Susie's 411 from Managua

Newest additions!!!

2010-11-16T16:45:00.000-08:00

I am sure that most of you have heard by now that Villa Esperanza,"Village of Hope", has added eight more beautiful girls to their family this past October. We were so happy to be able to welcome these girls with open arms. The house was ready with new beds, clean bathrooms and plenty of food to eat! We have a new house mother named Evelyn and she was prepared to welcome the new girls by covering the herself and the house in prayer. She was able to meet the new girls before they moved in as Gloria was in the final selection process. And I know many of you would like to now how the girls are selected as there are so many that are in need.

Gloria, director of Villa Esperanza, was the one to search out and ask for advice from a couple of ministies we work with inside La Chureca. She worked very closely with the principal and teachers of Colegio Cristiano La Esperanza that is located inside the community of La Chureca. With a few girls she already had in mind and armed with a list from the teachers at the school, Gloria walked around and visited various families and began the interview process. Due to heavy rains, she was not able to visit as many families as fast as she would have liked, but in God's time she managed to visit them all and so began the selection process. Which, of course, was a very challenging process. How do you choose only eight girls when you have a list of 15? And the more you learn about these girls stories the more you realize there are 100 more that need to move out of the dump too. During this process, as we all covered it with heavy prayer, Gloria would share that the Lord was leading her to the right girls for our new home. He would clearly shut doors where it was needed and open others to the girls He had in mind. Thank you Gloria for being connected to our Lord and letting Him guide you every step of the way.

We work directly in agreement with the girls families, so it was important to interview them and find out why they think their daughter should live and be a part of Villa Esperanza. Many of our girls have suffered abuse of all forms and many of their parents are desperate for their girls to have a better life. Many of the girls are at the tender age where older "men" begin to hunt and prey on these girls. Literally sending communication to them enticing them to come away with them, but without knowing they would live a life of abuse and most likely pregnancy would be in their near furture. After the "man" is done with her, the girl is returned back to her original home, now with another mouth to feed and no education or means to support their new child. So continues the cycle and you can see the crisis that has been going for generations in this community. The parents of our new girls (and many other families in the dump), realize this and yearn for a better life for their daughters. I am often struck by the ability of these parents to sacrifice and let go of their children. Can you imagine giving up your daughter to live elsewhere? To not see or talk to her everyday? Pray for these families that have submitted to what the Lord would have for their daughters. Pray Jesus would fill the emptiness and lonliness as only He is able and Worthy to do so!

The girls have been living in Villa Esperanza for about 3 weeks now and are doing very well. We have been able to spend some special times with them and are learning more about their personalities everyday. They have much to learn. Seeing the new girls helps me realize just how much our original 16 have grown and changed into amazing young women! I am excited to see the changes and watch the growth of the new 8! Watching their skin and hair change and become more healthy, watching the opportunity for their education to advance and most of all I am super excited to see these girls come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The One that will heal their hearts and the deep wounds they have had to live with for so long! Please pray for these girls daily that they would come to know Him and the Love He has for them. They are truly precious gems! If one girl stands out to you please pray for her daily!

And now to introduce our eight new treasures!!!

Gissel (pronounced jee-sell)

Crisbel, sister of Maria de Jesus who lives in Mama Alba's house

Diana (pronounced dee-ana)

Geysel (pronounced Hazel)

Guissel (pronounced jee-sell)

Kenia (pronounced kenya)

Luisa

Maria del Carmen

Mama Evelyn

I am growing to love these girls more and more everyday! They are a little rough around the edges, but that is what is going to make their transformations so special! And they have learned so muach already in the last few weeks. Here are some more pics of their first days at Villa Esperanza.

Fun at youth group

Next up: Life in the Villa with 8 new girls. (how are we all adjusting...)

Thank you all for you prayers and support! We could not do this if it wasn't for your faithful support of Forward Edge and Villa Esperanza!

Short time, no see.....

2010-10-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hello again!! So happy that I am able to write again in less than a year's time! It is almost a miracle! haha So continue on with the happenings of summer time teams, we had a a small team from Tacoma, Wa come and fill the Villa with hard work and lots of fun and silly-ness! They loved the girls form the Villa, played, talked, prayed and they sang A LOT! Our theme song for the week was "Never gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley...My question was how did these kids know this sing so well? That is a song I grew up singing and I am no spring chicken. They were thrilled when they found out I knew every word! :)This team had the honor of planting an endangered species of trees at the school "Cama de Piedras" in Chiquilistagua. This is the school a majority of our girls from the Villa attend. We had an assembly with all the students from the school and then we had a planting ceremony. Each team member partnered with a chosen student and they planted trees together. Altogether I think we planted 60 trees in total at that school. We then planted some of the trees at other surrounding public schools.

This was a team that had a good time no matter what they were doing! They were 100% themselves and 100% accepting of all people. They had the advantage of having 2 Spanish speakers on their team which helped the team to connect with many of the people we served. They shared their powerful testimonies with our girls from the Villa, other teams and with each other. I learned a lot from this group and what it means to be saved from a former life that does not have to define who you are. That knowing and loving Christ changes your story the moment you surrender to Him. I knew that, but sometimes I think we don't get to SEE it played out in front of us and especially see it played out in young people. It is powerful for the people of this country to know that we have struggles in our country(USA) and culture as well. Sometimes Nicas watch TV and think that that is the culture and lifestyle for all North Americans. Through our teams they are able to see and learn about what most of our country lives like. They can hear about the struggles, hardships, and issues we have with in our own country, and alongside that, they can hear about how our Lord Jesus has overcome it all and has changed lives forever. We have a common bond that I don't think many of us think about or realize. We are given the opportunity to touch some one's life in profound ways if we only keep our eyes and ears open to God's leadership and guidance for us. This team knew that and I believe it changed and touched the lives of both the team and the Nicas they came to know and love.

We went back to 'The Refuge" ministry with a few more teams and were able to help complete the renovation of the building and the yard. God transformed this location with the gifts of many teams from many partnering ministries.

We also had the privilege to visit HAT with a few of our teams this year. HAT is a temporary protection center run by the Nicaraguan gov't. In the past they had children with special needs living in their home for a longer period of time than the 21 days that supposed to be the amount of time children would reside there until they are placed back with their families or placed in a different more permanent location. Many of the children we came to know in the last year have been moved to other locations and HAT is now more of a temporary home for kids off the street.
The center has been upgraded leaps and bounds from last year. They now have two dorms for boys and girls, working lights and electricity throughout, AC in a few rooms used as classrooms. New paint inside and out. The new director has really stepped up and fought to improve the conditions to help the well being of the new children living there. Our teams helped by doing various small projects like yard work and painting, but mostly our focus was to build relationships with the children and workers. Spending and investing time one-on-one with the kids is really valuable in a place like this. We did crafts, played baseball, painted faces and just spent time sharing smiles with the kids. They in turn shared their gratitude by dancing for us. They danced national folklore dancing which as always is a pleasure to see. And it is always so good to know that they are learning about their culture and heritage in a place like this.

The Refuge in Los Brasiles

Face painting at HAT

They go crazy for candy!

I have to close for this episode....My gardener just told me there was a big snake in my backyard and he wants to show me the skin it shed!! I just saw it and it's was at least 3 ft + long.....he says it won't go far and that it will come back at night and I should look for it with a flashlight or maybe it is in the house rolled up in a shoe....huh??? What the hecks?!? You want ME to look for the snake (big poisoness snake he says) at night??? And do what?? So he says he will come back at night and look for it with machete in hand, Praise You Lord!! Thank you for sending me people who look after me!!

Soon to come: Eight new girls move into Villa Esperanza!! Yeah!!

Almost a year.......please for give me!

2010-09-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Please forgive me for not posting in almost a year! I cannot believe time has passed so fast! It came to my attention many times this past summer, that a number of people randomly find my blog by doing searches for information about Nicaragua and La Chureca. Through meeting new people God showed me how He can work in such different ways. I guess I never thought of folks randomly running into this blog and being touched by what I share. That set aside I SHOULD be writing regularly to keep my friends and family updated, this where the forgiveness comes in...:) Thank you.

