Happy Birth Day Jesus!

What Christmas is really all about: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ The LORD."

St. James the Great, Church of England, Daisy Hill, Manchester, UK.

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth Peace and goodwill to all men."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

from beautiful snowy Manchester, UK.............

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Charles R. Swindoll
Philippians 2:7
There once lived a farmer who became jaded about Christmas and all things "Christian."
Late one raw winter night, he sat alone in the house, reading. In the quiet he heard an irregular thumping against the back porch door. He flipped on the light. To his surprise, the birds that had made their nests in a nearby tree were flying against the glass, almost as if knocking to come

inside. The limb on which they had built their nest had fallen under the weight of the ice. His heart went out to them.

He pulled on his snow boots and overcoat and pushed open the storm door. Immediately the birds fluttered away. Against knee-deep snow, he made his way out to the barn. He slid open the barn door and wondered how he could get the frightened birds into its warmth and safety.

He built a massive nest out of hay, but they wouldn't come near. He sprinkled some crackers in a path from their tree toward the barn. But they didn't follow. He tried to shoo them in, but they only scattered. He even lit a couple of candles inside the barn, hoping the added warmth would draw them. But to the birds, he was only something to be afraid of. He knew nothing of their language and nothing of their world.
He thought, If there were just some way that I could become a bird. If only for a few moments I could communicate to them how much I care, I could get them into the barn and they would be safe and warm.
At that moment, as only God would plan it, church bells began to ring in the distance. The farmer suddenly remembered, as he looked at his watch and checked the date, that it was Christmas morning.
At that moment, he grasped the true meaning of Christmas. A man becoming a bird is nothing to be compared to God's becoming a man. This was what the Savior did---He came to rescue the farmer himself and all humanity from the cold of sin. There in the deep snow on the back porch he fell to his knees, softened his heart, and returned to the Lord his God.

See Philippians 2:6-11.

Wishing you and yours a Happy and peaceful time this Christmas,

with love from me and mine. XXXXX

God Bless.

A TIME TO BE THANKFUL!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yummy! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, green bean casserole, cheesy broccoli, followed by pumpkin pie, fresh fruit and the best Nican coffee.

I just got home from our TG dinner at NCA, (Nicaragua Christian Academy.) Great company, great food! I love pot luck dinners when you get a little taste of all those delicious recipes. Now I am SO full!

And not just with food, I am full of thanks. I have so much to be grateful for. My list could go on and on……

I have learned to be content and at peace in all situations, for that I am thankful.

For my family and friends back home, “The Home Team.” It is your continued support with prayers and finances that enable me to be here/Thank you LORD for placing these people in my life so that I can live among and serve the people of Nicaragua.

I was without a vehicle for so long/I learned a lot about being humble and walking by Faith. (Literally sometimes, especially when walking home in the dark!) I built many lasting and beautiful relationships during that time, as folks invited me into their homes on the nights that I could not get a ride home. I am thankful for all those new friendships that blossomed out of the lack of transportation. And a BIG Thank you LORD that I was able to purchase a used vehicle 2 weeks ago!

For the 25 consecutive days (and many other random ones) that we had no electricity at home/Thank you LORD for teaching me to go without and get my priorities in order.

For all the times I found scorpions, snakes and other critters in my room or close by/Thank you LORD for helping me catch them before they caught me!

During all the dreadful rains and storms of the rainy season/Thank you LORD for keeping me safe.

My daughter has been sick recently and finally had surgery last week/ Thank you LORD for her recovery and your amazing provision (via some terrific friends) of a ticket for me to go back to UK to be with her and my 5 beautiful Grandangels for Christmas.

Today is my Grandson’s First Birthday! He has had some challenging health problems/ Thank you LORD for watching over him and being with him when I cannot, and thank you that I will finally meet him in about 27 days!

I could go on, but I’ll stop here and invite you to share some of yours with me please. I would love to hear from you.

