Amazingly enough I have just been chatting with Laura on facebook. How awesome is that? Laura is doing great and she is keeping a journal so that she doesn’t forget anything about her experience there. I told her that sounds so much like John Wesley. Laura will be back in church with us on Sunday and wants to thank everyone for your prayers. Lets remember to lift her, Clay and Bryant before our Father often. What an awesome God we serve!
Ronnie
From Laura:
Hi again!!! I´m so surprised to have another chance at the computer!! This will probably be my last email until i get home, but i wanted to send everyone a quick update.
Thank you SO much for the prayers! I appreciate them so very much.
I´m at the computer because I actually became a little sick this morning, and chez (my group leader) didn´t want me to risk being at neuva vida while my stomach was upset. No need to worry though. I´m fine!!! just better safe than sorry. =) I plan on meeting up with the kids later today to go swimming.. so that will be fun.
Yesterday we went to the market – WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!! whew!
We also had a play date in the city with kids AND their families. OrphanNetwork is really passionate about stopping sex trafficing and prostitution in Nicaragua… so it´s tradition that every year we spend time with the families basically just to have FUN with them. So that´s what we did yesterday. We took them to a church, blocked off the street and had a mini carnival with them. The family i spent time with was a family of 4 – Three children and their momma. The kids stole my heart.. i am so in love with them. There was a boy, Marvin, who was 6, and his older sisters yanka, 8 and yada, 9. We played in a moon bounce, fed them lunch and just loved on them all day long. At first they were very shy, but as the day went on they became more comfortable and started opening up. The hardest part was saying goodbye to these kids.. they had their heads stuck out the window yellin ¨adios lara. you guiero!¨ i love the way they say my name.
We also took the nueva vida kids out for pizza last night. it was so much fun! .. We ate in shifts, two huge groups. I was in the group that ate last.. when it was time for us to walk to the pizza parlor the girl i was spending time with, Marlina, ran over to her friend that was in the first group excited about the pizza and asked her if there was ¨mucho comida?¨meaning.. was there a lot of food to eat? the girl replied yes and they both squealed and jumped around. I couldn´t believe it. There was never a time in my life when i was a KID and had to worry about whether or not i would have enough to eat… wow.
I plan on telling you guys all about my trip when i get home – so i don´t want to say too much in an email.
The people here are so amazing (I think i might have said this once or twice..haha) So full of love and compassion..
Oh! and i have some friends sleeping in my room… haha. i have bats… lizards… AND rats. How fun, right? haha. (Don´t worry mom!!! it´s fine..) It´s not bad.. i just think about where these kids are sleeping. I´m in a warm bed..with a pillow and blankets. Yeah, there´s rats running around…. BUT… these kids are probably sleeping on a cardboard slab on the groud. So i don´t even notice the critters anymore.
anyhoo – i´ve got to jet.. time to go swimming!!!!
i can´t wait to tell you guys all about the trip.
God is good.
All the time.
Nica love,
Laura
Wow. I know Laura is being a blessing as well as being blessed by her trip and I think we should devote an SNL to her telling us about her trip.
As a matter of fact we are going to devote a time to Laura and Clay but in a new kida way! Stay Tuned