So life has been very busy, for the last few months especially. During the months of June, July and August we have a majority of our teams visit and serve here in Managua. This year was unusually busy, praise God. We had more teams visit in a shorter amount of time than ever before. We had 14 teams come in the time of 12 weeks. Many of those teams overlapped, and Villa Esperanza was a hub of action! We were honored to have many returning groups as well as welcoming new teams that have never served with us before. I would like to thank all of them for coming and putting all their hearts and souls into what they accomplished.

This year more than ever were able to share that the value of relationships is so important in the ministry that we are called to do. Many times the rain dictated what we were able to do for the day or the afternoon. That meant that we needed to start impromptu games of soccer or kickball, be prepared to share a blessing in our lives or give a testimony. Sometimes we can can get so caught up in the 'do' and we forget about the 'why'. The 'why' is so important! We are called to love. And in our culture we show love by 'doing' most of the time, which is a good thing, but sometimes that isolates us from the relationship part of things. In a culture where relationships are so important I find myself struggling to understand what that means. That sometimes my 'doing' is seen as an act of love, but most of the time it's just what is need to be done and everyone else is doing the same. But when you take the time to invest in a life the picture changes. When we take the time to create and build relationships, God gives us the opportunity to help 'change the story of someones life'. This is a saying used often by Wilbert, our director here at Villa Esperanza. Think about what that means! We cannot change what has happened in the past, but we can help someone grow and move forward in a way that can change the story of their lives. Was there ever anyone in your life that helped change your 'story'? A teacher? A Pastor? Your parents? A stranger? I have seen it with my own eyes....people come down to work and serve, leaving here having touched someones life in a way that has changed that persons 'story'. And in turn God has touched and changed the team members story forever. Powerful.

You may know I am not a wordy type of person. I like to share photos. So here we go!

We visited a new ministry this year called The Refuge run by imagine ministry. It is in a place called Los Brasiles, just outside Managua on the way to Leon. The run a preschool, feeding program and have after school tutoring to help many of the older students in this community. We covered the kitchen(below)...

We filled in the backyard and helped build a new basketball/sports court.

We went to Leon and worked with a church called Vida Y Luz. New Hope Church out of Texas is going to invest much of their time and support to this area. We had a medical clinic, working with 2 Nicaraguan doctors. They also worked with many local men in building a tower for a water storage tank. We palyed with kids...A LOT!! The most powerful part of what God did during this visit was that the men of New Hope bonded and built strong relationships with the local men. Patora Dolores (the Pastor) has been praying for the Lord to bring more men to this church for the last year. And what a privilege it is see Prayers answered right in front of you.

Mario adding written prayers requests and verses to the to the concrete of the columns.

Our time ended with feet washing... and idea of the men of the church. New Hope washed theirs and they washed ours. What a wonderful time together.

Our tent city. We were soaked....it rained a lot!

We are having our first Talapia fish fry today in a Villa. I must go and eat...More to come later. I will explain the Talapia fish fry.

Blessings to all and thank you for your love and support!

2009-12-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

I was blessed to be able to come back to the US for Thanksgiving Day and a visit with my family and friends. It was wonderful to come home, rest and relax... a little. Although it was a little chilly, the days were sunny and clear. There are no mountains in Nicaragua like our mountains especially with snow. I miss snow. When the time came to go home to Nica (I like having two homes :) I was ready for the warm weather, shorts and flip flops. I was welcomed by my Nica family and all the girls living at The Village of Hope. I then realized how much I had missed them.

Since being back in Nicaragua we have been busy welcoming a new missionary who is going to work with FEI and The Village of Hope for a three month trial period, looking ahead to a year or two commitment. She is adjusting quite well and the girls are really enjoying her friendship. We have decorated the Village with Christmas lights(thanks Dad!) , a tree, stockings and garland. We all enjoy sitting on the porches of the homes basking in the glow of the lights.

Also, we had two of the older girls graduate from primary school. Monica and Martha, along with their mother and sister had a graduation ceremony much like we have for middle school kids.And two of our younger girls from The Village of Hope danced during the graduation program. It was hard for some as this means they will no longer attend the primary school inside the city garbage dump. They will miss their teachers and their friends next year when they move on to secondary school, which is much like our high school. They know they will go together to school next year, but are nervous to meet new teachers and make new friends. Plus they will be taking the public bus and no longer be driven to school. They are growing up, that is for sure!! We are very proud of them and we are grateful to God that they are maturing and growing in Him.

Thank you to my family for making my time in the states such a great time, I love you. Thank you Summit View for your support, prayerfully and financially. I would not be here if it wasn't for your blessings!!

Thank you all for your support!!

Maria Celeste as a mermaid

Martha and her mom and teacher.

Monica and her sister and teacher.

Karla (a girl from the dump) and me.

Martha and Monica
below
my dad and me

And the Summer Comes to an End (did I mention the girls LOVE to swim?)

2009-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

The last teams of the summer had a wonderful time with the girls swimming! Lot's of swimming! We went to a waterpark outside of Managua called Hertylandia. This was built years ago, and now even though it shows a little bit of age, it still has three functioning water slides! The girls had a time going down frontwards, backwards, stomachwards, sidewards, and trainwards (I think at one point there was a train of at least eight people)! And for those who had some fear of the slides it was an opportunity to develop trust and improve their swimming skills.

We also had the pleasure of going to the beach. A favorite of ours! The water was amazingly warm, and the current was perfect for playing in the waves. I stayed out playing far longer than the team!

We played, we laughed and we ate. There were horse back rides and quad rides as well. But most of all I think the girls just loved being in the pool. The freedom of swimming is something they love to feel. And of course on the way home after a long hard day at the beach, the bus falls asleep. This is one of my favorite sights. The bus is quiet and all you hear are the cobblestones under the bus tires, purring everyone to sleep.

In the middle of the last two teams I had to leave the country for three days to renew my visa. I decided to go to Costa Rica. Specifically a place called Playa Hermosa. I had wanted to drive my own car, but when I got the list of requirements I needed to fulfill to get permission to take it to CR, I decided it was easier to take the bus. It's not a long ride, just the border wait can be annoying. (Next time I will do what I need to do to take my car). Most of my time there was just resting and doing LAUNDRY hahaha! I don't have a washing machine so I took my dirty clothes, because the little casita had a washer and dryer. What a treat!! (I get excited about the strangest things!) It was a good time to rest and rejuvenate!

And as for my life at home, I have moved into a smaller and less expensive house. It is in a development of about 50-60 small homes. The homes here are more 'apartment' size. It is perfect for Lucy and me. There is a good size backyard for her to play and run and, I am now finding out, dig... The homes are guarded 24-7 by 3-4 guards each shift. I feel safe and at peace. I shared a house before and am missing a few creature comforts. One being a washing machine. I have been washing my clothes 'por mano' like the locals. It was fun at first, but I cringe when I have to wash sheets and towels. Have you ever tried to wash sheets and towels by hand? The postive side is that it is exercise and my arms are stronger. I will have to invest in a washing machine soon, bigger muscles or not. As you can see below Lucy is doing great. She really is a sweet blessing. She is very independent, brushing her own teeth (hahaha) and bringing the outside in to help her feel more comfy (yes she dragged that branch in through the little door opening). I thank God for her everyday! She has been the perfect companion.

Since the team season has been over, we have been winding down with the girls. Getting back to a regular schedule of homework, chores and fun. We have begun to embroider Christmas cards again. The older giirls have been teaching the little girls how to make the cards all on their own. This has been a prayer of mine. That the girls would reach out to one another without prompting. The have really grown into a family.

We have another girl moving into the Villa, taking Rosa's place. Rosa decided to leave and go back home a few months ago. It was a challenge for her to have structure and discipline in her life. I am sure she missed her home too. We miss her very much.

Maria is due to move in any day now. She has visited the Villa with her mom and has spent a weekend with us. The older girls took her under their wing, especially Sara and Karina. They reached out and really tried to help her feel welcome. I just found out that she slept on the floor for the nights she stayed. Simply because she is not used to sleeping in a bed. This is just one example of challenges some of the girls face when they move in with us.We are excited to have Maria and anticipating what the Lord will do in her life.

During the slow times without teams, I have been able to rest and get caught up with paperwork and communication. To spend more time with friends nurturing those relationships the Lord has blessed me with. Most of all it has been a time to catch up with the Lord. It is hard when the 'busyness' gets in the way, or rather I let it get in the way, to have that intimate time with Him with no time restraints. I desire more of this in my daily life. Please pray for this time with Him for me.