Lifting you up in the power of prayer this Holiday Season. Relax and enjoy God’s Unconditional Love!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

30 HOUR FAMINE

students offer encouraging words on one of our prayer walls

A little before 6 o’clock on Saturday, after the 30 hour famine with World Vision that we did at NCA this weekend, we were asked to reflect on “What now?“

I want to share my reflections with you….

Let this not end here!!! We have come this far, let us continue on this path.

OK,
Well, allow me to start with a story: (some of you may have heard this before) a mouse looked out through a crack in a farmhouse wall and was distraught to discover a mousetrap. When he went to tell his buddies, the chicken said, “Sorry pal, not my problem.” The pig said, “I’ll pray for you.” The cow was busy and said, “Come back later.” Dejected, the mouse was left alone to handle his problem. That night a poisonous snake got caught in the mousetrap and when the farmer’s wife went to investigate she got bitten. She developed a raging fever, and everyone knows you treat a fever with chicken soup. So the farmer took his axe to the barn for the main ingredient! As his wife’s condition deteriorated and neighbors gathered, he had to butcher the pig to feed them. Finally she died. So many people came to the funeral that he ended up slaughtering the cow to make dinner for them all. In the end everybody lost!

The Bible says, “Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” 1 Thes 5 v 14. It only takes one thing to be an encourager: a willingness to “bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves” (Ro 15:1 NAS). Before deciding somebody else’s problem has nothing to do with you, read 1Co 12:26 NKJV: “If one member suffers, all the members suffer” You can’t sit on the sidelines while someone’s hurting; tomorrow it may be you! We are told to “Share each other’s burdens” (Gal 6:2 NLT). When one of us is threatened we’re all at risk. Our lives are woven together for a reason; each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry.


Well, I certainly saw students sharing each others’ burdens this weekend. Bearing the weaknesses of those without strength, encouraging them and being patient with their friends.

One of my responsibilities for the event (30 hour famine) was to help set up a prayer room. I gathered many items and set about the task Friday afternoon. It was a beautiful experience, and we started prayer, praise and worship immediately. The fast was from 12 noon on Friday until 6 pm Saturday, and we had around the clock prayer coverage in our temporary sanctuary. The whole event was bathed in prayer as parents, teachers, students and I prayed before the event, during and after.

At the start of the event each student was given an index card to write out a prayer request. Most of them were anonymous, in fact only 2 or 3 were signed.
Then we posted the prayer requests and started praying.
Students and leaders were coming in and praying over the petitions, some written answers were displayed. I saw and felt a spirit of unity among the students that I had never seen before. (It may have been there, but this was the first time I had become aware of it.)

The more we prayed, the more I saw the freedom of The LORD. I realized that the enemy no longer had the right to be in any of these situations, not one of them! I saw healing begin as God took over. Strongholds were torn down, chains of injustice broken, freedom in Christ. The lies and schemes of the enemy are now in God’s hands. I saw students encouraging each other, lifting each other up with words of edification, hugs, tears, healing and hope. Amazing unity. Thank you LORD, Praise you Heavenly Father, Thank you!

When it was time to tear down the prayer room after the event on Sat night, I just couldn’t do it! I had seen so much healing and victory in that room over the weekend. I ended up leaving it there an extra night, promising to tear it down the next morning, Sunday, before church. Even then, it was so difficult for me, as I started to pack away the candles and curtains and get the room ready for business as usual Monday morning.

After the event I spoke with one of the high school students and we both felt that it shouldn’t end here, not like this. We could not bring ourselves to erase the prayers and toss the cards away.
It is time to walk out this healing, in Jesus name. We have to walk out this victory, claim it in Jesus name, for this generation and for generations to come.
Romans 8 v 37: “In ALL these things we are more than conquerors.” So how can we be MORE than conquerors? Well, we not only win, for now we have God on our side. (And “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8 v 31)
But we have also trapped the enemy in his own snares. He dished out pain, suffering, fear, shame and humiliation, and thought he could get away with it! But now he has it all back! He has to flee. He has been trapped in his own evil devices, they no longer have a hold over the lives of these young people and their families. And, now the battle is not ours, but His! Exodus 14 v 14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Once we know about a problem, an attack of the enemy, we can do something about it. We can unite and stand firm! The unity that we shared this weekend will not just end now that the 30 hour famine event is over, we will work at making it a way of life.

