Day Three (Monday)

First, for those who have been praying, we are happy to report that, yes, Andrea was able to get a temporary passport at the U.S. Embassy today.  It was an all-day project for her and Lisa (and Francisco, the mission team coordinator), but her new passport is in hand.  Gracias a Dios!  (Thanks be to God!)

Today was the first day of our clean water project in Quince de Julio.  This project is truly life-changing because most people in this community get their water from a hand-dug well.  The ground water is contaminated from all sorts of chemical run-off and bacteria and is often stored in open containers, putting it at risk for further contamination.  Through the survey that MOST Ministries did this spring, we know that our water filtration bucket systems are making a huge difference in the health of every family that has received one.  Last year we were able to distribute 24 filters, but this year our goal is 40.

On our way to Quince de Julio we met our two translators for the week, Frank (from last year!) and José. Upon arrival we had a morning devotion led by Pastor Silvio and then got ourselves organized, so that the first team of Pastor Dave, Ray, Bob, and Bill could get started with the three-part neighborhood visitations of doing the health surveys, assembling the bucket water filtration systems, and putting together the Tippy Tap hand-washing stations.

While one team was working on the neighborhood water filtration project in the morning, Greg and Diana Strand started the Health & Hygiene classes with the adults.  We had many of the same adults we worked with last year, so Greg made an extra effort to connect the physical with the spiritual.  For example, after he used some glitter on his hands to illustrate the spread of germs, he talked about how we could also use the glitter as a metaphor for spreading the love of Christ.  As a side note, we held our classes in the church, and we are happy to report to Team 1309 members from last year that the rusted-out door in the church was replaced by MOST with our donation.

After lunch, it was time to greet the children for their VBS program and Health & Hygiene class.  Cindy welcomed the children with her fantastic drawings, crafts, and a donkey puppet named Pedro to share the Bible story, Bob kept them busy with games, and Dianna Hart taught the kids about handwashing and germs.

While they worked with the children, Pastor Silvio, Pastor Dave, and Bill took Greg and Diana out with them to visit 4 more families.  Pastor Silvio has worked with the teams so often during their visits to Quince de Julio that he was able to not only demonstrate the Tippy Taps (and say a blessing over those using them), but he is also often the one assembling the filtration systems.

An important part of these home visits is the family health surveys that Pastor Dave has really taken on as his personal prayer ministry as a part of both Team 1309 and Team 1419.  Rather than just collecting data, Pastor Dave is also carefully listening for prayer needs and ends every interview with a prayer and the sharing of a Bible verse from his "Spiritual Vitamin Jar."

With a physical need as basic as clean water and the fact that we all have a spiritual need of intercession, it has always been obvious to us how life-changing these short visits are.  Though we are at each home less than an hour, we are able to bring life-changing gifts and the joy is evident in the gratitude we hear and see at the close of each visit.  Pictured on the left below is Aracely, who, though she had just been crying over her husband abandoning her family, was able to smile after Pastor Greg spent some extra time in prayer over her.

The rest of our day was spent in more mundane tasks like the daily grocery store run for breakfast items and prep for tomorrow's work.  As the mom of the two youngest team members though, I do have to share one event that happened after our delicious dinner tonight -- once I show you our delicious dinner of mixed kebabs (shrimp, chicken, beef, and pork), rice & beans, mashed potatoes, and plantain chips (some of which are missing because I had already begun to scarf them down before I remembered my camera)...

Anyways, after dinner, we had another glimpse into just how cherished children are here in Nicaragua.  Our two dear cooks brought along toys tonight for Adam and Audrey that they made with their children.  We were so touched by their thoughtfulness -- sweet Audrey couldn't stop going back in the kitchen for more hugs.

So that's most of the events from today.  For our prayer warrior friends, please join us in thanking God for good health for our team members, that Andrea was able to obtain a new passport, and that the day went smoothly even though the team was separated.  As for our next three days of the project, we are planning to split into two water filtration teams each day in order to get 34 more filters installed, so please join us in praying that we would be able to accomplish our tasks and touch many lives here as we have been so blessed by the welcome we have received.