience. I do feel that I passed the test. At the airport I see some other people that were on my flight from yesterday..this brings me some comfort. We actually boarded and departed on time! I prayed specifically for each part of the plane (that all will be in proper working order) Praise God s we lifted off adn arrived safely and early to Atlanta. We landed at 715am or 815 Eastern adn was supposed to arrive at 0845am. I also sat in very back of the plane which was the first. When I got off my plane I looked for the gate number..E33!!! Wow. Also my flt number is 369..multiples of 3..333. Wow again! not to mention I'm wearing my 33 miles tshirt and got up at 333..God definetely is revealing himself and letting me know he's with me and that i'm not alone. My flt to managua was : 3 hours and 23 min flight. I was very excited and anxious about what's in store and trusting that God will provide. I have currently finished reading "walking with God" by John Eldredge..very good book. Some of the things that really stood out were "Whatever else might be the reason for disappointments, there is no question that God uses them to draw us to himself"..How very true..It forces us to focus on him and ask him to help us. He goes on to say "There are folks in the church who doesn't want to encorage this "walking with God"..they they try to eliminate the messiness of personal relationship with Jesus by instituting rules, programs, formulas, methods, and procedures. Those things may have eliminated some of the goofy things (such as 3:33) that happen when people are encouraged to follow God for themselves..Wow! How true! When we aren't focused on God we may lose sight of what God wants to do for us or show us and may not be aware of the signs of goofy things he wants to show us for that day.
I watched the Kings speech on the way down on flt..pretty good..i learned that Nicaragua doesn't honor daylight savings so it's one hour earlier than us. I got off plane and had to work 45 min to get through customs..I then saw Pastor Charles waiting for me..very happy to see him!. We rode in stick shift truck (marvin drove..only spanish speaking) with intrepreter in back . It was an adventure! We stopped at a chicken restraunt at a gas station..intresting to see the prices: 22 cordobas to 1 dollar. The view to Leon was breathtaking with mountainous regions and volcanoes in the distance! It was very neat. A lot of people ride bikes and horses. We then arrived at Oscar's house and dropped our stuff off adn then went to the church where we were running clinic and met everyone. Joy, Jay, Ryan, and Nelson are all phrmacists, and Megan, Shirley, Carma and I are all nurses. and then we had helpers Linda, and Jim, and Shane. and a Spanish Doctor. our clinic was set up as follows: They first go to triage and get seen (vitals taken) and then go sit down and listen on how to get saved from the pastor and then they sit and wait to see either the nurse or dr (depending on severity) and then we write them prescriptions and they go see the Pharmacists to get it filled .Nurses of course aren't allowed to write prescriptions in the states so that was new and liberating! We also had a translator at each of our tables (mine was Roger) other names were chico, william, and boa. We saw 262 patients today!
We then went back to house ..I sleep on top bunk..7 girls to one bathroom..no hot water..We had chicken, rice, and beans for dinner..very good. Then some of us went to church to hear Nelson preach for the local youth..very awesome..they get so excited in their worship. Nelson also preached about Worship..Then went back to the house and went to bed!

Day 3:March 15th, 2011
We woke up at 545am and had breakfast (eggs, rice/beans and coffee)..very good! Then we had a small devotional /testimony and boarded the bus. I sat next to Gloria. Very sweet person! She also played her Guitar and sang songs. We saw volcanoes with steam coming out as we were driving! wow! Then we got to our location and there was already a line of people waiting outside the church. We set up clinic quickly. We handed out soap/toothbrushes/toothpaste (which went fast). Everyone was highly appreciated and the feeding was great! Watching those sweet kids eat was so priceless. Then there was the adventure to the "John" out back that has a cement hole that you have to squat over and be careful not to touch and it all falls in the hole..very intresting. We had chicken sandwhiches for lunch..we saw pt's till 3 ..most of them were kids. Some common signs and symptoms were cold, cough, fever, diarrhea, pain, burning on urination. We saw 281 patients today!
We went back to the house and had dinner (chicken, french fries, and beans/cole slaw..very good. Then I took shower and went and listened to Pastor Charles preach. He talked about being a mentor/encourager and to love everyone. I miss everyone greatly back home.It's been hard not to actually talk to lily and ashley and Josh. One of the people I am with has service so my mom and dad got to call a few times..that was good.
