Update #10 [Day 8]

Friday, June 9, 2023 (Day 8)

We woke up this morning with no water because ants had contaminated our supply so Dave went to buy more water and supplies and got the car cleaned up.  When he returned, we went to pick up Maritza and her daughter Maritza (a VEA student and her mother).  Maritza has been raising her daughter alone since birth and they have few resources.  She has a home-based business as a TV repairwoman.  You may recall us mentioning this family in prior trips.  We have been sponsoring Maritza (Jr.) at VEA and helping their family for over four years.  She is the girl who gave Bethany the painting of the cashew fruit a few days ago and has given Dave several paintings in the past.  And today she gave me one as well!  We took them to lunch at Rosti Pollo in Managua and to get some school and painting supplies so Maritza can also paint at home, instead of just in class.  

While we were out, we were able to have a quick meet up with our friend Valentina at her son's soccer game.  Valentina was the Casa Bernabe Orphanage Director when we came to Nicaragua the very first time.  She helped us immensely and we have been able to stay in touch with her over the years, even though she left the orphanage for other employment many years ago.  While we were at the soccer field, we ran into Jessica, the wife of the Headmaster at Nicaraguan Christian Academy (NCA).  NCA is an English-speaking, Christian school that teaches many missionary kids and educates future leaders of Nicaragua.  Jessica and her husband are also leaders at International Christian Fellowship (ICF) Church that meets at NCA.  This was one of the two churches where our family worshiped while we were living in Nicaragua during both of our adoption processes.  Jessica and Valentina's sons actually play on the same soccer team and they did not know each other.  We had just had a conversation with Valentina about ICF since it is very near her house and she had expressed that her family was looking for a new home church.  So when we saw Jessica, we were able to introduce them and it sounded like Valentina and her family may go to visit the church this weekend.

Heading back into Managua, it was rush hour.  Regan knew a back way that cut off a good bit of traffic, so we were thankful for that since we were trying to get back in time to attend a Community Bible Study (CBS) group from Iglesia Hermanos en Cristo.  We still had the Maritzas with us and so we invited them to come to the CBS meeting with us and they graciously agreed.  The meeting was in a church member's home right off the Veracruz Road.  It was pitch dark, and there was no parking at her house, but a little pulperia next door had a tiny bit of extra space in their storefront and they were kind enough to let us park there.  The car wasn't completely out of the road, but it worked.  

Hermanos en Cristo has four different CBS groups in their church.  They all meet on Friday night at the same time and the groups are organized geographically.  We had a great time together studying Luke 13.  After the study, several people shared what CBS meant to them.  If any of you reading this are involved in a local CBS class, it was much like our Share Day.  It was wonderful to hear how individual lives and the church as a whole has been changed by studying God's Word together.  And as well, they shared how the community has been changed as a result of many churches focusing on studying the same book of the Bible at the same time.  

Fatima shared about how she had studied theology previously, but CBS has helped her apply God's Word to her daily life and how her heart has been changed as a result.  After the meeting, they brought out some sweet bread and soda for a time of fellowship.  They were thanking us for coming to their meeting because they knew we were coming to one of the groups but weren't sure if we might go to the one closer to the church.  But God knew which one we needed to be at because the Maritza's live closest to this group.  Maritza (Sr.) was last associated with the Jehovah's Witness Church.  She has been away for some time and is not currently involved in a church.  The ladies at CBS were so gracious and invited her to come back to study the Bible and to come to church with them.  We had some good conversation and Maritza herself commented that it was God's plan that they were with us today and that we came to that particular group.  It is really amazing to watch Him work through traffic, and unexpected visits, and unplanned, seemingly chance encounters.  We serve a Great big God and I am so thankful that He sees fit to use even me in His great big plans and to give me the opportunity to see it here on earth is just the coconut whipped cream on top of the blueberries (this is something I really love!)

In Christ,

Katy, for the team