I spoke to our Principal Saturday night about having a prayer room somewhere on campus permanently, where the students can go to express their deepest fears, pain and intimate struggles. So we can unite and gather together and protect ourselves from the wiles of the enemy. As long as we hold each other up we can claim the victory in Jesus name, just as Moses did in Exodus 17 v 11-13: “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired they (Aaron and Hur) took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-one on one side, and one on the other – so that his hands remained steady until sunset,” until the battle was won. Let’s hold each other’s hands up!

Shackles were broken this weekend, prisoners were freed, from darkness and lies, God showed up in a mighty way, bringing the victory that comes with the blood of Jesus. As He promised us in Isaiah 58 v 6-8: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break EVERY yoke.”

Almighty Father in Heaven, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for the wonderful works of your hand. I thank you that you will continue with the good works you have started here and see it through to completion. Phil 1 v 6: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Help us to walk out this victory for these students, lead us and direct us LORD. Give us wisdom and discernment to know what the next step is so that our students can reap the harvest of the seeds that were sown this weekend, may they prosper not only now, but for generations to come.

Independence Day.

Nicaragua's Independence Day

FROM HILARY CLINTON TO NICARAGUA......


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC

September 13, 2010

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Nicaragua on the 189th anniversary of your independence this September 15.

As schoolchildren throughout the country read the Act of Independence of Central America and honor Nicaragua’s long history, we offer our best hopes for a future of opportunity and prosperity for the Nicaraguan people and all the people of the Americas. The United States is committed to working with Nicaragua to deepen the relationship between our countries based on mutual respect and cooperation.

I wish all Nicaraguans a happy independence day and a prosperous, democratic, and peaceful future.

Hillary Rodham Clinton





PRN: 2010/1239

Dia de la Patria! Viva Nicaragua!!!

Last Friday we celebrated Dia de la Patria here at NCA/Nicaragua Christian Academy. I learned a lot about the history and culture of Nicaragua as the children presented their projects at various booths.




Then they performed many of the local folklore dances in full costume. Even the teachers dressed up and danced a traditional number!! We ended the fiesta with a lunch of typical Nican food: gallo pinto, nactamales, pino lillo and more yummy dishes.

Can you find me? back row, 2nd from L

I am blessed to be on the team here at NCA sharing their vision for these students:
Nicaragua is in desperate need of moral leadership. For 100’s of years, Nicaragua’s leaders have made decisions out of a desire for personal gain and have lacked moral integrity, commitment to social justice and compassion towards their people, resulting in widespread poverty and corruption. 55% of NCA’s students are Nicaraguan and will be future leaders in their country. Our vision is to give them hope and a resolution to make a difference in their country. Until leaders are committed to servant leadership based on God’s Word, the economic situation of the poor in Nicaragua will not improve.

my dear friends Golda, Sam and me. (L to R)

Flooding in Managua.

Torrential rainstorms last Thursday afternoon took the life of 15 year old Ana Gabriela. Daughter of one of our staff members here at NCA, Ana Gabriela drowned as she was trying to cross a flooded bridge on the way home from school. I went to the wake Thursday night. There were so many people there, both from NCA and the local community, bringing words of encouragment and comfort to the family. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child. LORD we lift this family up to you in the power of prayer. Thank you for your unfailing love.



Getting around town today, Saturday, was slow. The devastation from the fierce rains is evident all around. Walls have collapsed all over town, and many homes have been destroyed in the floods. Roads are blocked with fallen power lines, Managua is a mess! Please lift up all the families who have suffered terrible losses due to this dreadful weather, and also pray for protection and the peace that passes all understanding in the midst of all this. Thank you Father for your mercy and grace.

Beach Babies!

