Nicaragua or Bust!

It's finally here! Jeremie and I are leaving for our big adventure to Leon, Nicaragua on Friday! Believe it or not, I have fit ALL my luggage needed for one week into a carry on! (See gray bag in front.) And to top it off, I believe Jeremie has actually packed more than me.  Our check in baggage is being used for bibles, crafts, sports equipment, and 499 Dum Dums. (Jeremie at 1 at the packing party at the church last night.) 

I was taking a picture of our luggage and look what black & tan piece thinks he's going.

We are traveling with a team of 8 from our church, but meeting up with another team from a church in Gainesville, FL when we get there.  We will be staying with a missionary, Oscar Correa, and his family who live in Leon permanently. We are getting very excited and look forward to spreading the gospel to a place that needs a lot of hope and love right now.  

Leon is the second largest city in Nicaragua, but stricken with poverty and need hope and God's provision in their lives.  Many of the people we will be visiting live in plastic or cardboard homes, and we will even be visiting a city dump where over 250 families actually make their home.  There, we will be helping with a feeding program and working with the children.  We will likely be coming across about 1,500 children (no, that is not a typo) through  VBS activities, school assemblies, and sports camps, which we hear are VERY effective in getting the kids involved as a way to share the gospel.  There have been many other activities mentioned, but from what we hear, we'll probably be "winging it" a lot of the time with what our next task is!  

These New Testaments have English on one side and Spanish on the other!  Below that is a "story rug" with a picture squares that take you through the Bible.  It is actually very fun trying to match the pictures with the stories.  Jeremie really wants to come up with a Twister version using this rug.  Right hand: Moses. Left foot: Samuel. I can see it now.

Anyway, if you'd like to see more about Nicaragua & Oscar's work there visit:  www.internationalimpactministries.com and click on Nicaragua.  

Specific Prayer Requests for our Trip; 

• Please be in prayer for the people that we will "clearly" proclaim the gospel, "make the most of every opportunity" and our conversations be "full of grace".  (Colossians 4:3-6) 
• Safe travels there and back.  (We will return Friday, August 5.)  
• That God will work through language barriers & literacy so we may reach the Nicaraguans for Christ
• That God will be glorified on this trip and our pride/human nature will not get in the way!
• Pray that the people will come across will have open hearts-many have probably "heard of God" but do not understand what it truly means to have a personal relationship with him and that "by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:8)

Thank you all-we are blessed to have friends and family that we know will be covering us in prayer while we are gone. If anything, I KNOW that the entire community of Indian Springs, MS is praying God's ear off!   .  

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should"  Ephesians 6:21

"...that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation amount all nations."  Psalm 66:2 

I Heart Saturdays......

This morning we hit up the Dog Park with friends David & Melissa and their pups, Lexie & Stewart.  Then they all got baths at the Humane Society Dog Wash.  A nap on the couch just made sense...............

Florida Fun......In the Sun...

Summer is here and Jeremie and I have been spending much time in the Florida sun.  Memorial Day was complete with a new kiddie pool.  Intended for Manny, but I think J and I enjoyed it more.  I spent most of the afternoon laying in it and reading a book. 

The sun AND the Bulldogs were HOT HOT HOT at the Super Regional game in Gainesville.  We attended Game 2, which was going pretty rough for the Dawgs, but in the bottom of the 9th, Vick Vickerson hit a home run for the win.  Sad Gators everywhere. As we all know though, we were beat out in Game 3 and the Gators went on to the World Series.  Still proud of our Dawgs for fighting hard.  

Happy, but dying from heat exhaustion.  At least we got a seat though. The last Super Regional we attended  (hosted in Starkville was so crowded I had to stand on an ice chest for 4 hours.  Totally worth though-we made it to the World Serious that year.....

ALWAYS take a picture of the scoreboard.....

Cowbells were NOT allowed in Gainesville....for good reason...FEAR THE BELL!

Last weekend for my birthday we headed to Daytona Beach for a much needed getaway.  I had won a silent auction several months ago for a two night stay, so we decided to cash in on it.  We arrived Friday night and had a birthday dinner on the balcony which consisted of appetizers from Bonefish and cheese that J had picked up at the cheese shop in Thomasville.  (Yes, we are officially cheese followers.) It was great to spend some quality time with my hubby and as always, he made sure to make my b-day very special. 

Saturday was spent laying out on the beach followed by another fantastic meal at The Chart House.  Everything was incredible, but the award goes to the Chocolate Lava cake which is hands down the best dessert I've ever had.  They tell you to order it early, as it takes 30 minutes to prepare.  Too bad it only took 90 seconds to eat.  I would attach a pic, but it went so fast, there was not time for pictures.  I. LOVE. CHOCOLATE. 

On the way home, J even took me to the outlet malls in St. Augustine for a little shopping.  A man after my own heart:  Beach, chocolate and shopping. 

Another year older....looking forward to what God has in store this year......