Day 4: March 16th
Up at 6am today. Ate breakfast (beans/tortilla/salsa) then headed on to Taldega (to a a church called SanJon De Santo Cristo. I got to share with several people on the bus there about mom's testimony and healing..they were all excited. It was about a 30-40 min drive. We drove down some dirt roads and farm land and had to walk a little to get to the church. It was very dirty/dusty. We saw pigs, horses (shane got to ride one) and bulls, dogs, and cats. I saw 44 out of 201 patients today. We then fed everyone. All the kids were very excited when I took their picture and they loved the fan filled with water! They all loved the stickers/ tooth brushes/tooth paste and soap. They were all very grateful!! It was a great day in all! We went back to the house and took a much needed shower and had dinner (beans, squash casserole and fried plantains..amazing amazing and amazing!) Shirley then shared a devotional about fruit of the spirit then we formed a circle around Oscar and his wife Rosa and prayed over them and their ministry (Eagle's wings ministry). We then went to the internet cafe in leon and was able to send out one email to Josh and post a status on facebook!
The thought for the day: People here are hard workers and they never complain and they all seem happy!
Day 5: March 17th, 2011
we went to the "dump" today in the town of Chidendega (west of Leon) . On the way you could see the volcano pretty close. Truly amazing! It took about 45 min to get there. When we drove up to the "dump" there was trash everywhere! Highly unsanitary! We ran the clinic from 9-1 and set up clinic in the church there. The kids were very dirty and some were walking around with undies or no clothes. We had a feeding for them. Oscar says they do daily "feedings" . They need money to help build them homes and give them food. . We gave them soap, toothbrushes/toothpaste and stickers which they loved. Their eyes just lit up when we gave them candy and granola bars and shoes! They said "God bless you" and some asked where we are from. We were at the church entitled Exodus 19:11.."the Third Day".. We then took a tour of the dump and saw people walking in the dump searching through the very dirty trash (some without shoes on) looking for food or supplies. Highly sad and disturbing! We also saw a dog trying to catch a rat. We saw a lot of pts with dehydration. I heard they had to walk 20 miles to get water..which doesn't sound right being that they live so close to the city. Made for a very emotional day. Makes me highly appreciate for what God has given me.
We then went back to the house and then went in town for Pizza..Very very good..called "hollywood pizza". We had pepperoni and cheese, hawaiian pizza , and supreme pizza. We then went to the supermarket and I bought coffee (which they are know for in South America).
Day 6: March 18th, 2011
I woke up at 5:00Am ( Michael did too) due to excitement of meeting Michael adn the girls getting up to go to Gold's Gym in downtown. Had pancakes for breakfast and yummy juice and coffee. We then went to the local hospital which was about 4 stories tall. We saw an ambulancia and then went up to the 4th story to the children's/ortho/burn wing. We prayed over each child and gave them granola bars. We went to the burn unit and Oscar said one of the child's were burned at the dump digging through trash and had walked on hot coals. It was awful. The girl was crying and I felt so helpless. I prayed over this boy who also had burns and his mom was due to have a baby on March 20th. Roger Translanted. Then we saw a Nurse student from Holland! That was neat. We also saw a lot of med students and doctors. There is hardly any pt privacy since they are no curtains between patients and there are about 6-7 pts per room!
We then drove to the police station and set up clinic there. I saw a school bus that they converted into a fire truck! Very intresting! We then met the Captain of the police. They also have a jail on site. I then left and went back to the house since I was meeting michael at 10. They had called Oscar to make sure they were at the right house and I went outside and they came up to me and I gave him a big big hug! His mom also came with him along with the secretary from compassion, and the translator. I gave Michael all his presents (a soccer ball, a pump for his ball, silly bands, braclets, bouncy balls, soap , tooth brushes, tooth paste and bible. He said "I always wanted a bible and now I have one!". He loved everything especially his Soccer ball and Bible. He never stopped crying. He said he got to take off today from school to meet me. He said he has one brother (Paublo) and one sister (Katherine). He said his fave movie is the Mummy. He said he gets 6-8 channels locally (he has 2 tv's). He lives in a 2 bedroom house with one bathroom. He does have running water. He said he was told last fri he was coming to see me! and I told him I didn't tell him in my letters since I would have liked to keep it a surprise :). I shared with him the story about how I became his sponsor..we all cried.