When I'm not at NCA, you will probably find me up in El Crucero visiting the babies. Last weekend we took them to the beach for the day. They loved it! Then we went to church on Sunday and to Pizza Hut for lunch afterwards! At four years old, Ofelia is now walking!!!! She took her first steps last week. !! They are all so much more interactive, with lots of smiles that warm your heart. When they first arrived, they would not even look you in the eye. God you are amazing. Thank you that we can be co-laborers with you! Go God!

NCA/Nicaragu Christian Academy.

The first 2 weeks of school went well. I have thorougly enjoyed getting to know the students and have been blessed to be able to do some after school tutoring also. There is an atmosphere of peace and calm on campus as we invite The LORD to be with us in all we do. Thank you LORD for bringing me here at this time :)

my visit to El Crucero

Saturday August 7th: I went up to El Crucero to spend the weekend with the new babies from the Atlantic Coast. Many of you have been praying faithfully for their health. They were all in hospital at one point. Thank you God that they are all safely back home now. Allow me to introduce them to you: Yelka, Emily, Frankie, Leo and Ofelia.



Hugs and kisses and God Bless you all!! You are precious in His sight!

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Back to school!

Greetings!

I have spent the last couple of weeks preparing to start a new school year at NCA/Nicaragua Christian Academy as Lower Elementary Teacher's Assistant. It has been a little overwhelming at times, but well worth all the time and effort. We had our open house last night and I enjoyed meeting the parents and students. Some were old friends, and some I was meeting for the first time. This is a new begining. I can hardly wait to see what God has planned for the next semester and on from there.

Back to school for the students starts on Monday, I look forward to being in the classroom again and working with the children in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. Roll on Monday! Go God!!! I'm with you!

Coming soon..... watch this space for pictures and updates on the children in El Crucero. I am heading up to visit them now :)

God Bless, thank you for your continued prayers. Love ya xxxx

Dear friends:

thank you for your prayers for Ofelia. She is improving daily and may be released in another couple of days. Praise God!

BUT: we have 4 more babies in hospital battling chronic pneumonia. Working around the clock to help them get better. Please pray for miracles of healing and thank God for sustaining us as we continue to care for them. Two babies at the hospital (not in our care) went to be with their Heavenly Father yesterday. Coveting your urgent prayers. Thanks, God Bless x

Urgent prayer request!!

Please pray for a miracle of healing for 4 year old Ofelia critically ill in hospital in Managua. (Yes, she is 4 years old, not 4 months.) She is severly malnourished and battling for her life.)
Will send more info later, got to get back to the hospital.
THANK YOU! God Bless X

What's NEW?

Back in Nicaragua, and happy to be here! Rainy season and all!!!

It is so beautiful, lush and green. I am in awe of your wonderful creation LORD. The words from Isaiah 55 v 12 come to mind; "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." I join Creation in praising you LORD.

Thank you to all who made my time in USA so fruitful and rewarding. I love you!!

I made several interesting contacts while I was in Florida and plan to follow up on them here over the next couple of weeks. Please pray for God's direction for my meetings with: Food for The Poor, Angels of Hope Orphanages, ANF/American Nicaraguan Foundation, Arms of Love Orphanage and La Vina (to name a few.)

"See I am doing a new thing! I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland." says The LORD in Isaiah 43

And indeed He is doing a new thing in my life.

God has provided me with an opportunity to work as a teacher’s aide in a local Christian school here. It is a missionary position that pays a basic living stipend. This will help me to take care of some things that my previous budget did not allow. Mostly health & dental care, maybe also a car, and at some point a home of my own. I have been hitching rides and taking public buses, which I don’t mind at all but it is getting increasingly dangerous, especially as a single female.

The Nicaraguan Christian Academy (NCA) is dedicated to raising up a new generation of leaders to bring this country out of the darkness it has been entrapped in for so long. This matches my vision for Nicaragua.

It will be quite different for me to be ministering to children at the school, a new responsibility in a totally new environment.

I feel strongly about continuing to work with children in need, in orphanages and in the streets, and I pray that God will make it known to me how He wants me to do that.

One of my future visions is to be able to provide a safe place, a home for children in critical need, and I press on with that goal in my heart.

