5 Months

5 months… Time has really flown by. It seems just the other day that I got here, but when I think of all my experiences, good and bad, it feels like a year. It’s been a great journey so far and I can’t wait for the next segment of this journey to begin. I’m on my way home for about 3.5 weeks. I’ve got so many stories; I don’t know where to start when telling them.
I guess I can start by telling you about the new youth service I started in Iglesias Alcance Minisero. Since I got here, our church in San Juan Pueblo has been on my heart. But I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t until I asked our assistant pastor when I could preach in San Juan and he told me, how about Saturday. I didn’t know there was a Saturday night service in San Juan, b/c I’m always in La Masica on Saturday for their youth service. He told me though that only a few youth showed up. I knew then that my job was to revitalize the youth there. I started the service in Oct, with about 25 youth in service and about 50 overall. My average number is about 15 youth and 35 overall. Services are going good, I’m preaching when I have a translator and Pastor Misael is taking the other services. It’s been a little bumpy but I’m still working through the kinks. The Lord is strong in the service; I just need to keep coming up with new fresh activities for the services.
Over the last three months, I’ve spent much of time in San Juan and unfortunately that has rubbed some people the wrong way in La Masica. Some of the workers aren’t too happy I’m not helping them with the youth in La Masica and the kids are hearing there complaints and it’s rubbing off on them also. I try to spent time with the people that live in the colony, trying to get to know them and for them to get to know me. They are great people and my time there I believe is starting to payoff. I’ve got youth that are telling me about their drug use and others coming to me about the problems big or small. I also spent time in San Juan with my best friend in Honduras, Sully and her sisters. I’ve been blessed to find such great people, and they speak English and love the Lord. Sully is an awesome person and I feel so relaxed around her and we have so much fun hanging out.
I try to take walks up into the mountains, but with all the rain, I haven’t been there nowhere as much as I would like. It is so peaceful in the mountains and beautiful. God is an awesome artist.
The kids in the orphanage are doing great. I love to see their smiles each and everyday. Jump roping is their number 1 thing to do and they start playing early almost every morning right in front of my bedroom window. I enjoy jumping with them or just sitting out there with them while they play.
Oh man, I think I’m starting to finally get tired. It’s just after 4 am central time and I’ve been awake since 6 am. I’m on the plane to Ft. Lauderdale right now and we’re schedule to land in about 45 mins, so I think I might try to take a little nap since I’m not sure when I’ll be able to finally get some sleep.