MARYURI

Pastor Jose of the Candelaria village has a daughter that has been studying English in Leon has also been a great help to all of us. She helps with names of the children at the churchsite as well as speaking to them for us. She is 22 and married to Tommy who is 19. We did not meet her until our 3rd day here (2nd in the villages), but she has been great. Her mother is head of Sunday school in the La Isla community. She and both her parents are great blessings to the people in the poorest parts of the country.

• She led Big Dad, Dan, and Teresa through the homes of Candelaria village people.
• She rode with us to La Isla village where her mother runs Sunday school.
• She went with all of us to lunch one day.
• Dan had her go with him and her father, Pastor Jose, to get cement and pipe to make the volleyball poles.
• She and Diego have become very close friends because they are close in age and she has served primarily as his translator, with the youth boys and even the young kids.

We will all miss her very much, but she like our other interpreters says she will keep up with us via email!

explaining where the jerseys came from

WEDNESDAY, 16th

We went to Candelaria for a lot of projects we had planned for our last day in the villages and then went to a night service at ChiChiGalba, Pastor Gilberto's church.

Before leaving Leon for the villages Diego went to a thrift store to buy 60 pieces of clothes to giveout to the children, with Laura's help...Big Dad, Dan and Teresa looked for a book on the country and got string for making the shell necklaces, with Scarleth's help.

• Big Dad and Dan setup the volleyball poles and attached a net to start teaching the girls how to play
• Laura and Teresa helped the kids make necklaces with the shells collected from the beach the day before
• Diego let the youth boys shoot penalty kicks for jersey number choices and picked captains for the soccer team that will hopefully start competition soon
• At night we all donated the clothes we had brought down to use and then give away
• We all said our goodbyes and Big Dad shared with the congregation about tithing and giving of time and love

At Gilberto's church, we enjoyed some great singing by a 4 yr old (pastors grand daughter)

• We all said thank yous to the congregation
• Big Dad shared with the congregation about tithing and giving of time and love

LAURA

Laura is 20 years old (21 on Valentine's Day) and is currently a student in Leon studying languages. She is also tryin to learn French because she wants to be able to translate for more languages. She has never left Nicaragua, but has family in Miami that she has tried to get to visit but was turned down and will reapply later this year. She has been working with Teresa primarily. She is quieter than the others but is very helpful and will answer any question we have. She is very sweet and is always studying to get better at speaking English. When we are in the van rides between villages, she is studying; it shows because she is improving everyday.

reading books to the young children

• Laura helped read the bible story books that FBC of Boone purchased for the children that were written in Spanish
• She read the backs of the frisbees to the children that Mama Jane donated
• She helped Dan interpret the rules of volleyball to the kids once he and Big Dad finished setting up thee net
• She went with Diego to purchase 60 pairs of clothing for $1 a piece at a thift (2nd hand store on the last day)

She too has email so i know Teresa and hopefully others will keep in touch with her and continue to hope she makes it to the USA.

interpreting for Teresa in Maria's home in Candelaria

TUESDAY, 15th

We did not visit any villages today...Tommy and Linda wanted us to do some siteseeing or have a free day..they usually work 6 days and have 1 day off a week...They enjoy the beach and we said we do too..so we went about 40 mins to the Pacific Ocean at Poneloya Beach just outside of Leon...We got a snack lunch at the Hotel Soyapa Beach where we parked the truck...It was Tommy & Linda and the 4 of us...the interpreters had the day off for personal things to accomplish in Leon

• Big Dad and Tommy walked the beach for a while
• Dan and Linda jumped waves
• Teresa and Diego collected shells for a craft project Diego wants to do with the girls today (necklaces and earrings)
• We later all got in the water and enjoyed some feirce waves as well as the hotel pool
• We saw a place where a river an the ocen connect and the river bank was so green and beautiful
• We ate dinner at the same Hotel patio and it was about the best meal yet...lobster, shrimp and other fish were ordered around our table
• We gave 5 Nicaraguans a ride back to Leon that stopped us as we tried to pull out
• Went to bed semi early because cable/internet was out (we are a little behind sorry)

SCARLETH

We met 26 year old Scarleth first thing friday morning. H's are silent in Spanish so her name is pronounced Scarlet. She is Linda's interpreter..She also serves as the manager of NewSong's "Adopt-a-Family" program. She has been to Belguim, France, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, and Honduras. She is currently dating Leo, that is 25 and working with the baseball team.

• Scarleth brings the fun into play for all the kids...while the musicians are getting speakers and instruments setup she doesn't allow the kids to have dead time or get bored
• She leads the hokey pokey, simon says, and other fun songs all in spanish for the kids to enjoy and loosen up..we call her the ice breaker
• She runs around and helps all of us whenever we are having trouble speaking to or listening to a spanish speaker
• She has helped translate for Dan and Teresa when speaking to the kids or sharing songs within the childrens services
• she is very funny and likes to tease Diego and the rest of our group

We will miss her a lot, needless to say...but she does use facebook and email so we can keep in touch!

