After two days of traveling and a lot of anticipation and curiosity, we made it to Nicaragua safely. Setting no expectations was easy seeing that none of us really knew anything about our destination. As we took our last taxi ride to our ministry site, we began to ask our driver as many questions as possible. We quickly found out that there was no lack of chicken and beef in the area. We were also informed that we could have as much cheese as we wanted. Those were the words of wisdom from our taxi driver. As we drove through the nearby town I began to get excited that we might be in somewhat of a city area. He continued to proceed through town and down some small dirt roads that were mainly flooded from the rain. With cornfields, goats and a cow in the field in front of us we had made it. We were finally at our destination. I was way off! We were dropped of in the middle of nowhere. Nonetheless we were greeted by smiling faces and an abundance of love. The children were coming out of nowhere to greet us and drag us off to play. I immediately felt the love and acceptance of the people and knew that God had big things in store for us this month.
Since our arrival in Nicaragua we have been able to participate in multiple ministry opportunities. We are working with New Song Ministries. Our contacts, Tommy and Linda have been so welcoming and loving. The missionaries that were already here have taken us in and made us feel so welcome. It is as if we have added five new members to our squad. We have loved getting to know them and work along side them. The ministry here is all about building relationships with the people. They are trying in every way to equip the people to be able to better their situations. They have sewing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, youth group, church, women’s ministry, children’s ministry, a clinic, and many other opportunities for the locals to get involved. The campus here consist of a house, a clinic, a church, a garden, corn fields, goats, a cow, a basketball court, and a baseball field. There is so much going on here and God is continuously blessing this ministry. Their main objective is to raise up the youth in the community and equip them to go out into their community and share their testimonies of what God is doing in and through them. 
While we are here we are able to participate in anything that is going on. On a day-to-day basis we are constantly spending time with the locals getting to know them and visiting their houses. There are always people on the campus to spend time with and just join in with whatever they may be doing. We also have the opportunity to work on some projects such as the garden and milking the goats.
During our time here we will be meeting numerous locals. We will be building relationships and investing in their lives, whatever that may look like. Please be in prayer that they will have open hearts and that we will be able to love them as Christ does. Please pray that God will break them of the legalism. The people here cannot comprehend God’s grace so please pray that the word grace will take on a new meaning for them. This morning during our prayer walk God really gave me the vision of expansion in this ministry so you can also pray about what that looks like for the ministry and pray that God will open the necessary doors
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