The girls will be ending their school year in November. We are going to begin a vocational program at the Villa for the girls during their vacation. I will keep you updated on this program. I am excited to see what talents and gifts each girl has and what they will find joy in doing.

Prayer:

Pray for Maria and her family, as well as the girls living in the Villa, as Maria moves in a joins our family.
Praise Him for the changes He has made in the hearts of girls already. Pray their hearts would be softened more and open to His love and healing.
Pray the vocational program would be successful, wisdom for myself as I take the lead of this program.
Pray for Forward Edge International as they move forward with funding campaigns.
Pray for our staff at Villa Esperanza. That our team would be united in Christ, lead by God and prayer would be our priority.

Thank you all for your prayers!!!

All in a Summer's Work II

2009-09-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

After my brother David left to go back to the States, our team season began. It started later than usual due to teams having to drop out due to the economy. Yes, we feel the pinch, or rather punch down here as well. We had teams from the North West, Texas, Virginia, Florida and New York. Nine teams in seven weeks...not bad at all. Our first teams worked here in Managua. We often work with a church called El Faro, a church that ministers specifically to the community of people that live and work in the city's garbage dump. Most of our work involved covering family homes with plastic to help keep the rain out during rainy season, serving food at a feeding center El Faro has established inside the dump, and working on the church property itself. The Pastor and his team have an amazing ministry coming out of this church. In the past year and a half they have encouraged the people of this community that they have worth and are children of God. They have begun home groups, job training, and micro business just to name a few programs available to these church members. Forward Edge is blessed to be able to be a part of this ministry.

We also worked at a local public school called Cama de Piedras or "Chiquilistagua". They have recently been given ownership of the property the school is on and it is much need of repairs and maintenance. A team from Canada earlier this year donated enough money to put new glass in the windows, new plumbing outdoors, and to replace two toilets and sinks so the students would not have to go to the bathroom behind the building in a ditch. One of our first teams painted a colorful mural in one of the classrooms, dug ditches to lay new pipe for clean water, trimmed bushes, cut grass and moved yard debris. Of course saving time in the afternoon to play with the kids.

July came and that meant four days of camping in Leon, Nicaragua. Leon is about an hour outside of the main city Managua. If you know me, you know I am not a camper! Ohhhh the sacrifice! But I loved every minute! Camping with a team full of Texans is an experience like never (in a good way), and the rewards that came out of it made every dirty, dusty excruciatingly hot day worth it! We offered a medical clinic, working with two Nicaraguan doctors with a pharmacy, attending to around 100-120 people per day. We cut hair (okay, Mark cut hair), expanded the church building using good old fashioned construction techniques, did crafts with hundreds of kids, washed and styled hair and gave out school shoes. At the end of every day we took bucket showers, ate dinner prepared by a professional chef :), and had fellowship with kids and neighbors that attend the church. Then went to bed on our tent city (my tent broke the first hour we were there!! but still worked). The bonds that come out of an experience like this are amazing and I am truly blessed to be a part of this work.

At least someone enjoyed my tent!

These were the adventures of the first few teams. I was not with every team as we had scheduled multiple teams during the same time. This year I missed my dear friends from Edmunds WA, as a good friend Katie McGrew and her family came down and lived in Nica for two months to help with teams. She was taking care of the teams I was not able to be with. Thank you McGrew family! You all were a true blessing to our ministry.

Josh and Maggie McGrew playing at he Villa.

Prayer:

Praise God for all the volunteers He sent to help Nicaragua.
Pray HE reveals the purpose of their short term mission trip to all the servants this summer.
Pray churches, teams and individuals step out in Faith to send or join teams for next year.

Next installment coming soon!!

All in a Summer's Work

2009-09-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

The summer started with a visit from my brother David. He came to finish building the kitchen in our Rancho and the kitchens in the two new girls homes at Villa Esperanza. He originally came to stay for two weeks, little did he know he would live here for a month. He finished the kitchen in the Rancho just in time for our first team to arrive. And let me tell you how happy our kitchen staff was!! He also built a bathroom with two new stalls in the Rancho, helped build and finish two kitchen islands in the new girls homes. All the while teaching and mentoring Reynaldo, one of our workers here at the Villa. What a blessing it was to have David here at the Villa for a long visit. We did have a few days off to go sight seeing and visit some places that are not on the usual short term mission team schedule. He got to taste a little of the daily life here in Nica.

David w/ Cori and Flor de Lis in their new kitchen.

Also during David's stay we hosted a Family Day celebration in Villa Esperanza as well. We partnered with El Faro church, a church that ministers to the community that lives in and around Managua's city dump.We expected almost 400 people to fill our village to help celebrate. And almost all showed up!! We had great time of worship, a message was presented on family values, lunch and fellowship, games and fun for the kids. But I think the adults had just as much fun!

Worship

Girls living at Villa Esperanza dancing in worship.

We took pics of ourselves...

played on the playground...

ate together... (Pastor Ramon and his wife Miriam)

We raced in potato sacks...

and walked blindfolded learning to trust.

We made friends (Gloria's nephew Alex and my bro Dave)..

and we gave out Coke's as prizes!!

We had a wonderful time just laughing and being together. The summer season was coming soon and we were preparing for 3 months of hosting God sent visitors. Now I know summer is over, but this is mi time to get caught up and update you all on the last four months of happenings for me in Nica. Please forgive the late but, better late than never, updates.The next installment coming soon!

Prayer:

Praise God for the moments He gives to spend time with our friends and family.
Praise Him for every new day of life.
Pray for FEI's field staff in Nica for wisdom and guidance as we choose a new girl to move into the Villa.
Pray the Lord would prepare her heart as well as her family's.

In the Future

2009-03-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

It was nice to travel back to Nicaragua with two friends from the Forward Edge home office that were joining us down in Village of Hope to help plan for the future. We arrived at the Village and we were greeted by the wind blowing and the sun shining. A team from New York was holding teacher training classes for the teachers from the dump school. All the girls were off school and playing on the playground. And a back- hoe, yes, I said back-hoe clearing the land for the next two girls homes!! The Village was bustling with all types of activity. Since there was no school, children from the dump were bused in for afternoons of sports camps help in the open field near the back of the property. It was wonderful to hear the shouts and the laughter coming from the kids all day, knowing that the possibility of some of the girls who came to visit for the day will soon call the Village their home.
Our future planning involves the possibility of buying an adjacent property to the Village which will have a medical clinic, vocational center, missionary training and housing and a small guest home. The idea of opening this area to the community is a great vision FEI has for the Village of Hope. To offer training and education for those that live around the Village will fill a great need in the community.

New construction on girl's home #3.

Thank you to all who wrote letters and sent pictures to the girls of the Village. They have enjoyed receiving greetings and treats from all of you, especially the ones they have met before. They really feel special and are realizing there is a possibility for future relationships. They love to see pictures of your families and, of course, of themselves. This, I believe, boosts their self-esteem every day.

Martha reading a letter from my home church.

This week its back to school and a daily routine for us all as we anticipate and plan for our next team March 10th. A group of fourteen women ages 23 -69, are coming to minister to women. Women here Nicaragua love their girl time too.
Please pray with me:
· Preparation for the next 16 girls moving into the Village and their family’s hearts.
· Construction would be smooth and timely.
· Gloria’s health as she comes into the final 2 months of her pregnancy.
· A re-invigorated relationship with the Lord for all of us serving him here in Nicaragua.

A Look Back At 2008

2009-01-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

I don't want to use many words, the pictures speak for themselves. Thank you to all who helped support this wonderful project and who helped support me personally these last two years.

God Bless you!

The first homes in Villa Esperanza are built.

The first 16 girls moved in to their new homes July 1, 2008.

A day at the beach for the girls: Maria Celeste, Alondra,

Julieth, Betty, Ana, Erminia, Brittany, Xochilt.

Dance class at Villa Esperanza.

Homework time with Alondra and Xochilt.

Ana, Brittany Perla, Erminia and Karina.

Washing the Villa dog, Milo with Wilbert, Monica Scarleth and Betty.

Brittany and me.

Baptisms: Karina and Pastor Ron and Ramon

Scarleth

Perla

Monica

Graduation from primary school: Roberto, Perla and Gloria.

Making new friends: Jose Ramon and girls from Motastepe.

Privilege of the girls washing my feet for my birthday.

New Christmas dresses for everyone!! Thank you Nick and Johnna.