MONDAY, 14th

• we went to the market first thing when we woke up to purchase a basketball and a volleyball
• we saw some strange things for sale including live iguanas, live chicks, and fish as a whole eye included
• we left the Gables a little behind schedule and arrived to Candelaria around 11:30
• Big Dad had 3 different meetings today one on one with 3 pastors...he met with Daniel, Pablo, and Walter and his wife...he said that all of them went very well speaking on financial planning...he said the pastors are all so appreciative of his coming and insight...the last hour was spent visiting village homes


• Dan bought some tires, poles, and cement to make volleyball nets...they are setting over night...he also showed 2 electricians where to install some wall plugs..played some frisbee and baseball with the kids...and visited homes in the village at the end



• Teresa met with Linda and the sewing class and discussed some plans for the project of making the childrens school uniforms...she also played duck duck goose, frisbees, and visited village homes with Big Dad and Dan
  

• Diego stayed busy with all the kids again...starting with baseball and moving to basketball and soccer..he talked with the 14-20 year old boys and then let then shoot soccer penalty shots to choose some clothes that he brought to the village...he then shared pictures on his laptop in the church of the week so far so the kids could see themselves and friends on a bigger screen than the digital camera...then played frisbee and more baseball while the others were visiting the village homes...at the hotel, Diego helped the front desk man, William, with his english pronounciation and what words in english meant in spanish


• the kids are really loving the frisbees that Mama Jane donated, they ask everyday to keep one, but when they take them they dont bring them back to play the next day so we will finish passing them out for good and for keeps on wednesday night
  

the kids running out for the last 8 frisbees monday night

OSCAR

Now that we have 4 days left and know 4 interpreters we figured we have been around them enough to share some things about them with you...we will be doing them in order of us meeting them...first up, the man who met us at the airport with Tommy and Linda Gable.

Oscar is 28 born and raised in Leon, Nicaragua. He is married with 1 son and 1 daughter ages 3 and 11 months. He has never been to another country. He speaks great English. Tommy and Linda met him when they first came here 6 years ago and consider him a huge blessing. He is very good at what he does and is a cut up, so you know we get along with him great. He also serves as the accountant for NewSong in Nicaragua.

• He is often telling Diego that he didn't play football but just plays with dolls and is a little girl, but Diego didn't let him sit with the young people today at lunch by placing a 27 and under limit on the fun table.
• He and Dan are always picking at each other and keeps Teresa and everyone else laughing.
• He and Juan were talking and laughing during the music service at La Isla today and Scarleth had to give them "the look" to get them quiet while the infants-16 year olds were quiet and paying attention. They are together almost all the time because he is translating all of the business/financial advice Big Dad shares with the pastors.

We enjoy him just as we do all of our company here, we already know he will be remembered and missed when we leave Thursday.Interpreting at La Isla music service

SUNDAY, 13th

• went to 2 church services: 1 for children at Candelaria village (our main spot) 11-12; 1 at La Isla village 2-4
• the womens sewing class came and measured the kids at Candelaria to make their school uniforms with the cloth we brought
• had lunch in between at RostiPolla (Rooster Chicken) bout the closet thing to American food, but got Nicaraguan dishes and salads
• Teresa helped telling stories in both services with Scarleth interpreting
• Diego (JimBob) danced and kept kids entertained with Scarleth and Oscar while speakers and other musicians got setup
• Dan and Juan (BigDad) were in congregation and played/held children and sang, took pictures, etc
• Dan told the people of La Isla how much we are enjoying our stay and that they have a beautiful country and that we have been prayin and will continue to pray for them
• Juan also got his pastor meetings setup for times and places for rest of trip
• We had dinner at the restaraunt that we ate at first night and came back to rest, it was an easier day and less time in the sun, and we are ready for another full 3 days

SATURDAY, 12th

• before leaving Leon, Diego (JimBob) helped make some postcard sized handouts for a big youth event the 25th of January at Tommy and Linda's
• we went back to the same village today, Candelaria from 11-4 (Pastor Jose Matamoris)
• Dan cleaned the birds nests out of the church rafters, and led frisbee throwing contest for prizes
  
• Teresa entertained kids and donated books, she also got things prepared for leading childrens service the next day
• Juan (BigDad) talked with pastor Jose and taught him to keep a ledger, know monthly salary, and cut back on some unneeded expenses-he also played some first base in our baseball

• Diego played baseball and soccer with the kids
• at 4 we went to another village for a joint church service under the trees where 3-4 churches shared music and word
• the church we have been at most, Jesus Christ the Good Shepard Church (Pastor Jose Matamoris) did a youth skit
• we ate at a Mediterranean restaurant and had pizza & pasta back in Leon

FRIDAY, 11th

• our first day has begun and we are about to eat lunch at tommy and lindas


• this morning we visited to largest cathedral in central america


• we went on top for $2 a piece and got a lot of pictures
  

• we drove 40 mins from Leon, to the village of Candelaria


• we were there from 2-6:30 and met with around 150 people in and out through the day


• Teresa, Dan, JimBob (Diego) played: baseball, soccer, frisbee, basketball, duck-duck-goose, and other games


• Big Dad (Juan) spoke with 10 pastors about finance (with Oscar interpreting)


• There was youth group from 6-6:30 with about 25 members


• We drove back, showered, ate, and went to bed warnout but ready to return tomorrow

THURSDAY, 10th

• we flew in around 1 pm central time


• drove 2 hours from the capital to Leon


• moved into our beautiful motel


• went to dinner


• caught up on sleep (mom, dad, big dad all left raleigh at 5:30 AM central)

tree in our motel courtyard