Torn hearts

Well, one thing that no one can prepare you for is the attachment that you have when a team comes down to serve with you. I guess you end up giving a little bit of yourself away each time and it hurts when they have to leave. When their bus passed by the entrance of the campground upon their leaving Jordan and I waved as they drove off to the airport. When they were out of sight Jordan walked back to a picnic table on the white house patio, placed his arm on the table and his head down on his arm and bawled. I tried to explain to him that there will be many more people that we have to say good-bye too over the next couple of months.

This is the hardest thing about being a missionary! To everyone who came down from Palm Beach, we love you and we truly do miss you!

Prayers Answered!

The teams arrived safely at the airport...Always an answer to prayer! Team A made their way on to the other places that they are ministering to before they meet up with Team B, which has been staying at the camp, in Los Chilies. When they combine at Los Chilies they are a team of 38; I think I should have clarified that better in my last post. Team B is comprised of 23 Palm Beach University students. They are a great bunch and we have thoroughly enjoyed the past couple of days with them. To the Mom's & Dad's of those kids who might be reading this; as I told them all last night, "Ya' done good"! They left this morning for Los Chilies. Team B returns to us on Sunday night with a day of sightseeing scheduled for Monday and then an all-day clinic at the campground scheduled for Tuesday. They leave for the airport on Wednesday at 1 p.m. There is a young lady on this team who went to Campbell University and their Director is from Henderson, N.C. We've had a fun time talking to them about "home" in N.C. I tried to keep off the subject of food; like Bojangles! What I wouldn't give for a biscuit and a chicken leg! :)

God answered another huge prayer on behalf of David & Katherine and Ken on Tuesday. The team was held up in customs over medication and after explaining why so much medication was coming into the country the woman said, "it's all well and good what you are trying to do, but today you won't be taking the medications through" and she walked back into the office, and left David & Katherine and Ken at the counter. The three of them began to pray over the medicine and for the people who needed it. The woman came back a few minutes later, looked at them and said, "I never saw you here, now go"! They turned, motioned to the team to get the bags and passed through customs with the medicine! I cannot wait for them to get back. I believe that God has big things planned for this outreach and for this specific team! I believe that they will be meeting physical, but also spiritual needs these next two days. I also know that Satan is against what they are trying to do. Please continue to pray for both teams!

I'd never make it as a super hero, Nathan (hanging head). Today, I unplugged the phone and took a nap! (Well, for that matter, so did Kyle & Jordan)!

Los Chilies

Ken, Katherine & David are at the airport this afternoon. They are picking up the short-term missions team, 38 members strong coming in today. Please continue to keep this team in your prayers over this next week. They will be leaving the camp on Thursday morning after breakfast for a 7 to 8 hour vehicle ride to Los Chilies. Los Chilies is located at the northern border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. There, they will be ministering through three days of medical clinics. They say it can be 110 degrees there and the conditions are deplorable as the people group is mostly Nicaraguan refugees. Ken and Heather will be making this trip together and they will return on Sunday evening. I will stay at home down the road from the camp with the boys since while this group is gone we will have a Costa Rican church renting the campground for the day on Saturday. We have had the campground rented out the last three weekends for Saturday rentals and when this team leaves next week, we will have a group of 70 renting the campground for the weekend! We have spent this past weekend also preparing for this large group by actually having to disassemble bunk beds and then set them up in other cabins, doing laundry (towels, washcloths, etc.) We are all kind of a bit tired, but we are really enjoying working together!

Please pray for safety for the team as they travel, for the boys and I as we stay home and manage the campground, and especially for the people that they will be ministering too. Pray now as the team prepares to bring medicine and the gospel to those who are hurting physically and spiritually.

To Hickory Grove: We miss you, more than words can express!

Picture

I thought you might enjoying seeing this picture! This was the little "visitor" to our laundry room during our second week here. Wow...that "zoom" button on our digital camera is an ingenious little feature since I was taking this from my neighbor's yard! I'm just kiddin'! You have to keep your sense of humor down here or else you will be miserable. Today, I have been looking through 82 emails. We finally got the telephone company to report to the house above the camp and restore the phone service and the internet line! I have not been able to check email for three days now! It's just part of that "learning to be flexible" thing! We are doing well, though Heather has been sick the last two days, throwing up all night the first night, but thankfully feeling better today, but continues to have stomach pain that is concerning us. She may have gotten some bad water, though we don't drink from the tap, and we may have to treat her for a parasite if the stomach pains continue over the next couple of days. I know she would appreciate you remembering her in prayer as she is a little bit uncomfortable. Thank you Chris for posting comments on here and Nathan. It's really nice to have something to read from home and from Nicaragua!