Christmas caroling with Newtown Church!!!

Lights at every rotunda.

Out searching for Christmas lights with Hazel, Hope and Elizabeth.

Maria Celeste, Alondra, and Brittany our angels.

Christmas time in Quinta Malu, my home.

My new home.

My new puppy Lucy.

Christmas in Villa Esperanza

2008-12-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Newtown Church &Villa girls singing Silent Night

We all were very blessed to have a special team from New York visit us for this Christmas season. Because of this team, the girls living in Villa Esperanza have had many “firsts” this season. First Christmas lights decorating their houses (we surprised them, you should have heard them scream), first Christmas tree, and first trip to the circus. All in one week!!! The team provided us the opportunity to have a Christmas gathering for all the girls and their families from La Chureca (the garbage dump). There were food baskets given out to the parents, presents for all the brothers and sisters, and gifts for our Villa staff as well. We also enjoyed a program of the New York team and the girls living at the Villa singing ‘Silent Night’ together in English and Spanish, and the little ones dressed up in angel costumes singing and dancing. The blessing of the evening was to see all the families gathered together, enjoying a meal, music, and prayer, truly expressing what the meaning of Christmas really is, Christ coming to earth to make us new. Our little angels

Parents from La Chureca

A few days before our Christmas party, I was honored to have a little surprise party thrown for me in the Villa. I was welcomed by all the girls singing Happy Birthday while holding a huge chocolate cake! The singing was followed by gathering in a circle, praying and having the girls bless me with a foot washing. I cried, of course. To see Gloria and Wilbert lead these girls in the ways of Christ, and to see the girls happily follow is just amazing. You can see the Lord’s work right in front of your eyes.
Birthday foot washing

This wonderful event was then followed by me getting the chicken pox the next day. Apparently you can get them twice….I sit here writing this letter struggling not to scratch. If you are wondering how I got them, about 6 girls at the Villa have been passing ‘varicela’ (Spanish for chicken pox) around for about a month. It was just a matter of time I suppose.
The week before Christmas will be busy with shopping, wrapping and organizing gifts to give to around 300 children and adults from other ministries Forward Edge International works with. What a joy it is to see the happy faces of the kids and the grateful faces of the adults. A special night out with the girls and house mothers is also planned. This will be a chance for them to wear new party dresses a generous couple from Portland offered to buy them while visiting us in Managua.
Thank you all for your prayers and support over the last year. Especially to my family, their words of encouragement and comfort keep me going through good and bad. I miss you more than you know. I love you.
Merry Christmas to all!!!!
Susie

Learning In the Villa

2008-11-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

It was a wonderful blessing to be able to visit the States once again. It was great to see a lot of you and hear the plans for your return to Nicaragua. Thank you for the support you have provided the last year and a half. It is such a comfort to know the family you left behind prays for you every day.
I returned to Nicaragua with the news that my co-worker’s father passed away suddenly while attending a function in Villa Esperanza. Most of her family and many of her friends were in attendance. Please keep her and her family in your prayers, especially her mother.

We are also in the time of final exams for the school year for the girls living in Villa Esperanza. Mornings are filled with chores and studying. Many are learning to read for the first time with the help of local tutoring. School will finish Friday November 25th and resume again in February 2009. On the schedule for the girls are days filled with native dance classes, tutoring, jewelry and greeting card making, cooking classes and the excitement or teams coming in December and January. All this mixed in with visits with their families. Our December teams will help provide a Christmas celebration for the girls and their families, with gifts for them and their siblings. What fun it will be to see all the kids together with their families on such a special day.

This past week we had a foster care specialist, Denise Gibson, return to visit and asses the Villa and it operation. She was very impressed by the programs in place and to see the girls flourishing in their new environment. She had visited this last February to teach a seminar on foster care. What a blessing to have her back!!!! To have her eyes see the things that we don’t. She was able to talk to the girls’ one on one and really listen to how the girls are adjusting and what their goals are for the future. We were also blessed to have a meeting with the parents of the girls and ask what changes they see in their daughters and to encourage them to tell their daughters they are proud of them. The parents are very grateful to have their girls living in the Villa and seemed to be interested in changing their lives as well. They wanted to know what they can do differently as parents!!!! I was moved by this revelation in them. They were asking for parenting classes!!! This has been one of the goals we have been praying about. And they are asking!! God is Good! I am happy to report Denise sees the girls as adjusting in a very healthy way. We are all hoping to see her return soon.

I have joined a new Bible study with a group of North American women. Most of who are missionaries. Although we are going to break for the holidays, I am happy to meet and fellowship with new friends. Salsa dance classes have filled my Wednesday evenings for the last two weeks as well. I am behind 3 classes, but have picked it up quite quickly (or so they are telling me)!
I am going to miss being home for the holidays, but am looking forward to spending it with friends and my girls at the Villa!!
Prayer:
· Gloria and her family feel the comfort of the Lord during this very difficult time.
· Girls and missing their families during vacation and the parents understanding and open minds.
· Economic and political issues both in Nicaragua and the US.
· Praise God that Denise was able to come and connect with the girls form the Villa. Pray for her return and blessings upon her family.
· For my family and me as this will be the first time I will be away for the Holidays.
Dios les Bendiga!!!
Susie

New Addition to the Family

2008-09-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! We just had our last team until December leave on Saturday. And we are all getting back into normal life with out teams. If you call that normal. The girls at the Villa are doing very well. We have a a woman from New York here teaching jewelery making until this Saturday. She has taught the older girls at the Villa and is visiting a small pueblo called Motastepe. All this in hopes that the ones that learn can teach others and start a business. We are also teaching the older girls from the Villa greeting card embroidery. A local woman has held one class with the girls and we will have another class coming up this Friday.

Last Sunday night, we all had dinner together at the Villa with the girls, Gloria, Wilbert and many of the workers from the Villa. After dinner we had a time of prayer led by Wilbert. I was amazed when all the girls, including the little ones were silent during his prayer. Many of them were brought to tears. He prayed for their families, and he prayed for their relationships with each other. The two houses have become somewhat competitive, and it was causing division in among them. We ended in a circle holding hands and hugging each other telling them we love them. These are the moments when you KNOW God is in this place and touching each and every girl. It was truly a special night.

On a personal note, I have a new addition to my family. Her name is Lucy.

She is the cutest thing I have ever seen. She is really good and obedient!!! She has done a lot of learning on her own. I am truly blessed to have her.

Prayer requests:

Praise God for the work He has done in the lives of the team members who have visited. And that He gives them wisdom and guidance as to what to do with the experience He has given them.
Praise Him for the people He sends to Nicaragua to help.
Pray for the health of Gloria and her pregnancy.
Pray that He would draw me to His heart and bring me out of the desert I feel I am in.
Praise Him that He is a God of Mercy and Forgiveness.
Pray for my friend Lisa's adoption of 3 children from Vida Nueva. Pray for quick resolution and that all the children will be ready to go with her at the same time.

Thank you all for your support and prayers.

Love in Christ,

Susie

2008-09-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

I know you have a lot of questions concerning how the girls living in Villa Esperanza were chosen. What the age limits are and if we will ever house boys from the dump. The ages for the girls right now are 5 yrs old to 16 yrs old. We have one girl in high school, with another that will graduate from primary school and move on to high school. The girls were chosen by an application and interview process. The announcement went out to families whose children attend the school in the dump (La Chureca). The applications were filled out, Gloria along with the principal of the school, held interviews with the parents to find out what the immediate need was for their daughters. The needs ranged from emergency safety issues, to families who just didn’t want their daughter or could not provide for them. After much prayer and deliberation, the first sixteen were chosen. The parents have agreed to let their girls live in the Villa for a minimum of 3 years, with the possibility of them living there until they graduate high school and/or college. We are hoping to be able to work with local communities, churches, companies and schools to help maximize the education the girls will get and for them to realize their employability. Also by adding a vocational center in the Villa we will be able to teach basic skill sets to help the girls reach their full potential and to give them a chance to not just survive in the outside world but to thrive in the outside world.

