Movie Night

Tonight we had our first movie night out at the communities that we have been helping out with. We were able to get a great little video of "Coco y su pandilla". It is of a guy that does ventriliquism with a variety of puppets. He is a Christian and uses it as a way of evangalism.

First I want to say thanks to all for the support that we were able to purchase a projector with!! So of course we had to try it out. We had a tarp made to use as the screen. (The thing is huge.) Roger had made contact with a local radio station that he could make the announcement for all to hear in the community. Then he went and talked to a few community leaders to get the word out. You never know how many will really show up to something like this, even if you think it would be fun.

We arrived around 6 pm to the school and some of the guys started hanging up the tarp on the outside of the building. They also pulled out some chairs from the classrooms to give seats to as many as possible. We started the video once it was all set up and when we thought everyone had arrived. It worked so wonderfully!!! As the video was going, more and more people kept coming. By the time the night was over, there were well over 100 people that attended!! We were so encouraged. Once the movie was over Roger shared his testimony and led them in prayer.

We talked with many of the leaders in the community to get their feedback, and they were so pleased. They are just as excited as we are about making this a reoccuring event. It wasn't just the kids that really enjoyed the night.

November

The first week of November I had the priveledge to attend a workshop to teach both literacy (in spanish) and ESL. I wasn't for sure how it would all go but I was so pleasantly surprised.

We have a lot of trouble here of people being illiterate. There are nearly 2 million people in Nicragua that don't know how to read. Even in our town and the communities where we work there are over a hundred that I have been made aware of. I heard of this great program and thought I would look into it. The ministry is called LEI (Literacy and Evangalism Intl.). The great thing is that the curriculum that they use is also used as an evangalistic tool. It talks about the Bible throughout the books.

Here is a pic of the group that took the class in Managua to teach literacy. This was the english version for all the missionaries interested.

A week later I had the priveledge to take a course, closer to where we live, in San Marcos to teach others how to teach literacy.

I was overwhelmed with the information about the numbers that I had found locally of those that are illiterate and realized that it was too much to handle on my own. This was the reason for taking this course. I figured if I could teach others, locally and other places that we travel, many more lives could be effected. We all had such a great time. There has already been a group interested here in Jinotepe to learn to teach literacy. I am hoping that this month we will be able to get together for the 3 day course to equip the saints.

This is the group of us that had the priveledge to learn to equip other teachers with the same heart. (This was the spanish training session. Not a whole lot of us white people in the mix, just me and another friend from Managua, Carey!)

Please pray with me that God would direct my path concerning this project. There are many lives that can be changed, not only with literacy but also spiritually. But without God in the middle of it, it can't accomplish His good and perfect will.

Quick Request

Tomorrow morning starting at 10 am and going till 1 pm, there will be thousands of believers joining together at the Monte de Oracion (Mount of Prayer). It lies in Crucero, Nicaragua, about 30 minutes south of Managua. We will be gathering to pray for the will of God in Nicaragua. There have been many things that have happened in the last 2 years and have become even more evident in the last few months, both politically and in the people of this country. I would like to ask all who read and all who feel led, to pray for Nicaragua tomorrow with us.

I truly believe that before time began, God has many things planned for Nicaragua. I know that only God can change the hearts of man. Please pray that God's will be done and that the hearts of men and women will be turned to the heart of the Father.

AMEN!!!

Interesting Article

Today I came upon an interesting article that they actually had in TIME magazine about the recent elections in Nicaragua. I will attach the link so you can have a look. They are a bit more articulate with their writings than I.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1858920,00.htm

I will post more later about some exciting and good things that have been happening in Nicaragua.
Can't wait to share more then.

Elections 2008

No, I am not going to focus on the States elections, just wanted to share a bit about our elections here. Sunday, all of Nicaragua held its mayoral elections. And today, Monday, is a vacation day. I guess to recoup from the stress of having to vote...:) Anyway, it is the next day and there still is not clear cut winner. And actually both major parties are declaring they won.

It is a bit different than in the States. In the USA, if the person you voted for for president didn't win. You may feel bummed, a bit relieved that the commercials are over, excited that you will get to see and hear real news again, but at least you know who it is and ready for what that may bring. You will get up and go back to school or work the next day, chat a bit about it and back to business as usual. Not here, and these were just the mayoral elections.

The attack mode is fairly the same. This person did this and that, they won't do a good job, blah, blah, blah. We have a bit more parades and rallying, than I have usually seen in the USA but nothing terrible. BUT, the next day, wow.

There are 2 major parties, FSLN and the PLC. The FSLN is the party that is in the presidency now, and some are concerned if they gain control in all of the mayor positions as well. So of course that is how they would prefer it from govt. To have their party in control everywhere. There is a big battle going on though. Both parties have said they won. (especially in Managua, the capital.) The PLC are claiming fraud on the counting of votes. There are to be people from both parties to verify the count is correct but supposedly the FSLN kicked out many from the other party...making it difficult to keep all groups honest. I think everyone was suspecting that this wouldn't be easy...expecting lots of corruption in the elections but what can you do.