I appreciate your prayers and invite you to stay with me as we go forward to the next scene in the Epic Adventure of Life.

The John 1:14 Challenge!

Right on target!! Go Gainesville, Go Gators! Got your attention?

read on …..

No doubt God’s heart is broken for the lost and abandoned, the needy, the orphans and widows. The Bible makes it clear how God feels about missions. Jesus Christ is our model of how we should reach out to help. Jesus ministered through loving people and building relationships with them. He encouraged and discipled people then empowered them to go out and do the same.

The Missions conference at The Vineyard of Gainesville a couple of weeks ago was a rich time of unity. I was blessed to be among like minded people from so many of the different churches in the area. Many thanks to all who helped with the conference, it was very rewarding to share our hearts for missions with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thank you LORD for all the seeds that were planted, may The Harvest for Your Kingdom be great! May this become an annual event and continue to stir peoples’ hearts for missions. May we bring Glory to Your name Father as we go out and do the work you have commissioned us to do.

I fly back to Nicaragua June 24th. Check back for more updates :)

"Mercy, Peace and Love be yours in abundance." Jude 2

Awesome God!

The YWAM Outreach training ended May 18th and the last of the team left on Thursday night. WOW! What a radical, fun, challenging God adventure!! We travelled around Nicaragua and worked with several different ministries as well as local communities and got a great firsthand experience of many of the awesome works that God is doing here.

Praise God that Jo jo and Japheth were able to leave Managua last week to travel back to the Atlantic Coast to be reunited with their family. Just in time to celebrate his 1st birthday at home! What an amazing recovery, and a living testimony to God's healing power.

The YWAM girls and I learn how to make tortillas, outside, Nican style.

Visiting dear friends in the community of Los Cedros.

We visited two schools in Nejapa and shared the story of Noah. We talked about God's unconditional love for us and His perfect plan for each one of our lives. Through hearing The Word, one of the teachers accepted Jesus as her Savior! AND the Pastor we were working with that week was invited to return and give weekly bible study classes . Hallelujah and Amen!!!! Thank you LORD for allowing us to be even a small part in your amazing plans. "And how can they believe without hearing? And how can they hear unless someone tells them?" Romans 10 v14

We did a Kid's Camp" for about 80 children 3 afternoons in a row. Many of them wanted to come back to the church on Sundays and bring their family's. Thank you LORD that: "He who began a good work in you will carry it through to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1v6

We helped with a feeding program at the city dump, La Chureca, and stayed to play with some of the children afterwards.

Team photo in church at Pochocuape.

YWAM girls, I will miss you! Thanks for coming here and doing life with us! You're the best!

Japheth released from hospital :)

Celebrating the success of the final skin graft. Amazing God!
Oh and I forgot to tell you I have the honor of being called "Abuelita blancita" (The white Grandmother.)

Baby Japheth was finally released from hospital last week! Hooray! He was admitted with his Mother April 8th and had several emergency plastic surgeries on his leg. He is recovering well at a friend's house and will stay in Managua for at least 15 days so they can go for a follow up checkup. Praying they can return to the Atlantic coast to their family soon. Thank you LORD for your provision, healing and protection. You are good ALL the time!

Starting early with The Word: Japheth "reading" my Bible :)

Update on Jo-jo and Japheth...

April 27th 2010: I went to visit Jo-jo and Japheth today. He is doing incredibly well. The skin graft looks better than I could have imagined. (After working with burn victim baby Pedro in Los Cedros last year.) He was so happy, crawling all over the bed, pulling up on both feet, using both legs as normal!!! Amazing, thank you LORD! However, he was scheduled for more surgery tomorrow at 9am. One more skin graft is needed. Please keep him in your prayers, his blood count is low and he may need a blood transfusion too. Especially pray for no more infections, and for comfort for his Mother. I am involved with a different ministry this week and am not able to visit them as often. Hopefully they will be released from hospital soon and will be allowed to stay with a friend of mine here in Managua until they are able to make the trip back to the Atlantic Coast.