Wedding

Yesterday, we went to our first Nicaraguan wedding. Our friends Kerin and Isaac, from the first church we attended, were finally getting married, after years of dating. I can still remember talking with Kerin, a few months after we arrived and she was 16, telling me she couldn't wait to marry Isaac. She was a very patient woman!

And we're ready!



The invitation said the wedding started at 3 pm. But did that actually mean to arrive there at 3? That was our big question. Most people told us, no way. Sometimes the bride doesn't arrive for hours. Our next door neighbors related the awful story of waiting 4 hours for the bride to arrive. I told them they should have ordered pizza!

The one main difference between Nicaraguan and American weddings is that here, there are 2 ceremonies. The first one is called the civil ceremony, and is done with a lawyer. Only lawyers have the power to marry a couple. This is done the same day, the day before, or even a week before the ecclesiastical ceremony. Usually only the family is invited to the civil ceremony.

The ecclesiastical ceremony is more like our ceremonies in the States. There is a pastor (or priest, if you're Catholic), with a sermon, the bride wears a wedding dress. The main difference here is that the set-up was more like a reception. We walked in and sat down at our table. The pastor preached, vows were said, rings exchanged, and the couple was "married" by the pastor (although he has no legal power).

The bride, Kerin.



There was food, music, and cake, just like American weddings.

Joel and family work on the food.



The cake.


The other difference we noted is that the cake was served on napkins. It always is. No matter where we have gone, for some reason, they always serve cake on napkins, never on a plate. I don't know why.

Typical Nicaraguan child. They can sleep anywhere, anytime. No matter how loud the preaching or music. Marlon (MacDonald's brother) holds his daughter, Cristel.

Almost there!

Whew!

We are hoping to be DONE with the project work tomorrow, Friday. We finished delivering the last of the rabbits today, and Steve spent 15 hours on Tuesday buying 12 goats from Somoto and delivering them to the farmers. I've also been spending copious amounts of time poring over pages of receipts, entering in all the information in a database and double-checking the information.

Needless to say, we're exhausted! We both have very nicely red shaded eyes with bags under them, and we're struggling to even come up with simple conversation after the kids are in bed. Thank goodness for vacation next week!

This is what heat does to me....it makes me chop my hair. I just couldn't stand the humidity anymore, my hair is so heavy.


But....we still have packing to do, and lots of it! Next week we hope to pack the majority of our stuff, possibly look at another farm, make a trip to Managua, get Sebastian's last 3 vaccinations done, fill out lots of paperwork and just possibly get away for a night. Can we do it all? Like Bob the builder say, Yes we can!

Let's just say this vacation will be anything but relaxing!

This little guy gets into absolutely everything! and he LOVES to climb, even though he's taken a few hard hits to the head from the concrete floor. And he desperately needs a haircut, but I'll see where that lands on our list of things to do!


Zach is on vacation this week, kind of like Christmas break for kids in the States. This is the mid-year point for the school year. He is enjoying his gameboy below, and Seb is giving him a few pointers.

Coming....or going Home?

So it's true. We have made the decision to come back home to stay. But we will still be going home July 27th, probably for a few months while we settle our affairs. It feels strange...sad that we will be leaving home, and yet excited about returning home, at the same time. Can one have two homes?

Since May, we've been wrestling with the idea of staying in Nicaragua. Not with an organization, but simply living here, and working here. Like other Nicaraguans.

I know, it seems crazy. At first I thought, Is it possible? Sure, we've heard stories. Seems like everybody knows some chele (gringo, or white-skinned person) who came here to live. I just never thought we would be one of them.

Do we have all the details worked out? No, not really. But God does. So we are trusting in Him, to lead us. And we are staying on our knees, asking God to show us clearly our next step.

Is it scary? You bet. I woke up at 3:30 this morning and gasped, Are we really, truly going to do this? Come back and try to make it on our own here? I asked God to show me the right path, His will for us. In response, He filled me with a peace, a heavenly peace such as only He can give.

I know we will be tested. Every fiber of my being screams against the insanity of it all, the not knowing, the too few details, the health of my kids, the pressure of making it financially. But if I listen closely, I can hear the soft, gentle whispers of God, asking me to take His hand, and to trust in HIM. Not in humans, or my own mind, but only HIM.

Do I really trust Him? Do I really believe that He loves me and brings all things to His good purpose? It's easy to say yes, when you have a good job, the cupboards are full of food, and you have access to good medical care. When your life is so completely under control, there is nothing left to entrust into the hands of Him who created us.

But to say YES! when you don't know where your next meal is going to come from, when your friends have turned their backs on you, when the health care is poor and you haven't heard God speak in months...that is faith. That is trust.

Did you see the movie Facing the Giants? Excellent movie.

In the movie, a man is struggling with his life circumstances, and not seeing God at work in his life. Another man comes to encourage him, and tells him a story.

There were 2 farmers who had fields, and both desperately needed rain. So they both prayed for rain, but only one went out and prepared his fields for it. Which one had faith? Which one are you?

We are asking God to have the faith to go out and prepare our fields for rain.