I went to bed last night after having watched the news where 10 people were injured, in the town 5 min. from ours, because the 2 political parties were fighting. We woke up to see how the votes were going, they are still in the preliminary counting, to seeing the PLC marching through the streets of Managua, protesting the preliminary outcome....claiming fraud. There are rocks being thrown at people, cars and houses, bats being swung, and claims of bullets heard in the streets of Managua all due to these elections. And they still don't know who won.

I am glad we live in Jinotepe. Further from the chaos in some of the streets in Managua. A bit more "tranquilo" (calm). I just couldn't imagine seeing these types of outbreaks, protest, or violence in the streets of the USA or the news.

Please keep Nicaragua in your prayers!! All is in God's hands!

November Clinic

This November marked one year of having the clinic in the communities!!! It has been such an amazing year. It has been full of ups and downs, difficulties and triumps. The wonderful thing is to see the relationships that God is creating throughout it all.This past Saturday went so well. We had over 75 patients that came from surrounding areas. We have several faithful older adults that come for their monthly medicines for their heart or blood pressure. And many children that come for those things that pop up with having kids.

Thankfully it had let up on the rain so the road had a chance to dry out a bit. Didn't mean that it wasn't without huge ruts and holes....we could just see where they were this time. By the time we arrived there was already a big group of people waiting. It didn't let up till nearly 4 pm. Surprisingly one of the moms wanted to make lunch for us. We were so grateful, we were so hungry. Usually we just work through and then eat a late lunch (2pm) but this week it went much later.

We have so enjoyed the moments that we have had with each of the patients. The ability to pray with some and to get the chance to check up on them. It has been a great testimony to the community. We have heard so many great things. School attendance has stayed higher than normal, and every student that comes to school gets a hot lunch (which USAID provides) this means better nutrition. So many things are intertwined. Once the trust can be built and they see that you are faithful with them, that we really love and care about them, things can change and hearts can turn to the Lord.

Thanks to all that help with the support to provide the clinic every month. You have no idea the true thankfulness that they have and have shared with us and I want to make sure you all know. We even had our faithful Amelia (80+ years old) to bring her 2 eggs as payment. She always makes me happy.

I am so thankful for the chance we have to serve each and every one of them.

Just Hanging Out

It is amazing how much you really get to know someone just by doing something together.

We were out at one of the schools today, the only one you can get to due to the pure slush-like mud to try to drive through. Let's just say the roads are so bad we have gone 4 times in the past 3 weeks and due to 20 days of non-stop rain we have gotten stuck all but once. Though we don't feel so bad because the people out there have said that about every truck that goes out there gets stuck. :) The other good thing is that the oxen are readily available to help.

We went to the school to put up a swing for the school kids. The kids at Trinity Christian School in Neosho, MO had been saving money to help pay for a swing set for the school here that didn't even have one piece of playground equipment. They had gotten the money to us a few months ago but the logistics of getting the swing and a way for it to get to the school was a bit hard without a truck, until now.

We had a few guys that said they would meet us to help with putting it together and to set it in concrete. (have to detour the thieves) While we were there we had such a great time getting to know some of the other people in the community that we had not had much time to talk with before. And of course we had our kids and some neighbors of the school to try it out. Seemed to work great!!
(to see more pics go to http://picasaweb.google.com/rreuceda)

While we were there Roger had brought tools and materials to build a rocket stove. There had been a real need to do something about the amount of smoke that fills a house during rainy season when they have to cook in their home, and the cost of the wood to cook with. He had found the basic idea on the internet, from the Aprovecho group, about a rocket stove. And thanks to youtube, got many ideas. It is a very simple design with cheap materials. The total cost is around $5 per stove. We have already made one and had it with a friend in another community and his wife has been so thrilled. So today after they put the swing up, Roger and 4 other guys put the 2nd one together. After we finished the women that were there said they wanted to be on the list for the next and the guys are wanting to do a workshop for all the community to make ones for whoever wants to be a part.

The great thing about the stove is it gives off no smoke (completely burns the wood), saves on buying wood. The first stove, in it's first week, used 50% less wood for the family. (which pays for the stove in less than a month) Cooks faster, and because of not giving off smoke it is better for their health. We see so many people that come to the clinic with so many respiratory problems because of the constant inhalation of smoke within their homes and eye problems.

(to see more pics go to http://picasaweb.google.com/rreuceda)

It has been so great to see the response of the people. They are excited and want to learn how to do it themselves. When we left the school today the guys were going to start talking to others around the community to set up a day to have a workshop. We left the stove we made today with one of the families to show others as they ask. We will soon have a workshop in Dolores, where the first stove is, and there is also talk of doing one in Rio Blanco as well.

It is so exciting how God opens up doors to share the love of God with others. One of the guys that was there today was one of the ones that was part of the group that tried to kick us and the clinic out a few months ago. And he was the one that wanted to help facilitate the workshop. It is so great to see how God can begin to change people's hearts if we just trust Him, obey Him, and love them with the same love that God shows us daily.

These are such exciting times!!!