So this month in Nicaragua has been delightful thus far. It
surprises me how much Nicaragua reminds me of my beloved Bolivia. It’s not just
the fact that they speak Spanish, there are other glimpses of the Latin
American culture that I love so much. The open air market even smells the same.
Something about the way these people are more concerned about relationships
rather than getting things done speaks volumes to my heart.
Team Love Upstream is staying at Casa Mateo this month. Our
original contact fell through, but I am counting it as a blessing, as we’ve
really enjoyed hanging out with Glen and Lynne Schwitzer, completed Jews who
have a heart for Jinotepe. They run a ton of ministries here, and the hotel
(yes, hotel) that we are staying at seems to be a staging area for the many
different mission groups who come to share God’s love to the Nicaraguans.
We’re staying alongside Team Roar, and it has been a joy to
share ministry with members of our squad. There’s also another team staying at
Quinta Esperanza, which is a home for oppressed youth, and it’s good to see
them every now and then when they show up to use our showers.
Along with the other members of our squad, there is also a Real
Life team here, and it’s been really fun to get to know the girls on that team.
They’ve poured into us and I Can only pray that we can pour back into them.
I guess the coolest part of all of this, is that I am
painting again. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it until I had the
opportunity to design some murals for the Church at Nueva Vida, where the Real
Life girls are staying. Lynne had been saying she’s been wanting to do
something on the walls for a long time, and she was just waiting for the right
person to come along so she could get it done. I am humbled to think that I am
that person. I’ll try to post some pics of the murals soon. Ashley has been
helping me with my murals, and though it is nice to have a personal assistant
(Assistant Regional Director. . .You mean Assistant TO the Regional Director.
Same thing. No, it’s not.) I’ve really enjoyed being able to get to know her
better, and be able to share my passion for splattering paint with someone
else.
I guess that’s it for now. Not the most eloquently written
blog, but I wanted to let you all know what was going on here. If you ever get
the chance to visit Casa Mateo in Jinotepe, do it.