I was asked a question by a friend, and she wanted to know how the girls responded to having teams stay at the Villa all summer long. I will tell you that they said over and over again that they missed the teams and wanted to know when then next teams were coming. Some of the older girls help work in the kitchen and do some basic housekeeping. This allows them to learn responsibility and work ethic. All while developing relationships with locals that work in the Villa. They also are able to see positive and healthy relationships between men and women and boys and girls with the youth teams that visit. They are taught boundaries and are held accountable for their behavior. These are all things that they may have only seen while at school in the dump. Now they can live it. Besides all the life skills, they are receiving a ton of love!!!!! And they have made many friends who want to keep in contact with them.

If you are interested in helping and keeping in contact with any of these special girls please visit Forward Edge's website (there is a link above) http://www.forwardedge.org/ and click on their Child Sponsorship program.

Here are a few pictures, above and below, of the girls with teams, see for yourself how happy they are!!!

Villa Esperanza's Sweet 16

2008-09-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!!! I am back again with another update! Can you believe it!!! I want to update you all on Villa Esperanza and the first 16 girls who live there.

The girls (pictured above along with their house mothers) moved in July 1, 2008. They were moved into their new homes by their parents. The moms and dads were able to see the brand new houses, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. They slept for the first time in new bunk beds with new sheets. Some of them took showers in a tiled shower for the first time ever. Some had never seen a shower or experienced how a shower works. After a little encouragement, they worked through their fear of the falling water and enjoyed the newness of it all.

The first few days were filled with tears and homesickness as the girls realized the separation from their families was real. But with lots of love and prayer the homesickness has turned in joy and happiness. The girls have many opportunities to see their families as they return to the dump everyday to attend school. If the parents so wish they can visit their daughters everyday. When school is out for a few days there are arranged visits and even overnights scheduled for the girls. Where the girls are allowed to return to the dump and spend the night with their families.

A few days ago Gloria and Wilbert had a family meeting with the parents and shared with them the changes in the girls, the activities planned for them, the help that has been provided for them and so on. The parents shared with Gloria and Wilbert the changes that they see in their daughters and what a blessing it is that their daughters were chosen to live at Villa Esperanza. One father shared with Wilbert that he knew this was the right place for his daughter because she told her dad she has never been happier in her life. And her dad said he knew this was true because he sees her smiling and happy all the time. Something she wasn't before. I know these parents are missing their children, but praise God that they are allowing their loved ones to have the chance a a better life. And through this new life pray the parents in turn want a better life for themselves.

This is a short update...will return with more...feel free to post any questions you may have or email me at susie@forwardedge.org and I will happy to incorporate the answers in a new update.

Bitter Sweet

2008-09-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

The teams have come and gone for the season, and I am finding myself going through withdrawal. FEI in Nicaragua, hosted 14 short term mission teams in 10 weeks. That makes around 300 people. Teams traveled from all over the U.S. Florida, Texas, Washington, Oregon, New York and so on. These teams worked on various projects. From beautifying and ministering to women, helping waterproof houses in the garbage dump, construction work in Villa Esperanza to medical check-ups in Leon, Nicaragua. They were they first to stay in Villa Esperanza and test out the new team home accommodations, they camped in a field, stayed in a very modest and primitive hotel (this time with lights and w/out cockroaches).

In a city called Rio Blanco, 4 hours northeast of Managua, we took a youth team from Edmonds, WA . We were met by the Mayor of the city and had a TV interview for the local news. Our project was helping clean the city. Which consisted mostly of picking up garbage along the city streets. The locals wanted to know why we would come all the way from the US to pick up garbage in their little city. It was our way of helping support a local Verbo Church and to let them know there are people who care for them around the world.

Another team from Gulf Gate Church in Sarasota, FL provided us with a more intimate experience. A small team of five. But what they lacked in numbers they made up for in work!! These men are looking into the new beginnings of an out house that was about 20 ft deep at the time, soon to be 30 ft deep. They say this hole will last around 25 years!!!!! We were in a town called Motastepe, just on the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua. There is a local church there we are trying to help support. Gulf Gate Church has also donated the money to buy the pastor of this church a house for his family. The photo above is a team member cleaning up after a long day of painting the new house.

We were also blessed to have 2 youth teams come from South Lake Foursquare Church in Westlinn, OR be our last teams of the season. They did an amazing job of waterproofing houses in the garbage dump with sheets of black plastic. Each team finished about 8 houses each with plastic left over to give the locals to help other families in need. These teams also helped with projects in Villa Esperanza to help us get ready to build another children's home and to prepare for the official Villa open house coming up in late September.

Although I am happy to get the much needed rest from hosting and managing the teams, it is bitter sweet not to see my friends from the states and the Nicaraguans I consider family everyday.

I had planned to add more pics of people we worked with this summer but have seem to misplaced them and have since removed them from my memory card, so here are just 2 friends. Mario is an interpreter we have worked with since March, great kid, hard worker and loves to help his people(notice his shirt!!That was sent by a youth team from Portland) The other is my friend Donna who the Lord sent me just when I needed a friend. Thanks Donna.....

That's all for now. Next post I will update you all on Villa Esperanza and the 16 girls that have been living there since July 1. They have told me they miss the teams too.

Pray:

Praise God for the Villa and a safe place for these girls to live.
Praise Him that he knows us so well and He provides in His perfect timing.
Pray for the Villa girls sponsorship program at Forward Edge International.
Pray that we, the field staff would get the rest we need before the next team comes.
Pray for the travel of all the visitors who will come to the Villa open house.

Long time, no blog....

2008-08-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize to everyone for not writing to you all since Christmas. I would normally have some sort of excuse, this time, I have none. Except for the fact I am computer illiterate and was having trouble with blogging. This blog site has become much more user friendly. Praise God!!!

I also want to share that we, Forward Edge International, have been EXTREMELY busy here in Nicaragua. As a lot of you who have visited this summer already know. Due to this fact, I will not be able to blog again for awhile. I do have a desire to be more connected with all of you as I have decided to stay in Nicaragua indefinitely. Yes, that's right, I call this home now.

I was blessed to visit the States in June for my nephew Jeff's graduation from high school. It was a surprise to most of my family and friends. I am not sure when I will return, but am blessed to have the opportunity to visit.

I will contact you all when I am able to blog what has been going on this summer. We have a number of new projects that have begun. Our major project, Villa Esperanza, has opened and we have 16 girls living there from la Chureca (the garbage dump). They moved in about a month ago and are doing very well. We are also hosting many FEI teams on the propery as well. It has been a learning experience and thank you to all that have participated in making the Villa a success.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Prayer requests:

Praise God for the 16 girls now living in Villa Esperanza. He truly has saved their lives.
Pray for their spiritual health, mental health and physical health.
The father of two of the girls has passed away recently, please pray for their mother who is living in the dump right now.
Pray for the FEI home office, there has been many changes and a lot of work added. Prasie God that He is using FEI in a Mighty way.
Pray for our staff here in Nicaragua. We are tired.......Priase God He our Strength and Rest.

Love you all,

Susie

Christmas and Graduation

2007-12-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

As the year comes to an end, Christmas celebrations begin. Our last team brought over 100 Christmas gift bags for all ages of children. We have been sorting, counting and putting gifts together to get ready to give out at the many church celebrations through out the community. The celebrations will begin December 20, of course as most things go here I will miss the very parties we are planning. I will be traveling to the States December 19, bright and early.

I had the privilege to attend an early Christmas party at Vida Nueva, a orphanage that specializes in mal-nutritioned babies. Santa came and gave gifts to all the kids. We had a great lunch and watched the kids play with their new toys.

It was great to see the kids eyes light up when Santa arrived, quickly followed by comments and questions like,"Why is Santa so skinny?" "Is he sick?" "Last year he was fat!" "What happened to him?". It was pretty funny to listen and watch the kids react to Santa. Some did react the same as the kids in the States. The minute they see Santa they burst into tears....
One team for the States came down just to give the kids a special Christmas. They brought wrapped presents for each and every child. Even the babies got toys for their cribs. The women that work at the center got the kids all dressed up in their Christmas clothes even though it was 90 degrees outside.

It has been fun to go to the center and see the toddlers play with their new toys. And the infants become more active with the new mobiles and crib toys allowing them to have much needed exercise.

