Lunch in Terra Bono

We ate lunch at the coziest place in town. Pig or chicken? That is the menu. The chicken was pretty good, and Zach loves the sodas. Above, a picture of the cook and kitchen.

Concrete water tanks

Steve and I spent the day helping (and mostly watching) our friend Uriel and his brother-in-law build a concrete water tank, called a pila. The materials were donated by CIEETS, the people need to donate their own labor. And hard work it is! Steve helped carry many concrete blocks down the hillside. The weigh between 80 and 100 lbs each. Notice there are no machines to help with the mixing. everything is done by hand.

Here is Uriel´s wife and their 7 month old daughter Belen. Isn´t she adorable?!

This is their kitchen. It is located outside their house, on the side. Most houses here have their kitchen inside the house, but it creates a lot of smoke. But we don´t know how she cooks in the rain.

Zach working with daddy

Zach is getting old enough now to take along on some of our work road trips. Here, we headed 1.5 hrs south to the little town of Terra Bono to look at some ferrocement tanks. See above.

The land is so dry here, and it is a constant struggle to have enough water.

We love seeing the kids in their uniforms.

We also loved all the horses at the schoolyard, waiting for their riders!

Here is a mix of old and new, the horse and the motorcycle.

Angel on Fire

Here is my precious baby, taking another fever-induced nap. Out of all of us, he gets the least number of mosquito bites, we never thought he would be the first to get dengue fever. Thank God it has passed now, and with no permanent damage (just a sleep-deprived mommy!).

Thanks to all who prayed for his health and our sleep. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

Recession in the States affects workers here

As the economy slows in the States and heads toward a recession, it has affected the workforce here. A friend from church recently lost his job at the coffee processing plant due to concerns about low coffee sales in the States. The recession in the States will only exacerbate the high level of unemployment here in Nicaragua. In all this, we remember that God is a God of heaven and earth, and is in control of all. However, we are continually challenged in our faith as we see people struggle to buy food and basic necessities. It is easy to say that God is in control when we have food, clothing and a nice house, but to say that God is in control when there is little food and rags for clothes requires an even stronger faith.

Rioting in Nicaragua

We ask that you would all pray for the people here in Nicaragua. The president, Daniel Ortega, has only been in office a little over a year, and has continually tried to seize power, suppress freedom and turn this democratic country into a communist state. His latest act was to suspend elections in RAAN, one of the autonomous regions on the coast. Tensions have been running high, and this week the people on the coast responded with rioting and protests. The value of the currency here continues to drop and freedom of the press continues to be threatened through use of physical force and lawsuits. Pray for peace, wisdom and patience for all here.

Tribute to Alaina Elizabeth

My sweet baby girl, today you would be 3 years old. How quickly the time has gone by! Your life, though short, has meant so much to us. What would you have looked like by now? Sometimes when we look at Nathaniel, we see you. His blond, curly hair and dark face is so much like yours. Would you be quiet, curious and gentle, like your baby brother? Or loud, full of energy and talkative, like your big brother? We will never know. But we do know this, that you are in the hands of God, and there is no better place to be. We thank God for your life, and though it was painful to see you go, we have a hope of seeing you again. No life, no matter how short, is ever in vain. Thank you for sharing your life with us, we have grown in love and compassion and are better people because of you. We will never forget you. We love you. Daddy and Mommy.
Here is a poem that shares our feelings.
Just Once by Barbara A. Daniels

Just Once I wish I could have spent a late night rocking you in my arms. Just Once, I wish I could have gently lain you in your crib. I wish I could have changed a diaper, chosen an outfit for the day, given you a bath, soothed your skin with lotion…Just Once, I wish I could have heard you cry out in loneliness for me, spent time alone with you, just the two of us, strolled you proudly through the shopping mall…Just Once, I wish I could have heard the words, “What a beautiful, healthy baby girl!” Just Once.