In Part 1 I shared with you a few ways God has used us here in Granada…below are a few more ways and more…..
Friday Night Open house
Every Friday night the Espositos open their house up to the men and women they are reaching out to in Pantanal and in their neighborhood for a night of fun and games. The night is filled with ping pong (Nica style – game is played to 5, winner stays), bags, chips and queso, fellowship and more. The open house is a safe place for people to gather and get to know each other more….life on life if you will!
Teen Girl Night (Saturdays)
This is a fun girls night in which local teenage girls who we have relationships with gather together for food and fellowship. My teammate Margeaux and I had the opportunity to discuss with these girls the topic of beauty. What is beauty, how does the world define it, and what does God’s word say about it? We looked at 1 Peter 3:3-4 and Proverbs 31:30 – good stuff! Such an important truth to know that our value and worth does not come from what we look like but that we are God’s treasures and children whom He loves! We enjoyed our time with them!
Sports day & Futbol clinic (Saturdays)
REAP Granada has purchased 70 acres of land (see photo) in which they use to host their weekly sports ministry….every Saturday morning we pick up kids throughout Pantanal and head to the field to play. During this time the little kids are organized into a game of sorts while the teens and adults usually play baseball or futbol. Then a break is taken for Bible message to be shared and then more games are played. For the past two weeks the last game played was a Nica vs. USA handball game….let’s just say we have represented well!!
This past Friday and Saturday my team and I put on a 2 day futbol clinic to provide an opportunity for kids 5-18 to get to play soccer, a favorite sport down here! We had a great turn out with over 40 kids….the second day of the clinic we hosted a tournament in which we had over 10 teams with kids of all ages. The best part was getting to share about the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31) and helping them see the importance of treating others the way you want to be treated even playing soccer! It was a blast and it didn’t rain!!
Nursing Home (Saturdays)
After spending the morning playing sports, we change the pace and head over to the nursing home. We get to serve and love on the men and women living in the nursing home – which is very similar to that of one in the states expect they speak Spanish! This past Sunday they put on a BINGO fundraiser that we played in – super fun!!!
(Jen & I at BINGO!)
Hopefully the picture becomes even more clear the ways God is at work through REAP Granada and us in Nicaragua…..impacting not just kids but teenagers, their parents, and the whole family!
I didn’t mention that when we hiked to the top of that mountain overlooking Granada we came across this cross! What an amazing reminder that God is alive and at work here in Granada and everywhere!!! (above is my team, the other World Race team, the Esposito family and our friend Jesse)
I pray you will step into the opportunities God gives you each day to minister to people around you – at the grocery store, at your job, in your neighborhood….God wants to use you to impact other people and in turn be changed too!
Loving Jesus!
Lauren
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Ephesians 5:15-16
Friday we leave for the Philippines….it’ll be my first time on that side of the world! Pray for travel mercies!