Along with Christmas celebrations comes Graduation time for the Nicaraguan school year. Gloria, along with the teachers, planned a beautiful graduation ceremony for preschoolers and sixth graders from La Chureca. The sixth graders will move on to go to school outside the confines of the garbage dump. This is the second class of students who will move on to go to secondary school. The ceremony was held at Verbo Church (my home church). Parents from La Chureca came by a charter bus dressed in
their best clothes with their heads held high. Even though though young ones had a hard time sitting still and oh, how hard they tried to not hit each other with their hats, the ceremony went off without a hitch. We heard speeches from the teachers giving words of encouragement to the parents. One teacher who grew up in the dump community shared her story of how the school changed her life. She went to school to become a teacher and now serves in that very school. Others gave thanks to the parents for allowing their kids to attend school. Most families that live in the dump have their kids working in the garbage as soon as they turn old enough to carry out the tasks necessary or leave the kids with friends or family that might not aways be safe.

Along with hearing from the teachers, the new Pastor of the new church at the school was introduced to the kids and their friends and family. This past year we had a Pastor from a church in Portland, Trinity Project, came down to Nica and offered to support a new branch of Verbo church in La Chureca. The first service is coming up this Saturday. I am excited to see the turnout for this new project.t. Your prayers will be appreciated.

For entertainment we watched two women dance traditional Nicaraguan dance. We also watched a song and dance performed by a group of kids from the middlegrades. The song, of course I couldn't understand very well, but it had to do something with helping others out when they need it.
I really appreciate the Nicaraguan culture and the way they pass down traditions from generation to generation. You often see little girls and teenagers learning their native dances and then dressing in the traditional dresses and performing the dances at special occasions.

Please pray:

Praise God for all the work that Ministries are doing together here in Nicaragua.
Praise God for the new Pastor in La Chureca, Ramon and his wife Miriam.
Pray for Ramon and Miraim's guidance and wisdom.
Pray the Lord would prepare the hearts of the people who live in la Chureca to come to the opening of this new church.
Pray for safety and protection for Gloria, Wilbert, my family here and myself as we drive in the streets if Nica. (all of us have recently experienced a fender bender or theft in the past two weeks)
Pray for good health for Gloria.
Pray for safe travel for all the missionaries traveling to the states for the holidays.

Thank you all for your support and prayers.

A little more form Nica.

2007-11-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

Through out the summer we hosted almost a team a week. Many of these teams enjoyed working on various projects. Through this work Forward Edge International is able to grow and nurture it's relationship with Nicaragua. We now are welcomed to the school in La Chureca, rather than being shunned. The kids look forward to our visits and have fun playing with the "gringos" that visit. (not a bad word here in Nica) Our last team that visited over Thanksgiving week had the privilege of taking a group of older girls from the school in the dump out for an afternoon of swimming at a local pool. We also took some kids from an orphanage called Vida Nueva to a mall and out to dinner. A treat they rarely receive. What fun it is to see the kids play on the rides at the mall or jump into a FREEZING cold pool.

We also had time to have some fun on our days off. This is riding to the river in Rio Blanco. It's great to do some things that we are not allowed to do in the states. Like ride in the back of truck everywhere you go. We hiked up the river and had fun cliff jumping into a deep pool of water. Zip lining in the canopy of Mombacho volcano is also a highlite of many of the teams trips. It's an 11 stop zip line tour in the trees. One of the teams saw a family of howler monkeys next to one os the stops. Of course it wa the only time I chose not to go, and so I missed the whole up close and personal experience.

Continuing.....

2007-10-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, I left off in the middle of the youth team from Edmunds Washington. They were our teams of firsts, even though it was their second time in Nica. After painting the school in Chiquilistagua, we traveled to Rio Blanco. It's about a four hour drive to the middle of the country. Our project was to build a latrine for a school that had no restrooms. The children were going to the river next to there school to use the bathroom. The same river that others in the community use to wash their clothes, dishes etc. We also painted their new two room school with a protective concoction of diesel and oil(?). And while the hard labor was going on we had other groups playing games and doing crafts with the students. It was a great school and the students and teachers were really fun and appreciative. The team had a great time problem solving and being creative with the limited resources we had to do the construction projects. It's a great way to work with in their culture. I have found Nicaraguans to be incredibly creative and inventive. They are the masters at making things work.

In Rio Blanco, at this time of year, there is a lot of rain. Consequently it rained everyday in the afternoon. The field at the school would often have cattle pass through during the night. They would in turn leave little "gifts "on the field that would mix with the mud during the rain. I enjoyed watching the older boys from the school and some of our team boys play soccer in the rain every afternoon. Slipping and sliding away, not caring that they were smelly and filthy. All that mattered was the smiles on their faces.

The kids loved the crafts and games our team brought. Necklace beading, bracelet making, foam crosses needed to be decorated. We had a quite complicated angel to make for the older kids who turned out to be mostly boys. Who, I heard, loved the project and were excited to take the treasures back to their mom's and grandma's. And for the little kids we had Spanish Bingo!!!! It was great to see them match the pictures to their game cards and learn new words (it helped my Spanish as well, hahahaha). We hope to go back next year and build on the relationship that has begun.

Summer time, summer time....

2007-09-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

The summer started with a schedule of 8 teams within 13 weeks. Often one team would leave in the morning and another would arrive the same evening or the next day (my excuse for not updating this blog, sorry folks). Most teams consisted of 20+ people. There were teams coming from all over the US from Portland, OR to Sarasota, FL. We hosted a variation of teams, from construction teams to youth oriented teams, to a pampering team (haircuts, nails etc.). It was a joy to meet so many people with a heart for God and His people. For some people it was their first time traveling outside the US. For others it was their 7 or 8 trip to Nicaragua. It was a joy to work with all the teams and see how God grows and changes people during a week away from all we know and the comforts of home.

We visited El Canyon, a local orphanage FEI has been supporting for over 4 years. La Chureca the local garbage dump, which has a school in the community of families surrounding the landfill that FEI has also supported for the same amount of time. We have also begun to minister and support new projects.

One new project is working with a baby nutritional center and orphanage called Vida Nueva. Tim and Chris Bagwell moved to Nicaragua 5 years ago from the US to work as missionaries for their church. Two years ago God put it in their hearts to open a nutritional center for children. It is one of only two in the country. These babies are abandoned in the true sense of the word. Milagro(above right, Milagro means Miracle in Spanish) was found in a field wrapped in a plastic bag. Nancy, another infant, was found in a drainage ditch with only her mouth and nose above the water. Little Marcos (below,left) was abandoned at the hospital after his mother tried to self abort three times because she was raped by two men. I know these stories are horrific and incomprehensible, but they are truth. Truth of what desperate people will do during what they think are hopeless situations. And we believe God led someone to find Milagro and Nancy who were literally thrown away like garbage. As Tim Bagwell puts it "Each on of these children already has a testimony of God's love."

This center has 40 children living there with ages ranging from 5 days to 11 years old. The house is bursting at the seams and unfortunately they have to turn some of the children away. The Bagwells have just recently bought property here in Managua and are in the process of raising funds to begin to build a new, much larger home for these kids. It's a blessing to be a part of these kids lives. I sneak off any time I get to be with them.

Along with visiting Vida Nueva, we also were blessed to help an orphanage in a nearby canyon called El Canyon. We worked at the local school in this area as well as the orphanage. We took one team of only women to the school and gave haircuts and lice treatments, did manicures, crafts and played games. One of our team members made picture frames with foam craft paper and we took pictures of all the kids and had them choose a frame for their picture. The school is now in the process of getting a new paint job as a result of Gloria's fund raising and the teams that have visited and decided to contribute to the improvement of the school.

In the orphanage we often cleaned dorms and organized storage rooms. But most of our time was spent loving and playing with the kids. The children love any type of craft. Painting, jewelry making, even the old standby of making things with pipe cleaners. Impromptu soccer and basketball games were the norm. We also were able to take the kids to a local soccer field that has lights to play at night (most of the time, if the electricity is on). We played soccer and had pizza dinners. I am blessed to personally be able to get to know most of the kids that live in the orphanage. To see them once a week and be able develope relationships with them.

We also traveled to a local community called Motestepe to help build a local church. Building new columns and painting beams were the projects in this location. It is a very poor community that doesn't get a lot of local or international help. The church is on a corner where it is a known hang out for gang members. We were greeted with scowls from the boy gang members, but by the end they wanted to join in the fun and have their pictures taken. This little girl on the left is Jenny. She was very excited about her pets. She, like me, is an animal lover. This is her pet duck, and she had me follow her to her house across the dirt road from the church to take pictures of her puppy and then finally of her new baby sister. Having teams visit this community is new to the community so the kids went a little crazy with the picture taking and the handing out of candy. These situations make you learn certain words in Spanish very fast to try and manage the swarm of excited kids just wanting to play and be included. We also worked with the Pastor handed out clothing and stuffed animals to women and children who have the most needs.