We then went to the chicken restraunt (tip top chicken) and I learned some facts about compassion: 32,000 involved in program in Nicaragua. 272 in Managua, 5 percent of the money goes to compassion and rest goes directly to child/family for supplies/lunch. Michael goes to church at compassion mon-wed-fri after school. They do bible lessons, and go on field trips. His mom states they go to Sunday school one day, prayer service one day and bible study one day and they are baptist (which is rare since the majority are Catholic). We stopped at the park down the street from Oscar's and played soccer and he went on slide and swings. He said that park was better than the one he has in Managua. We then went back to the house and said our good byes after taking more pics :). Michael said "God bless you, Thank you for the gifts and Ill write you" and his mom said "Thank you for the gifts, for lunch, and for sponsoring Michael. It means so much". He then blew me a kiss out the window! So sweet. Ill miss him so much. I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity to meet him.
We went to Church that night and we sang Revelation song in spanish..totally amazing. There were also dancers in white up front and on sides of church raising ribbon. It was so moving and I could definetely feel God's presence. I was in prayer during worship as to what /if God wanted me to share what I had experienced this week. Pastor Charles called the team up and I was 4th to speak. I spoke on God's provision/ ability to come/plane and how life changing this all was and how welcoming /great everyone is and thanked the whole team for all their hard work/help. I also spoke briefly about meeting Michael and how it was such a God thing. 5/14 of us spoke about dump, medicines, hopsital. Oscar intrepreted for us. Pastor Charles then preached then made an altar call and most of the church came to the altar and we went around praying over everyone and then they prayed over our team. It was awesome. I then saw agirl with a pretty head band on and i told her it was pretty and she took it off and gave it to me. So sweet. We then said our good byes! :(
Day 7: March 19th 2011
Free day!!!!!! We ate breakfast (egg/ham/toast) and saw Pastor Charles, Carma, Shirley and Nelson off to the airport. Then the rest of us decided to go to Managua to the Volcano called "the Masaya". It's located in Eastern Managua Which is close to where Michael lives. It was around a 2 hour and 40 min drive. We stopped at the visitor center and then drove up to the top of the Volcano and had to go up stairs the rest of the way. There was a beautiful cross at the top..amazing and the view was incredible. It was smoking and you could smell it. There were lava rocks everywhere. You could see the whole country side. Soo amazing! we went up the other volcano nearby that had warning signs not to climb but we did..it was kinda scary but worth it for the view when we got to the top!
Then we went to the chicken restraunt and I saw 3 Angels with a Pic of Jesus! We then drove back to oscar's in the bus and I played my DS with Oscar's daughter Beverly.
Day 8
We all said our good byes. On the way to the airport I saw a pizza sign that said "Pizza Ashley"..and then another sign that i had my name on it "jenny"..funny. After we arrived at the airport I was looking at tourist stuff and this girl came up to me and wanted me to do an interview with her for her english class. She asked me what my fave show, fave music, fave thing to do and fave thing about Nicaragua. Then I ran into some Canadians that wanted me to take their picture..it was nice to see others that could speak English . We all ate at Cafe and said our good byes to everyone since everyone else was on the plane to Miami and Jim and I went to our plane for Atlanta. As I was sitting there waiting to board the plane I saw 3 angel statues in this little gift shop..i went over there and of course Had to buy them! I then sat by another missionary who was there with her church group from Jackson, MS who were there to dig trenches. I also had exactly 3 dollars left in my pocket and then once I got to Atlanta I had to change gates 3 times and I had a 3 hour and 33 min layover..and my departure time was 10:33..but actually didn't leave till 11. It was very strange..see my previous blog about 3:33.
Was glad to be home ..Josh and my parents picked me up ..got home around 11. It was nice to be back but will miss everyone and will never forget those sweet faces of the children over there..I may go back in the Future..I'll be in prayer as to what God would like me to do in the future. It's a great ministry and I highly recommend everyone to sponsor a child or go on a mission trip somewhere..you won't regret it and lives will be changed!!!!!!!!

3/11

My best friend and I were talking the other day and she said she had a dream...God has been known to communicate to her in the past in her dreams..she said in this dream she saw sail boats and on the sails there were numbers and they were all jumbled and she saw 3 and 33 and God said "Do the math"..she then divided 33 by 3 and got 11 and then she saw 3/11..she didn't think much of it at the time but she said something may happen on 3/11..well as I woke up this am I wasn't even thinking about what she told me ..that it happened to be 3/11..then Josh turned the news on and I saw sailboats bobbing in the water in Japan and such devastation and then it clicked and my mind went intstantly to that dream..the numbers written on the sail boats..WOW! I was completely thrown /blown out of the water..although I guess I shouldn't be "surprised" since God is totally active every day but it's just so neat when you really know it's from God. My prayers and thoughts continue for Japan and those affected by the quake/tsunami.