Happy Summer! Just like that, we’re in the middle of July. Life keeps moving along and sometimes it’s difficult to pause and take time out to breathe and reflect. Summer is great for that. We just got back from visiting family and friends in Pittsburgh for a much needed timeout from life here in Nicaragua. I’ll share more about our timeout in a minute, but first let me get you caught up with our students.
The children finished their first semester of school and had a mid-semester break before returning to school July 3rd. Margine is persevering through her senior year (11th grade here). She is not a naturally gifted student, and she struggles to press on and fulfill her responsibilities. When she feels encouraged and lifted up, she works well and is motivated to succeed. Too often, however, she faces low self-esteem and discouragement. I’ve documented her social difficulty in the past, and the lack of good friends makes school extra challenging. A few of her teachers care about her and show interest, which helps build her up, but I imagine she is often in her own world much of the school day. Yet she carries on. I’m very thankful and encouraged to see her work hard and fight to finish high school. Our constant prayer for her is that she knows the Love of God and that she draws her identity and worth from the completed work of Christ. Only He gives abundant life.
Jeremy is in 9th grade and showing signs of maturation. He has recently shown more interest in his studies, saying that he wants to earn good enough grades to go to college for dentistry–so we’ll see if that translates into him working harder or not. He continues to be consistently in a good mood, making jokes and bringing laughter to those around him. I pray he walks in the Light of Jesus, steering clear of the darkness that surrounds much of his neighborhood and environment. Vanessa is in 6th grade and preparing to graduate at the end of this year. She’ll start high school next year, and she’s excited about making that transition. She does well in her classwork and is a good test-taker. Our concerns for her are more social, as she has been a primary participant in lots of 6th grade drama this year. While she and Margine are essentially on the opposite end of the social spectrum, our prayer for her is similar. We pray she knows she is loved by her Father, not for what she does or says or how she looks or is looked at, but because she is His precious daughter, His darling.
Ezekiel is pushing through 5th grade, and he seems to be growing in the process. His cognitive development was tested at the end of last year, and the results were enlightening. He really struggles with ordering events and even numbers, which certainly make school work more difficult. Their school recently launched a resource program to pull students out of class and give them one-on-one support (this only exists in a few schools in the whole country). He recognized right away that this resource was for his benefit, so he’s had a very positive attitude and enjoys the extra help. We pray the Holy Spirit nurtures discernment in him, that he grows in wisdom and understanding in the kingdom of God, and in his cognitive development. At the end of the first semester, praise God that everyone is passing all their classes.
Back in June, before we left for the U.S., Jessenia and I were worn out. We were exhausted in many ways, and the physical exhaustion of caring for an infant in our ealry 40s only exascerbated the spiritual, mental and emotional weariness. I had personally felt disconnected from the LORD for some time, and disconnected from wife for several months, with the former amplifying the issues of the latter. Arriving at my parents’ house in Pittsburgh was like an oasis in the desert for us. They love us so well. Jeruahel perhaps said it best when she told Jadriel that “at Grandma’s house, you do whatever makes you comfortable.” The wise and perceptive words of an 8 year-old that wonderfully express the peace in our hearts at their home.
Our time was so refreshing, and I do hope to write more soon about how the LORD ministered to the four of us and to my heart through family, friends, and church community. For now I just want to say thank you. Thank you to those of you who were part of our refreshment. Thank you to those of you who continue to pray for us faithfully. Thank you to those who give financially to support us and the children. I often feel unworthy to receive all that is given us. Unworthy of your time, unworthy of your prayers, unworthy of your financial support. But that was one of the big things the LORD spoke to me about during this trip…my feelings of unworthiness don’t dictate the truth. The truth is that Jesus is worthy. Jesus IS the Truth. And He took away my unworthiness (because my flesh is very unworthy) in His death on the cross, destroying the work of sin and shame. Now I am a new creation, resurrected with Him into eternal life. That is my true identity, and because of Jesus I am worthy to stand before my Heavenly Father. Because of Him I am called to minister to His people. So I thank you for believing in Him. I thank you for supporting His work through our lives, and for believing in the good news of the Gospel, at work in my own heart as well as the hearts of the people in Nicaragua. He is Worthy!