We had a group of high school students from Edmunds, WA we took to a community Gloria has found that we had not worked in before. We worked at a school about 2 kilometers away from where the teams live during their stay called Chiquilistagua. The school was previously a rehabilitation center. The principle was given a 4 year lease for free. The problem is that the school is very run down. When it rains the water comes right into the windows. The walls are are dirty and the cement floors are almost impossible to clean. There was one working toilet in the whole school and that is only for the preschool children. The others have to go behind one of the school buildings and find a spot to in an emergency. We painted 3 classrooms and the principle's office. The change in the room were like night and day. And after we left there were local men hired to help finish painting the rest of the rooms. It is nice to know that the rest of the school was able to be finished and we didn't leave anything half finished.

I know you all were anxious for an update and apologize for this taking so long. The summer schedule was busy, nut I had no idea how busy it would really be. And when there was free time (hahaha that makes me laugh) the electricity was out or the Internet was down at my house. I have to run and pick up my friend Helen from the airport. I will continue this update soon, as there is still another half of the youth team from Edmunds to tell. We traveled to a town called Rio Blanco and had our own little adventure there. You can see video's of exactly what FEI, Gloria, teams and I do here in Managua if you go to http://www.kptv.com/ and search for Living in a Landfill or Managua, Nicaragua. We had a TV crew from Portland come and do a few stories about the work here. They are truly the picture of what we do here.

I wanted to add prayer requests before I have to go:

Praise God for the rest and restoration He has given me the past month.
Praise Him for the quick healing He gave Wilbert (Gloria's husband) after he had extensive hernia surgery.
Praise Him for the provision He has given in the funding of Villa Esperanza.
Pray for safety for the cont ruction workers working in Villa Esperanza.
Pray God leads Gloria and Wilbert to Nicaraguans who want to serve alongside them in their ministry.
Pray for good communication between all involved serving with FEI and working in Nicaragua.
Continue to pray that Gods will would be seen in all areas.

Thank you all for your patience. It has been a long but extremely blessed summer. I hope yours was the same. Please feel free to comment and aske any questions.

Sister in Christ,

Susie

A month of firsts...

2007-06-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Gloria and I have begun to schedule the first teams of the summer and it is looking quite busy. At last count, there will be 7 teams with in 9 weeks. And the possibility for an eighth team has just come around. I hosted my first team June 1-8th. A youth team from Ackworth, Georgia. Their ages ranged from 13 to 18 with a few adults in addition. Though at first I think they were shocked at the amount of work we had for them, by the end of the week they were ready and willing to do anything we asked.

It was a blessing to see the transformation of a group of teens that probably don't do much hard labor in the States, turn into a team of willing spirits. Our projects included: painting the boys and girls dorms at El Canyon orphanage for 2 days, cleaning bathrooms and walls and helping clear and clean the property for Villa Esperanza.They were the first official FEI team to work on the new property. The team broke into groups and cleaned the house on the property inside and out, planted 4 mid-size palm trees (the women did this!!) and cut a field of grass with machetes (the way the locals do it). They were tired and worn out, but after meeting and spending time with the kids from the dump who would one day live on the property, they knew who they were helping so they became energized and willing.

On one of the days, we were blessed to take 19 kids from the dump school to the beach. Some had never been outside the dump before in their lives. It was a joy to see the kids laugh and play even though they didn't speak the same language. And I was blessed to give rides to the kids on a 4-wheeler!!! It was my first time driving one and it was so much fun!! We were also blessed to take some kids from El Canyon orphanage to play soccer at night on a lit field ( my nephew Chris would love this!). Futbol, as soccer is called here, is a very widely played sport and all the boys and girls loved it.

Exciting news also is that the team leaders of this group, a young pastor and his wife, made the decision to adopt a 3 year boy from the orphanage. They started the adoption process while here and with the Lord's Grace it will take no more than 6 months. Little Jonathan was able to spend two nights here at the house with the couple and they seemed to bond right away.

Mothers day has come and gone ( I forgot Mother's Day in the states but did call on the Nica date, sorry mom, oopsy), and we had a wonderful celebration at the school in La Chureca( the dump). It was such a blessing to see all the moms dressed in their best with hair and make-up done. We were entertained by a program planned by the teachers and students. A show of dancing, singing, poetry and devotions filled the school with joy. We also had a raffle and gave away 16 bags of groceries and household items. At the closing everyone left with a slice of pizza. It was real treat for all the kids. It was so fun to have a day to help make the mothers of these kids who live in the dump feel special and to continue to grow the relationship between the school and community.

The rainy season has begun here in Nicaragua. Rain like I have never seen before (and I am from Portland, OR). The streets turn into rivers and if you own a gasoline powered vehicle watch out for the depths of the water or you will be stranded. I have experienced driving in the torrential rain and it is a bit scary. The wipers are moving to fast you think they will break. Luckily everyone slows down and ceases to drive like they are in a video game, to a safe speed and they become very cautious. The Lord has also blessed me with a new car. A brand new 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 (I am a little excited). It will be my first new car ever!!! And I was also to able to minister during the buying process!!!! The owner of the dealership wishes to go to the dump and see the work I am involved with. She cannot believe I would leave the comfort of the states to come here and spend my time with the people of La Chureca. I can't wait to take her for a visit! The Almighty has something planned for her, I just know it.

In my spare time I have recently begun to read a biography of Hudson Taylor entitled "Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret". Hudson Taylor is considered the grandfather, if you will, of missionary work. He was the founder of the very successful China Inland Mission. I have been absorbing the stories of his beginning works in China, the challenges and the blessings he received. He is truly and inspiration to me. And from this book I was lead to read

Psalm 73:21-26:

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

I hope this speaks to you as it did me. Please pray:

Praise Him for His perfect will and timing.
Praise Him for being everything we will ever need.
Pray for the health of my dear friend Gloria (she has ventricular arrhythmia) and for her husband Wilbert's health as well (he needs a hernia operation).
Pray that we can all work as a team and have clear communication as the rush of teams begin.
Pray for Gods comfort for my family and myself. I miss them so much and it sometimes is painful.
And continued prayer that He allows me to see the work He has for me wherever that may lead.

Sister In Christ,

Susie

P.S. Please click on the link to projects in Nicaragua above. It's a chance to help some really special students make a difference for their families and themselves for the rest of their lives.

Vida en San Juan del Sur

2007-05-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

I returned last Saturday from living for 4 weeks in San Juan del Sur, a small beach town south of Managua close to the Costa Rican border. I attended one of the 3 Spanish schools in the area. Classes were held for 4 hours in the morning Monday thru Friday, with the option of an activity every afternoon. The school is held in a restaurant overlooking the beach. It was a blessing to look at the beautiful view every morning. The teachers were very kind, gracious and PATIENT. I found I do not have an affinity for language learning. My memory simply does not work like it used to. Although I did get the basics down and can communicate in a very simple and direct manner. Like a 4 year old would. In fact I think some of my best Spanish conversations have been with children.

I lived with a local family in San Juan. The father is a doctor and the mother a teacher. Senor Galan works at the local hospital and also has room in his home for a neighborhood clinic. They have 3 children, Anelka, who attends a university in Managua, Elba, 15, and Hector junior, 10 years old. Elba and Hector have recently placed 2nd and 1st, respectively, in the national ajedrez (chess) tournament. Hector, who placed first, was playing against 17 and 18 year olds. The family is extremely intelligent and education is a high priority.

Although it was a struggle to live in a city where no one speaks English , it was a blessing to see what God had there for me. My first 2 instructors were Christian and had many questions about Jesus and the Bible. We were bringing our Bibles to class everyday and would have long conversations about Jesus ( at least I think that's what we were talking about :). My third instructor is searching and is being pulled in different directions by her family. I was able to speak the word of Christ and to pray for her and could see she was really listening. I hope to visit again before my time here is up to see how the Lord has changed lives.

Since I have returned to Managua I have had the privilege of hosting 2 Pastors from Portland who have joined together and want to start a ministry in ' La Chureca'. We toured the city, went to the school in the dump for a morning and were able to be escorted around the neighborhood by a teacher from the school who has lived in the dump her whole life. We were invited into about 4 homes and were able to ask how the school has changed the community and if a new church would be welcome. A church full of Grace and not legalism. Their faces would light up when they would tell us what the school has done for their children. I can only believe a church would do the same for the adults. We had a lunch meeting with the director of the school at the dump and her husband who also teaches there. They have been involved with the school for 7 years. We would like to come along side them and continue with the work they have been doing in the dump already but in a larger scale to help reach the adults.That was followed up by meetings with the head Pastor and his assistants form Verbo Church. The church I attend here in Managua. The meetings were successful and they seem to really like the idea of beginning with a walking ministry. The next step is to pray and ask the Lord to raise up a couple who has a heart for the people of the dump.

Next up is the first team arriving June 1st. A team of youth who will help re-do the girls dorm of El Canyon orphanage, as well as visiting La Chureca and a few others places.

Please pray:

Praise God for the opportunities He gave me to speak the Word of Christ in San Juan del Sur. And that He will keep the veil lifted from their eyes.
Praise God for his Sovereignty and Perfect timing.
Pray for Him to open that eyes of Pastor Ricardo and the Verbo Church to see the couple God has chosen for the ministry in La Chureca.
Pray for safe travel of the teams coming to serve beginning June 1st.
Pray for health protection for Gloria and me. ( she is having heart trouble and I just recovered from being ill for a 2 days).
Pray for safety while I begin driving, for others as well as myself. And that I would not be pulled over by the police.
Pray that in the midst of all the work and commotion we would see the opportunities to share the Word of Christ.

Thanks for all of your support!!!! Miss you and Love you.

Love In Christ,

Susie

P.S I have also started to publish some photos at www.smiller327.photosite.com

Mosquitoes are mean!!!

2007-04-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right I said it, they are just plain mean! I have around 50 bites and counting. The "Deep Woods Off" seems to make no difference to them. I have been told I'm new and foreign blood so they like me. I hope they get tired of me soon because I am walking around looking like I have the chicken pox with people pointing and gasping, making ouchy faces. As if I don't look foreign enough....

It is Easter and very quiet in the city. There doesn't seem to be much celebration amoungst Christians here. The Catholics have been celebrating their brains out. I think I heard fireworks last night. Really it seems it is just a time for a few days off and everyone heads for the beach. La Policia are out everywhere pulling people over for drunk driving. This morning we ( my host family ) and I went to church and there was a American pastor who gave the message. I was happy to hear before hand that the message would be in English. But when he started to talk he was speaking Spanish. My friend Raul, who will also be my interpreter for awhile, brought me a headset where someone who speaks English translates for you( I love this idea ). Well, she had trouble translating because the speaker wasn't using the right Spanish words. I almost understood his Spanish more than the English the translator was speaking. At the end Pator Ricardo, my host dad, got up on stage and said in Spanish. " So in conclusion, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, Amen!!! Have a good week !!" It was really funny.

Leyda, my host mom, Judith, my host sister, and I went to mall for lunch. I found out there, that Leyda likes to shop, ok, she LOVES to shop. We all bought a new pair of shoes. Which made a quick lunch at the mall turn into a 2 hour lunch at the mall. And she told me on the way home of there is anything I ever need to go buy just ask her and we will go shopping. I think she is very happy there is another woman living in the house. The last missionary who lived here was a twenty something year old guy who, I am sure, didn't like to go shoe shopping with Leyda.

Gloria and Wilbert ( I am here to assist Gloria and Wilbert is her husband )had to make a sudden trip to Costa Rica to be by the side of Wilbert's ill father.( Please pray for them and Wilbert's family). So she has given me a list of projects that we were supposed to do together so I could get a feel for things here. But now I will be doing them on my own!!!! God truly knows how I work best. Just get thrown in and try to swim. I will have a driver and Raul w/ me so it won't be that bad. Still, it's new territory. Tomorrow I am to take a lady that has cervical cancer, who lives near the dump, to the hospital for exams for the possiblity of chemo treatment. I don't beleive she has had many doctor examinations. Gloria said she is bleeding and in pain. Pray that this lady would trust Raul and me to care for her.

Please pray:

Praise God that He has given me rest and cleared my mind to be able to understand Spanish more and more each day.
Praise God for the loving friends I have here and am going to meet.
Pray that I seek His guidance this week for the projects Gloria has assigned Raul and me.
Pray for His protection over me as I will be traveling w/ the funds to execute these projects.
Pray that God gives wisdom to the doctors while examining the lady w/ cancer. Pray that I would understand what is going on and Raul's interpretations would be accurate.

Above are pictures of my new home and of Wilbert & Gloria, we were at Pizza Hut celebrating his nephew Mikels visit from Costa Rica. I was blessed to be included w/ their family.

Happy Easter

Love In Christ

Susie

Managua, Nicaragua

2007-04-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived Saturday March 31st to Managua at 10 pm after a long day of traveling. The wet weather in Houston made the trip even longer. I was greeted my my new host mother , Leyda , my new aunt, Lena , her sister, and my new little sister, Judith, Leyda's daughter who is 10 yrs old. Who, by the way, dressed up for the occasion. She looked beautiful. Upon arriving to my new home, my new little brother Natan was waiting to say hi, he's 16 yrs. old and just as cute as can be. The greetings were short as we were all tired and ready to go bed.

Sunday morning we were off to church ( an hour later than planned which seems to be a pattern here). I was surprised and a little embarressed when I was exiting the rest room and the congregation was waiting to pray for me. The worship is very colorful and lively. Dancers in the front with flags and swags of frabric. Lots of clapping and dancing. Pastor Ricardo Hernandez's ( my new host father and Leyda's husband) message sounded interesting but of course I could not understand a word. The earlier service has translators, so hopefully we will make it to that service next week.

In the evening we, Helen from Forward Egde, Gloria my new boss, and I were off to a wedding ( that started about 1 1/2 hours late)! I had met the family during my last few visits to Nica. I had the pleasure of cutting the hair of the mother and daughter last August. The ceremony was much like in the states. Except of course the late start. The "walking down the isle" music was our " after they are married walking down the isle music" and vice versa. We did not stay for the reception as we were all very tired.

Monday morning we took 3 brothers from El Canyon orphanage to buy shoes and to have hamburgers, chicken nuggets and ice cream ( helado ). Nahum, Saul, Helen, and Gener (in the picture). These boys have a special place in Helen and her husbands heart. And it was great to see the relationship they all have developed. The youngest Saul was our interpreter and did wonderful. Their mother died of cancer in 2005 and their father lives a few hours outside Manaugua and is unable to care for them. They were very happy to get new "cool" new tennis shoes and to have a trip outside the orphanage. I look forward to seeing them again soon.

In the afternoon Helen, Gloria, a guest from the US and I had a meeting to see what this next year is going to look like and how we all can work as a team. The plans for the "Home of Hope" are coming along as the land has been purchased. There are some wonderful new ideas on how to make this area feel like a real home. God is doing major work here and in the lives of people who are coming to visit ans serve. I am looking forward to meetng new people that live here that are becoming a part of this project.

It is Holy week now so the city is pretty quiet. I will be able to rest from the hectic schedule of the last few weeks in the US and have time to adjust and visit w/ my new family. Every meal we sit down and eat together. I have been visiting with another new little brother Ariel 18 yrs old. We found out we both have a liking to the TV show Lost. He has lots of questions because of the language barrier, he does speak a little English. I told him even though I speak English I don't always understand that show. We laughed. It's also very hot. In the upper 90's which means with the humidity it feels even hotter. I think Thursday is supposed to be around 100 degrees. And it hasn't rained since November!! Very dusty!

Next week I will apply for my visa, look for a car, get a PO box, cell phone etc. All the wonderful errands we do in the states. FUN!! Maybe I will be brave and start to drive!

Please pray:

God guides the visa process, that the paperwork would be clear and accurate.
God opens my mind to learn and understand Spanish and loosens my tongue to speak it.
God covers my adjustment to driving in this country and keeps others and myself safe.
Praise God for my host family, the Hernandez's, that He blesses them Mightily for their obedience to Him.
Praise God for the lives He is changing daily and for the protection He provides.

Thank you all for your support. Sorry if there are misspellings as this blog is in Spanish right now, so my spell check tells me all the words are spelled wrong!!!